Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Jaipur as seen from my lenses....

I got a chance to visit Jaipur earlier this month to attend Prarthna’s wedding. It was a short trip of just 3 days. Rajasthan is one place I have been really enthusiastic about visiting for a long time and somehow the plan has never materialized.

A few clicks
Jaipur is all about color and that is very prominent in all that you find there. You will notice a vibrancy in everything be it clothes, accessories, décor, furnishings, buildings and even food for that matter.




Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Men will be Men

After another good dinner – thanks to my cook who does an excellent job – I had just settled with “The Inheritance of Loss”. Aman was sitting next to me browsing through the latest edition of Outlook Business.
Suddenly I noticed him ogling at something in the magazine and then I heard a “wow” followed by “what a beauty” and then some more awestruck expressions.
Now this made my imagination run wild. Was he staring at Shakira or was that Angelina Jolie?? Or was it Beyonce or maybe our desi Bipasha???
I called out to him but he completely ignored. Huh that was it. How could he admire other women right under my nose??? I did a full summersault and grabbed the magazine to check out the object of his imagination and guess what I saw there – “a Black BMW”

I did manage to make a complete fool of myself. Aman will be bursting with laughter each time he remembers this. Never mind. And did I say that it’s a happy and relived me..

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Monday, November 26, 2007

The Golden Temple - Harmandir Sahib



Something about this place absolutely mesmerizes me. There is a calmness that overwhelms me each time I go there.
I am only comfortably religious and have been lucky to visit some of the other awe-inspiring temples in the country but the kind of effect this place has on me is spellbinding.

We visited Darbar Sahib on our annual Diwali trips to Kapurthala and came back a little more peaceful. Hoping to do it each year.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Horror called Hutch

I have a Hutch corporate connection which I have been using for past 9 months now.

Trouble was initiated when I started getting all kinds of unsolicited calls from Hutch for either caller tunes or ring tones or special offers or some other kind of promotion that I am least interested in.
Strangely the call would always come from a 10 digit number which I would pick assuming it was from an acquaintance and immediately I would hear an automated voice urging me to buy something or the other.
A minimum of 3 calls a day on good days. And if you disconnect they’ll call again and again. Talk about relentless customer reach. Add to this a million SMSs and a billion screen flashes.

Finally when I had had enough of it I called the Hutch Customer Care number. After holding for 16 minutes the call got disconnected without me getting a chance to speak to a human voice. I did try again and finally after getting disconnected a couple of times and having held the phone for some 20-25 minutes I did get a live person to listen to my woes.

After the usual “thanks for your patience” and “we understand” the customer care lady informed me that it will take a minimum of 45 days for my number to get listed as a “do not call”. Unbelievable but true and she said there wasn’t another option.
Fine, another 45 days. This was on 1st of September.
The calls continued at an even faster rate. It appeared to me that they were planning to bombard me with as many calls before delisting my number.
And these continued even after 45 days of waiting.
Finally I called them again on Nov 1st when I was traveling and my phone was on roaming only to be told that since I was in a different circle they couldn’t help me.

When I returned to Bangalore I called them again on 13th November and this time the customer care guy told me that it will take another 21 days. After explaining him the torture I was going through he said he would get back to me in an hours time.

Not to anyone’s surprise I didn’t hear from them. I called back again last Saturday (17th November) and the customer care lady told me that she will ensure that these calls will stop in 24 hours.
Obviously that didn’t happen. I called again today to be told it will take another 45 days.
Clearly HUTCH doesn’t understand my woes and I have taken it up on myself to fight them out. I have given myself 7 days to get rid of this menace.

Any ideas to help me in my battle??
Updated on 25th November – couple of updates. Did call them again on Friday. And spoke to yet another irritating hardly educated customer service executive. The same blah blah and a little more. Convinced her that my problem was almost suicidal and finally got a call back from her manager N. Another round of explanations and some education on how important a customer is and how fatal an upset customer can get, N promised to resolve this in 2 working days.
I will give her another chance.

And did I mention that I was woken up today morning with a call asking me to make “Om Jai Jagdish Hare” my ring tone!!!!!

Updated on 5th Dec – I was traveling and that’s why couldn’t update this earlier but the good news is that I am over the nuisance of these unwanted calls. Haven’t received any for the past week. The customer care manager N called me and apologized again.
Looks like my trouble with Hutch is getting over. Finally!!!!!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Go Goa - 1

A write up on my Goa trip doesn’t seem to be happening so let me just paste a picture here that will summarize the entire experience....




Monday, October 22, 2007

Grasshopper, Bangalore - What a dinner that was!!



There are these special occasions which you truly want to make unforgettable. I wanted to do something very special for Aman and after much deliberations and considerations it was Grasshopper where I decided to treat him on his birthday. The idea was to bring in his birthday a la mode!!!

Grasshopper is a Chic European fine dinning restaurant cuddled in a farmhouse. It is at a comfortable distance off city limits. They do not entertain walk in guests. Entry is strictly by reservations at least a day prior where the owner promptly asks you for preferences of vegetarian, non-vegetarian meal and type of meat.
Nestled in a quaint farmhouse, there is calmness about the place that is almost opaque.
We reached the place a few minutes past 8 all set for a leisurely and a relaxed dinner. The entrance itself is quite placid, a graveled path lined with rows of trees with minimal lightning.

We choose the table right in the center of the lawn and well ours was the only table there with 3 candles and a vase full of sunflowers. Moon was playing hide n seek and the Bangalore weather was at its best. Couldn’t have asked for a better evening!!!


Now for the food it is a 7 course affair and they don’t have a menu to choose from, the servings are all predefined based on the preferences. This saves one the trouble of choice and brings in the element of surprise. Our culinary journey started with freshly baked home made breads served with vinegar oil and olive oil which was promptly followed by slices of Zucchini and Spinach in a dressing of Olive oil. A few minutes after we were done with that we were served with a preparation of beetroot with blue cheese and almonds.
This was then unhurriedly followed by prawns cooked with sesame seeds and flavored with ginger.
After we had relished the prawns, we were served with leafy salad made out of cherry tomatoes, raspberry, pears, plums, walnuts and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. The freshness of the fruits combined with the crunchy walnuts was a very interesting combination.
This was promptly followed by Salmon Fish cooked in orange juice and garnished with a slice of orange. It was amazingly tender and the flavor of orange was very prominent. This was one combination I was having for the first time in my life and I can’t wait to have it again.
After fish it was stir fried chicken with loads of herbs and a splash of garlic and olives both back and green. The chicken was perfectly cooked, again with a very little oil.
Desserts were an exotic mix of almond fig and honey ice cream, a lemon cheese cake, lemon grass ice cream and chocolate truffle served with fresh strawberries and kiwi.
One thing that you ought to taste is their Ginger Vodka with a hint of mint in it.
Yes we did eat all of that and finished it with a cup of English coffee and a walk around the farmhouse.

And finally it was time for the cute little chocolate cake. What an amazing start it had been to Aman’s birthday.

Priced at Rs 1200 per person excluding drinks it is a little steep but is surely a value for the experience. This place is a must for all those who love playing with cuisines and flavors. The ingredients, the smack, the aroma and the texture were each clearly distinct. But yes save it for those special moments. Lunch is an equally good idea to enjoy to greens. I have my distinguished favorite and I am not sure if I owe it to the company or the occasion or the food or the place and frankly I don’t care either.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Unanswered questions ....

It’s a busy day at work and I absolutely have no time to write but after hearing this particular comment from a colleague I just had to vent it out. So I’ll keep this short and sour.

So India did manage to pull out a victory in a complete dilly dally match, thanks to the grit of Zaheer, the resistance of Murli Karthik and the persistence shown by Robin. Yes it was a team play and INDIA won. This morning as soon as I entered office, this colleague of mine happily exclaimed “finally a Tamil Nadu guy is getting recognition”.

I was shocked. Why do states, regions, religion always always do find their way in all our small and big achievements???
Why can’t we take victory as a nation?? Why is it always bifurcated by some superficial factors that have now become so deep-rooted?? How does it matter if the bowler how devastated the Oz line up belongs to XYZ state??? Why can’t we rejoice the nation we are all a part of??
Lots more questions and blurred answers.. Maybe I am over reacting but that’s because I am seriously bothered....

Monday, October 15, 2007

60 and Counting

60 years of –
Broken promises
Lost trust
Things gone haywire
Wrong priorities
Shattered hopes

Yes all that has happened. We have enough and more people talking about what could have been done. Enough individuals lambasting what all didn’t happen. They say 60 years is a long time. Yes it is.

So I dedicate this series to the other side. Moving forward I’ll bring out those aspects and happenings that bring a smile to my face. India is not amiss. There is a lot going in our favor. 60 years have not been wasted.

Watch this space for more!!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Procrastination is good...

I have been contemplating sorting our letters, documents, bills and notes for quite some time. Out of sheer laziness both Aman and I have been putting this activity off for another day for indecent amount of time now. Old credit card bills, phone bills, shopping receipt, warranty documents, insurance papers, bank statements, wedding invites, tickets, electricity bills, you name it and it was there.
Finally, it was last weekend that after much motivation from my mom and some coaxing from Aman did I finally plunge into that darkness of trying to figure out what I should keep and what should have long adorned the rubbish bin.

And then while rummaging through that mountain of half useful and half worthless stuff, I stumble upon an envelope. It was addressed to Aman and was no doubt my handwriting. The flicker of a sweet memory took the better off me and knowing what I was about to do would halt my task eternally I nevertheless went ahead and opened it.

Oh wow, was my first reaction. This was the letter I had written to Aman on completing a year of “being in love”. Well, calling it a letter wouldn’t do justice to it. It was a memoir, almost 30 pages of it, our journey through the most eventful year of our lives.

Clutching the pages I rushed to show it to Aman and he too abandoned the India Australia ODI and sat with me to read it. Oh what a pleasure it was, going through those pages. We were transformed back to those wonderful days. Page by page we read through it, the smile on our faces widening. It was like traveling back in time, reliving those moments again.

We had almost forgotten about this piece of writing and I guess that was why reading it gave us so much joy. Elated at the discovery, I rearranged the pages and tucked it safely back in the envelope, and this time I kept it in my cupboard, neatly where I keep all my old photographs and letters.

By then I realized it was almost lunch time and the aroma from the kitchen took the better off me. I abandoned the task for another day.

There was a smile on my face through the day and Aman too was beamish. Our day had been made.

This is when we have been married for only a year and half. Imagine the magic this letter will create when we read it, holding hands after 25 years????

Friday, October 5, 2007

Yes, You Have A Say

What do you think about the little Prince being in the Ditch or about the Indian team winning the T20 or about the Indian team loosing the ODI or about Taj being one among the 7 wonders and about this and that?

Finally the democratic India is truly democratic (sigh sigh). You have the power of the SMS!!!! Phone uthao and SMS karo. Be it choosing your Indian Idol or the Voice Of India or the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Champ or the favorite Jodi or the Celebes in Jhalak Dikhla Ja!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes how can I forget the very important opinion of the viewers that can now change the twists and turns in Ekta Kapoor’s soaps???? Should Parvati take revenge, should Tulsi forgive (my my).

And then yes our very own radio jockeys. SMS if stuck in a jam, or if your job sucks or if you missed the breakfast. Worse still, caught Vasanthi (ignorance??? Well she was rated the best RJ in apni country) asking people to SMS if they had missed their bath (eergh!!!!)

And the party is where the News Channels are.
Will the government fall?
Should Aish marry Abhishek?
Is Kareena seeing Saif?
Should Ambani do this?
Will the sensex cross the mark? This list is non ending.

Huh. Now what do I say... It happens only in India.

Oh and can I see the Airtels and the Vodafones running to the bank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let the democracy prevail... amen....

Monday, September 24, 2007

Oh no not again - The Indian Idol 3 Fiasco!!!


How can Prashant win???
No ways is he better than Amit Paul. Whatever happened to that “may the best man win” spirit?? Amit Paul was a magician with his voice. His soulful numbers and that ever innocent style of singing was such a pleasant refresher.
Prashant on the other hand is a very mediocre singer with nothing outstanding in either his voice quality or his style.

Yet again the public has voted to choose a wrong guy. He is in no way capable of shouldering the responsibility. What ever happened to the last Indian Idol (see I don’t even remember the name)?

When will these polarized voting patterns give way to a more nationalistic approach? This is a clear example of how a fraternity took on itself to ensure that one amongst them reach this position.

I could sense the clear despair among the judges too when the results were announced. None had expected Prashant to win the final and become the third Indian Idol.

I guess we will have to live with this kind of erratic results till better judgment prevails.

Whatever said and done, Amit Paul is and will be my Indian Idol. He has in him to become a great singer and I am sure the who’s who of music industry would have already noticed that.

As for Prashant, I have nothing against him. He looks like a nice guy to me and is a perfect example of a rags to riches story, yet another guy to make the “Indian middle class” proud. But as it is rightly said that with power comes great responsibility. And that’s where I have my doubts!!!!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Its about what you want in life!!

The recent decision of Rahul Dravid to step down as the captain on the Indian Cricket Team has made me go into a speculation mode.

My first reaction as many others was that of shock. Why would he do that all of a sudden? Especially after winning the test series in England. The job of an Indian Cricket Captain is no doubt one of the most high profile jobs in India. A position that oozes power and awe. I thought he was being coward. Shying away for no reason what so ever.

But a more relaxed thinking, after the initial rushed up feelings had died down, made me see the larger picture. What this guy has done is no doubt a brave act. It’s creditable of him to have given up a role of leadership for the betterment of team India.
Heard him recently say with a smile “I take great joy in doing whatever I do well,” and apparently captaincy wasn’t giving him that joy. And we can’t blame him for feeling this way. He has been through rigmarole in the past 2 years. This isn’t the rosiest of jobs after all. He has been blamed for wrong decisions. The system is not free of corruption and he has taken the brunt for that too. And somehow I also get the feeling that the team doesn’t trust and respect him. The job of a captain has been very thankless for him this far.

He has been a great player and few will debate that. I wish with this tiara of thorns now off his head we’ll once more be able to see his finesse in action on those green lawns.

Rahul has decided to be the solider in the winning army rather than be the king of a loosing Army. It’s a far thinking and a gallant one too.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Connect

Some relations need constant attention to be nurtured. They need time, effort and mind share. And the moment you hesitate they loose out on sheen.
And then there are some bonds which never die. How much you ignore them. They are deep enough to last forever.

I have suffered from the “out of sight out of mind” syndrome for quite sometime and have lost quite a few good friends because of that.

So it wouldn’t be an understatement when I say that I was shocked when I received a phone call from my cousin Prarthna last year after a gap of a decade. Yes a decade of absolutely no conversation, no meetings, no letters, no mails, just nothing.
We had spent quite a few memorable vacations together when we were just kids and during our early teen years. Then both of us got busy with life, a greeting card in the first year and then even that stopped.
Prarthna had gone to the effort to take my cell number from her mum who had asked my dad for the same. I don’t know what made her do that all of a sudden, but what ever it was god bless her for making that call. I guess the motivation being the fact that I got married a few months back and she wanted to congratulate me.

I still remember how I had shrieked when she said her name. We spoke like we had met yesterday. Those 10 years seem to just melt away. We spoke for a long time and hung up only when my cell phone started complaining, obviously with the promise of being in touch.

And yes this time we have kept our promise. We spoke again and then again. It’s been over a year since that last call and both of us are grateful.

We are exactly the same age (a month here and there), our natures are alike, we get happy and sad at similar stuff and both of us have the same values. And to add to that sameness, her fiancé is so much like Aman from what I have heard.
We connect so well, it’s more than how I connect with my best friends these days.
And the best part is we don’t compete with each other. She is happy for my achievement and I am happy for hers.
This package deal of a sister cum a friend is working like a magic.
I will keep my fingers crossed for an everlasting connect....

Donuts...uummm...yuummmm

I have been trying so hard not to think about it. But those yummy Chocolate Donuts have now found their way into my subconscious with even appearing in my Dreams.
It all started that eventful evening when Aman and I decided to sit over a cup of coffee at Café Coffee Day to pass some time in order to beat that traffic before hitting out for dinner.
And since I was a little hungry I ordered a Chocolate Donut to go with my cappuccino and as they say rest is history.
Ever since then I have been having a Chocolate Donut each day, thanks to the Café Coffee Day outlet in my office.

Its not that I haven’t tried to resist, I have, and have been partially successful too. I say partially coz I have only been able to hold that temptation till maybe late noon or say early evening. But sooner or latter the craving exceeds the confines that I can control and I resign to fate and relish that Donut.
Those soft, creamy, Chocolate Donuts are the most sinful creation of mankind. And the feeling I get with each bite is nothing less than heavenly.

I am thoroughly enjoying this new found addiction and I will not give into the sanity of health freak.
So till this craving lasts... bring them on!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Pizza Woes

I had been watching those Pizza Hut World Food Fest ads on TV for quite some time and was waiting with all my heart to get there and sink my teeth into those yummy, cheesy, delicious pizza’s as soon as it was launched. They had raised my expectations so high that the first opportunity I got, I coaxed Aman to the nearest Pizza Hut outlet. And that chance came only this weekend. Those ads had my appetite go out of the roof. Let me confess something here – I am a great lover of Pizza. Yeah, I know I am not suppose to divulge such gory details aloud but that’s the truth. And here they were offering Mexican, Lebanese, Chinese and French over and above the regular American and Italian.

So there I was, all hungry ready to devour.
I browsed the menu and the creepy feeling of disillusionment started to set in. They only had 1, I repeat 1, pizza each in the Mexican, Lebanese and Chinese non vegetarian category. French was not even there!!!!!! This couldn’t be true. Aman sat there giving me an “I told you so” look. This couldn’t be the World Food Fest. I kept reading the menu for quite sometime hoping a new page would pop up giving me some more options. As expected nothing like that happened. We finally ordered a pan pizza of each variety of the only 3 that they had to offer. And yeah it wasn’t mind blowing at all. Alas, being heart broken would be an understatement.

Well this is not the first time I have been lured by commercials only to be disappointed by the end product. Now that’s the power of marketing and right messaging. But don’t these guys realize the cost involved?
In my stint with ICICI selling general insurance, I kept repeating to my team never to wrong sell. There is nothing more alarming than an irate customer. And sooner these marketers realize this healthier it will be.
As for me, Pizza Hut will have to do something really special to win me back. Till then its Dominos Pizza all the way...

Monday, August 27, 2007

Go Goa

GOA here we come!!!!!

The countdown begins - 5 days.....

Watch this space for more.......

Friday, August 24, 2007

Magic called LOVE!!!

It was yet another tiring day at work. Had been slogging since 8 in the morning. Had a horrible ache in my left arm and this pain more than making me uncomfortable was also giving me jitters. The dreaded RSI (repetitive strain injury)!!!!! I had recently seen a colleague of mine being off work for almost 15 days because of that. And I in no way could afford this.
Well popped a few pain killers and forgot about it.

Finally left office at around 9 only to be welcomed by the most horrid traffic jam on the doomed Hosur Road. The traffic was stagnant. And my bus was moving like an inch in an hour (ok that’s an exaggeration but this will help you understand my state). I was almost ready to collapse on the nearest surface which deserved me. Hungry, irritated, tired, over worked and in pain. Now that’s a life I never thought I would have when I was doing that MBA.

Well this post is not a crib session. What I wanted to write about was quite something else. Yes, so it was 10:30 and I was almost nearing home and it was raining like the clouds would never get a chance again. Aman usually picks me up from the bus stop even though it’s just a 5 minutes walk to home but he doesn’t want his wifey dear to walk (and neither does the wife ;) ). So there he was to take me home.

The moment I saw him, with that smile on his face and that warmth in his eyes I was a different person. There goes my anger, my stress and the fact that I was so tired. Now this is what I call love and I am blessed to have Aman. That serene tranquility that overwhelms me every time I meet him is the reason I can sustain my work. This is the magic of love. And that’s my elixir to life.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Alice in the wonderland


One thing that Neha, my little sister, absolutely loves doing is to SLEEP. She can do that anytime of the day. And strangely things like noise, light and people don’t matter to her at all. You can see the pleasure on her face when she is in that deep slumber. I use to hate waking her up as she was sweetest that way. Serene and calm, her joy was almost opaque for us to feel it.
Now this little kid (well not that little anyways) decided to do an MBA and choose for herself a college that has classes 7 days a week and 365 days a year, a minimum of 10 hours a day and that’s when the days are good.
Ironies of life, but that’s how it is.

So now this Alice had no option but to wake up and get going with the real world. Her dreamy ways have given way to a focused approach. And she is fighting like a true soldier to make things rock.

Want to wish her the very best in this new interesting and highly strenuous phase of life.

You will surely come out as a Champion baby...

Monday, August 13, 2007

When Aman was unwell...



I have never understood how my mamma managed all that she did. Even now when I am miles away from her she always knows if I am upset or troubled or unwell. And I keep thinking that she is a super human and that I can never be like her when my time comes.

But I was amazed at myself. A few weeks back Aman went down with high fever and body ache. It was the dreaded viral attack. Aman who is incapable of sitting at one place for more than 5 minutes was confided to his bed for almost 5 days. It was the first time since our marriage that Aman was this sick. And how much it pained me to see this naughtiest soul in this state. It was the first time I felt motherly. And I kept thinking I am incapable of feelings like my mom. Suddenly all that mom use to do and say became crystal clear. I understood where she got her energy from and how she managed all.
Aman was like a little baby doing everything that you can expect from an unwell kid. Not eating, not sleeping, not taking rest, not being warm and I like his mom coaxed him into everything that should have been done. This was yet another time a realized how much I loved him and how I just couldn’t handle his sickness.
This was the first time I felt like his mom and also the first time I realized how it would feel to really be a mother.

My Friend.....

My Friend.....

Tall and lanky, intelligent and dusky this girl had the ability to make you real uncomfortable just by her gaze. A rebel and a fighter. She was bound to be successful in her career. It was her personal life I had my doubts about.
Whirlwind romances had been a part of her existence from the moment she was capable. Never flushed by the end of any of them.
And then one day she fell in love. I know for sure she tried stopping herself. She hated being slave to any such emotion. But she had already treaded a bit too far into this relationship. And then they decided to get married only to face much surprised opposition at home. Fought and fought she did because she was so use to fighting for everything she wanted. God had some different plans for this troubled child of his. Seeing that nothing was working any more, she like a wounded soul decided to end her life. She took that big step.

She is alive. Yeah she was saved only to be on life support for more than 3 months. She doesn’t remember what she did or why she did.

I hated her so much when they told me. I still hate her for what she did. That energetic vibrant friend of mine is replaced by this lost girl who can’t even remember what she had for lunch.

And they guy in question – chickened out like it was always expected of him. He is now married and enjoying his new life. As for my friend, god’s troubled child, she has become someone with no aim no desire.

Is there anything to get that rebel back who did everything that our so called moral books defy? I do not know. Hoping some day I’ll delete this post from my blog and that will only happen when my friend will be able to understand what I have written.

Friday, May 4, 2007

I write.. 1




There was a time
In my life,
When mystification engulfed
And despair overcame,
Didn’t know what to do
Didn’t know what was right
To follow the heart
Or go with the sight
They said it was “proven
Tried and tested
Be sane and stick
To something done time and again”

The little voice inside me
Timid and scared
Weeping and crying
Could not take it any where
Then the voice grew louder
And hinted with some strength

Mom was there
Serene and calm
She held my hand
And waft away the storm
Then the clouds cleared
And I could see
The horizon where I wanted to be.

Decision was made
This is the path that I have to take

To rejoice again
I write.......

Friday, April 6, 2007

Life changes in a second...

It was looking like just another Friday. I was on my way to office immersed in a book, listening to Radio Mirchi enjoying the early morning breeze. Yeah everything was normal till I received a call from Dad. “Nani ma is no more” is all he could say before he broke down. It was like a straight blow on my face. I knew I had heard right. But how was that possible. Only last evening they told me she was recovering. But that was it. My nani had died. I would never see her again. I would never hear her laugh.

I was some thousands of miles away. Too far to reach out to pitaji (that’s what I call my nana ji). My heart goes out for him. His loss is inconsolable. They have been married for more than 60 years. How will he cope up without her? How will he manage to get on by days without her? Now was the time when he really needed her presence. I can only pray for him. God please give him the strength to carry on.

Nani ma’s departure has shaken me completely. I have not seen death so close in family before. Suddenly everything looks different. We are terribly caught up in our everyday life running around from pillar to post trying to accomplish such insignificant things. We think we have succeeded if we get we get a promotion or a hike. We think life is in our control. And then suddenly its all gone. Taken away. Life laughs at us. It was never in our control.

What is life? And what is death? Did she know she was dying? What went through her mind? Did she wish something then? Questions that I’ll never have any answers to.

God, please bless nani ma’s soul. God, please be with my pitaji and help him through this. I love you nani ma. I’ll miss you.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Happy Holi!!!

I have been away from home for almost 4 years now. And festive seasons out of home makes me extremely queasy. This Holi was no different. I was very homesick. The only reason I can think for the same is that my parents went out of their way to make all the festivals a memorable event. We had food and celebrations and guests and decorations and a gala time. It was a family affair with happiness all around.

When Aman saw me sulking away he had a plan. He took me to Grand Ashoka for the Holi celebrations. I wasn’t too excited coz for me festivals are meant to be celebrated with the family and not with a bunch of strangers. But nevertheless I gave in. After all what was the point in watching all painted faces on the n number of news channels? So Aman and me and Raj and Nidhi (common friends and sufferer of the same fate as ours) embarked upon The Holi Celebrations with strangers.

The place was very well done with a typical Holi theme. There were colors and thandai, zillion kinds sweets and savouries from all parts of North India. And the special attraction – the Vodka Lassi. And then there was the typical Punjabi Dhool. Followed by good amount of rain dance and DJ masti. There was a very interesting performance by a dance troop on the theme of Holi.

Over all a good outing. Loads of people like us, away from their homes trying hard to get colored with the festivities.

I some times feel like a sparrow, who has left her nest never to return home. My trips back to Ranchi are like a once in a year affair where I am treated like a guest. Pampered, fed and showered with gifts. My little cousins show me their mark sheets and all the certificates they have gathered over the year.

I know things will be like this forever now. I sometimes wonder if I should have just opted for the simpler path, stayed back there, did some kind of simple Graduation and got married to some rich fellow in Ranchi itself. I would have been so much closer to my parents. Life would have been so much more regular. And I wouldn’t have felt so queasy on festivals.

But Nah!!!! This is how it is and in spite of my periodic sulking I love it this way. Couldn’t have got a better life partner and couldn’t have had a more growing career.
So once again - Living and loving it!!!!!

Happy Holi!!!!!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Loggerhead

Loggerhead: This is a common English word which means “a stupid fellow”. At Loggerhead means “in disagreement”

But the origin of this word lies in the sea. Loggerhead is a Tropical Sea Turtle with a large head and a hard shell. Now there are some things really intriguing about this creature which weighs almost 300 pounds, is 3-4 feet in length and goes on to live for almost 100 years. It has a keen sense of smell and a even keener sense for survival.

After living in the sea for over 20 or more years, the female loggerhead returns to the place of its birth, the beach, this time to nest. She travels hundreds of miles in the Atlantic with hundreds of fertile eggs inside her. Now what makes the female loggerhead come back to the same place to nest? Is it some kind of genes, or smell or sound? There is no answer to that yet. She leaves the sea her familiar home and ventures out on the beach to lay her eggs which she does far from the shore and covers them with sand. She cries, tears running down. These are called the mothers tears, the tears that signify her pain coz she would be leaving these eggs behind, never to come back to see if they survived.

That’s what it boils down too. Reproduction only for the survival of the species. But as a mother she knows and she cries.

Each of us are in this race for survival and we have 2 options: either run the same race fastest or run a unique race. Not sure how many of us do opt for running a unique race? But yes to all those who do, that’s the way it is….

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Its a new start!!!

I have been a thinker all through. But have been extremely lazy to write. This is a year of promises for me. Ahhmmm. And these are promises I have made to myself. There are loads of them and in no particular order:

Loose weight
Be patient
Save money


And I now intentionally want to add blogging to it. It seems like I could have started when I was still studying or when I had just fallen in love or when I was about to get into the corporate world. Musings would have been so positive then. Now here I am - part of the number game. Oh yes, u are only a number in your organization. No matter how much difference u make, how far does the ripple go... but anyways more of those latter. This is just to let u guys know that I am on the scene. And will write whenever I am happy, sad, depressed, excited. Living and loving it.