Isn’t our life a story in progress? Is it not filled with happiness, misery, joy, or uncertainty? Every single breath of ours is a screenplay? Our anger, cry, or longing: are these not some kind of screenplay? If we take a break, think deeply. We realize it is a construct of our thoughts, past experiences, …
Author Archives: Atul
community
I got introduced to open source, free software in 2005-6. I made many friends, fought with a few. We had Linux-User-Group, Delhi. We would hang out at Raj Mathur’s house(RIP Raj). We would talk, discuss and in the end, go for a kebab. Other regulars would include Gora, Karunakar, Vivek, Triveni, and Gaurav. It was …
fear
The more I have ventured into sales, the more I have realized it is about eliminating customer’s fear. In enterprise sales, there is one decision-maker who cuts the cheque but multiple stakeholders. So adopting something new, taking a decision is a tedious process and comes with lots of responsibility. The sales cycle is longer as …
stuck
Gayatri spent all her life in Hassan, a small town on the foothills of western ghats in Karnataka. She was married at the tender age of 16 to Mahesh. Her mother threw a lavish wedding along with paying handsome dowry to Mahesh’s family. Now in her 30’s, Gayatri finds herself more mature. The early days …
acceptance
I was with a close friend last evening. We were talking about various subjects. One thing which ended up being common is accepting our life as it is. Stoicism, Bhagwad Gita, and Buddhism all speak about living in the present and all talk about pain and accepting the sufferings. The sooner we understand that life …
Cinema
People think becoming an is the end of it. I would say everything starts afterward, says Ira. It was another humid day during pre-monsoon in Mumbai and, I was sitting inside a crowded CCD, sipping my cold coffee in one corner. Ira is in her early 20’s, round face with cute dimples and an athletic …
end
The challenging part of writing any story for me is its end. I feel so stuck at it. It is like a tunnel with no end. I have over a dozen stories lined without the endings. I was told to drink some coffee, take walks. It helps at some times. But mostly it makes me …
Bewra
They would call him Bewra (a drunkard). He looked athletic with a broad chest and around 6 ft in height. He would wear the same torn jeans and a cap written “Attitude” on it. His eyes were brown and, his unshaven mustache, hair made him look like a hippie of the ’80s. He looked like …
the catch
Chinamma is a stout lady in her early 60’s. She had a few chickenpox marks on her face. She was wearing a red sari, jewelry in her ear, nose, and a gold chain on her neck. She was not an ordinary fish seller. Her basket had a fresh catch of Pomfret, Bhetki, Rawas apart from …
hold
We hold on to our past. We compare our present to it. In some instances, we celebrate while suffer in rest. I have known some people constantly living and dying in the past. They gave up their purpose after losing money or loved ones. I have also seen some moving break free, fearless from their …