The Eternal Activist

Updates anyone?

2010-08-10T12:48:00.000+05:30

Looks like I've completely lost touch with the entire world. Got in touch with some of my friends yesterday and it was sooo nice :)
Things are fine... things are good... baby steps :)
p.s. Also- I'm in love... so that's great :)

2010-03-09T14:08:00.003+05:30

One of the best things I've done in life, is to start my journal. I never considered myself to be a writer (let alone a good writer)... and the only reason I started one was, because I was venturing into a new phase in life and wanted to capture every moment of it.. :)

But soon that journal became such an important part of my life that it's unbelievable. It's become like a spiritual thing for me.. like a place I can go to for peace and quiet.. a place where I can be completely myself, without any pretences, without any masks... good or bad- that's how I am.. and my journal doesn't judge me for it...

Wish, people were like that!

2010-02-02T13:01:00.003+05:30

The best part of getting married is the early mornings. When you wake up in your husband's arms and cuddle up... or when one person is awake and kisses the other one up too... I love rubbing my cold, winter legs against Am's and hearing him squeal :D

Sometimes, when he is sleeping at night and I can't get any sleep, I like to look at him.. he sleeps like a baby with faint snores... We keep only 1 pillow in our room.. coz he says he doesn't need one.. but how he lands up on my pillow every morning, I don't know :D :D

Early mornings are great! (Don't get me started on the nights though! ;)

2010-01-21T13:10:00.002+05:30

I am back to writing after a really long time. It's been ages since I've blogged. The main reason has obviously been my dismal time management. I just got too busy with my new venture (www.xelf.in) and my new relationship... and then I got really busy with my wedding preps and now I'm just busy managing my in-laws and my husband and my work and my personal time!

Basically, it's upto you how busy or how free you want to be in Life. I have realised that I am one of those people who need to be busy, who like it like that. And I just have to find time out of those 24 hours, to do everything that I want to, in Life :)

Solitude...

2009-08-06T23:23:00.002+05:30

It seems like ages since i've come to this space!

I got my first member for Xelf today! Feeling great :D

The good news is that I've been fairly busy- what with work and personal life taking up so much of my time... :)

The bad news is that I really need to learn how to keep the two separate... when I'm working, I keep thinking about him...and when I'm with him, I keep thinking about work!! :D

Am I going crazy (or was I always crazy?)

What's in a name?

2009-07-15T13:52:00.002+05:30

I remember attending a seminar @K, where this marketing guy from ITC had come. Someone asked him what was the most difficult things they faced when launching a new brand- and pat came his reply- coming up with a name for the brand!

I am at a similiar stage. I am about to register my company and have not been able to come up with a name that I am happy with. At times I think that if someone can name computers after a fruit and actually make a brand like Apple, well then- it won't matter what I name my company :)

But then I think that I want something different, something stylish, something which will make people sit up and notice. Shakespeare and Steve Jobs might not agree with me, but the name is definitely important...

2009-07-14T16:29:00.002+05:30

What is the effing matter with me...! I am supposed to be smart, sensible and a mature individual (at least in my eyes!). Ya, I'm engaged. That's cool. But is that any excuse for completely forgetting everything else that matters to me and just letting my days waste away dreaming?

I can't believe that I've just let myself get so caught up, that I'm forgetting my priorities. Yes, I'm painting the town red.. I totally am! And I'm loving each and every moment of it... it's simply amazing :)

Ok, cool... but c'mon I can't just forget all the other stuff that means so much to me... and for which I have invested so much time, energy and emotions. But lately, my mind seems to have completely moved onto a different plane and I just don't feel like working... this will not do.. this will not do at all... All I need is some patience and self control and some common sense and some sanity... sigh..

What's the effing matter with me??

2009-07-09T13:14:00.003+05:30

I read somewhere that Time is like a fistful of sand.... the more we try to hold on to it, the faster it runs out... Suddenly that's how my life seems to have become... like Time is just running out and there is soooo much to be done...

I'm sh*t scared...

2009-07-04T01:07:00.000+05:30

I might as well say it out loud- I'm engaged! :)

2009-07-03T11:57:00.002+05:30

Pride March in Kolkata on this coming Sunday. Similiar marches will happen in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai etc. Please look up the location in your city and do participate.
Be Gay! :D

Date: Sunday, July 5, 2009
Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: College Square
City: Kolkata, India

2009-07-03T11:52:00.002+05:30

A smile is hovering over my lips... there's a general feeling of well- being... it's as if God wants to give me another chance :)

Status Update

2009-07-01T14:09:00.003+05:30

Hmmm well... had a long conversation with Am yesterday... the signs are good... very good in fact... let's just see how things go from here... hmmm... surprisingly I'm still feeling pretty blank... the words just don't flow... maybe once things settle down a bit, I'll write something more concrete... for the time being I'm satisfied with laying back and enjoying each day as it comes :)

p.s. Good to see myself smiling like this again :D :D

Are you feeling gay?

2009-06-29T00:27:00.000+05:30

The gay parade in Delhi took me quite by surprise...but in a good way. It's heartening to see that the government is finally at least looking positive about repealing Article 377 of the IPC. To bring clarity to people who don't know what this law is about, let me explain. Basically it prohibits intercourse against "the order of nature". Which means that if you belong to, what is commonly known as the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community- it a criminal offence in our country. Such unlawful sex can land you a heavy fine and even a 10 year sentence!

The question then is that if a person is born like this, then isn't it Nature's doing? And so, how can you be against the order of nature? What is funnier is that in a democracy, a person basically does not have the right to choose his life partner. When I hear politicians, clerics, maulvis, priests and pundits say that this is a sin or that it is against their scriptures- I wanna give them 1 tight slap (MTV style!)
a) Because we all know that these people just want power and have never been modern thinkers. They will hardly support any idea of change.
b) Stop the crap about how this is against Indian culture and how we Indians are so culturally rich etc etc... The country is bursting from its seams because of its uncontrollable population- which means that somebody is getting laid. So just cut the pretence of being seedha-saadha...
c) We keep hearing stories about young boys and girls being abused by priests and pundits. Now that's unnatural!

Every time a discussion has been started about this law, the ministers from the concerned ministries have themselves been orthodox thinkers and have not been able to even come to a consensus regarding at least modifying Article 377. (But this time around I'm hoping we'll see something concrete happen).
I know it will take a long time for the LGBT community to become a part of the mainstream community in a country like ours. But it's definitely heartening to see that there seems to be a positive change and acceptance and more and more people have the courage to come out of the closet.

Stop Child Abuse

2009-06-15T16:20:00.001+05:30

A woman comes and tells me that she is worried that her father-in-law is sexually abusing her 2 year old daughter. Read it carefully- 2 years old!! She doesn't know what to do; her husband has so far placated her fears by saying, "It's not possible!" But now she is more or less sure. Expecting support from her mom-in-law or the younger brother-in-law is out of the question. What should she do now, she asks me. Should she confront him, should she move out of the house, how should she stop the man's access to her daughter? He is after all the kid's grandfather, and as far as people are concerned, a very doting grandfather!

I dont have answers for her. I have learnt how to handle queries, how to give comfort, how to be sympathetic.... but I don't have answers to questions like these. There are just so many threads to each situation like this. There are so many people/family members involved....I'd like to think that I explained the importance and urgency of the situation very well to her... and also convinced her to talk to her husband. But everytime I come across cases like these, I get more and more frustrated... I don't get the feeling that I'm doing any good in the world (or not enough at least). I'd like to see Elaan have a full-fledged intervention cell, where we can actually protect victims like these... but I know that's not happening any time soon... and that's what scares me... there are so many children out there and no one to listen to them, support them or stand for them...

p.s. Photograph by Paromita Deb Areng

Lessons learnt from Life

2009-06-08T00:51:00.002+05:30

a) Never work on a business with friends or relatives

b) Keep professional and personal lives mutually exclusive

c) Don't trust people

d) Your family is the only one to stick with you in times of trouble. They will always be there for you and will always have your best in mind.

e) Never trust men, where business is concerned. They are far more manipulative than women can even imagine!

f) People come alone in this world and go alone. This journey of life should be travelled alone and with supreme self-confidence

g) Writing stuff like this in a blog won't help. What will help is to go back to the drawing board and learn from your mistakes and move on. A couple of knocks in life shouldn't bog you down!

2009-05-23T23:32:00.002+05:30

I don't remember when was the last time I laughed so much...! I had thought that I would leave latest by 9 pm, but I finally reached home at 11 :P

Some observations about life-

*Harmless flirting is the most amazing and healthy thing in the world

*It's great to meet old aquaintances after a long time- you have so much to talk about :)

*Laughter is the best medicine

*It's surprising how you can somehow meet people after 2-3 years and yet, just pick up the threads from where you last left them...

All in all, a great party- I'm really glad I decided to pull myself out of bed for this one :D

2009-05-11T20:25:00.002+05:30

I am soooo tired I can't believe it... don't remember the last time I felt this exhausted... and I mean a good exhausted- the kind that makes you feel happy and satisfied... sigh :)

To all people reading this blog- the best thing you can do for yourself is to quit your lousy jobs (if you find them lousy, i mean.. if you're loving your work- then this advice is not for you :P) ... so as I was saying- just quit your job and dive head-first into your own venture- do whatever excites you, what you've always wanted to do... don't wait for opportunities to knock on your door... go create your own opportunities :)

The Taliban is back...

2009-04-16T12:48:00.003+05:30

The new Shia Family Law passed by Afghanistan comes as big blow to any progress towards gender equality. The fall of the Taliban might have been welcomed in Afghanistan, but they surely don't seem in a hurry to let go of their philosophies..! The law stands against the most basic rights that a woman can ask for.

She cannot leave the house without her husband's permission and cannot get education or employement or even medical help without his consent. The wife is supposed to submit to her husband's sexual demands- which basically means that whenever he gets horny (sorry about the language), she better be ready or he would be well within his rights to rape her (after all it is one of his rights as her husband!)

It is heartening to see that the women of Afghanistan have not given up...about 200 of them took to the streets in a protest march against the law...only to be faced by a mob of angry men who spit on them and threw stones at them!! And these same men say that this Law has been passed to protect the weaker sex (though I wonder who they are being protected against?)

And the roller coaster continues...

2009-04-13T11:27:00.002+05:30

I sometimes wonder why I cannot be as proffessional in my personal life as my proffesssional life. I wish I could just treat myself like a colleague or a job to be done or deadlines to be met... would just be able to become a task-master and just do what I need to... Just go about Life as if it were part of my job and take up whatever comes my way- whether I like it or not...

I mean, I know I'm going round in circles... but sometimes I wish I could just be more content with life... I wonder why I keep getting this feeling of dissatisfaction every now and then, like there's so much I'm missing out on... I sometimes wish I hadn't gone to K at all... bcoz the days spent there have shown me how much more one can get out of life... and how much more I can expect from life... and when you raise your expectations, then obviously you won't be satisfied in life..! (pout)

GiST

2009-04-03T12:32:00.005+05:30

Came across this site called Grace in Small Things. The concept is just soo simple that you'd be surprised you never thought of it. It's just about being thankful about the small things in life. We all find it so much easier to crib about life, work, relationships, families etc... but how often do we feel thankful for the good things? So this site gets people together to fight against embitterment, against sarcasm, against cribbing.... :)

All you have to do, is say thanks for 5 good things everyday...It's not going to be as simple as that though... bcoz we are conditioned in such a way that we cannot see the good in people/situations/life... frankly- when I sat down to write, I really couldn't think of a lot of things to say grace about. But that doesn't mean we can't try :)

I'm flying my helicopter to SA

2009-04-02T12:26:00.002+05:30

The power of imagination is the best thing about childhood. It can make you into whatever you want to- a pilot, a doctor, an actor, a model... it changes everyday :D You can make as many imaginary friends as you want...you have to hear my 4 yr old nephew talk, to understand what good, vibrant imagination is :D

He has 2 imaginary friends- one is Rahul (he is supposed to be a doctor) and the other is called Kashyap (!!??)... and apparently both of them are his colleagues from office! :D I get to hear stories about how Rahul picked him up in the morning and how they went to office together... everyday, he talks to them on my mobile... gives them details about his daily activities... tells me about how they are all going to South Africa to watch the IPL matches... he will apparently take his helicopter there and park it somewhere outside the stadium.... hehehe.... and the best part is when I tell him that I can't come to SA with him, coz I have office... he says, "Bad luck! I'll just have to leave you and go" :))

Kids! :D

Combating Child Sexual Abuse

2009-03-30T12:10:00.003+05:30

For those who still don't know about my association with Elaan and the fight against child sexual abuse (CSA)- here are some things I'd like to share.

Elaan's mission is to reach out to as many people as possible and create awareness about CSA. We hope to empower victims, help them in the healing process, create dialogues and reach out to survivors...you can read more about them on their blog.

I'd like to tag my fellow bloggers- Shekhar, Sheeba, Paro, Suma, Nitai, Neeta, Ami, Jayesh, Karra, DB- to write about CSA. Whatever little you can write would be great. Do make a mention of Elaan and paste the link to it's blog. It's all for a cause and I'm hoping to reach out to as many people as possible. If anyone wants to contribute to the cause in any way, please feel free to ping me :)

2009-03-27T12:58:00.002+05:30

I envy people who have a real talent.. I mean the kind of thing you can actually exhibit... to be able to dance or sing or paint or something like that.... That's what I call real talent.

Went to M's house and saw the recent portraits she has done- and I just wish I could draw like that.. Do check out her blog and you will see what I mean...

http://maryamys.blogspot.com/

2009-03-25T16:41:00.003+05:30

Like a rose, life was meant to have its thorns.

Read this somewhere and well, I thought why not- I'm anyways not writing much original stuff these days...and it's a nice, simple statement... and gets the message across very simply :)

2009-03-23T12:08:00.001+05:30

It's the time to Disco... na nana nana... it's the time to disco... :D

On the pure relationship of a father and daughter...

2009-03-21T13:02:00.003+05:30

For those who still believe that this does not happen in "our" society or to people "like us"- wake up!

2 very very similiar incidents have come into the media glare in the last week. One was the case of the Austrian, 73 year old Joseph Fritzl who kept his daughter imprisoned in his house cellar for 24 years, and physically assaulted, abused and raped her and even fathered 7 children with her! He has been sentenced to life imprisonment and the woman and her children are undergoing clinical help.

Now, for all of you who are smirking and thinking that this is what happens in Western civilisations and that we Indians cannot even imagine something like this happening here- read this.! The same thing can happen and does happen in India too. It's simply that we Indians like to live like ostriches, with our heads buried away from the truth.

My only incentive for writing this is that there needs to be a stronger punishment for incest cases like these, because here, the guardian, who is supposed to be protecting his child from this very thing, is the perpetrator of the crime. There needs to be very strict laws to protect children against abuse. Is anyone listening??

Live life queen size!

2009-03-19T12:11:00.003+05:30

I will never understand how the human mind works. 2 incidents occured yesterday- and they both make me realise the same thing- that your life is in your hands. It's up to you- what you do with it and how you live it. No one is to blame for your sorrows, miseries and troubles. You need to have the confidence to stand by what you believe is right for you!

Mukhtar Mai has got married and I couldn't be happier. This lady has been a source of inspiration for me. It would be fairly easy for people like you and me to stand up for what we believe in. But here is a woman- barely literate, born in an oppressive society, never stepped out of home, financially dependant on her parents... and she had the guts to stand up against her oppressors and shake the entire administrative and judicial system of her country!

Cut to 2009. A young woman in her early thirties, born and brought up in Calcutta, received good education, had a loving family, got married, had kids (the younger one is less than a year old!)- and she commits suicide (or was it?) because she cannot stand the torture of her in-laws anymore. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that R is no more. My question is that why didn't her parents and brother do anything about it when they knew of her dismal relationship with her in-laws? And why didn't she have the courage to step out of the marriage? How can a smart, educated young woman continue to live in the humiliation and torture and not have the guts to say, "Balls to you!! ^%$#@$"

As long as women continue to live in an oppressed manner and think that there is no hope for them- our society will not change. Take your life in your hands- don't wait for someone to come help you... otherwise it may be too late!

Random

2009-03-18T12:01:00.000+05:30

I have decided to take on the issue of online privacy very seriously. I had had issues with this earlier also- but this time I am adamant. I have deleted my Orkut, Facebook and Linkedin profiles and have made my blog personal. But now the problem is that, if I know that no one can read it, there's no fun in writing it. So I'm still trying to work out some way in which people who I know can read this- but strangers cannot look me up via google or something.

Morning cuppa

2009-03-15T06:36:00.003+05:30

5 o'clock in the morning is the best time of the day. Any day, any month, any year- there's no time better than 5 am! I confess that I have been a morning person my entire life (that's until I went to K and become and owl overnight! :))
But truly- for peace, quiet and serenity- there's nothing better than getting up at 5 in the morning....you can hear the birds chirping (and I mean it- they actually chirp- the sparrows i mean, not the crows)... and the pigeons go about with that weird sound in their throat.. like they were gargling.. there was this really cute white pigeon on the terrace today. Our gardener has put a row of small yellow flowers and then a row of orange flowers (which have brown centres) and there were bees on them (of which I am generally scared)... the best part is that there is NO one around... I like that... I like being alone at times... though there is a big eagle (or maybe it's a hawk- i don't know the difference) hovering overhead.. which is a li'l scary... but you just can't help that tug on your lips which comes from the quiet of the surrounding- and you break into a smile when there is that sudden breeze which gives you goosebumps :)
Good Morning to the world :)
p.s. I'm contemplating getting another tattoo- ideas are welcome :D

Hori khele raghuveera awadh mei... hori khele...

2009-03-12T11:40:00.003+05:30

Yesterday's holi celebrations were awesome fun..! One of the perks of staying in a HUGE joint family is that every festival becomes that much more special and fun :D

As usual the start was simple- with people being drenched with buckets of water, being pelted with balloons and smeared with abeer and gulaal. Then obviously the entire gang (read 30 ppl) started targeting one person at a time and he/she would be thrown to the ground and basically left in such a beggarly state that even their parents wouldn't recognise them :D

The best part was the expression on R's face when A smeared her with what we call "keechadd" (and not just once- every time she got a little cleaned up, he would come from behind and smear that horrible muck on her) :D It's not gross if it's not being put on you and you can stand and laugh at someone else's plight :D

Well after a while, people got hungry and gorged on the amazing food (paani puri was awesome!)... but but but... the second round of playing got worse! Soon people were pelting food on each other (that was my cue to disappear quietly :D)

But all in all- the festival was celebrated in its true spirit- with elders and youngsters joining with equal gusto... and the kids were amazing.... they just couldn't get enough of the fun :)

2009-03-08T12:21:00.003+05:30

When you really really need someone to be there- you'll find yourself all alone. Believe me... you'll not find a single friend online... most people will be busy and other won't pick up the phone... ! When you need a friend- believe me, there will be none. So my suggestion is that just be your own friend! Don't expect the world to stand by you when you're down and out.

Random random random stuff

2009-03-04T11:40:00.004+05:30

Reading has become theraupatic for me. Earlier I read simply coz I enjoyed it... now I also read coz it helps me calm down and does not let my mind stray... There was a time I loved dancing for the same reasons... that it helped me just live in the moment.

For those who think that Harry Potter is just for kids- I used to think the same at one point of time (it was also partly due to my loyalties towards Enid Blyton). But, when you actually read it, believe me you'll realise the fun of reading a children's book again. It's a magical world and I don't mind believing in witches and wizards and goblins and elves for a short span of time- until you break out of that mood and come back to earth :)

The papers had a story of a young girl from Kolkata who went to a guy friend's place for a party where the guy's friends gangraped her! Along with the instant reaction of anger and shock, came the realisation that I could have easily been in that girl's place! For the first time in my life I find myself questioning my sense of judgement about my friends. How many nights have been spent giggling, joking and partying with friends on campus... how many outings have been made with the guys- to far-off places in Kerala... how many times have I been to friends' places in Mumbai...?? This girl did the same thing- she went to a 'friend's' place... what is sad is that one incident makes everyone stand back and re-look and question their own circle of trust. The next time a friend asks me over or some friends plan an outing- I'm gonna think twice about it. I'm sorry that it's like this :(

One of my longest posts! (Book review)

2009-02-26T11:10:00.002+05:30

Dear Mr. Adiga,

Next time you attempt to write a novel (which i fervently wish you don't!) please keep in mind, the sanity of the readers. As is obvious from your book, The White Tiger- you have no great writing skills, you don't know how to play with words at all and have completely no story to tell! I don't know whether to label you as a communist (why else would you support "killing your boss to make it big in life" simply because one has had a difficult childhood, in poverty?)... or maybe you are one of those people who think that just by being sarcastic and talking about India's drawbacks you can conjure up a good novel- well, you're wrong!

No part of your description of the protagonist's difficult village life, was even remotely moving. If you want to be so bloody sarcastic about this country- well then first go and do something for all these poor villagers that you seem to care about! You've lived a major part of your adult life outside India, in comparatively developed places like Australia and the US and then you have the gall to actually come back and be so damn critical of this country!

I would suggest that you read another well known book called Shantaram, where a foreigner gives his perspective about India, it's villages and life in Mumbai...Believe me you will learn a lot!! I do not have a problem with the fact that you've spoken mainly of India's backwardness in the villages (in the first half of the novel), but rather with the condescending attitude that you have used.

In the end, it is my personal request that you please explain to me why the character is writing a letter to the Premier of China, telling his life story to him??? I'd really really like to know what made you think that this guy should write a loooonnng letter (the entire novel!) to the Chinese head, giving him his life story?? Yes, you wanted to write it in first hand- I got that! But writing a letter to the Chinese Premier??? What, why? why? You are a crazy person. QED.

2009-02-18T13:03:00.002+05:30

I have spoken about his earlier also and now once again I am wondering about the secret behind life and death. I have started believing that there is some algorithm behind this entire cycle. There is some Power, trying to maintain a balance on the planet. Which is why, sometime last year, I was only hearing of new births... in my extended family alone there have been 3 births and I have heard of some 4-5 other people who've had babies last year. In the beginning of last year there were 3 deaths in my family and I heard of some 3-4 other deaths.

Now again in the last 2 weeks I have already heard of 3 deaths... some of them really freaky- like a sudden haemorrage or a road-crossing accident..! And again I think that some supreme being is trying to create a balance of some kind by equalling the total number of births and deaths.

Emosanal Atyachar

2009-02-16T23:54:00.002+05:30

Sometimes I like being melancholy... I don't know what it is about this feeling.. but sometimes you just enjoy feeling this weird mixture of sadness, nostalgia, pain... and somehow it feels nice.. I don't know why but it feels nice.. maybe I'm the only one who likes this feeling?

To make it clear, I'm not wallowing in self-pity or crying my eyes out... I'm just feeling like you feel on a rainy day... when the sky is cloudy and you feel lazy and somehow old memories stir up from some corner of your brain... :D

You just like listening to songs that you know have a certain effect on you... you like looking at old pictures of family and friends...some people like having a nice strong whiskyand a nice comfi sofa to be in...sigh...I don't even know what I'm saying or what I'm about to type... it's nice... weird but nice...

p.s. In K's words, "Such is life. Tougher than we ever imagined it would be...makes you wish you'd never grown up and could stay a kid for life, eh?"

2009-02-16T12:19:00.003+05:30

The past is lost to you forever, and the future isn't yet yours. Now is the only time you own. Use it well...

2009-02-14T01:14:00.000+05:30

Nithari Serial Killing

2009-02-13T17:12:00.002+05:30

I am so so so damn happy I cannot explain... Pandher and Koli have been handed the Death Sentence in the Nithari Case...I seriously doubted that our judicial system could deliver such judgement- but it has... god it has!! :D

Moninder and Koli have been charged with rape, murder, abduction- but the one thing that I still see missing in this list is the cause of child sexual abuse. All the victimes were between the age of 5 - 16 and were lured into the house and abused sexually... so what I would like to bring to my readers' notice is that how come there is still No Law against Child Sexual Abuse? We are living in 2009! I mean c'mon- at least recognise the fact that there is a need for a law for cases like these?

I pray for the victims and their families and hope that they find it in them to forgive and move on with their lives...coz closure is the best thing they could hope for...

Pitter Patter of Little feet :)

2009-02-13T12:57:00.002+05:30

I have just received some very good news. A very good friend of mine is going to become a father. What is surprising is that of our entire gang- he was the last person you could imagine in a father's role! In fact he is still like a kid.. like a little kiddo who would do a lot of masti :D

Well, anyways here's wishing the couple a very happy future...and may his kids make him tear his hair out like he used to do to us :D

Justice will prevail...

2009-02-13T11:16:00.002+05:30

The first thing my eyes fall on as I open the newspaper today morning is that Pandher and his servant Koli (from the Nithari case) have been declared guilty of rape and murder...Believe me, there couldn't have been a better way to start my day :)

For 2 whole years, the CBI kept saying that Pandher was not guilty, but today the special judge pronounced both master and servant guilty. I just hope that both these guys are given the death sentence! I know that a lot of people are against capital punishment- but given the kind of crime they have been charged for (I mean they actually hacked the bodies and did stuff which I don't think I wanna write about here... ) I am totally in favour of giving them the death sentence...! I know the dead children will not come back- nor will the pain of their parents get reduced in any manner... but the only good that will come out of it would be that there will be Justice and the families will finally get closure.

Gucci, Prada and the whole jingbang...!

2009-02-11T11:52:00.002+05:30

I have a problem. I don't understand fashion. There I admit it..!

I have never really been "fashionable" by general standards and frankly, I don't give a damn. :D Hmmm... now the point of this post is that I believe that if I can carry the right attitude and have enough confidence and pride- then I can go anywhere and not feel like all eyes are focused on me. I once went to a TOI party in Mumbai- one of those page 3 types... with ladies in slinky dresses and gentlemen in proper formal attire... and you know what I was wearing? I went in jeans and a tee-shirt with a broad blue headband on my head... I remember being in sneakers and wearing one of those Lance Armstrong bands around my wrist...! :P

No, this is not my way of rebelling to society's norms or of making any kind of statement... But, I reiterate- I cannot be bothered about wearing kajal or gooey lipstick every time I step out of the house... I don't care how many men turn and give me a second glance or how many women feel threatened by my presence :D Frankly, I feel that mainly bimbos need to go out of their way to doll up- coz we geeks are happy with our curly hair and freckled faces :D

Advertisement! ;)

2009-02-10T11:43:00.000+05:30

I am currently looking for old/ second hand books for some reason... now the thing is that I have realised that I HATE taking obligations from people. I somehow find it very very difficult to ask people to please give away their books for free...I find it difficult to say, "look, this is what I need- do you think you could help?"

So all I'm gonna do is put it up on my blog (this request) and if people read it and feel that they can hand over some books to me (maybe for a small price if they want) ... or get their friends to give away some- well then I'd be obliged. Other than that- I don't think I'll be able to actually go up to someone and ask for help :(

2009-02-09T12:46:00.002+05:30

My best score at basketball- 110 in 150 secs! Awesome! :D
My worst score in Bowling ever- less than 30! :(

Life has its best and worst moments... and all can happen within an hour!! So if you're happy- don't be too happy and complacent coz you don't know what's aroun' the corner... and if you're sad and depressed, don't be too worried, coz things will get better soon :D

p.s. Note how philosophical I have become these days! :D

Pissed off..!!!

2009-02-05T11:51:00.002+05:30

Okay... I am ssooooo PISSED OFF right now... i can't believe it... just.. no one come near me for the next few hours...!! I know I keep saying that I will not fly off the handle easily (it was one of my new year resolutions also!)... but I just can't help it... Sometimes you just get so damn frustrated with people and life... and you just wanna take out ALL your anger out on something... right now if I had a punching bag- that would be great!!! I mean how... how can people be like this? how can they just say anything and get away with it... I am sorry.. i do not have the patience or inclination to take crap from anyone!! Don't care who they are or how old they may be!

You Know You're a Bookaholic When...

2009-02-04T12:03:00.002+05:30

-You've figured out a way to read books in the shower without getting your book wet.
-You pack all your books for a trip but forget your underwear.
-You're packing for a romantic weekend away with significant other and you give more thought to which books to take than to which nightgown is your sexiest.
-You become murderous when you discover a friend lost a book you loaned her.
-Your twin sons' names are Rhett and Ashley. (I'd never name my kid after Ashley!)
-You call in sick so you can finish reading a book.
-It's 2am and you think "just another chapter" and do the same thing at 3am when you know you have to get up in 4 hours and work.

All those who read this and felt they could relate to it... and can feel a small smile coming up as you admit to being a bookaholic- ping me! I have a venture in mind and I'd like tips from people who are as big geeks as me :D

Random musings

2009-02-02T12:31:00.002+05:30

Resentment and bitterness over past wrongs are like rocks that drag your spirits down. Only when we let go of the rocks can we regain the freedom of spirit we once knew.

2009-01-30T18:06:00.003+05:30

Spent a large part of the day working on my latest B-Plan...what I realised was that when you're working on something that excites you- you don't give a damn about what time it is or whether you're tired or not.. somehow you keep working, keep coming up with new things and your fingers just fly on the keyboard. Lunch time is not important, even having to pee is not important coz you don't wanna be pulled away from the screen... :)

Breathtaking!

2009-01-24T17:08:00.001+05:30

Class of '99

2009-01-22T16:37:00.002+05:30

This one's inspired from Sheeba's blog. She wonders about how much we've changed in just the last 2 years... I went back and looked at the testimonials I received on Orkut and wondered if those adjectives still hold true for me.. will they hold true for long?

It's been 10 years since I passed out of school... and I'm organising an alumni meet... planning to get back in touch with my classmates from school...all those people who we were so close to... who we shared our childhood with... who we grew up with... I wonder how much they would have changed in the last 10 years... how much change they will see in me...

It's a great feeling to get back to your roots... sigh...

p.s. I wonder how many people can place me in the picture below :))

When God has some plans for you- who can reverse it?

2009-01-22T13:29:00.002+05:30

An undated pic of Obama- somewhere in Africa...!

To-do List (In no particular order) ;)

2009-01-15T14:01:00.004+05:30

Quote of the day

2009-01-12T11:26:00.002+05:30

If you don't expect anything from life, you'll be happy...

~ NK Agarwal (My dad).

Mr. Python and Moi

2009-01-08T13:33:00.003+05:30

A perfect end to a lousy year :P

2009-01-03T13:18:00.005+05:30

As you can understand from the title of this post (and my train of thought in the past few months), 2008 sucked BIG time for me... though actually maybe not... but in the last few months I experienced the lowest of lows possible... I didn't even know I had it in me to be sooo low :)

But thankfully (and very surprisingly) I was able to end my lousy year on a pretty high note! I am glad to announce that I had the chance to hold (and caress) a live Python in my hands... and in case you're wondering- Yes, I'm bragging! :D It was such a high that it was unbelievable... I hate snakes and I have never ever even wanted to touch one in my life... but as usual, I have no clue what got into me... :P and before I knew it, I had jumped the barricade and volunteered to hold the snake in my arms.... and it was sooo nice to feel that adrenalin again... sigh... I felt just sooo satisfied... like somehow I had managed to salvage something out of the past year... like it had not gone a waste :)

p.s. And if I was not scared of a python, then WTF am I doing, getting scared of small decisions of life... if I can hold a bloody lethal snake in my arms, I can do anything in this world... I don't have to worry about not being brave enough... I'm doing pretty all right :))

I believe in capital punishment

2008-12-23T23:01:00.003+05:30

I was seeing the story of this young girl on NDTV. A boy had thrown acid on her face (because she refused his proposal)... and her face was completely burnt & disfigured and she was blinded. The family has no money for her operations and is totally devastated. From being an earning member of the family, she has suddenly become a dependant...she is now suddenly living a vegetable's existence and can see no hope in life...

My first reaction was of horror, anger and a want to get hold of that guy and bash his head against the wall...what is wrong with society... what is wrong with this whole f***ing world?? I mean imagine how sick the perpetrator has to be, to do something like this! I generally consider myself to be a peaceful person, but when I see cases like these, sahi mein khoon khaul uthta hai...And like I've said before- these people should be hanged, or rather they should be pelted with stones till they breathe their last breath...

Yes. Yes. YES.. !

2008-12-22T12:13:00.002+05:30

Caught the new Jim Carrey movie yesterday- "Yes Man"... it's not your regular, mindless comedy with Jim making weird faces. It is a movie that sends out a simple message- "say Yes to Life". Try out new things, be open to opportunities, go out and live life, don't get stuck in the rut of office and home.. just do things that you enjoy...

Why I related so much to the movie (and I think most of my MBAs friends would too) is that after a point in time, we all get stuck in that zone- where we worry about work, deadlines, family, relationships etc.. we forget our hobbies, our passions, the things that we would do as kids... or hoped we would do when we grew up.. like flying a plane... going bunjee jumping... going biking on a starry night... I've done a lot a lot of things in the last couple of years, but lately the itch seems to have started again :D So I'm gonna start saying YES to life again and see what opportunities come my way :)

2008-12-22T11:57:00.003+05:30

Thank you Shekhar, for your nice comment on my previous post. But I'm sad to admit that I have already broken my resolve twice already after writing that post :P Or maybe it's god's way of saying that "tujhe jitna rona hai- issi saal mei ro ley... fir agley saal masti kar liyo" :D

Couple of things that I have to on my mind right now- which I just HAVE to write about...

a) Another baby born in my family... the third in 3 months (We are going through a baby boom) :P

b) I hate this Indian mentality of wanting a son... people were actually crying (!!) yesterday because another daughter was born and they wanted a son!

c) I'm looking fwd to my upcoming trips- getting in the party mood :)

2008-12-20T12:38:00.000+05:30

This year I pledge to...

2008-12-20T11:19:00.004+05:30

The New year is just 10 days away and it's that time again when I make my resolutions and resolve not to break them for at least 2-3 months :D Every year my resolutions are on very very similiar lines. I generally resolve to be a better person, to make better relationships, to be happy and to not cry at all in the next year... (the last one is always the first to be broken every year :D)

So as this year ends, I again look back on the past year and see the error of my ways.. and I tell myself that the coming year will be better...and that I will be a better person next year... I resolve to stay happy, whatever the circumstance and to not let anything bog down my spirit and enthusiasm. I will be grateful for whatever I have and be proud and content with my achievements, yet strive to excel in whatever I pursue (this is beginning to sound like my MBA SOP :D).

People will once again see that side of me, which I have kept hidden for the past 6-8 months... the side that people can see only glimpses of...that fun-loving, carefree person...look out guys... I'm coming back in FORM :D

2008-12-18T11:35:00.004+05:30

Being in a senti mood today (though, when am I not senti :D) I have decided to say thanks to a couple of people who have stuck by me, without hope for any returns and out of pure love. One of these people is K- who I really admire and respect. This person has been like a rock- giving me support -even though he needed a lot of it too... I don't think I have ever come across someone as "suljha hua" as him... though he always begs to differ :)

The other person is R-who refused to accept my testimonial on orkut- because I openly claimed that I love him and he was not sure how his girl friend would react :P The reason why I feel so nice when I talk to these people is that- they seem to know the answers to everything! Seriously...!

When I feel bad about something or worried or plain confused- they just seem to say things that make the whole situation so simple :) Like- K says,"We all make choices in life.. and your choices will not necessarily make everyone happy... but that's how life is. You've made a choice- so now just stick to it, instead of questioning it!"

Thanks guys... love you :)

Welcome to adulthood...

2008-12-11T11:11:00.002+05:30

Every now and then people remind me how much I've changed since campus days... how I've matured and sobered down (as opposed to being immature and wild??? :P)... people tell me how I'm no longer just that masti, fun-loving girl and they assure me that this change is for the better :)

But then, how come I don't feel so great about it? How come I want to go back to that immature, naive kid who landed in K, feeling ready to conquer to world? (I think I was a more fun person then and I've come back to my boring self again). Surprisingly, other people also agree to having similiar feelings. VB says that when we reached campus, it was as if we had pressed a reset button on our lives and we could change who we were and be who we really wanted to be. But this reset was meant to last only those 2 years- after that you come back to normal life, out of that dream world.. into adulthood, with responsibilities, pressures...

Put your hand into God's... trust Him to lead you...

2008-12-10T15:57:00.009+05:30

For once I found myself praying for someone else instead of myself.

Lately, i seem to have got into the habit of asking God for only things for myself... (don't we all :D)... umm... but then I heard about this person who is very sick and actually has been sick for quite some time now... over the past 2 years I have seen how his deteriorating health has affected the people near and dear to him... and everytime I feel thankful to God, for protecting my family, and yet a feeling of despair at the unfairness of the whole thing...

Well, somehow last evening, I just walked to the nearby temple and prayed... simple prayed for God to make this person better and to give his family some rest.. don't be so hard on them god...

It's really surprising how other people's pains and troubles always make our's seem so trivial....

2008-12-10T13:01:00.000+05:30

(pout)

:((((

Just thank god that you're normal...

2008-12-09T15:49:00.005+05:30

All those who've studied in an all-girls school might be able to relate to what I have to say today..

Was there any girl in school who was the classic tom-boy, with boy-cut hair, comparatively flat-chested- the kind who most people considered "wierd"..? At that time, maybe you didn't know the meaning of a lesbian or a transgender- but you simply knew that this girl was different.. she'd be made fun of, there'd by smothered giggles... she'd be remembered well, even years after you passed out of school...

Well.. umm... now what? What if you meet that person again today and you found that she was still the same... the same boy-cut hair, the same boyish clothes, still flat. I'll tell you what you'd do. The next time you met your friends- you'd go......"Hey, guess who I met the other day... XYZ... and guess what, she is still the same, man..!! I couldn't believe it..." And there'd be an uproar and people would laugh and remember their school days and her "funny" ways...! No one would really care about what she's doing with her life, whether she's happy, whether she's working somewhere... no- she'd always be labelled weird and that's what will always matter to people...!

"V@T&@Ll..so cool I m... :D

2008-12-04T13:21:00.005+05:30

Ok- this one's Hillllaaaarious!! :P

You know what I love about Orkut? You know that option where you can see the names of people of visit your profile...?

Well... you'll love this one... here is the profile of some guy (click here) who visited my profile yesterday... His name is Vatsal (so cool am i!) and and and- he has put up a pic of Shahid Kapoor (is that spelled with a double "o" or a "u"?). You have to read what he says about himself... I mean this guy crosses all limits of Narcissism! :D Oh and you HAVE to read the testimonial... "god take care of the person who is reading the testimonial....blah blah!! :))))

Hehehe... my day is made :)

Heal the world...

2008-11-26T15:42:00.004+05:30

Every time I come back from an Elaan meeting I get pepped up and think that I'm going to change the world from tomorrow onwards. I know that's not entirely possible, but I hope I can make a difference somewhere, somehow...

The reason why I enjoy interacting with these people is because now, for once, I seem to have met like-minded people... I have gone through my entire school life and college life and MBA life, being tagged as a feminist or a crusader or a rebel without a cause. Somehow I feel at peace with these people. They have very similar believes as me, they all want to make a difference somewhere, they all feel strongly about certain issues...

p.s. The pic is from the new upcoming Elaan office- where we had a short film screening and discussions- on World Day against Child Sexual Abuse. There will be more posts on this soon...

2008-11-24T14:47:00.002+05:30

Don't try and make a line shorter. Draw a bigger line above it.

2008-11-22T22:34:00.002+05:30

Ok ok ok... I go back on what I wrote in my previous post...! I am not going to keep changing my decisions... I will stick by them till the end! And I won't worry about things... I'll just leave everything to god from now on... bas done...!

GGrrrr....

2008-11-21T23:15:00.001+05:30

I am such a bad decision maker!! I don't know why I simply can't decide one thing and then just leave it... I keep going back and forth, back and forth about it... !! I'll be dead-sure about something today and then tomorrow I'll go- is that the right decision? Should I do it? Should I wait and watch to see what happens? And then I'll delay the execution... I don't know... when did I become so dumb? :(

Couple of random things...

2008-11-19T16:11:00.005+05:30

When you get too excited about something- things are bound to go wrong somewhere.... you know like you've been waiting for this weekend trip for a long time, but when Saturday comes- you find it raining cats and dogs... or you've waited months for a particular event and something goes wrong or it's not really as much fun as you'd hoped... well life is like that...

Some people are so egoistic you can't believe it!! I've had my share of snob relatives/aquaintances- who think they are god's gift to mankind and would never condescend to talk to or mingle with other lesser mortals... I say- such people have a really false sense of importance and they can go wash their heads in the toilet! :D Though I guess such people wouldn't condescend to read MY blog, so they wouldn't read my piece of advice to them... tsk tsk tsk... :D

I like orkut... but I'd like to know if there is some way in which you can cancel someone from your friend list... like maybe I can banish them from my kingdom... :D

Memories are wierd things... they have the ability to make you laugh or smile or cry :) Though as you get older, even the sadder times will evoke a smile from your face- as you realise that well, life isn't all that bad... So, if you're down today... tomorrow you'll smile at the memory of this day coz you'll realise that your were sad for no great reason.. :)

2008-11-14T15:49:00.002+05:30

Have you ever tried those stupid online quizzes..? Like the ones about "What's your colour.." or "Which celebrity are you" or "What will be your last words"...

Do you sometimes get the feeling that none of the options given suit you, or that maybe the most boring answer suits you? You know that you have to be truthful, but somewhere inside you want to cheat and give the most tempting and best answers... hehee... while taking the quiz only, I start feeling that this was a bad idea, because the answers that suit me, make me feel so dumb and "normal".. like I don't do something hatke... like I'm just another brick in the wall... but I'd like to feel that I'm different from junta...

I'd like to give answers like "I go bungee jumping or skydiving on weekends"... but my actual answer would be "I stay at home and play with the kids". So the answer I got to my quiz was "You'll die peacefully in your sleep...that's nice, though quite boring..." ;)

2008-11-14T13:22:00.008+05:30

Picked up this tag from shekhar's blog...it seems like a nice idea... let's see :)

The rules are as follows-

a) Put your music on shuffle mode

b) For each questn, press the next button to get your answer

c) Write the song name, no matter what it is

1. If someone says "Is this okay?", you say:
Janu meri jaan...main tere qurbaan..
main tera, tu meri... jaaney saara hindustaan..

2. What would best describe your personality?
Pappu can't dance saala...

(That's SO NOT true! :D)

3. What do you like in a guy?

Tumse milke aisa laga, tumse milke ...

armaan hue poore dil ke

Ae mere jaane wafa

Teri meri meri teri ek jaan hai

Saath tere rahenge sada

tumse na honge judaa...

4. How do you feel today?

Bhaage re mann kahin, aage re mann chala, jaane kidhar jaanu na...

5. What is your life's purpose?

Jaaney woh kaise, log the jinke... pyaar ko pyaar milaa..

humne to jab, kaliyaan maaangi... kaanton ka haar milaa...

6. What do your friends think of you?
Maula mere.. maula mere

maula mere.. maula mere...

7. What do you think of your parents?

I want to break free...

(Oops..!)

8. What do you think of very often?
Tere bina... jiya nahi jaaye....

tere hi maine... hai sapne sajaye...

9. What is 2 + 2?
Jhoom barabar Jhoom..!

10. What do you think of the person you like?
Khwaab dekhe jhootey moothey...

batiya banaye kaise...

sajna anari beyimaan...

11. What is your life story?
Don't funk with my heart... (hehehe...)

12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Pyar zindagi hai... pyar bandagi hai.. (Shaan)

13. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Chhod do anchal... zamaana kya kahega ;)

14. What do your parents think of you?
Meri mehboob, qayamat hogi...

15. What will you dance to you at your wedding?

Khuda Jaane ke mein fida hun
Khuda Jaane mein mit gaya
Khuda jaane yeh kyun huwa hai
Ke ban gaye ho tum mere khuda

16. What will they play at your funeral?
Intoxicated

(hahaha...! I hope I don't die drunk :D)

17. What is your hobby/interest?
Heartbeat (instrumental)..

18. What is your biggest secret?
Tu jahaan jahaan chalega...

mera saaya, saath hoga... mera saaya..

(yeah... actually I'm a ghost ;)

19. What do you think of your friends?
Allah ke bandey...

aww... so sweet... love you guys :*

20. What should you post this as?

badalon ki gehrayee main, soche kya huzoor

oonche oonche chehre hai...zameen se kitne dur...

21. What do you think about this tag?

tu bin bataye, mujhe le chal kahin...

Well that's the end of it... I'd like people to definitely try this tag.. it's good fun :)

Yippee! I won..!

2008-11-13T14:12:00.003+05:30

The last time I felt such a nervousness must have been on our Annual Sports Day in XIIth standard... !! Standing in position, waiting for the whistle to blow and seeing the full stands- believe me I thought I'd pee in my pants :D But well, once the race started I was fine and even managed to come a decent 2nd :)) I consider it decent owing to the simple fact that my competitors were all around 14 yrs and in the final lap I thought I'll simply collapse right there!! I never realised that I was soo damn low on stamina!

Obviously people at home and some friends found it funny that I was actually nervous for a stupid competition- which was meant for children..! (On my behalf, the turnout was much much more than I had expected... and there were participants from almost all over Calcutta..) But then someone said to me, "Don't consider yourself the oldest there, coz most of the other students have been skating for years... so they are the seniors and you're pretty junior. Fall if you have to today, but win it!" :)

I'm sad that I didn't come first (I could have easily beaten that girl, if my breadth hadn't given up on me :( But I'm happy I didn't come last..! That would have been really sorrowful..! And I got this really nice silver medal... so I'm pretty pepped up... and gearing up for the next competition in December, which is for the advanced category... I hope I don't come in last! :)

Life on wheels... :)

2008-11-07T13:36:00.001+05:30

The only high I get these days, is when I am on wheels... I have been learning roller skates for a few months now and I love the feeling of childlike glee, whenever I get on my pair of skates. I am also proud to announce that I am pretty ok on roller blades too (basically, the wheels here, are in a straight line instead of four wheels in the four corners, like in normal skates)

For those who don't have a decent sense of balance- don't try it.. I consider myself to be progressing really well- and yet I fall a lot :D Believe me, it does become embarassing when you suddenly find yourself flat on the ground with your arms wide apart and your legs at a wierd angle (like an X!!) :P And it's definitely not funny when the entire class starts giggling at your antics :D (thought actually, it is- if you take it in the right spirit :)

I really enjoy speeding and racing with the other students... but more than that I really enjoy the artistic part of it... I never thought that I could ever do things that I'm doing- skating on one foot, sitting, jumping, skating backwards... you know how you see these ice skating shows on television... I know I can never reach those levels but I am very happy and proud of what I'm doing :)

The average age of the class is 11 but believe me I don't feel out of place... (ya ya... I know K junta will start off about how I was always the kid in the batch!! :D But seriously speaking, I am finding out that it is never too late to learn anything new and you're only as old as you think you are :)

2008-11-06T13:10:00.002+05:30

I know I've been sounding really down and out in my last few posts... well, for those who are concerned- I'm all right... I'm just at a stage where am looking for new opportunities in life and currently feeling that I'm kinda stuck. This is something which happens to most people from time to time (at least I'd like to believe that I'm not the only one feeling like this :DD) and it's no big deal... I've never lived under any misconceptions about life being a fairy tale... never really believed in the "happily ever after" hogwash... so basically I'm fine... and absolutely fine... am terrfic... am great.... thanks for the concern though :)

So near yet so far...

2008-11-03T11:33:00.003+05:30

Do you sometimes get dreams that seem almost real? I mean like real dreams- when you're asleep. Have you ever dreamt about something that you really wanted, really really wanted... and in your dreams you actually get it... and the feeling seemed so real that you can almost feel it? Like the dream seemed so real that you could smell, touch and feel everything... This is not like any regular dream where you just see things... these are surreal... these are like sooo sooo real that you can feel emotions in your dreams...

When you wake up after such a dream.. you get a feeling of elation at the whole experience... it's like you know now that this IS exactly what you wanted and how you'd feel when you achieved it.... but this feeling only stays for a micro mini second... till you realise that you're awake and lying in your lousy bed- nowhere close to your dream... and you get such a fuck-all lousy feeling that you won't believe... i'd rather not dream at all if this is how it ends...

2008-11-03T10:57:00.003+05:30

When you really really need someone to talk to- just go to damn chat page and talk to a stranger... in times of real desperate need you'll find that you don't want to call up your friends... how many times will you call them up and cry in front of them? After a while you'll feel embarassed or will feel like a fool...

So listen to my advice- go to a chat room and catch some random stranger... you wont even have to bother about him again and next time get another random stranger!

Russel Peters Rocks!

2008-10-24T11:57:00.003+05:30

After being at the Russel Peter's show last night- I have come to a conclusion. Anywhere in the world, comedy comprises of only 2 things- sex and shit! These are the only 2 topics which comedians today can think of, that people will laugh at...I'm not saying I didn't laugh... Oh, I did... in fact we laughed so much, we could have pee'd in our pants... :))

But that's not the point here... maybe we laughed because he just said the most grossest things possible...! :) But comedy it was... in fact I thought that the guy next to me would fall off his chair.. (personally, i thought he wasn't getting the jokes, so he was simply pretending to find it funny... coz he was laughing even if RP just said Fuck! :)

2008-10-23T15:32:00.002+05:30

When you're sad or feeling the blues- you need people around you to get you going... but who do you call during your stressful times? My experience has taught me that the people you call at 2 am in the middle of tears, are your actual friends... these are the people you trust the most and the ones in front of whom you don't keep any pretences...

you might not necessarily call these people every week... you might not even hang out with them as much as you do with your regular gang of friends... but in the time of need- when you browse through your phone book and keep rejecting people and finally reach a name which makes you feel, "Ah, this person I can call..." well, thats the kind of people to keep around you... those are the kind of people who won't judge you... they'll just be your friend...

p.s. I'm glad I have a couple of names at least and people who I can count on- when my tears don't stop :)

Jokes@telegraph.com

2008-10-22T10:54:00.002+05:30

Now that I have run out of comics and joke books - I simply pick up the daily newspaper and gobble up all the funny things that happen in our country... our great elected politicians provide enough material for a good laugh early in the morning :) Details below-

Front picture in the telegraph today (click here). A TMC panchayat samiti sabhapati picks up her slipper and throws it at an MLA. The MLA (guy in red circle) also picks up his slipper to throw back at her- but is stopped by police. Tch tch tch... poor guy... would be missing the street fights he used to have in the by-lanes of Kolkata. Aik aurat se maar kha gya? What will my friends think of me..? Ek baar to chappal maar deta yaar... :(

The lady, err ahem...I mean woman, would be happy that her picture came in the front page of Bengal's largest circulating daily!! But why, oh why didn't she wear her new sandals. The bright red one with big heels on them (bought from New Market during Durga Puja)! They would have looked so nice in the picture. But chalo never mind...at least I got to hit that guy... have been dying to vent out my frustration for quite some time... now my shaashu ma and hasbaand will know what will happen to them if they mess with me next time! :))

Go fish!

2008-10-21T11:02:00.002+05:30

People are of 2 kinds- the married and the non-married...!

What I like about the non-married ones like me, is that they are bindaas and chilled in life and happy to stay that way... Now, the married ones have already been belled and so they cannot see us enjoying a carefree life... so, you will find people (invariably the married ones!) asking questions like, "So, when are you getting married?"

Now the possible answers I'd like to give to that are-

a) I got married a month ago- but didn't wanna invite you :D

b) When are you having children?

c) I'm engaged to an African witch doctor- as soon as he comes back to India, we're settling down :)

d) I'm actually waiting for my parents to accept my lesbian relationship with my girlfriend

All in all the point is that I'm not getting married so soon... so anyone who wants an answer to that question- please refer to any of the points above! :P

One wild night!

2008-10-15T11:46:00.003+05:30

After a really really long time I partied really hard.. like it was One Last Night.. I was enjoying the haze, the loud thumping music... danced like hell... and I couldn't care less about who else was there or whether people were looking or not... Just felt this crazy need to dance and dance some more till I couldn't move another muscle in my body and to just fall into bed exhausted...

Was definitely one hell of a night...!

2008-10-12T00:46:00.004+05:30

I'm sitting all alone at home on a Saturday night, passing time on Orkut! I can't believe ki ab aise din dekhne padenge mujhe... :)) Gosh I miss those days when I could just walk out of my room or house or hostel and just go anywhere I wished to or do anything I wished to... the things I miss the most these days are-

Sleeping really really late at night
Last minute snacks in the NC at 2 am
Having maggi for dinner
Waking up at 2pm and rushing for lunch
Campus parties
Staying up the whole night and being the first ones at breakfast
Making plans for every weekend while in Mumbai
Rushing off to Alibaug in an impromptu plan with only a female friend... (today I can't imagine being out after 8, at a coffee shop 5 mins from home!)
My PG aunties telling me that I don't go out often enough ;)
Being woken up at 3 in the night and taken to Nasik by friends :D
Lovely breakfasts/brunches at the best hotels, without people telling me not to spend too much :P

2008-10-04T11:55:00.002+05:30

How many of you have seen a completely new born baby? Like a really really new born one- only like 10-15 mins into the world... the sight has to be the sweetest, most marvelous and miraculous thing in the world... I am the proud Bua of this little baby and believe me it feels great to be called an aunt :)

Though if you actually stood back and just looked at the baby you might not necessarily feel that it was the most beautiful sight in the world. It was red all over with some white stuff all over it... was kind of gooey... and the umbilical cord was still hanging out from its navel (don't get me to describe it... it wasn't pretty believe me :)

But yet, like I side earlier, the whole concept of child birth is just so miraculous that you forget all these little things... when you hear the baby cry (actually you can't even hear it, coz everyone around you is going all ooo aaahh.... ) it just feels like wow... and its teeny tiny hands and feet and its red face- they all just seem so special- its out of the world :)

2008-09-29T15:08:00.002+05:30

Came across this blog- http://stupidindiatv.blogspot.com
I strongly recommend everyone to see this... it has to be the funniest thing I've ever read in a loonngg time :))
INDIA TV Rocks :))

2008-09-29T11:29:00.002+05:30

Looking for some goals in life... can't seem to find something interesting or something that would enthuse me enough to forget everything else and devote my entire time to it...

2008-09-25T11:39:00.002+05:30

The first thing I look forward to every morning when I come to office and switch on my computer- is to log into gmail and check my mails... not that I have any important world changing things to read about, but I like the few messages and forwards that I get. It somehow starts my day.

So when you log in and see 7 new messages in your inbox- you'd obviously be a little excited- ki chalo let's see what's happening with my friends and your sure to get at least a few funny forwards or jokes to lighten up your day :) But no! It's not to be... all you get are reminders from Linkedin, friend requests from Hi5, some advertisement from IndiaPLaza and some from Magic Bricks... Bas yehi sab hai aapke inbox mei.... and believe me that's such a loserish thing that the only mails that you get are advertisements???

But then suddenly- a ray of hope- there's a mail from A- a set of cartoons about the subprime crisis in the US and some Wall Street jokes.... I love A... she's the only true friend I have! God bless her :) I feel so much better after reading the cartoons and showing it to the couple of people around me in office... press the fwd link and send it to some 15 people and then finally feel relief :)

2008-09-24T17:30:00.006+05:30

I love love stories..!
There I've said it :)
Whether they are silly romantic comedies (or Romcoms as they are commonly referred to) or SRK movies like Dil to Pagal Hai, DDLJ or Kuch Kuch Hota hai... I love reading Mills and Boon too.. and not coz they have some steamy scenes (then I'd just pick up a Sidney Sheldon).. but rather because they have sweet endings... a boy and girl meet (in a weird situation, I admit) and then they fall in love and then something goes wrong, but in the end they both admit their undying love for each other and things end happily ever after :)

It may be possible that love stories happen only in fantasy land... and even if you are one of the lucky few people who have found true love- believe it or not- that romance will fade and things will become boring and dreadful... you will have diagreements over money/children/housework.. anything... the point that I was making was that this is why I love love stories... whether they actually happen or not- i know that the novel will definitely end up with a "happily ever after.." and I like the sound of that phrase.. happily ever after... as if things are just perfect from henceforth and nothing ever goes wrong... well what's the harm in a bit of dreaming :))

The grass on the other side..

2008-09-20T15:11:00.002+05:30

You know what pisses me off the most..? When people say things like, "you've got an easy life.." or something like, "tumhara to achha hai... baap ka business hai- jab office jana hai jao.. warna chhutti maar lo..! you're living a life of luxury..." Mera mann karta hai ki aise logon ko ek MTV style ka "one tight slap" diya jaye!

No one's life is easy.. no one has an easy life... and I for one have never felt that i've got things on a platter. I've also had to work hard for things in life... so, just 'coz I didn't take a loan for my MBA education, it doesn't mean that I didn't have other obstacles in my way... try living in a huge family with loads of expectations from you but yet a family where girls get married at 21. Where completing graduation for girls is considered to be a formality! Where females don't work- because they're not supposed to... !!

When you work in a family business- you have to maaro that much more effort to prove yourself... because, for the person you are reporting to- you are not an IIM grad- you are their 25 yr old son/daughter and you will always remain that in their eyes! You don't have a defined role or defined objectives... you just plunge into it and swim your way around.. you don't even get a salary!!! So I am glad to say that I'm happy and very proud of whatever I am doing with my life and career and I dont need any Tom, Dick or Harry to come and tell me otherwise!

Before making statements like that, realise that different people come from different backgrounds- if you've studied under street lights and yet made it big in life- Good for you... be proud of it... But that doesn't mean that other people don't have struggles in life...! And if they actually don't have struggles- be happy for them instead of making it seem like you're the bigger individual- just coz you've had more hardships in life!

That's all I have to say in this matter!

2008-09-20T12:21:00.002+05:30

Am feeling very very frustrated and loserish right now! Don't even bother asking why. I really don't know what to do and who to turn to :(

2008-09-05T16:41:00.002+05:30

Life seems to be moving at its own pace... there are days which are sooo quiet, they seem like the lull before a storm... and then there are days when it seems like time is running out and I need to stop for breath. Sometimes I pay so much attention to just one thing that I forget all other things of importance. Your life is not only about your job, for example. It is also about family, relationships, friends, health etc.. it should be a blend of these things... Try and focus on the other smaller moments of happiness... life is not so bad.

2008-08-18T11:03:00.002+05:30

There is this article in the paper today about a man who got out of his jail sentence by marrying the victim...! Basically- the perpetrator and the victim were lovers 10 yrs ago...after the female got pregnant and the guy refused to marry her, she filed a rape case against him. To avoid being arrested the guy finally agreed to marry her (10 years later!) and now the female is withdrawing her case against him.

This is not a new case...it's something we've read often in the papers or scene in movies... Now, my concerns here are- a) If the couple were lovers, how can the female charge him with raping her? My understanding is that rape is supposed to be with the use of force or coercion, which is obviously not the case here? b) Both the parties were adults when the crime was committed- so how come it's only the guy who's at fault here? It's not like the female in question did not know what she was doing? She should also have been careful about the consequences of such a matter. c) Now that the guy has finally married her- she actually says that "they are happily married" and she wants to withdraw her case. It seems more like she got her way and forced the man to marry her finally, by hook or crook.

Prima Facie there seems to be no case against the man for having raped or even attempted rape. In fact I feel that the female should be booked for misguiding the court. In fact she should also be sued for bringing a bad name to all womankind. Because of dumb females like these, genuine victims have a hard time with their cases. Women are being accused of using the law arbitrarily for their benefit. Just because she is a woman- doesn't mean that she is necessarily the victim!

p.s. I am not saying that the man was not at fault. He should obviously be made to stand up for actions- but definitely not like this.

2008-08-17T20:29:00.004+05:30

This post is coming a little belated but I just have to mention it....Friendship day this year was very nice....Adi and Naush went all out and were in their school girl mode... :))
I have never really been the kind of person who shows her emotions very easily or makes people feel that they are special to me... but the effort that Naush put into the day was really cute... she'd made this scrapbook with some really really really old memories... there were pictures of us as 5 year-olds as well as some at our kinkiest best on Rashi's bachelorette party :D
Pictures of school trips, fun days at school and especially of this play that we had once done... (the mahabharat scene from "Jaane bhi do yaaron"...) where I was Dhritrashtra! :D
Here's to all my friends...! Cheers! :)

Drink to me only with thine eyes...

2008-08-13T10:54:00.003+05:30

Drink to me only with thine eyes

And I will but pledge with mine.

Or leave a kiss but in the cup

And I'll not ask for wine.

The thirst that from the soul doth rise

Doth ask a drink divine.

But might I of Jove's necter sup

I wouldst not exchange for thine.

Love this verse by Ben Jonson. The words are simple and the thoughts so profound...

2008-08-04T15:22:00.002+05:30

Anger is a very very bad thing... Someone once said, “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." I beg to disagree...for every minute that you get angry you lose at least 2 hours of happiness. And that loss of happiness makes you even more angry and then that further adds to loss of happiness. So basically it's all inter-linked... somehow I seem to have very little or almost no control over my anger, stubborness or irritation. And what happens is that I let it go the first time and the second time.. but the third time I just BLAST. Maybe it would be better if I didn't let it go the first time and let my displeasure be known... then I wouldn't get really pissed off like this...

2008-08-01T20:20:00.003+05:30

It's funny how we often mis-judge your parents....we live under the impression that parents belong to a different generation who will not understand us, our feelings, our ambitions, our turmoils.... we feel they just don't get it. But somehow they always surprise us.. they'll do something or say something which would be so simple and yet so profound that you'd go... "whoa...! where'd that come from!".

I remember this friend of mine from school who was in love with a guy from her engineering days... but she wasn't sure if her parents would agree to her marrying a guy from a different caste... Due to an unfortunate turn of events, this guy lost his parents... and her dad somehow agreed to the union... he said, "the poor guy has already lost 2 of the closest people in his life. If he lost you too, he'd be shattered." That's why he said yes! My friend was like... "I was soo surprised... I never thought dad could be like this!" Well now she's happy and settled in UK.. and i miss her... :)

So basically my point was, "Just learn to trust your parents. They've seen more of the world than you and me... and they care about you and don't want to see you hurt... Just take care you don't hurt them either." :)

p.s. There was an instance in campus, when I needed some serious advice, but was apprehensive about calling dad, coz I'd gotten myself in a mess.... but once I called him, things just seemed so much simpler... and he told me that i had to do what i had to do... and that was that! He was sooo supportive that I couldn't help being bowled over..! :)

2008-07-31T15:10:00.002+05:30

Indecisiveness can be a very very bad thing. You should never take a decision without considering all the pros and cons of the situation. And once a decision is made, STICK to it... and it's never a good thing to wonder if it was the right decision or not... whether you are doing the right thing or not....
Once you've taken the plunge, you've taken it... that's that!

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high...

2008-07-28T10:43:00.003+05:30

The headlines in the paper today justly reflect the sad situation in the country. No one knows whats going to happen next... it's like a lull before a big storm... remembered these lines from a poem by RNT (that's not Ratan Tata, that's RabindraNath Tagore!). I think it suits the situation very well...

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
~Rabindranath Tagore

Updates

2008-07-24T11:44:00.000+05:30

Nothing new happening in life actually... met up with an old friend from IIMK & his wife... felt really nice to relive those old days.... and actually after meeting we realised that we had never really been good friends in the proper sense of the word... guess we were just acquaintances- but the mutual liking and respect ensured that we 3 had a really nice time together...amazing pastry at Kookie jar and then a flopped trip to Victoria Memorial, ensured the day was pretty memorable :)

Landed up at a friend's place at 7am to give her bday wishes.... we entered her room, with the cake, singing "Happy Bday" at the top of our voices.... and when she suddenly woke up completely shocked, we knew we had achieved what we had set out for :) Then an amazing english breakfast at Flury's... not to forget Rashi's rendition of Happy Bday on the saxophone...
overall a very cool start to a long day....

Love the new Airtel Ads

2008-07-20T11:55:00.000+05:30

Simply love the Vidya balan-Madhavan Airtel ads.... in a matter of seconds, the couple portray their love so simply.... and I really like the simple actions in the ads... like Madhavan lying on the bed and talking to her.. or Vidya Balan throwing the cards at his face in the train sequence... or the scene where she keeps stopping the elevator when he is leaving for a trip....

Very very smooth... great execution...