Wedding planning tips!!

Pre-wedding period is often the most stressful for the family and especially the bride. It has been raining weddings and I was playing the agony-aunt cum am-always-there-for-you-friend cum advisor cum what-not to my best friend. Like any other would-be bride she was palpitating (and how) a few weeks before her engagement. It was then I wrote a long, and I mean a really L-O-N-G mail to her with the sole intention of helping her and making her smile. It worked! She was quite impressed and the post is a result of that. So here goes – for all you would-be-gorgeous-brides!!

 If you are from a middle class family, lived your life like any other independent, normal girl with a mind of her own AND are getting married in a metropolitan city, this post is for you!

 So here is how we go about it-

Part I: Decide on what kind of wedding do you want. Some options:

1.  Simple wedding, grand reception at different venues
2. Simple wedding (Only family and close friends) followed by an immediate reception at same venue (more people invited for the reception)
3. Wedding in the morn, reception in the evening
4. Run-of-the-mill wedding where you either go to the Himalayas, or the Registrar’s office or any other place and get married (then you may not find much of this post useful)

Expert Speaks: In my view, it’s cheaper to book a hall for an entire day than booking two different venues. Only exception is if it’s a temple/church wedding.

Please Note: The kind of wedding you chose is subject to various factors such as - Muhurat, decision of both families, hall availability, Pundits’ opinion etc. Oh yes, your opinion too but trust me amidst all the views, the best you can do is express your choice to one trust-worthy family member, stay away and watch the discussion unfold.

Part II: Usually, you will have a few dates and you have to pick out ONE day.

Points to consider while choosing the date:

1. You should not be chumming - forget religion, it’s just uncomfortable!
2. Make a list of the number of relatives. Please be practical. If you are low on budget, cut down few people from the guest-list. Considering family cannot be cut, it has to be not-so-close-friends and business contacts
3. You have the date, you have the number. Let your dad, uncle, brothers/ cousin go and check halls. You can go if you want to, but you will be needed for other things (which I shall list down below).

In case the male counterparts are confused on HOW do you chose a hall, kindly enlighten them with these tips:

1. Choose a venue closer to YOUR place since the bride always takes longer time to get ready and its best if you won’t have to travel long distance on your big-day! (Check if your would-be in-laws are ok with this)
2. Note down what options you have and have someone go or you and your better-half can check the shortlisted venues when you get the time.
3. Write down all costs including decorators, food, music etc
4. Compare and decide what suits your pockets and your sensibilities the best.

Part III: Mostly loved and at times dreaded word – Shopping! Here is what you have to do:

Check your cupboard thoroughly and list down the clothes you will take to your New-home. Trust me; you do not need everything new!

Expert Speak: Keep your clothes count considering the fact that you will be gifted clothes by friends and few relatives, your in-laws in all probability will keep some clothes for you. So don’t overdo your shopping!
Now comes the shopping bit. Once you have a list - you need to start shopping. So while the men can look at halls, you will be trying out clothes, checking sarees, and getting your trousseau ready. This will consume most of your weekends.

Expert Speak: Please make sure you don’t look the same for all the functions. Experiment between salwar suits, sarees, dresses or even a dhoti kurta! Look different and the BEST on your important day!

Part IV: The wedding card!

Expert Speak: You have cards ranging from Rs10/ per card to Rs 200/ per card in a city like Mumbai. Be very practical - no one keeps the card for another 10 years, not even 10 months. Choose a cheaper but good card that will make you smile when you see it!

Part V: Honeymoon location....easy tip?

Leave it to your better-half to figure out - trust me these grooms have nothing else to do!  ;)

Jokes apart, decide on the budget, and book your tickets - the earlier the better! Always, pack your honeymoon clothes and other bags separately so that you won’t have to reach your in-laws place and unpack!!

Part VI: Remember:

1. Cost cutting tips: Depending on you, you can cut either your shopping list, go for a simpler wardrobe, have a low-profile Mehandi and sangeet, cut guest list, and do whatever else comes to your mind!
2. YOU CANNOT impress everyone -please get it straight and accept it...the sooner you do, easier it will be. It’s a wedding, someone will complain, some will be sad, some happy....Let GO and enjoy yourself!
3. You are NOT getting married to impress anyone else, so if someone has an opinion on what you should wear/ have worn, what the groom should have done and didn’t do , where you should go for Honeymoon etc - SMILE and show them your middle finger! Everyone you meet will have opinions - the deal is to remain unruffled!!
4. There will be difference of opinion - both within the family and between both families, but then again that's what marriage teaches you - to compromise. No one person will have his/her way - there will be a newfound route which you shall discover and trust me you will look back, smile and feel silly thinking WHAT all went into it!
5. Mothers may be possessed during these periods. Kindly learn the art of subtle ignoring.
6. Fathers may also get possessed - stay CALM!
7. Siblings tend to be normal - phew! .
8. Pray when you wake up and before sleeping - it helps!
9. Happily outsource your work to all your girlfriends, sisters and your loved ones who will be happy to help.
10. MOST IMPORTANTLY – Believe in the love that you receive, cherish it and smile at all times!!

 

For the sister I never had, and the one I found in you!

I remember the time my mother was pregnant with my brother and I would loudly announce to anyone who cared to listen how I want a baby sister to play with. The fact that it was a baby brother was definitely no disappointment for me. Brothers are awesome in their own way and no one, I mean just NO ONE can ever replace them.

As I was growing up, I was lucky enough to have close girlfriends in my growing years who have been like true-blood sisters to me. I have seen, experienced and believe in the power of womanhood. From my mother to my closest girl-pals, I have been very lucky to have these special women in my life. Here is a small dedication to all of them and to my mother, without whose support and guidance I would not have survived the perils of everyday life. 

A magical word of touch,

An understanding nod,

The glint in her eye

That made me smile…

Those words that soothed my soul,

The hand that wiped my tears,

The look that held me right,

The glint in her eye

That made me smile…

The palm that caressed my forehead,

The ears that heard me with no complaints,

The look that said ‘I care’,

Those words of wisdom that stirred my soul,

The glint in her eye

That made me smile…….

The lips that spoke those trusted words,

The heart that cared like no one does,

The faith I have in each one of you,

It’s this power of woman-hood that makes me write!

 Oh! The glint in her eye

Those have always made me smile…..

An apology letter!!

My dear Thoughts Undefined, It’s with extreme guilt I write to you. Ever since I conceived you in the month of March, in 2010, I have always taken good care of you -until last year. It’s been more than a year that I have ignored you and I admit am guilty of the same. I should have known better than to leave a small, lovable baby unattended in this cruel world. So what are my excuses you may ask? Well, nothing much to talk of…….it’s been almost 4 months of shadi shudha life, and another 8 months of errr…… I was chasing the mundane, trying to do things, change in job so on and so forth.

No, this is not any excuse for ignoring you my dear child and I am deeply ashamed of this unpardonable act. I hereby solemnly promise to update you with “all faces of my life” with renewed gusto henceforth.

Seeking your forgiveness,

Yours truly,

The blog writer!!

Happy New Year!!

So its the 2nd day of a brand New Year! Though I wanted to update my dear blog yesterday, keeping up with the spirits of a fresh begining; I couldn't do so! And since I am in no mood to rant WHY....lets leave it at that!

So here, I am in my office, boss on leave & me updating my blog! :P 1st working day of the year should be relaxing & chilled out - I strongly suggest this!

2011 has been a year of ups & downs, like all years have been; but 2012......now this is something I am looking forward to with a lot of anticipation, nervousness, exitement and apprehension!!

May all you readers have a blessed year ahead! Cheers to a fresh new begining! :)

The pleasure of Nothing! :)

It was one of my annual trips to Kerala – God's own country as they call it; my own land as I believe it is. I always attributed my strong attachment to kottayam, the place I was born, to my cousins, aunts, my grandmother, the temples etc. But this was one trip that made it all look different – very different indeed.


It has probably got to do with an overdose of the city-life. Living in Mumbai is not easy – its not that I mind the fast-moving pace of this place but what I do mind is the fact that it’s too mechanical. Now, “mechanical” may not be the apt word to describe this city but that is how I feel now after my leisure trip to my birth place! At any given day, there is an overdose of work and there are times when I have felt that there is no time for anything you would want to do – even if it is to just sit and watch the world go by!


And this is exactly what I did in Kerala – NOTHING! And I cannot describe in sufficient words the pure thrill of not doing anything, watching the rain, running on wet grass, seeing the sun set, hear the temple bell, hear the morning and evening chants there, hog to your heart’s content, idle gossip, read a good book with no disturbance, to sleep like a baby, breathe fresh air (YES!!), the calm cool breeze which lifts your spirits, the grandma stories that go beyond ages and centuries, listening to age-old family jokes and laughing like you have heard it the first time – the list is endless!!

The simple pleasures of life which eludes you in the hustle and bustle of a city can be thoroughly enjoyed in my native land. It’s not for nothing Kerala is named God’s own country. It most definitely is.  I fervently pray that it stays the way it is – untouched by the madness and ruthlessness of the city life, unscathed by the over population and the pollution, unhurt by the mayhem of everyday life. May it always remain the way it is – like a slow-moving dream which is far yet not too far for me!

The Rhapsody of Reflection!

It is a popular belief that – “You get what you deserve" and “What is yours will come to you”. But time and again, I wonder why is that you don’t know WHY on earth you are going through certain experiences? And what good does it do to you? Wouldn’t life have much more simpler if only we knew the answer to the question – WHY!!! No matter how much you sit, think and reflect on these instances, it always boils down to the why of it! 

Even then, the lesser mortals we are, we do keep pondering over so many things that happen with us, around us. Is there any point in these thoughts? Not that we are going to find any answers, then why rack those grey cells! The beauty of life is to accept it the way it is. I do not personally agree with the ones who say that one must accept things with a smile; it may not be possible to control your emotions (and smiling, is a great option though not always easy to execute!) but accept you must. For that is one thing we do not have much choice in! Reflect – on yourself, on what happens around you but don’t overdo it, Just like you need good, sensible lyrics, good rhythm and beautiful melody to create a “complete song”, you need many experiences to make the “complete you”!

As the lyrics of a song I heard goes - 

"Burning with desire,

Its what you take from me patiently,

So burn all your bridges and learn,

That its the only way your voice can be heard"

So folks! Learn, share, grow!!!! :) 

It is never easy!

Once a little girl sat by the sea side,

Tossing the sea shells to where they belong,

Hot, angry tears streaming down her face

Her mind wandering, never wishing to be found again. 

She spoke to the waves,

She spoke to the clouds,

She uttered words of frustration clutching the sand;

She spoke through her tears,

She spoke through her eyes,

Her tears illuminating the setting sun

Leaving a parallel world behind.

And then she heard a voice soft

Caressing her soul, the voice spoke -

“I never told you it will be easy my child,

All I said was I shall try;

Never did I promise you the moon

This is how you learn the journey of life

Smile a bright smile and welcome the dawn

For your heart knows things you would never know”

Smiling, her legs began a walk,

Wondering where her heart will beckon her now………..

About Love and everything else!

As we move on in life, we celebrate different “Days”. We have days for mothers, fathers, children, environment, lovers, pets; you name it and there is a day dedicated to any specimen who exist in this beautiful planet. Now that it’s Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t help but think about this very powerful emotion that surfaces (according to me on any given day but 14^th Feb – technically) in the minds of millions of people. It is definitely a fact that if there is one emotion, that is ever so powerful, that it can cure the sickest of minds within no time it has to be - LOVE! The very pure and divine form of this emotion can create wonders!!

I happened to meet this young couple, the lady had delivered a baby girl less than a month ago and those cherished moments of seeing the mother-daughter bonding made me realize how powerful an emotion Love can be. It is amazing how our parents learn to love us right from the moment they know that they are about to welcome a little bundle of joy to this world. They don’t know you, you have no name, no face, no identity; but you are an integral part of their life and they love you for that! Now isn’t that amazing??More than the concept of romance, it is this thought that intrigues my mind on this day.

If I had to define love, difficult though it is, I will try. Love for me is moments, which can only be experienced!

Seeing a mother hold her new born child in her arms

A sacred bonding between a father and his daughter which no one else can ever understand

Walking in the rain with a loved one

To do something, purely to see the smile on someone’s face

To lie down in your mother’s lap

To gaze at the stars with no thoughts

To get a bear hug from a close friend when you are low

To laugh with someone so much that tears come out from your eyes

To watch the sunset

To surprise your parents, siblings, friends with something they never expected.

To fight with your sibling and patch up the next minute as if the war never existed!

To listen to your grandmother’s stories (even though you would have heard them over 100 times)

To dance as if no one is watching and love the energy that gets created in those moments!

The list could be endless though this is all that came to my mind at this moment. It is so important to be loved and somewhere that is all what our minds crave for, isn’t it??!!

My Travel - Saga!!

There are times when I feel a sudden urge to write but I do not know what! So this is one such post where the mind is blank, the heart craves for a good write-up and the brain (poor fellow) is probably frantically trying to come up with something – anything!!

I am (at this point) reminded about my travel zone for the last 2 years,I call it "My Travel Saga"! I have been residing in Andheri since a long time now and believe it to be a very good place, no matter what others say or feel about it. And my college which is located at New Bombay (re-named Navi Mumbai, however I prefer the earlier version) is a good 2 hour travel. And I can proudly claim to use all modes of transport to reach my destination. It goes like this: Rick-Bus-Train-Rick. If there was a bullock cart, am sure I would have used that as well!!

Kurla was my station in these 2 years time, and will be so for a couple of months more. For all those, who do not know about this happening place, it is this superbly crowded area; Even a time as early as 8 in the morning, you will see throngs of people and will have to keep saying “Excuse-me” with a supreme effort to move ahead! Not to mention, the place also has a not-so-good reputation of pick-pockets and chain-snatchers. My mother dearest was really worried about my safety; however I have so far successfully managed this gruesome task with care. (Minus an incident where once my bag was pulled so badly and I lost my Tupperware lunch-box with yummy food while getting into this train!!)

So I manage to reach my college after a battle! It starts in the bus, god-forbid if it is a crowded one, I stand for quite some distance. The 8 min walk from the bus-stop to the platform is not that good either with cheap looking men leering or ogling at you. Though many a times I have had the urge to slap someone, I have so-far controlled myself. No, am no contender for Nobel Peace Prize though!! Once, I travelled in the second class when my first class pass was being made – I was beautifully sandwiched between 2 huge fisher-women! Needless to say, all I wanted to do after that was take a shower, and the only thing that came to my rescue was my deo (how I love it). Its even worse on my return route – with crowd 10 times than what it is in the mornings!! And then the train……It is really strange that when am on the bridge I miss a train, the one I want and then wait for a good 10-15 mins for the next one. By the time I reach college - I am obviously late. I have reached a point of saturation by trying to explain to the professor my plight. :( 

I have been at home now, as college is not very regular and though I do not miss the travel, I do have some memories about the station by now. Like the picture of this old blind woman, in an orange saree and green blouse would always wait at the bridge asking for alms. Then there are those familiar faces you see in the train, the cat-fights between women (not uncommon), this young girl who walks with a limp again begging for alms, the mehandi shops outside the station, the conductors who by now know my schedule, it is a long list!

I guess I will have these memories in my head for a long time though secretly I am glad I do not have to travel more than 4 hours a day on a regular basis!!

And we wait......... :)

It’s the chill in the weather that makes me write,

It is the morning dew that makes me smile,

 A long walk with a loved one is what I want

A cup of hot coffee to stir my soul

It is that time of the year again

Year after year the surprises again

How I wish to play in the snow

How I wish to be a child again

With a hope in my heart I await

The guardian angel to bless me again

With a few more days for another year

I wait in anticipation in my heart

A smile on my face and hope in my heart

With courage in my mind and prayer on my lips!!!

Clear the Cobwebs!!

Oh yes!! This post is all about clearing the cobwebs and moving on; which brings me to the thought of those poor hard- working spiders. I remember the time when I used to actually watch these species make their webs till my mother darling would come with a broom! One Swash! And there it was gone with a clear tone admonishing me for merely staring at them! “You have to clear this and keep the house clean”. Oh well, all the hard work down the drains!! Believe it or not, I used to actually feel bad for these eight legged species whose dedicated work was turned into nothing within a span of few minutes!!

Years passed, and so did a lot many these incidents which today play no significant role in my memory. But today I write this with a very different thought. I couldn’t help but wonder that just as we clear the cobwebs in our houses, isn’t it important to clear the cobwebs of our mind??!!

I know this sounds like a very random thought – and I admit it to be so. It so happens that certain incidents at certain times do make me go paranoid…and am sure it happens to most of us. We are so consumed by a typical line of thought/ behavior/ expectation/ action that anything that may not fall in-tune with our thinking tends to affect us. I was sitting and deeply contemplating on the “hows” and the “whys” and the “only-ifs”; needless to say with no definite answers. No amount of small talk was helping and I was at a total loss. It was then the miraculous spider-web came into my mind!!

Just as we know that its important to clear the cobwebs of our homes, isn’t it equally (if not more) important to clear the ones in our mind?? Whoever said “Our mind is a great slave but a horrible master” could not be more right. We need to clear our minds from those very happening and typical negative thoughts so that we are able to focus on the present and accept each day (with or without a smile!!). Rest assured that as we move on, there will be plenty of spiders and cobwebs. Please clear them but see that you don’t hurt the spiders!! Live and let live!

A little more freedom!!

Disclaimer: Before you begin reading this, rest assured that by no means is the writer a poet!! Just musings of a wandering mind!!




As I stand and watch the world move by,

I cannot help but wonder where am I.

A question lingers somewhere deep inside,

Do I know where I am going or what I am passing by?

With this mundane thought, I started to write,

A small little poem, to soothe my dazzled mind.

With my heart so hazy but yet determined,

I cannot help but wonder what the future holds.

A little more freedom is what I crave,

A little more assurance is what I seek,

I wish I had wings to fly..............

So that I may fulfill my heart's desire!!!

Me and my world of books!!!

It’s the 15th of August and though ideally, I would have written something for my country land, that is not what this post is about. I feel it’s about time I write something about my exceptional love for books. I have always been fascinated with the world of books and was introduced to reading at a very early age. I remember making strong efforts to read Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle when I was just 6 yrs old. I would pester my mom to read out stories from these books and while she was too busy, read it by myself, underlying words I didn’t understand. Mom was super supportive, not to mention very patient with my million doubts!!! To make life easier for me, my dad introduced me to the dictionary. Within a few years I moved on to Enid Blyton, Famous Five and then there was Sweet Valley, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and lot many others which was classified under the ‘Classics’ section of my school library. I cannot but help laughing at the bizarre things I have done just to read a book; to reading from a torch light late into the night to avoid my mother’s wrath to using my journal as a cover to finish yet another interesting read right in middle of the physics class!! Now I know why my physics went down the drain!!

I love the fact that books could so easily transport me to a different unreal world; it would just allow my imagination to go wild and so effortlessly make me smile. Even today, I love the smell of books, especially old ones when they haven’t been touched for years. And I had found a few such books in one of my trips to Kerala. I was in my paternal grandparents place at Allepy enjoying every moment running around the white soft sand, playing mindless games with all my cousins!! To my utter bewilderment, I discovered a huge rectangular trunk which had a lot of old stuffs, things I could not comprehend. But what amazed me was; I found 2 copies of Reader’s Digest printed in the year 1982 and 1989. It belonged to my grandfather, a voracious reader himself. That was how, while still in school my annual subscription to RD started!! And over the years, many more subscriptions for other magazines followed.

Over the period of time, my vacations would be incomplete without a few books. They just became a part of me, like a limb attached to my body. I can even today not describe the euphoric feeling of reading a much awaited novel; be it tragedy, romance, classic, mystery, drama, management books, or anything else under the sun. Am one of those kinds, who not only love reading but love collecting books as well. If nothing I am sure, I will pass on a legacy of books to my grand children, just like how my grandfather did!!!

As am typing this, in my bedroom, I can see the rain drizzling down and all I wish to do is cuddle up with a hot cup of coffee, some chips and a nice book to read!! My greatest fantasy is to own a small house, with a small little library of my collection of books! In fact I have already made a list of my favourite ones :P :P Weird though it may sound to lot of people, it is one of those things in life that immediately puts a smile on my face or in some cases even tears!! Either of which I don't mind!! :) :) :)

Life and Expectations!!

It is one of those moments for me....where I feel a funny feel and I don’t know why I feel the way I do!!? It suddenly seems like am looking at life from a 3rd person's perspective - where nothing seems to affect me but nevertheless, I am happy and content with all that life is offering at this moment :)
It so happened that I have been playing the role of "agony aunt" to a couple of my very dear friends and somehow coming up with innovative, cheerful, sensible answers to their 'why-me' questions. And it struck me that (this may not be a revelation to many) that most of our problems are primarily due to : High Expectation. For some reasons, the heart is never satisfied with what it gets......there is an unquenchable desire for more......it is this desire that leads to unhappiness.

Why is it so difficult to do your best and then let-go? Why can’t one just love all that one does unconditionally....Imagine having "minimum expectations" from all those around you.....half of the world's problems would have been resolved.

Though I really wish to be fair here - I do know that it is not easy. And I also admit that it is easier said than done. But it is POSSIBLE – that’s the magic word. If we continue living our lives to the fullest enjoying every moment, not thinking whether it will last, and what if it doesn't etc.....just LIVE!!! It is simple.....Acts of kindness I would call it. Just be kind to the world, and the goodness will return to you :) And, yes, don’t expect much - then you will be super happy with whatever life offers you!!

I call this 'Minimum Expectations Theory'. It works for me! And I would rate this higher than Stephen Robbins any day (that fat, huge OB book)!!. I wonder if my O.B Prof would agree :P

A rainy story!!

Rebecca looked around terrified at the prospect of being lost in this strange city. Bombay as she prefers calling Mumbai was a new place to her but she felt that this city had absorbed her in its unique fashion. She was here with a purpose, her sole aim was to do well in her studies. And little did she know that she will have to face unexpected showers, derailment of her usual local trains and further troubles as she awaited the bus that will take her to her destination.

Her only relative in this city, her uncle asked her to come to his office. "Just take a bus and come to lower parel" he had said 10 mins ago when she called him. Her dear friend and companion, Avantika had not come to class today so she was left feeling further confused and helpless. Around her, people were briskly walking, some running to get into whatever bus they could since the trains had stopped working. Nobody paid any attention to her as she looked around to ask someone the bus she could get into. "When alone, in an unknown place never trust strangers", her mother's warning, rang loud and clear in her head. "But, if I don’t do that, I will never reach this place". Her uncle, a distant relative seemed oblivious to her predicament as he rushed off for an important meeting at his work. She did ask a lady and got into a bus, silently thanking Jesus as she found place to sit in the over crowded bus.

As, it passed the by lanes of Mumbai, Rebecca looked around with wonder. It was still pouring, she did not have an umbrella and the place seemed so strange. "Isn’t it the kind of place, a girl could get raped?" she thought and quickly admonished herself for her unintelligent thoughts. The roads were deserted which added to her nervousness.

Suddenly, she realised that the bus was slow. The driver and few other people got down and there was a huge discussion. Though she could follow Hindi, Marathi was still an alien language to her. A little probing revealed that the driver had taken another route as the usual road was clogged with water and now the bus has stopped. “Engine failure beta, we will have to get down here”, a kind woman (and the only one in the bus) told her. Her watch showed 10pm – not late by Bombay standards but definitely a reason to worry if you don’t know where you are and how to reach your destination!

Still praying and thinking of her mother she got down with the crowd. Rebecca stood there for a few minutes wondering which part of the earth was she in at the moment. The lady who spoke to her was now walking ahead with a little girl and an old man. They seem like Muslims, she thought seeing their attire. “Trust your gut instinct, go ask them for help” her heart told her and she obliged. Running towards them, she explained her story to the family and asked them for directions. The man has kind eyes, she noticed. He reminded her of her grandfather. “You should not be out so late in this city beta, come with us. We will take a cab. Do you have the address of the place you want to go?” he asked Rebecca. As she replied in the affirmative, he hailed a cab and all of them got in. “Bombay can be a dangerous city, we will get down here but you don’t worry child. I will note down this taxi no. Give me your cell no too –just in case I want to make sure that you reached safely. And don’t pay the driver, I have taken care of that”. After giving instructions to the driver ,the family who were Rebecca’s angels, got down wishing her a safe journey. She did reach her uncle’s office safely but was surprised when the “kind man” called her to ask her if she has reached. And as she profusely thanked him for his help, he replied “You reminded me of my elder daughter beta, apna khayal rakhna. Khudha aafis!” She never heard from him since that day.

As she wiped the tears from her eyes, this single incident re confirmed her belief in all faiths, in humanity and mankind. Bombay she told herself, is a city with a kind heart...............

Technology & Connectivity: related??!!

I don’t know what to write, er.....I mean type. Thank god for technology. I should send a personalised letter to the person who invented Science, or rather who invented Computers, or maybe just thank Microsoft for Vista- not by letter, by mail. And that is the point!! I really need to thank these genius brains because initially I had to write long stories in a notebook, keep it away from the peering eyes of my brother and also tear some pages if they do not make sense after a few years, which I must admit was a difficult task. And today? Well, thanks B Gates. Now all I need to do is type what I want in my laptop and then save it. Control S is a superb function. And to protect it from unwanted elements, all I need to do is keep a password. So there my baby is all saved and protected and nobody but I, can have access to it. And if I really don’t want to keep it with myself, I just need to click on the Delete button. Life at our fingertips!! Can it get easier than this?

We are so dependent on technology today that it has become very difficult to imagine life without it. How on earth can we survive without emails, gmails, google, blogspot, youtube, Linkedin, Yahoo?? Not to mention our very own networking sites such as Facebook and Orkut. Need I even say anything on all the computer games people are addicted to? On the bright side, we stay connected with our loved ones all thanks to these facilities. But talking about connections, how connected are we with ourselves?? Isn’t there something deep within each one of us, our inner voice with whom we seem to have no connection?? How can we connect with ourselves, when 24 hours seems so little a time to do all that we have always wanted to?

Our days run by like haze, but what is it that we actually do? When was the last time we asked ourselves whether we are truly happy? After all, being busy does not necessarily qualify as being happy and content with our lives. At some level, each one of us are in pursuit of just one thing –happiness (just like the name of the movie). However, isn’t it true that we pursue so many things that we find everything but what we need to!!

I don’t have any brilliant suggestions either, after all I too am a part of this rat-race. A race where you are yet to see the finishing line.........

Now What??!!!

The most dreaded word is heard often at my place these days. Families make a mention of it. Family friends are even more keen to know when will it be? Close friends offer me their peaceful ears and strong shoulders so that I can vent out my frustrations.

It all boils down to the "M" word- Marriage. Not that I am that "old". Though ideally when a girl crosses a particular age, parents do find justifiable reasons to worry. I just feel that am too young for my parents to even think about it. Not that my dad (who considers himself coolest dad on earth) is worried. It is my mom, like all other mothers in general who gets super-paranoid wondering what will happen to her darling daughter!! Long conversations with a lot of my girl friends have proven the fact that it is the same story in almost all houses!! In any case, I am glad I have company.Added complications is the fact that I do not have any elder sisters to be married off so am free, in every sense to just go, find myself a man worth sharing the rest of my precious life with. Which brings me the important question- How do I choose a guy??

Well, the scenario is that there are many girls who have made “right choices” leaving the less fortunate ones like me dwindling our thumbs. The only other option is go the good-girl way!!Make full use of the fact that Indians follow a tradition of arranged marriages. Not that I can vouch for any of these marriages. Personal observations have guided me to believe that neither arranged nor does a love marriage necessarily end up with a happy-together. It is just that nothing in life is constant, people change and so does various situations and our reactions to it. So, choosing your life partner is by no means an easy task. Besides, marriages are a gamble- you will be lucky if yours is a successful one. Play by luck is the mantra followed. Age old characters such as Sita, Damayanti had it easier. All they had to do was garland any man who could prove himself capable!!

As I type this, I am wondering the significance of matching the horoscopes and “stars”. I come from an aristocratic, god-fearing family. But the purpose of matching the horoscope is a lost cause for me. I mean, how can you determine how compatible are you with someone purely based on the time your mother choose to go into labour and bring you to the world? It is a topic, I am still researching on. Meanwhile my parents can do their research. And I choose to go to my world and complete my education :)

Life @ its BEST!!

I have never in my life felt so well loved, my day passed by so quickly that I did not want it to end........ After all this wasn’t an end for me, just a new beginning. A beginning that I was awaiting for quite some time now. But some things come to you when you least expect it. And that’s exactly what happened with me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that during my 2 yr stint with MBA- I will work for an NGO and that too full time for 15 days. An icing to the cake was that I was working with children. What more could I have asked for!! All good things in life come in small packages and these tiny tots are a testimony to this statement. I have wanted to work with children since a long time now.....to be precise since the day I visited an orphanage with my mother and her few friends.

It was somewhere in Andheri. I was in my junior college then. Children are so beautiful and captivating.......their innocence shines through in every action. I specifically remember the warm Sunday afternoon I visited this place. There were so many children there. They looked so happy and content that they spread this positive aura all around them. The orphanage was run by nuns. They took us to a room where there were only toddlers. A small baby girl, dusky complexion, beautiful, bright wide innocent eyes captured my attention. I kept staring at her crib and she smiled at me. There was this moment of mutual happiness which passed between us. My heart went upto her. She waved her tiny hands at me, indicating that I carry her. I did not. Even today this is one thing I haven’t forgiven myself for. I do not know why I did that. I wanted to take her home, raise her, play with her, teach her and bring her up as if she was my own- but I did none of these things. My heart melted, but my hands froze and all I could do in that moment of total helplessness was stare at her lovely face. Maybe I was afraid that I would not be able to put her back if I carried her in my arms.She was very attractive for a baby, would have grown up to be a attractive young woman some day. Her eyes even today haunt me. This was a few years back, I often wonder whether she goes to school, who her friends are, is she happy, has someone adopted her - just random thoughts.........

And so when after all these years, an opportunity came knocking for a social cause I believed in, I was more than thrilled. Dreamz home works for street children. The children were such an enthusiastic, high energy kids. Within half a day my group members and me were panting!! The kids, all 44 of them were all over us- hugging, cuddling, asking us to tell them stories, read out books to them, teach them dance and songs. Name it- and we have done that. There are a lot of things we learnt from these children. They are so innocent, their thoughts so vibrant, their souls so pure, their smiles so captivating. Words fail me today as I type this. Every action of theirs is enduring. Like they would not begin eating their food, till every child has got his lunch and after which they say a prayer - all 44 of them with joined hands and closed eyes. Even when there was a party, where there were lovely goodies to eat the kids were more concerned if my team members and me had eaten!! I don’t think I will see such lovely angels. These are one of a kind. The kind that knows that what hunger is- that’s precisely why they happily offer their food to everyone and then eat. The kind that has faced rejection- the reason why they crave for so much attention.

They would be in an age group between 3-15 years. We as grown up matured adults crave for attention and love. All of us want to be loved. Somewhere, deep within us, we are children afterall!!. Fate can be cruel sometimes, I see no other explanation when I spend time with my little angels. Angels of love, of hope, of promise. They reassure me that this world is not that bad as it seems. :)