C`est La Vie

Moving on.... :)

2011-06-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

After years and years of bickering and hoping and wishing and praying for it, it finally came true!!
I have finally moved out of my parent’s house!
Living in a rented apartment with a dear friend. Away from home. Blisssss!!!
Paying rent and all. And bills! *facepalm* oh well. No cash support from parents. Zilch. I’m growing up! Woooot!
Not exactly a rosy life, that I imagined it to be, but it’s not bad at all! It’s a battle everyday as I struggle with my ever diminishing finances, trying to feed myself on time. Keeping the house clean, chasing lizards and bees every now and then, feeding the cat once in a while so that she doesn’t poop in front of my door, waking up early each morning to make sure that the water fills up in the tank and then waiting for the maid to open the door for her, doing the dirty laundry, sorting out the clean laundry and placing them in the cupboard! Making sure that the garbage is kept out for the cleaners to collect it. Making trips to the supermarket occasionally to replenish the stock of toiletries,ODOMOS/ mosquito zapper racquet/mosquito coils and maybe some groceries! :P Wow! Now I know what mothers go through!
And then you have to learn to ignore the strange noises and weird screams and dog howls you hear every night! *shudders*
And I hate that time of the month, when you realize you have zero balance in your account and you have to pay quite a few bills. *shakes head*

But moving out of your parent’s house has its perks!

You can come home late to a warm friendly smile, who will ask you, ‘Hey! How was your day?? You look tired! Should I make you some green tea??’ as opposed to ‘Have u seen the time?!?! Why are you so late?!!?! Is this a decent time for girls to come home!?!?’ *rolls eyes*
You can saunter to BRU world café at 12 midnight and satisfy your craving for a chocolate milkshake!
You can come home smashed and drenched after a drunken tryst with the sea at versova sea face.
You can go watch a late night movie on a whim!
You can eat on the bed without being yelled at by your mum!
You can wear shorts and mini skirts and noodle strap tops and get out of the house, without having to face a ‘ WTF are you wearing??! Are you going to go out dressed like THAT?!’ look from a parent!
You can come home, tired, and just crash on the bed, without changing/washing your feet/ answering stupid questions about curfews!

All in all, life's good! :)

Somehow this song keeps popping up in my head….and I totally relate to it….

I'm broke but I'm happy
I'm poor but I'm kind
I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah
I'm high but I'm grounded
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby
What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine
'cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five
I feel drunk but I'm sober
I'm young and I'm underpaid
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah
I care but I'm restless
I'm here but I'm really gone
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby
*sings along*
:)

The dark side of the moon....

2011-05-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just checked my blog. Last entry April 19 2010.

Flashback.

I had just quit my job. It was good place. I had a great salary. I had met some great people there. I had some memorable times there! But it was all gone. I was still living with my parents. I was broke. I was jobless. The promise of a great career and moving out of my house and living an independent life were slowly fading away.

Present.

And then my life changed. One project. One movie. And everything was different. I landed myself a big break as a costume designer. I made some great first impressions and some lasting bad ones. I made some huge mistakes. I made some selfish decisions. I hurt some egos. I hurt someone else’s feelings. I hit rock bottom and I rose again. I learnt the biggest lessons of my life.
It’s so strange sometimes how life takes you through these crazy roller-coaster rides. How it decides to teach you some things the hard way. Its funny how, when you just begin to get used to a certain kind of reality, life decides to show you the bigger picture. It’s like you were staring at the world through a periscope and suddenly you are given stereoscopic vision! Now staring at staggering reality!
Now that I look back I realize how incredibly stupid I was to believe and trust certain people. How unbelievably naive I was to make some decisions. Bad decisions. I saw how quickly people change .How easy it is for someone to screw you over. I saw the flipside to everything. I saw the dark side of the moon. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Or stranger?? Heh! I wouldn’t know yet. I’m still trying to get my act together. God help me.

And then comes the obvious bit. Moving on. Easier said than done.
But sometimes, all it takes is someone else’s faith in you, when you have none.
A stranger’s faith ……in you.
Such is life……

office office :)

2010-04-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

In 2 days, my version of Windows will be marked as not genuine.
Nice timing! It’s a good thing; I’m making use of the Microsoft office word before that!
Finally I decided to post again. I know. It’s been a while.

6 months.
The most defining 6 months of my life I think.
And I started working as the costume designer for Mahabharata.
Yes, Mahabharata.
Being produced by Swastik Pictures and which is to be aired on Star Plus.
I had NO idea why I joined there, but I did have an idea about was that I HAD to get out of my previous work place! Mahabharata seemed like the suitable escape.
And the rest is history! :D
I have had the most frustrating, tiring, exciting, and educational, the worst and the best 6 months of my employed life at this place.
I’ve had to memorize Mahabharata and all its characters and stories in week’s time.
I’ve designed jewelry, I’ve designed weapons and armors and shields, I have designed for Draupadi and I have designed for Duryodhan and Arjun!
I have brainstormed over innovative weaponry and fretted over fabrics. I have strung pearls into the pagdi of Krishna and I have struggled with Draupadi’s blouse fittings.
I have gulped down cups after cups of tea and I have skipped lunch and dinner.
I have haggled with crazy vendors over deadlines and quality and I have had arguments with the production team.
I have painted teekas over our warrior’s fore heads and I have stayed up all night re-working sword designs. I have traveled to kandivali at 6 in the morning from vashi for shoots, and I have grabbed cat naps in the green room when no one noticed. I have whined and sulked about not getting enough time.
I have worried about the croma screen clashing with our costumes colors and I have received firings for not paying attention to Krishna’s look tests.
I have seen the most interesting and award winning advertisements and advertising campaigns, thanks to BapiDa and I have learnt a lot about the media world.
I have abused the channel people for rejecting our most sensational designs and I have abused my boss for never paying me my salary on time. I have been broke as hell and I have been treated to lunch innumerable times by my head designer, nidhi.
I have discussed clothes and accessories and brands for hours together with my creative director, and gossiped about our bosses.
I have flirted back and forth with bapida all in good fun and for the entertainment of others.
I discovered someone who is shorter than I am! I made some really good friends.
I have watched movies in office when I had nothing better to do.
I have sneaked out of office with shreshtha for occasional ‘retail therapy’ (shopping!).
I have managed to memorize all the audition dialogues within a month of listening to auditions all day long!’ I have joked about appalling pronunciations by random artists who come for auditions.
I have cracked up every time Arjun’s special bow was referred to as ‘gaandeev’
*giggle giggle*
I have been gifted with the most amazing and priceless collection of books on graphics and illustrations by Vikramdada. I have looked up everyone’s names in the urban dictionary, shared with colleagues and laughed my ass off! I have been absolutely sick of traveling for 4 hours everyday!
I learnt new Photoshop techniques.
I have sat down with the casting directors to look at all the hilarious and bad auditions over lunch.
I have bitched. I have whined. I have fought. I have cried. I have laughed. I have learnt. I have forgiven. I have thanked god. I have been disappointed. I have danced. I have sung. I have flirted. I have joked. I have posed. I have hid. I have hogged. I have starved. I have sulked. I have been sick. I have run. I have slept. I have liked. I have loved. I have hugged. I have hated. I have conversed. I have talked. I have listened. I have heard. I have struggled. I have abused. I have apologized. I have partied. I have lied. I have been hung-over. I have been nice. I have been cold. I have ignored. I have obeyed. I have pretended. I have been me. I have changed.
I have been asked to resign.

I can never forget all those wonderful people I’ve met here! I want to thank them all!

Nidhi Yasha- My head designer
Gargi Malwankar- Our creative director
VikramDa- The CG wizard
BapiDa- My Creative director
Amit and Shreshtha- My team mates
Sanchi- creative head
Vinay- creative head
Saahil Ansari- casting director
Vikas, chandan- associate casting director
Munna- dress dada
Sima- hairstylist
Anisha- receptionist
Madan- the most adorable peon!

I’m jobless now.
Trying to freelance.
Currently attempting to update my portfolio and also build a website.
I want a vacation. But I’m bordering bankruptcy.
Donations are welcome! (psssst…..my birthday is approaching!)

Tricky love.

2009-09-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

First loves are always tricky.
It’s a lot of firsts.
First jealousy pangs, first compliment, first ‘aww-moment’, first time you say ‘I love you’ to a boy, first kiss.
And then the fights, the misunderstandings, the tears and finally, the first heart-shattering break up.
The tricky part is moving on.
After that is done, are you ready to do it all over again?
Maybe not. What changes?

You see, Wisdom is the opposite of love, and love survives within us precisely coz it isn't wise. It’s like being in this love boat….where slowly the boat gets so overcrowded with love and stupidity and emotions, that to keep it afloat, you start throwing out your pride, your self respect, your logical reasoning...and when there is nothing else to be thrown out, the boat starts sinking...taking you down with it...it's inevitable.
So you get smart and you try your best to not fall in love again.
It’s sort of a Defense mechanism. You just don’t put yourself in a position where the other person can hurt you, before he/ she hurts you. It works just fine.
Does that make you cold hearted? Being wary of love? Or does that make you a cynic?
Being cautious is not a bad thing right? That does not make me a closed book….or does it?

ho-hum...

2009-07-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

Working class professionals.

There are many things you experience and eventually realize when you start working….when you step into the ‘real world’.
You will meet people who will have an exasperating knack of annoying the crap out of you.

You will meet more people who will have an incredible ability to be daft!

You will definitely meet people who will have this burning need to be rude to anyone and everyone they lay their eyes on.

You will meet those typical villager housewives who LOVE talking about their husbands 24/7 to anyone who is ready to listen!!

And then you will most certainly meet that usually loathed and popularly detested breed of ‘boss’s chamchas’ a.k.a ‘boss’s ass kissers’(I dislike them so much, even saying it makes me hiss! :P)

*sigh*

Well, I’ve got to admit…it amuses me to an extent of self entertainment when I have nothing productive to do.

‘Where are you from?’ , Is a question that I have had to answer here a zillion times. I don’t mind.
I’m used to being called a Bengali or an Assami . But, South Indian was new. So was Marwari.
One girl had never even heard of a place called Orissa. She didn’t even know that it is a state in the east if India. Wow. Ok. And here I thought I was bad at geography! (fyi, I’m from Orissa.)

Someone once told me that I could get away with almost anything because of my smile. I did not believe that until now.
I’ve noticed that a warm smile goes a long way. It also gets a lot of work done! So I make sure I dazzle people with my sweetest, warmest smile! ;) Oh well!

The design room is situated in a loft ! yes….loft…a tiny, dingy little loft that boasts of two split a/c’s and 14 tables, 14 ‘airplane ’cabinets,1 centre table and an ultra low ceiling! Haa! Finally one benefit of being short! ;)

My taste buds for tea have re-adjusted itself to the office tea. First few days were weird. Now I make sure I don’t miss my daily cup of tea.

These days I get these random cravings for steaming hot samosas and vada pavs.
I also get random sleep attacks in the middle of a work day.
I think it’s the season !
Or maybe coz I'm working so goddamn hard! ;)

Just looking out of the tiny excuse of a window in the loft, watching water trickling down its sills, makes me dream of my cozy bedroom, curled up in a blanket, cuddled up with him. :)

One missed call from my boss is enough to make me snap out of it.

I have finally surrendered to the kurla route.
Kurla. I hate kurla. Period.
But I change trains from there every single day. Twice!
Makes me wish for teleportation so bad!!

I’m still waiting for my very first pay check.
I know shopping will make me feel a LOT better!

*sigh*

I'm a Working class professional.

Coming back to life!

2009-04-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

My permanent address should be changed to 'pattern making/ G.C lab/Canteen, Nift campus, kharghar' :D
I've almost forgotten what home looks like! That's the amount of time I have been spending in college for the past one and a half months!
But I'm not complaining :D
I remember vividly, how much I used to hate college.
And now I realize how much I'm going to miss it!
My college ends in a week's time and it's such a bittersweet feeling!
I don't feel like leaving college, but I never want to meet my godforsaken faculty or 'fuckalty' as we call it, EVER again!
And now I'm going to miss all of it!
All the random loud singing,dancing to govinda/bhojpuri songs,celebrating buddays, attacking the delicious chocolate cakes,wreaking havoc in the canteen, running all over the campus to give budday bumps, the frequent chai/ ice cream/ cold-drink breaks, posing for pictures, making caricatures, taking each other's cases, cursing the college, cursing the machines, cursing the generator and load shedding,cursing the canteen, bullying the canteen wallahs to serve extra amounts, laughing our asses off over lewd Hindi rap songs, sneaking off campus during college hours to sleep/ take a shower/ meet boyfriend/ meet friends/eat at Mc.Donald's, sleeping over/under tables, minting silly sounding nicknames for everyone, ragging freshers, teasing juniors,sneaking in beer cans, placing orders with friends for their collections, modelling for the same, planning booze parties/ pyjama parties/ farewell party, coming to college with deadly hangovers, cribbing about the insane weather, showering with hula-hula, laughing our asses off over particularly nothing, gossiping, bitching about faculty, bitching about 'the system', playing kho-kho/ vish-amrut, reminiscing about our famous 'class feats' and 'pangas', crying, hugging, consoling, providing moral support, giving out our special 'inch tape' awards to each and every one in class so that no one feels left out, making plans to vandalize college campus before we leave, complaining about being broke, complaining about work, giving back massages, ignoring notices being sent to us by the department, talking about how we all are going to miss all of this!

Dayem!
I'm so going to miss college!!!!!
I'm so going to miss this freedom, these wonderful people that I've met here, this part of life that I had never imagined, would be so much fun!
*sigh*
Like they say....
C`est La Vie!

P.S:- My graduation fashion show is on the 31st of May.
and I now I have a job with a great package! I will start working with the brand '109 degrees F in June.
:D :D :D
Life's GOOOOood!

Story of my life...well so far...

2009-02-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

1987

I was born.
*woohoo* my parents probably thought.

2002

"I think I'll do fashion designing."
Mum meted out the silent treatment for 2 weeks.
"Ok ma. I'll do naval architecture. Just like dad. I'll study for IIT entrance."
Yeah rrright! like I can EVER do that!
Mum started talking again.
phew!

2003

"I want to do arts."
"You will do science. Stop thinking about fashion designing! Its not a credible choice of profession! Go for engineering its safe! and take science. You may change your mind about fashion!"
"Ok. Science it is"
I'm so gonna suck at this!

2005

12 std board exams.
Aarrgghhh! i suck at this!!! i can't do engineering!!! I hate science!!!
*Dreams about joining NIFT*
"NO. No fashion designing! You will join classes for engineering CET."
"CET. yeah."
*Sigh* I'm doomed.

"Can I atleast appear for the NIFT entrance exam?"
"Hmm."

12th board results- 85%
CET results- bombed
NIFT exam results- A.I.R- 3

NIFT it is!!! *yayeee*
Mum bestows me with silent treatment again. *no yayee*

"You will regret this. I don't understand why you want to be a tailor! WHAT decent job will you get!?!?" my parents words keep echoing in my head.
"I will never regret this! This is where I belong!! I'm good at this!" I convince myself.

2005-2009

Several degrees of emotional/ physical/ mental attyachaar at NIFT.

2009

global fucking recession.

NIFT placements.
ghanta placements

"We like your work, but we have the number of designers we were looking for. But we'll definitely let you know if anything opens up! Ok?"
"Thank you sir."

Home.

"I told you so!"

Right. I never quite forgot that.

I'm supposed to start looking a job!! Start taking responsibilities!! Start being an adult!!
When the fuck did I grow up??? Why didn't someone tell me!??!
How can I make it stop!!?
*starts singing 'yeehhhhhh kyaa huaaa....kaise huaa...kab huaaaaaaaaa'*

ps:- By the way, I HATE valentine's day!

Chalo delhi !!

2009-01-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

Kullad waali chai,
Style hi-fi!
Delhi haath
Karol bag ka chaat
Yaaron da tashan
Street fashion
Delhi ki pehchaan,
Metro ki shaan.
Sexy Boot's galore.
Shopping some more.
Connaught place.
Metro subways.
Central park.
Flea market sharks.
Nehru place.
Fabrics and lace.
In a perfect maze.
Vapor clouds.
Hot girl’s pouts.
Marching soldiers.
Military bunkers.
Digital meters.
Foggy mornings.
Lovely dawning’s.
India gate.
Republic day parade.
Big chill’s café.
CCD’s passé!
Sinful mud pies.
Excited cries!
Super hot guys!
Chorus ‘aye haye!’
Exchanging high-fives!
Leather jackets.
Warm and comfy blankets.
Cold feet.
Chattering teeth.
Hot steaming baths.
Dilli waalon ka thaath.
Lemon tea.
Parantha and ghee.
Khasta kachori.
Bhalle papdi.
Rikshaw pullers.
Bhangda lovers.
Funky chinks.
Expensive drinks.
Blue blooded punters.
Style hunters.
Fur coats.
Misty roads.
Export rejects.
‘Cheerleader’ effect!
Public loos.
Converse shoes.
Woolen socks.
Curly locks.
Swearing ‘By god!’
Warm hugs.
Colourful rugs.
‘Masakalli…matak kalli.. …’
Humaari Rajdhani
Oye Chalo delhi :)

The LOO experience :P

2009-01-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

World's BEST restaurant bathrooms!
There was a show on that!!
On discovery, travel and living!
Cool eh? :P
Oh well yes it was. Amusing more like. Slightly disgusting though, but I had NOTHING better to watch.
The countdown started from 10. Now I only started watching it when they were on no.7
You will have to excuse my sucky memory, about the names of restaurants, but I'm gonna try my best.

No:7
Morimoto's sushi restaurant
location: I don't remember
famous for: hygienic hands free bathroom experience.

Apparently Morimoto wanted to gift his customers the joy of visiting a bathroom and experiencing an absolute hands free loo !
Complete with high tech bathroom plumbing, starting from self flushing toilets, that sense your body heat when you sit on the pot and allow you to relieve yourself, after which they automatically flush themselves on sensing the loss of body heat on its surface! The taps sense the presence of your hand under them and allow you to wash your hands. They even shut down automatically. And then there are the hand driers. No surprises here...they are automatic as well!!
Really hygienic! You don't have to touch, ANYTHING!
Now you may get back to to your sushi.
Oh, and by the way, there are no doors to the loo. Because you don't wanna touch the door knob and get your hands dirty after that hygienic experience, right?! ;)

Lets move on!
No:6
Cafe BLUE
Location: somewhere in USA
A loo that has see through doors and walls made of glass!
Absolutely transparent!! And guess what...its unisex!
Kinky??? Absolutely NOT!
If you fear to visit such a bathroom, it means you have missed the switch right next to the door of the loo....no prizes for guessing the size of this switch!
Anywho, when you switch it on, the doors and glass walls of the loo, fog up!
Thus making it blurry and preventing anyone to catch you off guard in a compromising position!
Now if you miss the switch coz you are just too drunk...whoopsy! Too bad! :P :P

no:5
I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but its located on a cruise!
A loo that has two way mirrors for doors.
Now you wanna be sure that no one walks in on you while you are making your deposit?
Guess what?!?! you can spy on people while you are inside the cubicle!!
You can look at them! But they can't look at you!
How cool it that!??
So while you relieve yourself, you can actually snigger and chuckle at the unsuspecting people outside, using your door as a mirror!
now that's creative thinking!

no:4
a club called XL
Don't remember where it is!

They have unisex urinals!
With a LARGE aquarium placed right above the urinals for an underwater experience while you pee yourself to glory!
It's for people who aren't afraid to flaunt their stuff in front of men or women! Because anyone can use it! Even homosexuals! wow! Bold!
The owner thinks it's a good hangout place for young people!
You know...cool people...fascinating aquarium...good music...its all good! :P
Oh and some dude was sweet enough to bring his mom to have a look see herself at the infamous loo! why??? Because she LOVES aquariums!! DUH!!
Those poor fishes! :P

no:3
The best outdoor picnic bathroom is located at this small town in south KOREA.
now this is my favorite! I kid not!
So what will people do when they go outdoors to have a small picnic with friends or family at the top of this hill and they suddenly feel the need to do their business when nature calls??
'jhaadi ke peeche' we might suggest, but the mayor didn't want to spoil the beauty of the park! He wanted a public urinal set up, before they hosted the 2002 world cup. Because hey! They don't want to get embarrassed internationally for not having a good public urinal! I agree with the fellah!
Enter FIREFLY bathroom! :D :D
Firelfy, because fireflies like to live in clean environment! And so do koreans!
It's huge! The loo I mean.
As soon as you enter, you have a 'meeting area', complete with plenty of wooden benches and plants and fresh air! It's for people to hang out! Or hikers to use it as a meeting point! Whatever! :D
They even have vending machines! You could actually a small little picnic right here!! Or drink tea or coffee! It's the mayor's genuine wish to make peeing, a complete well rounded 'fun' experience!
Now lets enter the loo area!
Bathrooms for the gents consists of urinals that are strategically placed right under the windows just so that you can enjoy the view while you pee!Now that's really considerate!
And because they don't want the ladies to feel left out, they have ultra high tech pots, that have plastic toilet seat covers that change themselves on the press of a button! Oh and they even clean for you, after you are done! :P
Now if THAT wasn't enough, they have a small speaker right next to you that plays soothing sounds of the nature in case you want to drown out unwanted noises that may emerge from you in the process ! :P
Ain't that thoughtful!!?
Yes, this is my favorite loo!

No:2 (:P :P :P no:2!!)
Yeah so moving on!
This loo is at a club called Twilight.
location: now I missed that, coz I had some business to do! :P
So anyway.
Apparently, the most happening part about this club is not the food, or the hot crowd or the dance floor or even the bar (which, by the way, has some really hot shirtless men as bar tenders) but it is...wait for it...... their BATHROOMS!!
I'll tell you WHY!

This loo, is a place that is believed to be a place for people to meet up and make new friends or boyfriends or lovers or whatever.
Get this.
They have video cameras set up in the bathrooms.
For what joy, you ask?? So that the gents can watch the ladies in their loo!
There are monitors set up in each of the bathrooms. So that that the women can see the men in their loo as well!!
It's a way for singles to meet or to 'break the ice' ! You know how shy singles can be if they have to go up to someone and just buy them a drink!!!
But here, they can exchange numbers, do a strip tease number or even flash!
Wow!
That IS a cool place! :| :| :|
Now you know why it is so much more popular than the club itself!

*takes a deep breath*

NO:1
*restaurant Expedition
location: Moscow.
*drum roll*
This is the only restaurant in the world that has a spa for a bathroom!
Rules of visiting this place.
1. Visit the bathroom.
2. Eat the food.
3. Pay the bill.

After a 2 hours bathroom spa experience, complete with sauna baths, herbal massages and a cold shower, you finally get to go have dinner!(reindeer stew! eeww! )
Because when you visit the Expedition, you HAVE to'experience' the Expedition!
Oh and extra 150 dollars for the spa experience!!

SO there you go!!!
The ultimate LOO experience awaits you!

college circus

2008-12-14T08:09:00.001-08:00

10th December 2008 - That fateful day

I earn myself a Re-jury.
First one in my 4 years of college.
Quite strange.

11 a.m- Fashion and Apparel department.

"I didn't expect this from you! And you are one of the good students in class!"
"What happened to you?!?!"
"I'm sure this was a class decision!How come so many of you haven't finished your work!"
"Ma'am it was no class decision! I don't work according to other people's terms!"
"So that means you are the ring leader!!"
"What!?!??! No!! There IS no 'ring leader'!"
"Then you must be the follower! I'm sure there are people who are making you jump through hoops! You have incomplete work, we can't allow you to present yourself in front of the jury members!"
"Ma'am I have quality material, I assure you..."
"INCOMPLETE WORK! So NO!"
"Alright. Will you atleast tell me when will the Re-jury be scheduled?"
"Re-jury?? *chuckles* You need to appear for a jury and fail in that, only then will you qualify for a re-jury! If you haven't appeared for a jury, you will have to consider a semester drop!"

WOW.OK!

Unhuh.OK. So no jury.

8 p.m-Home

Mom's reaction.

"If they wouldn't let you appear for the jury, you should've come home and slept na! What were you doing there till now!? You haven't slept properly for days! And did you eat??? Go have dinner and go to bed."

*Grins*

wonders of pheromones!

2008-11-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

“Are you still single???”
“Are you having trouble finding a partner??”
“Do all your friends have girlfriends and boyfriends except you??”
“Do you feel less attractive all the time!!??”
“Is your self confidence really low???”
“Do you wish to find love and ignite that passion in your life again!??!”
“Do you wish to find intimacy !??”

If the answer to all the above questions is yes, then Telebrands presents to you the solution to all your problems!!!
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*applause and cheers*
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‘Pheromone is from Greek word Pheran – to transfer and Horman – to excite. It is found throughout the living world and is the ancient form of animal communication. It is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in all insects, animals, and humans.’
‘All you have to do is apply Liquid Sense in the same areas, as you would normally put your favorite perfume or cologne. This includes your wrists, neck, chest, behind your ears etc. It’s that simple! And your life will change forever!’
*scenes of somewhat horny men and women with a stupid smile plastered over their faces applying ‘liqud sense’ on above mentioned areas and totally relishing the experience.*

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Bob: all my friends had girlfriends and I always have trouble finding someone. My confidence had become really low! And then someone told me about liquid sense! And my life has changed ever since! I can walk into clubs and ask out women like never before! And almost never get turned down! I even have a steady girlfriend now! *blushes* Thank you liquid sense!!

Miranda : I felt that my husband and I were losing interest in each other. When my sister told me about liquid sense, I tried it out, and it works! Now my husband can’t take his eyes off me or his hands for that fact! My marriage is saved! *beams at camera* THANK you liquid sense!
*more random idiots shown posing with ‘the miracle stuff’ and grinning away at the viewers with their thumbs up.*

“So call NOW! And get a Sauna Solution with it absolutely Free!!”

p.s: NO I'M NOT KIDDING!!!
This piece of crap was brought to you by Telebrands, which regularly plagues various channels and tries it's best at brainwashing people with their super brilliant products! I was watching AXN.
But listen! I’m really impressed by this product! I mean it IS the solution to all my problems!! :| :| :|
So now you know what to get for my birthday!! :P

Warped in Time

2008-11-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

Time…Time has a way of affecting people in weird ways….
Basically it screws with you.
Theoretically, I don’t know much about the Theory of Relativity.
But practically Time seems way worse….Time has a way of hovering over you, like an annoying little fly that you can’t seem to be able swat, that keeps buzzing in your head, teasing you, bugging you, singing it’s little song…… making you count every second, every minute till it drives you to the brink of insanity, or deep sleep, whichever comes first.
And then Time has a way of whooshing past you when you don’t want it to, it has a unique quality of growing wings, when you don’t want it to…..it still tends to piss you off when it's not 'hovering' anymore!
It’s almost as if Time and Murphy’s Law work together in a kind of an evil collaboration just so they can come and bite you in the ass.
But have you ever had that feeling, that your life has come to a standstill and there is nowhere that you are actually moving?? You are not moving forward and you are definitely not moving backward. You are just where you were. You are standing and no one notices you, no one sees you, no one touches you. You are standing, possibly at crossroads, and some idiot has stolen the fucking signboard! You are standing, but everyone else is moving. You would half except time to stop too, possibly for you to catch up, you hope…..but you know time is moving, you know because you watch says so, you know because you cell phone beeps every morning to wake you up when you are having the best part of that wonderful dream, you know, because you room keeps getting messier by the day, you know, because your iPod’s battery dies. That wise ass waits for no one!
What do you do?
You start creating your own universe. You always did.
But now, the colours seem brighter, the possibilities are bigger, that voice seems more familiar, the people have faces, you now remember what clothes they were wearing, what shade of green his eyes was, what song she sang....
Your realm of creative brilliance starts filling up all the emptiness around you,seeping through every crevice of hopelessness and flowing into every fissure of doubt.Things like waking up or sleeping seem trivial. That’s not an obstacle anymore. Life’s good! Time finally seems favorable....
And then there are moments….
A few moments of lucidity that hits you in between glorious hours of lunacy, which I must tell you, is hardly a bloody ray of sunshine!
“Oyye!! Oyeee! Are you talking to yourself??? Dad’s been yelling for you for over 10 minutes and your phone’s been ringing…do you mind????” *bewildered sibling leaves room.*
It drives you right back to square one, where you are desperately trying to grab hold of Time, so that it takes you with it….and you fail every time still struggling with the lull you are stuck with.
It SUCKS!!

An idle mind is Isha's workshop! ;)

2008-10-27T08:54:00.001-07:00

An idle mind is never idle.
But whenever it is close to being idle, I tend to doze off. And let me remind you, that happens a LOT!
And when imagination runs wild, the bizarre thoughts and imagery that it conjures up is quite baffling. Entertaining even.
Let me paint you a little picture. *grins*
You are in the middle of a sermon. Yes, a sermon, in a really beautiful church. And I’m not sure which ‘era’ it is. Very ancient is my guess.
Yeah so, there appears to be a rather cataclysmic storm outside and everyone is praying. Probably for it to subside, or maybe for George Bush to go to hell, whatever.
Suddenly the gigantic doors of the church fly open with a resonating crash and the cruel, cold howling wind swoops in as a wave of shudders engulfs the church.
He stands tall silhouetted against the gloomy dusk. His silver grey eyes gleam through the many fur coats he seems to be buried in. He scans the room with a hawk’s precision. His voice is a cold, clear command that slashes mercilessly through the silence.
“This is the end. You shall see no tomorrow. Come with me and you shall live.”
It comes as a sharp as a whiplash. Some step back a few paces with fear. And some start praying again, fumbling with their crucifixes feverishly.
He takes one step forward and slams his long, crooked staff as his last call.
Without thinking much, I step forward.
He looks at me with an icy stare. He waves his hand in a manner that I can only assume as spastic. But suddenly there appears a colorful whirlpool out of thin air that floats a few feet above my head. Almost hypnotized by its ingenuity I dive right into it. As I get sucked into an unknown dimension my insides churn with apprehension and excitement.
*THUD*
I land face down. Sand. Lots of it.
I look up to find myself at the most beautiful beach I have ever seen.
The bluest of the blue waters there ever was on earth. The whitest of the white sands God ever created.
The sun that looked as soft and demure as the moon.
The cool water lapped gently at my feet, almost lovingly.
Ah yes, I was in paradise. So the world came to an end! Big deal!
I turned around to find a beautiful island waiting for me to explore!
But wait…am I alone??? Where is everyone else?
Something hits home…....am I supposed to be Eve??? Is this the beginning of the world, rather than the end?? Does that mean Adam is waiting for me somewhere in the island???
*grins*
In that case, I sure hope the creepy old guy chose Johnny Depp to be my Adam!
Ah, sweet paradise!

Of photographs and memories....

2008-10-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

I finally went to meet this other friend of mine the other day, after eons.
While she made coffee for me, I lied down for a while.
My head hit something hard and I fumbled around to move it and realized it was a photo album. I sat down to have a look. It was a really old photo album.
It revealed black and white, wedding pictures of her parents. 25 years ago.
I could see countless unknown faces and only two familiar ones.
I could see a lot of smiles. Only her face didn’t wear one.
It was her mother.
I wondered why she looked so somber in all the pictures, whereas uncle looked so incredible happy, giving his, what I assumed, his best winning smile.
I flipped through, and each picture showed a rather tired and unhappy woman, that I recognized as my friend's mom or ‘aunty’
She looked beautiful, but gloomy.
Maybe she smiles less, I assumed.
Maybe she was tired, I wondered.
But I kept flipping through the album.
And then one picture really caught my attention, it is the kind that you can’t take your eyes off, the kind that makes you smile when you look at it.
The beautiful young couple were being shoved and pushed into the frame by their relatives to make them pose as a ‘lovey-dovey’ couple that obviously seemed a little awkward for them but was funny at the same time, and hence resulted in the most lovely, unabashed, genuine grins that I had not seen in the entire album.
It was adorable.
*smiles*

My parents have a picture like that too.
It has been framed and put up in the living room so that whenever I enter through the door or walk into the room, it makes me smile when I see it.
It’s a rare occasion when both my parents smile for a picture. This one time they did, and both of them look so beautiful and so happy, it makes me want to cry.
Marriages suck otherwise.
Its one big fat compromise, I have decided.
Its one thing to love someone but its quite another to spend your every living moment with that one person. It drives you nuts. I have seen. I have heard. And it scares me.
And 25 years ago, you hardly had ‘love marriages’. They were all arranged. *shudders*
My parents have been through a LOT.
And I know there is nothing called as a perfect relationship. But the fact that you want to stick around even when it really starts to suck is what makes it perfect.

But whenever I see that picture….nothing matters….

And I don’t know why aunty looked so unhappy on her wedding day.
Maybe it was the gloom of the unknown that shadowed her happiness, maybe she was uncertain, maybe she was scared to live with someone she hardly knows for the rest of her life, but I guess that one picture perfect moment kind of dissolves all those suspicions. Cheers to those moments!
Sometimes we all want to shut our eyes to the reality and see things make us smile. And sometimes this veil of silent captured memories speaks volumes and makes us want to stick around…..

Grown ups?? not really....

2008-10-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

We are all still children.
We are all still insecure.
we still play games.
We are all still scared of the dark.
Like children, we run to our friends, we tell them our secrets when we think no one’s looking, we are still petrified of the monsters and demons that live deep within our closets, we cry when we know things aren’t going our way and we still want someone to kiss our ‘boo-boos’ away,we dream up our child like fantasies and wish secretly for them to come true......
and like children, against all logic, against all reason and our better judgment, we never let go of hope.
And every once in a while, we need to be told by someone...by anyone....that everything is going to be OK.

oh well....it wasn't all that bad....

2008-10-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

There is nothing called as a perfect vacation.
Well almost.
But I wish there was.
Oh never mind.
Yeah so I went to Goa. Supposedly for a vacation.
So I learned a few things.
a) Never go with a bunch of people you don’t get along with!
b) Never go without planning a vacation! You need to have arrangements for conveyance and accommodation!
c) And last but not the least….NEVER go with couples who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other even for a second!
But like Teju told me, everyone has one disastrous Goa trip in a lifetime. This was mine. And I have a long life to go! *grins* hopefully! =P
Not getting into the disastrous part of the trip, there were plenty of things went wrong and had been really frustrating, but I will admit I did have a few golden moments and a few high moments and some memorable ones.
So after spending an entire day doing nothing but wait for certain people to turn and trying to look for a place at the same time, we finally made plans late n the evening to go to Mambo’s, of course, after a few pegs and a few shots down.I don’t remember much coz I was so high on dancing! I remember turning down a few guys for a dance, but I did end up dancing with this cute firang, who couldn’t dance to save his life!! Haha…but he was too cute!
The rest of the night was quite a blur, as we chilled at Kamaki for a while and then everyone retreated to their rooms. But I was too wide awake to sleep and so were Viyanka and Puneet, so we decided to take a road trip on a whim to Anjuna and the Chapora fort to watch the sunrise.
Speeding down the dark roads snaking through the wilderness, shivering in the cold of the night, under the open skies was a new high altogether!
And Anjuna was breathtaking at the break of dawn. It almost looked untouched and pristine and inviting. I wanted to stay there longer but I also wanted the others to see Chapora fort. And early in the morning was the perfect time.
As we trekked to the top of the Chapora fort, every step that took us towards the peak, took us a little further away from the world we seemed to leave below…..which left us speechless….The fresh morning mist curled around the palm trees and rose above it slowly as the sun made its slow ascent to the top and cast an orange-ish glow over everything it touched.
and what could be more perfect than a beautiful peacock waiting right at the top, cawing to greet us!
Whoa…..!
And let me tell you this, I’m NOT a morning person! Really! But this, I thought, is what a morning should be like!
Breakfast of honey pancakes at an adorable little shack called ‘Munches’ completed the perfect morning ‘feel’
*grins*
Two hours of sleep later, Arambol beach was on the agenda. But that only after wasting a LOT of time doing ‘stuff’. *rolls eyes* Anyway….we finally left…..
Not that I want to sound filmy, but Rahul, who was driving the car, drove like the dudes in ‘Rang de Basanti’. He is a mad man! No kidding! My heart was in my throat all through the drive! And I don’t remember screaming as much! And I swear to god, there was a time when the car was on just 2 wheels!!!We reached Arambol beach in 20 minutes, a journey that usually takes one hour! So you get the idea!
But Arambol beach is B-E-A-yooootiful! One MUST go there if in Goa.
It’s where heaven and Earth meet…quite literally….it’s like the sky beneath your feet…and you are on the top of the world…where the musical, pristine blue waters beckon you….ah! It was incredible!!
Sadly the feeling didn’t last long, coz there were quite a few really sloshed people to look after. And I was the ‘official coffee sponsor’ for our driver!
Hey..I wanted to get back to my hotel in one piece!!
So anyway…after the ‘kaali raat’ had passed, the next day our Palolem beach plans got canned coz the ‘others’ couldn’t travel so much! Coz it was ‘too far’! Oh well!
Back up plan…. water sports! And the weather was amazing, for a change!
Banana boat ride and the bumper ride were the ones I had my eyes set on, because I’ve already done water scooter and para-sailing and I wanted to try something new.
“Hey you wanna sit on my banana??”
“Hello ma’am you wanna ride the banana??”
“Yes ma’am, you want banana ride??”
Hard to miss the pun , when random punks are advertising their water sports on the top of their lungs!
*roflmao*
the bumper ride was insane!!! It’s an inflatable raft that you have to hold on to, while it is dragged by a motor boat! And oh man!! That raft flies and hits and water repeatedly, harder every time..…no wonder it’s called a bumper ride! I was sure I would break a few of my teeth or dislocate my shoulder even! But I survived!Twice!! *grins*
I remember my friends screaming my name frantically, when I finally turned around, I saw a banana boat right in my face, just about few inches away from me, and all the people on it staring at me in alarm. I tripped and fumbled away from it, when one of my friends was mean enough to yell “Isha you almost gave that banana a b***job!!!”
*guffaws from all the guys on the stupid banana and louder guffaws from all my friends*
Quite red in the face I beat the crap out of him accompanied by a plenty of abuses!
We stayed put in the water till it got dark.
then quick shower, and a sandwich later I was all set to hit the dance floor.
By this time it had started lightning and thundering. Yayee!
But we decided to chill at Curlie’s for a while,which is a shack at Anjuna beach. Good music, plenty of eye candy, Carlsberg, awesome weather, the pitch dark beach, and occasional streaks of lightening in the distance that lit up the waters…..you get the picture….
The buzz kept me happy and laughing and screaming random songs and yelling out to random people on bikes in the drive to the West-end club.
I think we drove a small stretch without the headlights on a road that looked good enough to be seriously haunted! Whoa…..insane feeling!
Unfortunately, the club sucked! Trance music and pathetic crowd and the guys who had gone out to buy booze got caught by the cops who took away their license and detained them for about 3 hours.
After we finally left the club, we stopped to eat at a small place at Calangute.
We finally reached our hotel at about 5 and we still had some fuel to burn before we returned the car, so we headed towards Panaji.
Early morning at the river side at Panaji….Rush of memories….feeling of déjà-vu….
*sigh*
By the time I crashed on the bed, I was exhausted, coz I hadn’t slept in 3 days I think. All of us were dead tired and we woke up late, and missed our train.
Brilliant!
We had to take a general ticket in the next train.
Ugh! I’ve never had such a bad train journey in my life! Couldn’t sleep coz I was aching all over and coz there were cockroaches crawling all over the place!
*shudders*
Reached home at 5 in the morning and I hit the sack.
I was so tired I didn’t realize, that I slept straight through lunch and woke up in the evening at around 6.
While unpacking I thought to myself... ‘Damn! Now I can’t wear all these skimpy clothes in Bombay!’
=P

Guess who's back!

2008-09-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

It’s funny how we learn to adapt.

Amazing even.

How we manage to mould our minds and our hearts to accept everything around us and finally convince ourselves that we do actually ‘like’ it.

Or do we really?

Maybe we were prejudiced before and made some misinterpretations.

Or maybe we just realize as time passes that things are going to be a certain way and we better learn to suck it up and deal with it.

Yes it is amazing, how an open mind can change so many things around you!

Think about it.

Ok, I’m done with my quota of philosophy for this post!

In other news,

I’m actually enjoying college now!

Workload still sucks the life out of me but we do manage to have our moments!

And by ‘we’ I mean my entire class!

Saturation and boredom can drive you to randomly challenge juniors to a game of tug of war! Not that the wusses accept! Muhahahhaha! But we belong to Lucifer’s lineage !

So after excessive name calling, hooting and doing the chicken dance, we did manage to bring the camel under the mountain!(an aaya oonth pahad ke neeche) *grins*

Ah! What a spectacle it was!

I solemnly swear I’m not exaggerating when I say the entire college…I mean the ENTIRE College was there to watch!(inclusive of professors who were trying to yell over all the noise for us to get our asses back into our classes). Not that we invited them or intended to create so much commotion that distracted everyone enough to come of their classes and watch and cheer!! *makes a sweet angelic face*

But guess who won! Guess guess!

Yeah FD-7 girls rule! *flexes muscles*

The boys were the 'happiest'! (no pun intended) their next request was kabbadi! (yeah right!)

Oh but did I mention kho-kho??? And hopscotch?

*grins wider*

And did I mention the awesome fun we had????

Muhahahaha!

But all said and done…I WILL MISS JOELAAA!!!

He leaves on Monday!

*makes super sad face*

I had such a great time hanging out with him!

Oh and he finally made me proud! The leeetle boy has grown up! *wink wink nudge nudge*

The mallu bomb rules!

Lub you!

Oh and for all of you blog readers, there is another 'breaking news' some joker has copied one of my posts and converted it into one of those mail forwards!

Yeah you guess right, the now famous post is' Breaking news indeed' FYI!

Not that I’m getting any credit for it!

I wish I had a copyright to my blog!

For that matter I wish I could sue the person and become a millionaire!

*day dreams for a while*

Oh wait a minute…..I don’t even know who that joker is ! D-OH!

Silver lining. I’m goooood! *looks smug*

Psst…hey metrosexual monk! I’m still right here! *big colgate smile*

I walk alone....

2008-08-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

You can scream, you can shout, you can abuse.

But you can’t make me cry.

You can conspire, you can scheme, you can deceive.

But you can’t bring me down.

You can punch, you can strike, you can kill.

But you can never break me.

I won’t hate you.

But you can’t make me love you.

I am what I am.

I am….and I will be…..

Jai Hanuman!

2008-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah so I was ultra fucking bored today! couldn't go to work, as trains were not working!
rains! rains!

So sat at home all day, flipping channels on TV again!

Jai Hanuman on sony.
hmmm.....perhaps I should watch!

Before I start, I DON'T intend to hurt anyone's religious sentiments!
This post is only to poke fun at how BADLY Indian television directs mythological serials!
I do respect the Ramayana and Mahabharata!
Only I think they are best within the pages of the Bhagwad Gita and not to be commercialized on TV! and this is why!

Scene#1
(you guys better know shudh hindi!)

Shurpneka(sister of Raavan) approaching (what only she assumes is seductive) seductively towards innocent and meditating Ram in the water.

*starts clanging her bangles to get his attention*
*he opens eyes and she smiles*

"Aye tapasvi, tum kitne sundar ho! main tumhe dekhkar dhanya ho gayi"

"Tumhara parichay?"

"Mujhe pehechana nahin?? Main tumhaari premika hoon, priyamwar! Kabse tumhaare apeksha kar rahi thi! "
*bites lips and bats eyelashes*

"Parantu, main tumhare liye yogya purush nahi"

"Nahi priyatam!! Aap jaisa veer, aur sundar purush hi mera premi ho sakta hai"

"Parantu tum ho kaun?"

"Main ek sundari hoon! kabse tumhaari raah dekh rahi thi! aakhir kaar mujhe tum praapt ho gaye! mujhe apne baahon mein grahan kar lo priyatam!"
*bats eyelashes and throws 'come hither' looks at him*

"Sundari....main tumhare liye yogya purush nahi hoon, lekin haan, van main ek veer purush tumhe zaroor milega!"

"Kahaan milega!!! Main jaoongi uske paas!"

scene #2

Shurpneka checking out a rather hairy lakshman cutting a tree.

"sach kaha tha us tapasvi ne, tum to ati sundar ho veer purush"

"KAUN HO TUM!???"

"main ek sundari hoon!! aur tumhaari premika!! mujhe pehechaana nahi?? mujhe apni baahon mein le lo and meri is mann ke chanchal aag ko bujha do!!"
*bites lips and fixes hair*

hairy lakshman is alarmed

"Main har paraiyee istree ko apni maa aur behen maanta hoon!"

"Parantu main parayee kahaan??? Main to tumhaari hoon priyatam! Mujhe saman lo apni baahon main! main tumhaare saath swayamvar karna chaahti hoon!"

"Kyaa??? Swayamvar???"

Shurpneka starts feeling up hairy lakshman's hairy chest

Hairy laksman starts running

"BHAIYAAAAAAAAAA MERI RAKSHA KARO!!! BHAIYAAAAAA!!"

Shurpneka running behind him, singing

"Priyatamm!!! Ooh Priyatamm!!"

"BHAIYAAAAAAAAAA MERI RAKSHA KARO!!! BHAIYAAAAAA!! BHAIYAAAN!!! MERI RAKSHA KARO!!

""PRIYATAAMMM!!! RUKH JAO PRIYAATAMM!! KAHAAN JAA RAHE HO!! giggles

I changed channels after that!
enough seen!!

BREAKING NEWS indeed!!!

2008-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

Ok…some people think that media is one field that makes a mountain out of a mole hill, rather the media people make a career out of blowing things out of proportion!

Some may take offence to this statement….but it IS true! Not that I hate media or something…and I also don’t wanna judge anyone or any profession. It’s just that it gets quite hilarious at times.

One would think that at least the news channels would do something worthwhile. But some beg to differ!

I’m talking about India TV.

Bored as I was (the chewth of a cable guy had switched channel signals again), I was flipping through all the 100 channels quite randomly, while chitchatting with Dita.

I came across India TV.

BREAKING NEWS blinking all over the screen!

So I lingered on the channel and continued jabbering.

OH and it was TOTALLY worth the linger!

Here is what I saw!!

What? When? How?! Where!?

Oh crap!! Cows are missing!!! haaaaalp!!

Hats off India TV!!! What would we do without you!!?!?

I really REALLY like this animation!!

OH why not?!?! Coz bloody aliens will fucking travel billions of lightyears so that they can drink delicious cow's milk on their long journey back!

Ha! why didn't I think of that before!? They must really worship our cows!! THAT's why they abduct them!!

Really!??!? You don't say!!!

Yes yes!! Our cows are being beamed by alien ships! The world is coming to an end!!! haaaaaalp!!

Oh fuck!! We better hide Indian cows!! Coz thats exactly what the aliens are looking for!! Quick QUICK!!

Oooooooooo! Flying cows!!!

And some more!

I told you aliens exist!!!! I was beamed too, when I was a child and I didn't believe in aliens!!!! HA! in your face!!! see the proof!!

Wow more proof!! HAIL India TV!

I dare you to spot the cow inside the encircled area!!
(psssst....it's flying!)

I believe! I believe!!
Go away alien freaks!!! Don't take our cows!!

NEED I SAY MORE!?!??!!?!?

And while you check out all the above pictures, don't miss the advertisements scrolling at the bottom of the page of every picture! Priceless stuff I would say! *winks*

p.s:- All these pictures were clicked by my sister on her sony ericsson phone that has a 2 megapixel camera! ALL of the above pictures are 100% genuine!!

ATTENTION please!

2008-07-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of those posts, where I shall vent, abuse, crib and abuse some more.

But I also wish to bring up a long standing issue, where all girls will sympathize with me, they better!

Eve teasing.

Yeah. So that bloody sucks!

I mean men are so fucking sexually frustrated!

Kindly bear with me ladies, I’m getting to the point!

So I was traveling to office this morning with two of my friends. Today I had to travel in 2^nd class compartment, as I didn’t have a first class pass from Kharghar. (I hate traveling by second class compartments!)

Now I was in the ladies compartment which is adjacent to the men’s compartment, and this train was one of those trains which don’t have that screen which blocks men from gaping at all the women in the compartment.(bloody pigs!)

T.V room as one of friends calls it.

There was still 5 minutes for the train to leave from Vashi, when this jackass came from somewhere and stood right outside the window I was sitting next to and started staring. Staring his fucking eyes out! I threw him disgusted looks a couple of times but he didn’t seem the kinds who would get the point. So I started to ignore.

The train started to move, but this asshole was hanging so far out from the door of this compartment that he could conveniently peep into the window and stare some more. Now I was getting uncomfortable. I still ignored.

The train halted at Mankhurd, and another chewthiya got inside the men’s compartment and started doing the same stunts as the previous jackass. But this one decided to sing!

I continued ignoring. When the train started nearing Kurla, I was starting to get REALLY pissed off. Coz this guy wouldn’t fucking stop!

He made a disgusting noise that sounded like a smooch.

THAT was IT!

"Abbe saamne dekhna! Idhar kya dekh raha hai tabse!" I yelled!

"Abbe tujhe dekh raha hoon kya bhains(buffallo)! Saamne dekh bolti hai! Tujhko dekh raha hoon kya!?!? Samajhti kya hai apne aap ko…" he yelled back.

"saala tabse toh yahi pe ghoor raha hai!!! bakwaas kya kar raha hai?!!?!?" I screamed back!

But after I said that he started ranting and abusing me further!!

NOW I wanted to slap him and fucking rip off his balls! What a fuckhead!

Before I could retaliate, my friend grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard, warning me to stop, coz no good would come out of it. I shut my mouth and hoped he would shut up too.

But he didn't stop there!! He continued abusing me and calling me unthinkable names for a good 10 minutes!! I felt my face growing hotter and hotter with humiliation and anger.

I was starting to wish that he would just fall off the moving train and hit one of those electric poles!!

After a while, some men in the compartment started abusing the asshole and asked him to shut-up coz he was embarrassing everyone. Which he finally did and after that he also stopped staring.

Oh man!!! I have never felt such white hot anger surge through me!! If only I could just spray pepper spray all over his fucking, chutiatic, gutter mouthed face!!!!

Aaarrrrghh!

When I finally got off at my stop, my friend reminded me.

“Isha, next time, just ignore such people. They are not worth it.”

Yeah so it’s always the girl or the woman who has to sacrifice and compromise her freedom and self-respect in front of such assholes!

I have been humiliated many times like this before! I have been called disgusting names and I have been grabbed and felt up many times. I can’t begin to say who violating it feels . Every woman has to go through that. And silently.

Coz if you do say something, this is what happens. You get humiliated like I did today.

A visit....

2008-07-18T12:48:00.001-07:00

This post was long overdue. It’s just that I’ve been crazy busy and dead tired this entire week! So anyway! I should get down to business!

As I relax on my brand new, cushy black couch, with my legs resting over the coffee table top, the laptop on my, well… lap, I can see my misshapen toes twiddling, when I tilt my head a little to my right. Purple nail polish! What was I thinking!!? It’s chipping anyway! I need to get rid of it!

You know, just when I was wondering how I could make myself more useful….Teach India came along. *smiles*

It’s a wonderful initiative by the Times Group. For more information log on to http://www.teach.timesofindia.com/

Anyhow, two of my friends Achintya and Varsha have already been teaching kids at this NGO is called Pratham, every Sunday. I decided to go along with them last Sunday and see what it is like. He had been telling me what a pleasure it is to interact with those kids and how adorable and smart they are. I wanted to meet them!

As we snaked through the shady lanes of Manish market in the scorching heat, I was beginning to wonder what the place must look like if it was amid these intimidating lanes. My musings came to a halt when an old, dilapidated 4 storey building emerged through the stall infested streets. One could see vague traces of green and white paint that once adorned the walls, peeling off.The architecture looked rather Victorian and really old! The rickety and dusty staircase wound its way right to the top floor. As we slowly climbed , I could see dirty and deserted hallways where battered tomcats roamed and several mice and lizards scampered about. I was starting to get a little anxious. But fourth floor welcomed us with a cluster of happy faces and excited voices and waving hands! There were kids of almost all ages running about, screaming, yelling, giggling, and squealing. Suddenly the feeling of alien-ness melted away and I felt as I had been there before and that these kids were as happy to see me as they were to see their beloved teachers! I waved back at everyone.

In the following 2 hours session, Achintya and Varsha took turns to teach. Both of them were brilliant! They managed to keep the kids hooked on till the end of the session and I was amazed at how bright these kids were! How inquisitive and how smart!! Their spirit and sense of humor amazed me! And so humble! Most of these kids are really ambitious and I met this one fellow called Sameer who wanted to be a doctor….a really bright kid! Full of questions! Then Arif, one of the funniest and smartest kids I’ve ever come across! He wants to be an engineer….and on asking everyone what they wanted to learn for the next week, Arif said something that cracked us up!

“Oh! I wanna know about planes! How do planes crash!?!?” (hehehahhaha!)

A lot of these kids want to become social workers when they grow up. *smiles*

Just when we were about to leave, the younger lot of the children put up dance performances for us. And there was this boy, no more than 5 years of age, who boogied to the tune of 'dard-e-disco'!(not one of my favorite songs, but anyway! ) And OMG! He could give Micheal Jackson a run for his money!! He was bloody brilliant! And sooooo adorable!

I was told most of these kids are either orphaned or abandoned, with not much of a future to look forward to, but their courage and hope keeps them going! It was lovely and refreshing to meet people like them! It was a great experience! I’m really glad I went along.

Thanks Chintoo! :)

Although it makes me sad to think how less they have and how much more they deserve!

And then I complain about not being to able to shop enough or not having a big enough bedroom!! Sheesh! I should learn from these children, who wake up at 4 everyday morning to do all the cleaning and washing themselves!

It's funny how a bunch of strangers can make you feel at home .......while people at home seem like strangers!

Life couldn’t get weirder!! There are hues of greys and blacks and then there are vibrant bursts of colors!

purpose....meaning....life

2008-07-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

I can bullshit my way through most questions thrown at me, but one simple question stumps me.

“What do you want in life Isha?” he asked.

*silence*

Yeah. What exactly is my purpose here?! WHAT do I want?

I have no bloody friggin clue!

There are times when I regret my choice of career. There are times when I try my best to defend my own decision.

How can I make myself worthwhile, I wonder.

I know something is missing but I can’t figure out what it is!! I hate that feeling!

My dad never got anything easy, never got anything handed to him on a silver platter. But he learnt, he learnt to fight and earn his silver platter. And he fed us with silver spoons.

A person of his stature would have been proud of his achievements and where he is today, but not my dad.

The sorrow I see in his eyes breaks my heart. My family isn’t exactly perfect. It’s far from it. No matter how hard he tries, we only drift further apart.

He has pushed himself to a point where his work has become his obsession, his addiction, his refuge......

From Home.

I don’t want to end up like that. And then again, I don’t exactly know what I want.

Marriage seems to be the summit, from where my parents see it.

From where I see it…..A new home. New problems. More pain.

It’s confusing.

Everyday I see people rushing against time to get to their respective destinations. Some look hard, some scared, some worried, some content, some exhausted, some wistful, some sad.

What is their purpose? To work their asses off? To feed their family? And then one day, disappear into oblivion, where a few people will come to mourn you.

Everyday I see at least one woman crying in some corner of the station, or in the train compartment, or on the streets, or in the slums. No one stops. No one cares.

Who am I? What is my purpose here?!

Call me a little paranoid, but it disturbs me that I can’t answer that.

Train jumpers!

2008-07-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

It is quite an experience traveling by the Mumbai locals everyday. Yeah I know I have mentioned that before! But the more I travel, the more fascinating it gets! I don’t get bored at all. Tired, yes, but bored, nope siree! I mean as long as I have my music, I can conquer the world! :P

Its fun to watch how people have honed their skills, over the years I assume, of flying and swinging into a running train before it even halts at the platform!! Without any injury to self! There is however no guarantee for the people in their vicinity who might get struck in the face by a flailing arm, a rock hard bag or an umbrella while trying similar acrobatics!!

I’d rather not! I prefer standing all the way to Cotton-Green station than trying such tactics and breaking my nose!

But it’s so entertaining to watch how they gauge and calculate their position and the train’s speed and take the plunge with such awe-inspiring confidence!

Oh well!

By the way, my 'Cute station guy’ has started noticing me more than usual! :D

I like! And I love casual Fridays! :D :D :D

In other news,

At work, my first collection is underway! Woo-hoo!

Things have started rolling baby!!

On the other hand, my office colleagues could constitute the cast of a new season of ‘Mind your language!’

The limelight will be stolen by the ‘Burpy lehiri’ of my office. I can’t disclose her name, but lets just say, ‘Arr yooo made or whaat??’(are you mad or what?) and
‘Peeelsbery aata’(Pillsbury atta) and ‘I pay you no, u buyed samosa for me, how much?'(i won't bother explaining that!) is quite entertaining! :P

Tag, tag awaaay!

2008-07-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ok! So I was tagged! Now for the rules of this somewhat funny game,

These are the rules:
1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I was tagged by Anindita. (the jobless woman! :P)

As a kid, I used to my bedside pillows as living beings who had feelings and also my dear , dear friends. I had named both my pillows and used to talk to them every night before I went to sleep or was upset or was particularly ecstatic.(No I don't remember their names!) I hated it when my sister threw them around or called them inanimate or me stupid!! (SO I was a weird little kid :P)

I had thing for brand new stationary items! New papers, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, text- books, note-books, examination pads, fountain pens, sketch pens, pastel colours, water colors, brushes, compass box, rulers, even postid stamps when they were new! I loved buying them; I loved the smell of it! I loved the novelty of it! I loved going to school or writing an exam with a whole new set of stationary items! (geek…maybe?? :D)

I made my parents buy me a cycle when I topped my class in 2^nd grade. I learnt how to ride it in my grade four summer vacations! Till then, my sister enjoyed the novelty! (you could say I was being a wuss >_<)

I have been bitten by stray dogs TWICE! Once when I was 4 years old and once when I was 11 years old. But I still love dogs! (and NO! I didn’t provoke them to bite me!)

Throughout school I’ve tried my luck with games like, hockey (the stick was too big! And no pun intended), basketball (too short!), table tennis (bad timing!), hand-ball (lot of nose injuries) and football (ahh! One thing I got right!)

While playing a game of Taboo today, instead of saying ‘ what is another word for the male reproductive organ’ I ended up saying, ‘ what is another word for male penis’ (D-OH!!! I wonder what the female version of it is!!! Stop stop!)

so the people I shall tag now are.... Shobhit, Varsha, Mithun, Mishra, Joel, Vishad

Tag away people!

Of football and nostalgia.....

2008-06-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah so I watch football! I rather enjoy watching it!

And no, its not only because I want to gawk at extremely hot men running on the field, doing what they do best, but also because I get to see them do that in super-slow motion too! Satellite television rules!! *grins*

Ok seriously.

I like the game. Way better than cricket at least!

And I’m sick of being told that girl’s don’t watch football coz they know squat about it!

So, getting to the point….UEFA 'Euro' 2008!! (yeah thanks anurag! :P :P :P)

Even though I’m supporting Italia…I do get distracted by so many eye candies on field!

Speaking of Italia….they are out of the tournament !!!

*grumbles and abuses the stupid Spaniards and pouts*

I’m so upset!! And GIGI BUFFON!!! He’s so brilliant!!! And now he is out!! Dammnit!!! I’ll miss seeing him on field!! *pouts some more*

Oh well…the only other team I like, who have made it to the semis is Germany and if they lose to Turkey…that is it!! I’m not watching the finals!

I know what you ‘guys’are wondering, ‘what does a girl know about football’, right?

Oh you are wrong…I know football, I have played it, I used to be in the girl’s football team in school and Jr. College.(yeah yeah mock all you want! I don’t care!)

And we made it to state level championships! Twice! *looks smug*

I used to be the striker. And mind you, my short-lived career did highlight goals!!

Ahhh…those were the days!

I feel so nostalgic whenever I see football on TV!

Playing when it rained, eating vada-pav after practices at our favorite fast-food joint, reaching home dripping with sludge and leaving tracks all over my living room on my way to the bathroom and getting yelled at by mum, getting pushed by our coach to our limits to play harder, playing against guys, kicking butt, getting our butts kicked, rolling in muck as a punishment when we messed up during practice, all the times I missed, all the times I scored, all the times we fell hard, the rush after reading my name in the local newspaper, missing the header and hitting our noses instead(yoowwzza!), slipping and falling while trying to walk on the moss-ridden footpath in our studs, all the times we won, all the times we lost, all running like the wind, pep talks, getting reprimanded, reaching a new level, being congratulated, traveling to godforsaken places for matches, singing, dancing, celebrating, crying, pulling each other’s legs, cheering, all the times we huddled, all the times we limped, hitting on the guys in the football team, giggling and blushing, being girls, all the times we fought till the last minute, all the times we cursed penalty shoot-outs, all the times we supported each other, all the times we hugged, all the times we argued with the referee, all the times we got fouled, all the times we fouled, all the times we felt crappy, all the times we played!

I really miss those days! I miss playing football!

But super hot eye-candy kind of makes up for it *winks*

But all said and done, I have to admit one thing, football is a guy's game, not meant for girls.

mind you! I'm still a feminist! well almost! :P

GO EURO!

His famous quotes!

2008-06-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

College wouldn’t be college if it weren’t for its professors!

Every faculty has at least one unique sample item, by default, so to speak.

Barring one, my faculty consists of sample pieces, each one unique it their own right! *winks*

But I ‘liked’ only one of the many unique ones.

He was nice, but his mastery over the elite English language was mind blowing!

Before I start,

Disclaimer:-

The contents of this post are highly confidential. So to speak, I solemnly swear I shall not disclose the identity of the professor, for I don’t wish to bear the harsh consequences which may follow in an event that may involve my faculty actually discovering this not so discrete blog and reading this particular post! (I don’t totally dislike the below mentioned professor. He was a master entertainer.)

A slightly balding head, a kind smile on his face and a rounding belly that hung slightly beyond his belt, the hem of his pants hung inches above his ankles and his shoes somehow made squelching noises!

He walks in hurriedly with a briefcase bag in one hand and a hero Honda helmet in the other, he wishes us , starts fumbling with his briefcase combination lock and produces a pen-drive from the clutter and immediately loads his presentation into the computer and starts off with the lecture.

He taught us Intellectual Property Rights.

I never did quite follow what he said….but I always wrote down his best quotes!!

*takes a deep breathe* Here goes!

“Kindly draw the drawings…”(ahem..sure!!)

“Changing hairstyles is their culture. You know they are different if you the know the hairstyles.” (I have NO clue what this is about!)

“ The working ladies go to the toilets in the mornings in the texture there.” (WTF!!)

“ Add the hydrogen to the oxygen and the water will come out. But you cannot the get the water every time or the everybody will have the patents to the water”. (chemists must love him!)

“Put the clothes in the water and it will the vibrate.” (I can’t comprehend how he even imagined something like that!!)

“If he has to the sue someone in India, he has to go file a sue in India.” (Sure thing!!)

“By mistake it happenings! All users are not smarter like you!” (unhuh!! Totally!)

Here comes the grand finale!

‘They sells you the trousers, but after the washes, it becomes the Bermudas and the t-shirts becomes the banyans!!' ( I have never laughed so hard!)

Enjoy giggling!

Of guilt and Parenthood...

2008-06-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

It’s really easy to make mistakes, to possibly do something really terrible and forgive yourself for it, to mess up big time and keep it as your little deep dark secret that NO ONE else has to know about….. but when you get caught doing it…don’t you wish that the Earth swallowed you whole or perhaps the sky abducted you, or even better you could dig a hole big enough for yourself and just bury yourself in there!?!?
*shudders*
I hate being caught after doing something I know is wrong!
Then there is the supermassive guilt attack.. And then its just so suffocating, you wish that something worse happened so you wouldn’t have to deal with this!
Ok ….so what I’m trying to say is, I’m a terrible person and I did something that could qualify for being criminal, and my parents found out! Even in the worst case scenario I hoped them to be the last to ever catch me red-handed!
But they did.
My reaction…. DENIAL. Downright, in your face, don’t-you-point-your-finger-at-me denial! And I tried my best till I myself could believe it!
One thing a daughter/son should always keep in mind, your parents weren’t born yesterday; they probably know you better than you think they do.
Ok so I have learnt that now!
After a point, my parents gave up. But they had not even yelled at me or even shown teensy-weensy bit of anger. (super-supermassive guilt attack)
And they pretended that nothing happened, even after they knew I was at fault.
Oh god! I could just kill myself! I wish they had yelled!
But today I had the courage to do the right thing.
A friend talked me through it. Thanks! =)
I apologized to my dad, through a message, coz I knew I wouldn’t be able to face him in the evening otherwise. For Christ’s sake! I couldn’t even face myself in the morning!
‘Don’t worry, we will always forgive you. Ask us if ever you need anything. Tc.’ He replies.
I could’ve bawled like a baby!! How do they have the strength to do that!!!???
I still have to go home and apologize to mom. Hope she forgives me too! At times like this, I wish I had a brown paper bag handy…so that I wouldn’t have to show her my face!
Being a parent is NOT easy!!
I love both of them…and my sister.

In other news….
Work is going really well!
I’m enjoying it now.
There are people at my workplace, who call me ‘Isha madam’!
How cool is that!?!?
With my supervisor in France, my boss in Hong Kong, and my class-mate Viyanka taking bed-rest, I am in-charge!! I’m loving it! Although slightly nervous, I think I will be just fine! *grins*

Rather Random

2008-06-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Traveling everyday to office these days is a whole new experience.

I have never been used to traveling so much everyday considering my wonderful college is situated in an even more wonderful place called Kharghar! And NO I don’t mean it as a compliment!

It’s interesting to observe people, to observe the streets, to observe the slums, to observe all the traffic, to observe Mumbai.

No, it’s not all pleasant. I do end up crinkling my nose in disapproval, cribbing at times, whining even, and yet I feel like punching the firang in my office who calls this place cheap and dirty!

I sleep like a log these days! Traveling can be a real bitch in the monsoons!

I try my best to see the romance in the humid, rain laden air….but everyday I end up either hearing some cheesy lewd comments from some daft mofo or experiencing something worse. *shudders*

It’s funny how some people seem so snobbish at first, and then you realize they are actually quite sweet and friendly but then you decide, they are actually rather dull and annoying!

It’s weird how you initially sympathize for that simpleton in your office for always being the target of everyone’s frustrations till you realize he is quite the jackass!

My Boss's pet dog is rather funny. To begin with, his name is TooTa! And otherwise he is the laziest dog I have ever seen! Keeps strutting around the entire office as and when he feels like and never lets anyone touch him other than his masters. His system 'hangs' occasionally when he just stations himself at random places stares at nothing in particular . Some of the random place includes, in your way, in the door's way, in the Boss's way,on the stairs, in front of the elevator, on the leather couch in Boss's office or perhaps right in front of you when you are eating lunch.

The other day the Boss's secretary came over to the design showroom (where I work) looking for me and tapped on my shoulder and asked me if I was the new intern. On nodding my head a little nervously,wondering if I did something wrong, she gave me a big smile and asked me if she could see my new shoes. Apparently she had had a little chat with one of her colleagues, who told her about my pretty new shoes. (just two weeks in the industry and I'm already setting trends!!)

But quite frankly, no one in this industry really gives a stinky, tiny rat’s ass about your existence.

Oh and office politics EXISTS.

I always thought everyone who travels by the Mumbai locals are generally frustrated and are never quite in a mood to be nice to some fellow passenger during rush hour, much like me.

I was wrong.

People can be very considerate and sweet and a genuine smile goes a long way.

I’ve learnt.

And that fuzzy feeling when the cute stranger you have been eyeing everyday finally turns to look at you more than once while waiting for the train. It’s an everyday thing now. I quite like that.*winks*

I have to walk everyday through to this shady red light area on my way to the office. And I come across people washing clothes, washing cows, bathing, shitting right outside their house!! One has to master the art of ignoring certain things!

On a more pleasant note, discovering the tattoo on the back of his neck was the fuzziest feeling of all *giggles*

Getting drunk with a friend on a work night, and setting the dance floor on fire!

And then some more crazy sleepovers.

Did I mention his aviators?! *grins*

But no matter how tired I am after being on my heels the whole day, I prefer standing by the door while traveling back in the trains. I love the feeling. It never grows old for me. it’s such a rush.

And just how these people manage to live in the slums, amazes me, everyday. It’s depressing to see that people just like us are so deprived, so poor, so under privileged, so unlike us. Every morning I see this guy sleeping at the station on the stairs, soaking wet but oblivious to his own condition, without even a sheet to cover his trembling body. It’s sad. And here, I worry about my stipend at the office.

But everyone is always in a hurry in this city. Everyone has to be somewhere, be it work or home, girlfriend, or just friends, appointment or an interview, hospital or hotel or perhaps just the loo.

I wonder if anyone ever slows down.

And I hope I don’t get caught in this thing they call the rat race.

These 2 months is just a preview of what my life might be like once I start working. Once I start taking responsibilities, when I grow up, once and for all.

Maybe I don’t want to grow up. Maybe I won’t.

Thank you....thank you very much!

2008-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

You would think that some things are impossible but then sometimes, you really believe it could happen the way you want it, and then it does….isn’t it the greatest feeling in the world!

It’s been happening a lot with me lately…I’m not complaining!

Positive thinking works!

I think there is a small part of everyone that loves being miserable, it’s just because you probably love feeling the way you do when you get over it. Humans are weird.

My semester whisked past me! And I can’t believe how quickly it ended.

My mid-semesters were mind numbingly bad but my finals were surprisingly good! Because I believed in myself to make it better.

I like the feeling.

There are so many things still disturbing me and I wish I could make it all go away….

Hadn’t it been for my amazing friends I couldn’t have made it so far…. I wouldn’t have been here today. I don’t wish to sound so dramatic, but then well…people don’t call me a drama queen for nothing!

Thank you all! I love you guys!

Here goes….in no particular order…(this might be a slightly long post.)

Anindita Debnath – For the long walks, the shopping sprees, the paani-puri and watermelon juice treats, for drooling over Johnny Depp for hours together, for being the greatest listener, the sweetest person and the most caring and thoughtful friend I could’ve asked for. Thanks for loving me so much!

Achintya Rao- For being the insane mad entertainment who always manages to make me smile no matter what, for listening to me yapping, for yapping so much yourself, for the tips on playing the guitar, for some crazy performances, for all the randomness and for being around no matter what. (and also, for Varsha )

Sailee Mandhare- For her crazy contagious laughter, her adorably funny expressions and ridiculous notions, for all the clothes-swapping, for the incessant goose watching, for encouraging me for certain outrageous things and otherwise, for laughing over stupid pointless discussions, for the awesome time at the pubs….

Sharada Sundarmurthy- For discussions over every topic under the sun and otherwise, for really random questions now and then, for being honest, for the fun shopping sprees, for the 5 hour phone chats, for all the girl talk online, for constantly drooling over Johnny Depp and Hugh Laurie, and other extremely hot and unattainable men, for those amazing 3 really cold nights spent on the terrace talking and talking and talking,for all the useful medical information, for your mom's amazing food and filter coffee!

Gauri Deo- For being the gentle listener, warm hugger and a compassionate friend, for being the voice of reason as well as a solid support, for the strong person you are, for the drunk night on the terrace when it rained, for being so darn sweet, for always understanding, for loving me as much as you do.

Tejasvi Duvuri – For having the answers to most of my questions, for loving me and believing in me, for teaching me to be more practical and pragmatic in life, for always making me see the other side of things, for being so strong, for laughing our asses off for hours together for no apparent reason, for being the awesome mimic that you are, for the offer you made me that I cannot refuse, for being my brain twin!

Masoom Moitra- For our rare but fun times together, for being as crazy as you are, for loving me, for your smart solutions, for being honest., for the warm tight hugs, for being full of interesting stories, for seeing right through me, for opening my mind to a lot of things, for being such an amazing person, for always making it a point to meet me whenever your stupid hectic schedule allows you, for understanding me through and through, for being my friend.

Devina Lalla- For wise cracks and hilarious smart ass comments, for the constant reality check, for all the encouragement, for the stress relieving cribbing and bitching sessions, for all the drunk moments, fro always making me feel better whenever i'm upset, for making feel so much more special than I consider myslef to be, for being partly responsible for my sanity, for being there.

Joel Alenchery- For being so sweet to me , for your hilarious typos that make me laugh, for being so dorky and so adorable at the same time, for being so thoughtful and that awesome birthday gift you sent me! (my gift is still pending, I know…it’ll come ) for the innumerable cute hugs. Wish you were here.

Joel Joy- For letting me take your case, for our very rare, but fun meets, for the chocolates and roses and cakes. For making me do stupid things! For being my friend.

Viyanka Tanna- For all the positive influence, for making me believe, for tips on practically everything, for all the yapping 24/7, for being crazy and for all the entertainment, for all the spontaneity, for all the hilarious embarrassing moments.

Arunima Majhi- For being SO fucking loud all the time! for useless trivia….for embarrassing everyone around her, for abusing the crap out of the faculty under her breathe….for being her!

Parul Das- For being the adorable dheemi local of the class, for your hilarious comments, for the perfect comic timing, for being the only lovable delhiite, for loving Mumbai for than delhi, for always being concerned.

Neharika Sharma- For ALL the useful information one could get for making me feel un-guilty, for supporting me all the way, for all the late night, wild, stupid, unimaginable girl talk, for being so huggable and awesomely funny, for always making me feel gooood! For admiring me all the time, for being so lovable! And for being my wifey! Mmuah!

Pardon moi if I missed out some things…..but my sentiments remain solid for all…I love you guys a lot! Each one of you….love having you around…be there for me as I will be there for you….for as long as I can….

Mmuah to all!

A HOT and unfortunate day in the life of a DAft punk!

2008-04-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was heading towards bandra today, had work, just another day when I spent exhorbitant amount of cash for college stuff! Shyaa!

So anyway, while I dragged myself in the murderous heat of the afternoon, I contemplated on how many steps more I could endure before I collapsed and died of sun/heat stroke.

And NO, I’m not being dramatic!

Random thoughts running inside my head.

Every individual should have their own oxygenated air bubble that encompasses them, and each such bubble should be air conditioned. Such bubbles will keep out the unwanted/ undesirable people out of it, whereas friends/family/boyfriend can step in and out anytime! It can even make you invisible as and when you wish. It will provide protection AND we can teleport with it!! How cool is that!!?

Bird poop on my shoulder. Brilliant!! Back to the real world. Dammnit!

Spent 900 bucks only on fabric! * savors the thought of beating up the professor responsible for it*

I had only enough left for a bus ride home. My friend went bankrupt as well.

We boarded the bus amid chaotic hollering of a group of men abusing another group of men who got inside the bus out of their turn. I complained as well but stopped when I got myself a seat next to the window.

But the chaos continued. When we reached dharavi, I could hear a brawl brewing up a few seats behind mine. I turned to look. I could hear some serious kickass abuses thrown at each other by this lanky fellow, lets call him daft punk#1, who was ready to beat up this other guy, lets call him daft punk#2, who was sitting and equally nasty. He was wearing a really bright red cap.

I could smell a dog-fight.

When the conductor sensed it too, he demanded that daft punk#1 gets off the bus immediately. The bus halted.

But daft punk#1 had other ideas, he started aiming his not so well practiced punches towards daft punk#2, at which point, the conductor caught hold of him by the scruff of his collar and at some point, his unmentionables and dragged him out of the crowded bus and pushed him out.

But it was not over. As the bus inched its way through the traffic, daft punk#1 kept running abreast the bus and bellowed like a wounded bull and challenged daft punk#2 to get of the bus as well and face him like a man! But such sentiments were injected with excessive amounts of abuses. This pissed off, daft punk#2 and he lashed back.

Daft punk#1 didn’t quite like that I guess coz now he started taking aim at random people sitting near the window and hitting everyone but his target. He was yelling, punching and running at the same time.

Now I was scared. I was sitting next to a window. But I was still hanging on to it to catch every bit of what was happening.

Daft punk# 1 managed to piss off more people than just the target and now people commanded the conductor to stop the bus.

Noticing that the bus was about to stop, daft punk#1 tried pulling something out from under his shirt, for one horrified moment I thought he was about to pull out a gun and shoot daft punk#2, but he put my fears to rest when he pulled out something weird, but threw it at the first window he could reach. he continued chucking something at almost every window. *oh crap!!* Then he ran again and to some dirty corner on the footpath and found a spade lying somewhere, picked it up and started running towards the bus like a maniac, yelling at the same time, almost like sunny deol in some lame bollywood flick.

This guy was shitting me!! Was he actually going to strike?!?!? Was he fucking out of his puny little mind!?!

The weapon looked heavy, and he wanted to strike at the nearest target. He struck a some random guy standing the door of the bus.

I stopped breathing.

It was almost like everything happened in slow motion, I expected a body to roll of the bus and fall on the street following the attack. I could hear silence at first which was followed by a deafening uproar inside the bus! It was like a mutiny about to go REALLY bad!

The bus stopped and like 15 men rushed out and charged towards daft punk#1 like raging bulls!

They all disappeared from my area of vision but I could hear a racket outside. And then I saw, an enormous group of people and daft punk#1 at the center of it, beaten up badly.

Public dhulai as we call it.

He was bleeding from several places on his face and he looked really scared. People were still grabbing his shirt and shoving him around and kicking and hitting him at places which would hurt!

They forced him back into the bus and planned to take him to the police station I think.

He begged for mercy now and wailed and cried and struggled in vain to run away. The bus had to stop at sion again, coz he almost succeeded in doing so, but was dragged back in again, this time, two men lifted him up like a child who refused to get inside the school bus. Not a pretty sight.

I noticed he was bleeding from his mouth too. Two of his front teeth were missing.

I looked away. People were still fuming and whacking him randomly.

The bus stopped again. Now I was beginning to enter my 'exasperated noise making' zone!

The perpetrator was dragged away this time by a whole bunch of people to some place unknown.

5 minutes passed. Then 10 minutes. 15 minutes into the annoyingly hot wait, this very kind gentleman was unkind enough to inform us that we were to abandon the bus and find another bus to get to our respective destinations.

NOW I was pissed off!

*starts abusing under her breathe*

Couldn’t they jus let the guy go!? They had beaten him up enough! He was crying and begging for forgiveness…but NO, people HAVE to vent their frustrations too, this time, their outlet was Mr. Daft punk who started it all.

Oh well. It took me a good half an hour to find another bus.

And guess what?! Auto strike for 3 days. Don’t even get me started about the rikshawala ch****s ! That’s a whole different story altogether.

I walked back home.

Mumbai’s soaring temperatures are showing its random effect on people. The reaction of our ‘hero’ in the above incident was a result of a frustrating life and the maddening heat. Probably. *shrugs*

God help us.

Last minute preparations

2008-03-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sharada had come over this weekend!

Long weekend!

Calendar was kind enough to grant us one! Finally!

I took a whole bunch of CDs and DVDs for her. She wanted songs and movies. A brand new Sony Vaio laptop to hold it all!!! 200 GB HDD and 2 GB ram! Windows vista! Hot red colour!

As always we could talk like we had met just yesterday!

Ice cream, chakli, cookies, and filter coffee!!! (*drools* I lau LAU aunty’s filter coffee!)

Watched the sunset, walked, chattered, window-shopped, laughed, commented, laughed louder.

I went to see her off today evening.

And the ‘last minute packing’ always amuses me.

The usual scene.

Aunty will be combing her hair, draping her saree, making coffee, packing tiffins and dictating orders to Sharada all at the same time at superwoman-ish speed!!!

Sharada will obey quietly and sip her coffee quickly, wondering *why can’t my see-offs be a little bit more pleasant! hmmph!*

Big brother will contribute excellently by making snide comments on how she always forgets her stuff and conveniently asks him to courier it.

Sharada will roll her eyes and grind her teeth.

Uncle will quietly pace around, either in the kitchen or in the bedroom.

Scene#1

She packs her laptop. Packs her bag pack and her suitcase. Packs her many tiffins handed over in neat packets by aunty. Stands with her hands on her hip, looks around and thinks if she forgot something.

“Did you take your ticket?!?!?”

“Yes amma!”

“Laptop?? Ahh yes u packed it….wait, your phone??”

“It’s with me amma!”

“Locked your bag?!?!”

“Uhh…yeah that I will”

“See! I knew you forgot something!”

Meanwhile big bro conjures miniature locks from cupboard.

“Anna, I have a lock on the bag, it’s a combination lock.”

*pointedly* “Do you know how to use that?”

*a little offended* “Of course I do!”

*starts fumbling with the zipper of the bag*

10 minutes later, brother joins in and both are now seen fumbling with the zip.

Aunty hands a pair of scissors to him and he expertly snips something off and zzzzzzzzz….goes the zip.

Meanwhile uncle is quietly pacing in the kitchen.

“Now what combination do we use??” (sharada)

“007” (brother)

“Shyaa!! No it’s too common!”(sharada)

“Ok…666??”(sharada)

“Oh God NO!! No!! Not 666! 007 is fine” (aunty)

*laughter*

“But its too common amma!Ok, 999 then??” *grins* (sharada)

“NO” (aunty)

“Arre!! But...”(sharada)

“NO!!!!” …. *grumbles something in Tamil* (aunty)

“use 273” (aunty)

“Huh!?! Why!?!” (sharada)

“It’s your Birthday!!” (aunty)

“Ohhh fine then!” (sharada)

* starts fiddling with the combination*

“Uuhh…damn…abbe yaar….shit” (sharada)

“Tcchhah…lemme do it”(brother)

* grumbles in Tamil and continues fumbling with the combination, slaps away sharada’s hand*

“Wait!!”(sharada)

“No not like this…hold that…no not that…pull that! Haan! Now keep holding.”(brother)

*grunts a little and fumbles still*

*Aunty tries to interfere*

“Amma wait!”

“Arre wait, I think I managed it!!...ohh no…oops…no I didn’t.” (sharada)

"shyaa!! stop! lemme do this!" (brother)

*Brother takes over and keeps fiddling*

*Sharada gives up, smiles a little sheepishly and looks at me*

“Do you know how to do this??”

“Uhh…not really!”

* She sighs and resumes fiddling with the godforsaken lock with brother*

*Uncle is still pacing in the kitchen, a little quicker now*

*Aunty yells*

“It’s getting late!! Just put that other lock!!”

*brother finally gives up, gets up dismissively and produces the locks from the cupboard again, selects one and hands it to Sharada *

*She locks it expertly at one go and grins triumphantly*

Period.

Scene#2

While walking towards the rickshaw stand, Sharada and I walk slowly and fall behind.

Aunty still hurrying with her luggage in front of us, turns and looks at us impatiently.

“Walk fast beta! We’ll be late”

“No we won’t amma! We always leave at this time and always reach before time”

*Aunty smiles at me with a look that says ‘please walk faster’*

We oblige.

*Sharada whispers*

“You know every time, the day I’m leaving, every moment starting from the moment I wake up is ‘last minute work’ or ‘last minute preparations’ according to her!!!”*shakes head*

*I start giggling*

*Aunty calls out again, this time we hurry!*

I hug her and wave….”Cya next time dude!”

Does it matter?!

2008-01-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hypocrisy, double standards, two faced-ness (if that’s a word)…..they are all big words…offensive to some…familiar to some. But are we all innocent?? No.

Everyone has double standards….everyone is confused about life…everyone is confused about choices…everyone slips once in a while.

You may make a mistake and forgive yourself, but you will end up judging your friend for the same mistake….why?? Only because he/ she is supposed to be more responsible than you? Coz you never expected they would slip?? What about yourself then? How do you face yourself?

Not all choices are easy. People are not easy. You are the person you are coz of all that you have been through so far. Coz of all the mistakes you have made and consequences you have faced.

I am the person I am coz of all the shit I have put up with. I am me and I’m proud of it. Today I hold my head high not coz I’m famous or rich or pretty…..but because I have faith in myself…..coz I know I am strong and I can handle whatever life throws at me......coz I know I can love and can be loved.

Words can’t bring me down. You can’t bring me down.

It’s not a bad thing to have someone ‘like’ you….its not a bad thing to reciprocate.

It’s not a bad thing to flirt, to enjoy someone’s attention, to blush.

yes I have changed....and I will keep changing.....deal with it.

Here comes the cliche.....its my life!

This is the time to take chances. If not now, then when??

A fellow I know met with a deadly accident the other day. It was scary. But he survived. He is my age and he never saw it coming.

One day, it cud be me…..and then I wont even have a chance to regret about things I haven’t done.

I’m 20…will be 21 in a few months…and I feel nothing….its a ritual now….turning older…and I’m still single.

My parents think I should get married.

“At your age I had given birth to your sister. Don’t think that you are a child anymore!!”

“You are no better than a tailor anyway! And he earns a lot! He is an IIT and an MBA graduate!”

BALLS!!

I should start living alone. That will take care of half my problems.
Ahh…I wish.

The BEST trip of my Life!

2008-01-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

Finally my most awaited and long deserved vacation arrived…..and the beautiful Goa beckoned…

Goa…synonymous with everything positive…everything happy…everything fun….

Some call it heavenly….some call it, a paradise on earth….

But as for me….Goa gave me the best 5 days of my entire life….it let me live…it made me shed all my inhibitions….it made me let go….it made me feel free…..it made me happier than I ever imagined I could be!

I know, it all sounds clichéd, but such was life in Goa!!

Goa may be the smallest state in India, but it is perhaps one of the most beautiful. This emerald land exudes an aura that is unique in its own right….its charm, mesmerizes minds…and its culture entices hearts….the narrow cobblestone streets, ornamented by never-ending stalls, that meander its way to the beaches….the vendors bellowing out prices and sales ….the streets bustling with activity.....the tempting aromas of a variety of cuisines that swim through the streets…..the timid looking dogs hunting for food on the constricted footpaths…. the sprawling white sand beaches that stretch throughout the boundaries of the state, complimented by the sparkling turquoise blue waters that skirt it….the enormous palm trees bordering the beaches…the myriad colorful umbrellas and hammocks splashed over the sands….the infinite happy faces bobbing up and down everywhere….the resounding laughter and delighted screams that float around you….the prettily decorated, cozy little shacks that beckons….treading barefoot on the hot sands and running to the soothing waters every now and then…..the beauty of it all…..that’s Goa for you…every sight, every sound, every feeling is an experience in itself…..Smile

31st December 2007, 5 a.m- Our journey began

Excitement and skepticism brimmed inside me as we headed for panvel to board our train. As of now, there were 6 of us….more people were to join us later, according to devina. So I’ll introduce all of them now, and as and when the characters increase, I shall take the pains to introduce them too ;)

Here we go-

Disclaimer-

I solemnly swear to do justice to the entire trip with this post, however if anyone feels I have missed out something or someone in this post, kindly keep it to yourself! I’m doing the best I can! Any resemblance to a character living or dea…umm…just living, is purely intentional and I sincerely hope I get the introductions and the thank yous right, for that, your cooperation is requested! Now get off my back, and read!! Hope you enjoy….Tongue out

Devina lalla- my best friend in college, my sanity, my support, my faithful partner in the loser gang.

Sailee mandhare- my childhood buddy, known her since I have known myself, my loyal friend and partner in every crime.

Joel alenchery- my dear darling Joel, the nri, the mallu, the clown, the adorable uncle… Open-mouthed

Sneha hingorani- the ever ecstatic and perennially high chic, my batch mate and my ‘giggling for no reason’ buddy.

Gautam sethi- I don’t know him. He’s sneha’s friend.

And of course…

ME!! The nut-case, stupid, bratty, cynical, annoying me!

There we are…

The train journey was extremely tiring and for some weird reason I couldn’t sleep at all! The maximum amount of sleep I got at a time was like exactly an hour! Not to forget, the seats were bloody uncomfortable! Ok enough cribbing for now….more later Tongue out

Finally reached old goa at around 3 I guess and did I mention that we had free accommodation during peak season!? Muhuahahha! Now u know! So, Hemanth, a resident of goa and also a friend of Sneha was kind enough to provide his place to us since we hadn’t been able to book accommodation…god bless him.

Shower.food.beer.plans for new years….woohoo!

New Year’s Eve, 7 p.m, Baga beach

Now we were joined at the beach by 8 others. Yaz yaz I’ll make the introduction again!

Anjana ravindran- devina’s school friend from Bangalore, presently studying medical at Belgaum, and is an absolutely sweet person AND a great dancer!

JD- Devina’s school friend again….from Bangalore and that’s about all I know about him. sorry jd…didn’t get time to talk at all!

Shyam Nair- the ‘proud IITian’. Devina’s school friend from Bangalore. Has a very interesting hairstyle and insists very hard that he should not be hated only coz he is intelligent!

Pradyumna - a.k.a Praddy. From Bangalore and the school friend! I’ve heard a lot about him and hence will sum it up like this ‘praddy’s the MAN!!’

Adarsh- a.k.a Addy. Again from Bangalore and all that jazz! The sweetest guy ever and is wary of people who chuck a LOT of sand on him for no reason. Sorry Adarsh Open-mouthed

Konark- I think he is JD’s friend. The only fellow who didn’t drink that night! Had more ‘serious responsibilities!’ Presently doing law in Gandhinagar, gujju land. Chivalrous, funny, and the self proclaimed ‘Sea of God’ Tongue out

Tarun – Konark’s batch mate

Abhishek - same same.

Phew! Lot of people!

Baga beach was fucking crowded!! But once the fenny shots started…nothing else mattered!! Horrible tasting, but I loved it! Most of them did, I guess…

2 shots down, and I could feel my head swimming….i remember being really happy…but I don’t much remember what all I did that night…no no…nothing scandalous!! Don’t get ideas!! I just let go!! Of everything…every thought…every pain…every worry…felt amazing…

I remember trying to dance…I remember falling down a lot…sand….beer…more sand…. firangs….giggling uncontrollably….water….little more beer….loo…loud music…louder talking…smiling faces… introductions….posing for pictures…chucking sand at each other….fireworks!!! Happy New Year!!! Feeling drowsy…no place to sleep….random idiots wishing you happy new year…shooing off spectators….laughing some more…talking…loo...more introductions…Shyam defending IIT for over an hour and insisting that all IITians aren’t jerks…Shyam doing the robot dance with me…joel doing balle balle and repeating continuously ‘but I’m supposed to take care of you guys!’

Feeling cold….half of them dozing of…..the sunrise…welcome 2008…

Anjana, JD, Shyam, Praddy, Adarsh were to leave on 1st afternoon (shyaa!) so we parted ways and headed towards old goa whereas, the rest headed towards panjim to pack their stuff…we bade our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch.

Looong Shower.hangover.chips and biscuits. Sleep.

We took an evening walk around old Goa and decided to have a booze party that night…but then made impromptu plans to go to Panjim instead and watch a movie with the other guys, i.e Konark, Tarun and Abhishek. (yeah i know what you are wondering…such fools to watch a movie when in goa….but in our defence, we didn’t have other plans and we didn’t have cars or scooters to go elsewhere that late! )

After movie, went for a late night walk in the park at 2 a.m (lol, it gets rather juvenile from here)

Walking…jumping…singing…Devina enlightening us with general facts….laughing….playing on the swings…me racing with 3 others and beating them all!! Muhahaha!...feeling high! Posing for pictures….mounting the merry-go-round(nope, not kidding!) Konark and Joel showing off their brawns, while trying to rotate it with 2 girls on it..lol…then my turn! Then sailee’s turn! And then our very own superwoman, devina’s turn! More goofy pics….discovering a huge totem in the middle of the park, illuminated sinisterly…debating if a certain funny looking shape on it were balls, butt-cheeks or simply a hand! Bloody scared dogs! Singing….more fun facts….walking towards the riverside…..the soothing sound of the water gently lapping the shore…the bright stars reflected on the water, sparkling with the ferry lights….observing someone’s sand sculpture…rather interesting civilization…..walking back….more laughs….walking in the middle of the road and singing (coz I Can!) walking past a graveyard (shudders)…dogs howling….ahh finally home…watched some tv…then sleep…

2nd january 2008-morning

We were supposed to pick up all our stuff from hemanth’s place and drop it off at konark’s place at panjim and then hire cars and make further plans for the day. The same day, devina’s friends (yeah 2 more!!) were to join us from dabolim airport. Yea yeah I remember the introductions! (I usually suck at this, but according to devina I have gotten better at it!)

So, two new characters!!

Saumya – another NRI from the U.S. childhood family friends of devina lalla, has a cool sense of humor and is perpetually sleepy!

Christin (I hope I got the spelling right)- saumya’s school friend, with absolutely pretty hazel eyes and a prettier smile, from U.S, had come to visit family(her mom’s a goan) in goa but joined us before that....

Yeah so Devina and Sneha proceeded to the airport to pick them up, Sailee and Joel headed towards panjim to book Joel’s ticket back to Mumbai (so sorry Joel about the mess up!! I still feel bad about it!) and Gautam and I got everyone’s luggage back to Konark’s place and hire 2 cars.

Plan of the day…after confusions, confirmations, cancellations and re-confirmations…

Pick up devina, Sneha and friends, from the airport, proceed towards Colwa beach.

Our chauffeurs of the day… Konark and Tarun *grins* (no offence dudes, but u were the only ones who were good drivers!!!dont' hate me! Tongue out)

Drive to the beach was quite uneventful, except for a small drooling session at the airport, over Saumya and Christin by all the guys *rolls eyes* and some posing for pictures in the car.

Destination- Colwa Beach.

Time- 5 p.m

The only thing visible to everyone at this hour was the beach shack, as we all wanted to hog!! No one had eaten anything since morning (except for devina, Sneha and company, coz they ate at the airport waiting for us! Hmmphh!!) And everyone was dying of hunger!

One enormous order after another, of drinks and food alike….we all devoured our food as we watched the sunset…and laughed our asses off watching Konark flirt with the waiter shamelessly (mind you, ‘waiter’ not ‘waitress’) he kept asking for ‘sex on the beach’ and ‘jump and kiss me’. The waiter’s blush was priceless!! Those who know cocktails will get the beauty of the pun, those who don’t, well…they’ll just get scandalous ideas!! Lol …

Beer…lotta food….one fenny shot and we’re all set to enter the water!!

Ahh yes….possibly the second-most fun evening in the trip, after the New Year’s Eve!!

The war begins…girls v/s guys….*dramatic sound effects*

Dunking each other into the water…although the guys had a considerable lead here, the girls didn’t quite give up….screaming….laughing….running….wading…gasping for air…swallowing the salty water(eew!)… getting covered in mulch and squelchy sand (more eww..)….more fenny shots….some more beer…..running back to the water….losing balance….lying down…..more screaming…some singing….few abuses….lol….3 girls together trying to bring down Konark and Joel respectively but failing miserably!! oh well...if you can't beat them...join them and then beat them!! Open-mouthed Konark proclaiming self as the ‘Sea of God’ rather dramatically….Joel running the marathon with me and sneha and trying to convince us both to come back to the shallow side....we obviously being difficult about it Tongue out….finding a stray bottle in the midst of all the chaos….ideas start rolling....

SPIN THE BOTTLE! Yes!! Back to the 6th grade!!

Saumya kissing Tarun (on the cheek of course)

Konark kissing Abhishek (kinky!)

Joel kissing Konark (aww….)

Saumya kissing Christin (woohoo!)

Now truth and dare….back to 4th grade Open-mouthedWinkOpen-mouthed…ahh those were the days!

Devina Lalla punching gautam sethi (I love her!!)

Joel dared to eat sand! (eeyyuck!)

Sneha dared to dance (bah! That was easy!)

Konark dared to propose to me! He did get down on one knee.... ( if only it were interesting enough I would’ve said yes ;p) so I sang instead! Rather bellowed *with or without you……* lol

More running into the water…..finally exhausted….

Bonfire….welcoming warmth….some peace…and the stars…coffee…..and an annoying orchestra of rather unmelodious dogs!

After trying in vain to shake off sand stuck in unmentionable places, we finally decided to make a move at around 3 a.m.

We managed to turn the living room itself into a beach! All of us were dripping sand! Everyone took a shower and while some of them dozed off…some of us decided to go grab a quick bite at ccd and then go to the only casino in goa…which is situated in donapaula, and perhaps is the prettiest hotel I’ve ever been to…it had a whole spanish feel to it….and was absolutely charming, with tiny, sparkling lights, with beautiful ivy cascading over the massive iron gates, the welcoming ornate arch opened up to the lobby, which was as enchanting as the entrance and decorated with mistletoes and a huge, sparkling Christmas tree surrounded by colorful gift wrapped presents….multicolored and attractively patterned tiles carpeted the entire floor...flowers and scented candles placed strategically... and the lobby spread out to a cozily furnished balcony overlooking the river and the poolside….now you will have to pardon me, coz I don’t remember the place’s name! EmbarrassedIn my defense, I was really tired and wasn’t really looking for the name*looks a little embarrassed*….it was taverna or caverna something…..either way, the casino turned out to be the size of my bedroom! *grins* which is very small to speak of! Oh well! At least, I can add one more thing to my ‘been there, done that' list!Open-mouthed

And I vividly remember a signage saying ‘this way to grande de sala’ *grins widely*

Last stop that night, or morning you could say, as it was almost 6, was the river side….

Sigh….wish I could’ve stayed there longer, but my body was screaming for rest….so we headed back…..sleeeep!!

An hour later we had to wake up to clear up konark’s place as the three of them were leaving, i.e Konark, Tarun and Abhishek, and the rest of us were to find another place for accommodation…..sigh….Yay! For 3 days of free accommodation!! Again, god bless Hemanth and Konark for all their help!

We bade our goodbyes…and now we were 3 friends short in the group…we would miss them....oh well….

Next stop….Anjuna beach!!! Woohooo!!

Now most people know what this beach is famous for!! The firangs!! And not just that….firang chicks in bikinis and sometimes even topless …..i couldn’t care less bout the hot firang chicks, coz fortunately for me, I’m not gayWink and again unfortunately for me, the guys there weren’t bottomless either…sooo….too bad…Tongue out

Although Joel had a blast looking at so many different colored thongs! Open-mouthed and some talons too! Wink

Such was the incredulity in skimpy clothing, that even we felt overdressed, in our casuals!!!! Hehehe….it was quite funny to look at firangs gape at us and wonder why we were wearing so many clothes! *holds up middle finger*

Relaxing by the sea….lunch at a shack…had a peaceful evening at anjuna and then at the vagator beach…just lounging around and listening to the sea continuously crash at the shore…..i lou it!

Got my hair braided and did some jewellery shopping! the stalls there had such an enormous collection of junk jewellery, clothes, bags, bedsheets, hats, glares, umbrellas, tapestries, shoes, etc. it was overwhelming! But the vendors there can get annoying tho….

Dinner at another charming little shack….then Paradiso’s!!! woohoo!

It’s an awesome club…and girl’s entry free!! Yeah baby! House music rocked! And we danced!! Finally I danced!!

Next morning, trek to the Chapora fort a.k.a dil chahta hai fort, as it is locally known…

The view from top is simply breathtaking!! The anjuna beach stretching endlessly to its left and the vagator beach to its right….and the boundless sea up front….i could stand there for hours, just trying to come up with words that could justify what I saw and what it stirred inside me…but I guess my vocabulary ain’t that strong to support it….the morning sun sent colorful sparkles dancing on the surface of the sea as far as your eyesight could extend….and then disappeared where the sea and the sky just merged together….and beautifully so! Sigh….u have to experience it! The elation felt when you are up there….its astounding! It’ll leave you speechless….

Finally….water sports at baga beach!! (WOOHOO!!)

Tried the water scooter(killer speed!!) and parasailing(I finally flew!)…both of which were mind blowing! It left me high for hours!! 2 more additions to my list!! Yay!

Lunch….and then back to panjim, to see off joel… *makes sad face*

He had to leave early….had a reunion with other friends….all good things come to an end….will miss him so much!

Dinner at an absolutely adorable little place….called ‘Venite’ it’s the coziest, warmest and most welcoming place I had been to so far and with awesome food!

It was decorated with multicolored tiles with abstract patterns that ornamented the door frames and the floor at the entrance. A small winding staircase took us to a snug looking room with hardwood floors and small ornate balconies sticking out on to the streets. The room had the most charming chandelier made of pots with small holes and light pouring out of them and dry creepers entwined with tiny lights that reached out to the ends of the room. There were various shaped baskets that served the purpose of lampshades and cast a bewitching pattern of lights and shadows in the room. The tables were covered with soft sheets in attractive colors and stain glass windows and balcony doors added to the beauty of the place….so basically, eating food at such a place, was a delight!

Went to Miramar beach later, for a quiet walk and this being the last night at goa….everyone was quite upset and nostalgic of the last few days spent here…I lied down right next to the shore and listened to the quiet gushing of the sea ....the lights blinking from the ferries lit up my face....i could feel the cold sand tickling my back and felt goosebumps cover my body.….I looked at sky…it was like a pitch black ocean, glittering with the generous sprinkle of stars…with every passing second, I could see more stars, some twinkling brighter, some growing dimmer….what I wouldn’t do to stay there forever, entranced by its aura….but it was freezing cold, and we had to leave after an hour….

Visited the churches and cathedrals next morning, after Saumya and Christin left, so we were down to 5 now…. I recounted every moment of my trip as I traveled back from old goa to panjim bus depot, to take a cab to madgaon, so we could board our train back to Mumbai….*sigh*

It has to end sometime…I so didn’t wanna go back to the same routine again…the tension, the bickering at home…the frustrations at college…..i shook it out of my head…..and I decided…panjim is a beautiful city and if ever I have to leave Mumbai to work somewhere…it has to be panjim….Smile and if i do get a place there ever....all you guys are invited!!

We finally bade our farewell to goa….the place that gave me my life’s best 5 days! I owe it! And I also owe it to all the wonderful people I met there! I wanna thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all they did for me and for others , even if it was a small gesture! I owe this amazing trip to them! Hope we all can do this again sometime!

Thanks once again…

Devina lalla- for your wonderful friends, for being you and for all the responsibilities you took!

Sailee mandhare- for coming along at the last minute, the laughs and for the back massage.

Joel alenchery- for coming along, taking care of me, for the hilarious high moments, for the long talks, and the hugs.

Sneha hingorani- for Hemanth and for the silly moments we had.

Adarsh – (m sorry I still dunno your last name) for not throwing back sand at me :D

Praddy- for the early morning jokes.

JD- for the new year pics and for taking care of us.

Shyam nair- for the one hour lecture on iitians (lol) and the robot dance and the ‘happy face’ picture!

Anjana ravindran- for the awesome new year’s eve night, the dance, and the sand shower!

Konark-for your place at Panjim, for the immense help you offered and for your timely jokes and for being there.

Tarun- for your company, for driving us to and back safely from Colwa and taking care of us on the beach.

Abhishek –for your company and for helping us out on the beach.

May god bless all of you and always keep smiling ppl!! Sorry if this post was too long….but hey, its goa we are talking about
SmileSmileSmileSmile slong!

Two weeks away it feels like the world should've changed
But I'm home now
And things still look the same
I think I'll leave it to tomorrow till unpack
Try to forget for one more night
That I'm back in my flat on the road
Where the cars never stop going through the night
To real life where I can't watch sunset
I don't have time
I don't have time

I've still got sand in my shoes
And I can't shake the thought of you
I shake it all, forget you
Why, why would I want to
I know we said goodbye
Anything else would've been confused but I wanna see you again
- dido (sand in my shoes)

Rambling on.

2007-12-05T05:12:00.000-08:00

What your heart desires the most, wants the most is also what it fears for, the most….you fear you have so much to lose….but what you don’t realize is that it’s a good feeling actually, to know you have the ‘so much’…..

You let your heart rule your life, control your decisions, you tend to be impulsive……and then you realize, that the round globe stuck on your shoulders is there for a reason, and its to use what’s inside it, rather than use what beats within your chest and makes you all mushy most of the time…

But you learn….that the only thing that matters, is survival….and the only ones who matter are the ones you treasure the most…..

Why would a complete stranger give a fuck if you flunk in your college project just coz they couldn’t give you time from their extra hectic schedules…they have lives too…and you don’t matter…..to most people….you don’t even exist for most people….so why fuss over it right?? Why fuss over how rude or inconsiderate he was…or why she didn’t call you back….or why he didn’t smile or say ‘hi’……but still there are people who are tactful…who are polite….do they pretend to be like that? Or they just think it’s nice?

I think it’s neither, coz these are the people who have an ounce of humility left in them, coz they know that they will make mistakes, and they know that their actions have consequences, and they know that those consequences are their fault.

I’m one of those people….so I guess I’m not a complete idiot….

I’ll take the liberty here to quote a good friend of mine, ‘Yes, Kitty, you are an idiot….That is why you're a good friend. It's a requirement.’

Love him.

Ironies

2007-10-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone is tormented….in some way or other….by someone or the other….everyone’s a victim….everyone’s a criminal…but what makes all of this sadder is that some people know what they are doing while they do it…sigh….but at the end of the day, everyone suffers….and eventually we all get used to the pain…eventually we all even start liking it….maybe we are just wired that way….we just can’t seem to stay away from it….can’t seem to live without it….

It’s quite ironic….

It’s like saying….

‘Why do I keep hitting my head with the hammer???

Coz it feels so damn good when I stop!!’

‘Shine on you crazy diamond….’

Keeping the faith.

2007-10-07T05:11:00.000-07:00

Every one has to fight their own battles….some, with themselves…some with others….everyone learns to accept the consequences…..some, for faults of their own….some, for faults of others….and then there are times when you will feel like you are stranded at a crossroad with no map, no directions and some idiot has removed the sign board….and then there are rare times when you will find yourself exactly where you wanted to be, where you wished to be…
Such is life....

It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you hate, it makes you fall in love, it makes you take responsibility, it makes you blame someone else, it makes you stand up for someone, sometimes even for yourself, it makes you a grown up, it makes you a child again, it makes you dance, it makes you fall, it makes you run, it makes you crawl, it makes you brave, it makes you weak, it makes you fight, it makes you face failure….and everyone learns to endure pain time and time again and still keep standing……

But with everything else that life gives us…..it also gives us this thing called faith….and this is what keeps us going, that fuels our engine and keeps us on the road….its the drug that keeps us sober.....and the funny thing about it is that it turns at the most unexpected of times....

But at the end of the day, what matters to us more than anything else is that we are happy now, that it’s all good now and no one really worries about the future….

But once in a while ….some people will surprise you…

and once in a while…..maybe once in a blue moon, some people may even take your breathe away….

And all you need is a little faith and some love….Smile

And if your glass heart should crack
And for a second you turn back
Oh no, be strong
Walk on, walk on

-walk on (u2-All that you can leave behind)

A stitch in time save nine.....make hay while the sun shines..?

2007-09-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Maybe I don’t exactly know who said it but at least I’ve heard it, and I'm sure everyone has…. ‘Never leave it for tomorrow what you can do today’ or something like that…..and I know someone really smart said it sometime in history and we repeat the same words but rarely does anyone follow it……

I keep putting off things for later, actually everybody does it, but I’m not sure why. Maybe we are just wired that way or maybe just coz life is messy. But as far as I can guess, it has a lot to do with fear….fear of rejection, fear of failure or maybe fear of just making a decision ....coz what if we're wrong?? what if we make a mistake we can't undo??? what if we hurt someone? or ourselves......

No matter how many times we’ve heard it from our parents, aunts, teachers, or some damn poets and philosophers……or how many different versions we’ve heard of it…..we somehow never listen….we keep pushing the possibilities of today into a dark closet of tomorrows, until we can’t anymore. We keep running away from something…..until we can’t anymore…..

But the thing is, sooner or later we have to make our own mistakes….we have to learn our own lessons…we have to take responsibilities….until we can finally understand and see for ourselves what these ‘wise words’ actually mean…..

Coz knowing is always better than wondering….. Coz no matter how big the failure or how bad the ‘worst’ is…..it always beat the hell out of never trying and wondering for the rest of our lives, ‘what if…..’

Unoffcial Prospectus of NIFT

2007-09-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

‘National Institute of Fashion Technology (official name) a.k.a ‘NIFT’ (referred to by students) a.k.a Fashion College (referred to by the rikshawalas)

Awrite starting with the basics…..

THIS COLLEGE EXISTS!!! (That was all ye ignorant townies who consider it as a ‘sidey’ college!)

It stands beside the engineering college, A.C Patil (nope, not related to D.Y Patil) in a small town called Kharghar(yes, this place also exists) in Navi Mumbai …..Now that I have mentioned the engineering college, I shall not keep you in the dark about the full name of the college….

Annasaheb Chudaman Patil *grins widely* Not really hard to miss! So there, now that you have spotted NIFT, I shall take you for a tour inside.

But if some dodos have still missed it *rolls eyes and wonders how that could happen* kindly follow the ‘bevy of beauties’ or the ‘chick brigade’ who will lead you to the ‘pearly gates of heaven’ (yes guys….the college is full of chicks)

Hmmm….ok now I’m assuming you are already inside, I’m sure your attention will be dragged from the many swaying butts to the ‘interesting’ architecture of the college… (I’m not divulging the name of the architect…I might get arrested!)…yeah so back to the architecture…..the inspiration for the redundant ‘wave-form’ roofs is still unknown and still baffles students as to why it was built coz it defeats the entire purpose of a roof.(You may say its looks good, but you will get my point when you stand under it without an umbrella when its raining.)

Moving ahead, once you enter the foyer, three things will grab your attention, the stage, the garden, and more wierdass constructions of buildings. Ignore the buildings, concentrate on the garden, that’s the only pretty part of the campus, the stage proves itself useful during our college fest ‘spectrum’ (will get to that later).

The campus is big enough to accommodate over 500 students who study here and for everyone to find their favorite hangout spots without much dispute and even for couples who can find their ‘khopchas’ and not get disturbed if you know what I mean. As long as I can hang out at my spot without getting harassed by extra eager freshers or the overbearing faculty, I will give the campus a 10/10……ok maybe a 7/10

Moving on to the most important part of the college….the crowd….

Statutory warning: The following information may cause disbelief amongst some readers and a certain amount of irritability and anger amongst others, but I solemnly swear I’m here to only present to you the facts and the truth about NIFT. Kindly understand. If anyone nurses an uncontrollable urge to chuck something at me after this, kindly feel free to come to afore mentioned college and ask for the ‘executive engineer’ of the college. He will be pleased to oblige.

It’s not known as the chick’s college for nothing. Everywhere your head turns your eyes will encounter the beautiful species of women, 90% of them hailing from Delhi.(I fail to understand, how!) It’s also known as the smoker’s/ charasi’s/ dopchi’s college. The best part…NO dress code!! Ahan! Lucky guys you might think? Think again!

Ahem…..so guys….uhh….yeah….guys did I say? Ahh yes…..guys….sigh…..I wonder where they are! They are certainly NOT in NIFT. The very few who study here all hail from unheard of places….Sitapur….Bilaspur…..and some more names I can’t remember and never knew even existed on the map…..but yes….more from Bihar….Uttar Pradesh…..Madhya Pradesh! And no I’m not kidding.

Guys with awesome accents and incredibly body hugging t-shirts, tight fitted jeans, paunch bursting out from the waist belt, a walk which beats even a chick’s catwalk and a tendency to stand annoyingly close to you while talking isn’t exactly pleasant! Oh and did I mention hairy cleavages!??! Well…there you go! (I’m still talking about guys by the way!)

And some of them have this seriously annoying habit of pronouncing anything ‘sh’ as ‘s’. Not getting my drift?

Well let’s just say my class is full of ‘lokes’ ‘rajes’ ‘nares’ ‘manis’ ….now just add the letter ‘h’ at the end of every name and u will get the original names of the guys….

The enormous range of abuses (all in hindi/ bhojpuri/ haryanvi) that I’ve heard in a span of 2 years makes me wonder how they actually come up with the shit they speak, not that it poses any conflicts with their ‘intellect’ for that matter. Who’s complaining! Its good entertainment to watch chicks throw unspeakable insults at other chicks and guys alike with awe-inspiring speed. AH! You should hear them try to speak civilized English! That’s even better!

In spite of this…many of them find their partners! God bless their soul!

Oh and you might hear some random people screaming ‘taka laka taka laka hoooo haaaa hoooo haaaa!!’ kindly ignore.

Once the shock of the crowd subsides, there are some more things one can notice about NIFT. The college canteen. There are actually 2 canteens, one is officially in use, the other one is busy being repaired to be usable after the previously ridiculously designed canteen(by a certain architect who must not be named) posed serious problems in terms of birds swooping in and ‘blessing’ the oblivious students while they eat, or other ‘winged friends’ paying unwanted visits. Once you see it, you will know clearly what I mean! Present canteen status: it’s what students rate the food unanimously; ‘potty food’

Girl’s hostel is another ugly blotch in the college campus. Bird watching is prohibited by the warden who scans the area continuously with a hawk’s precision for oncoming predators.

College fest: Spectrum

No one’s heard of NIFT. NO one’s heard of Kharghar. Let alone ‘Spectrum’

(But I still think it’s improving every year)

We’ve had bands like Parikrama and Indian Ocean perform at out campus! So we are not all that sidey!

Hang out spots outside campus:

College house: where ‘Anna’ blesses students with passable ‘ghar ka khana’

Shree Balaji : Decently oily food. Best for smokers.

Crystal plaza, hiranandani : chicken !

Cross café: for those who have the cash (and most of them do!)

so there you have it! thats NIFT for you! hope u enjoyed the visit!
slong!

Chicks v/s Dudes

2007-08-25T05:07:00.000-07:00

"Dude,chicks are WEIRD!!!"
"NO they are NOT!!! And you think guys are not??"
"Dude, guys are not weird........they are bastards!"

*blink blink*

"And that settles it!!" *grins*

p.s: The participants of this conversation are Achintya and me. I'm sure you can now figure out the 'who said to whom' issue ;)

Fear

2007-08-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

Our lives are governed by our fears.......its hopelessly lost somewhere in our fears…

Fear….that developed at a tender age, even when we the word fear was a non existent word in our vocabulary.....fear then was limited to mom scolding, or dad beating or not being a teacher’s pet…..

But as we grow…so do our fears….fear of rejection….fear of failure….fear of loss….fear of pain…..fear of end…..fear itself….it overpowers our and takes control…..

Whats worse is, it compels us to start building boundaries around ourselves to stop others from entering them, to stop them from hurting us…… not realizing that we are only fencing ourselves in and wasting our own life by not crossing these lines….never knowing what we could have…never knowing what’s beyond it…..never knowing who we really are…..

Life is full of ironies......*sigh*

The Fairytale

2007-07-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

Remember as a child when we used to believe in fairytales? When the beautiful princess who was locked away in the highest tower of the castle awaited her prince charming to rescue her and take her away to his kingdom so that they cud live happily ever after? Remember the thrill of finding a 10 rupees note under your pillow instead of your broken tooth and declaring to your parents with such triumph that the tooth fairy visited you? Remember when santa claus was real? When all these things were so close to our hearts that it was almost an inseparable part of us…so much so…u could almost taste it??

But eventually we grow up and we open our eyes and the fairytale is gone….

And while we still have some people we can trust….some turn strangers….some relationships thrive while some turn sour…some stay close…some drift away… you realize its all a part of growing up……and there is no fairytale except in the pages of a book…….

But the thing is, it’s really difficult to completely let go of that fairytale….of that ‘happily ever after’…coz somewhere deep within your heart you still have that tiny glimmer of hope that one day you would open your eyes and your tenderly treasured fairytale would come true….

A peek at Gujju land

2007-06-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

The pure white sand crunched softly and I could feel it slide slowly from under my feet.

The slowly setting sun sent the shadows crawling to my feet which finally disappeared somewhere and left me alone under the blood red sky. The wind whistled and trees rustled ominously, but my feet kept advancing as I walked almost hypnotized by the beauty of it all. The simple alluring beauty of the dry lands that lay ahead of me, the twigs that crunched under my feet, the weirdly shaped cacti that snagged in my dupatta, the colorful, tiny wild flowers that meekly peeped out of the cracks and crevices in the fields, the massive trees bowing, succumbing to the power of the wind, the unicorn shaped clouds that beckoned, the humble huts that stood its ground in the middle of no where, the tinkling laughter of the kids, clad in their torn langots, their brown skins shining with sweat, as they ran towards me to greet me, and darted back immediately as I tried to talk to them, the villagers who welcomed me into their humble homes and gave me water and spoke a tongue that was beyond my understanding, and yet the heartfelt, warm smiles went a long way.......it was such an experience….an experience in a sleepy little town called chota udaipur somewhere near the border of gujrat and rajasthan.

Our class trip to chhota udaipur was a part of our curriculum where we had to cover the arts and crafts found in that area and document it and make a presentation which is scheduled in the first week of 5^th sem. As skeptical as I was about going to gujrat of all places in this hot weather, the trip was nothing but a pleasant surprise where I actually enjoyed myself and learnt and lot too.

I remember the funniest part of the trip which was even before it actually began. Our train was to leave from bandra terminus at around 10.45 p.m, and it did leave at the right time……but at 5 a.m in the morning the train was till in borivali (no, m not kidding!)

Lol! Most of us were ready to jump off the train and go home at that point of time!

When we finally did reach chhota udaipur, I got to see and experience a LOT of things!

Ancient rooms supposedly hostel rooms which consisted of stinky moth eaten mattresses and walls covered with lizards and love sagas(most of it in gujrati) of the girls who stayed there previously. (shit like, neha loves jagruti with the heart symbol between the names and the arrow right through the heart! >_<)

Bathrooms with no ceilings and home to all kinds of creepy crawlies imaginable.

Taps that dispensed green water.

Toilets a kilometer away from our rooms, which consisted of shitpots that had no visible holes…..ahem…it was clogged to an unbelievable extent with u know what!! (bwwuuuacck! luckily i had a cold!)

Jeeps that accommodated a minimum of 60 passengers in such a way that not an inch of the jeep was seen and when the jeep zoomed passed, it looked like a flock of people just flew past.

Me traveling on jeep rooftops with other classmates! (woohoo!)

Getting iron rod veggies while traveling on the luggage rack on the jeep roof, on bumpy roads! (trust me, not pleasant! Not even funny!)

No faculty!! (yay!)

Hogging on food there like never before in my life.

Booze party in a dry state!!(winks)

Aimless trekking trips to uncharted territories(beautiful ones tho).

Being warmly welcomed by complete strangers to their homes and being offered the local ‘daru’ and lunch.(i'm not even welcomed like that at home!!!)

Joining the tribals in the traditional dance.

Learning only certain statements in the local language which would get us food(mission accomplished!)

Feeling extremely hot but still no sweat(no stinking…phew!)

Waking up everyday at 5 in the morning, without an alarm!!(in case ur a wondering if I’m normal, it was the heat that woke me up!)

Drinking several galleons of water a day(and obviously running to the loos every now and then)

Taking each other's cases.(I mean classmates)

Staying awake late every night watching the moon and the stars as they slowly shift positions in the night sky.

Awesome elaichi tea. (aaahhh...)

Learning about the crafts and arts of the local tribes.

Delicious 'aamras' in a tall glass for just 5 bucks by the town lake.

Seeing the expressions on the villager’s faces when shown their own picture clicked on a digi cam.

Huge rivers,but absolutely no water!(all dried up...only river bed with white sand visible)

Late night 'shayari' sessions.(and laughing our asses off.)

Funny rikshaws!

Trying my hand at pottery and producing absolutely shapeless ‘pots’ but still loving every bit of it.

Singing along with the himesh reshamia songs on top our lungs when it blared from the jeep stereos.

Painting the town red!! (aaashique banaayaaaaaa...aashique banayaaaaaa aaaaa ......tuuunneeeyyy...)

Bellowing to the extent till our voices gave way.

Hot beds! (temperaturewise >_<)

Bonding with people from my own class and getting to know them better(discovering that the guys in my class are actually not that dull!)

Amazingly adorable cows that ambled towards us whenever we had breakfast (yummy dhoklas)

Equally adorable goats that ate leaves out of my hands.(awww...)

Dancing at a local wedding.(tapori ishtyle!)

Spending an entire day at a proper tribal home.(typical homes with cowdung thatched walls and floors and wooden ceilings)

Unknown people smiling and waving back at you as you wave at them .

Extremely helpful and sweet natives of the town.(u wouldn't find such hospitable people here in mumbai!)

Chamaleons scampering everywere! (uggghh...)

Shops selling soft drinks called 'Helly' which looks like a pepsi/coke wannabe!

Water sold in plastic packets that resemble milk packets, worth only 1 rupee! Similar packets containing chhaas, worth 3 bucks!(drools)

Ride back to Mumbai in a sleeper Volvo(the weirdest but most comfortable bus I’ve ever traveled in) the entire trip was an amazing experience, from start to finish!

And now that I’m finally free and back to aamchi mumbai, I can get back to blissfully ignoring the noisy animals at my ‘home’ and enjoy my vacations! (winks)

Slong everyone!

The Vision

2007-03-18T05:04:00.000-07:00

I watched him run….run as fast as he could....I watched as his little feet sent small clouds of dust above his head….I watched the euphoria on his face…the sheer ecstasy of success….I watched him scream and call out to the world to see him….to see his blue kite soar and stir the mighty heavens above….I watched him…..I saw his eyes….innocent and warm…pleased and proud…. I watched, unable to take my eyes off him, this glowing vision of pure happiness emerging triumphant from the shady lanes of the untouchables…rising jubilantly above the cold gloom of his small world harshly snubbed by the ‘civilized’……I watched …watched till he and his blue kite disappeared slowly into the night….

And I smiled…..

That one moment..

2007-03-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

I gazed at it ….gazed…..unblinkingly…..longingly…..in awe....in wonderment.....even as the wind ruthlessly stung my eyes…..till they watered..….I gazed…

I absorbed the beauty…..I witnessed the mystical purity…….I withheld the magnanimity ……I bowed with silent respect, humbled by the immense aura it exuded…an aura of royalty….aura of pride……an aura of romance….

It stood so still and innocent…..as the soft moonlight defined a virgin path of millions of miniscule, dancing crystals on the sparkling surface of the water that separated us……it stood proud as the snow white purity gently lapped over it's graceful body …..it constantly blinked in and out of sight mysteriously, arousing my wonder....holding my attention...

The rich black sky sprawled expansively above me…...protecting me.....enticing me.....and as I looked up to fathom it’s breathtaking beauty, the stars seemed to shine even brighter as if they were energized by the exclusive attention they received….and deserved…

Both entities seemed to compete to look more exquisite than the other but, together they created the most unrivalled, matchless sight….it was the perfect harmony of the night, the spectacular dark sea, the clear deep skies, the solitary moon, the temple of God,the stars, the cool breeze, the solitude, the silence……and me...

My heart soared and touched the zenith of happiness…I was at peace…..

I silently wished he was beside me to see it all…..to witness the powerful, fierce, yet serene beauty……to share that moment with me……

But no matter how hard I try I could never describe in just words, what it felt like being there..…at haji ali at 2 in the morning……

Sweet Gestures!!?! My Ass!

2007-02-11T04:56:00.000-08:00

I happily hogged on my chocolate truffle (yummmmmmm….) and spoke to my friends in monosyllables with mouth full of chocolate cream. They teased moi but little did I care….i luuurve chocolate truffle……

I was standing in front of a shop, which had mannequins stationed outside and I was standing next to one while still hogging.

Suddenly I feel something around my waist and then something touch my ….ahem…rear..!

My friend guffawed…..and doubled up with laughter….

Startled, I turned to see what happened….I was confused and nothing quite registered coz I only saw a kid running away…..

But my friend was kind enough to end my confusion and supply me with an explanation…..rather loudly!

“THAT KID JUST KISSED UR ASS!!”

Enough said!!

p.s: for those who are curious, the kid was a girl….must be 5-ish …..now don’t ask me why she did it…..I HAVE NO FRIGGING CLUE!! my friend added that the kid prolly mistook me for a mannequin...whatever!

Ahh….the cons of having a sweet ass!! :D :D :D

The Birthday Girl

2007-02-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

It was 8:52 a.m .She kept fixing her hair and pulling and adjusting her kurta, She looked quite pretty and had a glow on her face. She shifted her weight impatiently from one foot to another and glanced at her watch…. ‘Where is the damn train?!’ she prolly thought and cursed a little under her breath.

The train arrived and I got on board…she followed right behind me.

“Happy birthday !!!!” I heard 2-3 chicks scream…and I when I turned to look I saw some girls wishing the same ‘decked up’ chick. She looked thrilled on being wished and thanked them graciously.

I smiled.

After nerul station, she came and stood next to me while talking to another girl.

Girl: heyy! How u yaar? Finished your assignments?

Birthday girl: hi…(waits)….no…no I haven’t done anything....

(When no wishes came her way…she was visibly annoyed.)

Birthday girl: (smirks) You know I can’t believe this…I want to push you off the train!

Girl: (shocked) what!? Why!? What are you talking bout?

Birthday girl: Never mind.

Girl: (notices her necklace) hey you got a new necklace?! It’s damn neat!

Birthday girl: Thanks…..my parents GIFTED it to me.

Girl: Oh! Damn cool. How come?

Birthday girl: Nothing…they are idiots to gift me a platinum chain for balls!

Girl: oh btw I like your kurta too…is it new? Full shopping and all huh?!

Birthday girl: You still don’t get it do you??! (disappointed)

Girl : Huh?!?! (decides to chuck the topic) Arre! Which lectures do we have today? Gadge’s double lec na?

Birthday girl: shiyyaatt! Of all days, today!! Damn!

Girl: Why? What is so special bout today? New necklace…new top…..no Gadge for lecs….

Birthday girl: You know I can’t believe this! You are getting shameless by the minute!

Girl: What are you talking bout? (Getting confused and a little annoyed)

At which point I turned to the ‘birthday girl’ extended my hand…. “Happy birthday! You indeed are looking very pretty today! Hope you have a nice day!”

I made sure I didn’t miss the shocked expressions on both their faces before getting off the train at Kharghar station

New kurta: 400 bucks

New necklace: 5000 bucks

Facial Expression on getting birthday wishes by a complete stranger in train:

PRICELESS!!!

There are some things in life that money can’t buy…for everything else ……uhh….(parents?)

Slong! Tc everyone!

Pardon moi!

2006-10-29T05:02:00.000-08:00

The other day I was at C.S.T with my friend. I had been there early in the morning for photography of old architectural buildings(its my college assignment,so don't ask!)
So we are observing our subject and determining and calculating which angle would best capture the essence of the subject(a particular building) . I finally pick a spot from where I can comfortably shoot my subject from. note: our subject happened to be around the corner of the main road right opposite to the cst station. So while I'm setting my camera(an SLR-nikon F55 =D) I hear some muttering behind me,so I turn to see and i see this ...well umm....'overweight' guy on a bike, he repeats whatever he said and I still can't make out what he said. so i move closer and ask, 'pardon me?'
'Do you know where the auditions for FAT people being held??' , he repeats loudly for me....

*blink blink blink blink*

NO COMMENTS!!!!!

The devil Wears Prada

2006-10-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

Festivals mean celebration!! Party!! Holidays!! And most important of all……freedom from the suffocating clutches of the faculty!!!

And as every damn college got holidays for diwali………the ever so famous national institute of fashion technology a.k.a NIFT begs to differ!!! The devil (read faculty) has spoken…..”what for do u need holidays??? What’s diwali ? you are fashion design students, focus on your studies!!”

Humph!!! Balls!!!

Friday , 20^th October 2006:-

Eve of the rebellion……students conspiring against the devil…..

‘we shall not bow!! We are not slaves!! We shall bunk!!! ’

Saturday , 21^st October 2006

happy Diwali!!

Word circulates…no college on Monday…total boycott!!

Sunday , 22^nd October 2006

Everyone celebrating , no worries for Monday morning.

Monday, 23^rd October 2006

The rebellion : operation embargo

Day 1

The devil slowly crawls out of the comfort of its lair and slithers to the dungeons….it scans the rooms with a hawk’s precision……and realizes……the slaves have escaped…..

“they shall repent tomorrow” it hisses.

Tuesday , 24^th October 2006

Operation embargo

Day 2

The devil returns to the dungeons with renewed vengeance ……’today they all shall pay’

It is greeted by eerie silence. No soul in sight.

This time the fangs are out and it lets out a howl of aggravation. It just echoes.

‘ @#$%#$ &*^& %^&* beep beep beep…..’

Wednesday,25^th October 2006

Eid mubarak!!

Thursday 26 October 2006

Apocalypse/end of days/doomsday/Armageddon/ (you get the point!)

The fangs are out. The claws sharpened. The eyes are bloodshot and hungry. The walk is more determined and menacing. The devil has finally made its entry…..

The slaves wait patiently and quietly for the sentence to fall….for their fates to be decided….

“you shall pay for such insolence and disrespect…….”

Silence.

“Two days suspension for all”

The devil leaves.

The class erupts in celebration!!!! Wooohooo!!!! Yeeeeeehhhhhhaaaaaaaaa!!!

Balls to the faculty!!!

Monday we all shall perish!!

Slong suckas!!!

A long walk home.

2006-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

, A slight breeze whispers in my ears and laughs with the rustling leaves of the trees that tower over me. I walk quietly. Unnoticed. Invisible. A plastic bag swings in my hand nonchalantly.

A sigh escapes from the depths of my redundant existence and blends into the loud chatter of the birds and people surrounding me.

Where did I go wrong I think. Something in my head tells me…..this will take more than just a walk home to figure out.

A dog senses my despair and decides in his kind heart to give me company and walks alongside quietly but faithfully, all the while his tail limp, his head bowed in tune with my mood.

I thank him inwardly.

I see motorbikes speeding past me….i can catch some lewd comments. I ignore. I see cars with people inside, laughing, almost mocking at me. I still ignore.

A small kid is playing with his football, he seems happy even when he has no company. He loses control of his ball and it rolls towards the road. On instinct I run towards it to get it back, I kick it back to him just before a vehicle was about to run it over. Instead I almost get run over. The abuses from the driver comes flying to me. I stick out the finger and wave. No one notices, except the driver.

All this while, the dog is playing the role of the silent spectator. He wags his tail in applause for my performance. I thank him again.

My home is approaching…. ‘home’ I say…I feel secure in my home and yet so trapped…I can’t say why….i don’t know why.

How? How is it that I can see perfect normalcy all around me, when I have gross distortions of reality inside of me. How is it that no one notices? How is it that it doesn’t matter to anyone? How come the world doesn’t stop? Doesn’t every life in this universe count as important? And yet such insignificance?! It frustrates me that I can’t figure it all out. I kick a stone hard in retaliation. It bounces off my foot and lands 5 ft away from me, staring at me, teasing me to try again, harder this time. I refrain.

My faithful partner of the journey decides to take leave of me; he has to go his own way now. I respect it. I pat him on the head gratefully. He quietly ambles away. Adios dear freind.

Home sweet home. Ding dong. Mum opens the door. “What took you so long???” she asks irritated. “Nothing ma, just met a friend while coming so was chatting with her” I say with a smile on my face, as I hand her the groceries.