-Still nappy bound but wanted to grow up to be a swashbuckling, eye patch wearing pirate.

-kindergarten: got his thrills from scaring girls with live tadpoles, insects, bugs. Basically anything that had 6 legs, was slimy and crawled.

- 10, deported to one of the most (best) known boarding schools in India.

-Became infamous for playing a mean game of soccer,squash,hockey... has a prized scar just below the knee to prove it. Not to forget whacking most no. of heads in after-dark pillow fights.

- 16, an ’’outstanding’’
sqaush player. Won the north zone championship (SRAI) without hiting a single shot. Incidentally became better known for beating everybody when it came to guzzling the max no. of cold drinks, which were available for free to all the participants.

- Remembers how close he felt to God when bungee jumping down a mother-of-all gorges.

- Assisted the chemistry teacher in an experiment which resulted in a loud explosion and lot of smoke. (..fortunate teacher, cuz nterest in pure sciences soon waned)

- 17, was often chided for making the young army officers (Lts. & Capt.s) in the local cantonment squash club huff -n- puff during friendlies.    

- College, ragged a fellow class mate on the first day pretending to be his senior. Also recalls fondly the constant bickering with the kranky librarian ’cuz of late- returns, fines, present generation and other such petty issues.

Finds equally hard to wipe off that smirk when thinks of all those ’philosophy- life- universe’ discourses dispensed over evening chai.

- At present, schmoozing with software techies and searching for that sweet spot where technology & business meet. Took this yoolde doodle snap on a bobbing raft - one hand on the clicker, other holding for dear life.

venue - some coastal village one & half hr hitch-hiking distance away from my digs.