News Article: College Site Hacked?

*This is purely a work of fiction and a figment of writers imagination*

Nov 30, 2009
Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi

Shockwaves spread across the country as reports of hacking of a prestigious Delhi based management school's website started trickling in. Mr. Vivek Raveendran, who noticed a change in the website of his college in the wee hours of early morning while still chatting with 4 female batchmates in the name of group discussion, was the first to call up yeM Bee yAe Campus News correspondent Swaminathan to report this incident. Incidentally, he demanded 150 Rs. to divulge more details, citing girlfriends birthday and rising internet charges.

"I was discussing what to have for breakfast in college canteen tomorrow with my project partner Pooja, when I decided to pay my second visit to our college's website. The last time I had done so was when i was checking my admission status, and my computer had succumbed to a deadly virus attack. In a way I am grateful because that was how I got this new PC. I have been eyeing this new laptop a junior brings to college everyday and been after dad to get me the same. Dad's decision of not getting me a new one till the time my PC is up and running was causing me a lot of emotional stress. I thought that visiting my college's website again could be beneficial because being a computer engineer myself, I had full confidence in the virus. But what followed surprised me! In place of the old site, there was this swanky new site with colourful images all over. The surprise soon became shock when I saw a common link in almost 70% of the images. The face of my very good friend, Saurabh Baju. Every 2nd photo, he was there. Being a computer engineer from a reputed college, I knew in a jiffy that the site has been hacked by Saurabh Baju", Vivek said.

Mr. Saurabh Baju, 26, a second year MBA student from this Delhi based management institute managed to create a stir with harakiri on the official website of his college. What followed were frantic searches and phone calls to Saurabh by friends and professors in vain. Not-So-Jigyaasu Bharadwaj and Bash-wat Mishra were teary eyed at the sudden disappearnce of their friend and his so called resurfacing all over college website in different poses. "He was a normal boy. I always used to laugh when he used to claim that he was an engineer. I thought he couldnt uncode even a girl, and here he was claiming to be a guru of codes. I had my suspicions when he started getting his snaps clicked at different places in college, but never knew he would use them to hack the site and upload his pics there. Suddenly, he is the hero and everyone wants to know more about him. With just 4 months left in college, he has poured cold water on all my plans to impress girls with my coding skills. Everyone calls him the dark coder now. I am reduced to a nobody", said a teary eyed Not-So-Jigyasu Bharadwaj. His close friend, Bash-wat Mishra was equally surprised, "I had once caught Baju chatting under the pseudonym of Vampire_Innocent Kiss. I was sure of one thing, this guy can do anything to impress the fairer sex. But, I never knew he was this sharp". A wonder eyed, cute looking junior who had not known of Baju's existence till today morning was full of praise for him. "Oh!! He looks so cute with that silver frame and that charming smile. And he's got brains too. I loved the snap on the home page where he is in his blazer looking intently at the laptop. So intelligent he looks there.....and so cuteeeee!! Awwwww. Plus the one where he is sitting between the exchange students. He is a cutie pie. And ya ya ya...the one where he is sitting at the dhaba. Holy cow!! I think i am in love with him. Saurabh, if you are reading this....come back soon....and marry me please!!"

Saurabh Baju remains missing and no one knows his whereabouts. But everyone is full praise on the new website he has gifted to the college, peppered with his pictures. Baju has just written his name in the history books of the college. A prodigy is born.

-
yeM. yeS. Swaminathan,
yeM Bee yAe Campus News Correspondent

My Final Goodbye To You All

"You all have made my past one and a half year of my existence here the most memorable. I laughed, cried and frowned with all of you here. My home was no longer far. It was right here at my fingertips. The homesickness was gone. With all of you by my side whenever I needed a hug or a shoulder, I felt safe. I felt at peace. I have always believed that it is the waves of time and of experiences that give you a shape. That make you the person you are. You are born without a shape and as these waves hit you, it chisels your soul and leaves behind "you". Thanks for being the waves which helped me shape into a wonderful human being. Thanks for leaving behind a will to face challenges. Thanks for bearing with my tantrums. You all have been my friends and siblings and this place has been my primary abode. Thanks for making my home so beautiful to live in. Thanks for decorating it with your comments on my work.

My time has come. Time to move on. Time to leave all of you here. I have formed some forever friends here. I have tried my best to give you the best of what I had. Parting is inevitable. It's time for me to detach from you all. As I fade into memory, hope the memories i gifted always stay fresh in your mind. Hope the stories i narrated could manage to make you smile and helped you see the lighter side of things. If my philosophy has made a difference, then I feel blessed. Sorry for making you cry with all the emotional stories, but it was to make you realize that happiness and grief are two sides of the same coin.

A star has its life. It twinkles brightly, fades with time and then sizzles away. It knows its time has come. And when it does, it severes its ties and lets it go. They say if you wish something when you see a falling star, the wish would come true. That's how even in its dying moments, the star instills hope in everyone out there. And it makes its life worthwile. If I have been able to instill hope in even one of you through my works, I consider my stay worthwile. I consider my life worthwile. I consider my decision to start and shape this place the way it is today worthwile.
I will be here for you all. Like a guardian angel. Watching all of you from behind an invisible veil. Seeing you do stuff will make me proud of having shared this space with such brilliant minds. I will miss you all. With a heavy heart I bid goodbye to all.

Adios!"


Director: "Cutttttttttt!!! What a shot, Sandeep!! You got into the skin of the role of a priest embarking on his last journey to the "t"!! Good shot! Team......break for lunch!"

My Dearest

Dearest Ammu,

Today you turn 13. Welcome to the teenage years. Welcome to this new phase of your life where life becomes fun and challenging at the same time. What will unfold will be undoubtedly the best years of your life. You have been everything I ever wished for in a sister. Infact, you are the best sister ever! The last 12 years have been simply wonderful. You have been the only reason for me to look ahead for a new hope filled morning after a dull day.

You etched your image in my heart forever with that toothless smile you gave me the moment Amma kept you in my lap, the day you were born. When I close my eyes at night, it's that image which comes to my mind. I still laugh out loud when i remember the day when you as a toddler passed urine while sitting on my lap, and the school bus kept honking for me to board while Amma was busy pulling out a new pair of uniforms from the cupboard. I dont think you would recollect, but I was the one on whom you first tested the sharpness of your tiny teeth which had sprouted out of nowhere. It felt like a hundred syringes had just been inserted in my cheek. And you know how scared I am of syringes! The moment I was back from school I would head straight towards the bedroom, where Amma would be trying all the tricks in the book to get you to sleep, to catch that smile of yours on seeing me. And you would never disappoint. You were the angel sent to me by god. I relive all those moments every single day.

Everyday, I dream about you bringing the whole house down with your cries. There is not a single day which passes without your thought crossing my mind. I so wish you were around to see me join college. I so wish you were around to cheer me in all my achievements. I so wish you were around to bully me and pester me with all the requests only a sister has rights to. I so wish I could shower you with all kinds of gifts in this world. Sometimes I wish I could see how would look when you turned 13. For me, you will forever be that 1 year old cutie pie who managed to call me "Chetta" before God took you away. That word still echoes in my ears, every single day. For me you will always be the angel who still guides me from up above.

I miss you every second Ammu. Happy birthday to the best sister in this world! And yaa, I hope you like the barbie I have kept besides. I am aware that teenagers dont play with barbies, but what i KNOW is that you love dolls! :-)

Loads of love and hugs,
Acchu


*P.S: This is a work of fiction

One night stand

Amar: Last night was amazing bro!

Arvind: Wow maccha! Tell me more about it. You guys had fun, eh? Did you do it?

Amar: No, no. We just hugged and chatted all night long. But was a crazy night. She's hot man. And yaa...we kissed! And the taste still lingers

Arvind: Amazing man!! Well done brother. Step by step. Dont hurry! The mantra to success.

Amar: I think i am falling in love with her

Arvind: Don't spoil your life man! Have fun, while the sun shines bright

Amar: She's an angel brother. She is ravishing. Last night was the best night ever.

Arvind: Lucky scoundrel you are. Show me a glimpse of this ravishing beauty.

Amar: I managed to click a snap of hers, despite her reservations. Here, don't you agree she is amazing?

*After looking at the snap, takes out his cell and dials a number*

Arvind: Where the hell where you last night? Group studies?? Group studies my foot! Don't you lie to your brother, Veena!!

*Pic courtesy: psivamp (deviantart)

An Eternal Wait

A Dream....A Hope.........A Wish...

for mornings which dont carry the blood stains of previous night....

for rains which cleanse every soul it touches, taking all the hatred away. ...

for a spring where flowers dont have to think before blooming. ...

for a winter where the white snow could cover this blood stained soil....

for rivers where you could wash off your sins....

for vessels which take you to safer shores weathering rough tides, instilling hope....

for roads which lead to a destination....

for a world which wont shrink further....

for amazing yesteryears....

for the lost innocence....

for a different world....

for a world sans caste....

for a world where a thousand trillion smiles illuminate the night sky.....

......An Eternal Wait!

True Love

Ishita: Do you love me dear?

Balu: I do

Ishita: How much?

Balu: More than my life

Ishita: Promise me we will be always together. Till death do us part

Balu: Till death do us part, in every birth we take

Ishita: I know you are only mine. I won't trade you for the world!

Balu: You are the only girl I have ever known who genuinely cares for me and I appreciate it

Ishita: I really do

Balu: Whenever I see you near me, I feel so blessed

Ishita: I experience bliss

Balu: You are an angel couriered for me from above

Ishita: I have only started living after meeting you

Balu: It feels as if I know you since an eternity

Ishita: Strange. But true

Balu: Whenever I close my eyes, it's only you

Ishita: You will make me cry

Balu: I Love You

Ishita: I have always loved you. Love you too!

*Hug. Tighter hug. Tighest hug. Violins. Sparks. Breeze. Kiss*

Balu: Loving you is like losing myself

Ishita: Loving you is like finding myself

Balu: Don't you dare shed those tears! They are precious

Ishita: I know. My smile lights up your day. Tears unsettle you. I won't cry now. Ever!

Balu: You know me so well Asha

Ishita: Huh. Who is Asha?

Balu: Oops! Sorry! You also know me so well Nisha....

Ishita: Get Lost!

Balu: Don't go away! Don't! Oops...Hey...Ohh...Hello...Errr...Didn't I say "Loving you is like losing myself"....Short term memory loss is just the beginning of the whole process.....Stoppppppp...Atleast leave back my Nokia Touch 5800 we exchanged last week. Take your Nokia 1100 with you. God!! Stopppppppppp......

*Image courtesy: superstock.com*

The Rocking Concept

The agency was all set to make their presentation on a concept they had cracked for Chennai. After settling down in our seats we ordered the customary biscuits and coffee to keep the energy levels high for the discussions and brainstorming session towards the end of the presentation. A good presentation is like keeping the plate of salad before guests, it has to look good. Like eager to please hosts wherein you put in a generous word or two about the cooking abilities of your wife/mother before the final showdown just to create an impression, presentations require that added personal touch beforehand to shine in all glory when presented. But if the guest stumps you with a question like “Your wife can cook too?”, you are often left in a state where speech screeches to a sudden halt on its way up your larynx and forms lumps in your throats. Wondering how something similar can happen with presentations? That’s just what happened that day!

I was joined by my colleague and boss in the meeting room, and we were looking forward to an enthralling session. You have to, especially when Roy, the creative director with our agency had excitedly communicated across the phone that he had managed to crack a brilliant concept for Chennai. “Brilliant” often turns to “Good” when the realization dawns that the concept takes a completely different route than what was suggested, later to “Work in progress” when you convey that doing something like this would not be technically feasible, and may end up in “I thought so as well” when you point out that the ROI is taking a hit in the name of creativity and may not justify the money spent, depending on the skill of the speaker. I was hoping that it turns out to be a brilliant one given Roy’s track record and relationship with us, but nothing had prepared me for what was to follow.

“I hope you have managed to address the issues which the last concept had. If we don’t, it might end up backfiring and we will lose the opportunity bro”, I looked at Roy in anticipation

“Nothing to worry, Sandeep. I was on a holiday and had not gone through the last one shared. That’s were the problem happened”, he assured me.

“And what about the costs yaar?? If you have come with something even remotely close to the ones you shared for the last one, I may not have enough budgets to make this campaign see the light of the day. I trust you have worked out a feasible solution”, I confirmed with him. It’s a classic battle of costs v/s creativity discussion that every client and agency have each time a presentation is made. All is well till the final slide of “Project Cost” comes up and all hell breaks loose.

“Trust me on that. We know your limitations now that we have worked on the brand for almost a year now. And money is always a polite way of conveying that we don’t like the concept”, said Roy and with that we burst out laughing. I controlled myself when I noticed that my colleague had chosen not to laugh on the joke and was glancing at her watch suggesting that we start off. Roy also noticed the same, and without waiting for my nod started off.

Roy cleared his throat and said, “As you see, we have got a rocking concept for Chennai.”

“What??” blurted out my colleague, with a look of shock on her face

“I just said that this Chennai concept is rocking”, Roy reinstated. A visible hesitancy had crept into his voice now.

“What are you saying? Have you done your background research? Do you still stand by that statement of yours?” asked my colleague with a smirk on her face. “I don’t think this concept will work. Chennai people are just not into ROCK music!!” she said and looked towards me in anticipation for support.

I controlled my urge to laugh and managed to look back into her eyes and gave an approving nod.

I don’t blame the waiters at the restaurant where I went for dinner with Roy who witnessed us laughing our hearts out for thinking we were out of our minds