Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year 2015 !

Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book - Write a Good One :)

2014 was full of ups and downs, unlike the last 25 years! As you grow up, you experience, you evolve, you make perceptions, relationships, friends and all in all develop a personality with which people start to quote you!

Don't forget to make a new year resolution..may be unlike before you succeed this time (if you haven't yet)! We as humans do need reasons to push us forward for fresh starts, count and make this as one! Set goals, mould your perceptions, find time for your loved ones , travel as much as you can, give people a second chance, strengthen your relationships and lastly do not stop taking chances!

I still have a backlog of pending resolutions, and I am preparing to take one more chance..:)

Be a kid at heart, Be honest, Love yourself!

Thanks to all the people who have read my blog posts and have inspired me to keep writing. I hope I evolve too year by year and get to share my experiences better, shorter ;)

Best Wishes





Monday, December 1, 2014

A Walk down the Memory Lane

The moment I entered Nirma campus, our graduation collage, my heart started beating faster. Going through a turbulence of emotions & memories attached to that place.

There have been times when we used to remember our college days and I'd often said this to him 'Wish we could relive those days'. Since our childhood till yesterday there are times in our lives, most of us would want to relive, but somehow with the busy lives we live it seems unachievable. Well not to Harsh, and as usual he could surprise me with a well planned visit to Ahmedabad on our First Wedding Anniversary! :)

The watchman was brimming with smile, the moment he saw Harsh's 2006-bacth bus pass to allow us entry in the campus. We parked the car same place where Harsh used to keep his bike then. There were many student, some walking towards the bus stop, some on bike, some sitting in groups on those road-side benches, who were totally unaware of the fact that we were seeing our past in them. Well, there was a batch of students celebrating their Signature day and we suddenly realized that we should have worn our signed tees. :)  To be honest I was smiling to the fullest my facial muscles allowed me without pain. Feeling younger at heart and filled with the deja vus of past as we walked ahead. We went to the NIT canteen first, the K-Block, recollecting food menu, those coupons we used to have, which are discontinued now BTW. It had same arrangement, almost same menu items with of course some new additions to it. There were a few infrastructural changes too regarding that Kalhupur Bank and fee office, but it still felt as much familiar as it used to be then. Moving towards the lake side, NIM campus, Law, Research centre, we observed many things were yet as they used to be and many things had changed in past 4.5 years. The campus area had expanded with additional blocks, canteens and play grounds. Few of them were under construction when we were studying and now completely operational.

That football/cricket ground is still there and the basketball ground has been covered by a new building. We went to NIM canteen whose Aloo parathas were famous in our group and of course it was in the plan to have that dish again :). To our surprise, the lady seemed familiar to me at the coupon counter, just that she was married now. She was looking back too with a smile you do not give to every student and I could not help but say that "we are old students" and she immediately replied saying "yes, I felt so.." :-) Shaah, I so badly wanted to say "We are married" Hahaha. While we were walking in a circle around the campus, we kept looking for one of the biggest fountains available in the campus. Once we thought may be they have removed it, but when we found it, it was simply relieving and as good as checking out some famous old monument. Then comes the B-block, where we've had attended most of our lectures. As we walked upstairs, we kept talking about how, when, what has happened there and the people who were involved. Many of the staff members and watchmen were recognizable and they too were giving that being familiar look back.

B-213, the classroom which had lot, lot of memories from initial semesters. Harsh found his back bench and I found mine first bench. Recollecting some old memories there we moved ahead. We decided to check if our professors were available at the staff-room and guess who did we run into? KP agarwal sir. He recognized us..The best part was when Harsh shared his business card and he said, please both of you write your roll numbers on it :) We were a bit late and could not meet other faculties. Harsh was very eager to meet Anitha mam. One of the teachers on whom somehow Harsh had an impression of being a rigid student, because he would not take any wrong teachings :P So we decided to drop her a note of thanks, and we did! Crazy us :D Hoping to hear back from her! I am sure one of the lines in that note will force her to recollect who we were - i.e. "Yeah, we are married!" :P :D

Now comes back Block-K, the main canteen.We had already planned to have "Papdi Chaat", which we quite often used to have, given it was the tastiest affordable food item then. Haha! So we had a plate of Papdi Chaat, 2 plates of fried rice and one onion-tomato uttapam. Ab kya kanjusi :P haha..Visited the D block, our first year block and the audis, labs, every corner we could jump in and recollect more and more memories. :)

We spent 4 heavenly hours in Nirma, much more to our expectations. When we were leaving from the campus we have decided to come back with our Surati group, we missed you guys a lot... :)


Btw on the right side is one of the assignment files we discovered lying unclaimed. Well, they are still the same :)

After this overwhelming visit to the campus, our next destination was the Barissta cafe where we first time talked something other than projects and college :P We just happen to go there to celebrate one of our project competition's victory in 2009, just 2 of us btw and that too on Valentines day! Believe me, a lot can happen over a coffee ;-) Sadly, that cafe was closed! :|

We then went to The Upper Crust, cafe. It has an interesting story to it. It was during the last semester of our college we 4 friends decided to have  lunch here. The moment we saw the prices listed in the menu, none of us was willing to eat there any more :P Well not that we could not afford it at all, we were damn hungry to keep the budget in mind before ordering. So it was funny but we decided to move out one after the other shamefully rather than staying hungry :P So this time, it was in Harsh's plan to visit this place :) We were not hungry at all, but we managed to have one of their specialities!!

While we were reaching to these destinations, Harsh was pointing out the places where he used to hangout very often with his flatmates & Surati friends.I could notice his eyes scanning down the memory lane!

The next thing in the plan was Vastrapur lake. My Surati group members had planned my Birthday cake cutting there once, so this place :) Disappointingly it was a challenge to find out a single soda shop here..what happened to Gujju people :O! Post this, as per the plan we met my younger brother staying in the town. After a round of family gossips, we had all time favourite Fafda-Jalebi and Sitafal shake..Had a peaceful walk along the newly developed river-front. One of my younger sister joined after her classes got over and then the last planned thing in his list was Manek Chauk. I had been there just once before with around 9-10 other friends, just because he could convince me to ;)

This is one place every Ahmedabadi must know. It comes to the life after around 12:30 AM at night, yes night!! You will get most of the street foods like pav bhaji, pulav, dosa, kulfi , sandwiches etc etc. This place is famous for it's pineapple-chocolate sandwiches and gwalior dosa which is filled with cheese and butter...yummm!! We had sandwiches, dosas, pulav's', pav bhaji's' and famous Asharfi kulfi and Faluda in dessert. Well, don't frown..it was 4 of us :O

The latter part of the day was completely foodie. But that's what you do when you stay in Ahmedabad. People are fun loving, foodies and that's how they make memories too. The day was as expected and the excitement stayed till the end. One more thing which we were discussing  was how we could reach from one place to another very quickly unlike Mumbai. The city is peaceful in many ways.


The entire day starting from the college till Manek Chauk was fun-filled. For once more, I could relive those moments! Though it was just two of us, most of my college memories were around him. I had lived 4 years in last 3 semesters, and believe me coming back was a real fun and a touchy experience. I never thought we could ever make it happen. It is not impossible but who thinks of planning an entire day for it! This day is truly an addition to the college memories.

While leaving the city, at that impeccable moment I could not help missing my Father. How I wished I could somehow share this with him. I wished if I could thank him for the efforts he took for me, so that I could be where ever I'd ever been. He would be happy for us somewhere, Wishing us our first anniversary!

And last but not the least, a big wala thanks to you..Harsh, for believing that we were going to enjoy the day. Says a lot about how Nirma and Ahmedabad were special to us and still are..our Fevicol Bond..It was the best Anniversary gift I could have asked for :)



Touch Wood ^_^


Friday, October 31, 2014

Miss You Papa

Yet another day has passed. Looking at any random bill, photo, newspaper or anything dated, my first sight jumps to the Date, starting to think about the time then. Whether you were with us or it was just an another day after you had left us. If it is a date few days ahead of your last day with us, my heart would fill with self pity that I'd not even imagined then that you would leave us behind so suddenly.

I have started to smile, eat, sleep, work and live my life again. I cannot choose to cry each time I miss you, others might feel I am not strong enough. I am not supposed to be surrounded by people always, they might feel I am weak, your daughter is weak. I have to stand strong, at least I have to pretend to look like one. A small moment of joy will suddenly pinch me from within and remind me of your smile, your laughter and our good times. I do miss you when it comes to eating, you loved food. I wake up with your thoughts during mid-nights and look around if magically you would come to existence just for a while and talk to me, look at me, smile at me.. To be honest, work is the only way to push the time. I do not enjoy idleness any more. It makes me miss you; reminds me of your last moments of struggle at the hospital; makes me think hard of what would have crossed your mind then, your last thoughts, your last words, our last phone call and afterwards about Ma and somehow the time stops moving ahead. I still talk to you when no one is listening..Do you still listen to me ? can you? Is it possible? Is your soul around me?

I was proud, when I listen to people talking about you. How generously you touched many people's lives, how much you used to talk about me and Manu, how much excited you used to be for our accomplishments, to meet us. Many of them said one thing in common which will last with me till I die, that "Your father has lived a king's life and you kids were his biggest passion. He was crazy for both of you."

2 days back I saw a handicapped and old beggar on road, I felt content with the thought that at least you did not have to suffer old age. You were laughing and talking to people in your last 2 days and you will be healthy and happy in heaven. The next moment I was hurt with a thought that could you be happy without us? If no, who made you go, where are you, what would you do now?..and if yes, did you forget us? Please don't! Tears came streaming down my face. The dark shadow of the vehicle I was sitting in, let me just be myself.

Things are never going to be same again. The way I have started worrying about people close to me, is very different already. We will miss you in everything. There are many times yet to come, which are going to be totally incomplete without you..when I wanted to be happy seeing the glitter in your eyes, when I wanted you to stand next to me..who would make them special now..like you used to do? Your overprotective and overzealous love for us, cannot be fulfilled by whole universe's love brought together. It was purest, it was selfless...it still is there, I would prefer to believe so. Because thinking the other way makes me weak. I want to believe that you are around me..always!

I miss you Papa, badly, very very badly..

Yours

Friday, September 26, 2014

Trading?

Love is flawless. You can’t blame it for the pains one get in it. Humans are flawed. I read somewhere today that “We are born traders!” We trade everything, and so do we also trade our love.”  It is hard to love someone and not expect back! Because we are traders and we make love conditional.

You rarely find unconditional love, if you do..Don't let it go :) 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Love Actually..

She had never disappointed her parents, she had never let down or ignored anyone close to her. But the energy she shared with this guy was amazing, it was beautiful. It was a sincere love and a romantic love story they had she dint want to forget ever. She could not digest the fact of him being just a chapter of her life and end it. She decided she will tell her parents. They decided they will.

Her parents dint agree. She had to fight back her tears and ignore their pain. She had to at times, ignore she was in love with someone and give priority to her parents. So much to and fro. Her father would not talk to her. Her mother would curse her destiny for giving birth to her. She had let down everyone who once used to appreciate her. She was broken but stubborn. She knew it is going to take time and he was besides her.

They broke more and more, each passing day. There was so much pain and anger stuck up within them that it brought up the worst sides. They cried, screamed and begged. Her parents and relatives asked her to forget the guy and that guy asked her to give this all some time. They were confused, they were full of guilt. She somehow forgot being happy. Forgot being happy when they were together ! He dint have any choice and she dint have any power left. An year passed and things were not smooth at all. Her family had boycott her. It was difficult to show her care for them, given she was not agreeing to forget her guy. She had lost trust, trust of those who mattered her the most at one point in time. She just kept on wishing for some magic which can turn this all upside down and bring them together, with their families' approval. She loved him truly and she knew she would not find someone like him. He was perfect for her, he was the reason she was successful today. He was her strength. And she feared if it was possible to live without him around her. She felt safety in his arms. She knew he was the love of her life. She loved him more than anything else. Yes, this time more than her family. She dint give up. He dint let her give up.

A few years later, the families agreed. The pressure of growing age and the society made them go against their wishes. She was happy. They were happy. It seemed as if they had achieved each other for the life time. Things weren't smooth but! They had to struggle and convince their families for very small things which dint matter to them but mattered to the families. One time things, which took off a series of arguments and discussions between two of them. One wedding day, and it took rough period of many months of preparation.  They had to convince the families again. They had to bear it all. They had to plan their own wedding, with managing every tiny traditional ritual in mind. Families won't come forward in a supporting way and by now they wanted to just get done with it.

Finally, they got married!!

But, by now, both of them had seen each-other's worst sides. Things took time to settle, days passed. He wouldn't mind shouting on her and neither she would. They had done this before, many a times. They could not realize the difference in being together.They still were not over the pain it had been to them individually. The energy was depleting. The journey, the path they took to be together had torn them apart. They were impatient and reckless. They were now fighting hard with themselves to forget what had happened, as they realized where it was going and where it should haven actually directed to. They were dreaming to have the best time of their lives but were burdened with the expectations, pains and roughness of the past!

Was it worth?? All the pain they took to come together? All the pain they took to convince their families? All they went through to be good kids?

Even today families do not realize how much their conservativeness cost their children. How different it would have been if they were not so hard on their kids?

He once asked her - "Let us run away"...wish she had said YES!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

♫ How songs touch our lives ♫


"Songs"..how much important part they play for a movie and for how long they effect our lives, or ask how often..? My father has always been a big fan of cinema, and I have grown up hearing his collection of songs..Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar hits, ghazals of Pankaj Udhas, Jagjit Singh and many more..!! The songs were different then from now.The simplicity and the purity have somehow lost and forgotten. Of course not in all songs for sure, but in most of the songs today it is all about drums and beats than the basic idea of sharing the feelings and thoughts wrapped in the music. I am not here to criticize today's music but this write-up is just about the variety of songs and the various impacts they have in our daily lives! And yea, I too like drums and beats...it all depends upon the time and the surroundings :)

So do you feel the need of hearing a particular song at times? I do, and as of now I can think of these many reasons  :

1. When you are very happy?
2. When you are in a party and you want to dance on the beats of some crazy item number?
3. When you are travelling and you have none other thing to do better than listening to songs?
4. When you are working? Either in office or let say simply cooking at home?
5. When you are feeling severely hurt and want to cry? Oh there you go...songs do help you cry!
6. When you underestimate yourself and want to boost your self-esteem?
7. When you don't want to sleep and have to study/work, so to stay awake?
8. When you are sleepless?
& last but not the least...
9. When you are in love? :)

And so on...There may be ample number of other reasons apart from these that you might want to hear a particular song/songs.

There are songs, which might work as a medicine for you when you are upset about something. How about those overtly romantic numbers, with repeated similar lyrics ongoing from the decades? You might not play them very often, but you do like them if hit at the right time. :)

Has it ever happened, while listening to a song, you think of the person with whom you might have any sort of feelings/memories attached, and which are somehow being mentioned in the song? It might be someone you love, or it might be your best friend, it might be your mother or it might be someone you have a crush on or YOU yourself..! There is one all time favourite song of mine Aahatein. I first time heard this song as background score of a farewell presentation of one my friend, and now every time I listen to this, I tend to think of that friend without any effort. And honestly, this song is the reason I accidently populated so many thoughts in my mind about songs and how they touch our day to day lives :) Beware! there are some mysterious songs, which might make you fall in love with someone, when you are trying a lot not to fall ;)  Hahaha,,!!Too much about slow emotional songs? Yeah, the list is endless..But there are definitely songs which bring energy and excitement in our lives and help us change our moods.

Overall, in our day to day life, definitely for music lovers, songs do play some role. For a while, I wasn't in touch with the music and I knew that I was missing so much good around it. Songs do make you sad, happy, cry, passionate, love, sick ;) , nostalgic and help to make the enjoyment bigger! Oh how could there be weddings so fun-filled without songs..!

Imagine life without music and songs..How many things are said via songs, which could not have been better understood and conveyed if music did not exist. Thanks to the music composers and singers, who delve into the real life feelings and put them beautifully in words..Some of the feelings, even we did not know until we heard those songs..:)

 ♫      

-Dishi

Friday, March 14, 2014

Mumbai Local - The lifeline of the City

So after Dungarpur, Kota, Ahmedabad & Hyderabad cities, my life landed me to 'Mumbai'..and certainly I am going to stay here for longer than any other places I have stayed at. Often, when talked about Mumbai, trains are one of those obvious topics which come in conversations and people always say that not every outsider can get accustomed to the local trains in the city.


So, just out of interest, rather than the usual buses, I decided to take train on my way from home to office...ie Bhandup to Andheri. I was bored of sleeping in buses and I wanted to give myself an assurance that even this is something which I can do – what if I save some minutes or let's say just to counter argue my hubbie when he says that “you may not be able to do it”!

So an overview of my journey is like this - I have to first reach the Bhandup station from my apartment, take a train and reach Dadar station..change my train and take Andheri local…reach the station and take a bus from the station to my Office!! Ufffff…so that’s the shortest description I could jot down..here comes the longer one which took place yesterday –

My husband always says that it's just a 10 minutes walk up to the station from our home, so I thought let me save a few bucks, take a morning walk and at the same time verify if his watch is right ;) So as I started, it was all very okay in the beginning...but suddenly I hear a bus driver honking at me...I was on the left side of the road, totally left..then what was it that I was doing wrong?? Any guesses??? Ahhh...you can't!! Actually I was walking "slowly" Oh yes...you read it correct! I noticed people around me, they were all seeming to be in hurry..walking as if trying to catch up on something..none of these people made me feel that it was early in the morning - it was for me at least :P ! So I started to walk briskly, unable to though catch up with a few around me - be it ladies or gents or even elders..!! I reached the station somehow and punched my tickets - luckily no queue there!! There was a fast train supposed to arrive in a few minutes and as instructed to me I stood where all the ladies were standing, to be able to get into the ladies special compartment. Oh wait, btw how did I know that there was a train - so all Mumbaikars who have a smartphone and travel via trains/buses will definitely have an app installed in there mobiles - "m-indicator". Thanks to the developers, otherwise it would have taken me another 10 months to remember the timings or to be able to read those almost-never-working notice boards, indicating train schedules and timings..understanding the expected platform pattern itself is gonna take a while..A few days back, I kept on looking for platform number 12, while it was the count of DABBAs attached in a train "FACEPALM" moment!

Anyways so the train is approaching and slowly I am being flanked by women around me..Everybody is looking at the train - that's it! So not Womania type..perhaps Mumbai Womania type ;)! As soon as the train stopped, as instructed again I had kept my bag in the front and started to try to get in...I can never get the perfect words to describe it but I was laughing...yea again right...I was laughing... All literate, beautiful and elegant women out there turned into bullies and all they wanted to do was to grab a place to keep their pretty-feet, on the rim of that train compartment, so in the next step they can pull their bodies with all the power they have, leaving everyone behind and get in! Ohhh...myyyy...Goooodddddd!!!! For all the "Friends" sitcom fans, thus "Jenus" familiars out there, believe me it was exactly like so - the reaction...followed by HA HA HA!! :D And yeah, I was one of them, I made my way in but this wasn't it! I made a huge mistake, I was still standing close to the door. My falling breathing capacity was the proof that there was no room inside to even attempt to move inside but I was against the local train lawww...The woman close to me, asked "Where do you want to get down?" I said - "Dadar" and here she was, red faced, with a rejection in her eyes, pushing her eyebrows closer she shouted - "Get out of my way, I have to get down next..blahh..blahh...pata nahi kaha se aa jate hai..blahh..blahh ctnd." She was really cursing me :(  I moved in, somehow putting my steps on someone's leg or bag or duppatta...grabbing my bag tightly and checking for my wallet every now and then..Wait, there is more..On the next stop a lady sitting right next to me stood up to get down and I dared to take that seat..How could I make another mistake in this much short span of time and break the LAW again!! Suddenly a woman nearby shouted at me and said "This is my place..I had told her already, get up from there!!" I was baffled, I chose to not argue on this and stood up. Although this was enough of an experience already in this somewhat 20 minutes' journey...a similar incident took place. This time, I preemptively stood up saying "Please, don't shout..I am getting up!!" Finally the destination came, I was thinking about what actually happened - actually smirking! But but wait, so did I get down on my own?? Oh come on, nooo ways! I was pushed down and up at the same time from different directions and different set of womanias...This time even I was part of the downward side of the group and with all the calories I had saved from last night's meal (this inspires me to take breakfast everyday..:P ) I successfully jumped out and was moving..moving with the crowd..I wasn't aware of the platform from where I was supposed to take another train so I checked with a couple of people and followed the crowd..The stair climbing part was again challenging and thankfully I managed to do it! The latter part of the journey was smoother and I reached my office all sweating and feeling heroic at the same time..Yay! B-)

I narrated this incident to a few of my colleagues at office and I felt that I should blog about it..So I am doing it now! :)

The return journey was eventful too but this time I was rather prepared..One thing which strangely I'd never noticed earlier and the Mumbai Local experience made me notice is that even "Women feel hungry - for food of course :P" Ya, I had never seen women eating like the women in the train were eating, before, so man-ly it was!! Surely they were all very tired but aren't most of the women are seen as representing the opinion that one should eat only home food and for that matter not even eating in places like train..?? My Mom does..given it is not FREE ka Food ;) and it was a cultural shock for me..But it made me happy somehow..So why should I not have it..I ate too...Mausi ki Bhel Puri!!

That was all about the day, and perhaps I will always laugh, thinking about it..and probably no more local trains for me..My bus takes the same amount of time and I can even doze off there..;) You win Darling :D

Hail Mumbaikars! _/\_
Dishi