Book Review: Connect The Dots: Rashmi Bansal

 

I have to admit that I am late. That too by a decade. The book was first published in 2010.

It feels like ages ago when I read the author Rashmi Bansal's first book Stay Hungry Stay Foolish. It certainly stirred a thought.

One has to wonder if the author is fan of Steve Jobs when one goes through the book titles which can be related to him. The title for this book seems to be derived from his famous speech at Stanford.

Don't we love the underdogs, when they triumph like a David taking on a Goliath?

Apparently the author also shares a fascination for them when she talks about the twenty  entrepreneurs who  were never in the first place meant to become one.

The book talks about individuals who perhaps in their quest to satiate their hunger came out in the black as they stood out for their acumen to make better of their situations/opportunities.

Be it the story of Prem Ganapathy of Dosa Plaza who came to Mumbai sustain a living but ended up building a dosa empire that has over 70 outlets in India and abroad.

There are others like him who stand out. Like Hemant Gaikwad of BVG India, R Sriman of Crossword (no longer a part of it), Chetan Maini of Reva (sold to Mahindra), Mahima Mehra of Hatthi Chaap, Krishna Reddy of Prince Dance Group & Saurabh Vyas and Gaurav Rathore's Political Edge.

It takes you on the embarkment of their journey and the problems that they had to overcome to reach where the stand today. The author ensured that she touched on the areas of these entrepreneurs wherein there journey could be captured in a holistic manner.

Like the speech of Steve Jobs, its only when you look back at their choices, grit & determination that one can connect the dots.

The book makes a wonderful read if you like reading about individuals who came on the top when the chips were down. Their passion, vision and focus did not drown them in societal norms of  walking the path of tried and tested roads.

Its worth a read for anyone wanting to become an entrepreneur from having nothing but passion and an idea to bring their dreams to reality.

 

P.S.: You can buy the book at Amazon on https://amzn.to/2tbZUhy

Riding A Motorcycle

Oh, I cannot believe that its been six years and the craze of riding a motorcycle has not died down.

As in upgrade myself to a car.

Funny right, why would one pick up a bike to ride leaving the comforts of a car? Its not as if I am driving a Harley or a Bullet (Royal Enfield).

Would you believe that I actually did not learn to ride a bike for the fun but for the need of commute?

As a kid, I used to get my hands on learning more about cars when I had one. It was pretty clear that I would own a car compared to a bike albeit it was not meant to be.

 My first brush with the bike happened in my college days, when one of my school friend decided to teach me on his father's bike. I picked up pretty quickly. That was then.

Ages later I got an opportunity to buy a second hand bike but was not simply interested. I preferred walking & traveling in BEST buses.when frequencies were on a higher end.

In the time to come, it was the need of the hour of commuting that got me thinking. I needed a ride.

Now comes the problem. It had been quite a while since I rode a bike. It was time to learn it again but how?

In the old days, it was a friend with a bike who would help but not now.

In my quest of learning a bike, roped in another friend who too was keen to ride. We almost bought a bike together. One will find driving classes for car everywhere but for a bike there was none.

It so happened that after months passed by I came across one instructor who did taught two wheeler driving lessons. The challenge was when to attend in the weekdays when one is working. I ended up getting up early in the morning traveling in the train and coming back and then leaving for office.

Learning the ropes was ok but practicing it was the key. Getting up early became a norm till it instilled enough confidence that it can be ridden on the daily Mumbai traffic on the way to work and back.

The first long distance ride happened after 9 months to Lonavala. It was fun ride with lots of memories with friends. Post that the next three years was ridden on commute from home to work and back.

The mechanics at the service center used to take a jibe asking if it was not driven around.

The year 2016 was going to change everything. One needs to have the sulemani keeda to do something out of the box.

It was my first solo ride to Nashik (330kms approx.). There were so many things running on my mind. Like what if something goes wrong? Tube tires getting punctured. Which did happened but with a twist. Every ride teaches you something about the ifs & buts & taking care of it.

Post that went on another ride of 1800 kms (longest one for me). What a ride that was.

Somehow the recent ride to Aurangabad a 350 kms distance proved a lot tougher with bad roads taking a toll on my bike & on me. Certainly an adventure where everything went wrong.

The bike reading for the year ending 2019 stands at 2.30 lac plus kms ridden of which a major part of the ride has happened in the last three years.

Have to say that the Aurangabad trip kind of made me desired of having a car which would make certain things very easy.

A bike ride is fun, you can feel the wind on your face, experience each turn in the ghats, the slopes be it uphill or down and the hair pin bends. Such experiences can never be felt on a car ride.

The downside is you cannot leave your luggage lying around on the bike. You need to keep a watch on it. Carry around your helmet as its fixated with gadgets. With a car, you can just leave your belongings behind and walk away with the essentials.

Bad roads can take a toll on you and certainly did on me. However I am not going giving up on it yet.

The option of upgrading to a new bike or car is there. It can be both too!!

What do you think it should be?

Book Review: Footprints On The Sand Of Crime

When one talks about reading books, one always goes for known authors/writers whose books are popular. It saves one from disappointments.

Then again what happens to those budding/potential writers or someone publishing a book whose name you have never heard like ever...

The beauty of reading  from these unknown writers is that they bring fresh perspective and different ways of story telling then one has been used to.

Remember the world has a population of more than a billion and each one of us has a story to tell using our own imagination, experiences and unique way of putting it out for the readers to read.

Why choose to restrict yourself to a few when you can explore around the unknown to learn more or understand better perhaps.

I decided to take the plunge with the book Making Breakthrough Innovations Happen by Porus Munshi. It did not disappoint.

For the second book, I picked up Footprints on the sand of crime by Ramakant Kulkarni. It explores the crime scene in India from the experiences of a police officer and touched upon a few criminal cases handled by him. The book was first published in 2004 and has been in reprint.

It is so ignorant of us that while we watch so many western detective/crime tv shows/web series but we hardly know anything about the Indian crime scene unless one has started watching Crime Patrol.

The book touches upon the journey of the author from joining the police force to moving up within the ranks and his encounters with the crimes taking place. 

Be it the international criminals Walcot and Danze or arresting the serial killer Raghav Raman. 

Every case has been detailed with the trail that led them to the assailant which certainly makes an interesting read.

There are some cases which makes you wonder was killing the person worth it? Be it the case of a prostitute who was living a happy married life after leaving her past behind or the murder of a women bus passenger.

The author has outlined his progress in the police force to CID. It  certainly makes it worth reading as one gets to learn more about the working of the police force.

He has expressed his distraught over re-investigations of cases or investigating one of their own. He also informs us how getting crime solved did not led to justice unless its proven in the court which can be tedious and sometimes the accused goes scot-free.

He sheds his insights into the Raj Bhavan burglary & Indira Gandhi's assassination of which he was a part of.

The book summarizes the author's journey and the insights into the select cases. The writing is also lucid which makes it easier for the readers to comprehend.

Would recommend this book if you want to learn more about the Indian crime scene.

P.s. The author has passed away almost thirteen years back.

Book Review: Making Breakthrough Innovations Happen

Have started reading books after a very long hiatus from last year and its been a mixed bag.

I ensure that the book I pick up for reading is completed. Then again there are challenges wherein I have found difficult to finish books. I literally have and had to give up on them. It happened back to back and I wondered if I lost my touch with reading.

Thankfully, I was wrong and got back in the reading mode with "Making Breakthrough Innovations Happen" by Porus Munshi, published by Collins Business.

India is known for its "Jugaad" and this book attempts to explore few of them who were in a position to make life altering changes for the organization/people they worked with.

It takes us through these case studies or should I say orbit shifting moments as the author  Porus Munshi likes to call it.

The book covers 11 personalities from different walks of life, who despite their challenges overcomes them through their sheer innovation, persistence & perseverance.

It was Govindappa Venkataswamy stubbornness to cure needless blindness that led to the creation of Aravind Eve Hospital. Known for its high quality, high volume, low-cost service delivery model all of which was learned by observing McDonald's service efficiency. It certainly makes a fascinating read if you have not heard about it.

 The Trichy police case study showed the way wherein community policing had a larger impact on combating crime and other issues. To such an extent that the crime rates dipped to the lowest as compared to the ratio of cop to people.

Similarly there are other case studies which includes Cavinkare, ITC;s E-choupal, Bosch India, Titan Edge & Surat city transformation.

The author has kept kept them light-hearted and  easy to comprehend. He has made sure not to go into the nitty-gritty and kept it simple for readers understanding.

I liked the case studies of E-choupal, Trichy community policing, Surat city transformation, Aarvind eye hospital, Su Kam & Shanta Biotech.

They show the grit & resolve of these individuals who have risen above the challenges with their innovative ways breaking the barriers of societal thoughts. Paving the way for path breaking products, processes & ideas into use.

The book makes an interesting read if you like to read about ways the Indian jugaad works.

It's certainly worth a read.

P.S. You can buy the book at Amazon on https://amzn.to/38OQrvH

Dreams Do Come True

Sudhir was taking a piss in his toilet with the door open. When a women in her mid thirties appeared in a black sari with red border, her hair open and a red big bindi on the forehead staring at him.

He turns around and there is no one. He thinks about it being weird and all and goes back to sleep.

The next night he gets woken up in middle of his sleep, seeing the women again standing in front of him, next to him sitting on top of him. This continues for a few nights.

He gets up in the middle of the night, looks around and there is nothing. It shook him so much that he dreaded to fall asleep.

His performance at work slumped, sleeping at work, low productivity to such an extent that he was told to take a few days off to get things in order.

Sudhir being an atheist, thought maybe taking a break was not a bad idea. Lying on his bed, he wondered about the women in his dreams, Was she a figment of imagination or did she really existed? He could not recall seeing her ever. Answers eluded him.

He switched off the lights of his room, hoping to catch up on his lost sleep. Though on the back of his mind the thoughts of the women in sari wont go away.

The next day people were coming in and out of his flat, as Sudhir's body was carried out into the ambulance. Police presence was there making inquires. 

Murmurs were heard that he probably passed away in his sleep. The landlord informing the police that over five years ago a women had died in a similar manner.

A colleague overheard the conversation to whom Sudhir had confided into about seeing the women. He wondered if only Sudhir had paid attention to his dreams from coming true.

Surrender: The Conclusion

Read the first part on this link

The sound of the water droplet falling on the base of the window was making its presence felt like a echo. Girish was sitting across Prasad in his cabin, when Prasad said "Mr. Kamat, as you are aware we dug the place you mentioned, we could not find the bodies as it was decomposed. We did though found belongings which helped identify their identities and corroborated it with their family members".

"Kamat Sir, why did you do it? Why come and confess after thirty years? You are in your seventies, you could have kept this as your secret and died peacefully as a good samaritan. We did a background check of yours and everyone only has good things to say about you. Why give up on all that? Prasad asked him as he looked at him trying to unravel the puzzle.

"I needed to answer myself. I am guilty of killing three people. I am sure their families must be looking for them. I needed closure and they did too". Kamat replied.

"Why kill them? They had paid for their crimes". Prasad asked him. "Not enough. When they tried to do it again." He replied "Again?" Prasad questioned. Girish replies in affirmative.

"Can you let me know what happened?". Girish took out this spectacles and moved his right hand fingers between his eyes and pressed his nose and removed them.

"Even post completing their jail term, they never got reformed. They began haunting my family. My wife, my kids and me. I did what an ordinary citizen would do, file a complaint with the police station and they would get away. Until they got to her. I knew I had to take things in my own hands now".

"My wife was a strong women, She rebuild herself from the tatters she was left with. She had been an independent women, a loving wife and a good mother. She was back into her shell, scared wondering if it was going to happen again. They almost got hold of her the other day but got saved from getting raped."

"I killed them and life has been a bliss thereafter especially my wife who recovered and died peacefully,seeing our children grown up, well settled. We were living happily in our own world and somehow found ourselves under this situation. What was I suppose to do, sit around and wait till they harm my family? I was not going to let it happen."

"One has to take matters into their own hands when the system fails to give you justice". Girish thundered. "Mr. Kamat, I can only sympathies with what you have gone through, but taking matters in your hand is certainly I wont recommend. I know the system failed you, but  that does not happen all the time." Prasad said trying to make his point.

Girish looked at him with stern eyes and said "Do you know about the infamous Priyadarshini Mattoo Case?" Prasad nodded yes. "You also must be knowing that his death sentence was converted to life sentence. Have you wondered about the girl who lost her life at the young age of 25. Don't you think she had her own aspirations? her family dreams for her. How do you think they would respond that the killer of their daughter is still alive, got married, had a child, becomes an advocate and it took 10 years to deliver justice. Numerous written complaints filed but yet the killer got away. Had the system worked, today she would have been alive instead of getting murdered and raped gruesomely".

Prasad was left speechless. He got up from his seat, moved towards Kamat and said "Sir, I know the system failed but we need to keep trying. Not everyone is a bad apple. I will have to arrest you for the crimes you committed and would be kept in jail till the court hearing comes up and gives its verdict" he said.

"You please do your job" Girish said. Prasad called out to Gaitonde to take Girish away. 

As Mr. Kamat was taken away from his cabin, Prasad looked at him wondering if justice has been truly served given the nature of the case. He moved towards the window and opened it as it stopped raining outside.

P.S. This short story is actually inspired by an old 2001 Sri Lankan movie Aswesuma story plot. I have only read about it, not seen yet it made me think...

Finally, I have some closure.

Surrender

It was raining incessantly. The old door made its creaking noise as it was pushed. The sound of the rains hitting the ground was loud enough to be heard inside the room. It was pitch dark outside as Inspector Prasad looked outside the window taking in the smell of the first rain.

"Sir. An old man wants to meets you" constable Gaitonde said. "Kay zala" (what happened?) he asked as he put his finger into his nose and starts to wiggle it.

"Me vicharla tyla pun toh sangto ki toh tumhala fakta sangel" (I asked him but he states that he will only talk to you) Gaitonde said. "Aat pathav tyla" (send him inside) Prasad chided.

Taking small steps a frail old man walks into Prasad's cabin wearing a cream shirt and trousers. Prasad signals him to have a seat as he walks back to his seat. Once seated into his chair, he look at the old man and said "Tell me, what can I do for you?"

"My name is Girish Kamat. I don't know how to say this or how will you take it but I have come here to confess". Prasad looked at his face thinking he was probably a nut case. He stretched his hands on the table and said "Sir, please don't hesitate, you can tell me. Go ahead".

He gave Prasad a pensive look and said "I have killed three people and want to surrender". Prasad looked at him and ask "When did the killings take place?

"Thirty years back". Prasad thought he heard wrong, "Sir, did you say thirty years back?". "Yes. I did" said Girish looking at him through his glasses. For a moment there was a silence as Prasad stared at Girish for a while and asked "What made you come here and confess this now?"

"My... My... wife Sudha. She passed away two days back" is all he could mutter as his eyes filled up with tears. "Sir, control. I can understand it might be a difficult phase for you. Let me see what I can do? he said.

"Gaitonde" he yelled pressing the bell ring. "Ho Saheb' (Yes Sir) he said as he entered the cabin. "You please note down everything Mr. Kamat tells you and make a note of his address and other details". "Sir, you please go with him & share the complete details with him". "Gaitonde, ekdha tujha kaam zalyawar mela bhet" (Once you are done with your report, come & meet me.).

Post an hour, Gaitonde enters Prasad's cabin as he is going through a file. "Saheb...Toh Kamat mala veda wattoh. Toh thees varsha purvi kelela khoonachi ghatna aata sangto hain. Assa kaun veda khoonachi confess karayla yeto?" (Sir, I feel thar Kamat is mad. He is talking about murders done thirty years ago and now wants to surrender!!).

"Mala mahit hain. Tyacha charana padla vathos hain. Tu bhag tyacha bolnyat kay thath hain kaha. Nahin ter tyacha parivaara bolvayla lagel" (I know, seems like a nut case. Check if there is any credibility to what he is stating or else we will call his family) Prasad said as he moved his hands behind his head and rocked his chair.


(to be continued....)