Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: WAKAD - Quality of Life - A Wishlist - Six Things Wanted in Wakad Pune

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: WAKAD - Quality of Life - A Wishlist - Six Things Wanted in Wakad Pune

WAKAD - QUALITY OF LIFE - A WISHLIST

LIVING IN PUNE

SIX THINGS WANTED IN WAKAD

By

VIKRAM KARVE

At present, there is Zero Quality of Life in Wakad.

Life is difficult in Wakad as even day-to-day requirements for a decent living are not available. And just imagine, Wakad is touted as a future “destination” and it is supposed to be a posh suburb of Pune. It is only when you start living here that reality strikes you.

I live in South Wakad, towards the Mula river, definitely the better part of Wakad, where at least the ambience is good, the view from my clean well lighted airy apartment is excellent with plenty of space all around and the air is fresh and unpolluted and there is still a bit of greenery around. I like the charming rustic ambience of the clean, serene, spiritual and well laid out Wakad village and once the connecting road is ready I will be able to walk down to the highway.

I really pity those who stay in North Wakad, on the other side of the Aundh Hinjewadi Road – it is a filthy, polluted, congested concrete jungle choking with traffic and terrible infrastructure. Construction activity is on full swing, with all the noise, dirt, and grime flying around, and there is a perpetual stench due to strewn garbage and debris, stray dogs abound dangerously and hapless people working on the construction sites defecate in the open fields.

Let’s hope for the best, stop cribbing and offer some constructive suggestions to improve the quality of life in Wakad. If anyone is listening, here is a small wish list of things urgently required in Wakad in order to alleviate the difficulties of Wakadkars and raise the quality of life.

I will list just SIX THINGS, six very basic requirements of urban life, to start with:

1. FOOD

There is an urgent need of some good value-for-money restaurants, eateries and fast food joints because, today, there is nowhere you can go to eat out in Wakad. Yes, you do not even get a decent Vada Pav or Bhel or Pani Puri or Misal or Dosa or Idli or Utthapam or Chola Bhatura or Pav Bhaji or a pastry or ice cream or a quality hygienic affordable value-for-money meal in Wakad. You can't even get a decent cup of tea or coffee. If you want to have a snack, dosa, idli or an affordable meal, you have to go all the way to Aundh or to Sadanand in Baner. There are a few expensive hotels and overpriced “dhabas” on the Mumbai – Bangalore highway and on the Hinjewadi Road but what one needs are clean decent family places, like Udipi Restaurants, which are not too much of a burden on the pocket. Let’s also have some good fast food joints, an ice cream parlour, cafes and street food places (pav bhaji, Chinese etc) too. A Khau Galli (planned by PCMC near the waterfront) would be great. There are no sweet shops or halwais out here in Wakad. We require some home delivery restaurants too. Till then the only option is to order a pizza from Domino or a Burger from McDonalds.

2. BANKS and ATMs

There is just one ATM in Wakad - the solitary State Bank of India ATM in the petrol pump premises. Surprisingly there is not a single branch of any well-known bank in Wakad. I wish ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis, SBI and other big nationalised banks open Branches and ATMs soon in Wakad considering the huge customer base.

3. SHOPPING CENTRE and MALLS

Believe it or not!

There is no departmental store, electronic goods store, bookstore, shopping centre or mall in Wakad? There are hardly any shops either. Even to buy the basics you have to go all the way to Baner or Aundh or Chinchwad, which are quite far away. Just imagine the business such commercial enterprises would generate.

4. MULTIPLEX

If you want to see a movie, you go all the way to ESquare more than 12 kilometres away and on holidays, you may not get tickets. Is anyone planning a multiplex for all those entertainment hungry IT Pros living out here in Wakad? Something like ESQUARE - a decent place to spend a day and hang out.

5. LANDLINE TELEPHONES and BROADBAND

Let me tell you something you will probably not believe, incredible but true. You cannot get a BSNL Landline or Broadband in Wakad, the home to IT Professionals. Just before I relocated, I made a request via internet to BSNL for a landline and broadband connection at my new apartment in Rohan Tarang and promptly got an SMS that their staff would visit my place and give the connection immediately. I waited for a few days and when no one from BSNL turned up, I enquired with BSNL. I was shocked when BSNL informed me that it was not possible to give me landline telephone or broadband internet connection as there was no optical fibre cable in that area. Well, I don’t live in an uninhabited desolate mofussil area in the back of beyond or deep within remote uncharted forests and jungles – I live in a most modern township just a stone’s throw away from the much hyped “state-of-the-art” Infotech Park at Hinjewadi in Pune, which is being flaunted as the IT Capital of India. And, by the way, most of the persons living out here are IT Pros. That’s “Cart before Horse” infrastructure development for you!

6. MEDICAL FACILITIES

At serial six of this wishlist for Wakad, last but not the least, we need medical facilities, a hospital, clinics, doctors, dentists, even vets for pets. Right now there are NIL medical facilities in Wakad - even for the smallest of ills one has to rush to Pune City.

I hope for the best.

Maybe this wish list will be realized and the quality of life in Wakad will be elevated to a decent standard. PCMC must be collecting a huge amount of property taxes from Wakad and I am sure they will plough back some of the money into the development of Wakad and make Wakad a happening place to live in.


A large number of IT professionals employed by top-notch IT companies like Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, TCS etc located in the Rajiv Gandhi InfoTech Park in Hinjewadi live in Wakad. I trust these companies will also do their bit to improve the quality of life in Wakad as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR. This will encourage more and more IT Professionals to live in Wakad which is very near their workplaces and will reduce commuting time, save expensive fuel costs and also help in alleviating the terrible traffic chaos on the roads from Hinjewadi to Pune City. I think the IT companies must play their role in the development of Wakad as this will ultimately benefit them in the long run.

Until then, the best thing to do is to STAY INSIDE and STAY COOL and enjoy a life of solitude and contemplation! Just imagine that you are not living in Pune but in some rural setting, a back of beyond mofussil area, and plan your weekly trips to enjoy the delights of Pune City.

Dear Readers, especially fellow Wakadkars, please do comment and add on to the list…

PS:

Let me end on a positive note and tell you the best thing I like about Wakad (in addition to the excellent connectivity, which is a well-known fact).

There is a beautiful garden on the banks of Mula where I spend my evenings on the lush green lawns by the waterfront enjoying the sublime spirituality in the air.

I eagerly await the BRTS – once this comes through there will be plenty of space for pedestrians and cyclists like there is on the BRTS Satara Road where one can enjoy one’s walks unhindered. As and when the BRTS sees the light of the day, one can hope to travel in the comfortable BRTS Buses to Pune city, the traffic congestion will ease too, and driving will become pleasurable.

Let's wait and watch - maybe Wakad will become a great place to live in.

To be continued ….

VIKRAM KARVE

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. He has written a foodie book Appetite For A Stroll and a book of fiction short stories COCKTAIL being published soon and is busy writing his first novel and with his teaching and training assignments. Vikram lives in Wakad Pune with his family and pet DobermanX girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve:

http://karvediat.blogspot.com

Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Creative Writing by Vikram Karve: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com

Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

Short Stories Book: Cocktail
Cocktail - Short Stories about Relationships :
http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?pages#!/pages/Cocktail-by-Vikram-Karve-APK-Publishers/177873552253247

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY...

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY...: "Science, Technology and EngineeringBy VIKRAM KARVE If you look around you, you will find students pursuing studies for degrees in S..."

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

Science, Technology and Engineering

By

VIKRAM KARVE

If you look around you, you will find students pursuing studies for degrees in Science (B.Sc., B.S., M.Sc., M.S), degrees in Technology (B.Tech. / M.Tech.) or degrees in Engineering (B.E. / M.E.).

Tell me, do you know what is the difference between Science, Technology and Engineering…or can you tell me what is the difference between a Scientist, a Technologist and an Engineer…?

Let me try to tell you, in as simple a way as possible...

SCIENCE and the SCIENTIST

The principal goal of a Scientist is to publish a paper.

Now-a-days, the sheer manner in which so many papers are churned out it seems that many papers are seen to be written, not written to be seen.

Of course, a genuine Scientist will try and ensure that the paper must be written to be seen and not seen to be written. Science is the reasoned investigation or study of natural phenomena with the objective of discovering new principles and knowledge of natural phenomena.

TECHNOLOGY and the TECHNOLOGIST

The principal goal of a Technologist is to produce some physical change in the world.

Technology is the practical application of science.

Technology includes the skill, technique and knowledge of the manipulation of nature for human purposes, using scientific results and knowledge.

ENGINEERING and the ENGINEER

The principal goal of an Engineer is to design, create and produce new tools, machines and systems for practical human means by exploiting technology.

In order to exploit technology, the engineer applies scientific principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture, and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes and systems. Thus, Engineering is the professional art of using technology (the practical application of science) for achieving the optimum conversion of the resources of nature for the benefit of humankind.

CONCLUSION

In a nutshell, a Scientist studies nature, a Technologist manipulates nature, and an Engineer exploits technology for human purposes.

While Scientists may, at times, may conduct scientific studies for the sake of discovery, Engineers and Technologists always try to have in mind the ultimate benefit of humankind and results of their work are invariably beneficial for human purposes.

Engineering is the art of optimally using technology and is primarily concerned with how to direct to useful and economical ends the natural phenomena which scientists discover and formulate into acceptable. Engineering therefore requires the creative imagination to innovatively apply technology in order to obtain useful applications of natural phenomena. It seeks newer, cheaper, better technologies of using natural sources of energy and materials.

So it looks like the Engineer is the one who is most useful to society and humankind, isn't it?

Dear Reader, do you agree? Or do you feel that the Scientist is more important that the Engineer? Or do you think there is no difference between Science, Technology and Engineering? Please do give your views and comments.

A Gobbledygook Definition of ENGINEERING

Now I have tried to tell you in as simple a way as possible, but if you prefer Gobbledygook read on – The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development has defined Engineering as follows:

The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property.

I think I’ll end with a quote:

"A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering." - Freeman Dyson

VIKRAM KARVE

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". A collection of his short stories about relationships titled COCKTAIL is being published soon and Vikram is currently busy writing his first novel and with his teaching and training assignments. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and his muse – his pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com

Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com

Foodie Book:

Appetite for a Stroll
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://shopping.sify.com/appetiteforastroll-vikram-karve/books/9788190690096.htm

Short Stories Book: Cocktail
Cocktail - Short Stories about Relationships :
http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?pages#!/pages/Cocktail-by-Vikram-Karve-APK-Publishers/177873552253247

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

WAKAD

WAKAD

LIVING IN WAKAD

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Part 1 – Stay Inside Stay Cool

STAY INSIDE STAY COOL

Stay Inside Stay Cool. That is the best thing to do if you live in Wakad, or for that matter, if you live in anywhere in Pune.

Just stay inside your home, for if you do decide to venture out it is highly possible that you will lose your cool.

To start with there is the crazy Pune traffic, and with most of the roads dug up for the never-ending repair, the chaos is even crazier. That is why I say:

The best way to travel in Pune is to go nowhere!

As far as I am concerned, the best thing about this place is my apartment – it is a “no-neighbours” apartment.

On a lighter note, yes, there are no neighbours at present since most of the owners seem to be long-term investors waiting for appreciation of their property and have kept their flats securely locked in the hope that the value of real estate in Pune will shoot up. Then, there are a few short-term investors who have bought flats to rent them out to young IT Pros and balance their EMIs and one never knows whether they will ever stay in these lovely apartments: exemplifying the adage – Fools Build Houses and Wise Men live in them. Well, I am not a real estate investor. I have bought the house to live in it, so I seem to be one of the exceptional few who is enjoying staying in my own brand new house.

Luckily, this place is not in the middle of a concrete jungle and you do not feel boxed-in by huge buildings surrounding you like in most places in Pune, and in the proliferating townships on the other side of the road in Wakad. Here you have a much better view than your neighbour’s balcony.

There is plenty of natural light, plenty of fresh air, a breathtaking view of the Mula River and its verdant surroundings, and a “feel good” vibe, which fills me with cheer and makes me happy to stay at home. I must say that the architect who designed these apartments in Rohan Tarang has done a real good job. One gets a feeling of roominess, brightness and liveliness here as this is not one of those ubiquitous cramped matchbox design flats, proliferating all over Pune, where one feels claustrophobic and uncomfortable the moment one enters.

I like my home. First impressions are good and as far as the other aspects like quality of construction, amenities, maintenance services and promises kept are concerned, well, it is early days yet and I will tell you in times to come.

Where is Wakad?

If you drive along the road from Aundh to the Rajiv Gandhi InfoTech Park at Hinjewadi in Pune, the moment you notice a large number of hoardings advertising various apartment townships in the concrete jungle, which you can see to your right, you know you are nearing Wakad. Well I am quite fortunate since Rohan Tarang is not in this overcrowded concrete jungle but is the solitary housing complex to the left side of the Aundh-Hinjewadi Road adjoining the Wakad village on the banks of the Mula River.

One of these billboards features a sexy skimpily clad model frolicking in a cool blue swimming pool with an iced cocktail in her hand and has the catchy slogan: Stay Inside Stay Cool. (I wonder whether the gorgeous beauty is really going to spend the rest of her life staying cool sipping cocktails and having fun in the swimming pool of that luxurious township or any of the others in the vicinity most of them bearing fancy enticing names reminding one of exotic destinations). Most of the advertisements for these so-called integrated townships exhort you to stay inside and claim that with all the amenities provided inside it is best to stay inside and there is no need to go outside.

Well I am not going to spend the rest of my life inside the walls of a ghetto immersed in a swimming pool or working out in the gym or brooding inside my house – no Stay Inside Stay Cool or Stay Inside Stay Enthralled for me.

So I am going to go out, walk all over the place, drive around, explore, and tell you all about living in Wakad. By the way, I am quite fortunate that Rohan Tarang is not located inside the overcrowded concrete jungle coming up in Wakad, but is the solitary housing complex towards the southern side of the Aundh-Hinjewadi Road adjoining the serene Wakad village on the banks of the placid Mula River which affords quite a picturesque view from my balcony, especially at sunset. But then, everything has its pros and cons.

Bye for now – Stay Inside Stay Cool and don’t forget to read my ramblings on Living in Wakad right here in this blog of mine.

LIVING IN WAKAD

Part 2 - Eating Out in Wakad

Eating out in Wakad – that’s a real joke. There is nowhere to eat out in Wakad. Yes, you don’t even get a decent Vada Pav or Bhel or Pani Puri or Misal or Dosa or Idli or Utthapam or Chola Bhatura or Pav Bhaji or a pastry or ice cream or a quality hygienic affordable value-for-money meal in Wakad.

Last evening I felt hungry and a craving for a Dosa. Now there is no place you can get a Dosa or a decent affordable value for money food in Wakad. So I had to go all the way to Shivsagar in Aundh to have a dosa.

A few years ago, when I lived near Aundh, I regularly patronised Shivsagar, which used to be a reasonable eatery for vegetarian food and snacks, but sadly now, maybe owing to the monopoly situation as there is no other competition around, it is quite expensive and the quality of food and service has gone down. Maybe it is due to the proliferating IT Pros with loads of money at such a young age who don’t bother too much about the affordability or value-for-money aspects.

For a foodie like me, it’s really sad – you can’t eat out in Wakad – for eating you have to go out of Wakad.

There is my old favourite Sadanand, still going strong, down the Katraj bypass road at the corner of the diversion to Baner. And across the flyover towards Hinjewadi there are a few high falutin places which serve good but expensive food like Café MoMo at the Marriot, Mezzanine and Admiralty and on the road towards Mumbai there is Sayaji, strongly recommended by my son, which I am planning to visit soon, especially for a feast at Barbeque Nation, and I believe there is Ginger nearby too, and I have seen a few “Dhabas” and “Garden Restaurants” dotting the road, and Soul Curry quite a distance away, and the solitary Dominoes Pizza which is the only place which provides home delivery.

Here, in Wakad, there is not even a single decent clean and well-lighted place where you can sit down in comfort with your family to relish a simple snack or meal, like the ubiquitous Udipi restaurants you have all over Pune. There is no street food either, for there are no streets!

I was fortunate to have lived at the best of locations in the heart of the best of the cities – like Churchgate in Mumbai and near CP in New Delhi, which afforded an excellent quality of life, and sometimes I wish we should have chosen a smaller place in the heart of Pune. But then the main reason we came out here to Wakad is for the convenience of my darling wife who works in Hinjewadi just five minutes away. Maybe my wife knew about the food scene out here and wants me to reduce my weight so that’s why she chose Rohan Tarang in Wakad.

On a positive note, my apartment is real good – plenty of light, plenty of air, plenty of room, an excellent view, all of which generate cheerful vibes. The connectivity is good too – it takes less time to reach Navi Mumbai than to reach the other end of Pune. The air is relatively unpolluted and the place is not congested (at least the place where I stay) unlike some other concrete jungles of Pune and, of course, I would any day prefer to stay towards the Mumbai side of Pune than towards the Ahmednagar, Solapur, Saswad, Satara, Sinhagad or Nasik sides of Pune.

It is early days yet and let’s hope things start looking up. The road is being widened, the public transportation may improve, and hopefully in case BRTS comes on the main road, there may be pedestrian pavements and cycle tracks too like on Satara Road which is delight for walkers and cyclists though it narrows down the road for cars and motorcycles, and of course the convenience of travel in BRTS buses.

Here, seeing the speed at which buildings are coming up all over, it looks like they have put the cart before the horse in the expectation that as the burgeoning townships in Wakad start getting occupied and the population multiplies, demand will create supply, and hopefully various amenities will come up – Malls, Multiplexes, Banks, Shopping Centres, Bookstores, Parks and Playgrounds, Joggers Tracks, places to hang out, the various things that enhance the quality of life, and most importantly good affordable value for money restaurants and eateries to enjoy good food.

We never plan, we hope, hope for the best, and sometimes hopes come true! Let’s hope for the best, be optimistic, pray with our hearts that the quality of life will improve, and maybe Wakad may soon become the best place in Pune to live in.

Before I end, let me tell you something you probably may not believe, incredible but true. Just before I relocated, I made a request via internet to BSNL for a landline and broadband connection at my new apartment in Rohan Tarang and promptly got an SMS that their staff would visit my place and give the connection immediately. I waited for a few days and when no one from BSNL turned up, I enquired with BSNL. I was shocked when BSNL informed me that it was not possible to give me landline telephone or broadband internet connection as there was no optical fibre cable in that area. Well, I don’t live in an uninhabited desolate mofussil area in the back of beyond or deep within remote uncharted forests and jungles – I live in a most modern township just a stone’s throw away from the much hyped “state-of-the-art” Infotech Park at Hinjewadi in Pune, which is being flaunted as the IT Capital of India. And, by the way, most of the persons living out here are IT Pros. That’s “Cart before Horse” infrastructure development for you!

So I make do with my cell phone and Reliance USB Netconnect. It may surprise you but the very same BSNL did provide me with landline and broadband in the jungles of Girinagar! Yes, sometimes rural is better than urban!

That’s “Cart before Horse” infrastructure development for you. First build the houses, let the people come in to stay, and then let the the amenities and infrastructure develop in a laissez faire fashion - the result - total chaos and free for all development - There seems to be total neglect of town planning causing overpopulation, over-pollution, unmanageable traffic, collapse of amenities and infrastructure, all of which result in a very poor quality of life. I have seen this happen everywhere in the new suburbs of Pune - like Kondhwa, Baner, Aundh for example, even in the good old localities like Deccan Gymkhana, Prabhat Road, Bhandarkar Road, Koregaon Park etc are on the verge of collapse, especially the traffic chaos due to the sheer density of vehicles and commercial activities. I hope the same thing does not happen in Wakad. At least South Wakad is better off in this respect as it is away from the concrete jungle and is has the well laid out Wakad village and greenery on the banks of the Mula river nearby. So if you are planning to buy a house, at least try to get a good deal in South Wakad as the northern part across the road is already overcrowded, filthy and quite polluted due to the dust and grime and congestion and with zero quality of life.

Hey, I have digressed. We started off with “Eating Out in Wakad” and look where we have reached! Can’t help it – there is nowhere to eat out in Wakad. Like I said: You can’t eat out in Wakad – for eating, you have to go out of Wakad.

I am hungry. So off I go – where to – I will tell you tomorrow. And I’ll also tell you my long walks with my pet dog Sherry, her fun and frolic chasing the birds and the early morning creatures defecating in the fields, the friendly souls I meet every day, the pure air and beautiful view from my balcony of refreshing sunrise, breathtaking sunsets, the alluring lights at nightand much more about living in Wakad.

At present there exists Zero Quality of Life in Wakad. Ket's hope the quality of life improves and amenities come up in Wakad.

Till that happens, if you happen to live in Wakad, the best thing is to STAY INSIDE AND STAY COOL!

VIKRAM KARVE

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. He has written a foodie book Appetite For A Stroll and a book of fiction short stories which is being published soon and is busy writing his first novel and with his teaching and training assignments. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Creative Writing by Vikram Karve: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://shopping.sify.com/appetiteforastroll-vikram-karve/books/9788190690096.htm

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU: "DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU Fiction Short Story By VIKRAM KARVE From my Creative Writing Archives - One of my earliest fiction ..."

DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU

DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU
Fiction Short Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

From my Creative Writing Archives - One of my earliest fiction short stories...

Read this slowly and carefully.

Take your time.

Savour every word.

Try to enjoy reading this.

Beacause this is going to be the last thing you ever read.

Yes, you’re not going to read anything else after you finish reading this.

That is because by the time you finish reading this, I am going to finish you off.

Yes.

You read right. You read bloody right!

I am going to finish you off.

You can take my word for it.

I am going to finish you off once and for all.

Murder you in cold blood.

Till you are dead.

RIP.

Requiescat in pace.

Or is it requiescant in pace?
It doesn't matter.

It just doesn’t matter how you describe death.

But one thing is sure - you are going to rest in peace.

That’s right. You are going to Rest in Peace.

Rest in Peace ...!

RIP.

Forever.

You think this is a big joke?

It is not a joke.

Yes, my friend, this is no joke.

I’m going to terminate you.

I’ve been watching you for days.

You’re so nice and healthy.

That is why I have no compunctions, no guilt feelings, as I firmly believe that my victim ought to be in good health, since it is barbarous to kill anybody who is weak or of a sickly disposition.

After you finish reading this, just sit back and relax.

But don't turn around and look behind you.

That's right - DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU.

I know you can find excuses to hang around your house, or your office, or wherever you are reading this; but sooner or later you’re going to have to get up and go out.

That’s where I’ll be waiting for you.

Or maybe I am closer to you than that.

Maybe I am in this very room where you are sitting.

You think of death as something far away, something distant, don’t you...?

It is not...!

Death is very near, very close to you.

Maybe just behind you. Yes, death may be lurking right behind you. Right now!

Believe me.

I am dead serious.

Your death is just lurking behind your back.

Do not look behind you.

Come on, Dear Friend.

Tell me. Where are you reading this?

In your room late at night on your PC, or in your office, or on your laptop, in bed, or outdoors, or while traveling, or on a lazy afternoon...?

Or have you taken a printout and are reading this propped up on your pillow in bed late at night?

It doesn't matter.

It just doesn’t matter, because I am going to come and kill you the moment you finish reading this.

You can take my word for it.

If you are home while reading this, maybe I am in your house with you right now, maybe in this very room, stealthily creeping right behind you, waiting for you to finish the story.

Do not look behind you.

Maybe I am watching surreptitiously though your office window.

Or maybe I am standing menacingly right behind you as you sit at your work desk staring at the monitor, waiting to pierce you with the deadly needle of the venom filled hypodermic syringe the moment you finish reading this.

Just sit still and keep reading.

Do not look behind you.

Or maybe I’m sitting covertly right next to you in the Internet café where you are reading this.

Don’t look, dear friend.

Don't turn, don't look.

Please do not turn around and look.

Just keep reading.

Just focus your eyes on this page and keep on reading this.

Maybe I am waiting outside for you.

But don’t look around. Please do not turn and look around.

You will be happier if you don’t know – if you don’t see the needle coming.

So please do not look behind you.

But wherever you are reading this, rest assured that I am near you, I am very near you, very very near you, watching and waiting for you to finish reading this.

And then I will silently slither right behind you.

And from the right pocket of my trousers I’ll carefully take out the lethal syringe.

Don’t be scared.

You won’t feel a thing.

Maybe just a wee little scratch, a teeny weeny prick of a tiny microscopic needle.

And you will die instantly.

It’s much better killing this way – instantaneous, effortless, clean, clinical, painless.

I like it this way.

When I kill people this way they don’t even come to know.

Unless they turn around and look.

So don’t look behind you!

I am warning you, yes I am warning you.

Just don't turn around and look behind you.

You don’t believe in the macabre, do you?

You think my imagination is running wild and this is just my amateurish attempt at writing a short story, don’t you?

Go on, smile to yourself, thinking this is just a joke, a fib, a yarn.

But let me assure you that this is no joke.

Don’t look behind you.

Please do not look behind you.

You don't believe me?

Okay, don’t believe me – until you feel the gentle prick of the hypodermic needle penetrating deep into your spine.


DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU
Fiction Short Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2007

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". A collection of his short stories about relationships titled COCKTAIL is being published soon and Vikram is currently busy writing his first novel and with teaching and training assignments. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and his muse – his pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog : http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Email:

vikramkarve@sify.com
Foodie Book:

Appetite for a Stroll
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://shopping.sify.com/appetiteforastroll-vikram-karve/books/9788190690096.htm

Short Stories Book: Cocktail
Cocktail - Short Stories about Relationships :
http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?pages#!/pages/Cocktail-by-Vikram-Karve-APK-Publishers/177873552253247

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: SHERRY GOES TO THE BEAUTY PARLOUR

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: SHERRY GOES TO THE BEAUTY PARLOUR:

SHERRY GOES TO THE BEAUTY PARLOUR

On Sunday morning Sherry had a delighful treat. Sherry visited a "beauty parlour" for the first time. Actually Sherry is so beautiful that she doesn't need to go to a parlour, but we decided to pamper her and took Sherry for a luxurious bath and grooming at Pooja's Pet Salon on Karve Road in Pune. Since it was her first time, and parents were not allowed inside, at first Sherry was quite apprehensive but then she seemed to be enjoying the bathing and grooming and make over and came out very smelling very nice, scrubbed and moisturized, looking clean and cuddly, smiling and wagging her tail cheerfuly and looking cute and happy with a lovely ribbon tied around her neck.

Normally we bathe and groom Sherry at home and since this was her first time in a pet salon, we wanted to take pictures of Sherry having her makeover but they did not allow it, so here is a piece by Sherry herself where she tells you some of her childhood memories, she tells you about the glorious days she enjoyed full of fun and frolic - her first year in that cozy bungalow near Aundh on the dense foliage on the other side of the Mula River and then her delighful days in the verdant hills of Girinagar in her lovely house with a huge compound lots of trees with the giant Sinhagad Fort looking down as a sentinel and the soothing waters of the Khadakvasla lake below.

My Name is Sherry

Childhood Memories of a Doberman X Girl

By

Sherry Karve

Hi Dear Human Friends.
Bow Wow.
Please have a look at some of my pictures.

Posing with my Dad

Sherry Relaxing

Sherry Dancing

By the way, I am a writer too.
Here is my first piece of writing which I wrote when I was only seven months old. Now I am ... well never ask a girl's age ...

Sherry Karve Profile Picture

Do tell me if you like my story and pictures. If you do then I'll post some more about my delightful life.

All Attention

Relaxing on the lush green lawn of my bungalow

My name is Sherry. Sherry Karve. I am a naughty young girl, I’m over seven months old and I live with my family in a lovely spacious bungalow surrounded by plenty of greenery.

Baby Sherry cuddled up on her brother's lap

I wake up early in the morning, jump off my sofa, go to my father’s bed, rub my cold wet nose against his hand and give him a loving lick with my warm soft tongue.

He grunts and growls and opens his sleepy eyes, and the moment he sees me his face lights up and he lovingly caresses me and says, “Good Morning, Sherry.” The he gets up from bed and opens the main door to let me jump out into the garden. First I do my ‘little job’ at my favorite place near the mango tree. Then I generally dig with my paws in the soft morning mud and sniff around with my keen beautiful black nose to find out if there are any new morning smells, not forgetting to run and welcome the milkman the moment he comes on his cycle.

When I return I find that my father is back in his bed and my mother is up and about. She pats and cuddles me and goes about her business making tea in the kitchen while I loiter around the house.

She surreptitiously sneaks to the bedroom and slyly hands over a tidbit to my half-sleeping father under the blanket when she thinks I am not looking. I pretend not to notice, as I do not want to spoil their fun. Earlier, when I was small and impatient, I used to snuffle out the tidbit from my father’s hand, but this spoilt his fun and he became grumpy. Now that I am a mature young girl well experienced in the ways of the human world and I have realized that it is better to act dumb and let these humans think they are smarter than me. So I go outside, sit down and put on a look of anticipation towards the gate and pretend not to notice my mother hiding and peeping through the corner of the window and giggling to herself.

Hey, Look at the eerie glow in my eyes ... Scary Sherry

The moment the newspaperman comes on his cycle and shouts ‘paper’, I rush to the gate and fetch the newspaper in my mouth, gripping it just right between my teeth, and hold it up to my horizontal father, who gets up, takes the paper from me and gives me the dog-biscuit he’s been hiding in his hand, as my mother, who has rushed behind me, watches me with loving pride in her eyes.

Getting the Newspaper for my Dad

My brother and my sister, who till now were fast asleep in the other room, call out my name – “Sherry! Sherry!” – and as I dart between their beds wagging my tail, they both hug and cuddle me all over saying, “Good Morning, Sherry. Sherry is a good girl!” Everyone is cheerful and happy and my day has begun!

I love my family, even though they are humans; and I love my house, my surroundings, the place I stay, the life I live – but before I tell you all that, let me tell you where I came from.

Posing with my Dad with a bit of my camera shy Mummy in the background

My ‘birth-mother’ is a ferocious Doberman who lives in a bungalow in Kothrud in Pune and my ‘dog-father’ is unknown, though they suspect it may be the Mudhol Hound next door, yes, from the sleek way I look and my temperament it is most likely the same Mudhol Caravan Hound who lurks in the neighbourhood. For making my registration papers the vet wanted proof, so in the column against Breed he wrote ‘Doberman X’.

I was a sickly weakling, hardly a month old, the only girl, last of the litter of eleven, and the owners were wondering what to do with me. Nine of my handsome brothers had already been selected and taken away, and the owners wanted to keep the tenth, the most beautiful and healthy of them all. They had kept me all alone separated from my ferocious Doberman mother who was growling menacingly in a cage nearby. No one wanted me and I could hear people whispering how ugly and weak I was and I wondered what fate lay in store for me. It hurt to be unwanted and when I heard people talking about sending me away to a farmhouse, or ‘dispose’ me of, I felt terrified and shivered with fright as I wondered what was going to be my destiny.

One evening a few people came over and a gentle woman with kindness in her eyes looked at me, and on the spur of the moment lovingly picked me up, and the way she tenderly snuggled me I felt true love for the first time. This was my new mother. She took me securely and lovingly in her soft hands, got into a car and they all drove across Pune, past Aundh, across the river, till we reached a bungalow. The kind woman was wondering what her husband’s reaction would be. It was dark. I was scared and cuddled up snugly my mother’s arms to feel safer.

Baba singing lullaby to Baby Sherry

Suddenly I found a tough-looking bearded man staring at me. Shivering with fear I looked back at him in terror as he extended his hands towards me. But the moment he held me in his large cozy hands, caressed me lovingly, and put his finger tenderly in my mouth, I felt protected, loved, safe and secure.

This was my new father and he had already decided my name – Sherry – the same name of his earlier canine ‘daughter’. By the way ‘Sherry’ means ‘beloved’ – not the wine drink you are thinking about...!

“She was destined to come here,” my mother said.

“Yes,” my father said feeding me warm milk.

Baby Sherry

My Daddy and Mummy made a nice warm bed for me in a basket and put it below theirs. And as I drifted into sleep, they both fondled me with their hands. I felt so wonderful and happy for the first time in my life. I had found my true home and my family.

Sherry sleeping peacefully in her Den

I am feeling quite sleepy now so I’ll end here and have a nap in my den.

If you want to know more about me, my delightfully mischievous life, and the naughty things I do, please let me know and I’ll tell you all about it...!

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. He has written a foodie book Appetite For A Stroll and a book of fiction short stories COCKTAIL which is being published soon and is currently busy writing his first novel. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Creative Writing by Vikram Karve: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com

Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://shopping.sify.com/appetiteforastroll-vikram-karve/books/9788190690096.htm

Short Stories Book: Cocktail


Cocktail - Short Stories about Relationships :


http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?pages#!/pages/Cocktail-by-Vikram-Karve-APK-Publishers/177873552253247

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.