Day of Reckoning

He was not very comfortable getting into the meeting. he had played around with the numbers and done a last minute damage control exercise, which , though helped him to meet his targets, was not going to go down well with the others in the meeting. Not that he hadnt done it before, but each time he had done something like it, he had faced a lot of flak. he was,understandably nervous.
the meeting began, and as all the other guys mechanically began describing achievements/development work and other parameters in the overall appraisal, he wondered how bad he would look in front of his peers and superiors. finally it was his turn.
as he was explaining his facts and figures, he could feel they were in no way convinced. finally one of the top guys held up a hand. "there are a lot of things that we require clarifications on, that wont be covered in your presentation. it would be better if you answered a few questions."
"okay", he said, closing his laptop.
"it has been seen that you are trying to hard sell yourself, when our policy has always been for our target audience to get comfortable with our concept and therefore make decisions accordingly."
" that has been primarily because i feel now, that it would take too long for them to arrive at a conclusion in favour of us, and during that while, there might be a whole bunch of losses,which i feel is avoidable.", he replied.
" i think we can afford the delay, and the losses cant be greater than what your actions seem to be achieving now"
he kept silent.
" also, it has been seen that you have a preferential treatment for a particular niche within our target population."
" i feel they are intellectually much more advanced and therefore would relate to our concept much faster than others", he said.
" your judgements of intellectual capacity leave a lot to be desired"
he was silent again. he felt the tones of a distinct powerplay to oust him from his position.
"and how could you come up with an idea of using natural disasters to achieve targets. i am referring specifically to the recent geo activity in the asian region. do you know the kind of negative impact it could have?"
"with all due respect, sir, i have met my targets and created a distinct recall phenomenon for our concept", he replied.
" the means are also important. by the way what is with this fancy name you have gotten your niche audience to call you?"
" i felt that for the value proposition we give, a name would make the audience connect better with me and therefore the concept"
" let me assure you that a concept like ours does not need a name to back it up. we are not pleased with your performance and the next review will be your last chance. and meanwhile, stop getting your favourite audience to call you God. the concept, of faith in a greater power,is quite strong by itself"
until next time, never play god..

Iconoclastic

adjective: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions
He cursed as he read the sports page of the newspaper. the damn editor had written a special feature on the organisation he worked for, but he knew who the target was. he wished he could be editor for a day and take out his frustrations on the press. the way they ridiculed his work was as though they were wreaking some vendetta on him.it was guys like this who made him wish the old systems were still around. but maybe that was it.. these guys had started experiencing freedom of speech only a few years back, so they didnt know what to do with it. he hadnt heard even a murmur of a complaint those days when athletes didnt perform well in the sport he coached. it was only now that they had started having opinions about everything.
it had all started with his first protege.. she looked like an angel on court.. her critics pointed out that she could barely win a set, but he was okay with that... she brought in the glam that was missing in the sport, and inspired an entire generation.. she truly was the one responsible for his current crop of prodigies.ah, his current crop - 7 in the top 15 on the WTA tour... and at least one, MS, who looked as good (if not better) as his first star, and who could give any current athlete in the sport, serious competition. it was his bad luck that none of his damsels had fared well in the year's first grand slam,and his biggest hope had got beaten at the hands of that american wrestler in disguise... the press guys had a field day, blaming him for all the failures.. and just when he thought things couldnt get worse, that guy MS had gone ahead and won the men's category... and so he couldnt blame the system now!!
He wished he were in the country where that other kid SM was from.. SM, who was also beaten by the disguised american wrestler, ... just like the initials of the names, the systems and press were also the opposite there... that would be a lovely place to be. that country had a population almost 7 times that of his country, what a gigantic resource pool, and still, when the kid got beaten, she became a star overnight.. hell, he had heard that she even became editor for a day!!
(just a fictional perspective of a russian coach.. the first protege was anna kournikova, the female ms is maria sharapova, the male is marat safin, sm is sania mirza..... other ms include michael schumacher, martin scorcese, manuscrypts ;)... )
until next time, do all MS make good icons?? ;)

Erica

Erica's birth delighted a whole lot of people. there was something about her that made them believe that she would make her mark in the world. and she did nothing to dislodge their faith.on the contrary, her accomplishments were noted by everyone, and she was a sort of benchmark among her peers, and even her elders.her actions seemed wiser than her years, and people considered it very normal because the people who had a hand in her growth were certainly very intelligent folk. her morals were of the highest standards and she always stood for values like truth and justice. she resolved issues with wisdom and pretty soon her stance on issues were valued and respectedby people everywhere.
as far as her own growth were concerned, she was very industrious, and made friends of the same kind. her growing popularity and ability to influence others attracted a whole lot of people with different dreams.. people who wanted her help to realise their dreams. and when these people grew in stature, so did she, because she was the reason for their success.of course there were some rotten eggs among these, but not too many in number to seriously affect erica's character.
a lot of people considered the early years of the twentieth century, a landmark time in erica's life. she fought for all the right things during the time of the first and second world war, and further enhanced her reputation.
towards the end of the second world war was when things started going wrong. experts believed that it all happened because erica suddenly started believing that she could get away with anything, because of her global stature. her actions suddenly became extremely selfish. her ego bloated and she started vociferously declaring in words and deeds, "am erica am erica" until it finally became "america". the rest,as they say, is history.
until next time, dont let the ego hurt you!!
oops, almost missed, happy valentine's day, peeps!! :)

Broad minded

(circa 2002)
He waited impatiently for his potential customer to meet him. Exciting times, he thought. After only about 6 months of work experience, here he was, poised to become the top selling sales guy in the country, for the company... a good achievement, considering that he was not even in one of the metros, which were the best territories for any sales guy to be in, especially when the service you were selling happened to be a nascent thing called broadband internet. these were times when internet cafes and their customers were quite happy with the speed that a dial up connection gave them, and internet access itself wasnt exactly common.
the last few days had been a maddening rush, he was competing with someone he knew only by a name,a counterpart in bangalore, who was a couple of years more experienced than him, and who had the luxury of working in a city that happened to be the nation's IT capital, a city which had enough people who were educated about broadband technology.
over the past few days, he had used all his contacts and leads, and now had a score equal to the guy in bangalore. today was the last day of the month, and unlike his 'opponent' he had no ace, up the sleeve or anywhere. at least he had given the guy a run for his money, he thought.
that was when he got a call from the customer care department, he crossed his fingers.
" there's a guy who seems to be interested. actually very excited, insisted he wanted to meet you today itself." said the customer care executive.
and so here he was, waiting for the man who could tip the scales in his favour. and the wait was over. he shook hands with a middle aged man who was apparently into the shipping and cargo handling business.
" timely information is essential for your business", he started his sales pitch.
"i agree", said the man, "so i thought i should have an internet connection, and a fast one at that, but i am a total ignoramus as far as technology goes, you'll have to educate me"
"it doesnt get faster than broadband", he continued, and gave the man the entire spiel about the under sea cables, routers etc...and the man appeared slightly confused, but convinced nevertheless.
"sounds good", the man said, "i'll take it, but from what you say, i guess i'll have to buy a computer first.. how much does a good computer cost these days?"
until next time, know your opponent...
P.S. please use comments.. we can finally be free of haloscan.. yippee!! :)

All in a day's work

Just another normal, working day. but in a building that was arguably the most dynamic in the world, which made everyday more than normal and boring. he worked in one small office in one small floor of the huge building complex. a small but exciting office, in an exciting building...only he didnt feel the excitement at all, he believed he would have felt the same way in any other building. pushing papers in administration and housekeeping couldn't be exciting -period!!
he walked in and found there were a lot of earlybirds today too... some meeting happening, he could tell, from all the smoke around.... the smoke had nothing to do with the thinking, more to do with the cigarettes. he had warned them at least a million times not to smoke in the general area of the office, but that only made him, in their own words, "the butt end of all the jokes, no pun intended", ha ha!!
he told them to take their meeting to the meeting room, which was met with a lot of protest..but he was firm and finally had his way.he busied himself with his work, thankful that their meetings were now happening elsewhere.
suddenly he heard a muffled knock from the meeting room. first he thought someone was playing a prank, but as it became more frequent, he decided to go and check it out.as he neared the meeting hall, he could see a lot of smoke coming from under the door. he tried to open the door, but it seemed to be locked. as he was standing confused, he distinctly heard a shout for help. without thinking further, he kicked the door open, and immediately felt the heat.damn smokers, he thought... he quickly got the fire extinguisher and successfully dealt with the flames.. but then he noticed that a few of the personnel had lost consciousness and some were in shock...
and to think that he considered his job had no chance of excitement. but perhaps this was the only exciting thing that would ever happen to him here, he mused as he dialled the emergency number - 911.....
far away, a bearded, turbaned man, was watching the same building on a small screen... he paused as though he had decided, smiled and made a small note - WTC, 9/11 ....
until next time, keep building some excitement

Destiny's Child

A dark, cold night, not unnatural in this time of the year, he thought as he drove fast towards his master's home. and not exactly a night one would want to venture out on, but this was a life or death situation. life or death for his master's son. a worthy son of a worthy father.
the medicine he was carrying could save the son's life, a life which could be very important in a few years' time, for his master was a very powerful political personality and his son was poised to take over when his time came. and he was already showing signs of scaling heights that his father would himself have loved to touch. in short a very worthy personality in his own right.
but that was until the sickness showed up. it gradually spread in him till he was a shell of his former self. all the doctors in the land were consulted, but even they could not give a correct diagnosis, a cure was far away. that was when his master heard of a practitioner who could perform miracles. he was said to have travelled in far away lands, and had cures for diseases which other doctors couldnt even diagnose correctly.and he lived up to his reputation. after he had seen the patient once, the practitioner correctly traced back all the phases of the sickness. and thankfully confirmed that he had a cure.
as he urged the horses faster, these were the thoughts that played in his mind, and he was happy that he had been chosen to carry the medicine safely from the practitioner's clinic to the master's house. who knew, he might be altering the course of destiny itself. and so it was that he saw the little boy crossing the street only a few seconds before the possible collision. his mind worked furiously. if he tried to stop the horses, there was a definite possibility of the carriage skidding on the snow. if he didnt, the child would get trampled under the horses.he made his decision, and the skid threw him out of the carriage onto a wall. there were only two things he remembered as he was losing consciousness - the child staring wide eyed in shock, and the sound of a bottle of glass shattering - the bottle of medicine.
he was taken home, and regained consciousness a few hours later. as soon as he woke, he asked two questions - one answer made him feel miserable, and the other made him sigh in relief. his master's son had died, for the medicine hadnt reached him in time, but the boy was unharmed. in fact the onlookers had said that his actions were heroic and most humane.
he saw the boy in the corner, and called him close. the boy muttered his thanks and the man smiled. his wife said that their rabbi was there to see him. as the little boy was waving goodbye, the man asked him,"whats your name, child?"."adolf", replied the child, "adolf hitler".

until next time, beyonce makes a better destiny's child

The Amazing Race

He woke early, as he did everyday.. and as usual the first thing he did was to clean his bicycle..he wanted to win the race today, for he wanted the prize badly... he finished all his morning rituals, and checked the time to be sure that he was not running late.. he pedalled fast towards the group of houses where the other kids stayed, this was his warm up exercise. in the distance he saw the kids ready, on their bicycles. this was where the race started, everyday, and they raced all the way to school, almost 3 kilometres.
his presence was acknowledged by fleeting smiles on the other kids' faces... he could feel the excitement in them too. they finished saying bye to their parents... the parents, of course, had no clue about the race.by mutual consent, the race began...there were five kids totally, including him.. but he knew that only a couple of them were a serious threat to his winning.. but sometimes he felt they performed as a team against him, perhaps because his house was slightly away from theirs, and he didnt play with them in the evenings...
the road that was the 'racetrack' had steep climbs, rough roads (if you could call them roads)and steep descents, all of which made it exciting to all the participants. and towards the last stretch, was the steepest climb and one could see the finish line, the school, in the distance.and this was when the kids pedalled extra furiously in a final bid to win the race on that day.
but it was he who won, like every day till date, having outsmarted and outpedalled all the others on the way.. a feat more remarkable because his cycle was an old one, as compared to the others who got new cycles every year.he smiled broadly and waited at the finish line, the school entrance, for the others to catchup. they smiled at him, as though acknowledging his skills, and told him they would give him his prize in the evening. he waved to them as they went in.
he had a kilometre more to go, to the market, where his mother waited for him. together, they would sell vegetables all day. in the evening, while the other children played, he would sit with the prizes he had won - old books and newspapers. as he pedalled the last kilometre, he was happy at winning the race, but he wondered who was actually winning every day in life - him or the kids.....

until next time, winning isnt everything, and its definitely not the only thing...

The Invasion

As he stood facing his troops, he felt a surge of excitement, and pride. excitement because he was exploring new frontiers and pride because, in his mind, this was the best army anyone could hope to have under command - seasoned warriors who performed like a well oiled machinery, whose teamwork was the stuff legends were made of. Indeed, the commander was excited, because today could be a day of landmark achievements, for today he was trying to make inroads into the enemy territory that could be strategically crucial in the long run, a foray that could decide their very existence. and so, though there were potentially landmark achievements to be accomplished, there was also a chance of complete annhilation at the hands of the enemy,for the enemy were no pushovers.
The enemy - they watched the army from far. in fact had been watching them for days now, trying to detect any strategic move from their side. they had a feeling that today would be the big day,but they didnt want to do anything that would precipitate an all out war. for they were generally non aggressive folk. but no man could stand for it when his home territory was being invaded. yes that was it, an invasion - inch by inch, area by area, territory by territory,the army marched on. the invasions were carried on at night, and the enemy forces usually were in for a rude awakening, literally.
but now it had gone too far, and the enemy were preparing to retaliate. though relatively peaceful folk and smaller than the invading army in sheer numbers, they boasted of an arsenal that ranged from brute physical strength to chemical/ biological warfare. and that was the very question they were grappling with, what to use in case of an invasion.
and at that precise moment the commander ordered the invasion to begin.
'the chemicals might harm us too" warned one among the enemy.
'hmm, yes', said the other.
but in the end, it didnt matter, the commander must have thought, as the battle lasted all of five minutes, and his tiny army of ants was no match for the two pairs of marauding bata soles, which eventually annhilated them.
until next time, the fittest will survive.

Shock and Awwww!!

The cold war was over long ago, but being the dominant country had its own set of disadvantages, chief among which was being the primary target for all the terrorist organisations that wanted to make a bold statement.And being the head of such a country, especially when the world considered your iQ results negative, was definitely not the high that many people could live with. but whoosh (the name had come from the hot air currents that were said to be forever blowing inside his head) did, twice over,and was extremely proud of it.and today he would get one more chance to prove his might, whoosh thought, as he was being driven to the bentagun (the name had come from the physical prowess of the personnel) hq.
for tonight, he had received the news that bentagun had located the person whom many had considered would be his nemesis - pin laden (the name had come from the enormous amount of grenade and other explosions he had master-minded).for having badly hurt his country's pride, whoosh had chased p-l to distant lands, but p-l had been elusive and escaped capture. in fact p-l had pissed him off so much, that whoosh didnt even want to capture him alive, like he had captured another mortal enemy of his - sodamn insane. (the name because of his crazy antics) he wanted to blast pin-laden from the face of the earth. thus were his thoughts as he entered the room...
the room, which had all the necessary buttons to blast the earth off itself, if the earth were ever a threat to his country.
"have you confirmed his location?", asked whoosh, as soon as he entered.
"3.4 NORTH 95.7 EAST", answered the nervous aide.
"sir, there is a possibility of some collateral damage, could we discuss...", squeaked another.
"i dont care, so long as i can nuke that b****** , and we can discuss all that after i press this" said whoosh
so saying, he pressed the button, that could annhilate a small country.
"show it to me on the screen, quick", shouted whoosh
the aide, still nervous, pressed a button, and the image of a tranquil ocean appeared on the screen.
"thats my pool, show me the region of impact", said whoosh
"er, thats the indian ocean, sir, and that is the region of impact"
"what!!", exclaimed whoosh
" p-l was hidden in an underwater lair, you will see the impact on the surface soon, sir"
"ah, i see, he must be history by now... i can see the impact now.. wow, thats a gigantic wave"
"er, yes sir, thats the collateral damage we warned you about"
"a few fish, thats what was bugging you?.. all i'll say is that there must be some lucky surfer around", laughed whoosh.
"not exactly sir.....once the wave reaches the coastline.."
" it would have become so small that it would be insignificant, ha"
"thats not exactly the way it works, sir....", tried the aide.
"oh hush, stop ruining my great moment....."
the aide gave up.

until next time, this is just a story, so dont be shocked or awed!!

All in the name

M had always known this would happen. it was all because of her name, it was so bad that she rarely mentioned it.....that plus what was in her husband's genes, the craving for whatever was bad and evil. and although she had been fortunate and had a stable marriage thus far, this time she knew that she had a big challenge on her hands...
the other woman was beautiful and her husband was completely besotted. M's sources told her that he used to travel huge distances in his private jet just to catch a glimpse of the other woman.
it had all started because of M's sister in law and one of her infinite affairs.. that was when M's husband had first seen the other woman.. oh, god rot that damn sister in law of hers, thought M.. earlier M had felt a strange kinship with her, because she had an equally bad name, S, but now all the kinship had vanished.
S's problem was that though she had powerful and doting brothers (including M's husband) and millions in her name, she was not much to look at. but that didnt stop her from trying to launch herself at any poor unsuspecting male she came across..
in this particular affair, S had gone overboard in her desperation and the guy had been forced to get physical with her to bring her to her senses. but S had not taken it in the right spirit and her ever ready brothers had immediately started poking their collective noses in the affair. but the guy was from a well to do family himself, and though he was not in great terms with his family, he, along with his brother, had enough clout to thwart all of S's brothers' efforts.
finally M's husband had taken matters in his own hands and gone to meet his sister, and that was where he first laid eyes on the other woman.later, M's sources said, he had coaxed/cajoled/duped her (according to various versions) and had now set her up in one of his palatial residences in the same city as M. He had asked her if she wanted him to throw M out and let her take M's place.oh, the audacity, thought M!!.
but thankfully, M had heard that all was not well with her husband and the other woman. the other woman was sulking, well , she bloody should, considering that she was supposed to be a respectably married woman, very much in love with her husband. and more thankfully, last heard, the husband was on his way to meet his wife and settle matters, hopefully he would just take her back, and would give M another chance with her husband.
it was all because of her name, thought M. couldnt her parents have given her a decent name like the other woman - Sita. God curse her parents who had named her Mandodari and God curse that sister in law of hers - Shoorpanakha!!
(PS: this is a reworked version of a famous book by an ex-con
turned bestselling author, Mr. V)
until next time, m is for manus.. uh, no..m is for mogambo khush hua .. bless him, wherever he is...

The Cycle

D wants a cycle. D rarely wants anything, but this one she wants bad. this post is to explain to her, why we are not buying one now.. yes, it makes sense writing it !!
A long time ago, when others wanted alphabets and numbers to be my priority, a bigger priority entered my life, a cycle, to be more specific, my neighbour's cycle... and thus a little human had his first lessons in the vast human emotion of envy.. and theonly other requirement that was in my mandatory list was that it had to be more horny,er, the horn had to have more sound than my neighbour's cycle... since i was not a very demanding child, materialistically that is, i got the cycle... the envy lesson also took with it a lil bit of innocence... but i was very happy.
a few years later, i realised the importance of balance in life, no, not the work-life one we talk about now, but the balance required to drive a two wheeled contraption..that balance was quickly mastered and armed with that, i made the demand for my second cycle, of course, the trigger being the envy felt for the peers who already had a bigger,better cycle... a little more innocence lost, but a new cycle gained.. and i was happy.
a few more years later, i needed something that i could use for transportation to school,and the old cycle obviously didnt fit the bill, that was the functional excuse i used...and i got a new cycle again.. a few road rules bent, a lil more innocence lost (yup, by that time, there was hardly anything to lose ;) ), but after all i had a new cycle, but there was nothing to be very happy about.. it was as though i had to have it, so i had it..
now i have a cycle thats hardly a month old.. every morning, i curse the damn thing, wake up and cycle a few kilometres... i am not exactly happy about it but theres loss of weight, clothes that come fitting right back and a whole lot of other advantages... all said and done, a much better deal than the other cycles..
D shares this cycle with me, but this is an execycle, it doesnt move..she wants one that moves..she isnt grumpy when she uses this one.. she is, in fact, quite happy...now, tell me, what kind of husband.. human being!!.. would let another innocent human being go through all those other cycles of life that take away your innocence and leaves you sad??especially when she has by passed all those other cycles and reached this one directly?
thats why we are not buying D a cycle!!
until next time, lets use karmic cycles

Imitation of Life

He was a fixture at the campus.. it was difficult not to notice him if you had stayed at the university campus for a decent amount of time... beneath the tough exterior he tried to portray to people he wasnt familiar with, was a kind hearted gentleman. when i knew him first, he was in charge of the university's security, a routine job, because at that time, kerala was not called "god's own country", and therefore it existed as one...
but i knew him better as the man who used to do a whole lot of jobs for us - paying water and electricity bills, getting my dad's license renewed etc.. his 'consultancy' fees were fixed and not at all exorbitant.. and it came with a broad grin. the reason you noticed him was his mannerisms, they were funny, and i used to be able to imitate him pretty well and everyone had a good laugh over these performances, little goodnatured fun...
a long time later, when i had to get my license done, it was the same man who did it for me...i learnt that, as far as liasoning with government personnel went, he was the best and could get practically any job done with his contacts.. his modus operandi was simple, based on a huge network of people for whom he had done little jobs for, and who wouldnt mind doing him a favour.
i also learnt that his two sons were well educated now, and settled abroad. they had repeatedly asked him to stop doing his odd jobs, but he had refused. it was clear that he didnt need the money, for his rates were even more nominal now, sometimes as ridiculous as a diary or a folder. besides he had a good pension and his sons regularly sent him money.someone once asked him why he still did this, specially since he was getting old. he flashed his trademark grin, and said that it made him happy to make other people's life easier.
in a world where the lunches were becoming increasingly costly, he was a man who gave buffets almost for free... an old man, with old school values... i still imitate him, better than i did earlier.. sometimes i wish i could imitate his spirit too...
until next time, dont imitate, innovate..

The Room

He sat in the room and looked around - lovely view, clean and neat, soothing ambience,but he was still not at peace.. for it was a hospital room, and the patient was his wife..
they had been married for several years and were a model couple to everyone around them -rich, good looking, famous, with friends who were devoted to them...in short everything anyone could ask for... until disaster struck in the form of a terminal disease. It was as though even the Gods were jealous...
Though the disease was terminal, he hadnt yet given up... he had tried all the methods of medicine known to man and all the holy men whom friends had referred, but to no avail..he told his friends that he was willing to do anything to get a cure for his wife, andthey nodded in sympathy, helpless against what seemed to be the will of God.
That was when he heard about the room. although no one had any proof of its existence,rumour had it that in the remotest parts of the country, in forests so deep that even an animal planet or national geographic had not been able to penetrate, there existed a room. it was believed that if anyone manged to overcome the obstacles and reach the room, the romm would automatically fulfil his greatest desire.
his friends tried to convince him against the idea of going there, for the jungles had already devoured many who had set out to get their wishes fulfilled, but he was adammant.for weeks his friends waited for him, but there was no trace of him... many thought he was dead, but he had survived, not only survived but also managed to reach the room and get his wish fulfilled....
once he got out of the forest, he called his closest friend, to get the good news... "i am sorry", said the friend.
"what happened?", he asked, surprised..
"your wife is dead. in fact all the major channels covered the funeral, and many have even asked me whether you will be interested in a series that showcases your devotion to her. you couldn't find the room, could you?, but at least you are alive....", said the friend.
he kept quiet, for he suddenly realised what his deepest desire had been...
until next time, clean your room.

P.S.. the current edition of "outlook" has a wonderful article by Sandipan Deb. this story idea is from a little paragraph in it.

Ownership Issues- A non ambani story

When the police knocked on his doors one fine morning, he didnt know what hit him. the story made the first page in the days that followed. He still remembered the conversation with the policeman who first questioned him.
Policeman : are you the owner of this apartment complex?
He: not exactly, but i am paid to look after it.
P: are you related to the owner.
H: no, but i have full authority in all matters pertaining to it.
P: so you are liable as well as accountable.
H: yes, but why these questions?
P: do you personally know all tenants?
H: not all, but my office makes sure that all papers are intact and we give it out only to good citizens.
P: do you know the tenant in 6A?
H: not off the cuff. but let me look at the records.
(after a quick look) ah yes, the schoolteacher, he has been here for quite a while.
P: can you explain why he has so many schoolkids visiting him?
H: well he offers extra tutions to help out weak kids.
P: oh well, the kind of tutions he has been giving, are not for the weak of heart. he has been running a pornography racquet here.
H: you must be mistaken.
P: we are not, and we have come to arrest you.
H: Me?! what did i do? why dont you arrest him?
P: he is absconding, and by your earlier admission, you are
accountable and liable for whatever that happens here.
H: well, i have been a law abiding citizen. i have his permanent
address and i can help you trace him.
P: thanks for the help, but thats beside the point and i'd still
have to arrest you.
H: but i didnt do anything.
P: legally you facilitated the base for the operation.
H: but i didnt know what he was upto.
P: again, by your own job description, its your liability to have found out, and if you didnt, you are accountable for it. sorry, but you are under arrest.
H: i am a respected citizen and the community is not going to stand for it.
P: sorry, but no one is above the law.
As they took him away, he wondered what would be the scenario if a similar issue had occurred in the organisation in which he was CEO, an online bidding site.
until next time, be a responsible owner!!

P.S: for an alternate version of this template, please check this out and tell me if i should use that one.

A Bubble of plans

They met at one of the Bubble Cafe chain outlets. They sat near a window, and so could see the sea down below.... not a sight which many people were comfortable with.. but they were, for they were quite confident of their role in the scheme of things..and if still something happened to them, well, it would happen for a reason..
They were meeting to review the plans that were being implemented as part of the legacy that had been handed down to them a long time back.. some of them were people whosevoice mattered in business and society, and some were normal people.. but it didnt matter,between them, it was their job to make sure that everything was done keeping the plans in mind.
the origins of the legacy was at a time when mankind still couldnt grasp the significanceof the messages being sent to it by the system in which it operated.. and therefore earthquakes, cyclones etc ravaged the lands one after the other.. each time a calamity occured in one part of the world, it was seen in isolation and mankind's typical response was two fold - one was "god, whats happening?" and the other was "lets all pool inresources there to help those affected"...
between these calamities, people moved to 'safer' locations, and those unaffected continued to lead their normal life after 'pooling in resources', feeling smug about having done their bit. the normal life included massive felling of trees in tropical areas to overtaking from the wrong side and everything in between...
sometimes consciously, and sometimes otherwise, the million year old mankind and the billion year old system fought each other in a 'who blinks first' contest till the system left mankind with nowhere to run, literally.. fortunately, a few had begun to understand the significance of what was happening around them and had begun to try and set things right.. from trying to inculcate values that were longforgotten, back in to humanity, to designing alternate habitats and lifestyles that didnt harm the system, they tried to make peace with the system...
and thanks to the way of life advocated by those few, and followed increasingly by others,the system stopped its war with its favourite creation... what was lost couldnt be regained,but mankind had learnt a lesson it should have never had to learn- humility.......
and thus they sat in the Bubble Cafe, uncorked the water they had specially ordered for the occasion, and toasted the few, who ages ago, had revamped mankind.... the few who used to have meets then too, the few who knew each other only through their words, and thoughts...
until next time, make a plan

P.S : with regards to the template i have 3 ayes yet (pleo, stone and blues) and 5 vehement nays (cynic, pallavi, wings, austere, coolcat) :).. have made some changes to make it better looking at all resolutions (as part of my new year resolution).. so, can we wait for a few more responses and a few more days, before we take a final decision on this? :)