Stand Together

Living in the suburbs of Hyderabad has its share of blessings. One such blessing, being able to take long walks on rugged roads surrounded by farmlands. Every time I go for one such walk early in the morning or late in the evening an old farmer, dressed in his Earth soiled dhoti, kurta and turban turns up out of nowhere surprising me. He walks along with me for a few minutes always asking me about my lunch, about how my day was and where I was going. I knew he was a farmer but some how to me he never seemed real as he would suddenly appear out of nowhere. A few days ago, I was walking home in the rain and I met him again. He asked for the time and suggested that I buy an umbrella as these rains are not good. This morning at 6:00AM, walking under the street lights, under the trees in the furious rain I see a ghostly figure walking towards me with a huge plastic bag over his head. It is the ghostly farmer again. He notices me and decides to walk back with me. He was very cheerful in the ...

So it is another Friday afternoon. I and my friend, Srinardhani excitedly leave office to have lunch. Venue: the food court, DLF Cybercity, Hyderabad. As always there are lesser number of tables than there are people. Srinardhani is not too hungry and I headed over to Sun and Moon (one of the smaller food joints) to get my lunch and we find a table in front of Motherboard, another eating joint run by Sri Hospitality & Ventures Pvt Ltd which also runs the Blue Ray chain of restaurants. Now the practice so far at the DLF food court has been that anyone can sit anywhere no matter from which joint they have bought their food. I can eat a Domino's pizza in front of Motherboard and I can eat a dosa, bought at Motherboard in front of Pink Elephant. As an employee working in the grand SEZ building I can sit anywhere I like. Rules change, Motherboard, since this afternoon does not want to entertain people buying their food elsewhere at their tables. Since it is a business it is totally ...