Shopper's (dont) Stop

I bought an electric iron from Shopper's Stop recently...exactly...3 months back an it malfunctioned about a month back..Since then we were always planning to take it back to the dealer from which it was bought, in this case Shopper's Stop. When i did take it, they first urged me to take it instead to a Philips repair center...the closest being i dont know an hour away. I refused to do so, instead showing them that it was clearly mentioned that in case of any fault, one can take it back to the dealer from whom it was purchased. Grudgingly they accepted, then told me that it would take time for repairs...started by quoting 2-3 days and ending up with 7-1o all the while hoping i would change my mind an take the iron someplace else. I was stood determined. Then they came up with a novel way to refuse. They told me i required the bill in addition to the warranty card, something that was nowhere mentioned. Again i pointed it out, handing them a little white lie that even while purchasing i was told that only the warranty card needed to be handled with care. They held out for some time, initially refusing to get the transaction details from their database. After having tried all their power of persusion, they grudgingly got that piece of information as well. Then in a last ditch effort, they said that there might be a charge despite it being in the warranty period. I told them to call me up before getting it repaired in case there was a charge although i did not expect a charge as it was still in the warranty period. Now i expect a call anytime, telling me that there would be a charge so that they would be relieved of this task of getting the iron repaired. Well, i have learnt one important lesson from this and would like to advise all of you reaing this piece as well...If its an electronic item you wish to buy, dont shop at the Shopper's Stop.

Begging - Hyderabad's largest employer??

Begging...This word to me used to mean that the person resorting to begging is devoid of any resource required for survival. That the basic need of food and water is not being met an hence the person is resorting to begging. I looked up the meaning in the dictionary and this is what popped up....To ask earnestly for or of....Well here in Hyderabad, begging has taken a lot different meaning. Ive lived in diverse places such as Delhi, Calcutta and now Hyderabad. Ive also been o many other places. But Hyderabad deats them all in the sheer number of individuals one encounters while on a journey. Im confronted by beggars routinely and at all times of the day, even late at night. What came to my notice was the physical condition of the beggars. While beggars in Delhi were more or less disabled, which for me is a valid reason for begging(why...well thats for some other day), here in Hyderabad, ive hardly seen a beggar who has any physical disability. No wounds, nothing. People in worse conditions are working for a living. This makes these people all the more shameless. What i have observed is that there are some beggars who are like aboriginal to a place. And over a period of time, they keep changing. I can see one face comming up to beg for money every time i visit the nearby marketplace. For about one week this face remains the same. Then, inexplicably, someone else comes in his/her place. Its like a modus-operandi wherein a system of rotation is followed i believe. What could be the causes i pondered a few days back. Unemployment cannot be it. Work oppurtunities abound if one is seriously looking. Other reasons smilarly come to nought. The only discernible reason i can think of is that bgging is a lucrative money generating employment. The truth is out there and very much in sight for anyone to see. I was hit by a piece of fact by my friend a few days back. He said there are more than 2 lakh beggars in Hyderabad with a turnover i dont remember but i remember the per head figure i calculated that day which cae to something like 2000 rupees per month per beggar. Simply mindblowing. On one of my walks i took up a little silly exercise but which revealed a truth to me about begging. I started counting the number of footsteps it would take for me to come across a beggar. From the first beggar to the next it was about 357 footsteps an from the second to the third...about 381...shocking considering i was walking on a straight road. What this means is that begging is a very well managed "job" wherein the begging territories are chalked out beforehand by the "employees". So the next time you come across one of these beggars in Hyderabad, you should realise that you have just had a tryst with what is perhaps one of the largest organised industry in the state.....

Our early morning venture at IIT-Guwahati 

Having fun by the lakeside 

Im making a face true, but absolutely not saying "No" as alleged. 

No cameras allowed inside the temple, so this was the next best option. 

Our day out at India Gate