The Hug of the Beloved

The inexplicable calm, the unending peace,

The unblemished love, the care unconditional.;

The healing and the faith.. That protected feeling,

The purity and the abandon.. That content feeling; 

The rain and the warmth, the joy and the strength,

The soft firmness and the tender plinth;

The longing, the longing..

The hug of the beloved, the hug of the beloved..

- KB

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.

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. :)

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..!!