24th Aug – 30rd Aug 2015 [Birthday week]

Sun:  Sleeping time. Akshay is busy watching Pro-Kabadi, it is in second year of its inception. After Cricket, it is turn of Kabadi to catch eye balls of Indian Public. Actors, Industrialist are all promoting and buying teams and participating in competition, Star Channel is gathering huge TRP’s by airing the matches on prime time. Few weeks event takes place leading to final match. Owners, TV Channel, players, advertisers all make big bucks in this process and get good publicity. So like lakhs of Indians, Akshay has also taken to this game. As I am getting ready to sleep as it is past 10.15 pm, Akshay shouts in his booming voice, Papa, Mussu, come soon.

As his tone is not panic filled, I think, he wants to show us some action replay scene, so I take my time. But, again his shouts piercer the peaceful home, ‘come fast’. Muskan, who has reached hall and saw TV, is now more excited than Akshay. She keeps shouting, ‘Papa, come see this.’

I reach and see on TV a crowd scene being zoomed out. ‘What is great about this crowd scene? This is what you made me run?’

Turns out the youngest Dodeja was selected in the crowd and shown on TV. LP [Kosha's husband] is involved with Star TV’s team in organizing this event. So he had invited all Shah’s and Kashyap Dodeja with family for final match. And commentator trained camera on Kabir and family, and commented on national TV, ‘See the popularity of Pro-Kabadi, two month old kid to 80 years old are in the audience!’ So, unknowingly and luck by chance, Kabir created history by making first Dodeja boy appearance on TV at such a tender age. Non of male members have ever appeared on TV. Whereas Pinky and Vibha had participated in some TV game show, many years back. Kashyap's name was flashed way back on TV as sub-editor.

Wed: I set my feet in Mumbai after many months. We seven were on Office – Training – Social – Personal visit. This was Dad type trip. Xylo was fully occupied with three staff members and four family members, Dad would never allow us to take Car to Pune without minimum of four members, dickey filled with Books – Paper – Press material. And keeping the old ways in mind, we had brief ‘Nasta’ halts at Duta Wada while going and at Kamat’s while returning.

After dropping staff for training at Sanapada, we reached CB office for marathon four meetings. Meeting were good and we made some commitments. What will be net result? Only time will tell. This can turn into a major game changer.

Guarav Raheja  yesterday was blessed with baby girl. And as we were just few buildings away, Muskan insisted on flying visit. I said no way, we will get very late. She finally promised, ‘I will push you all out in five minutes.’ With this assurance, we made a visit to hospital. Meena’s MIL was happy to see us all, asked for Mummy [she is her first cousin] and she forced me take Mithai packet. Just few hours back, Muskan had wished for Elco Market Pani Puri and I for Tharu’s ‘Singar ji Mithai’ and here my wish was being full filled.

At hospital entrance we met Mona – Gulu – Amar and Sharda. Said hi and bye, and rushed out to Xylo.

Visit to Santacruze – Sindhu wadi – Matunga were cancelled, as it was 6 in evening and we were already running late by one hour, we reached home by 11.30 after simple but tasty dinner at Kamat, with ‘Batata Wada’ included.

Sat: And in total contrast to our Wednesday Mumbai trip, was Akshay's Mumbai trip on Sat. 

Akshay – Muskan – Mummy left for Mumbai round trip for Rakhi at 9.0 am, whereas Lali – Manju – Sharat left for one day over night trip to Mumbai at 6.30 am. One more example of high handedness of Mumbai traffic is like this. Akshay returned at 2.0 am on Sunday. That is 17 hours trip. And in this 17 hour trip, he spent 1 hour with his sisters in Bandra, 1 hour Muskan spent time with her brother and family in Mira Road, and 1 hour they spent in Santacruze with Mummy’s brothers. Rest of the time was in Xylo, pushing car from 1^st to 2^nd gear in Mumbai traffic.

Thankfully, there was no land slide, so expressway was open. 
by P G Dodeja

6th Jan 2014 – 12th Jan 2014 [Birth and Birthday]

9 Jan : Muskan updated her status by becoming ‘Buaa’. She was very excited and had gone to Mumbai to be with her family. Kajal was in Delhi, and her doctor has planned delivery on 9^th morning by operation. And a baby boy, looking like his grandmother was born.  The similarity is very much striking and accurate. 

 Nandini while accepting congratulations said, ‘Uncle tell Muskan to make me massi.’  I told her, 'Mere Dil Ki baat, Cheen Lee.' 

 So this is my way of telling her to make Nandini  ‘massi’. And ofcource lots of other people will also change status. Most of us will move to next generation.

10 Jan : Dhwani wanted to Cut her Birthday cake exactly at her birth time. i.e. 8.30 pm.  Whereas Bindiya is very punctual and follows a very accurate time line, Dhwani on other hand is exactly opposite her. She does not have time measuring knack. Her two minutes can be 30 minutes and 60 minutes can be 5 minutes.  Everyone knows this. So it was 8.30 and I was relaxed, watching TV along with Bindiya. Not expecting Dhwani and party to reach home in time. Suddenly bell rang, all kids of the family entered and table was set on war footing. And believe me, Dhwani cut the cake at 8.36 pm! An achievement in itself.

The cake was a present from Kashyap & Muskan. They had baked this unique cake made up of exotic product range like some very special cheese, strawberry paste and fresh strawberry, some imported diet biscuits, few other ingredients which I cannot pronounce. All sourced from Dhorabjis. The whole birthday celebration was done in very fast forward manner, so much so that we do not have a picture of cake also! It got finished within 5 minutes. This is Fast & Furious generation, so be it. I agree we enjoy food, but to me also this is the limit!

Dhwani again also celebrated her birthday at office. The staff of Cutit decorated cabin with ribbons and brought a nice creamy cake for her to cut. So the second cake was cut at cutit studio. Lali wants to start this celebration system for all staff members of Noble Printer! But I find it childish.

11 Jan: Kashyap & Dhwani left for Nashik. Dhwani’s ‘Phuiaya’ had some urgent work in Devlali. They returned home at 3 0”clock in morning. And Akshay also returned home at 2.30 am. Today's generation's sense of timing is very much improper. Maybe the internal clock setting is changing in all human being. For centuries, human being timing was set by rising & setting sun. Now that for last 100 years due to electricity the need for Sun is not so strong, this timing is changing.

Here is very interesting episode of Akshay. Around 2.3 pm, I received a call from Akshay, all excited. ‘Papa, arrange for 250 Voyager 11 Silver color bag. Inquiry is very strong, get in touch with Robert, who is out of reach, as he is attending annual meeting.’ Just after few minutes, Amol called with same request. Now Voyager's sell in year itself is much less than 250 pieces in all sizes and colors. So this was worth pursuing, and no one for a minute though about genuineness of inquiry.

The story behind this inquiry is unique. Ali is a distributor in Hyderabad. Last night he was feeling bored, so at 11.0 he started for Solapur in his car. He picked one distributor from there and reached Pune in early morning. He called all AT dealers with whom he had enjoyed Andaman Trip, and generated the 250 quantity inquiry of Voyager! He played this prank with all and by evening all dealers, Akshay included meet him. They all realized the truth of this inquiry and laughed. They then planned ‘Sinhgad’ trip.  But by 7 O’clock in evening Sinhgad gets closed, so they have to return back. They all went all the way to Lonavala to eat dinner at Tony Da Dhaba! This guy Ali, returned back to Hyderabad after 40 hours roaming around! What people do for boredom solution.

 

by P G Dodeja