World Cup through my ages

"Mone nokku Maradona", said an elder (Look son, Maradona)
"Hee he.. dona dona maradona.. dona dona maradona", I danced around in my er..
Yeah I guess that counts as being a 2 year old Argentine supporter at the 1990 World Cup. The earliest name I heard in the footballing world was that of Maradona, even before I knew it's rules. Argentina went on to make the final that year, losing to Germany (erstwhile West Germany). It was the beginning of the fall of Maradona too.

I was supporting Spain in 1994. Why Spain? No idea. I even didn't know a bit about how the Spanish played. But Spain was my favourite country then. I still don't have a clue why. One day I looked up on the globe and said Me encanta España! Those days I had even made a personal record sleeping just 3 hours to wake up and watch a match. I slept off 10-20 mins into the match though, leaving Dad to watch the rest. Spain did make it to the quarter-finals but ended up losing to Italy. The final was a tight one. I still have vague memories of that spectacular moment when Roberto Baggio missing the final penalty, thus losing the match and Cup to Brazil.

I've always had this love-hate relationship with Brazil. In 1998, they were the best team around. Ronaldo was at his peak and I couldn't resist the temptation supporting a team that I believed would go all the way. They did reach the final in a breeze and looked unbeatable. Then there was controversy before the match as Ronaldo was said to be unwell.  And that's when Zizu zoomed into the picture to spoil my party. Brazil ended up losing 3-0.

World cup was being hosted by Asian countries for the first time. EPL frenzy had caught up in school and the English superstars were a hot commodity. With Beckham as captain we all believed in our hearts that this could be the year for England. I joined the big fan club. I remember delivering a speech about the World Cup in our school assembly just before it began. The English team didn't looked as good as the hype, but got till the quarter-final when Ronaldinho exposed their weakness. A long shot left the goalkeeper wishing he was a real sea-man. Fast forwarding to the final, I was willing to support any team other than Brazil. Ze Germans couldn't do much about the mighty Brazilians who won the match 2-0, both scored by Ronaldo.

I was back to my first love this time. Argentina played great football through the group stage scoring lots of goals, most of them beautifully. Germany was the spoilsport this time in quarter-finals. It was heartbreaking to see them going out in penalties. Devastated, I looked around for any other team to support. Someone was playing the best football of his life in French shirt. Zizu, who missed out on 2002 WC was at his best for his country at the age of 34. He single-handedly dragged the French team into the final against Italy. He was spectacular in the final, until the sad headbutting incident. I was almost in tears. Often wondered whether France would've won it otherwise. Zidane in WC2006 is the best I've seen any player in a World Cup. Truly one of the greats.

Now to the present. This time it was a toss up between Argentina and Spain. One was being coached by my first football hero and the other perennial underachievers were finally finding their feet winning the Euro 2008. I went with Argentina and the group stages didn't disappoint me, full points. Again the quarter-final and again Germans. The Germans outplayed the Albicelestes, end of story. Spain on the other hand defeated the Germans (who are a very impressive team) in semi. So the final awaits. Some work of fate has it that the country I support in the final has never won. Fingers crossed.. Will my favourite country (still?!) bring home the Cup of Joy?

PS. Logos courtesy Wikipedia.

Ch 5: Emotions

Life is all fun and enjoyment, I thought. I was too late to discover that it wasn't so... too late when is discovered myself, my powers. But life gave me a second chance. Here's my story, the story of a woman.

I was born to rich, normal parents, or so I thought. Through my teens i had everything i wanted, be it the Barbie girl, round the world tour, or the Mercedes I got when I was still seventeen. Money was power, and it could buy anything. I was in the second last year in school when I met someone...

He joined my school in plus 2. From the first day itself, I fell for his good looks and cool attitude. I knew I was in love. The moment I looked at him something started burning in my head. It was not like the simile 'burning passion', this was real, physical. I felt some kind of connection between my mind and his, and felt my emotion passing on to him. It was really weird, but the same day, he asked me out. It was heaven from then on.

We dated for months. Then in December, he had to go to visit his parents in Dubai. I didn't see him for a month. When he returned everything had changed. He didn't like me, he never had... It was all my doing, my power had forced him to love me against his will. I was crestfallen. I can still remember that day - it was my 18th birthday.

When I returned home, mom and dad were waiting with my presents and birthday cake. I fell crying on mom's outstretched hands and opened my heart. She took the whole incident with much less surprise than I expected. I asked her, "Mom, is there something I should know?" She replied.

Days passed on, but after knowing 'the truth', it was never the same. Suddenly life seemed to have more meaning. I felt some kind of responsibility to human race. Though we were the superior race, we were the aliens on this planet. The feeling of being alien in a place you called home, it's unnerving.I joined CET the next year.

It was the second day in college that I saw the man of my dreams. He had the looks of Tom Cruise and poise of Hugh Grant. I told myself never to tinker with her emotions. As I walked past him, I tried a weak smile hoping he would notice me. It was beautiful... Amazingly, he asked me out the next week. I couldn't utter the words to express my happiness, but i think my nodding head conveyed the message to him.

That evening, we were at Lords. I was sipping on the last drop of limejuice, when I unintentionally started to pass on my emotion of love unto him. I stood up, trying to control the power. I told myself "I shouldn't make him fall in love with me. It will ruin his life. How would he ever understand that I can control emotions..". He tried to calm me down, and told the story of his life. He didn't know why he had the power or where it came from. His parents were so distance from him that they never cared to reveal to their son 'the truth'.

All that is history. We married and have a son, Deepak. Deepak's dad told me few weeks ago that our son's in love. He wasn't sure the girl felt the same for the boy. And then the day came when the dreaded accident happened. I had gone out shopping and saw the whole thing. Deepak suddenly shifted in his seat and the scooter went out of control. I ran towards them, but the crowd prevented me from getting anywhere near. I saw a girl getting out of the car that stopped just inches from Deepak. My power burst out upon her, and I could see the effect. The girl (whom I later came to know was the girl my son was after) felt an instant urge to help my son. She took him to the car and drove him home. I called out to my hus, but my voice was drowned in the crowd.

When I reached home, dad took me aside and said to me, "Our son knows I can read minds. The time arrives that he should know 'the truth'. And one more thing, the girl he's after, the one who saved him today, is Hari Seldon's heir!"

Ch4 : The Truth!!

"Damn!! how disgusting...these assholes changed my name from Neetha to Neha!!! One day I'll have my payback.". Neha was talking to herself, but she didn't know she is being overheard,Yes!Deepak, it was him.....!!
Stunned by the other side of his dear girlfriend he made a snort, Neetha realizing the presence of a stranger, in panic, shot from her revolver (hidden inside her hand bag) in the direction of the sound. With a loud yell Deepak fell down, Neetha felt a thunderbolt running down her spine and rather caught out.Deepak was rolling on the floor with pain, he was miserable. He felt like the angels calling out to him, "Deeepak....".

"Eh!! What the hell?? Shit!! A nightmare.It is already seven and I'm not ready for school yet.Shouldn't have seen 'The Unfaithful' the precious night." Deepak stopped rolling on the floor and got up to get ready for the school.
But why the hell did he think of Neha as a traitor, the reason she would turn rebel is not going to be as filthy as a name.The question dogged him to the class and he found no respite from his thoughts. Even in Neha's company he felt off sorts.
"Why are you so moody Deepak???",Neha asked.
"OH!! Eh!"as if just waking up from a dream."No,nothing". He longed to tell her about the dream but something held him against.
"Is there anything that i can help you with??"Neha looking very much concerned.
"Its so nice of you Neha darling, but no nothing of a great concern.Just that I'm having a minor head ache.." Deepak evading the temptation to open himself up.
"Ok...then i guess you need to take some time off... "Neha replied.
"Yeah!! I guess i get going now Neha dear..See ya tomorrow...."
Dé·jà vu!! He felt he had talked to Neha in an almost similar manner sometime back. This has become a pretty regular occurrence nowadays this,Dé·jà vu!!
"Some thing's wrong somewhere, the only person,one i can trust, who will have a solution for this problem is my dad..But he's off to some business tour from the next day of our 'small freak accident'. He had left in haste, never gave an indication as to his departure..."
He walked back home for he wanted to stack up his thoughts into a neat pile so that he can figure out whatever his problem was.
A pleasant surprise waited for him back home, his dad had returned from the "tour". Deepak was ecstatic and cried out with joy, for he felt comforted and safe.
At nightfall he went to his dad for some counseling on his problem.
"Dad i believe you might have read my mind already,eh..i don't know what's happening I'm confused..eh..."
"Say no more son...I understand.Once me too felt the same. Yes son you are gifted too..like me and like many others who roam this world.The next few things I'm going to tell you is going to take a lot from your part to assimilate in one go...But I've to do this, the time has come for you to know the truth."
Deepak stood amazed and anxious, what on earth was going on??
"Listen boy, I've been away to see some of my old friends, them belonging to group called The Council of AEI.I know its going to be too much for you to take in but you have to be patient and listen.AEI is 'Aliter Encampments for Ithopia'. The world is not what you see around boy, we are time travellers from the world of Ithopia. The place you call Universe is just another part, in fact the primordial part of a greater system called Ithopia. We are from the future boy! You are unique because during the years of my research about our past you were born. The so called business tour i was away for, was a journey back to our time because after that accident i grew concerned about you, for in this primitive place there is no automotive security and the people here are very slow for they take hours to reach just 500km(less than half a minute journey in Ithopia),I've got the permission from the council to take leave from my assignment for a couple of earth-months. We have the science of psychohistory**(developed by the great mathematician Hari*) so I can most often predict the future correctly, and that's what you know as my mind reading capability.We are researching about the possibility of settling in the past because our world is getting crowded more and more.We live in the planet of Earth in fact right here but a 10000 years hence..And the deja vu you have been having is because you too have the elements of psychohistory in you so you tend to see a lot things of the future through your dreams.Take your time to come in terms with the reality and and when you are ready I'll be taking you for a trip back Home....."

This was too much for young Deepak, he didn't speak a word but stood gaping at the stars wondering if they looked the same from some other world he couldn't even think of and if the dreams were to come true,he would think no more..... He couldn't sleep,he feared he might see something he didn't want to...The world around him was changing and so was he......

**Psychohistory has been assumed to be implanted into the human genome by some technique developed long after our era.(OH!! By the way for those readers who don't know what psychohistory is, its a mathematical thesis presented by the mathematician Hari Seldon in the epic Foundation series .... )

Continuance

Today morning i woke up alive once again in my bed so i felt like peeing;
so i had to go to the toilet;
so i had to come out;
so i had to i had to brush my teeth ;
so i had to take my breakfast and tea;
so i had to spill it all over me ;
so i had to take a bath ;
so i had to change my clothes;
so i had to go to college;
so i had to see my friends;
so i had to go with them to the class;
so i had to feel sleepy ;
so i had to bunk;
so i had to go to Panjarakadu;
so i had to ogle into the LH;
so i had to endorse a sandal brand(on my cheeks);
so i had to go home early;
so i had to take a transport bus;
so i had to pay for the ticket ;
so i had to look for my wallet;
so i had to find it missing;
so i had to be thrown out of the bus ;
so i had to walk home ;
so i had to feel tired;
so i had to sleep till next morning;
so i had to wake up again;
so i had to find it was a holiday;
so i had to turn on my computer ;
so i had to access the web ;
so i had to blog my day;
so you had to read it...
and so you may feel like continuing the thread..................
or most probably you may feel like trashing me on to the floor (gulp!!)..........

(Life would have become totally different had it been like the Moore machine where output depends on the present state of the machine.......but rather its like the Mealy machine where output depends on input and the state of the machine....aaaagh!!! life's so boring,it sucks..... :-( )

Apparition

“Damn….why do we keep losing to those yellow @#!$%%& (*shouldn’t be used in common speech)….”, Vikas was furious, thanks to a night out to watch India battle out a defeat against the world champions.

“No use cursing them…do they ever learn? The kangaroos are relentless……”, Paras had had enough of it.

Reghu was the third of the company, he didn’t have an opinion after all he didn’t know the game well (strange… in India do we really find such people…very few, I reckon).

They were childhood friends, but Reghu was off the company for 6 years due to workly commitments of his dad.

“Aaaaah…whatever…we may have to wait until all our teeth fall off to see the back of The Aussie… ” sighed Vikas.

“Hmmm…whatever…..”

Reghu: Hmmm….I’ve been sleeping whole day…I totally forgot our plans of comb. at your house Vikas…mom woke me up just in the nick of time.

Paras: The math assignment….whoosh…we have to do it first and quick.

Vikas: Yeah!! Sure…

Reghu: Then what about the test??? Have you studied??I haven’t turned a page since the last one.

Vikas: OH!!! The test…if its like the last one then I’m sure to get my pocket money cut for this month.

Paras: The same is my situation with me too, but Reghu won’t have anything to worry of…He’s the kidu of math in our class….

Vikas: The math stud…Reghu…

Reghu: (blushing) Oh!! I’m honored…..

Paras: So he’s going to teach us the math….right…

Vikas: Righto….

Reghu: Okie boss…as you wish….

Just then a 'very good looking' girl wearing a 'good' top and a skirt brushed past the company. A cold chill went past their hearts as they held their mouths wide open in admiration.

Vikas: Wow!! !@#$(explicits deleted)

Paras: Yeah!! I wish I was @#(again explicits deleted)

Reghu was still thunderstruck as he watched in amazement the...... (damn!!! i wish i didn't edit this...reckless adolescents they are....for the last time explicits deleted)

Paras: Such a 'lady' can be unfaithful, I reckon….(very diplomatic indeed....)

Vikas: HUH!! Come on man Paras, don’t be jealous…..

Reghu echoed.

Paras: I know several of them,and I’m not jealous….

Vikas and Reghu in unison: “Hahahaa…. Nana Nana Nana….. Jealous is Paras, ha-ha, Paras is jaaalous…."

Paras: Oh!! Knock it off man…Lets hurry….Reghu must be waiting for us at your place.

Reghu shrieked: “What the hell???”

Vikas: Hmmm…oh yeah…I totally forgot….lets go…

“Hey guys!! I’m here, right before you…” he cried. But none seemed to hear. ‘Twas as if he had been completely desolated from the world. What was happening, he didn’t know.

He shouted and yelled but no use.What in the bloody hell was going on?? "Have i crossed time dimensions" (is there enough truth in sci-fi, hmmm....I wonder)

“Ring!! Ring!!!” Vikas’s mobile rang.

In short notice his face turned pale a great fright and pain came over his face.

“He’s gone…” unable to contain himself Vikas burst off into tears.

Paras stood stunned and shocked beside.

“No!!! I don’t believe this….How the …..” Reghu stammered as he turned pale and grey..

“Am I dead?? Am I not alive anymore…”

“Am I a gggh....ghost???”

He ran back to his house. And to his ultimate horror he found himself,a corpse, lying on a stretcher alongside his father,another corpse,….(They had gone shopping, but unfortunately….)

“Get up my son….Get up…” his mom’s voice rang on his ear-drums like alarm. He felt like… eh….a ghost, just a soul was he. Left to wander into realms unknown to mortal beings, to discover his new destiny.

“Get upppp….” Now the voice was getting a little annoying. He felt droplets of water on his face.

“Goddamn you….. Sleeps till noon stupid…..remember you had to go to Vikas’ place…its time boy…now get up” yelled his mom.

“Waaaaat….”at the first instant he was feeling himself.

A sigh of relief, a feel of triumph as if he had just defeated Mr.Death.

He got up and briskly left for Vikas’s residence.

(No...no....not for the chain story.....eh...will need better stuff than this for it....but can be considered.... ;-))
(I've cleaned up the post ....even now if ya find anything obscenic please report..... )
:-S

The Prelude

Oye...Superb...The prelude to the foundation by Issac Asimov had already had a chunk of my heart and a corner of my brain(the portion i use for imaginations).

SPOILER WARNING:NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK.

From the beginning itself the gravity shafts and the magnetically levitated express ways had left me hallucinating about the hyper-complex society of Trantor and I wondered what it would be like to have the whole of the galaxy discovered,settled,unified and had a history of a million years.The concept of psychohistory is absolutely wonderful a concept all credits to the ingenuity of the author to have thought of such a powerful theory.All the arguments lead through a powerful and gorgeous thread of neatly knit plots that leaves us spell-bound.
I'm most attracted to Hari Seldon,partly because we both share our first names and the love for mathematics,and obviously because he is the man with the innovation.Chetter Hummin aka Demerzel aka Deneel simply is a fantastic creation of a remarkable writer and its even more impressive when he finally uses the idea of an immortal humanoid to perfection.The guise of Demerzel was i feel the heart of the whole story and shrewd statesman he is just adds to the tally of remarks you can make of this man.Not to mention i was also captivated by the natural grace of Dors Venabili another of the clever and charismatic creations of a decorated author.
Trantor,the head quarters of the Empire ,a complex of worlds like Mycogen,Wye,Dahl,The University is a splendor in itself thanks to the foresight and vivid imagination of the author.
The concept of a domed,certainly not doomed,city or planet rather is very convincing an idea for the writer makes its necessity obvious citing the ecological situation of the planet.
All other characters stand by their duties in fulfilling the needs of the plot and each are impressive in their own attitudes and complexities.Be it the bald Sunmaster of Mycogen, or the moustached Dahlite Jirad Tisalver or Mother Rittah or the delightful Raych or the Madam Mayor of Wye.
A part of the story that captivated my attention was the hand-on-thigh theory of Dors. The expertise the author has shown in making such a trivial thing into a cornerstone that was to lead our hero into the beginning.
And finally the whole plot from the beginning to the beginning is so cleverly conjured up that it the level of fascination and wonder which urges you to believe something like this can be a possibility however far it may seem.The climax of the story is amazingly a shock,rather a delightful one, for you dispense with the idea of a robot in due course of the story(atleast that was the case with me. I took the whole idea of an immortal robot indistinguishable from a normal human and with mental powers for granted ).

I'm more than sure i have done little justice to the book and the author through the preview (or rather something like that),so keep flooding in the comments,baby.