The Quest of the Common Man

A Hyderabad commute, some dust, and a life that somehow makes sense Every morning, I start my bike and tell myself one small lie: “Today, I’ll reach early.” Hyderabad listens… smiles… and sends traffic. There are two Hyderabads in my life. One where I work. One where I live. And every day, I travel between them like a confused hero who hasn’t decided which interval block he belongs to. My office is on the west side. That side feels like everything is in a hurry. Buildings look like they have targets. People walk like they’re already late for something important—even if it’s just coffee. Even the air there feels… busy. Laptops, badges, swipe-ins, deadlines, stand-ups, catch-ups… Life there runs on calendar invites. Sometimes, when I’m riding through that stretch, I feel like background music should start. Fast. Motivational. थोड़ा दबाव वाला. And then… I come back home. East side. Here, nobody is running. Even time feels like, “Chill ra… ekkadiki velthundi?” There’s a vegetab...

When I was a kid, I always wanted a remote control car. I still remember seeing them in toy shops or with other kids. The way they moved with the remote fascinated me. I used to stand there watching them for a long time. Like any child, I asked my parents if I could have one. But things were different for us back then. There were more important things to take care of, so the answer was always no. As time passed, I stopped asking—but that small wish stayed somewhere in my heart. Years went by. I focused on my studies, completed my education, and eventually started working. Life moved forward, and responsibilities grew. A few years later, I even bought my own car. It was a proud moment for me. But strangely, even after buying a real car, that childhood wish never completely faded. Sometimes I would talk about it with my wife and even with my parents. I used to say that one day I would just go on Amazon and finally buy that remote control car for myself. They would laugh and s...

I once came across a thought that reminded me of Karna. If you know the story of Karna, you know he spent most of his life being rejected. He was mocked for his birth, insulted for his status, and constantly told he didn’t belong among the great warriors. But despite all that, Karna never let the rejection decide who he was. And that idea stayed with me. Because when you think about it, a lot of our suffering doesn’t come from what happens to us. It comes from how deeply we allow it to sit inside our minds. Not Everything Deserves Your Energy Life throws many things at us that we simply cannot control. Other people’s opinions, their moods, unexpected problems, criticism, jealousy — these things will always exist. Trying to control them is like trying to stop a river from flowing. You can’t. What you can control is how you respond. Your thoughts, your actions, your reactions. That small circle is where your real power lies. Once you stop fighting things outside your control,...

A few years ago, during a casual conversation, my former manager who I’m still very close to shared a simple piece of advice that has stayed with me ever since. He said, “ Life is simple. Don’t over-complicate it .” At that moment, I just nodded and moved on. It sounded like a simple statement. But over time, I realized how much truth was hidden in those few words. In our daily lives, we tend to make things harder than they actually are. We overthink decisions, worry about the future, and stress about things that might never even happen. Instead of taking a step forward, we spend too much time analyzing every possible outcome. I’ve done this many times myself thinking too much about what could go wrong instead of just starting. The truth is, many problems become bigger in our minds than they are in reality. Sometimes the solution is simply to start the task, have an honest conversation, or make a small decision and move forward. The older I get, the more I understand what m...