The Eye of The Tiger

I’m not a violent person by nature, on the contrary, I see myself as among the most jovial and fun-loving persons around. But then calmness should not be misconstrued for weakness, and if I’m deliberately provoked and rubbed the wrong way, then I’d have to admit I’m not a Gandhi follower to simply turn the other cheek, and I would ensure that the inciter would get a swift and befitting reply.
Despite being physically capable, God knows I’ve never ever been a bully or tried to misuse my strength over anybody, but at the same time I can never be a passive witness to someone else bullying anybody.
The last time I remember losing my cool was in the summer of 2003 in my college hostel. Our college was quite close to the Delhi – Ghaziabad border, and Ghaziabad is notorious for it’s high crime rate and politico – criminal nexus.
Our college also had the best of the crowd from the country, and we had very popular parties every month which inevitably invited some unwanted attention from the local miscreants as well. On the eve of one such party I was casually taking a stroll down the college canteen when a speeding car screeched to a halt barely inches away from me. I walked upto the window thinking it might be a friend while it turned out to be two drunk guys who immediately started hurling a volley of abuses down my way and threatened me saying they were the nephews of one D.P. Yadav (A politician and local mafia don). Before I could react and pull them out they sped further inside the campus.
I had never been subjected to this kind of humiliation ever before, and it was enough to send all the testosterone in my blood pumping. I quickly ran to the only gate of our campus and asked the guard to immediately lock the gate and not let anybody out until I said so. Now the car came back to the gate in a few minutes where I already stood waiting for them. They both came out and stood bang opposite me staring me straight in the eye, and I too returned the favour.( proper filmi style)
They were careful not to utter one more offensive word this time, and I was determined that if they did, I would’ve immediately started pounding their heads. A crowd of students had already started gathering, but I was surprised that not even a one of those rich spoilt brats had the balls to join me against those hooligans. Two of my junior femmes from the crowd shouted they had misbehaved with them as well, besides roughing up a lot of guys earlier.
Now I asked the guard to call up the police which turned their faces pale and they started imploring to get the gate opened. It became obvious to me now that they were bluffing (Yadav’s kins would’ve had the police in their pockets) and I asked them to apologise to me and those females or else I would hand them over to the police.
This standoff continued till almost another half hour but the bloody police never arrived ( I guess they were scared of the mafia themselves) but ultimately those goons did publicly apologise and said they would never enter our campus again, and indeed they were never seen after that.
I was reminded of this incident now since I’m facing a similar situation at work these days which sometimes boils my blood to similar levels, though now the battle has taken a corporate angle.
My current nemesis who is a senior in my team is using similar bullying tactics on me and is mainly responsible for botching up my appraisal as well as the reason why I’m having to sip filter coffee here rather than French wine at a chateau near the French Riviera.
Until now he’s been engaging me in a verbal duel through scornful emails copied to our boss as well, and now that he’s coming back I can’t wait to have a tête-à-tête with him in the meeting with our boss next week.
So he can talk The Talk (so can I and maybe a gazillion times better than him), now let me see if he can walk The Walk!

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You change your Passion for Glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It's the Eye of the Tiger, it's the cream of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the Eye of The Tiger

(I cut this portion from my pic, enlarged it and converted it to black n white....lol it's funny how ferocious it looks now though it had a smile beneath!)