The Girl in Black & Maroon - An October Night in Ahmedabad during Navratri

Its Navratri* season, and Garba* is in the air. The night is abuzz with the excitement of people going out for dancing and having fun with friends and family. And its result - this post right in the middle of my exam season! Its based on a fictional setting describing something that happens a LOT all through the nine nights. A guy and a girl meeting while dancing, sometimes talking to each other, and most of the times, just looking at each other and then moving on. Read on..

Part 1 - Karnavati Club, Ahmedabad. (A famous garba location in Ahmedabad)

He had gone to the Club to soak in the Navratri spirit with friends and get a respite from his busy schedule. They were dancing and enjoying themselves, and he too was trying to dance despite having two left feet. He was also trying his hand, actually feet, at the difficult steps that the others were doing, and having fun till...... Wham! He saw her.. The girl in Black & Maroon!! (She was dressed in an outfit that had those colors and since he did not know her name, he decided to call her that.) He had taken a break and was standing with his friends. A few had gone to get something from the refreshments stall. And she walked by from between the circle that they had formed for dancing. She was leading her grandpa to some other part of the ground. At first he didn't realize how beautiful she was until she walked by, and then it started sinking in.. and he was flattened! She was so pretty!! The way she was dressed.. the way she had eye lined her eyes with kohl.. her flawless skin.. without much make up.. and the way she was taking care of her grandpa!!

He told about her to his friend and they headed in the general direction where she had gone without much hope of seeing her again, since the ground was filled with hundreds of people. But, then they reached this part of the ground where a trained group of dancers was dancing amazingly well and doing stunts. They were surrounded by a lot of amazed onlookers, and to his amazement, one of the onlooker was...the Girl in Black & Maroon! She was standing there with her grandpa, and later he noticed that she was joined by her mother. He and his friend watched the dancers for a while, and when it ended, they all headed for the refreshments stalls, including she and her family.

Part 2 - His home.

Later in the night, he lay on his bed thinking about her. He was fast forgetting the way she looked, because he had seen her for only a few times and that was from a substantial distance, except two times, once when he saw her for the first time when she had passed by him, and the second time when their gazes met while they were looking at the trained garba dancers. He didn't want to forget the way she looked, because this incident was playing over and over in his head... because this was the first time that he, Mr. Shy Guy, had seen a girl he had never seen before, and was actually not scared to try and approach her to talk. But sadly, she was with her parents and he couldn't talk to her.

Their gazes met quite a few times.. when he first saw her, later when they were seeing the dancers, and also during the break near the stalls. But then, he saw that her father looked in his general direction, and he freaked out and left. Later as he sat down with his friends, he noticed that she was gone. And then, he saw her again! She was going back to the part of the ground that was meant to be used for dancing.. but it was only a small fleeting glance........

He kept thinking about her and wishing that he should have talked to her somehow... anyhow... He could have tried...

And all he could do was think, and hope that destiny would make them meet again, like it did that day... someday, somewhere.. The Girl in Black and Maroon might pop out of nowhere.. and dazzle him with her smile!

* Navratri is a nine nights' festival, celebrated in India to thank Goddess Shakti (Hindu Mother Goddess) and her various forms, for her blessings. And Garba is a traditional dance form performed during this festival by the revelers.

Happpppppppy Birthdaaaaaaaay!! :) :)

Some gulab jamuns and rasgullas.. :D

Some motichur ke laddoos.. :P

Some assorted chocolates and cakes.. ;)

And last but not the least.. The cake! :D

Okay, now that we're done with the mouth watering part, i'll come

to the main part of this post.. :P

This post is for one of my bestest buddies.. one who has been

always there for me.. during the smiles and the tears..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ms. Isha Chawla.. May you have a great

year ahead with ALL your wishes coming true.. :) :)

May you not have to deal with any more 'paidal' stuff!! ;)

Keep flashing that trademark smile.. :) .. alwaysss.. :) :) Forget

the calories for a day and enjoy! :D

Appppieee Budddaaae!! Janamdin ki baut bahut badhai!!

Saal Mubarak!! Janam diyan ji lakh lakh wadhayun!

Joyeux Anniversaire!

(a lesson for your french and a few other language classes! :P) :D :D

PS - In case you're wondering why does the cake have a piece

missing.. ummm.. aaaaa.. what can i say.. it was too irresistable!

lol.. :D

PPS - This post has turned out to seem like less of a birthday wish

and more of a sweet shop advertisement! lol.. :P

THANK YOU from the 'Spring Baby'!! :D

This post goes out to my friend Isha, and all others who made my birthday special. I wanted to write this earlier in this week, but I have my exams coming up soon, and somehow I was not getting the time to write. But, I had to thank Isha for the lovely post she wrote for me on my birthday. Secondly, it is spring, and I did not want to miss this opportunity to write a post on the spring season on a blog called 'Spring Blossoms'. So the motivation to revive my dormant blog was aplenty. :D

So, here goes -

The flowers are blossoming, trees all around are filled with a riot of colors, birds are chirping, and the climate is not as hot as it gets in the peak of summer. In short, its that time of the year which we call 'Spring'!!

The calls of the cuckoo bird (or Koel, as it is known in India), the Gulmohar trees laden with red and yellow flowers, the breeze all through the day, and lots of such 'small' things are making me reminisce. We often ignore all these things all around us as we rush through our lives at break neck speeds. But, I have always had an affinity towards this special time of the year when nature is at its bountiful best. I have been noticing all these small things and smiling all the time, ever since I heard the Cuckoo at 4 am one day, for the first this year. All those memories of my childhood in Ahmedabad are coming back. And, the 'Spring Baby' is happy!

And, all the love and affection shown by my friends and family on my birthday made me even happier. The day ended with me reading that special blog post, and going to bed with a BIG smile on my face. :) :) ... Thank you ALL!! :)

PS - I know I have been away from my blog for a long time, and have not been able to reply to comments out here. I'm extremely apologetic for that, and will be back soon after my exams. :)

Twelve Things that I want to achieve in my 'TWEENHOOD'

Tagged by - Deepika .. Thank You.. :) ...

There are many many things that i want to achieve in my 'Tweenhood', or as we say, my Twenties. I know everything wouldn't be possible, I would be able to do/get certain things, and I might not be able to do/ get the others. But, I'm a dreamer and I would never stop dreaming and working to achieve them.

I had read this somewhere - 'The Battle is still not over, as i haven't won it yet.' So, we need to keep trying, and if we are motivated enough, and work hard for it, nothing can stop us from getting it. (I know, i know, i have heard this many times... I'm an optimist. And, nothing can stop me from being so. It just comes from within. :) ....) We can't get something, until and unless we dream about it, and then work for it. Protect your dreams from the practilities of life and keep working towards them. It doesn't matter how silly a dream might be, if you want it, go get it, no matter what others have to say about it. :)

But, since i have to list down only 12 things here, I would list down those ones that are high on my priority list. This seems like a list that Vinay Pathak made in the movie Dasvidaniya..!! Lol..!! But, I'm not going to die people. I'm going to be here for a long time to keep troubling you. :D .. So, here goes...

1. The most important thing for me at the moment is to complete my CA (and get those two letters as a prefix for my name), start working in a reputed company, and improve upon the foundation of my professional skills, that was laid during the days of my internship. I want to have a life for me, my family & close friends where no price tags exist.

2. I will take up my hobbies - photography & singing in a more serious manner. I will buy a professional camera, attend photography workshops, and join a photography club to help me improve my photography. I will also learn singing from a professional.

3. I have always been fascinated by the umpteen number of languages that people use to communicate. I know 4 at the moment, and i want to increase that. I will learn French / Spanish, and Mandarin. I will also learn how to read and write in my mother tongue Sindhi. (I can only speak it as of now, but would like to change that, for the better.)

4. I will my MBA degree after a few years of work from a globally acclaimed college.

5. I was a complete non-dancer when i was younger. But, some years back, i took part in a dance performance in a family wedding, and have become addicted to it ever since. I learnt salsa for a brief period, but couldn't continue it due to my internship and studies. I will get back to dancing, salsa and jive in particular, learning it, and taking part in performances. Bring on the dancing shoes.. :D

6. I had learnt the basics of the martial arts Taekwondo & Karate when i was younger. I will learn more of Taekwondo, and improve my skills in it. I feel it is very important to be able to defend ourselves and our family in times of distress.

7. I will take part in all sorts of adventure sports. I have always been fascinated by them, and would love to do stuff like Bungee Jumping, Sky diving, Para Gliding (all associated with the human desire to FLY.. :D ), Scuba Diving and so on.. :D

8. I will learn to blow a whistle (seeti .. :D :P ).. that shrill type which is blown using one / two fingers, it has various techniques. The one they use to call cabs in movies. It can be very handy at times. :D .. (Waise, i do know how to blow one type of whistle - the one without using any fingers, by simply shaping up the lips in a particular way.. couldn't think of any other way to describe it.. :D )

9. I will Travel the world - Disney Land at various places, Egypt, Africa, New Zealand, China, Europe, Bahamas, The Carribbean, and most definitely all the intriguing places in India like Lakshwadeep, the back waters of Kerela, The North -East, Kedarnath, Badrinath and so on, I want to see it all. There's only one life to live, and i want to make the most of it. :) .. These travels would begin soon and continue well after my tweens.

10. I will marry a girl. (No surprises here, I'm perfectly straight. :) ... )

11. I will contribute to social causes in terms of time and money, to the best of my capabilities. I feel that if i have been given something, i'm blessed, and i should try and give some of it to others, to make their lives a bit better. I pray to God to help me bring smiles on the faces of others.

12. And, most importantly, I will ENJOY LIFE. Work Hard, and Party Harder. :) ... Accepting each and every challenge that life throws my way, and trying my best to ace it. This is something that I will continue doing well beyond my 'Tweenhood'...all my life.. :)

(I also want to learn to fly an airplane. This might happen after my tweens. Too many thinsg to be done before it.)

All the above things are high on my priority list, but I have listed them in a random order. One might happen before the other, but i would try my best to make sure that they happen. I have faith in myself and in God. :)

I have shared some of my dreams through this post, in a brief manner, since they are something very personal to me, and i don't want to blow my own trumpet on a public platform. I have also left out a few things that are very high on my priority, but still, i wouldn't like to mention them here. I would rather have my actions speak for me. For further details, please contact me. :) ..

Okay... now I Tag...

Isha,

Netika,

Punk Princess,

Nidhi,

Annie,

GS,

Anurag,

Gargi...

Amruta

Go on people.. share your dreams.. :) ... And NO EXCUSES.. Everyone has to do it.. :) ...

and any other people who are reading it and want to do it..go right ahead.. :) .. but don't forget to leave a comment or a link so that i can have a look.. :) ..

PS - I want to thank Yashwi for helping me sort out my confusion and zeroing on such a rocking template. :) .. Thank Youu Yashwi... :) ... I hope you guys like the new refreshed look. :)

Pitter Patter... My Heartz a Flutter... :) ... :) ...

Okay.. its been a long sabbatical, and I'm back. :) As i have always maintained, i blog only when i feel the words flowing, when something that moves me deeply (in a good way or otherwise) happens. And this time it was nothing less than rains.... :) .. :) .. Rainssssssss... :) :) ...

Guess i will cut the chase and come to what i want to write... :) ..

Rains... aaahh.. we all have so so so many emotions attached with this lovely phenomenon of Mother Nature. I LOVE RAINS, and it would not be an overstatement if i said that i go mad when it rains. :P Rains hit that soft spot for me.. no matter how bad my mood is.. or how bad my day was, they never fail to cheer me up... :) ..

Last year, due to my office, i was not able to go out and have fun in the rains. But, this year i'm on study leave, and i was waiting for it to rain heavily since the past few days. I was determined to make up for the lost opportunities last year.. seeing that it was pouring from the office windows and then forcing myself back to work !! As i woke up today, Heavens greeted me with the lovely sight of a heavy downpour, and no sign of letting up. The whole sky was covered with gray rain filled clouds and the sun seemed to have taken a day off. I studied for a while sitting by the window, but after a while, i couldn't keep myself from going out in the rains any more. I changed into clothes more apt for the weather, literally jumping and running to do it quickly, and then rush out. :D .. :D.. But, then i thought of calling a few friends and to find if any one was willing to accompany me for a bike ride in the rains. I was greeted with no answers and lazy greetings of sleepy people. No one agreed. I even tried to go online and find a person who was willing. Still no one..!! Dude..a bike ride in the rains...!! Had someone offered me the same..i would have grabbed it with both hands..!!

So then, i set out on my own. I had decided to go all the way to Nariman Point from my home on my bike. Its around 25 kilometres one way. 25 kilometres of bliss in the rains. A friend asked me..what will you do alone ??!! And i said.. who is alone ?? Its going to be Me... and.. Rains..!! :D (I told you.. I go mad when it comes to rains... :P) I started at around 10.30 and it had been raining heavily since early morning. The thing that mumbai roads are prone to water logging was going through my mind. And at a low lying area called 'Hindmata Flyover'.. that gets flooded after heavy rains for as less as an hour, i was greeted with a long line of vehicles. JAM...!! 'There goes my fun filled day..", I thought. But then i decided to follow the cars, and since i was on a bike, chances of it getting stalled were much lesser. The water level kept rising and at an intersection, i saw certain cars take a 'U' turn and turn back. A completely water filled road awaited me. I almost turned back, but then i saw a car that had almost turned back just like me, decide to go for it. I followed suit. And, i was greeted with 3 feet of water, the water trying to kill my dear bike's engine..!! I trudged along, not knowing what would i do if it stalled. I had no experience in driving vehicles in such a situation, and hence just drove ahead resolutely. Cops were guiding vehicles away from the open manhole covers...making it even more creepy. Eventually, I managed to reach the end of the water filled stretch, feeling victorious, and also lucky after seeing the number of stalled bikes, buses and cars standing at the end of that treacherous stretch. I saw media vans and photographers trying to find food to satiate the voracious apetite of their 24*7 news channel bosses. More Happiness !! I stopped for a minute to marvel at the experience that felt like an experience, and then moved on.

The rest of the journey was uneventful and it was also stopping to rain. So, i was praying for a heavy downpour. And soon after i reached the picturesque marine drive, my prayers were answered. The skies opened and it started to pour !! I was ecstatic !! :) :) ... I walked till the end of the marine drive enjoying the angry sea waves trying to run over the rocks and reach the promenade filled with rain loving people like me and couples coochi-cooing under the umbrellas. :P. Inspired by a friend.. I call them 'Marine Drive ke chattri couples' :P :P .. I spent a lot of time there..walking back, sitting on the walkway, and walking again to the tip... getting soaked in the downpour all the while.. :D. I was blissfully away from everything else... no cell fone, no watch. Only me..the rains..and the sea!!

After around 2 hours, I grabbed a quick bite (i came to know what time it was after seeing a watch at the place I had my food), and decided to return home from some other route to avoid going by that road again, since i was sure it wouldn't be possible to get through this time, given that the rains hadn't stopped since i had passed there, and the water logging would have increased. The ride back home was even more fun as the rains were coming down even harder.. :D ...

I'm having difficulty in writing this, since the skin of my fingers is all pickled due to the hours & hours in rains. But, what the hell... I had a ball today.. :D :D. It was a wonderful day away from all gadgets and worries, with the rains washing away all my worries and doubts, and invigorating me for the struggle that lies ahead. :) And it still continues to pour....Looks like a sunday at home for mumbai tomorrow. Aaaahh.. I love rains... :) :) ... they make my heart flutter and dance and sing and what not..!! :) ...

Pickled Fingers - :P

(I didn't take my cell phone along.. so don't have any pics. I took this one after getting back home, as a memoir of the ecstatic day.. :D..)

PS - An Important Tip - If you decide to go for a ride on a 2-wheeler in the rains.. please make sure that you have protective eye gear. The rain drops can be quite painful for the eyes, even at 30 Km/Hr speeds.

PPS - I have drawn a lot of flak for not blogging frequently from my friends. I apologize for my long absences from writing posts, replying to comments and posting comments on your blogs. I would try to be more regular in future.

Cheers.. :) ...

Happy Birthday Bloggie... :)

This is a post that i had written sme days back, but didnt get time to post it. I had it on my comp as a draft, but had my exam on 25th and was caught up in a few other things and just couldn't find enough time to finish it. Doing it today...I guess bettr late than never.. :D ... 

Without any furthur ado... here it goes... 

Its my blog's birthday.. it turned 1 on 24th April 2009. Sorry for not being able to wish you on time bloggie.........

I'm feeling extremely happy that you have turned 1 today. I was the one who brought you into existence. Its like you are my kid ( I said 'like' before anyone starts to have thoughts... :P ....), and its your first b'day !! 

Blogging has been one of the best things that I decided to do...sharing my thoughts, and being able to  have share thoughts of others, freezing my memories in time, expressing my feelings on any thing that I feel for, interacting with other like minded people, and so many othr things, just by writing a simple post on my blog...

I had mentioned this in my in my 'Whats Thr in The Name' post that I want my blog to be able to bring a smile on the faces of whoever reads it. I recently got an award from Annie ... 'You Make Me Smile Award' . Thank You so much Annie. :) :)  It is my first award, and to top that, its gives me immense pleasure to know that I have been able to achieve one of the most important thing that I had wanted to by creating this blog... :) ...

I love my blog very dearly, and it means a lot to me. I would like to keep growing as a person as i blog more, and i hope to improve my writing skills as time passes. But, one thing is very important for me - Whatever i write is from my heart, and would try to keep it that way. Because no matter how jazzy and my blog might get, if it stops having straight from the heart posts, it would only 'look' nice, but wouldn't be actually nice.

  

Kisi ki muskurahato pe ho Nisar...

Kisi Ka dard mil sake toh le udhar...

Kisi ke waaste ho tere dil mein pyar...

Jina isi ka naam hai...

Ke marke bhi kisi ko yaad aayenge...

Kisi ke aansuon mein muskurange...

Kisi ko ho na ho.. humein toh Aitbaar...

Jina isi ka naam hai...

This is what I would like my epitaph to say... 'He brought smiles...he brightened days..' I hope I would continue to be able to bring smiles on peoples faces, and I'm would like to apologize for any hurtful things that I have said to anybody.

I would like to thank each and everyone who has taken precious time out of their lives to read my posts and comment on them. They mean a lot to me, and are a huge source of inspiration. Thank you everybody, and I hope the comments would keep coming. :)  

PS - I'm not in the best of the moods today, and i'm not sure if I should be blogging today and putting up a few things that i have mentiond above. I don't know if i would regret puttin git all up over here tomorrow, and if it would be best to forget certain events and move on. But had to wish you today kiddo... :) I'm sorry for not being my usual upbeat self...would be back soon..with all the pjz and smiles and optimism.. :) ... Happy B'day Bloggie... :) 

Herez a toast to my blog.. :) ...

Cheers...

I Resign from Adulthood .....

I Resign...

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.

I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities

of an 8-year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.

I want to sail paper boats across a fresh mud puddle and spend my whole aftrnoon making and flying paper planes.

I want to eat patries and icecreams and candies and sweets, spillin thema ll over my clothes and not worry about how it will affect the way i look.

I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade

stand with my friends on a hot summer day.

I want to have 2 full months of fun, frolic and visits to my Nanima's home during my summer vacations.

I want to spend the all my days with my Dadu n Dadi.

I want to jump like mad and dance during rains as if there is no tomorrow.

I want to go back to the time when breaking a 'kinky promise' meant a condemned life in hell..!! (Well.. I still believe in that.. :D :P)

I want to return to a time when life was simple.

When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables,

and nursery rhymes, 

but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what

you didn't know and you didn't care.

All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to think the world is fair.

That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible.

I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and

be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again.

I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

This is a small write-up that I read somewhere and wanted to share it here on my blog. I have added a few things to it. In our running around all over the city and the globe as a grown-up, we tend to forget all the little things that used to make us roll with peals of laughter and mean the world to us in our childhood, things which we now consider to be petty or silly or even idiotic. 

What is the first thing that we notice in a kid ?? Its his energy, his zest for life, the mischievous glint in his eyes, the running around all through the day and still wanting more - basically the spirit.. the spark !! We should not let this spark fade under heaps of office work and numerous e-mails. We need to keep this spark in us alive no matter what the situation is. We need to shed our inhibitions and throw caution to the winds at times rather than wondering about the consequences. Or else we are in the danger of getting classified in the category of 'Khusat Buddha'..!! Keep flashing your pearlies... (And if you are worried about how look, go consult a dentist, brush every 15 minutes... but KEEP LAUGHINg your heart out.. :) .. :D .. ) We need to quit thinking too much about each and every problem that life brings our way and breaking our head over it. Sometimes letting go, and allowing things to be is essential. As they say - 'Ignorance is Bliss' !! 

Being with kids and playing with them helps us become one, and i find it to be very destressing. In fact it makes me happy.. :D . Play with kids and eat 'Desserts' when u r 'Stressed'..!! (Try reading it 'Stressed' in reverse !! :P )

I don't care if I have a time machine or a gadget by which I can turn back time. Because, I have already resigned from my adulthood. I know being an adult gives you a few things like Credit Cards, Cars, Mobile Fones and so on.. (what were you thinking you perverts ??!! :P), but what the hell.. Paper planes, Silly Dancing, Toy Cars...here i come!! I'm a 8 year old kid from today. Affirmative !! :D :D

PS - I do admit that I Still do a lot of the things that I have mentioned above :D :D , but I want to do them more often, actually more more often. :D :D ..!! Cheers..!! 

Everything happens for a REASON...

During the past few days, rather months, a few things have happened that I, as at the moment, am forced to think were not so good. I feel things could, rather should have been different. I was forced to leave a company which many (including me) dream to get into. And, I have my CA exams in november. I so want this course to get over now. I'm eagerly waiting for getting those 'two alphabets - CA' as a prefix in my name. Life seems to have hit a rut. But, as it has happened in the past.....

[Past - After my 10th grade Boards I was all set to get into the science stream..to be able to pursue my long cherished dream of doing Software Engineering. I was always fond of computers,and this was something that I had always thought of taking up as a career. I had filed my form for getting readmitted in my school (in Ahmedabad) in the 11th grade in the science stream. But,when I went for submitting the form, I found out something that would change the course of my life forever. I remember it very vividly. I had gone to my school with my Chachu, and Dad was at office. They said the criteria for getting into science was 60 marks each in Maths, Science and English, and I had 89 in Science, 85 in English, and 52 in Maths................. I was shattered !! Maths had always scared me. Thanks to a teacher in my 9th and 10th grade, I had become Arithmophobic. And now it had led to this - NO SCIENCE....................... I went back to home, spoke to Dad, and he managed to convince me that commerce was not a bad option at all. I somehow filled in my form and got into commerce, and I ended up losing touch with most of my good friends in school who had taken up engineering in various colleges. Their bonds grew stronger, and I got left out. :(

And after only 10-15 days of studying in that school, we moved to Surat, and over there I could have taken up science. But, I had made up my mind. So I continued with commmerce, and I used to hate it in the beginning. But, gradually I started liking it, and then we moved again, this time to Rajkot. I did my 12th grade frm there. Over there I enrolled for taking Maths and Accounts tutions, and to my surprise, I started loving both the subjects. I got to study and clarify my concepts from two wonderful teachers (concepts - one of the most important things that one needs to undersntand and like a subject), and I scored well in both the subjects, 90 in Maths !! GoodBye Arithmophobia, Hello Commerce !!]

I have this huge regret, or whtevr u wud call it. First, I was this complete shy and introvert baby in school... no fun, only books & a few friends, with whom I couldn't even maintain contact due to my frequent moves from one city to the other. And then I wasn't able to enjoy my college life. During my Grad, I was in a college in lucknow (my Dad is a banker, and we kept on moving frm one place to the other) and to top it all, the college was a boyz college. No activites, no fun, not many friends, just sucky politics, elections and nothin else. And I'm a student of CA which is a self study course, so no classroom studies, no college, no college group... nothing.

I so feel that i hv missd out the college group fun - the night outs, the road trips, the hostel fun and the not so fun part of it, the games on college LAN... Oh God... how could i miss so many things ??? I was so not into fun...................

But now, when I look back at those petty things in accounts which used to freak me out at that time, I get amused. I now feel that it was so silly of me to think of it like that. The only problem was that I took some time to adjust. By God's grace, things have turned out fine. I'm pursuing two courses which I'm goin to finish soon, I did a substantial part of my internship from a very good place...something which I always dreamed of, and I can say that I have a good set of friends (Touchwood..!!) But still I'm getting this feelin that I mentioned in the beginning of this post.. of life having hit a rut. But, I get a reassurance from the fact that in the past too things were seemingly pretty bad, and my life had taken a completely different course from what I had wanted. And it was all for good. So many things that are happening now, my friends, the cities that I lived in, my experiences, the whole way that I live life, might not have happend had I filled my form for the science stream. I don't know what they would have been, but as I have mentioned in the title of this post... 'EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON' !! I guess there were some very good reasons for evrything that happened... some that I can see.. and some that I can't. One that I can see is that if it wud not hv been this way, then I wudn't have realized the value of such things, people and experiences, which I now do.. immensely. And, thus I'm trying to make the most of it, because these years of life...The Best Days (refer my earlier post)... they are never going to come back (time never comes back, but these days are extremely special). I'm trying to have a bit of fun, and by God's grace, have been able to come - into contact / back into contact, with a few people whom I consider to be my good friends. :) And then, later on when I would do my MBA, I'm going to make sure to make the most of it, make up for all that I have missed in the past... :) ... Yaaaaayyyy... :P :D ...

I read this wonderful mail today...

'God know exactly and with perfection about what is being allowed to happen to you in your life at this precise moment...

His purpose is simple..He wants to show you things that only you can understand by living what you are living, And by being in the place you are now...'

I know God's watching over me, and thus I'm open to all the surprises and challanges that life has in store for me. I'm sure many would not agree to this, and even I would not feel this way many times in my life. But, then I would look at this post, think about my past, and try to get back in sync with the twists and turns. :) I try to be flexible, and would continue to do so, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination !!

So Life... Bring it on...!!! :)

The Best Days...

Today it seems that i just cant stop myself from witing one post after the other... Its a Bloggy Good day today... lol...

so now... on with the blog...

i saw some of my childhood pics... and today i saw a baby pic of one of my frenz... n i recalled a question that a friend had asked me many years back... "what do you think was the best phase of your life..till now"...n pat...my reply was... "my childhood...when i was really young and used to live with my grandparents..." he asked me a smiple question... "did you know at that time that it was the best phase of your life".... and then it hit me... our childhood is undisputedly the best phase of our lives... whn we dont have any worries... no responsibilities...and we r spoilt by our parents...and grandparents... we dont have any pretensions in our mind... we do what our heart says... blissfully unaware of all the worries n tensions... but... the most imp thing is that we dont enjoy it conciously... we were not aware that what we had was one of the most treasured moments of our lives...and thus it doesnt qualify as the 'best phase'... i feel that the best phase is when you are aware that yes...this is th best phase of my life...most of the times we dont realize what we r living right now is th best phase... it might be our childhood or any other age later on...we give in to the human tendency...longing to do something else.. not realizing that what we have right now might be one of the best things...whn we r kids we want to grow up... when we r in school we want to goto college... and whn we grow up...we want to be kids agen...!!!! we are never satisfied... we need to enjoy each n every moment... rathr conciously enjoy it... coz life is a mix of struggles n joys... for the want of the larger joys... the little bits of joys shud nt be ignored...

coming back to the discussion bout the phase....For many it might be their college days... or mayb their school days ... in the senior classes... for some it might be the days when they see their kids grow up into fine people... it can be anything...

im nt picking my college days...coz i hardly attended college... i was in lucknow ... my Dad got transferred ovr thr... n my college out thr...although one of the best in lucknow... was so so... oh forget it... its just not worth talking bout it in this post which speaks of the best phase of my life...n not evn my school days which were spread ovr various cities and schools... coz at that time i was a very different person... too shy... had a small number of frenz... i lost touch with them whn we moved out of the city... and somehow whn i did regain touch... i found out that most of them had movd away... the warmth was missing................. :( ..

for me... till now.. it has to be th current phase of my life... the time when im just beginnin my career... when im getting my training in a reputed firm... living in the city of opportunities... making new friends... and when im starting to earn a bit... although its just my stipend... which i feel is just some extra pocket money for me... but it has given me the power to be independent... to do things on my own... now im no longr dependent on my parents for each and every need of my life... in fact now i also sometimes surprise them by paying my own college fees... or buying some small gifts for my family... the smiles on their faces give me immense satisfaction n happiness... th feeling that i feel cannot be expressed in words... its somethng which im sure most of us would understand... the phase of life from where you start to be independent... and you start to do little things to bring happiness on the faces of your loved ones like they used to when we were youngr...

i know im very young and i have to see a lot of things in life... and its too early to sit and think bout the best phase...but i felt like writing bout what i hv felt till now...there r a lot of things that i would want from here on... in fact as i said...this is just the start...and im sure better days r to come... but thn till now this has to be it... hands down... im thankful to God...my parents..grand parents..my friends..and everyone else who has contributed to whatevr little i hv achieved till today... im thankful to them for making me able enough to see this phase... :) ...

The Loving Hug..."Lil Angel"

This incident had happened a long time back...in ahmedabad...i had gone to a Gurudwara along with my mom...we used to spend some time out there on sunday mornings. On that day i was about to leave...n i saw a small girl...aroun 5-6 years old...she was playing...having fun with a few other people...splasing water...running around...then i noticed that one of the people around was teasing her...he had taken her dadz cellfone from her...and was not giving it back to her...she was trying to get it back desperately...n that person was unrelenting...he evn ran in front of her...all around the premises...he was tryin to have some fun with her...but he dint realise that she was not enjoying it...she felt that her dad had given her some responsibility...the responsibility to take care of his cell fone...n she was desperately trying to fulfill her responsibility... but when despite her efforts she dint get the cell back...she ran away...n no one went behind her...i did...n i saw her...thr she was...on the steps of the Gurudwara...n she was crying...oh the poor girl had taken th prank to her heart and was crying...n no one was tryin to calm her...i went to her n lifted her in my arms...she was sobbing...she hugged me tightly...ohhh it was such a nice feeling...the poor kid was feeling comfort in my hug...n it made me feel so nice...i asked her about wat had happened...and why was she crying..although i knew exactly what had happened...she told me..amod sobs...that she wanted her fone back...i told her to stop crying n tried to calm her down by telling her that we will get it back...she still didnt stop crying...i asked her her name..."Anjali..." she said...i took her out of the Gurudwara....to a nearby shop...to get some chocolates for her...she didnt have her sandals...so i carried her in my arms...still trying to comfort her...i told her to select some chocolates...she said no...but i insisted...n gave one to her...she said i want one more...i was surprised..she was not ready to take even one..n now she was asking for two...n before i could say anything...she said..."Mujhe meri chotti behen ke liye bhi chahiye...sirf mere liye nahin"....AWWWWWWWW...i was so moved...there she was...barely 5-6 years old...and she was thinking about her baby sister... :) oh she was an Angel...!!

so we bought the chocolates...n thn i took her back... she had finally stopped crying...n i saw her father had come looking for her..i gave her to her father n she went away...after thanking me for the chocolates...

n there i was...smiling...happy...very happy...it felt really nice to have made "The Little Angel" smile...her hug was more comforting for me than it was for her...i
cant explain that feeling in words...i think one word reaches close..."Contentment"...i was content..

Childhood Memoirs...An Ode............

I wanted to write something on this topic since a long time...in one of my previous posts i mentioned about my grandparents...but it turned out to be smethng which made me and others who read it sad...mayb it reflected the feelings i was feeling at that time...so i would like to post something which would bring a smile on my face...and on all the faces who would read it...im going to wirte somethings which made me smile...and which i hope would help me feel better when i would not be feeling so nice...

so here goes...an effort to relive some of those sweet childhood memories...an effort to preserve them...

the first thought that comes to my mind when i think of my childhood is my Dadu...ohh the very mention about him makes me smile...i was the first child in my family after a gap of exactly 20 years...the first grandchild...so i was showered with love from my all my family members...i was given various nick names...one from each of my family member...n i was closest to my Dadu...the way his face used to get lit up with a radiant smile when he used to see me...it still lits up my day...i lived with him in the same house during the first few years of my life...he used to love me more than anything else...i remembr a few incidents...

th time i used to return from my school in the afternoon...i used to be famished due to the sweltering heat of ahmedabad...n he used to wait for his 5 year old grandson to return...he would not go for his afternoon nap...he used give me a bath...feed me with his own hands....n i used to jump around the house...on the bed...n he used to see me...smile...n then we used to go off to sleep together...

then there were thos times when we used to go to see the circus...he used to take me...and my mom would be like "beta dont eat ice cream or chocolates..." n wat my dadu wud do is buy me all the chocolates and ice creams that i wanted...and then he used to wipe my face off...clear away the "evidence"... :P ...partners in crime... lol... i recall one particular incident when he took me to an ice cream parlour...n he bought me an ice cream...i ate it joyously..n thn i said..."Dadu ek aur"....n Dadu smiled...he got one more ice cream... n agen i ate it...relishing it... and... wheni was done...he asked me... "Ab chalen ??" ... n i smiled...wickedly... :P ...."Dadu ek aur".... lol...he smiled at me...n got me one more ice cream.... i ate it ...n was finally content... n so was Dadu...it was evident from his smile... :)

n then we movd...my dad got a transfer and we moved...we never "lived" in the same house after that.......

my Dadu n Dadi used to visit us...in Bhavnagar...n in our other house in ahmedabad...they used to get chocolates n biscuits...toys...all th thngs tht bring a joy on a child's face...they used to travel so far...n given their age...im sure it would not have been easy...but i think th joy of seeing their grand children(my kid bro n me) would have been too luring...they used to take us to the market...buy whatevr we used to ask for... my first carrom board...Dadu got it for me...i still have it...we still play... n enjoy...

they used to take us to temples...tell us stories in the night before sleep...teach us to pray...tell us little things...they instilled values in us...my grandparents and my parents...all the members of my joint family...th values which will stay with me all through my life...n help us see the troubled times through...

my Dadi..ohh Dadi...she was such a sweet heart...she had sme health problems...n cudnt walk easily because of her knee...she used to feel so much pain while climbing the stairs...but tht didnt deter her from moving all around the house to prepare sweets and other thngs for us...for all the family members....she was an excellent cook...used to make food that im never going to get to relish ever again...she used to make "Mithai" and so many other thngs and would bring them for us...she used to climb the stairs of the house...we dint have any elevators in the two storeyd building...she used to take half n hour to climb...but used to brave it for us....ohh Dadi....she used to stack up the house with those huge containers...with all the things i used to like...used to pamper us...pamper us big time...those weekends with our grandparents used to the highlight of the week... :)

n thn thr was this time when the house was in a mess...n my granma was a perfectionist...she used to say "agar ghar mein koi aa gaya toh...??? th house shud be in a perfect state at all times...!!" :) ... so the house was in a mess...n she told me to change the bed sheet...i was so annoyed...i said ok...n when she tried to tell me how to do it...i said..."no...i will do it on my own..." n i ended up makin a mess... i looked up at my Dadi...n we broke into a laugh... lol... then she taught me how to do it... perfectly... n to this day...no one can take out a flaw when i spread the bedsheet in my home... all thanks to Dadi...

i dint get to spend as much time with my maternal grandparents...we used to visit Nana n Nani in our summer vaccations...the whole gang of cousins...we have a big family...so the whole house used to get filled up with kids n their momz running behind them... n Nani used to love it...she would cook delicious things for all of us...she would get up early in the morning n extract fresh "Makkhan" using that strange contraption tht she had...n she used to feed that to us...would make sure we ate it...she used to tell us "you have to eat it...how else will you become strong ???!!"

we used to surround her and jump around...she used to sit in the centre...n all th kids used to shout "Meri Nani...Meri Nani....!! " n my cousins used to shout "Meri Dadi...Meri Dadi..." :P lol...

Nanu was soooo sweet...he wouldnt speak much to us...he was ailing n used to live in a separate room...i think he used to fear that he might harm us young kids coz of his ailments...he used to care so much for us...he used to get chocolates n biscuits n wat not....but he wud never give it to us directly...he gave it to Nani...n she used to pass it on.... :) ... he used to get all those things right before the time when we used to leave...to return back to our homes...to ensure that his daughters would not have trouble regarding food....

Tomorrow its the death anniversary of my Nani...2nd of May...Miss you Nani...Miss you all...

In the fond memory of My Grandparents...Love You all...

Watz Thr in The Name ??!!

Hmmm....sme people asked me...why "Spring Blossoms"...well...the name of my blog was somethng which kept me from starting my blog...for a long time...i wantd smethng which would be....umm...plain...soft...nice...i dint want anythng flashy....i wanted the name to suggest the kind of posts that i would post...i want my blog to bring a smile on the faces of the people who would read it...the kind of smile which comes on one's face after seeing a beautiful flower...a smile from within...

n also spring happens to be my favourite season...nature bestows us with so many sweet flowers...n beauty all around...its so pretty...trees n plants laden with flowers...n one of the reasons why i love spring is....im a "spring baby"....was born in april...

so...Spring Blossoms it is... :)

My First Blog

Well...Here I am...Finally...it has been a long wait...a long long one...i had wanted to start my own blog..have my own little space in the vast ocean called the "INTERNET"...to have a place where i could share my thoughts and maybe get some occasional feedbacks...i was very skeptical...about little things like the name of the blog...the things that i would write...should i write in proper english...or should i write in the english to text from our cell phones....about the fact that this outlet for my emotions...this space where i would communicate with myself would be accessible to anyone at the click of a button. But then today while reading a blog i felt so overwhelmed that i decided to do it at the very moment...So now lets c...how does this part of my life as a blogger turns out to be...!! Hoping that it would be just the way i have thought it to be...Cheers...!!