AND the most charming personality award goes to...

Some 25 years down the memory lane...
Amma: Hey Meena, listen up... No need to go to office today. Get out of this salwar, Wear a saree and get lookable soon.
Meena: what's the dealio amma? why creating such a fuss all of a sudden? and I have an important meeting today. I cant take an off.
Amma: please do as I say.. Groom's people will be here in no time. Wont look good if they catch us argueing over nothing like this. ANyway, you are still not a baby, its high time I got you married.. You are twenty there.. the right age and marriage package for a girl. Now come on dont waste time dear.
Meena: Amma, I am not yet mentally prepared for the bondage, restrictions, family and of course sex. I need time amma.
Amma: Do you have someone else in mind dear? Do tell me frankly and boldly. Your choice will further lessen my tension adn responsibilities. I know, my daughter would have chosen the best of best for her guy.
Meena: amma, nothing like that. I have no time nor inclination towards love marriage. You mean the world to me and I know you will make the best choice for me.
Amma: then let today be the red letter day. Come dear, get ready.

Meena got ready, thinking to herself today is THE day for her. She made a mental note of questions to ask the groom and answers for imaginary questions. She decided not to wear any make up, as she was radiating beauty from within. She wanted her better half to sense this and like her for the Meena she is. She wore a simple rangachari cotton saree,deep maroon bordered with mustard yellow. She gave birth to beads of perspiration, the cause of which being trepidition, uncertainity and anticipation.She took deep breaths took the plate of snacks and filter coffee for Vikram, his parents and Vikram's brother in law. Vikram was a shy guy too and was just stealing looks at Meena when no one else noticed.He realised she is a fantasy, a reality, personification of perfection, beauty and power. She is the warrior in times of gloom and uncertainity. She is the absymal source of unadultereated love and comfort.She is the paradigm of womanhood. Meena however wanted to have a little chat with Vikram, alone. The parents agreed and they went out for a walk, a walk to remember..
Vikram: I am Vikram, Metallurgist from REC trichy. I like to play bridge and squash.I secretly have watched not-so-family types movies, I no longer do. I do not have any girfriends, but I do accept I had a crush on my only girl class mate, Suganthi. I do not drink but smoke rarely. I love my parents and my sister, now I love you.WIll you be mine forever?

Meena was a mixture of abashment, reverance and bliss by these frank confessions by a total stranger. She felt she could live her life fully, from the bottom of her heart if they get married. She felt the closeness and feeling of immense security creeping in.She gave her approval with a simple nod and a shy smile.They got married...Got two daughters.. One of whom never believes in love at all (forget love-at-first-sight), but still respects and cherishes their bond. That One is truly grateful to Vikram for choosing such a wonderful girl.. Who is my mother who rose along with the sun today,her birthday.. All I can say is , I am the most luckiest girl on earth to have her as my besttttt friend, my love , my life :):) Meena, you rock :). Happy birthday :)err.. dont we look great???

Better read this mateys:):)

One of the best things you can find under my work table is the angelic abode of mosquitoes. Second best thing is they love me so much that they accompany me all the way home, to my bed, wash room and err.. well.. everywhere okay.. I really hate the dark skin of the night peeling off so soon every morning, but nowadays it really does’t matter since it is Preeti who wakes up the sleeping sun. I really don’t mind the mosquito bites I don’t feel anything ( yeah.. my skin is like George Bush, immune to everything and good for nothing J). I get rocked out of my beauty sleep when Mr Mosquito comes up to my ear and buzzes, “ Hey buddy , your veggie man chow soup tastes great!!, thanks for the wonderful dinner treat, see you tomorrow J”
Now I can hear you say this female is acting as though she is the sole sufferer of mosquito menace. That is exactly what I wish to say now ( ha.. finally !!). When we can “serve” mosquitoes without a choice, why cant we choose to “serve” humanity? Or have you always wanted to help and never knew whom what how when where thingies???

Click here for details about a wonderful community of youngsters, who provide sponsorship and mentor ship guidance for needy children. A mentor is one who needs to visit the child for just six hours a month ( location of child to be mentored will be near your home), take photo copies of mark sheets, give educational guidance and also moral support.
A sponsor needs to take care of the financial commitments of the child pertaining to education. A mentor is not advised to give money.

Best thing we can give them is what we claim not to have ever-size-zero: TIME, which needs to be given birth and streamlined, wholly having the leash in our hands:)
So, on your mark, get set, go :):)

mixture of emotions...

1. I am forcing myself to blog because I Feel the wind knocked out of me. My friend's father breathed his last. I am so cut off from people and civil life that I forgot to give her my new mobile number and didn check her mail to me also. Got to know the news after a week. Bathed in guilt as I could not be with her when she needed me. Padma, Please forgive me. Uncle means a lot to us. Sincerely praying for his soul to rest in peace.

2. Is it really possible to get so close to people that getting apart from them literally bleeds your heart? Knowing fully well we are not destined to be together forever since the only similarity being different paths? Sometimes, companionship does hurt a lot and solitude mocks at your face saying she won finally and that you ultimately run towards her. All that is left with you are a few wet tissues, sleepless nights and eternal memories.

3. On the sunny side up, I saved a fish the other day. I was hanging clothes outside and thanks to the continual showers that our cricket ground now became the abode of myriad aquatics. I saw a fish struggle for life inside our compound floor and despite her thorns and her slippery self, put her back home. Rightly said, big things come in small packages.

4. Mr Fate brings you so much happiness that you dread the next moment. I was hunting for a book like crazy sometime back and casually told my two friends am yet to find it. One of them got it through e-bay and the other got it couriered from some corner in Mumbai. Though its a book, the emotions linked are priceless and I am left with so much goodness to know people care so much.

5. Missing my sister very very much. She is in a boarding school and allowed only one phone call a week which she uses to speak to amma. When some week she calls me instead of amma, I am stuck up with my boss or with customers. What life is this when you cant devote meagre time who mean the world to you? I sometimes sit and ask myself if I am doing justice to the people around me... Yet to find an answer.

6. Sometimes, I lie to my heart. I choose to be happy, I choose to close my eyes to the paranoid things around, I choose to sleep when I am supposed to act, I choose to stay passive when am expected to guide, I choose to say 'time will heal' when I know 'now' is also time.

7. There rages a war between professional and emotional decisions. Again, I leave the call to time without much brooding.

8. Keshi, sorry for missing your Birthday. Hope you understand. XOXO. Wishing you the best of best ever in life. Smiles and cheers always :)

SHE

SHE was the most wanted..

SHE was unexpected..

SHE had the brilliant combination of power force and energy..

SHE was beauty..

SHE was a feast to the parched sockets..

SHE was transient..

SHE was the Dust Storm...

I am happy to live now after just tasting deep sleep, it hit our office, removed our roof, but still, we live.. LIFE, I LIVE YOU :):)

travel travails

SO now in Bhilai, back to my non-cozy cocoon :(:( no, this aint another Bhilai this- Bhilai that rant of mine .. 

Though the true spice of India lies in travelling by second sleeper, thinking of the following reasons thwarts the thought:

1. 1500 kms in second sleeper means irritation due to wailing babies around, frustration due to a young couple doing ahem... wat eva :), helplessness when an old uncle speaks non stop on familiar topics like shares, politics and embarrassment when he asks me my favorite topic and I reply Food :(:( 

2. Company pays for 2nd AC , so why hurt our finance dept by turning down their offer ???

3. Exponential increase of temperature from Bangalore to Bhilai :)

4. Plug point ( though half the time not working ones) to charge mobile so that my boyfriend does not miss me :P

We had to take two trains, from Bangy-Nagpur and Nagpur to Durg.. Bangy to Nagpur was heaven travel.. These railway people did not have place in their stupid train from Nagpur-Durg for two hot and sexy girls :( So we had to take an open ticket and catch hold of TT to get some place to rest our tired ass which had travelled for one day already. The conversation bet my friend Nan and the TT :

Nan: Sir, we had booked our tickets thru internet.. It came to WL 4 and 5 and got cancelled.. We now have purchased a general ticket. can you arrange for some place in sleeper atleast.. even one seat would do (she s a poor disillusioned girl, thinkin both of us are size zero, but didn dare tell her anythin then, lest I should be roasted alive )

TT:yeh jo baajoo mein khade hain unka waiting 33 hai. maine unko mana kar diya. (roughly meaning the man here has waiting 33.. i refused him a seat, the inter-circuital meaning being, he needs money from us, more than what that man could offer)

Nan: teek hai sir, daal dijiye (and groped in her wallet for notes).

TT: 500+172 (172 being actual ticket fare..

She pays the price and we load ourselves and our luggage in the crystal latticed space available. Only to realise it was the TT s seat and his suitcase occupying half the seat allotted to us (side lower) and the guy opposite us giving us errr ahem  bad looks (yeah.. I know his hormones are perfectly functional, so no issues there :)) 

The fried rice aroma packed tempts us to eat, but the you-know-wat smell tempts us to never touch food for next ten days.. Finally we reach home at twelve, stinking, sweating, thirsty, hungry to find out there s a power failure and water supply gone too :( This is how Preeti is treated when she herself feels like taking a look at water, never given a chance to being non hydrophobic :(:(

Rest in next guys and girls :):) Cheers till then :):)

SHEELA..

I remember getting down at school with her in the cycle rickshaw just before prayer bell...

I remember her smile from the heart, which has the magnetic attraction to brighten up anyone's grumpy mood...

I remember teaching her Physics light and sound problems just before the exams...

I remember her giving her time and space for me always...

I remember her kiddo bro, who used to come rushing at her at the four thirty bell, perhaps the only soul who loved her..

I remember her puking blood one day...

I remember her last brave smile...

God has perhaps made a sensible choice to give her permanent peace away from the turbulent domestic life she lived...

Yet, thinking of her, a silent tear drops down my cheeks, thinking of the positivity she radiated despite her problems, the attitude she lived with, seeking no solace in the cowardly covers of sympathy. Sometimes life becomes so so hard on you and reality slaps across your face left-right-left, not giving you time to accept things the way they are. Not able to face the truth, hiding in the cozy cacoon of non-veracity, hoping for some improbable miracle. Hoping you were in some other place. Hoping you never knew the person so close, and hoping the emotional shackles will break away soon, not affecting you with unfathomable grief. Feel like writing no more.Sheela, will ever be yours. Still, I wish I had a time-turner.

Sacred Space- The Garden

For the Garden of your daily living

Plant three rows of peas:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:

1. Squash gossip

2. Squash indifference

3. Squash grumbling

4. Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce (let us):

1. Lettuce be faithful

2.Lettuce be kind

3. Lettuce spread love

No garden is without turnips (turn-ups):

1.Turnip for meetings

2.Turnip to protest injustice

3.Turnip to help others

And in our garden we must have enough Thyme (time):

1. Thyme for each other

2.Thyme for family and friends

3.Thyme for oneself

Water freely with forbearance and see the fruits of your garden, what you reap is what you sow.

PS: No doubt, you are eading this in Preeti's blog.. something hatke.. but hope you appreciatemy meek yet sincere attempt. Cheers :)