Random Acts of Kindness

I have grown up having two dreams which I distinctly remember. One to have an aircraft of mine in which I will take the entire family on appa & amma's side together (then the count was 51) on a world tour and the next one was (and somewhere is) to make enough money to be able to help alleviate poverty.


Well as they say some dreams become reality while others remain dreams...Am I working towards realising the above said dreams? To be honest I don't think so...coz since the time I had these dreams my life has changed a lot...for starters grew up finished my education and joined the rat race. Once I got in today 12 years later I feel like the nothing has changed...yeah I'm on paper doing much better...married, decent salary and profile etc etc but then inflation, cost of living and expectations have ensured to balance it completely!


Going back to my 'original' dreams...especially the second one. Though I want to alleviate poverty I have never been for giving alms for beggars unless they are really really old people...though well aware that sometimes even with them the money may reach somebody else. I am not attached to any of the NGOs or the CSR initiatives coz I think they are more for PR etc. I once did some donations to Greenpeace but then I realised that's not enough. So I just stopped.



I'm a very emotional person! Sometimes looking at the state of affairs around me brings tears in my eyes. And this is what exactly happened yesterday. I had just finished a working lunch and was stepping out of the restaurant when I saw a very old man probably in his early 70s crouching under a lamp post in scorching heat trying to sell some mangoes. I dunno why but rather immediately my eyes swelled! For a second I thought of buying him lunch. But then I thought it may still not help him. Walking upto him I asked about the price with the initial idea of buying a few. His eyes swell up and he was not even able to speak properly. He requested me to but a couple of kilos which would cost Rs.100. Speaking to myself for a second I said 'Carnic...here is one of those little chances for you to alleviate an old needy man of his misery...of selling mangoes in the searing heat'. Convinced about the action I immediately asked him and bought the whole basket of mangoes. While I have heard enough cases of these being acts to con you, I was convinced that it would not be the case with what I was doing.

I was happy...really really happy as I carried a whole lot of mangoes in a couple of bags back to my workplace. I also knew my wife would be surprised but happy at my act.

What do you call it? Random act of kindness? I don't know...rather don't care about what you would call it and what people would think about it. What mattered to me was that I was able to bring a smile on somebody's face through my gesture which in turn made me happy.

As of my dreams...well am working on them!!!!

My First Suit

Over the years grew up watching fashion trends come in and fade away...and come back in vogue again! Bell bottoms, huge glares, torn jeans, hipper clothes and hairstyles etc etc. But somehow what stuck on was this whole business of suits. And the colours as well!!!

It was in the late 80s that I saw appa wearing suit for some function. Felt very happy to see him in that attire as he looked simply great!! As years passed by I saw him a lot in blazers and jackets. In '94 while in class 12 I started wearing blazers to school during winters. Felt nice given I was a house captain as well.

During my MBA and later my advertising days ties caught my fancy. I slowly built a rather small but nice collection of ties. Everyday the tie would be decided basis my mood and the day ahead. Being in advertising tie itself was a rarity. The first real occasion presented to me for wearing a suit was my shaadi. Rather surprisingly over the years suits have become part of the standard marriage wardrobe for the groom, even in the tiniest of the villages. I while was very clear that am not going to don the traditional veshti-sattai (dhoti - kurta), I was not going to wear a suit either. I got married in a jeans & a jacket. Don't look surprised, I really did.

Years passed by and I switched sides to marketing. And here at Kingfisher Airlines, occasions demanded ones presence in suits. One such occasion was the launch of our service to London and I was spearheading it. I was all set to wear my first suit!!! I was excited...really and a bit apprehensive too. Reema, my wife was happy that she was around when we went shopping. After a lot of deliberations I selected the material, gave the fittings and came back still wondering how it will look. In the afternoon I dropped Reema to the airport as she was leaving for Bangalore and proceeded for the International Airport where work was in progress. During the day the rather sweet owner of the shop who was getting the suit made kept me posted on the work in progress. And surprisingly by 6 or so in the evening the suit was in my hands! And that brought a huge smile on my face.

The next day as we needed to reach by 0830, I was up by 5 to get ready. Got a quick bath and rushed to Harish's house. Gave a quick iron to the suit and got ready. Got compliments for the innovation in the Times of India and my suit too. We moved from there to the airport. Almost everybody in the team had a smile on their faces and complimented me. Felt nice. As the day and the event ended I also managed to catch a glimpse of myself in a full length mirror. Not bad was looking good! Unfortunately couldn't get a snap clicked for Reema.

Net net had a great day...my first day in a suit!!!