Fraudulent mail. Request for 1 Lakh in the guise of friend

And so my husband received a distressed mail a fortnight ago. It was from a so called naval friend in Indore who had gone for a ship job to Russia and was now stranded there. He needed help. My husband sent a reply without delay, “Ok. How can I help you?”  Prompt came the mail, “ I need Rs. 1 Lakh urgently.”

My husband, who has always been a little cautious, chose not act immediately. And when I returned home in the evening, he related to me the entire matter over a cup of tea.

Frankly, anybody can fool me easily. But, Rs. 1 Lakh is quite a big amount and this made us both think. Our friend had long retired from the Indian Navy. And so why should he be called for repair job.

And then it struck me and I blurted, “Don’t reply. Call him up and check. It seems a fraudulent mail.” My husband also shared the same view.

The next few days were spent in locating his mobile number. And today morning, when my husband found it, he called up to confirm. And yes, we were right.  Our dear friend was truly upset over the whole matter. He had in the last few days received quite a few phone calls regarding the mail. Worst of all, one ‘very helpful soul'  promptly dispatched the amount without cross-checking.

And so since morning I am only thinking about this. We could have easily been a victim, but - 1.  The amount asked was quite large 2.  My husband felt  it important to discuss with someone.

Moral of the story: Never act on such mails without discussing the matter with family members.

Finally it is IIM over IAS for my son

And finally it is IIM, Ahmedabad for my son!

Years ago I had written a blog IAS or IIM. That was when my son was pursuing a 5 yr. law course from NLIU, Bhopal. The young blood in him was cajoling him to join the civil services and serve the nation. He was serious and we as parents were confident.

While the first attempt in 2010 was just a try, the next 2 attempts were done in all sincerity even while he worked in a PSU. And sure enough, he cleared the UPSC Mains 2012 and appeared in the interview in March 2013. We were truly disappointed when his name did not figure in the list of first 200.

That’s when he decided to sit for CAT. And Voila! In the very first attempt he qualified for IIM Ahmedabad, Shillong, Trichi & Gurgaon & also Ranchi.

And mind you good things also come in battalions! The very same week, UPSC announced the additional 2012 list, where my son’s name figured prominently.We now eagerly await the call letter- just to know the posting.

However, he is all set to join IIM, Ahmedabad. No hard feelings. Just a play of destiny, as we all put it!

His desire to serve the nation still reigns supreme. And why not! Have not Azim Premji, N.R. Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, Kumarmangalam Birla, etc. made the nation proud?

So it's okay, dear life! We have absolutely no regrets.Also, my husband and I are very proud of our son who did not let the setback affect his confidence. He took it as a challenge and proved it those who had  jeered at him.

Anyway, congrats to all who made it to civil services! And best wishes to others who are young, ambitious and endowed with high dreams.

Undoubtedly, there is enough room for everyone at the top. I suppose, we just need to be more objective and open when our dream world comes crashing down.

And I suppose, we should not give up. For we really never know what is in store for us.
So, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

It's September now. Just 3-4 days ago, my son received a notification from UPSC. His rank happens to be 1051 and has been allotted Railway Protection Force. There is also an asterix sign against his name which states that he can still improve his rank.
Fair enough, he has in all 3 chances more. Thus, my husband and I leave this now for our son to decide.
Whatever, there is a strong message that it is never the end of the world. Something always works out-   either  immediately or after a few years. Just have patience.

Ordinance. Whatever has happened is good.

http://insearch.yahoo.com
All in all, it was a good drama on a Friday evening. My otherwise reticent husband narrated to me the happenings as he drove me home through the crowded AB Road & BRT of Indore-which he religiously does these days.
And just as we reached home, he also immediately put on the TV. "Nonsense!" The TV blared.
"Look at this!" My husband said pointing to the screen. " Famous personality Abhishek Singhvi left because he had nothing to say in the discussion. What a loss of face for Congress & more so Dr. Manmohan Singh."
And so the evening passed seeing only the news channels. My husband simply refused to hand over the remote lest I changed the program.
Forcefully, it made me think of the political happenings as I cooked dinner for the night.
Soon my reasoning  got the better of me & the truth dawned that whatever the behaviour of Rahul Gandhi, the goons were not henceforth getting tickets for the elections. Hurray!
And as for PM Dr. Manmohan Singh. Well, he does need to assert himself. But it will be good, if he turns the face the other way this time.
And as regards President Mr. Pranab Mukherji, I am already his big fan!

Breaking Monotony. My Resolution this Year.

Seeing is believing! And so it  happened at the time of my daughter's wedding in June'10. We had some plants purchased and had them arranged in our balcony. They looked good and we were complimented adequately.

Many months have passed. These days we get to see yellow, pink roses as well as yellow, white jasmines in our balcony garden. Mind you, it's total bliss! So much so, that my husband and I make it a point on Sundays to sit in the balcony and have our morning tea .There is a feeling of being at peace with the world. Besides I am beginning to realize that it's a nice way to start the day this way.

I have also tried bringing some changes in my lifestyle. For example, attempting to discover the 'dress sense' that I presumed I never had. In the process, the few genuine compliments I managed to collect have boosted my morale in a big way. What if I am middle aged! Blending with the surrounding sure yields an exalted feeling.

I have grown up thinking that interior decoration is not my forte. But these days I consciously try to decorate and redecorate my home as per my fancy. It has helped me, break the monotony which in a way is filling me with a lot of energy and happiness. It is also helping me, get rid of the boredom that had slowly crept in.

In short many minor changes have been made in my daily schedule which till now only had cleaning, cooking, washing, reading, writing, buying daily need items, listening to music and watching TV as the main agenda. Agreed, the activities were a handful. But over the years they had created a monotony which in turn had brought a lot of boredom.The most surprising part is that I have been able to accommodate these changes with minor adjustments once a while. For example cutting short the dinner or keeping some not- so-urgent- work for the next day  And most of all without annoying my husband. 

There is yet something I need to do. I plan to go with  my husband for a movie, one of these weekends (when it is less cold outside). I also plan to take him out for shopping someday. Who knows, I may succeed in making him like the shops and the mad crowd. Well, who knows!

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