(Mar 29, 11:00pm)

Tight schedule at work continues.. Covering Sonia Gandhi's rally tomorrow.. she'd be de-briefing journalists later..

Needed a VIP Press pass for that.. which is kind of substitute for PIB pass.. so whole day was spent in getting it done at Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee..

The Rally is at 4pm.. tomorrow.. in some park near Karol Bagh..

XXX

Something wonderful happened while I boarded the metro from Noida sector 16 station.. the nearest one from my ofc.. I was greeted by unexpected co-travellers Prashant and his wife Ruchi..

Prashant was a class mate at school, and a very close friend.. anyway you know na, I mix up with very few people..

Im really not the one who could meet people randomly for Saturday evenings and do photo ups..

Though we did plan an immediate meeting up, and did meet for a Saturday dinner and photo up.. but that's because both of them are my personal friends..

XXX

It so happened that both had gone to Patna for Holi, from where they camped at Delhi for a few days.. Ruchi would be taking tomorrow's train to Pune where she works post her MBA..

Prashant will take a flight to Leh a day later.. He's a lieutenant there..

XXX

(Mar 28, 12:35am)

A very overwhelming start at work.. only third day in office, and I covered the Congress manifesto release by Rahul Gandhi and party president Sonia Gandhi live..

Which was followed by a special election report on RSS, for which the executive editor called me to his room and lauded me..

And now, although I could not get bytes from Jaswant Singh, the veteran BJP leader, on Tuesday, his son called me up today and asked me if I would want to talk to his father..

May be we will do an exclusive interview of him..

XXX

But it's too hectic too.. It's a news agency.... the pace is too fast... but unlike in most news agency, where you do not get bylines, I am getting the bylines..

That's because I have been inducted as senior political reporter.. and I am doing election specials.. But it's everyday 11:15 in the night by the time I reach home..

But I only report to office at 2pm.. so in the morning I have my own space..

Hmm... very sleepy and tired now.. will write later about in the blog..

XXX

(Mar 26,12:29am)

Reached Delhi yesterday wee hours in the morning... and joined work yesterday at noon.. which was tiring.. and add to it, was a packed schedule at office which followed..

Today again was a very busy day.. yesterday my depression greatly resurfaced... but I kept speaking to my Kolkata uncle, who either kept scolding me, or condoling me..

He tried his best to abate it, and somehow it worked to an extent.. My masi, who I am speaking to after 10 years, offered the best moral support too..

She even offered me taht she could send me immediately 50,000 bucks, when I told her my depression is also because ever since I returned from Cardiff, I am not having any surplus finances..

It's comfortable, but the absolute lack of a balance sometimes worries me..

XXX

Of-course, I refused the help...but she kept pleading that whenever I want anything, I should let her know... And I don't even need to return, since she is my masi.. Tha's what she told me..

She is my mom's own sister.. she never married.. so she lived with my naany, my mama, mami and my maternal cousin.. my mama-mami's son..

She doted on me always... but after grandma died, mama and mumma were never on talking terms.. In next two years the relationship soured to a point of no return..

XXX

Some people say it's because my mama wanted that only his son should get all of masi's property.. not me... so he timely divided masi and mumma.. but will he really do that?

Some others say it was mumma who behaved arrogantly...but mumma and arrogance?

Some others say, they never liked each other anyway.. so this was rather natural.. Anyway, the point is after ten years, masi is back in my life..

And not because I can fall back on her for finances.. I would never do that.. at least not in this birth as Anando Bhakto.. I'd probably need to take another birth to be greedy or calculating..

But I'm happy that I can talk to Masi whenever I like to... She reminds me of mom, who she resembles in looks... And she reminds me of grandmom, who she resembles in patience and the way of affection..

XXX

(Mar 22, 8:18pm)

The train was delayed by 12 hours.. quite unusual, but I guess this suits me more... In fact I am getting feelers the Gods ordained this..

See, I'd be settling down in a new city all over again.. I'd be resuming work again... you may say, it's my second innings...

Or rather, you may say I am starting an innings with the agility of a fresher again... as I do not like the word 'second' too much... Neurologically too, I am a number one person.. My birthday falling on Jan first!

Anyway... The Gods and the Goddesses didn't wish I left for such an important beginnings on a Saturday... that too at dusk..

XXX

Now, I'd be leaving on a Sunday... in the wee hours of the morning.. And somehow, I am more at peace with this re-scheduling... I do not want any unpleasant occurrences hampering my career at this point.. everything must be done at auspicious time..

Last time, it was a good start at The Hindu... but ill-timed... I left home after a personal loss... and left without having gathered myself..

XXX

And then the difficulties multiplied.. finances were inadequate.. my brother was causing great agonies to me, and my father refused to cooperate..

And I was always under the fear that there might soon be a time when I'd have to vacate my flat in Grands Pallavi Apartment here, not able to pay for its rent and other upkeep..

Now things are so better.. the Gods and the Goddess, ensured these are better... Brother is away, living separately.. father has agreed to receive mom's pension and give half of it to me every month..

I obviously do not need mom's money to live comfortably; I can earn a comfortable life very much with my talent and my sincerity at work..

But then I did need an aid to maintain mumaa's house in Patna, which is a rented one.. and which I can never imagine doing away with... thankfully, muma's pension takes care of the costs involved..

It's time I concentrated at work.. there is peace, there is finance... and most of all, as the events of the day reflected, there is the abundant blessings of the Gods and the Goddesses!

XXX

(Mar 21, 10:56pm)

Last night at home... leaving for Delhi tomorrow!

XXX

Had a quiet day at home... went out for a couple of hours in afternoon, but came back by four... I was particular, that I should spend more time indoors..

In my home, which gives me a very positive and peace feeling!

XXX

Let's see what kind of house I find myself in Delhi.. Ideally, it should be an apartment... not a builder floor one which lacks privacy, but a society one..

And ideally, it should be high rise.. say 6th floor or above... and though it cannot be as big as my Grands Pallavi Apartment in Patna, but it should be at least 650 sq feets..

I think that should be a comfortable carpet area for one BHK..

XXX

But the rent?

That's the most annoying part..

Between I'd prefer a furnished one... Frankly, I'm not the type who can hire a empty house and do with a couple of matrice and few kitchen items and utensils spread in one corner of the room.. I'm just not made like that..

Even though mumma was particular that one should not be used to any one particular circumstances in life.. she thought, one should rather have the ability to make any circumstances the happiest for oneself..

Surely, she did it in her life... despite being in circumstances that were at least ten times more depressing than what I had been facing in the first two and a half years after her death, she was never depressed.. NEVER!

XXX

But that was mumma.. I'm different... I need a proper I BHK, that is bedrrom, hall kitchen, a couple of washrooms and a balcony.. and of-course, fully furnished..

XXX

(Mar 20, 12:20am)

The last time I bought Nandan, the children's story book published every month, was in September 2010..

That was a time I was getting ready to leave for Mangalore.. To join work at The Hindu..

Everytime I'm shifting base from home, whether for studies or work, I like spending some time on my hobbies - reading topping the list..

And somehow I have retained my interest in reading children's books.. Skm sir, the ACJ dean, said he did too...

But that was not to be.. Mumma passed away unexpectedly, and that last copy of Nandan was lost without my reading it at all..

XXX

Today, as I was re-arranging my old book shelf, I found the same copy.. the September 2010 issue of Nandan!

Incidentally, these are similar times.. I am once again shifting base from home to begin work.. This time in Delhi...

And that adds to my renewed interest in reading that copy.. In fact I am doing that now, as I prepare to sleep..

XXX

Between, I went to see Mrs Ghosh today, that old colleague of mumma and former principal of mumma's college..

She is an avid listener and likes talking to me.. She asked me to narrate every detail of the Kashmir trip.. and saw the pictures rather keenly..

XXX

(Mar 17, 8:21pm)

It's been a good Holi... but most of my friends weren't in Patna this time.. keep watching, i'd be blogging later in the night... I told you I'm back to regular!

XXX