WE dont talk about REVOLUTION fr d sake of talking !!! - part 3...

woke up early in d morning, the next day...
"sikkadna paa nin frndu ?? ", pakkadamane lakshmi aunty keludru...
"sikktaane aunty,,, !! ", wow ! I was never this confident before...

my confidence soon died off !! 

Two days bundh in d city for fuel hike, inflation etc... So couldnt go out anywhere.
Tried few more localites and few old alumni's of my college.. none had any idea about Gopi.. !! He dint have any sort of contacts or talked to much ppl i guessed... but why ??, I dint have answer for that... felt like i was a part of some stupid plot made by some bastard who had no other business.. !! My search was futile.... always...

*next day*

"hoskere police station aa swamy !! ivath strike-u, gothilwa... ?? naav auto noru hodre aa kade namm **** kithagtare ashte !! hogri ree... ! ", auto nonige kelida tappige sikka pratikriye... police station ge hogi avra search elli tanka bandide antha vicharsbekithu...

Took the public transport....
"Hoskere Aarakshaka tHaaNe " ! read out the half worn out board outside the building...

"Search innu naditaa ide sir, elli enu antha patte illa... huduga chikka vayassu, bisi raktha, yaarado maatige bali aagirbahudu antha namma anisike... lavalavike inda koodida huduga, sudden aagi ee thara aadtidda andre yaarig taane ee doubt baralla heLi.. ?? adsari, neevenagbeku ivnige ?? nimgu mosa madidana ?? ", Inspector Ashok Kumar answered my question, followed it with another question !

"Hu saar, 5 laksha !! ", my mind forced my tongue to lie !! It dint want me to get involved in their search !! better to listen to my mind atleast this time, I thought... had to tell another lie for saying one ! signed the complaint letter with other name !!

On the way back called up the radio station ! This s not the maximum limit I can go to search yu buddy, I'll get u soon !!, my heart sent this message to Gopi.. !!

"Hii GM, how are u,, RK here !!  me doing great bud !! its been almost 10 years since I saw u... hope ur listening to this !! wanna badly meet u... have loads to talk... ! searched u in the entire city, couldn't find u... I now live in the same room u stayed 10 years ago !! come and meet me asap ! ",  my voice was in the air for 10 seconds ! hope gopi's radio (if he has any) catches these words !!

"that was soo sweet of u sir, but what's this GM or RK stuff... ?? u not playing with letters right ?? ", RJ pallavi asked me !!

"haha ! It was our way of naming people !! only we both understand this... !! ", I replied
"woooow !! thats pretty interesting !! hope u find luck in your search and find your good ol' friend sir !! have a nice day !!  you are listening to Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, this s pallavi !! stay tuned while we play this melodious song from the film My Autograph and wishing Mr Raghav in his search for his friend !! ", She cut the call !! Her voice was so sweet that for a second, I forgot gopi !! SHit ! my bachelor life was ending !! :P :D

The next day, the local MLA had arranged for a speech in the area to address the ppl regarding the inflation, inevitable fuel hike and how the opposition were responsible for all the bad things happening in this society, probably including Global warming !!! Arrangements were heavy, so it was pretty much dark before I reached my place. Thought to reach my room before going out for dinner ... !


That evening was kinda darker and cooler than before !  I never expected any thief to break into that room for any valuables, but one of them did ! I noticed that the room door was opened....
I slowly, very slowly, entered the room... after few minutes of silence, switched on the lights... !!

From somewhere, I noticed that cricket ball which came rolling to me... !
Took it and wondered where it came from. I looked at it and.....  I forgot to breathe the next moment when I saw the words !! " RAGHU MISHRA" !! right next to the two words written before !!!

"GOPI !!! ", I looked at him !! MY LAST ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESS ! thanked radio guys a zillion times !! kicked his ass, he kicked back, I shouted at him, he shouted back ! I slapped, he slapped, before we both broke down.... !!
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after the atmosphere soothed down, we sat down together for dinner, which was ordered from a hotel...
I asked all those hundreds of questions for him after dinner. He sat silently and looked grave...
"hello ! u alive mister Gopal or Raghu or whoever u are ??? Y d fuck did u do that ?? secretly change ur name, cheat the people and suddenly go missing... what hapened to u man ?? "....

"Tomorrow, there wont be any speech by that MLA !", he said...
"I dont give it a damn !! ", I dint understand why he took out the subject before hearing his next sentence. I was dumbstruck !!

" I killed him !", was his answer !!

I am not sleeping ! This isn't a dream !! A nightmare, which is happening for real ! What the hell is happening... ??

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS COUNTRY HUH ??? WHO d FUCK says its developing.. ITS A SHIT OUT THERE... !! and.. annd.. TAT MINISTER.... Ruined MY life... am totally a shit now raghu !! AM A BLOODY FUCKED UP SHIT NOW !!! ",  he broke down completely.

 After a few more minutes of silence, I could hear a police jeep from a far distance. I dint let Gopi go out and surrender. I forced him to tell the truth and I would keep him safe from the police...

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"On the charges of murdering an efficient, kind hearted, people loving minister Mr HK Aacahrya, the cruel, stone hearted criminal Gopal Mishra is sentenced to life. Meanwhile, the doubts are that he might be linked to various terrorist groups and the........ ", read the first few lines of the newspaper on the following day. Obviously, all the news ppl carried the news !!

"BLOODY SHIT ! HE finally surrendered.......", I threw the paper on the floor... !



kuchh kar guzarne ko khoon chala khoon chala
aankhon ke sheeshe mein utarne ko khoon chala
badan se tapak kar, zameen se lipatkar
galiyon se raston se ubharkar, umadkar
naye rang bhar ne ko khoon chala khoon chala.... !!
(song from Rang de Basanti )

"The minister WAS a CHEAT !! loafer, useless !! He killed him to let the world know that leaders of that kind have no place to live... !! He started off a spark which I want to be a wildfire !", I said to my journalist friend the very next day. I demanded JUSTICE ! I went to the court to get him bailed out, but of no use... I couldn't find any suitable lawyer in the city... ! I WANTED a CHANGE without which manny others like gopi who dreamed of a career in sports, arts, films can never think of success ! Gopi might be sentenced in a day or two...
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I continued with the jounalist...
"Gopi was an awesome cricketer !! As everyone, he dreamt of representing INDIA very soon...

I finished my twelfth boards and cleared AIEEE and continued my Engineering degree. Gopi signed up for a cricket training school after selling his canteen. Few frnds of him took care of his expenses. Everytin went on well.. He soon became the captain of his team. His coach too said he cud become Indian captain some day!! That year was full of victories for his team !!

The next year, however was not such a successful one ! He was scraped of his captaincy, and later removed from the team... He couldnt bear the failure and soon left cricket to work in a hotel, sunidhi foods and also as a lab assistant in a particular college. But there his life was no good...

His life changed when he met a particular 'social worker' HK Aacahrya, during his campaigning. The minister had a son, Raghav 15 years of age. He, just like gopi, wanted to play cricket... Gopi explained his achievements and told him about his passion, and the problems he is currently facing. Aacharya then gave him work at his own place. Gopi did stuffs like cleaning the vehicles, gardening, sweeping the floor... meanwhile teaching Raghav few techniques in cricket.
Then came a competation. For the selection into the biggest cricket league in the country ! Gopi and Raghav both had to take part.

The day before the selection,
Aacharya: "look Gopi, you have been an excellent helping hand for our family and my election campainging. Ofcourse you have been rewarded fairly from our side. But look, tomorrow as you know, is the selection round for the Indian Cricket League and my son today met with an accident ! You know how much he loved cricket right ? Tomorrow's absence will cost him dearly... So I request you to play his game tomorrow instead of yours... I mean you just change your name to Raghav for a day, thats it ! I will look after that nothing gets leaked out and nothing happens to you... Ofcourse, you will be getting a chance next year in your own sweet name ! Trust me... You might not play as well as Raghu does, but still I know you can beat the others. Raghu is soo depressed that he cant take part this year and he just cannot wait for another year, you know how arrogant he is !
I believe you will be of some help to him atleast in this way right ?.... Trust me, your service will be rewarded and you both will get a chance to be in that league. Just participate tomorrow and win it. I will provide you the best of kits to practice... ". That was it ! Gopi, blindly accepted the offer and played under Raghu's name and won the selection !
Things din't turn out to be good for him later on... Aacharya kicked him out of the job and threatend him to life if the matter was leaked out anywhere !!

Gopi was frustrated, confused ! dissapointment, anger, filled in him !! He still dint give up !

He went back to his old room, stayed there for a week. He contacted his previous coach to help him get loans. He got some 3 lakhs from a realtor, 2 from a builder. He went on, all alone to prepare for the next year selection ! This time much well prepared... !

He almost got selected but for that minister.. He cancelled Gopi's name and put some other boys name in the last minute with his influence and totally destroyed any chances of Gopi getting into the team !

Gopi was totally destroyed and helpless this time !! Loan return could never happen ! ppl would kill him if they realised that he wouldn't participate. He could never think of another selection or any other job ! What else could he do ?? Ran away from his only home....

He met few more people  like him, who were not given a chance to come up... Aacharya was the name which blocked their path towards success...

They all had a common goal, a change in this system.. Yeah ppl wont remember this phrase "vote-for-change" unless they're totally fucked up by the system... Their first step was to clear away all the block in between passion and sucess. Aacharya was the first block.,, !! ", I finished explaining what all Gopi said that evening !!

"Then why did he surrender ?? ", asked the jounalist....

"Aacharya somehow got to know about these guys who had a grudge against him. He soon bought all of them to his side to work as 'party workers' with his money but coudnt buy Gopi. Now Gopi was alone in the battle. Come-what-may, he decided to kill that minister !! He did it,  the day just before the minister had planned a speech in the same field where Gopi and I first met, Royal Grounds field ", !

"Oh ! ",

" This system requires a complete makeover !! ppl who are now relaxed may not realise the importance of that at this moment... I tell them, if so many many people out there are screaming, rallying, campaigning about revolution,  each one of them have a different past which have prompted them to take a bold step towards change.. ! They're not just talking about revolution JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TALKING !!! If you are now happy with YOUR life, then I request you to just spare some time to atlest helping the movements gain number. Numbers are all what this system needs !! I am not asking for a full time commitment, but a bit of encouragement and participation will do a lot of help !! There are still many many gopi's out there... This same case is happening in every field... Cricket, Cinema, Education all of them... !! There are more politics in these than in the actual politics !! Thats the scenario in our country.... !! ".




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The writer of this story: True Raghu, I support you... Though your dialogues were lenghtier than I thought, you delivered it well !! I hope the readers wont mind this and wont curse me for writing such a lenghty story... If you are not bored then I am happy, If you liked this, I am much more happy, If you are inspired, I am totally satisfied as a writer !!
If you say this story is truely amazing, well thought, awesome, fabulous... I know you are lying... ! :P

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Thank you, Rahul !

Dear Rahul Dravid (hopefully u read this some day... )

this small li'l boy resting on the small wall who grows up to be the great wall of India... !!

Seriously am not able to get some really good words to start off with... 'thank you', is all what I can think of.. Ya this may be the last time newspapers, tv shows, facebook statuses all remember you (ya my blog included !). At a time when youngsters were having a tough time sealing their place in the team, not having enough time to actually concentrate on the game, your retirement came at a very right time and indeed a right choice. Seniors give way to juniors, is the rule. One senior is busy searching for a triple digit score and the other himself is battling with his poor performance, so it HAD to be you. You had recently had a good time on the field, gave your best for the team (though the others failed to capitalize on dat) finished an ordinary Australian tour, crazy media ppl wanted a senior out of the team, so u did the job yourself... Ofcourse you would have done much more than the others for the team even this year, but the team NEEDED young blood...
The reason y i dint like your decision was these young blood needed a proper experienced mind to help them come up... In the competative situation like the ones juniors in the team are facing, patience is something these guys are to be thought of !! A double century holder cannot be a better teacher in this regard compared to a person who can face 200 balls consistently !

I need not tell I am a BIG fan of yours... I am actually a bigger fan of your attitude, patience and approach than your cricket ! I accept that I really dont know much about your statistics, facts and figures because unlike others, the greatness of yours CAN NEVER be measured in numbers ! your approach, your contribution to your team, your consistency SHOULD not be measured by the number of games you played or the number of runs you made, though those figures are indeed high !
The  13000+ runs in tests, 10000+ runs in ODI's, those three magnificient sixes in the sole T20 international all prove this point. The truely inspiring thing about you is the way you bounced back last year in England or West Indies... making the contest look like England Vs Rahul Dravid !!

The only concern for the country was always, where should the Team India rest upon when the wall falls down ??? MS Dhoni and BCCI have a lot to think about it now ! I always appreciated your attitude. With that anyone can excel in any field for sure !! I need not exaggerate on this point for sure !!

Some memorables you had displayed !
*  The best ever comeback in the history of the game ! You and VVS laxman paired up to add 378 runs for the fifth wicket against Australia !
*  You coming out of Sachin Tendulkar's shadow and establishing yourself as the 'wall' !!
*  The seventh world cup in 1999 in which you ruled !
*  English spinner Samit Patel would be the distinguished bowler whom you hit three consecutive sixes in the only T20 you played !!
*  Though you are known to be defesive player, you have the second fastest fifty for INDIA !!
*  The reebok advertisements which were the first to call you the ' GReAT WALL'


I respect you as a great cricketer, more than that as a gentlemen who really respected his game, more than all of these,, as a great human !!

yours sincerely,
an ordinary Indian fan of yours,
Alok Bharadwaj !!

tale in three parts !! part 2

tried out the telephone directory, 10 Gopals, out of that 3 Gopal Mishra's !! hope gopi will be one of those three...
"Hii gopi, remember me ?? Raghu da.... ", me called one among them....
"Haa.. u bastard, ell tappskond hogidde.. nan dudd vapas kodtyo enu... ??? "...
"oops  !!", wrong number... !!

When the other two also failed, I realised he didnt even have the money to have a telephone connection !! Tried the postman... No use...
Justdial girl didn't even get a single Gopal Mishra name in her directory...

"Uncle, do you have any idea where did this person who stayed in this house next to you shift ? ", I asked one of his neighbours. I had searched for his address with those post cards he sent me.
"Hmmm aa hotel huduga taane... ond varsha aa college lu dudididda nappa lab assistnt aagi, amele adello adyaaranno hudkond hodanappa... vapas barle illa... sumaru 3 varsh agirbodu bittu hogi... amele ondina bandu owner kayge key kottu, innu munde illi iralla sir, antha heli hortnappa... ", Chatterjee uncle replied....
"So he even worked fr my coll as lab assistant, then 3 years back he left this place... then he sent me the letters for almost a year, from a new address", I thought...
"thank you uncle ", I smiled.

"Yes Raghav, he did work with us for an year. At that time he stayed in the house u went before. He left the college almos 3 years ago. He even forgot to take his salary check of the last month ! Came and took it after an year... ! But he dint tell us his place... "
When I went to invite my principal Dr Ravishankar, he told me this...

I went back to the postman and asked about the various contacts gopi had during his stay in the house. He had just a few contacts then.. One among them interested me...

"Mudde Gowda,
 Shree sai krupa associates, property dealor,
 Kengeri, Bangalore ".....
 A realtor as his contact ?? I wondered...

"3 varshada hinde Gopal Mishra annoru yaaru nam hatra bandilwalri...
Elli avra address kodi nodana.. ", gowdru uttarisidru !! Gave him the address..

"Ee addressa !! ondimsha taali... ". Ond nimsha kaade....

"Oho.. !! ade addressu... !!  baddi maga, hesru change madkond bandidno namm hatra...! lofer, elli halag hogtannri, yavathadru sikke sigtaane !! "

Gosh.. !! Y the hell s this guy angry,,, y wud gopi change his name n come to this guy,,, I thought I had come to the wrong address, or got a wrong contact...

"Sorry sir.. adu.. avragiralla... umm,  ello.. ello tapp address ge bandirbeku nanu... ",I was about to leave..
"Ree... Raghav, sunidhi foods alli server aagi kelsa madtiddovn ivne alwenri... ond varsha alle iro college li kelsa maadtidda taane ee lofer... ??  ",

Whaat ! he indeed had dealt with this guy... !! that too with his name changed... THAT TOO HE USED MY NAME... !! Am I searching the right person... my heart was a little bit scared now... 'GULP', made my throat !!

I had to turn back and nod my head...

"Nodri, ee boLi maga nan hatra 3 laksha iskond parari aagidane. Eno dodd deal aagide, ond cricket league li chance sikkide, 10 laksha sigo haagide, mane shooriti ge kodtini, ond 5 laksha kodi antha kelda.. avn jothe avna senior nu karkond bandidda... ella ok aagithu... 3 laksha advance kottidde, 2 laksha bere dina kodtini andidde...
aa match kooda nadililla, nan duddu siglilla... erd sari avn mane nuggi hedrsidde... moorne sala hodre mane khaali... !! naav ellig hogona swamy .. ??? entha kal nan maklu huttidarappa nam deshdalli... !! sigli kayyge, boli maga.... !! Police navra kann tapsi escape aagidanalri.... !!  ".

did my heart just stop beating !!! who the hell am I searching here... ? Mr Gopal Mishra, whom I knew... or this screwed up ass Raghu Kashyap ?? Apparently, both are only one person !! shit !! En madirbod ivnu...ell irbodu... ?? How the hell did he change so much.... !!
Had lots more doubts in my head...


my mind is trying to convince me: Raghav !! shut up n leave this place right now... I sense something strange and fishy going on.. U better not involve yourself in this... U have other commitments, remember them... Searching a long lost friend, who has probably screwed up his life by now, cheated this person big time, and 'mysteriously' missing with a police warrant running behind him is clearly not a good idea... LEAVE THE PLACE AT ONCE...

my heart is begging me to stay: Raghu, think about the last day u met gopi... ten years ago, that evening...
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. (in sepia mode )

"Raghu, so u sure u'l join the army ?? "
"Nt sure kano... though am much intrested to join.. !! If I cant, will be some screwed up techie for sure... ! Le, elli idru ninna thumbaa miss madkotino... nin jothe open aagi matadid bittre, inyaar jothenu asht open aagi matadilla... nin kithod joke galanna innu hego kelodu... ?? "
"me too le... nam joke galu, naav matadtiddiddu namge mathra artha agtithu alwa !! dat was d best part !! nam nam code language li hudgirge hesridodu, aa hudgir munde ne aa code language alli avlna propose maado hage !! :) miss those days yaar.... ", my eyes were almos in tears...
"hu.. ka.. kano... sig.. sigtiro avagavaga... kaldog... beda... ! ", i couldn't control then.... 10 years of frndship,,,, now we're gonna get separated... !!

"maga... itko idanna... nanna lucky cricket ball idu... played that last match with the same ball !! as a token of remembrance.. !! "...
"sure gopi... u take here... my parker !! wrote ma finals with that pen !! "... handed over to him a jet black parker... !

I wrote 'Gopi Kashyap' on that ball with the parker.... We had an agreement that day, the next time we meet, we would write 'Raghu Mishra' right next to it !! Eradu deha, onde manassu anno haage.. !!
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(back to normal mode)

That's it !
I took out that ball. The space next to "Gopi Kashyap" looked pretty much empty... I will stay here !! I decided then... ! I was more than determined to fill up that space... I had to look out for a friend who s currently screwed up... solve his problems, come what may, and provide a better future !! yeah, I WILL FIND HIM FOR SURE !!

His old home was empty. None had come to occupy that room. I chose to stay there for the week till I find him... !!

tale in three parts !! part 1

":)",
 I smiled as I saw the children playing cricket on the Royal Grounds Field.. The place where we both first met, played our first cricket, fell off the cycle for the first time, fought for the first time and saw each other for the last time....

'We' - I, Raghav, and my dearest friend Gopal. The first time we met was when that idiot had got a sandals to play football and ultimately broke his toenail ! I was playing with him, but didnt knew him so closely, took out my one-time-used handkerchief, cleaned his toe with water and wrapped it around the wounded toe. Well, that was how I first met him at the grounds, ten years ago !

I - Raghav Kashyap, so-called-software engineer, Calsoft technologies.
He - Gopal Mishra, really donno what's he rite now !

(Ten years ago....)


"macha, II PU boards in less than 12 hours ! One can find me at this Royal Grounds field playing soccer ! Eno madodu... ??? ", I asked...
"Dialogue bidole... innu 10.30... Haven't yo read it a zillion times before ??? ", Gopi.
"Aadru boards kano... Hogona vapas... And u have your cricket competation in 3 days right ? "
"Ya, versus JP nagar sports academy, first round... We practiced quite well. Me as a captain have told ma boys not to get tensed before the match, might take rest for a day tomoro.. "
Gopal was awesome cricketer, the game was his passion !! Left studies at 10th.... He had no parents. My mom and dad looked after him for a few days. The bastard wanted to be 'independant' ! So we set up a small canteen near my college for him and also made arrangements for his house. He was an awesome cook too !!

My last exam, Mathematics, and his final match fell on the same day !!

lady luck was on our side... !! I did pretty well, and he won ! He was declared man of tournament !!

after wasting few more months,
"Macha !! guess... got through AIEEE !! Will complete a BE degree and join the Army for sure... ! "
"Devru bidappa... :P he he congo dude !! yeah, u've been telling that for the last 2 years... you'll do that for sure... And I sold my canteen and with the money I got, joined the National Cricketing Academy ! Got few helping hands who'll take care of my expenses for the next two years, for the services I provide them !! "
"wooha ! SO, here are two students going after their passion towards SUCCESS !! All the best dude.... "
We gave Ass-kick to each other, our way of saying "cyo soon buddy,,, have fun " !

Yap, that was the last tym we saw... Dont want to explain the moment too much...., too emotional !
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Now, I stand in the same place where we departed. Donno how but he just... seemed disappeared...
Came back during my first year holidays. He was out on some tournament. But had left out a letter. From then on, we conversed through just words.. but for last 2 years... he even stopped writing. His address had been shifted. Just donno where he is, what is he doing or anythin... And am here to find out just that ! Find his correct address and hand out my, wedding invitation.. !!


..to be continued !!