Once Upon A Time…My Home!

Everything was same yet there was a feeling of unfamiliarity around. Yesterday I went to my old house to collect some of my stuff remaining there and bid a final good bye to once upon a time my home. My association with these beams and walls has lasted for the past 3 years and though I should get used to it by now, having spent last 24 years of my life (you know my age now…delete from your memory ASAP!) doing the same, still everytime I had to leave a place or move to a new house it hurts somewhere. Strange it is how we get attached to things, both living and the one belonging to the inanimate world.

I looked around. This house has spent 1095 days and nights with me. It has seen me grow from a student to a professional. But today it is no more mine. The study table at the corner is no more mine. No more will I get to relish my mom’s food on this dining table standing in the empty hall, all alone. The shelves once stuffed with my things, both important and trivial, are now all vacant and free. The walls of this room that was once my room still bears my signs in the poster marks that were once stuck on them. This chair that once witnessed many small and big discussions is no more mine. The dressing table which still has my two bindis stuck on the sides of its mirror is no more mine. These concrete steps will no more lead to My Home. Till yesterday it was a part of my identity and today this house is no more mine. Still it is an integral part my life. Always has been, always will be.

When I first stepped on you

I didn’t feel any happiness

My heart didn’t feel know to love you

Today again I am taking a step

This time, the one that goes out

I cried when I first saw you

And today, my eyes are moist again

But the difference lies in my heart

As I bid you a good bye

I can feel the love inside

Yes I am in love with you

Yes I am going to miss you!

Random Thoughts

                                      FAKEo Magar Dhaayan Se!

A handbag with the brand 'Apple' written on it

A closer look

Ever since the original brands have come into existence, the cheap duplicates of these brands have flooded the market as well. Considering the ridiculously high price of most of these high end products, many of us knowingly opt for the fake alternatives. So what if it is a fake? As long as it is cheap, no one is complaining!  Sometimes these fake ones come with so much of sophistication, minus the durability, that it’s really difficult to make out the difference between the fake and the original at one glance. And sometimes these fake ones make such a blunder that you can’t help but laugh at them! Like in the pic above where a girl was carrying a handbag which says ‘Apple’ on it. No prizes for guessing that it is a fake one but then ‘why apple?’. An electronics company logo in a handbag?!!!  Just doesn’t go well together! I mean if it was a Gucci or a Hidesign then its fine but Apple? Imagine a pen that says Maggi and a shirt that says Harpic! Funny isn’t it? Of course unless these merchandise are endorsed by the company itself.  At least the brand name inscribed on a fake item should go well with the product category.

Well, all you dudes doing this business of fake brands wake up time guys!!! Use some common sense before faking it up!!!

                           Munching On The Move

Ok now since all of you people know the kind of freak that I am who keeps clicking n posting crap all the time, here is one more story i clicked in the train. Kya karoon, sometimes I just can’t help! He he…thanks to the one who invented mobile camera. This dude is really awesome. I mean nothing can replace it, not even the damn expensive every professional photographer’s pet- SLR! Coz when you want to click without being caught, mobile camera simply rocks!!!

If you happen to travel in a local train in the evening time post office hours, this is exactly how it would look like (Refer the pic above). All hungry souls munching on anything served on their way turning the compartment into a mini market, well quite literally! Fruits, snacks, veggies…You name it and you get it. At a pocket friendly price, munching on the move is not a bad idea. So that makes tummy bhi khush aur pocket bhi! 

P.S   Please be a responsible Muncher and don’t litter while travelling. Happy munching! :)

Ladies Compartment

After facing some not so good experiences while traveling in buses I finally decided to take the train route from my office to home. And to tell you the truth, my journeys in train have been quite eventful, not that the bus journeys weren’t. Just the thing is, the train ones are lot more interesting than irritating unlike the bus journeys. Thanks to the ‘ladies compartment’ (yes one more post on that).


Today was my second day of travel via the Beach-Tambaram local train and I witnessed a small but interesting incident on the way, which I would like to share with you people here. So here I go.


The trains at Fort station are usually empty and you get enough space to comfortably park yourself in one of those not so comfortable wooden seats provided by the government and take out a story book to kill the next 45 minutes of your journey. I opened the zip (of my purse :P) and slipped my hand inside to reach ‘The Lost Symbol’ (Dan Brown). The train started moving away from the station slowly accelerating its speed and as usual leaving many people running behind it making an effort to catch the running train. Dhum dhum dhum…I heard some heavy footsteps as a guy ran behind the train, managing to catch hold of the steel pole near the door, and got inside our compartment. A usual scene I thought and ignored him while opening my novel. But wait! It is not the usual affair. A guy in a ladies compartment?!! Yes he ran so fast that he didn’t even realise that the one he is landing into is the ladies compartment! :P


I have seen many men at the stations, who feel elated after seeing one empty compartment sandwiched in the middle of compartments full of humans. But as they come close to hop inside, their smiles vanish away realising it as the ‘Ladies Compartment’. Disappointed they run to the immediate next and fit themselves to an already overflowing boogie. Ok let’s come back to our poor ‘macho man’ caught inside the Ladies Compartment now. As I looked at him I could see awkwardness and unease fill his face. I know it wasn’t his fault but I found it funny at the same time was feeling sorry for his state as well. ‘Paavam’ I thought.

 His expressions were of ‘what to do…what not to do’ types. I don’t know why but he came up to me and asked something that made the whole situation even more funny (yes just for me though).

 “Is this a ladies compartment” He asked.


‘Bingo! You got that right! Fool, can’t you get it by the look of it?’ I though.


“Yes” I told.


“Can I sit here” He asked.


“Stupid question!” I thought.


“I don’t think so” I said.


“What should I do now?” He asked.


‘Again a silly question!’ I thought.


“You can get down at the next station and get inside a general compartment” I said.


“Ya…thanks!” He said.


“Its ok…it happens” I told.


Yes it happens sometimes. But if it doesn’t happen with you, it leaves a good laugh for you behind. :D

On A Rainy Day In Office

It’s drizzling, it’s pouring, it’s raining
Cool gentle breeze so charming
Drenched are the buildings; drenched are the roads
Don’t feel to come out of the warmth of my abode

But here I am at work
Stuck in an office with all jerks
No fun here; only work around
Performing a duty that I am bound

Freak why it rains when I am out?
Wanna hit the walls with a clout
To come out of the four wall
Experience the beauty made to enthrall

But you don’t always get what you want
Loads of work to make me daunt
So here I agree to keep up the good work
Back to my desk and a face with a smirk :)

School Sucks!!!

Today while coming to office I saw some kids in my neighborhood walking back home from school. Morning is not the time for schools to get over so a curious me (more because of the happy expression on their faces than them taking a different route) asked them the reason. As they broke the ‘Happy’ news to me their faces brighten up with joy. “School declared a holiday because of the rain!!!”, a kid responded to me with happiness. “That’s cool. Have fun then!!!”, I said giving them an equally elated smile back as if my office had also declared a leave for me. I remember how me and my friends would pray for our school to declare a holiday before the tough exam we wouldn’t have prepared for. Sometimes we would go so crazy with our prayers that we would not mind a disaster or a calamity to strike for the exam dates to get postpone or pray for our teacher to fall sick. It’s only now that I realize how stupid we were. Most of the time our prayers remained unanswered, except for a few instances when the teacher actually fell sick. :D Anyways passing across these kids did make me feel a little jealous of their luck. Wait did I say luck? Well yes today might be a lucky day for them but it doesn’t happen everyday. In all other days I see them carrying bags double their size and feel sorry for them. And yes also celebrate the fact that I am no more in school!!! I hate my school life. The over-sized bags, bulky notebooks, never ending classes, strict discipline, monotones morning prayers, boring uniform, out of fashion ugly ponytails that made me look even more ugly and always make me late while plating them, scary surprise tests, my daily encounter with the most boring subject in the world Maths and more than that my psycho maths teacher, ufff the list is endless when it comes to things I hate about being in school. And given a chance I would never like to go back ever, I know life wouldn’t give me the chance again but am more than happy not to receive it. I hate studies and especially when you have to study a subject that your dad chose for you. Thank God I escaped the Maths Monster in college and opted for Bio. But cockroach dissection was another nightmare ( One more post for that). I never liked my school life after 10th. Reason? Well cause before 10th I used to study science because I loved the subject. After that it was more about scoring ranks in boards than enjoying the logic of science behind a thing of amaze in nature. Science was no more fun as it was replaced by heavy out of this world concepts and formulas. I know I can never say these things to my kids while sending them to a school. I should also give a rosy picture like all other parents about school life before I push them to twelve years of unofficial imprisonment. But before that stage comes I am free to speak my mind.For me school wasn't much of fun the discipline part made it suck in my case, i started enjoying life only once i jumped the confines of school and went to college.


I walked a few more steps and found some kids eating puffs and samosas at a bakery shop near the road side. The school had declared a holiday, a reason good enough to celebrate i guess. This reminded me of my canteen time with friends in school. Bunking classes or just being late for one, so that you get to relish on some extra samosas in the canteen. Eating out in canteen with friends was always fun. No matter how much good cook your mother is, no one can match the canteen food. Yes all that yummy junk and the reason behind the extra kilos. But when pressure is high and there is too much to study food comes as a close companion of comfort. Especially if you are the studious type who doesn’t care how many guys turn their heads everytime you pass the corridor. All that matters to you is to score decent marks to keep your parents happy. Have good time with friends to keep yourself happy. And yes food does play a major role here.

 Some of my best friends are the ones whom I have met during my school life and are still with me, not physically though. Our combined studies before exams. Our joint prayers before exams, after exams and during the distribution of answer sheets and then comparing them with each others. Birthday celebrations and collecting money to buy presents. Loads of after school activities and fun. Working together on projects. Doing each other’s homework and solving maths problems. Creating problems and then again solving them. Sharing secrets and keeping them. Fighting, sulking and cajoling.  When I rewind my school life in my mind, I see lot of ugly fat books with many ugly fat and lean teachers and some interesting collection of books with equally interesting friends and equally friendly and knowledgeable teachers. Deleting the ugly files while refreshing the good ones. School life is not that bad. Especially if you have the company of some good friends, some good teachers and yes once in a while out of the blue holiday on such rainy days!

Just For Fun :)

After having come across various kinds of weird and humorous sign boards i finally managed to find this one and no this is not the funniest or craziest of them all. There are many more to leave this one far behind but this one has found its place here coz i managed to get the pic :P

Ok now can you please help me understand what exactly they are trying to say here? Plug the flower?? whats that?!!! I promise i wont 'Plug' the flower...really i wont...kasam se. Coz i don't know how to!!! Will anyone pls teach me?!! :)

Reel To Real

Today I saw the real life version of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Checking out the view made up of concrete buildings outside the window, an old familiar song from a Hindi movie resonated into my ears. The train accelerated its trust on the tracks as I turned around to see where the song is coming from. In a land where Hindi is scarcely spoken, every time I hear a single syllable of the language it brings me a familiar feel. Though meduva meduva this familiarity is lapping Tamil too into its boundaries.



The song was ‘pardesi jana nahi’ from the movie Raja Hindustani and it wasn’t the rhythm of the music but rather the quirky voice made my head turn. A boy aged around 13 or so with an old harmonium hanging around his neck was trying hard to give his best shot to match the high notes of this song. Accompanied by two more kids, a girl around 5 year old and a boy of almost 10 year with one leg missing walking with the crutches and collecting alms from the passengers. The three reminded me of the kids from Slumdog Millionaire, Jamal, Salim and Latika. I don’t know what their story is but I am sure the desperation and abjection is not far from the storyline of the reel one.


When the innocence gets lost in the dust of the empty streets, living a life on the edges makes you street smart and that was clearly visible on their faces. As I looked into their faces many questions were aroused in my mind. Not that I was feeling pity for them, my encounter with such faces everyday have left me indifferent towards them, but today I was feeling a sense of anger. Anger on all of us for being just a silent spectator. Anger for those who make use of innocence for their benefit. And anger towards everyone who helps them achieve this by giving them alms. Was lost in the thoughts when the next stop came and the kids got down getting into another train. And before I could take out my mobile camera to capture a glimpse of them, they vanished in the crowd, leaving behind many questions unanswered. What am I doing for them? How can we tackle this menace? What if tomorrow our children are kidnapped and forced to live a life like this? Why don’t we understand that the real solution doesn’t lie in giving them some share from our change? Many laws and acts have been formed but all in vain. So what can be an effective solution for protecting the innocence being murdered on the streets? Do you have an answer? Do let me know.

Work Is Work

Being women has its own pros and cons. Leaving the cons aside (as a lot has already been spoken about them), the small little privileges that come our way from the government like the reserved seats in buses and trains are few things that we girls just love to take advantage of.  And yes I know all you men out there are jealous about it. :P Well in one hand we talk about equality in status while on the other we demand such kinda reservations too. I know not fair naa?!!…but then life is not always fair you see! :P

But what if you are not a woman yet you are given a share in these advantages which are especially reserved for the women. Have you ever thought how the entire experience would be to travel in a ladies compartment with you being the only guy around? Sounds embarrassing? May be for some but for most of the men I believe it would be a mixed reaction placed somewhere in the middle of excitement and embarrassment. Yaar just imagine… you would be “THE MAN” amidst a compartment full of hot chicks….eh I mean girls!!! Ahem…ahem...stop imagining now! :P Ask this policeMAN (in the pic extreme left) who was on duty for ‘our protection’ in the ladies compartment where I was travelling and you would know the answer. I wonder what would have been going through his mind while he was performing his job with a ‘watchful eye’. A little embarrassed or excited or just being indifferent and taking it as any other place of duty? Well whatever be the environment around, work is work…right?!!!

The Sword Of Cedilla

The Mighty Sword

The close-up

This is a sword. Yeah I know you can see that. But it is not just any ordinary sword. Cocooned inside a rusted scabbard at a corner in our office, especially bought from an antique shop in Thailand, the weapon belongs to Charlemagne (Charles the Great), the famed Medieval king of the Franks and first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. And you reading this blog believe it is true?!!! :P Well the owner (one of our colleagues) believed so or something similar to this while purchasing it. But it didn’t take him long to realize that he was being thugged. Arrey he could not make out the difference between the ordinary junk and the precious one (antique)! :P

Ever since this realization of reality was made by him, the sword has found its new home in our office. And is now an essential part of our team Cedilla, giving our office a touch of royalty. Shifting from one hand to the other this sword is our stress buster at times of pressure clubbed with fun. If I say, holding a sword and faking your power is an experience out of the world then it would be an overstatement. But it certainly makes you feel powerful (momentarily though) once you get your hold on it. Perhaps that’s the reason why our boss likes to display his power by walking along with this sword at times. And when he takes his hands off it, it is we who do the honors! :)

‘Back’ing Up In The Bus

Being a backbencher is always a fun. Be it the last bench of a classroom or the end row corner seat of a movie theater, sitting at the back has its own benefits. The point is no one can watch you while you can observe each and every activity of the front. You know what I mean right? Good!


Coming ‘Back’ to the point. Was travelling in a bus few days ago when I saw this pair seated at the second last seat in front of me. Though PDA is largely a personal choice and I would not like to opine over it here. Just like any other lovebird, they too were completely lost in each other, unaware of the happenings around. Still am trying to figure out the reason behind my click, anyways it just came spontaneously giving me something to write on. Sometimes being in love makes you forget everything. And sometimes you are so much absorbed in everything else that you just forget the love. :P


P.S. I strongly condemn taking pictures of others without their knowledge or consent, provided it is harmless like the one above.

Good ‘Mourn'ing!!!

Cool breeze come uninvited from the window and whispers morning in your ears blowing a chilly kiss on the forehead…arms stretch to welcome the sweet sunshine but the feet is reluctant to step out of the warm cosy comfort of the blanket …but after much negotiations with the mind (dude u have already taken two days leave this month and you better don’t make your boss go crazy asking for more…!!!) the alarm snoozes off in support of the mind…finally the mind wins as the feet reluctantly fingers the cold calm tiles to start the journey of another working day….Wow mornings are sometimes beautiful….yeah even for lazy people like me!!! : P

Still somewhere drooping in the middle of the world of dreams and daylight…you suddenly realize the world has shrunk in size…eh?? Or perhaps it is not the world it is your eyes that have…what’s going on??!!…you splash some water to reflect the reality in the mirror….EYE FLU!!! Oh Shit!!!

It’s Complicated!!!

Bus journeys are always joyful. Ok not always especially when they are really crowded and you have no other option than to hop into one hanging yourself in the handles surrounded in the middle of similar tired exhausted and equally irritated souls and then when you find one loser standing at the back and trying to touch you at the press of every break and jerk!!! Yeah we all face it at some point or the other. And we all hate it equally!!! Sometimes submissive and at times aggressive, we try to deal with it in our own way. But then when it is a blessed day and you get to catch that window seat as your valued possession (just for a short duration though). The crisp air caressing through your face as you tune into that favorite track in your iPod while the lovely city breeze just blows away the tiredness and exhaustion with itself. Bliss it is!!! And then as you turn around, you find a face familiar to you sitting next. Who is also equally blessed as you today. And the two of you celebrate the joy of your ‘seat acquisition ceremony’ offering a friendly smile to each other. I might sound crazy here but then you would know how it feels to get a seat if you had to travel standing in the middle of a crowded bus for 4 hours every day. And if you don’t, then I tell you, you are certainly missing out something in life.

As the wheels role forward, moves further the friendly chat with my stranger. She is the very same whom i meet every day in the bus, pass to her the ticket in the crowd, also sympathize with her when she shows her frustration to those unfriendly touches that we all are part of. We both share a similar story and that’s fit enough to strike the wavelength. And then it becomes a regular affair. Sometimes we get to converse on such lucky days, and on the others it’s just a smile that does the job.

She is not a friend nor is she an acquaintance. A fellow passenger who is now a little more than the usual ones. We laugh. We talk. We share. Not much but yes a small slice of our everyday life. We talk about the weather, the city, the people and the work. We are different yet same, as I discover my reflection in her eyes. The age difference gets washed off in the tide of laughter on sharing of a light moment from the office or tickling on a joke. Some relationships (If you call them one. I do)are difficult to describe. In the intense bright neon lights of a hectic and frantic urban life where the intensity of close relations gets dim under the cloud of work and lack of time. One tries to find her share of sunshine and solace in the small little sharing of light moments with such strangers at times. You feel the city doesn’t care for you. Nor do you care for it either. But then someone in the middle of the crowd stands up to offer his seat to you as a kind humane gesture. Someone who is yet again a stranger. You don’t know him or his name. You don’t feel the need to ask as well. You bid him thanks as you get down, with the thought of gratitude surrounding your heart. An inspiring gesture that propels you towards positivity and compels to offer your humane side back. Some relationships are really difficult to describe.

Now it’s your turn to take pleasure in the joy of giving. You lose your valued possession and gain a blessing smile in return as you get up and offer your seat to that elderly lady carrying a heavy bag. She takes out an orange from her bag and offers you her share of gratitude as you smile back and politely refuse to it. But is certainly touched by her genuine gesture. Again some relationships are difficult to describe. And they are better not. True it is, relationships are really Complicated!!! :)

Happy Independence Day!!! :)

This independence day let us free ourselves from the boundaries created by region… the restrictions of religion…let us free ourselves from the confines of caste and class…the precincts of language…let us free our minds from all the inhibitions…let’s break the block and move towards building a country without any prejudices and discrimination…coz until we free ourselves from these fiends..We are not free yet…so break all the limitations and unite ourselves into a single identity common to all…

On this occasion of the 64th year of our freedom. Let’s forget who we are…let’s forget where we belong to…let’s forget the religion we practice…Let’s forget the region we live…and remember only one thing…Only one identity…Only one nation and one religion…the land of unity in diversity…from now on let us carry an unanimous identity for ourselves…an identity that is common to all… an identity that adheres the divide created by the politics of regionalism and religion…and preaches only humanity and peace…from this 15th of August let’s call ourselves Indian…just an Indian…happy Independence Day!

Below are few lines I have penned down when I see the bias around me in the name of religion and language.

I love Jesus… I love Allah…
I love Krishna…I love Buddha…

I love the oak and the beautiful teak
Paradise in the Himalayan peak
I love the cold chilly wind that makes me freeze
Oh, I love you my blue Marina for your soothing gentle breeze

I love the aroma of fresh tea leaves from the north-east
I love the delightful Dussehra of the east
Sensual sculptures of Khajuraho becomes a cynosure
Emotions engraved on rock; my heart adore

I love the colourful people and the royal palaces of the west
A place where the dessert looks at its best
They say we are different…colour caste religion and region
But still I don’t find any reason

Deep down I see them all the same
Carrying out a single aim in different names
They call me a North Indian; some find me a South-Indian,
I look at them and smile; “see me a human and call me an Indian’’ :)

Office Office

Workplace does not mean just Work, it comes with a whole package. A big bunch of experiences and emotions….eh emotions?!!! Well I think so!! At least in my case. Emotions of happiness and joy on a job well done, emotion of stress and frustration when things just don’t work in your favour etc etc…Your office is a place where you spend the maximum hours of a day. Though they are not your friends or your family, your colleagues are the ones with whom you spend more time than your family and after sometime you start knowing them better than you know your family and friends. Just a little observation does all the magic.

They say work is worship, I say it’s all about worshipping the Boss!!! Something I preach but have never been able to practice myself. May be perhaps I don’t want to or never felt the need. The attitude “Who cares?!!!” dominates here in “My World”…Who cares if people play politics around? Who cares if someone who claims to be a friend bitches behind your back? Who cares if someone else gets the credit for your hard work? Etc etc…Who cares?!!! Alright one cannot be indifferent for long and then comes a stage when you start caring and of course thinking as well…either you find a solution or you find a better job…resignation time guys!!! People come and people go…again who cares?!!! Or do they?

Now every coin has two sides and everywhere there are two types of creatures…oh colleagues I meant…!!! Well the survival of the bad depends on the existence of the good. Lucky to have comes across many from both the types and to be honest it has been a great experience so far…with both. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the wonderful experiences and for all the learning…and if you are reading this blog…then you know which one you belong to…don’t you?!!! :P

Things that I have learned from Life so far

“I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.” -Kahlil Gibran

I am a teacher and I teach students…or am I? Yes by profession I am a lecturer but I am still a student myself, or we all are student in this university called LIFE. The real learning doesn’t happen inside the four walls of a classroom. What happen inside those four walls are just discussions on some theories created by some dead specimen ages back, what the university calls its syllabus! If you want to make your own theories and perspective, one has to come out of the four walls as the real learning starts in the outside world. You don’t have to do much; all you need to do is live your life and observe things around.

Life is the greatest university and each and every person whom we meet during our lifetime becomes our teacher, as there is something to learn from everyone.

I have learned that your strength doesn’t lie into the materialistic power but the manpower you are surrounded with. It is not the property made of money; it is the riches made of people whom you can rely upon makes you powerful. And I have also realized that very few in this world realize to this reality.

There are certain things that I have learned from life. From the people who have come into mine. The people who became close to my heart, some not so close but everyone touched my life in a unique way. You meet people…few stay with us forever…few leave us just with their memories but it is their presence in our lives that we cherish forever. No matter how long or short their stay is, it is the experience and the relationship with them that adds up to our experience. Few of the experiences are good, few not so good…but it is these not so good ones that gives us the real experience of life and makes us the person that we are from within.

I have learned that to Forgive and Forget are two key things in life…yes it takes practice but sometimes they just come on their own...

I have learned that there are certain things in life that no matter how much hard you try you just cannot do. Love and Hatred are two such things. I have learned that sometimes no matter how much you love someone you cannot make that someone love you back…it is up to that someone to decide whether to return that love to you or not…all that you can do is love that someone and no one can stop you from doing so, not even that ‘someone’...the joy of giving at times is more satisfying than receiving…

Likewise it is easy to Hate but difficult to Forgive…but I have learned that sometimes it is very difficult to Hate and easy to Forgive…to say that technically, the degree of ‘Hurt’ is directly proportional to the ‘closeness of a relation’ but the amount of ‘Hatred’ is inversely proportional to the closeness of it….I have learned that when you truly love someone or the closer the relationship is the more hurt it causes to you but then when you love someone so much it becomes very difficult to hate that person even if s/he has caused you the biggest hurt ever…you just cannot hate them. Even if you try hard, you just can’t.

Now I realize why elderly people long to go back to their children even after being abandoned by them…it is their unconditional love that breaks the barriers of conditions put across to them by their own blood relatives, which still makes them love their kids in spite of no love left in their hearts for their parents. True love comes without any conditions…it just come from within…whether the other heart reciprocates the same or not…it just can’t see, as they say ‘Love is blind’…

I have learned whenever you say goodbye make that Bye a Good one…you never know whether you are going to meet that person ever again in this lifetime… I have learned that no matter how good you are towards them, some people just cannot be good to you...all you need to decide is continue being good or just become indifferent.

I have realized that when you laugh, the world laughs with you and you cry, the world laughs louder…no matter how much in grief you are the world won’t stop and cry with you…
I have realized that life is all about making mistakes and learning from them…I have learned that the most difficult thing in life is to say the three magic words, “I am sorry” that compensates for all your mistakes, but very few have the guts to say them…


I have learned that the only person you should keep an expectation with is ‘Yourself’. ( “If they answer not to thy call walk alone, If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall, O thou of evil luck, open thy mind and speak out alone”- Rabindranath Tagore)

And yes one thing that I have just realized is that speaking your heart out does help ease you. :)

And The Search Continues….

Today on my way to office, my bus stopped at a signal. I was sitting at the window seat and noticed a guy on bike with a pretty girl sitting at the back. It seemed that they were a couple. The girl was talking something to the guy and the guy was multi-tasking, I mean not just listening to her (or at least pretending to do so) was also gazing at every other girl at the signal. Poor girl I thought. But then it is not something just with her. Every time I am on the roads this is something I get to notice quite often. Today its him ‘maaro a chance’ on someone else’s girlfriend, tomorrow it would be someone else trying his luck at his girlfriend. And the network continues….

Well we all have our share of such kind of jerks in our lives. Or in other words, all men are the same. What was he searching for? I thought. A pretty girl by his side, still he is not happy with that and seeks for more pleasure. Guys have a typical thing in common i.e. to look at others plate all the time, even if they have their own full. What I fail to understand is what results them behave this certain way? I have heard many of my friends who after having ditched by their boyfriends, often say that men are dogs. I don’t really agree with them here. After all dogs are much loyal, aren’t they? Have you ever heard of any dog who ditched his owner?

The big question that I often ask my male friends is what makes then behave this way? Why aren’t you guys happy with one girl at a time? Why more numbers of girlfriends in your list means the more hot property you are? And why is it that when it comes to choosing the their girl, variety becomes the spice of life? The more naive (or at least pretend to be so) that you are, guys like you the more. In every era, the RAVAN goes for a ‘Sati-savitri’ SITA all the time. Now that’s not fair!!

‘I’ for “Indian”…!

Once again this question was put up against me. A question that leaves me confused. Every time someone asks me about my aborigine I go blank for a second and then reply that I am from West Bengal. But somewhere in my subconscious mind it leaves me unsatisfied with my answer and I ask myself “Do I really belong to West Bengal?”. To be honest I myself don’t know where I belong to. I am searching for an answer to this question myself.

I was born in a town in East Midnapur of West Bengal. Now if that makes me a Bengali then I am certainly one. But my stay in West Bengal has never been for more than a month at a stretch. I was barely a month old when my mom n dad brought me to Nashik (Maharashtra). I was too young to carry any memories of that place with me. The only vague memories that I have of a place would be Bangalore, where dad was posted after Nashik. A place where I started my schooling from and made three amazing friends. Though all I can remember is their names (‘Kaushal’, ‘Hari’ and ‘Divya Lakshmi’). I will not be able to recognize them now even if they come in front. All I remember is that we four were very good friends and shared the same bench in class!! That was in my first standard. But my friendship with them lasted only for around six months and dad got transferred to Tezpur (Assam). Don’t have much memories of this place with me, except for few funny incidents (it became funny once the tremor was over) of me witnessing earthquakes, as that tenure was very a short one, of around six months. Yes one person I remember from my class would be ‘Neha’, a big bully, I didn’t like her at all. And when I think of her now it brings a smile on my face! After Tezpur I went back to the place where I claim I belong to. That was the time dad got posted to Bagdogra (a place near Darjeeling in West Bengal), where i made lots of friends just to bid them goodbye after 4 years of great friendship and headed up north.

It was the month of December I remember very clear. On the eve of Christmas we reached the place. Biting cold it was but I just loved the weather!!! Pathankot (Punjab) is a place I will cherish always…perhaps because some of my beautiful memories are associated to this place, which I would love to visit once more in my life. I just love each and everything about the place…be it its cold weather…the people…the food…and above all my school...My teachers…and ‘Sumeet’…I got the best of it all over there. The best school of my life, the best teachers who pampered me a lot…and my best friend ‘Sumeet’, though even after lot of efforts I went out of touch with her. That is the sad part of being a defense kid. You get to go different places, meet different people, make friends and then one day you leave them all behind and move to another place and the process continues!


And this time my journey came for a halt into the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior…hmmm…another place I love to the core. The thing that I like the most about MP is the down to earth and humble nature of its people. After all it is not the place, it is the people around that makes a place special, isn’t it? Well, I had many of my ‘firsts’ in life here…my first (and last) crush…my first experience of college life…and all the fun coupled with it…and yes this place gave me two of my best buddies, ‘Priya’ and ‘Usha’. This was my second time association with Priya as we had studied together in the same class in Bagdogra as well and meeting her again was like a lost brother found, and this time the bonding became stronger than ever. We three did all the crazy stuff together…bunking classes and spending hours at coffee shops…roaming jobless in the market…eating ‘pani-puris’ and ‘chats’ on roadsides shops…watching movies..teasing guys(in a decent way of course)…well those were truly the best days of my life…!! But all good things had to come to an end one day and this too had an end and I had to come to Chennai.

Delhi was the place I always wanted to go for pursuing my higher studies and the news of my family shifting to Chennai came as not so pleasant news. So after a lot of ‘rona and dhona’ I finally landed up in Chennai and it was a kind of cultural shock for me at first. I had heard enough of non sense about Chennai from my friends who had been here before but i only realized the ground reality once I stepped into this land. It was as if I was in a totally different country. The people here could not understand my ‘Hindi’ and I cannot understand a single word of ‘Tamil’…though it is a metro it didn’t look like one to me…I found my Gwalior which is a B-class city better than this place. It took me two years to get myself adjusted to this part of the world.

My first sense of belongingness towards Chennai happened when I went to Delhi for an internship. There for everyone I was ‘FROM CHENNAI’ and every time there was a discussion over the north and south divide, I unconsciously ended up supporting south and felt so proud to be “FROM CHENNAI”!!! And once am back my entire perception about this place was a changed one. Now I was very much a ‘Chennaite’ and this was ‘MY CITY’. Also it brought me more close to my friends and classmates with whom I had kept a distance for no reasons. But then do I really belong to Chennai?? Because I know one day I have to say good bye to this place as well and head towards a new destination.

So where do I truly belong to? If your place of birth is your identity then I am from West Bengal. But I don’t think I possess any other qualities from that place. After having spent 24 years of my life like a nomad and have been to almost every part of India and met people from all the states, I feel I am nothing but an Indian. I am an Indian in every aspect, be it the colour of my skin or my thoughts or my accent…it all reflects the ‘Indian-ness’ in me…and hence I am an ‘INDIAN’…and to be more specific a ‘Human Being’! Hopefully a good one…!!! :)

"I am sorry"

‘Sorry’, perhaps is the most common word that we all use every now and then. We step on someone’s feet, we say sorry. We sneeze, we say sorry. We drop something we say sorry. We break something, we say sorry. But when we break someone’s heart, we don’t. Why so? Have you ever thought about it? Why it becomes so difficult to repeat the same word one more time. This amazing word, an answer to all our mistakes, that keep coming to us very easily otherwise. Why does it become so difficult to say it when you are needed to say it the most? I have seen people around me who believe that apologizing means lowering their pride and prestige. And yes I must admit that I am no different or somewhere we all are the same. Of course a little more or less than the other! I have even seen people apologizing on their social networking profiles as their status message. Now, that is bizarre!!!


I wonder what is it that keeps them away from apologizing in person? They say that one should never apologize until you feel it from inside and never forgive unless that forgivingness comes from within. But even after realizing our mistakes how many of us really go back and apologize to the person whom we have hurt. Why don’t people realize that all it takes is, to accept that you are wrong and leave the rest to the other person? Also here the other person should try to understand that keeping the grudges is going to make them guilty as well. Either don’t hurt others and if you can’t do that, have the guts to accept your fault and apologize to it!


What is that reason that keeps us away from apologizing? Is it the fear of our apologies not being accepted or is it that huge ego of ours that stops us from accepting our mistakes? Just give it a try, you will find it much easy than you thought it is. Half of your mistakes get corrected with the feeling of guilt itself and the rest half when you apologize for the same.


Try it. All you have to do is say these three words: ‘I Am Sorry’. It is not that difficult. Isn’t it? :)

Just Do It!

Life always gives us choice…every problem comes with its own options for us to choose from. Some go the realistic way and approach it rationally, while others (Read: me) follow the way directed by the heart. And yes there are times when we are flooded with options that only adds up to the confusion. So the fewer the options the better it is. In fact having no option is the best option because that way you never make any mistakes. You have one way and one only method to approach. But if you ask me I would say the best approach would be to follow the heart, which is the check post for all the feelings and emotions to pass through. So you better do not let it down. Yet the so called sensible ones prefer the “brainy way” and put a barrier against letting the emotions to come out.

What is the thing that stops us from following our heart instead of mind? Why can’t we express ourselves and reveal our real selves in front of others most of the time? What stops us from expressing it to that someone special of how much you love him/her? Why we take people for granted? Why we take relationships for granted? Why we do not say ‘Thank you’ to our mom for the everyday cooking and cleaning she does for us? Why do we forget to say ‘I love you’ to those around us and for making our life so special? Are these emotions not so important to be expressed or is it the taken for granted attitude of ours that stops us from doing so? Yes few things go without saying but what is wrong in expressing yourself just one more time and every time? All it takes is a thought and then express it to all those who mean a lot to you and you to them. Do it, after all the smile on their faces that you will get in return is worth it! Yes we do know it is worth it, still most of us don’t do that. Not because we don’t get time to do so or don't feel to express. The reason behind is just that we are so used of taking things for granted! And forget that it is our verbal power of communication that differentiates us from the animals and makes us human. Yet we seldom realize the importance and prefer to remain mum most of the time.


So what stops you, me and most of us from expressing ourselves right at the moment and follow our heart? Well it is a strange force that I realized few days ago, while travelling in a local train. I so much wanted to get up and offer my seat to that old man who was standing in the crowd. But a strange force stopped me from doing so. I don’t know what made me feel hesitant. Was that my selfish inner self that stopped me or the thought of people around? No it is not that I didn’t want to help him, I certainly did but didn’t have the guts to stand up and offer him my seat before the other guy offered him his own. Something stopped me from following my heart and expressing me at that particular moment. So meanwhile I took my decision making time this fellow next to me gets up and offeres his seat. He followed his heart and i could not. It was just a matter of seconds but all I did was wasted time. While he just followed what came to his heart right there and right then. So now he was one happy soul and I captured by the sin. But yes, this incident did make me realise of the force that keeps people engaged in doing everything but following their heart and expressing themselves.

Be it verbal or non-verbal…all I would say is do not hold the feeling back just express it as it comes. Forget the if’s and the but’s. Just put across what your heart wants to say and make the use of article 19 to the fullest!!!
Smile at the child whom you see every day at the tea stall while passing through the pavement or at the stranger whom you meet every day in the local train while going for work. Next time when you are free call that best friend of yours who stood by you thick and thin and thank him/her without a reason, say ‘I love you’ and show your care to all those who are near and dear to you…Life is short, so make the most of it NOW...Kya pata KAL HO NA HO! :)

Happy V'day!

Ok so its Valentine’s Day today and this year too i am celebrating it all alone. No I am not here to sob about my single status but I wonder what makes people celebrate this day with so much of buzz? You don’t need just one specific day to show your love to your lover… Do you? And what if you can’t do it this day? Would you wait for the next 14th Feb. to arrive for doing so? Sounds stupid isn’t it? With the pace with which people make and break relations or the so called ‘relations’ by the time the next 14th Feb. arrives they would be having 14 new entries in the list of sweethearts! A bitter reality about the relationships these days.
Yes I know what is going in your mind right now. Ok let me stop looking at the cons and bring some light into the positivity of it. Yes looking at the amount of hatred and indifference surrounding us these days. A day to remind us of the joy of spreading love is not such a bad idea. After all celebrations are what life should be all about and if it is celebrating love then that’s a reason good enough. Then why restrict it just with couples? Spread the love with everyone around…each and every person who is near and means a lot to you. To all those who are far yet close to your heart. And also to those who are not so close to your heart. Celebrate this day of love today and to the rest of the days of the year as well. Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day! :)

Home **Sweet** Home :)

Happy New Year guys!!! Yes the few handfuls who take toll and visit ‘My World’. Finally I am back from Kolkata after a not very long but eventful tour. Coming to Chennai was never so joyful. In fact I never thought that I would ever be so happy to step back into the city. Especially after a long train journey that sap in all your energy when you finally reach your station..its a bliss! One word that would define a train journey would be boring, boring and only boring. Gone are the days when I used to enjoy it so much as a kid that I never wanted it to end. Now it sucks!!! The never ending track just keeps becoming lengthier and lengthier.
Well in a zest this trip to Kolkata was full of fun n exhaustion. Now I really want break from holidays and travelling! Yes you heard it right…BREAK FROM HOLIDAYS!!! Just can’t stand the stays in hotels and relatives places….maasi, naani, daadi, taau’s home and all…really nothing can beat the coziness and friendliness of the place that gives you the greatest comfort of the entire world. The place that you call your ‘HOME’. Finally I m back in mine and my bed is calling me…need a power nap…catch u later…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz