IN THE LINE OF FIRE...

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do.

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use. "Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car. "You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized." "Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look.

He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass. "You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside." Vivek smiled deprecatingly.

Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply. This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came into his so far affable, persuasive tone. "Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in.Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."

He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point. "Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centres across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrency; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understandthe complexity in designing and coding such a system?"

The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design and code such things." "I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the Project Manager," "Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy now."

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had to be given a feel of the heat. "Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realisation. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth. "My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek. "I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time. "There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive." "You are a..."

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety.""But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded.""His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now, as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; a valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes. The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight. "It was nice meeting you sir."

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly as if by impulse,he stood at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the country. PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra the nation's highest military award. Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!

Winners are too busy to be sad...
too positive to be doubtful ...
too optimistic to be fearful and
too determined to be defeated ...!!!

R u BUSY?

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
>
> In his opening address he said,
>
> "We can't keep people from going to pray."
>
> "We can't keep them from reading their holy books and knowing the truth."
>
> "We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their
> GOD."
>
> "Once they gain that connection with GOD, our power over them is broken."
>
> "So let them go to their prayers; let them have their covered dish
> dinners,
> BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship
> with GOD.."
>
> "This is what I want you to do," said the devil:
>
> "Distract them from gaining hold of their GOD and maintaining that vital
> connection throughout their day!"
>
> "How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
>
> "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable
> schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
>
> "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
>
> "Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work
> 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty
> lifestyles."
>
> "Keep them from spending time with their children."
>
> "As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from
> the pressures of work!"
>
> "Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small
> voice."
>
> "Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To
> keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see
> to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical
> music
> constantly."
>
> "This will jam their minds and break that union with God."
>
> "Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
> "Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
>
> "Invade their driving moments with billboards."
>
> "Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes,
> and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products,
> services and false hopes.."
>
> "Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands
> will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become
> dissatisfied with their wives. "
>
> "Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
>
> "Give them headaches too! "
>
> "If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to
> look elsewhere."
>
> "That will fragment their families quickly!"
>
> "Give them disatractions to distract them from teaching their children the
> real meaning of life."
>
> "Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
>
> "Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
>
> "Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation.
> Send
> them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies
> instead."
>
> "Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
>
> "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and
> small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
>
> "Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek
> power
> from GOD."
>
> "Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health
> and family for the good of the cause."
>
> "It will work!"
>
> "It will work!"
>
> It was quite a plan!
>
> The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing people everywhere to
> get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
>
> Having little time for their God or their families.
>
> Having no time to tell others about the power of GOD to change lives.
>
> I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?
>
> You be the judge!!!!!
>
> Does "BUSY" mean: B -eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Minds of Girls and Boys...

When a Boy is quite ?Trillion of thoughts & worries running in his mind.

When a Boy is not Arguing ?He is think the Solution for finish the Arguing.

When a Boy looks at Girl with eyes full of questions ?He wants Promise that won't ever leave him

When a Boy answer "I am fine" after a few second ?He is making himself Fine just for you but although he is not

When a Boy Stares at you ?He is wondering, you are lying to me ??

When a Boy Melt in your Arms ?He is wishing that time will stuck here forever.

When a Boy Calls you everyday ?He is willing to talk to you.

When a Boy sms's you everyday ?He wants to make you happy at least once in a Day.

When a Boy say I LOVE YOU ?He din't describe properly but he always prove how madly he loves you.

When a Boy says that he can't live without you ?He has Dedicated his entire life to her Happiness.

When a Boy says "I miss you" ?His heart is beating more then enough because he really Misses you.



When a Girl is quiet,Millions of things are running in her mind.

When a Girl is not arguing,She is thinking deeply.

When a Girl looks at u with eyes full of questions,She is wondering how long you will be around.

When a Girl answers "i'm fine" after a few seconds,She is not at all fine.

When a Girl stares at you,She is wondering why you are lying.

When a Girl lays on your chest,she is wishing for you to be hers forever.

When a Girl calls you everyday,She is seeking for your attention.

When a Girl sms's u everyday,She wants you to reply at least once.

When a Girl says I love you,She means it.

When a Girl syas that she can't live without you,She has made up her mind that yor are her future.

When a Girl says "i miss you"No one in this world can miss you more than her......... ..