First Official Mistake

I saw her and just like that….3…2…1, I fell in love. She waltz her way in to a cabin where her laptop screen was still lit bright with recent usage. Flowy blue dress, combined with that gait and I swear, it felt the place just grew 10 times more interesting. I had to have a last glance as I couldn’t miss the last glimpse of her from that fish cubical I passed by. “Start-ups are great”, I muttered. She was playing with her long curls and was invested in the moment, she collected all of them and rolled it into a bun. But missing few strand near ears, she dismantled the first, collected all back, tossed and carefully caressed all in another yet seemingly bigger and tighter one.

My interview started and I cleared 2 rounds with seniors. The HR entered the room, where I sat comfortably, to announce the last round to be with colleagues as policy for 360 degree evaluation. I was hoping to see her again and get to know her. She didn’t join me but this other lad who scooped in with excitement, for his many first of many time opportunity to interview a senior role.

I went back and never received a call. Forgotten about the incident, I carried on my streak to appear for more interviews and awaited good offers. Finally, after 3 months and 2 days to be precise, I received a mail from the same start-up where I thought I was rejected about that position. Freshers are at mercy of jobs and to work in a start-up is cumulative experience of 10 corporate years in just 3. Money was bad and I would have to make some rent adjustments but to survive in the city, it could have been worse.

Within the next hour my mail notification beeped again and to my surprise, it was an offer from the corporate house with benefits, perks, a package with advancement option and no rent adjustments, I was waiting for. I wanted to smile for my luck was shining bright that day but within minutes my smile worn off. It was either a white and black but a stable corporate life or professional bun developer in a fish cubical. I was not here or there or anymore at any place mentally. The corporate offer stood with a time line of 24 hours and I only had wished if it could have reached me 24 hours earlier, 3 months and 1 day to be precise. I called up my teacher from Alma mater and explained everything, minus the bun tying skills. Obviously, the advise for an orphan boy coupled with financial security, to live a colourful and fulfilled life outside the grays of corporate. Something was amiss. There was a look on her face while she was working, the look I was forever chasing. And finally I keyed in my revert to both the mails with a regret to one offer and acceptance to another, as the deadline was surely not to be missed.

 

Next day, the phone rang and it was the HR who wanted to check on my joining date. She sounded excited to have me in her team but asked me out of concern, if everything was okay? Hesitant to her question, I stayed mum but there were a million of things popping in my mind. How would the rent work out? I might have to find a place an hour away from work, good food joints for late night office calls, recreational spaces and travelling through local trains. After all, it was a choice to go ahead with the lively fish cubical view and ignore the 9 to 6 life, even though lucrative and stable. My mind amidst a battle zone with thoughts; which I never had a chance to air them and I was wondering about the situation as to what did I put myself into.

 

One my first day, I was smiling as it was a cheer to have a colourful life and an enigmatic death of my financial planning. 2 years of management studies and my very first office mistake.

 

Music – An Escape Route

Guess the commonality between a party and a heartbreaking moment, a 6:00 am cardio session or a midnight sleep crisis. Just plug your headphones in your ears and you are lost in transit. You enter a world you have imagined to be your ‘Escape Route’. Your mind dwells on this idea and takes you exactly where you want to be.

There are scientific studies that show the brain activity heightened when a coma patient is given a Music/Sound treatment. Moreover a sound can actually be responsible enough to make anyone nostalgic. For example, long time before on a Radio Show on a rainy day, I heard some beautiful words … ‘roll the dice and swear your love for me.’ The words were stuck in my head for a very long time but eventually I had given on them as I didn’t recall the tune. Years later, a good friend introduced me to them randomly playing his iPod list. I was amazed, I took me nanoseconds to react and ask the songwriter to download it for myself. The song was ‘Dice – Finley Quaye’

You can listen to this track on Youtube (Dice – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOiDfY3i8Ac) A very romactic song I warn you.

Music is exactly what everyone needs to escape reality. A strong tune like ‘Celebrate the day – Herbert Gronemeyer’ or ‘Hall of fame – The Script’ before hitting the gym, A soulful tune ‘Sandi Thom- I wish I were a punk rocker’  or ‘James blunt – Wisemen’ after gym to cool down. Getting up in the morning to the twisted mixes ‘Gorillaz – Feel good inc.’ or ‘The Alphabet – David Guetta’ kicks stronger than a cup of coffee or a hot breakfast.

The deal with music is, It knows no bounds. Music doesn’t care you are rich or poor. It doesn’t care you own a Ginomous i-Pod or a simple FM. You don’t have to be pretty or beautiful. Music is inviting and warm. You  have to indulge in it 100% and it guarantees a way out, trust me on that.

Our society draws line on social interaction based ‘Music’ just like Religion. I am shocked to see some college chaps with long  jersey’s and the weird hairdos,  the Hip Hop shoes and neck pendants called ‘Bling’. These were self proclaimed ‘Cool Ones’ discussing the dope rap mix by Eminem on top of their voice and the SWAG it carried. Entry to this group is the acceptance to the attire and also you need to be sane after you listen to all kind of Rap music. Pretending to be Cool on the basis of Music should not be bifurcating at all. Music was always about sharing the funkiest tracks and dancing like 5 year olds to Govinda’s Jhatkas and Matkas.

Lana Del Rey – Blues

Music brings the best in us. I know a lot of my peeps googling out different tracks and sharing the fun together. The saying, “DJ, surprise us with your mix” should be prevalent forever. Share the Care with Music. My best of mates have remained together not because what we listen together and out everyone else but what we share differently with each other and enjoy it.

Here is what I am currently digging, thanks to all my friends:

10) Katy Perry and Kanye West – ET

9) One Republic Feat. Timbaland- Apologize

8) Adele – Someone like you

7) Rihanna Feat Mikky Ekko – Stay

6) Madonna feat JT – 4 Minutes

5) Fake it – Seether

4) JBM – Winter Ghost

3) Led Zeppelin –  stairway to heaven

2) Carnival of Rust – Poets of the Fall

1) Linkin Park – Bleed it out

Well this list is not all conclusive unless the tracks from Rasmus, P.Diddy, Kelly Clarkson,  Britney Spears, Nina Simone, Maroon 5, Missy Elliot, James Blunt and many more Brilliant performers find a spot on it. But I think every performer has a season association in mind. As I said earlier, A nostalgic impact listening to the tunes can make you break a sweat in your thoughts amidst chilly winters.

So Go on, put on some music and let the MAGIC happen to you.