I had lots of people..okay Friends, ask me how I celebrated the New Year's Eve :) To all of them and a few lurkers too..here are the details..in a letter that I sent to a dear friend.

So here is a copy paste from it :


NYE was for us simple and funny :P It was infact very unexpected :D If the new year's eve is seen as a harbinger then we wondered what the new year had in store for us..

So if you would really like to smile I have one funny story to share :)

We had planned a rather simple but fav meal at home and since it was our first ever new year together we thought to save it for just each other.

And after cooking all the stuff and side dishes and the biryani just off to go for a whistle the flame went low..we huffed and puffed (remember three little pigs ??) but no avail ....in all the madness we had over looked and the lpg got over just an hour before midnight !

Imagine having to drool over all the side dishes...non meaty, so no chance of even considering them as a meal..and not a roti or a cooked grain of rice in sight !

We rattled and shook the cylinder believing it was just a momentary joke God was playing upon us but no mercy in sight..finally we understood the divine declaration..it was OVER !

So the little flame of hope flickering like the one on the gas hob also died not to revived for the day :( alas how sad it gets when simple sumptuous dreams shatter :((

Now any lesser being would have gotten daunted but not us !! We believe in improvising..so like thinking people do..we thought and thought and bingo ! we had saved for a rainy day (also happened to be the NYE) an electric steam cooker !

Blessed be my mom-in-law for they are truly blessed to be enjoying the new year's in GOA ! (sob sob) We had one in parts saved away..like the horcrux you see (tch tch you don't even remember Harry Potter !! ) So out came them for them hiding places and our saviour the internet provided the assembling instructions ! Yay for the google :)

Next we spent our last minutes of the now 'last' year running in circles with kitchen towels handy and eyes fixed on the circle of water dangerously bubbling and threatening to overflow..we celebrated the New Year in each other's arms exclaiming the new year won't be bad for see we are finally cooking our pail of rice ! Have you never felt such relief ? for it is of such great significance to know the next 365 days will be fixed with one serving of cooked rice :)

So you guys had a count down..and saw the year's turning..we celebrated it differently..watching over the steam cooker with such intensity that it might have contributed in the cooking itself! Oh and we were so in love with each other as we lovingly gave the chance to the other to preside over the contraption with minutes of meeting duly noted!

Anyways..to not waste the story and the spanky new year of 2010 we had our food ! Yes we did !!!! and with the first morsel in our mouth we had done a 'kala tikka' to the rest of the year..please add your wishes and prayers to our well being too..and smile..For I really do wish upon you a lovely year ahead and may it be filled with lots of fun and happiness and wonderful pleasant meals at home too !!!


P.S : Oh yes !! Having a microwave at home surely saves the day..but then I would rather have a story to tell..no thank you please ;)

Maybe today is a day when I should count my blessing for I don't feel too good or happy.

I know many of us go through this phase once in a while, I do too..for me its rare but when it does its bad..and I am hating it today. Its not like there is some drastic change that has come in the last 24 hours..nothing out of the ordinary has really happened, but its just that sometimes one compares things and finds oneself feeling low.

It is not the best of ways to go around the world comparing oneself, I would say this to everyone and anyone on any given day but today I am judging myself and feeling bad in the process..I know that its just a moment's weakness and will go away without haunting me for long..maybe a hot shower will fix it too but I want to feel it and let go of it. So here I am being honest, I know somepeople might feel concerned reading this but hey you all..I am fine and I am fine because of you guys who form my life :)

There! a small smile escaped..and hopefully it will grow longer/bigger ??..Sheesh I can never be too sad, I seem to find it funny..and laugh even as I cry. My Mom and sis have always marveled at this and maybe this is what will help me today.

Till a better feeling prompts me to post, see ya.

I am so confused about how I love rain !! I am the kind who loves when it rains once in a while, like it should, in its due time of the year and then it should come in a big downpour..and not just drizzle and make me and my day dull.

I am a self confessed sunshine gurl :) Nothing beats the mornings when sunrays wake you up and passes its bouncy energy into lazy limbs; Its the kind which makes me sing and whistle the whole day long..I love rain too, feel specially blessed when it rains on my mid summer birthday, but lately I have been caught in a loong drizzle of rain with hardly any sunshine :(

B'lore being itself made y'day possible! We had chai and pakode(bhajji/fritters) at 10 in the night..No kidding ! It has been raining and the OH has been so caught up with work that I finally decided to complete my rainy day ritual even if that meant dinner post midnight :D This is the only thing I love about rain..having someone special to share it with and hot tea and pakode. Its a shame how we have to miss out on it on most times because yes! it just rains too much !!

The OH being a Mallu is used to these long spells of rains and survives it pretty happily while I shudder at all times and cry out 'Its going to rain' EVERYtime we go out!

Okay, so now that I have let my steam out, I do have some fun memories of rain too. We were camping in Canada, and had to set up tents,being total novice at it the bones(!)of the tent kept coming to pieces and it took some time for us to fix it right. It was past noon and while both the tents were just up it started raining with big drops pattering away!! We flung all things within reach under a huge tarp(aulin) and ducked into our tents. That rush of blood at having been able to put up a sturdy tent and the two of us huddled under the tent while it rained and rained. We felt so lucky and so blessed to be together, the rain sliding down the tent as we huddled in the middle. There is something truly unique about sharing space under a tent..its close confinement makes for great fun and romance and we loved every bit of it...

The rain cleared the sky and it set the mood for all of us. Two little girls running around and the four adults shaking their heads at how lucky they had been :) That is a great memory !! And I love to think of it, to relive it, so with a little grudge I say..rain is not all that bad and I DO love it too :)

I just came over from Mad Momma and saw something there that took me back to my childhood. 'Gullak' is where we used to save and thrift away coins and just coins with an odd 'note' once in a while. Now those who have not collected in a gullak would not know the joy and fun of picking it up and jiggling it and feeling how heavy it is..its all about being patient, thinking and rethinking of new ways to spend the money while the pile inside it slowly rises till one can see the silver glint from above.

We had one going at all times during my childhood and even now during my recent vacation I spied one in the shape of a gas cylinder where my mom pops in the occasional 'change'. There was another bigger and prettier one in the shape of a golden yellow mango which was unused for who would like to break such a beautiful piece of artistry.But a piggy bank can never compare to 'gullak' and the fun there is in choosing who would break it; the place where it should be smashed lest the coins go scurrying away into hiding and then wait with anticipation as it gets smashed and grab all the coins as it rolls around.

The ritual continues with sorting the denomination and building towers, finally the total amount and the gullak ends up in our garden smashed into pieces. I remember sometimes we would pick up a piece and pour water over it and take in the aroma !

The OH got a lesson in family history this vacation as my father brought out our trusted old red winding clock and showed him with pride, and my mother told in all emotions how proudly we had bought it from our first 'gullak' money..those were the times when salaries used to be in hundreds. That clock has seen us through a lot of time and still keeps going faithfully.

Of late I have given up on collecting in a gullak but I shall start anew and keep the tradition going of the charm and ingenious of our good old gullak.

I feel so proud of India..

I was watching the recap of all the major events that the 62 years old India has witnessed on a Tv channel..its not always that we look at the ugly side, the scarred face of our India..or in some ways we do see it ever so often that there is a certain apathy towards it..but to see it all in a brief one hour through the eyes that had witnessed those events unfolding..the narrative that does not need to search for words to express the feeling that they felt, the memory and the echo being so strong that it almost takes us to those times when we were not even aware of the events unfolding..

It was so good to see the DD newsreaders recall how they would use the simplest and the mildest way of describing the events that had shook the psyche of India. The operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi..how Salma Sultana (one with rose in her hair) recalled that even though she was required to present the news without getting emotional yet she knew her face expressed more than what she was saying. How the then (and even now) favorites of 'ek anek' and 'mile sur' were all based on national integration,of 'ekta mein shakti'.How the Door Darshan director general recalled that the 'mile sur mera tumhara' was the idea of a genius who wanted to show pan views of India from each of the region and found the common thread of 'Raag Bhairavi' which is omnipresent in all styles of music (Hindustani and Karnatic)and made it an evergreen childhood memory for millions of us.

I am sure most of us would remember exactly where we were when the news of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination came with the dawn,I remember how coins with Rajiv Gandhi's image were so treasured by many.

I saw the footage of Indira Gandhi asking Rakesh Sharma how did India look like from there and the immortal reply 'Sara Jahan se accha Hindustan hamara'. Saw the green revolution, the white revolution..saw India becoming the power it is today..

Man how proud I am!! I am so proud of being Indian.

But why past..Chhodo kal ki baatein kal ki baat purani..we shall do our part for the new India !



Have you seen Spain rocking to our dhun ?!?! Dont miss this..



Salute to you !!

Its late evening and I am in a mood for a quick fix dinner but I overlook an important detail (eh words !) So I was very carefully peeling away potatoes with a knife for I had done away with the peeler. No not by choice but by chance ;-) Now have any of you heard of anyone throwing away the peeler along with the peels :P I did !!

So..I was concentrating hard at peeling and saving my fingers even as RJ Pallavi went on with her superfast kannada which I was barely managing when up went the uproar..and quite literally !!

A kiddo playing in the apartment compound took to shouting his lungs out and some more kids joined in to add to the fun. It broke my concentration alright but not just the howling; It was the memory it evoked from my childhood..I could so clearly see two skinny girls in frocks on the terrace with wind blown hair..one easily shouting her heart out and the other giggling and trying but too embarrassed to do it,to take it to the max. I have never ever been able to shout my heart out. It must feel great and how I envy my sis for having taken the chance then for I wonder when will I get the chance to shout out aloud without a care for propriety and people. Huh ??

I believe there can never be a better gift than a great childhood and a head full of memories. Lately I was regaling my OH (other half) with one of them..and I am sure I could get a hearty laugh out of each of you but then me and my embarrassment, so I shall smile to myself and add another beautiful moment of both of us enjoying my childhood again to my treasure of memories

PS: Anyone for a quick and exotic recipe of chutney aloo ?

So I have been having rather busy weekends and I am loving the busy-ness of it. One of the activities which I do not like to miss out on is going to my kids(@ Ashwini Charitable Trust). I have been taking classes or learning and fun activity for a group of 5-6 year olds from Ulsoor slum..and we were concentrating on the alphabets and weaving stories around them as we went through the whole A, B, C..

The premise was to take up an Alphabet and find a Name with it, an Animal and also a Thing..and make the most funny sentence with it. I stress on funny and imaginative because it makes me happy ;) and also helps kids to think beyond the set ways. Adding to the storymaking we would then get some kids to volunteer to draw the 'name' 'animal' and 'thing' and then potray the story.

Now the really cute and serious part ( I like calling it both) For the alphabet 'J' we chose 'Jackie' 'Jackal ' and 'Jam' I bossed my way to drawing the jar of Jam :-D. Now some of the kids told me that thats not how jam is..its like hmm...wild hand expressions..trying hard to understand..confused..trying hard to explain..and I understood!! (for I am a sucker for ads). He meant the sachet size, which obviously is the smallest pack available and he even wanted me to write Rs 2 for it. Good to know he is observant to have noted such detail. I was put into thinking that these kids from slums would only know jam sachets and not the 60-70 buck bottles which we pick up at all times. So much of the circumstances in which we are brought up leads to our impressions about common things..and its interesting to be able to view things from their perspective too.

Anyways. we had a whole lot of fun and still have some more alphabets to go through..and maybe I can put up some pictures of our crazy drawings and stories to add laughter and smiles too...btw we chose 'lifebuoy soap' for things too and gave a Lion a good bath.. harr harr :P

Dear all, I have been intending to put down my life..not for others sake but my very own..so that some day I could come back and see all that went through my mind..the specific events that had happened..important for today but which loses significance if not preserved in the long run...

It is a pleasure to revisit old acquaintances..like this blog..It has after all brought to me a lot of dear people I had been able to relate to..and quite wonderfully some of them have been able to relate to me too..let me not digress...getting in touch with someone from past does not just mean getting to know a person and their current life..but to revamp all the memories cluttered somewhere..and remember the tiffin shared, the warmth of love and friendship..remember those somethings that they put in your slam book..which you had read with such eagerness and now it lies somewhere forgotten and its all just so many good times that you wonder how could have been so forgetful!

Believe me when I say..never let go of some contacts and keep them close..those whom you had shared your best days..for me it was my school days..the fun and running around in classes..and breaking your heads on the same numerical and to love to have friends sit next to you in the crowded school bus ,and finishing mills and boons in three hours flat (in school time itself) with three people reading it at the same time..and if someone was a fast reader she could very well have the seat on the right and lift up the page vertically..ha haa ha..lovely days.

And to remember the taste of baingan ka bharta and paneer ki subzi..and those morsels of food from my friend's lunch boxes..and look at the scan copy of the photo when we wore saree for the first time..for our farewell..and our thin frames..which has now filled up..a saree would never appear the same and we would never ever look as uncomfortable or think so great about wearing a saree as that special day ! I must thank so many people whom I have been able to connect to in recent times ..Thank you all; Chandni, Richa, Prachi, Neha, Rachna, Guneet, Darshana, Shaili, Swati, Azra, Manisha, Shalini...and Ginni..I have been able to connect to my past and you guys got it alive for me.

And it is worth all the pain it takes to track down a dear friend and talking to them after almost a decade..It is a lovely rush of words and sharing of information and just to hear the same familiar voice..and then feel your heart warming up as they recall somethings you had told at the last day in school. And the way it was said to me.. I never regret having gone through the trouble to trace you..just that I wish I had found you a little earlier and wish we could meet again in leisure..and regale at those school memories and ask about the years that went by!

I smile a smile for my friends in those sepia photos have come alive!

I have been thinking of putting up a post on the 4th of Jan, I started writing this blog on that day...I think...anyways.....as I say and believe its never too late and wishes are never too many, so here's wishing my bloggie a good one year of existence. :)



I have been neglecting this blog a lot ...but again....life has been teaching me lots too....sometimes familiar things and the best of distractions take a back seat when one is on the proverbial roller coaster ride of life.....from being a complete velli who could sleep for 13 hours if she wanted to working for 13 hours even if I don't want....take away 1/2 an hour maybe....that is the time I take to get out of the 'Office' mode.. :P :))



Its a New year......and this new year I could recall the last new years so easily...as if was not 365 days but 365 hours.....life has changed so drastically....sped up with such haste that at times the breathtaking speed has left me completely unemotional.



I had read it somewhere, infact I recall where....'Through the Looking Glass' by Lewis Caroll....where the Red Queen tells Alice that one has to keep running hard just to be in the same place....and if she wants to move forward she has to run with all her might.......Alice finds it all too tough..



I am Alice.



Wondering in the wonderland.......surprised with what it holds, facinated but again missing the familiar and the easy life......I must add though.....just as Alice wants to become a queen herself....so does aspirations in this heart too.....but realising it and not with a stoic heart...



This blog has been a companion for long......and from starting with just a few blog friends I have moved on to having a regular group of visitors to getting too busy to update but still reading, to too busy and not even reading......



I must say though I still read Ricky and Preeti and Shama and Prasad and Reema and all others....whenever they update....I missed commenting on your first post Ricky on the new blog.....and I was sad I did not...I still read it.....and was inspired to read the story by Anks too :)



So many of us have become irregular....but to those who have managed to still be regular....I am most thankful...they provide me an opportunity to think....even if I do not pen ll my thoughts...



I found someone I love so dearly....someone who completes my thoughts with his words....who understands my pauses...who is patient to the max possible when I made stupid mistakes...listens to all my fancy ideas of dedicating rooms to my soft toys family....lets me decide the breed and name of our pup (still to be adopted) and and if I write more I shall just be proving how much a silly gurl I can be :)) and how much I love him :)



It has indeed been a long year and more so an eventful year......



Wishes to all those who visit.......all those whom I have met during this year and to them too who have shaared their thoughts and emotions on their blogs........THEY indeed are a wonderful thing...



HAPPY BLOGGING :D






PS : Something I found over the net.....credit to the creator only :)

Just when one thinks that life would be moving on smoothly, one realises that all is not as thought of...that some essential ingredients are missing from this 'hotch potch' of life.....even if its hotch potch, it needs to taste good !!

Just when one is pulling though times when one comes to know that there is perhaps better ways and a better life.......

Just when one is struggling to put things in perspective one realises that 'change' is not the easiest thing in life !! Time and again......this lesson is never too old or learnt enough...

Just when one is about to wallow in low feelings one realises that there is so much more that she has recieved in this lifetime.......that she tends to forget...

Just as she realises all this she understands that times never remain the same and that she will be able to get what she wants......be the change she is looking for...and she can do things on her own too......

Just like that she felt like writing out my thoughts.... :P and I am happy I did :D

What does one do when all of a sudden she is relieved of the 12-13 hours @ job to becoming a puffy, sneezing and sniffling babie with an overose of medicine...

Hmm...well to some extent I really do not have to worry because the medicines keep me groggy and sleepy...and then the rest of the time I am wondering whether I should be happy about having sometime for myself (in ANY circumstance I mean) or be sad for all the delayed flights in my life...

Just as I was about to give up on trying to keep my eyes open...someone schemed for a loadshedding...with no other option for me but to head for the terrace. And it was nice...with a pack of unfinished Kurkure and my cellphone and one of the books I love so dearly,'Three men in a boat' I was all set for my day out :P

Its nice to soak up the sun...and its even better when one is a self-confessed sunshine gurl who has been withering for want of the sunny boy ;) The time I spent on the terace was just 40 minutes, I would have spent some more but....As I finished one of the random chapters, that is whats so nice about this book...just flip to any chapter and rest and enjoy the subtle philosophy and humour...It was nice to see the white fluffy clouds against the blue sky..I could feel a lump in my throat..reminded me of my childhood..of days spent with my family..of mom and my sis...and all the fun we had in our family home....its been ages since I was so wella to have the time to spend just looking at clouds flying...munching kurkure and with a book in hand....

Therapeautic..that is what it felt like...to be in the company of the familiar...and to be in the reverie of fond memories....

And then I saw something which I had never seen before....white changing to black...and noo it does not stop here...as I was watching the clouds dissolving into black and grey...my eyes tried to make out some kind of 'dust storm' except that I did not feel any dust over me...somewhere in the horizon there was something which I ws unable to recollect or understand....and then it few right above me.....Clouds...huge clouds of dragonflys...just went on and on...never seen anything like this before...was completely amazed....it seemed as if they were trying to beat the approaching rain...racing to reach somewhere before the clouds of raindrops....

So preoccupied was I that I was almost taken by surprise by the huge raindrops that started pitter-pattering in no time :)

Here I am in a much better mood, blogging away my life and loving the feel of the cool air on my face....

This 'Sunshine gurl' loves Rain too :D

UPDATE !!

Life seems better with two fluffy pillows to lie on...internet working flawlessly...a bowl of hot maggie with green chillies as the only garnish, a little soupy too and with a lovely blog to read...

I love reading her : I chatter a lot !!

Chanced upon her blog sometime back and have continued going back to it often. She reminds me of my own experiences and love the way she writes. Enjoy ppl !!!

We Chatter Bugs

Its been ages since I have blogged....and it seems even longer than that not to have put down my thoughts...I had once read about a book which had the strangest title...something like 'Written with One finger' and I was 'What the heck is that!!' Only to read that the author had typed with just one finger!!!!

I missed typing with my five fingers...and I missed my bloggie soo much ! It has brought me some of the best things that life has to offer...love and friendship....and all the anonymity that lets one be himself..

And yes...I should add too...that I have been busy..but yeah thats just an excuse...and I dont think I shall stop tapping on these familiar keys...loving the feeling of translating thoughts to words and getting the high of finding some comments on them...Comments just add to the depth of the writing...infact it adds all the dimensions....some opinions, some thoughts...some echoes and some not.....but I cherish all of them....

I think I would end with the note of promise to be more regular...a promise made to none but me....and my bloggie...whom I have kept under 'Baby Tiny' under my 'Favourites' list :D

Muuah my babie ;)

hmm...I planned writing this post y'day night...when I had nothing to keep myself busy ...and those busy sleeping would have not liked my switching on the light so that I could read.....and I am a fearless lass except that I do not like 7 sets of eyes glaring at me at 12:30 in the night !!

Now before you guys start thinking I was in a community 'slumber'....I was actually travelling from Delhi to my place....and being a nightbird, had some time to kill....So what I do then is that I checkout my purse....

I was surprised by how many items I had in my purse and I had no clue why I was carrying some of these stuff....anyways...in no particular order...

# ATM card neatly jacketed in a leather pouch
# A monthly calender diary....for the month 'November' :O :O
# Paper soap....fragrnce...Jasmine...no particular liking though.
# Pouch of Sunsilk Black shampoo...again Jasmine !!! ( I like Green Apple !!!!! obviously not Sunsilk :P)
# Someone's mobile number without the name...scribbled on a patch of paper from a daily newspaper :P :)) ... Meticulous me !!
# My tickets...from Delhi (undestandable) and to Delhi (not undestandable)
# My 256 MB pendrive from Dell...very essential and by far the costliest iten in my bag....apart from the virtual value of my ATM card :P
# Purse Comb ...Very jaroori !!
# Two packs of WHO and UNICEF recommended ORS formulae...for oral use only !!
# A half used pack of 'wet wipes'
# A tube of Volini Gel ...'A multi-action topical gel' for 'external use only'
# Not one or two...but three pairs of ear-rings!! :P yess I indulge when it comes to those :P
# A kajal/kohl pencil
# A Lipstick tube....neutral pink !
# Lip balm...
# An OHP marker pen !!!!!!!!! what the heck !!
# A 'normal' pilot pen :P
# My cell-phone...
# My leather money pouch !!! yeah finally some money :P :))
# A small pack of Bikano Bhujiya !!
# Loose change..
# Couple of rubber bands.
# A frosty blue hair-clutcher.
# My College ID card.
# My Hutch sim card....for Delhi :D
# One 'bonded red wali' Natraj pencil.
# A couple of toothpicks :P
# The wrapper of 'CentreFresh'! .....no CentreFresh !!!!! :(

Okayz....here I have divulged all that was in my purse..the entire booty !!

Now you guys can also open your wallet and purse and take a peek...I am sure you would be no less surprised :P

Hmm.....now why don't I compell some of you to disclose whats in your bags and wallet.... Taggie tag does sound like a good idea !!! :)) ha ha ha haa haa...

I have not posted for some time now....and surely its because the things going on in my life is rather mundane....a happy kind of mundane events and experiences...I have been home for quite sometime now...and for the first time I am spending time at home without feeling guilty of missing classes or with the worry of the breaks getting over in a jiffy..

A contented time.....that’s what it is...and I get to watch all the soccer and cricket...and spend lots of time doing what I like...which is as plain and simple as spending time with my mom and dad. Watched soccer match with dad at 12:30 in the night ...we kept munching one thing after another...and it was so nice reconnecting...especially since I rarely get to spend time with dad before TV...last time I remember I saw a soccer match with dad was in the year 1998-The finals.

Having mom means having all the time to chit chat …which I thoroughly love doing…and having amazing home food…its not lavish for sure…simple and yumm !! Its fun getting up early to catch up with them for the morning walk and then doze off to sleep again by 6, I being me [:P ] And yes, it also gave me some time to know some people who have come to mean much to me….to reconnect with old friends…

Its amazing how easily one can slip into the home environment and forget about ever being away from it...I know most of my friends have already joined and spent their salary...splurging, and enjoying...learning new things…getting pampered at the best places...but I am happy to have this time to me and my family...

I doubt whether I will ever get so much time to be totally ‘vella’...and have all the goodies at home...and am I glad....so H@#C you gave me a good bargain by giving me these amazing months at home....and corporate life here I come....soon enough :P :))

An amazingly nostalgic picture which I found on the net...

I have not posted for a while....so here is a tag which i completed in record time :)

I was tagged by Ricky.He gave me an alphabet, 'D'. I have to write 10 words beginning with that alphabet, including an explanation of what those words mean to me and why.

Dreams : one of the happiest words for me…lets me just be…away from practical world at times…and inspires me at other times…something that is very personal and very me…

Do Minute : very common….something I use often….subah ho gayee…bas do minute ,aur..Chatting…BRB , How long to get ready…bas do minute…and yes the non disputed ‘DO Minute’…Maggi..Bas do minute !!

Di : My di…my only sibling, my biggest fan….someone who has pamperend me throughout my life…simple sensitive and very much her…someone who cannot be described by me…I know her soo well that she has become indescribable for me…Love you di…Muah :*

Diju : Now a word that is my very own creation…a combination of two very beautiful people…my Di and Jiju…they are so very one in some ways..that I can use one word to address them . Especially when sending mails and cards…and sending just one e-mail ;)
I am so glad they ‘found’ each other…..*sigh* Love you Diju :)

Drama : Nautanki !! I love theatre…and have been a part for a few years…but apart from the ‘high brow’ thing that people see it as…its more avant guarde and food for thoughts and lots of camaraderie while in production….I learnt a lot while being part of ‘Anukriti’ at MH.

Dogs : Yeah…its as ingrained as ‘D for Dog’…but I loooove dogs….and I love puppies even more :P Will love to have a pet…but I don’t have the time and space just now :(

Duffer : I do not use slangs often…this is one of the very few ones…but I use it more in a loving way than mean….how do I say it…’Dufffer !!!’

Dilli : Delhi….yeah saddi dilli…a place where I learnt to be ‘me’…a test for survival ,a place which afforded me an anonymity…my ‘karma bhoomi’ :D Delhi is like my second home now….but delhi ka climate !! hey bhagu !!!!!!

Dhoni : Yeah…I know he has not performed splendid…I was disappointed…but he is someone I like to follow !! I like his being himself…I like the way he answered Prannoy Roy…his shy smile..hmm….hmm….

Dil aur Dimag : the best combo I believe….though not always in equal weightage…circumstantial…where ‘dimag’ stops to answer….listen to your ‘dil’ and when ‘dil’ confuses….listen to the saner voice…and when both say ‘yes’ ….do you need further explanation ???!!?? ;)

There I finish my tag….

D for Done !! he he hee ….

I have just watched ‘15 Park Avenue’….I wanted to watch this movie and was delighted to see the ‘breaks’ when Shabana Azmi would share trivia abut the making and the film…however the movie left me largely sad.

I am sad because it was a sad movie, somehow though I love watching movies which serious themes and which are truly ‘hatke’… .at the end of it I largely have a tired mind to take care of…..

Films which had similar effect were Hazaro Khwaishen Aisi , Bawandar, and like…No I am not even trying to recall the names…just not in the mood to do so ….

However, I do remember how and when I really got hooked to such genre of movies….I have always liked Arty movies….and when in college, our ‘Movie club’ which was largely an extension of the ‘Lit. Soc.’ was planning to show some movies for the serious audience…there was much debate about the suggested names…..

Finally we screened some 4-5 movies, ‘Hari Bhari’, ‘Kairee’, ‘Boy’s don’t cry’ and ‘Fire’. The discussion was largely regarding the screening of the last two movies…since the show was open to all DU students….we were not sure if the mood and the public would be right for these movies……

We did go ahead with it anyhow……I remember my senior remark for ‘Boy’s don’t cry’ …the movie is excellent but I would not recommend it to be screened….I was much baffled by the arguments!!

Anyways….while the movie was screened during afternoon…..I was among the audience, the MH auditorium was packed…we had a ‘full house’ …much tension about the number of guys who had turned up for the screening, we were prepared to hear the jibes and the snide remarks…DU has all kinds of people and the movie was ‘different’…

When the movie started I found myself a seat in the dark….last minute running about has its consequences ….and lo!! I was sitting beside a guy and aisle. The section of people around me was largely mixed…I watched with some inhibitions.

The movie explores lesbian relationship, and has some pretty explicit scenes and in all is a hard hitting movie which has been made very well. Contrary to what we expected…I did not expect much because I was watching it for the first time….the response was amazing! No one uttered a word….all of them sat…absorbed…feeling the pain, the uneasiness, some shocked …I was ….and some easy.

The whole movie was not interrupted even once….and when the capacity of the auditorium is around a thousand, one does expect some mischief…We were all surprised by the decorum. Infact the only remark which left a bad taste for me was when one of my close friends sneered while I was leaving… ‘how was the movie?? Heard some hot scenes there!!’

Since then I have heard and seen much…debates, arguments, forums, et al….but even today that silence during the movie keeps echoing in my ears..

I got a very sweet news today…my cousin is getting engaged to his love……..

Now I am amused because of an interesting incident that happened a few years ago….while I was in college….this cousin of mine calls up really early in the morn on a Sunday to say that he is in the city and is coming down…..

That is an urgency enough for 4 girls to wake up and get some sense to work…well….to say the least we were in a position to open the door to a guy and were able to have a decent conversation over tea…my flat mates were giggling all the time, sadly I could not join….he was already embarrassed :P

Dressed, I was contemplating showing him around the university area when he tells me he has plans of his own……we get to meet one of his friends from his coaching days, she incidentally turned out to be a common friend….and lived just one block away ! clichéd it is…but, it’s a small world ;)

Next on itinerary is a visit to a distant relative of his who lives across the place….DU , Hudson Lines and Kingsway Camp!! So we tread to her place. What he suggests is that for some fun lets pose as if we are going around!! I am always game for innocent fun : ))

Swati is soo glad to see him, and me too….well until he introduces me and I play the part to a flourish , ‘a wink and tell’ :P She asks me to tell her how we met and how did it all happen….hmm…hmm……we were able to concoct a ‘believable’ story about having met on a DCT bus a year ago…and have carried on since. He being my cousin, we kept talking about family and catching on the latest news ….She kept wowing at the fact that I knew so much about the family already :P Before long we were on our way to a popular joint for lunch …

This cousin of mine is quite handsome, and has a very sweet disposition with a streak of craziness too (I found out !!) And we carried on the charade for a long time….on and on with back slapping friendliness and the poor baby smiling and bearing up with it :P Least did I know that she had a crush on this guy !!!!!!!!

Now when it was time to drop Swati to her PG I thought we might as well tell her about the imposer, Honey refuses (yeah that’s what we call him ;)). I say, ‘don’t we have to clarify something??’ ‘I do not!’ Staring at him *pagal ho kya!!* ‘Anyways, Swati I happen to be his cousin…and it was all in fun….There is nothing between us’

She sits down on the stairs….I am amused, *whats the deal ?!?*

Now the deal is that they are getting engaged this month and are getting married next year !!!

Silly Life :D

Hey! I have been on ‘orkut’ for some time…and apart from getting to know my blog friends better (It was sooo exciting to go locating them) I have been able to reconnect with some school friends and also been richer by the links which have been helpful in getting me lots of e-books and a peek into an amazing story……uska abhi ‘the end’ nahin hone wala…….will write about it later ;)

So what I was about to share was that I have been able to join my alma mater’s society and among other discussions was this trivia about the guy who would sell lots of savories outside the school gates……sadly none of us were able to recall his name…though most of us had our mouth watering at the mere memory of the smell and taste of amazing ‘aloocut’ and ‘imli’ that we had….This man was old, would wear a dhoti and kurta and would come with a cane stand and a lot of nice stuff…(of typical girlie taste)
And when the school would get over….we would actually shout and yell to be hear and grab with elastic hands as our buses would threaten to leave without us…it was a great deal of nuisance for all those who loved discipline and cleanliness….. :P

But one incident stands out…..It so happened that someone got ‘imli’ from this guy and was having it in the Physics class….now ‘that’ teacher was a cool one…...(by ‘convent’ standard she was more of a rebel)!! So this girl is caught in the mischief…and hands over the remaining stuff to the teacher….no big bother really :)) ….But there was more fun in store….the paper he used to wrap in the imli used to be ‘raddi’ used notebooks and magazines…(I never said it was hygienic ) and this sample was wrapped in some kind of a love letter written by a boy….more like one high on hormones…and with weird spelling and lazy handwriting…..:P and when Ms.S noticed the writing she laughed at it…Now no decent teacher laughs at a small wrap of imli !!

So we asked her to share her thoughts….game that she was…….she asked someone who had equally illegible handwriting to read it….(amazing common sense). Anyways after 3-4 trial runs…the complete letter was deciphered and it was read aloud inside closed doors, while we tried hard to laugh with our mouth closed !!

It was something very very hilarious!! I remember some of us falling over with controlled laughter….. he he he .And it was a ‘prized’ possession in no time…each of us wanted to share it with the rest of our gang …..So the inevitable happened….:P

Since the ‘aloocut’wala used to tear pages from complete notebooks we decided there might be more pages left from the same, now we waited for the school to get over….and rushed to the ‘aloocut’wala with double the speed and urgency ….but sadly some things are not meant to happen……:P :(

We were not able to read another piece of the words uttered by a crazed heart, wounded by the eyes of the cruel girl…..(believe me it was even more tacky than this)

Alas alas !!

Her face was lit by the sudden lightening...it was during times like these when she would love to be alone...it was never a conscious effort to be alone…but she liked having her space...it was essential to her being....Strangely her mind was always preoccupied with the best and worst of the memories during these moments.....

Solitude is a bliss.....it is as essential as the pause which adds meaning to a motley group of words....time, space...lacuna, gap........and a pause.......and how she wished at times to forget 'those' times...and at other times close her eyes tightly and recall the face.....and at some odd moments.....that face would come to her, clear and heart breaking......time had stood still on that face....It was that same face which she had last seen ....when he had come to see her off......and today, even if they sat facing each other it would be near impossible to recognize that face...to make that connection....

Time had moved on......life has changed.....and with each passing day, with each new experience she was changing.....'they' were evolving....that 'something' which was 'all' for them at sometime was getting sliced by the hands of time.......and during some rare occasions when they had exchanged words........it threatened to become 'all'....but then with the passing of the moment .....it would get lost....

Finally. It was time to bid goodbye.....goodbyes are always special......'may God be with you'. And yes, sometimes when the rain drops would moisten her face....the moments would flash....lightening fast.