Hindi proverb (?) meaning the morsel was in the hand, but I wasn't able to taste it. Means that the opportunity was there but one wasn't able to take advantage of it.
SO on Friday while I was trying to shrink into my little corner cubicle to avoid any work that may delay the onset of the weekend from coming to me, I heard a chatter of excited yet depressed voices. Distraught actually, I should say. I muttered under my breath - "they have to get these crisises only on Fridays, aarghh" - and sunk even lower in my seat so that only the most careful observer would be able to see the little tuft of hair that still showed up above my cubicle wall.
And the mutter did it! I was praying continuously till then for the day to go off without incident. And the moment I stopped praying to mutter a voice sailed over the hubdub, "Swapnil?!", my boss called.
Grumbling minor to high level profanities in a stage whisper I sent out a non-committal grunt, "urngh?" hoping that my obvious lack of enthusiasm would discourage him from saying anything more. But the next few words he said had me grinning from ear to ear and all the way back as well.
"Can you go to Delhi for a couple of days?"
I almost cried. Andhe ko kya chahiye? Do aankhen. (What does a blind man want? Two eyes.)With tremendous restraint I squashed the urge to start crying and hug him, "Sure. When?"
"Today,another person was supposed to go but he's not able to make it. Take a day off on Monday and stay another day home if you want."
Oh, joy and glory beyond. Where are all those atheists that keep saying God doesn't exist. Bring them here - is this not a miracle? Its the single most important proof ever of the existence of God in the history of mankind.
Joyously I agreed to go. Within a minute I was trawling over the net searching for expensive air tickets (all expenses paid, remember? Plus I'd be saving money for the company because I wouldn't stay in a hotel there. Might as well travel with all basic necessities of life. 12 channels of tv and pretty stewardesses ARE basic necessities of life, damn it! Stop sniggering.)
Ok, so this was the haath mein aaya part. Now for the muh ne lagaya part.
10 minutes later when I was still debating whether I wanted an aisle seat or a window seat, or the centre seat (the probability of atleast one pretty lady next to you is twice that of window or aisle. Of course it gets a bit cramped but then I am willing to take some pain in my hunt for a soulmate) I was told that the guy who was originally supposed to go finally was going and I would not be required to travel after all. AARRGHH.
All my glorious plans of two blissful days in Delhi, without worrying about impending credit card bills were dashed and smashed to smithereens.
"Haath ko Aaaya, Muh na Lagaya"
Wimbledon opinion:
I really wanted Federer to win but no one can survive 52 unforced errors in a high pressure game like the finals. It was Fedex's brilliant serve (25 aces as against 6 from Nadal)that helped him cling on for so long or else it would've been a rout. But I still think Federer should've won. There is this sublime grace in his game which the rather mechanical and obsessive game of Nadal cannot replicate.
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