Oh! If only I can!

Chapter 1: JLT, Wet Night, Inglourious Basterds

There's a few feet wide path that separates the Father Enright Men's Residence from the JLT - Just Like That. It refers to the lush green lawn and the area surrounding it. Its the heart of XL - the sacrosanct place that holds a special place in every XLer's heart.

JLT

Its a Wet Night tonight at JLT. It refers to an inseparable part of XL culture. We booze and dance all night long. But this wet night is different. It was preceded by a Bodhi Tree performance (JLT again!). It rocked in patches. There was the God on drums. The national anthem on electric guitars literally gave me goosebumps. But I wasn't in the mood for the most part. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't myself. I wasn't me.

I have decided to give this Wet Night a miss. A Bishu-Da egg roll, a Mongini's Keyk, a smoke and Inglourious Basterds. It was screened yesterday (JLT, again!) but I had to leave it midway. So I finish off with it today. Kilasik!!! I bow to thee, Lord Quintin Tarantinou!

Chapter 2: Crap!

I go out to brush my teeth. Its 4 am. Coming back, I realize I've been locked outside thanks to the electronic lock. The looooong quest for the Bahadur bhaiya begins. He holds the key to the sacred land of Room No. 406; and he's always at the last place you look. In this case, I walk for around a kilometre to find him a ten feet from the hostel! But the walk's a much needed one. I reflect a lot.

Chapter 3: Reflections!

Ensemble, our fest had gotten over today and the chief guest for the closing ceremony was the former billiards world champ Michael Ferreira. Speaking on the theme of "Integrity and Initiative", the instances that he narrated from his life shook me from within.

There was nothing new. Zilch. But somehow he managed to make me realize that even someone like me who prided himself for not resigning to the sorry state of affairs had actually done the same. Its too easy to scribble here on the blogosphere, condemning the modern day demons like Koda. But what have I done to deserve the right to comment under the aegis of free expression?

An MBA followed by an exhausting job. That's what my life is going to be. An "executive" - hitting the treadmill in the morning to control the blood pressure and cholesterol levels from skyrocketing; rushy breakfasts; projects after projects; brands after brands; promotions; parties; politics; sleeping pills - with a debilitated personal life. I'll swear at the bureaucracy whenever the projects hit roadblocks and then un-hopefully leverage the same to my advantage at other times.

Chapter 4: Oh! If only I can!

But I'll make a difference. At an infinitesimal, individual level. I will stay true to my core values and be the same person I am today. I wont let my morals to go rot for materialistic one-upmanship. I'll stop when the signal is red regardless of the absence of khaki. I'll refuse to bend the system by finding legal but unethical loopholes. I won't bribe - even under the direst circumstances. I will search for dustbins. I will vote.

Oh! If only I can!

Michael Ferreira says that if you can change just one person by your upright behaviour, your work is done. Fingers crossed.