They Zest up my Life

                 Born as human beings, we're entitled to the life-long certificate for being dynamic. The earliest notifications of our zeal to be energetic are manifested in the kicking around of a foetus within the mother's womb, which signifies the well being of the foetus . Lack of movements is worrisome, as it signifies that the little one might not have the energy to thrive. Hence, from the very first stages of life, we try to express our willingness to be active. Each one of us are bundles of energy, eager to assert our influence around,searching for things that add ZEST to our lives. The day this search ends is the day we breathe our last, on the surface of earth. 
                        Finding excitement & deriving happiness from different sources is subjective to each individual . I'm privileged in this regard that I've been involved in a myriad of activities & gained an overwhelming amount of experiences in the quarter of a century that I've been alive. Few of them are forgettable, but most of them are sources for infinite joy! Some of them infuse happiness in me and I get a new zest in life every time I experience them .

    
               

Taking a closer look at the sky

     It was a night of a power cut in Kolkata some twenty years back when Dad had pointed at the sky to show me a cluster of stars & asked me whether I could imagine them to be a man, wearing a glittering belt in his waist, holding a shield in his hand. As the imaginative child in me drew a mental picture of Orion, he was filled with joy, that such a figure could exist up above. Dad literally sowed the seeds of a lifetime of delight when he told me, " See this one son?! There are numerous other such structures spread all over the sky.... If you make searching for them your hobby, you'll be amazed, as the sky is a treasure trove of wonders!" ......and I found out about Astronomy and sky watching. I would spend night after night on the roof, with a torch in one hand & a star chart in the other, gazing at the stars, deciphering constellations. I would master the handling of telescope from the very beginning. As the years went by, sky watching became my most favourite hobby, as I came to know more about the infinite universe all around us. Hunting for faint objects millions of light years away on chilly winter nights , when people were sleeping away under quilts, was my regular nocturnal activity. My guides at Astronomy camps taught me how every object in this world originated in the sky & made me realise , that in this vast expanse of stars, galaxies, comets, pulsars , quasars & black holes, we're almost nothing. Staring at the Sky and thinking about the infinite, instilled in me humility,and ignited the passion to know more . There hasn't been a single night of clear skies, when I didn't looked up to take a note of the celestial bodies . The SKY became my first love, and searching for the deep secrets she kept fueled my zestful drive in finding out more about them! 

Hunting for hidden treasures 

                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                          It's correctly said , music transcends the barrier of words. The unofficial universal language of the world made its way to my brain through my Dad's singing of lullabies. He scripted my vocal expertise, by encouraging me to sing nursery rhymes from the age of two years and recording them in tape recorder casettes, when I uttered broken syllables. As music was in the family, I took to it like a fish takes to water & enjoyed it immensely. 

Singing on stage

Everything fell in place & the world seemed to be in harmony, when my vocal chords resonated to create the perfect pitch & strike that perfect note.Performing on stage was exhilarating , as the adrenaline surge on seeing a sea of heads swaying to the tunes & breaking into applause on fine performances gave me tremendous highs! Music became a companion , whom I would fall back on irrespective of my mood. I know not how I break into a hum,subconsciously every time i'm not doing something, and it doesn't matter whether I'm happy or sad .  MUSIC certainly added another dimension to my life & enabled me to recharge , when my inner batteries were down.

                                       
                  

Ronaldo grimacing after his horrific knee injuries,
and being carried off on a stretcher 

A page from my World Cup Scrapbook 

  There are sportsmen , there are superheroes, then there is Ronaldo. Brazil's 'Il Fenomeno' was a prodigy no doubt , but he still needed to conquer barriers of pain & physical hardships , to ensure he got remembered as one of the very best ever. Twice being injured at a very crucial point on the knee,and being on the verge of losing the ability to walk properly,Ronaldo came back almost from the dead , to win the World Cup for Brazil in 2002, despite having no match practice at all. Recuperating from injury and recovering is one thing.......but walking straight into a war , after a long lay off , to emerge as the best player at the summit clash of all countries is definitely stuff of folklore. When I face personal battles, and the sense of the occasion seem to get the better of me, I envision a crutch wielding Ronaldo training hard, and then powering ahead with the ball to score, and sure enough, there is a renewed zest in me to give it another try. He was the role model, whom i looked up to for inspiration, when i needed it most to zest up my efforts and not give up. Being a hero of my adolescence , RONALDO  had moulded my mind when it was naive, and strengthened my resolve fight on with determination, just as he had done  to beat them all.                                         
                              

There's the champion ,the world-beater, who soared like a Phoenix,
from the ashes of consecutive knee surgeries,
gracing my scrapbook of 2002

                      Working at a government hospital in Kolkata gives me the scope to treat a huge number of patients every week. Sometimes, ailments require patients to have a prolonged stay at the hospital, many of whom are barely educated. Despite not being related to me, and inspite of being scolded by me time & again for not following my instructions, I can sense the warmth of the patients , on seeing me, when I go for my rounds every morning . As a patient recovers gradually from some morbid condition, there's this satisfaction drive that starts working in full swing inside me , which culminates at its highest point with the patient's grateful thanking of me at the time of discharge . As he holds my hand to express his gratitude , I see the earnestness in his eyes, and a feeling of wellness spreads rapidly in my system. Yes, there are times , when despite our best efforts, we fail to revive our patients, but this THANKING OF MY PATIENTS ensures that there's a zest to deliver even when the stakes are higher the next time , and I renew my vow to serve them better .
                                       
                                  I was mischievous as a school boy, so my Mum had to keep a watch on my activities , whenever she made me sit for my studies . Time and again , she'd come out of the kitchen to peep at the door and check on me , whether I was studying or not. The little devil in me soon singled out the subtle clinking of Mum's bangles on her hands when she moved around , and so , my ears gradually became trained to pick up the faintest of those metallic sounds whenever she moved . This helped me to escape scoldings, whenever I read story books hid in my school exercise copies , or drew doodles on the backpages & rapidly changed pages on hearing her approach !! But this sound also became one of my most favourite sounds , as it signified the special bond that I had with mum. At my tuitions, towards the end of classes , I could always make out when my mother had arrived , by that unique tinkling sound , that made its way to me over & above the presence of several other guardians . Now that I've grown older, I no longer require this auditory clue to dupe mum, but everytime i hear it,it fills me with a sense of fulfilment , that I have the one person with me , always , who's supportive of me, and who's eager to help me out in any situation. I have never mentioned about this unique sound of my mum's bangles to her , that only i can recognise from afar, because i felt it's some divine connection , that I have, with someone close to being a Goddess to me ! This CLINKING OF MY MUM'S BANGLES reassures me , that everything is fine with the house , because Mum's there: fit, active & full of life, and helps in my zest to become a better son to her.

     So these are the five things and people that Zest up my life ! 

Exploring CarConnect.in

          CarConnect.in is a splendid new portal,which has wholeheartedly attempted bringing all car connoisseurs of India under a common roof so that  there’s free mixing of like-minded people from across the country on the web. The trendy portal is a must visit for those who fantasize about cars all the time and believe that they can devote a lifetime talking about cars.

CarConnect organizes all the information in a compact manner regarding a motorist's needs and serves it up to you in a manner which can help even the most confused of souls . There is a city based selection system, with which you can connect with fellow automobile lovers from around the country! It’s the brainchild of a novel concept, so that everyone can pick each others' brains , and build up a huge database of car-based information.

You need to join in through Facebook into this portal, and immediately , you are transported into a world , where automobile is the uniting force!! The portal is divided into 'car experiences ' and 'long drive' sections, that are each superimposed on a city-based structure, that adds to the charm of the website.

I found real joy in going through the road trip experiences that highly skilled motorists across the nation have shared.

The city wise classification also gives me the option to have a look at the varied preferences of car lovers in different parts of the country.

To drive up the quality of content shared on car connect, there's this system of awarding badges to the most active users. This infuses a competitive spirit amongst users of the portal. Top badge holders have a wealth of experience which they have generously shared with others . There's an array of impressive looking badges to collect as one climbs up the leaderboard , and sure enough, the toppers have the attention of the entire web-world, so it’s quite a prestigious post to aim for!!

Another magical touch is the ‘compare cars’ section, that makes it the simplest possible way to check out the features in cars and comparing them with their peers in the market. 

Car connect also gives us the chance to have a closer peek into what is going on in the automobile world and what to expect from the ever evolving industry in the foreseeable future.The cutthroat competition from rival players has driven up the levels of engineering & technological excellence like never before, so innovation in the car arena are coming in thick & fast! CarConnect educates us in what lies ahead!

Going through the site, i feel that the get-up can be overhauled a little, by bringing in fancy fonts, and a dash of colours, but i also know, that the builders of the site probably wanted to keep it as clutter-free as possible! But there’s always scope for improvement in the appearance of the site!

     The other minor glitch that i can think of is ,having Facebook as the only means of getting to join carconnect. It isn't the best option in my opinion, and i feel the team can do better , by adding other means to join the website, so that non-facebook users too can get to enjoy this whole new ‘car-site’ !! Keep up the good work folks, and may you make the website even more organised.

My Superstar ....the Real Hero: My Tribute

       

Selfie with the Star

       He's done it all in real life that actors in films portray on screen and collect accolades from the global audience ! Yet, he remains behind the curtains all the time, continuing doing things nonchalantly,  always armed with a with a joke or two !! It's high time that I bring this person to the forefront , and showcase him as the iron-man behind all the success es that me, Dr. Titas Kar, have achieved ....and yes, I'm talking here of my role model, my Dad, Dr. Tarun Kanti Kar , an ENT surgeon based in Kolkata !! 

Dad, the surgeon ( right) before starting his work

Dad has been a pillar of strength , shaping my career! He has been the beacon, who has guided the radar-less ship of my life through stormy nights , directing it to safer shores! When I lost the plot in my Higher secondary classes, for my weakness in Biology, he was there to cheer me up with words that could encourage me all the time, infusing me with positive vibe, that people can conquer much more difficult hurdles in life....so I just needed a little bit of extra effort to scale the peak of Biology! Indeed, it was his never-say-die approach to a problem that emboldened me & enabled me to finally master Biology, cracking my state Joint entrance examinations , and here I am today, as a Doctor in one of Kolkata's Governement hospitals.

One of the best qualities of Dad is his ability to keep promises, and the earliest episode that I can remember was when I was about 3-4 years old, and had been ill for a few days. Dad had promised me one day,that after coming back from the hospital that day, he'd take me to the zoo! Unfortunately , he got stuck up at his hospital that day, but desperate to keep his word, he overcame all of that, and took me to the zoo that day itself, rushing back from the hospital! 

Dad has been the sports enthusiast always, who has fought off 'vicious' challenges from Mom , as to why he was staying up late at night with me and my kid brother for World Cup cricket and football matches, thus signalling the ruining of our studies!! As Mom continued with her indignant comments, Dad coolly continued explaining the 'Offside' rule , or Front Foot No-ball to us, maintaining to Mom, that 'all work and no play would make my sons dull boys' !

                                                                       

Not to be left behind when he saw us practicing or playing on the ground, he was always the one to walk up to the batsman, 
and demand a bat , and urge the bowler to bowl fast! Even though his ugly hoicks resulted in missing the ball quite often , he'd look around for some appreciation the moment he connected sweetly !! On one such occasion, I was bowling slowly to him and he was continuously taunting me over the lack of speed in my ball! Flustered by his sledging, I unleashed one venomous bouncer , getting high on Adrenaline! It struck dad hard behind the ear, his specs fell off, and blood started oozing out ! Alarmed , we rushed forward, ashamed that I had given in to his taunts ....but the white haired guy on the wrong side of Fifty years, simply picked up the specs , wiped off the blood , commented "Well Bowled" , and took stance for the next ball, leaving us speechless! That's the courage of a man who has never learnt to give up on challenges! Even though he's not the fittest person going around, he often challenges his own abilities , and does successful Head Stands (something that I can't even think of doing) , prompting Mom to pray away !! 

The Head Stand

Dad is a protestor by default and it's not in his habit to accept wrongdoings , without speaking up about it! He had told us one story , when he was examining patients in the OPD of his hospital , and there was a huge queue outside, when a man jumped the queue, introduced himself as the Local MLA , and asked to be examined earlier ! As the other patients stood , looking on dejectedly , but couldn't speak up to a political leader, Dad folded his hands, and curtly told him," you're the People's Representative here....would it be nice of you to deprive your own people , and take advantage of your position?" The leader had to swallow the humble pie, and shamefully went back to his position !! This shows the apt sense of humour, that Dad could deliver with the right dosage of sarcasm!! 

One can never aim to become a better nature lover than Dad!! While being an asthmatic forbids him from keeping pets, he has always cuddled puppies and kittens on the road, feeding them bits and pieces of food! Keeping in mind the scorching heat in Kolkata, he maintains a large bowl of water at the corner of our balcony , so that thirsty birds never fail to have a drink! It amazes me as to how he never forgets putting fresh water in the bowl regularly, even if he's in the middle of a busy schedule!!

                           

    

This bird was struggling to see with an eye infection, and got stuck in our balcony, but Dad helped him get back to his healthy self with Eye drops, before letting him fly away next day!!

             

      I have never seen a person with a better aptitude in Mathematics, than Dad ! Although being a Doctor had lead to him severing ties with Maths long back, he was the one who built my foundation in the subject , breezing through calculations mentally faster than I could ever imagine! Despite his proficiency in the subject, he had one major grief, that he had never managed to score a 100 in maths , and he rued it always, begging of me , to gift him a 100 at least once in my career! When I finally did it after a number of near misses in the 90s, he was over the moon with joy! This reflected the intense love that he had for the subject, and that he could fight off his inner demons , through my scoring of 100!! 

When I was a kid, I never understood what kind of work he did in hospital, and for me , being a doctor was a very easy job! Now that I work at a government hospital myself, I come to realise the troubles that one has to fight off at work everyday , and managing to keep a joke ready every moment even after that is no mean job!
    Dad has been prolific with his intricate handicraft on the human skin, once suturing up the gash on my finger that I had mistakenly got with a blade, while still being in his Badminton attire, from where he had been called up in the middle of the game to attend to my bleeding finger! 
          But,the height of his skill was witnessed a few years ago, when I had passed out in front of the bathroom , due to severe illness,collapsed to the floor unconscious, and had a gash in my forehead! Dad had sat in his pyjamas on the floor, taken my head in his lap, and stitched me up , there itself in front of the bathroom, after reviving the unconscious me , as Mom looked on aghast !! So much for the skills , and nerve of the man , who didn't flinch at the sight of his son lying in a pool of blood ....or even if he did, he was excellent in controlling his emotions! 

The Singer On The Stage

Dad has never had any formal training in singing, but at every event involving our family members, or his medical college reunions, he's a star when it comes to belting out one hit number after another, in Hindi and Bengali ! I'm a trained singer myself, but I do get stage frights, when I'm asked to perform, but the word probably doesn't exist in Dad's dictionary! I know not how he remembers so many lyrics, but they come out fluently at all times, sending his peers into a tizzy!

The voice that spells magic

When I was a kid, I was taken by dad to visit the famous Puja Pandals around Kolkata , where thousands thronged to see the idols! At the famous College Square , Mohammder Ali parks in Kolkata , it was almost impossible for the tiny me to look up at the decorations around, so he made it a point to carry me on his shoulders all around Kolkata, teaching me how to admire Bengal's real heritage , and pieces of art! When in my Higher classes, I got to become a Student Judge of these Pujas ,(a rather prestigious post , considering the honour that was associated with it), I realised that it was my Dad's efforts to make me understand Bengal's beautiful Durga Puja even through huge crowds , that had culminated in me cracking a tough interview , and earning a coveted post as a Judge!! 

Even though Dad has many many qualities, he has always insisted in pointing out his own mistakes, and telling me not to imbibe them! He confesses that he is short tempered , and he has always maintained that I should not lose my temper like he did at times, and I have tried following his advice to this date! 

When I was a small kid, once during a power cut in Kolkata, I was looking up at the starry night sky! Dad saw it , and showed me the Orion constellation, telling me that there existed many other shapes and structures in the sky, and if I could start seeking them, I would develop a very good hobby! This turned out to be an excellent idea, and I got hooked onto Astronomy and Sky watching ! I enrolled myself for astronomy classes in my spare time, and Dad also joined me in them , with full enthusiasm after his hospital duties! However , in many of the classes, he failed to cope up with the lectures, and dozed off, but never failed to attend them! Also, he attended all astronomy camps with me , desperately trying to learn the handling of Telescopes, but getting stuck at the basics for years! At the post-camp speeches, he was candid enough to confess that he's the worst student in the camp , but he was the most sincere one, always turning up for the next camps!!

This goes the story of my Dad, a man of inner steel, who has put his family before material gains, all his life! He is a self made man, hailing from a very poor family, making it big in life via his proficiency in studies, but for him, family matters took precedence in every case! He has lead by example, and stood through testing times with his head held high!! A multi-faceted genius in his own rights, he is an exception amongst Doctors, being interested in all things around him!! Proud to have him as my role model, the real superstar in my life! 

The active participant at all family meets , here, he serves the food

My Hero, My Star,.......and yeah,My Role Model : a Video Blog

Here's a short video blog on the stories of the life of my role model, my Dad. Do have a watch !!

The Crazy Kannas: who can't Keep Calm during IPL !!

We the Crazy KKR fans at the Eden Gardens , kolkata

"A treat at the Golden gate restaurant, in exchange of doing my evening shift in Medicine, on Saturday?? ", I was trying to lure Aritra into an agreement for giving my replacement in a scheduled duty during my internship.

"One treat ?? ONE???? ", Aritra sneered! "Huh, one won't do!"

"OK... Another one next month!" , I was pleading, out of desperation!!

Aritra looked satisfied,"Fine! But remember, no going back on your promises!"

And there was me, the hapless soul,left poorer by a couple of thousand bucks ,courtesy my promise of treating my co-internee at the costliest restaurant near our medical college. All this, because the Kolkata Knight Riders had a crucial match slated against RCB on the Saturday evening, and as luck would have it, it coincided with my duty hours at the hospital!! Aritra knew fully well , that he could arm twist me into promising two treats at the restaurant , considering my fanaticism for KKR's matches, and he utilised his opportunity ! The cricket freak in me had willingly volunteered to part with a substantial percentage of the meagre monthly stipend that a desi medical intern is entitled to, since he couldn't afford to miss the tie played at the Eden gardens, whose tickets he had managed to procure somehow!!

This sort of sums up my addiction for IPL, which has become the yearly bonanza for us cricket fans !! The fact that a team , representing the city you live in, is striving out every time to fight on a national level to uphold the city's pride, in front of a global television audience , makes the adrenaline go bonkers , that is reflected in our enthusiasm in cheering for every single home run !!

In the locality I live in,there's a community of die hard KKR fans,who've stuck with the team through thick and thin, right from the time of inception of KKR!!

We've organised Pujas and a few other rituals to ensure victory for the knights !! 
We have put curfew hours around the TV on match days .....marking the calendar beside the TV set in bold RED ink to notify match dates! 

We've made the KKR flag a part of our room decor !! Srinjoy was smart enough to drape his dad's new car's seats in the KKR flag!!

                             

                                      

There's this Facebook community that my friends have set up that details the heroics of KKR !! 

We've made multiple appearances in the Kolkata newspapers , courtesy our antics for KKR , that range from struggling through a thunderstorm to reach the ground despite no chance of play, to celebrating vigorously when KKR won the IPL !!

                             


                             

On the days of big matches, we take command of the community hall of our housing , and sit together in huge batches , crouched in front of a small TV , with superstitions flying left , right and centre! People aren't usually around to swap places if the team is doing well!!

I personally have sneaked in my mobile phone into the pages of my study books , if I happened to have my exams during IPL , refreshing the live scores pages every five minutes or so....when I wasn't allowed to watch the TV.

I've jostled with strangers on the road , to vie for my share of the view of the TVs inside electronics stores , to see a particularly riveting sequence of an IPLmatch ....of any team!! 

Here's a sneak peak into how my KKRAZY ( crazy for KKR) pals spent some of the past few seasons , believing in the team's abilities:

                                             

we even managed to get access to meet the Knights in person in our city!!

                                                                                                                                                          

   

That's us, Meeting the Knights in person ...........

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Nowadays ....I often miss out on viewing the matches live on TV because of the hours I put in the hospital where I'm employed , but www.starsports.com has become a messiah ,aiding me in keeping myself up to date with the happenings on the ground ! 

Zip Clips on my phone 

                                                                                                                                                       I really adore the ZIP CLIPS section , that helps me actually see the best bits of a match in real short clips, that are suited for the mobile phone, and it has become a personal favourite , when i'm out of home !  The Zip Clips act as a rejuvenator at all times, when the duty hours get dreary, and I'm slogging it out , all alone in the wards , or am seated in the doctors' room for a breather !  Well done , Kanna Star Sports !!

     

Sorry Kanna....but when it's the IPL , we just cannot keep calm....we go Crazy!!!!

Of Distant Lands and Closer Souls

 Being in a relationship from the first year of college life, P and me have been the proverbial campus lovebirds from the onset , and stayed together through thick & thin for years. We've gone on raucous excursions together with loads of batch mates, attended movies in huge groups, and went out to dine , with large table bookings being the norm. They've been fun, gifting us precious memories to savour, as our friends' circle has been filled with a myriad of human personalities who make crazy antics a part of their daily activities. 

  But despite not grumbling or complaining, as the college life drew to a close, I often felt , that me & P were left with very few hours that we had spent together, just the two of us, away from public scrutiny . We still go for the odd movie, or dinner , managing time out from our work, but those moments seem to fly away ever so quickly, compared to the hours that we labour at work. I wonder, whether there's a sabbatical somewhere , where our walks holding hands & having her rest her head on my shoulders , would not get over in a jiffy ?? Where we get to know each other better?? Perhaps, delve into each other's souls, to catch a closer glimpse at the people whom we actually fell for?? Perhaps not act according to how the society wants us to, and just be ourselves ??

In a busy city like Kolkata, that seems a distant possibility, since our friends' & relatives' numbers are enormous, and the spots of tourist interest around the city are likely to cause us to bump into one or more known faces.....thereby seriously jeopardising the quest to get closer! 

But what if we truly were love'Birds' ?? We could affectionately feed each other, cuddle a little, or tease playfully, without prying eyes & scornful words disrupting the genuinely lovely moments. 

What if we could fly away to the land of dreams where our souls wanted to go??

We could escape the urban melee for some days, and simply feed off each others' goodwill , like the migratory birds that fly thousands of miles during seasonal changes?? Wait, they escape the harsh winters in their homeland. But we would be happy to fly to a snow covered nation in winter, above the Arctic circle.....to Greenland perhaps. Life as an Eskimo couple would be at a languid pace, unlike the turbocharged lives in our metro! We'd build an igloo, and sit through months of winter nights , with no sun to look forward to but only ourselves to generate and share the warmth . There would be no multiplexes for movies, but the dark sky would turn out to be a gigantic plex screen , with the Northern Lights   (Aurora Borealis) playing periodically, being our source of entertainment . Eskimos do live , don't they?? They love too , don't they?? So, there's my counter argument to any family member trying to state that life is impossible at the polar region during winter.

Did we try to isolate ourselves from the world?? Are we not too social?? I'm afraid, we can mingle with the multitude of crowds and bond together as well. Me & P cherish dreams of visiting the spectacular Rio Carnival in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro someday . There would be no formal dress code of our professional lives, and we'd be the happy-go-lucky couple , dressed in colourful attires , basking in the fun, frolic and fanfare, with nobody complaining at the "outrageousness" of the psychedelic attire of two doctors . We'd just be ourselves, dancing on the streets , thousands of miles away from our own country , without a care in the world, or without a family member to explain our actions too! We'd attend beach parties, spend a holiday on the beach , and capture loads of photos of us letting our hair down . But of course, we'd love to put our smartphones on "offline" mode most of the time as well! 

Closer home , there is this very famous place in India, which is one of the spectacular landmarks of the world, but we'd approach it in a different way to spend some very private time. Yes, I'm talking about the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love , that draws millions of tourists every year. But me & P would row up the river Yamuna, on the reverse side of the Taj , on a full moon night . We would sit together, gazing at the glistening edifice in the pristine moonlight , while the Yamuna's waters , gently swaying the boat , would churn our inner feelings for each other. Words would be meaningless at such an hour, as our souls would be engaged in a tight embrace , wanting to hold on to every second that passes. A night to remember , it would seem.....farther away from the city life , and closer to nature.

All these are genuine wishes, and I'm ready to take the plunge with P to turn these dreams into exhilarating reality . Then , we could proudly proclaim, that we indeed went far, to get closer .....and closer .....and some more closer to each other! 

Rohan and the Heaven Sentry

"So they diagnosed you with Obsessive Compulsive shopper syndrome,eh mortal??", the sentry at the gateway of heaven was cross checking his records!

"yeah....blah...", sarcasm was written in large alphabets across Rohan's face. He had just died from an exacerbation of his withdrawal symptoms after being put into rehab for internet de-addiction and was seeking an access to heaven's interiors.

The sentry looked around ,found that he had no more new entrants to attend to for the time being,and called him a little closer,"just between the two of us......heard you've a stock of hundreds of online deals & coupons with you?? "

Rohan remained impassive,but his eyes narrowed!

The sentry went on,"don't tell anyone,i've managed to hitch an internet access,here on heaven....the last net addict who arrived,struck a bargain with me, that i would allow him his laptop into heaven, but in exchange  , he'd share his wifi network with me!!"

Rohan was flabbergasted!! The sentry had turned out to be quite a techno freak!
"you guys in heaven are supposed to know everything that happens in the universe and get everything that you desire! Then,why are you so attracted to the internet??",he enquired.

"ah....but you dont have online stores here in heaven. Ever since that guy gave me the access to internet, I've surfed through the sites and I'm dying to buy some goodies from your online megastores! The same old shops here sell standard outdated stuff , which are laughable!! The Lord hasn't thought of upgrading from the old Heaven Cheap Store , that stocks ancient items, whereas you earthlings, His creations , have surged ahead in business!!"

" But how'd you expect them to be shipped to you?? The online stores don't have Heaven's pincodes, I'm afraid!! " , Rohan was apprehensive.

The sentry replied, " you don't worry 'bout that! I'll fix it so that one of the people due to arrive here, will bring them along ! You can ensure that the items are shipped to his place. I'll see the rest!"

Rohan was amused, he asked, " Cheeky,eh?? Smuggling things into Heaven right under God's nose! No doubt these people down on earth are so corrupt, when his own Sentry is duping him! The Lord is taking some time off from his duties these days, right??"

The sentry frowned, " Shut up, will you??"

"Ok,ok", Rohan said," So, what do you need from me ??!!"

"i need some info on the coupons and discount vouchers. I need some of yours....i'm struggling to understand the concept!! I might overlook some of your sins, for which you were to serve a few sessions at Hell...... I'd try to make sure that your sentences are reduced ! "

Rohan: "oh....let me see!! you are asking for bribes!!"

Sentry: "ok....go ahead, with your Hell time..."

Rohan: "wait , wait....i'll not grumble...."

The sentry looked satisfied, "Good, then start with this one .....i need to buy this special shoe i had seen at one of the sites, and this turban ...and also this Kurta ....but I'm confused how to order them together and get some discount . Here's my card,buy them for me!"

Rohan was waiting for this, the sentry was playing right into his hands.....
he logged into Gopaisa .

"what are you doing??", sentry asked.

Rohan:"buying your apparel, mister!! "

Sentry: " but this is not where I saw them!"

Rohan: " now , you keep quiet and let me do my job!"

He completed the procedures, ordered them to be shipped to the person's address the sentry had mentioned and stood there...satisfied. The order was to be delivered in 2-3 days!

"Ok, I'll fix his dying time accordingly" , the Sentry was happy. " you may go now. I've cancelled your time to be spent at Hell ! But I want to know,what exactly did you do there?? You had logged on into another website !"

Rohan smirked. " oh, i was just ensuring my service charges! I let you use my discount coupons , helped you buy the stuff .....couldn't just do it for free right??"

The sentry was taken aback!

"But you worry not", Rohan continued, " just creamed a little cashback off you!! GoPaisa was indeed giving mega cashback on your chosen sites!"

"the WHAAAT??", it was obvious the Sentry hadn't ever heard of it!

"Ah, cashback....you bought the stuff, i earned a few bucks !! But it's too difficult to explain all of it! You just understand this, that a fraction of your spending have been siphoned off , and ensured that I get the commission I deserved for myself! You see, God gave us monetary transactions, but we humans created the Cashback! Fair deal!"....Rohan signed off, and walked away laughing ,into the Garden of Heaven!

P.S: The sentry and Rohan regularly order stuff online, and get them delivered to them by their "new entrant piggyback venture" ! The sentry has an account in GoPaisa himself, but he doesn't irritate Rohan much, lest he missed out on any new systems that came in vogue on the internet, which Rohan is always up-to-date with!