Turning Thirty!

So apparently turning 30 somehow mandates you to turn temporarily crazy. As you reach this milestone it is just expected that you go nuts and do something that you will soon regret. Ever since we reach maturity, say at around 18 years of age – we start to formulate a list of accomplishments that we would want to achieve by the time we reach a scary age. This scary age is somewhere far in future and for most of the young adults, more often than not it is 30. So when you actually reach this scary age, apart from the realization that you are now errr old, the fact that many of the accomplishment remain unfulfilled triggers off a series of unpleasant actions.

2019 was the year I kicked the bucket of the so called dirty 30s. Thankfully the realization of being 30 was a smooth one (Well, I did get bangs but I am just going to pretend that it doesn’t count). Good company, good food and drinks, lots of dancing and way too much cake. I think the need to not to anything overtly crazy must have sprung from the fact that I am already a wee bit crazy to begin with. Icing on the cake is the fact that I somehow manage to find just the right kind of crazy people in my tribe. And my desperate need to be the coolest aunt to my little nieces and nephews mandates that I spend a lot of time with young guns which gets me to speed on whatever the kids are indulging in nowadays. So in short I did not feel even a slight bit older. It was just another year of “Hey, Happy Birthday To You’s”.

It’s not like I did not have a list-of-things-to-before-I-turn-30, some were accomplished, others were swiftly move to the other two lists – Things-to-do-before-i-turn-40 and the other very convenient things-to-do-before-I-die! Like they say age is just a state of mind. That’s what I thought on my birthday, because nothing seemed much different from when I was well, 29. Of course I feel older, more responsible but I want to keep my carefree side as-is. I can see crow’s feet near my eyes but that just means I have laughed a lot. My metabolism has most definitely slowed down over the years, but then how else was I going to invest in athleisure wear for the gym. I refuse to behave a certain way just because I have hit that benchmark. Nopes. Not gonna happen. I still want to make boomerangs when I am 60 (If I make it that far). I aspire to be the granny who wears the brightest shade of red with a nice string of pearls.

But when you do hit 30s, it is a good idea to sit down with your 29 years of wisdom and do a little introspection. How to you want to grow as a person, in your career, what’s happening with terms to the family. I did this heart to heart couple of weeks into my turning 30 when one of friend pointed out how the introduction page of my blog needs updating. A little background – I had created the introduction when I was at the ripe old age of 23 – naïve and quite incapable of understanding just how lazy I am. Because I had crazy aspirations back then. Apparently I wanted to be a fashion blogger, like yea that’s ever going to happen. I literally have to bribe my husband with Roganjosh and Spaghetti Aglio Olio for a couple of pictures. And I can feel the heat of deadly stares my friends give me when I utter the words “meri photo lena please”. Plus I hardly have any makeup skills or know any hairstyles. The only beauty experience I have is giving my sister a nice brown-black spot on the nose when I tried cleaning up her blackheads. Moreover I hardly have the enthusiasm or energy for ideas on how to style a crop top in 5 different ways. And while we are on the topic of crop tops, well who are we kidding no filter is gonna hide that cute little tummy tire. So there goes the fashionista career down the drain.

Next in the wish list was writing a book, and I quote directly written by 23 year old me “My things-to-do-in-future list includes writing a book (sometime when I am 30).” Awwwww. So much innocence in one sentence. I may not have known it then but I do now. Writing a book is no mean feat. It takes me almost 15 days at an average to write a blog post. Inception of an idea in my mind, some thoughts to make it grow, then the penning of a paragraph or two, dead-end, the wait, then continue with a fresh mind. It is a lot of hard work. And it is nothing compared to what is involved in book writing. Salman Rushdie had mentioned in this autobiography that he spends the first few hours his day completely dedicated to writing, whatever it maybe, makes sense or not but he writes. I however possess no such discipline. On some mornings I delay to pee so that it doesn’t break my sleep. Plus I still need some experience, travel, meet different people to have the relevant skill needed to indulge in something as big as book writing. I now know I still may not be ready when I am 40 and that’s perfectly okay with me.

So all in all my contemplation was a good one. Nailed down few need-immediate-attention items. Pushed some far away, few far far away, a lot of stuff was taken down (read pink/purple hair). But mostly we are just taking each day as it comes. Being less judgmental. Practicing live and let live. Letting people just be. Less gossip. And absolutely no slandering. Light dinners. Occasion Pizzas. More green tea. A workout here and there. More statement pieces. Less pictures. More experiences. A lot more travel. Lesser nagging. Minimal junk. More fruits. And lots of love.

And on that note, since you have been a patient reader, here are some pictures from the mad mad 30th birthday.

Stay Sexy People!

Love:
Sepo

The Age Of Innocence

Past few weeks have had me going back in time and reminiscing about my childhood. The good old days where I just couldn’t wait to grow up. I feel very lucky sometimes to have witnessed the glorious time of 90s. To have used and beheld so many things and phenomena’s which are close to being obsolete now. I can now totally relate to the times when my parents used to say things like “In our days…” I can understand their nostalgia, the precious memories, the little things and stuff which you want to hold on to.

But time is unforgiving. It goes on from one decade to another, blurring the memories and fading recollections. We get wound up so badly in our present and future and we have no time or energy left to visit the past. Though some people say that what’s done is done and no good can come out of dwelling in the past, I do not agree. Our past even though done and dusted has many things to teach. Past mistakes, thinner days, old friends, the naughtiness, bad fashion choices, the list to revisit is endless but eventful. It is very strange how sometimes a small inconsequential thing takes us back in time. A song, a particular smell or perhaps taste of something suddenly reminds of a time long forgone. Recently when husband was devouring crème rolls, I happened to take a bite. Having tasted it after ages, the taste reminded me of the time my parents used to treat my sister and me to crème rolls in a small little bakery in our hometown.

Surprisingly I could recollect tiniest details about this little expedition of ours after having just a bite of this crème roll. The four of us on the light lime green scooter, me standing in the front and my sister sitting in-between mom and dad. The goodies from this tiny bakery stared at us through the thick glass slight pale yellow with age. Sometimes we used to go to the STD PCO nearby and talk to our cousins, all the time nervously eying the running meter. Needless to say, STD calls back then were a splurge. You only made these calls on important occasions and kept them short. For detailed conversations you wrote letters. Envelope and stamps enclosed the love (and tremendous information) filled letters. Then that evening walk to post the letter in the letterbox. The excitement of posting a letter was nothing when matched to the excitement of receiving a letter. When I was little my father was posted out of town and I had once written him a letter. It was a stupid letter which basically rambled about my day at school, conversations with the teachers (which by the way I had enclosed in double quotes). But the letter was so special, my father still has it in all its glory! It is still a topic for many a laughs in the family. An SMS, ping, chat and email whatever you call it can never ever match the charm of the good old (but forgotten) letters. Whenever I talk about letters I am reminded of one of my English teacher at school. She once narrated her years of courtship with her husband. Separated by distance her lover used to write her beautiful long letters. Young and naïve, she used to sit down with the letter in one hand and a dictionary in the other to understand the beautiful but difficult English words he used in his letters. For me at an impressionable age, this was the most romantic story and gesture. I longed ever since to receive such letters but sadly never received anything beyond fraandship notes.

School brings out another set of lovely memories. Getting up early in the wee hours of morning, catching the school bus and latest gossip on the way to school. During peak January winters my mother used to literally bundle me up in clothes. Warmer, two sweaters, a blazer and finally a muffler. I used to wait while walking towards my bus stop for a turn which would make me out of sight from my mother. After crossing the turn, the muffler used to come off, next the blazer which was then casually hung and carried on my arm. I thought it made me look very cool. Thinking back, it probably made me look like a fool walking in foggy winters carrying a coat rather than wearing it. But then a 13 year old girl rarely feels cold.

On sultry sweaty summer days I was welcomed with tall, chilled glass of nimbu pani, which was followed by an equally chilled bath. Afternoons made the water in the overhead tank extremely hot so my mother used to store the water in a bucket and put ice in it. I just can’t begin to explain the feeling of freshness this bath invoked! Next on the agenda was lunch, closely followed by the afternoon siesta in a room cooled by a dessert cooler. That siesta, an inconsequential thing back then seems like a luxury now. Nowadays even on the days of holidays I rarely manage to catch a siesta because of numerous chores to do. After siesta and a plateful of seasonal summer fruits, it was homework time and also an excuse to call friends on landline under false pretensions of study related ‘doubts’. Ah the landlines. The glorious era of blank calls and prank calls. I have these fond memories of the times all my cousins and myself used to sit together and decide who to prank. Scripts used to be made, everyone was assigned a specific role to play. But then came caller Id and this fun thing was lost forever. I feel bad for the kids of today. They will never know the fun of giving a blank call to someone just for the heck of it. And with true caller identification, prank calling someone is just not worth the risk anymore.

This is me in my age of innocence, riding a horse in Pahalgam (Kashmir)

Another one! Trying to emulate Madhuri Dixit's Maye-ne-Maye step from Hum Aapke Hai Koun here

This was a time devoid of any distractions what so ever. There was no Wtsapp or Facebook or even Orkut. Hell, there was not even a stable internet or laptops for that matter. TV channels and programs were limited. Radio was all about Vividh Bharti. I have solved numerous quadratic equations listening to programs like Chitralok, Hello Farmaish, Hello Saheli, Pitara, Jaimala and many many more. My sister and I also had this in-house music creation method wherein we used to record good songs from radio in our old cassettes. This was a critical job, you had to be smart enough to understand the song about to be played from the description of the movie, music director and the singers they announced. Then you also had to take care to press the record button at the exact time when the RJ stops and music starts, the next step was of course to again be on your toes towards the end of the song least you capture the voice of the RJ! This phenomena took considerable amount of our time, much to the chagrin of our parents.

Evenings meant power cuts and homework under candle lights because inverters were a luxury almost unheard off. If someone had a generator back then, it was considered to be big deal. When it got too hot inside, entire family dragged chairs and hand fans to the roof in a bid to enjoy some (nonexistent) breeze. This was also a time for a tête-à-tête with the neighbors via conjoined roofs. Longish power cuts gave way to antakshari and so much fun that everyone went back downstairs with heavy heart when the electricity returned. Dinner time conversations were actual conversations because there was no cellphone and hence no distracted, monosyllable answers.

The life we lead now is definitely not bad, in fact far from it. Various gadgets and inventions have only made our lives easier. Who would have imagined booking a cab just by a few swipes and clicks back then or delivery of just about anything at your doorsteps. Everything is great but somehow there is a detachment. But then we never know what new inventions or style of living is in store for us in future. Least we can do is live each moment to its fullest, touch as many lives as we can, meet new people, create one beautiful memories after other. Whenever we look back towards the time gone by, it should always be with a smile.

Love:
Sepo

10 Type of Girls We All Have Met

 After a very overwhelming response to the guys post, a similar post on girls was promised (and requested). All this time I had been formulating the post in my head, very confused on the number of categories to be included. Since I did not want to go beyond 10 it was hard narrowing down, plus many seemed to be kinda overlapping. So finally after much deliberation and way too much analysis the post is ready. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen I present you a dissection of the fairer sex.


1. The Drama Queen

Alia Bhatt in Student of the Year (Photo Courtesy - tajveez.com)

The name explains it all. This girl has a knack of highlighting a simple mosquito bite into something that can be potentially life-threatening. Though everyone close to her knows her tactics, she still manages to invoke sympathy and well, a lot of attention. Especially from the opposite sex. One of my cousins used to be a huge drama queen when we were kids. She saw ghosts, fainted, got diseases whose symptoms were only visible to her. Her tactics for attention exasperated me from the very start and throughout my life, I have tried to stay as far as possible from the DQs. DQs are generally insecure in nature and that is what drive them to various new attention seeking tactics.

That said, it is my personal belief that there is a hidden drama queen inside every girl. While some make it a way of life, others (like me) unleash it at the right time in the right situation. The art of drama is crucial for every girl, it is one of those things that we can display when a situation demands and get away with aplomb. One the best things about being a girl is to be all girly and reap the benefits ~ like pretend to get dizzy in crowded bus to score a seat. Or use PMS as an excuse to take a day off from work. Or harmless flirting with the shopkeeper for making him agree to your bargain price. Before you start to get all judgmental, let me tell you – with all that we have to put up with on a daily basis, the lewd gestures, the dirty stares, and “accidental” hand brushings. We deserve to use our gender in a way to reap some harmless little benefits.

2. The IT Girl

Blair Warldorf of Gossip Girl (Picture Courtesy - pinterest.com)

This is the girl surrounded by her admirers that follow her around just about everywhere. This girl is rich, spoilt, proud, has an enviable wardrobe and the handsomest boy as her boyfriend. Her life seems perfect but in reality it’s far from it. Her constant struggle to remain popular is taxing. Add to that the pressure of looking like million bucks always. And she has no close friends. Girls are jealous of her and guys are intimidated by her. Everyone around her is just for the sake of popularly and her social status.

Having spent my school years in a girl’s school, I have literally grown up surrounded by IT girls. It starts with one senior girl who all the girls look up to. She is pretty and looks fabulous even in the school uniform. While we are still busy figuring out puberty issues, she has had changed two boyfriends already. To come up in the radar of becoming an IT girl, you would have to mingle with the queen or have some sort of an ego clash with her. And of course fight for the spot within your batch mates. I will always regret not being an IT girl all through my school life. But I will try my best to make my daughter into one. Just kidding. Actually no, not kidding pretty serious!

3. The Guy’s Girl

Genelia in Jaane tu (Photo Courtesy - pixsharks.com)

She is the tomboy. The girl who you sometimes forget is actually a girl. She drinks with you, is your shopping buddy, beats you at various games and makes fun of all the girls you hit on. She fights with you all the time but loves you fiercely. Usually she is the only girl in your group of guys but that hardly matters because she comes without the fuss and hassles guys usually associate with a girl. She swears without batting an eyelid and gives two hoots about what society thinks.Hanging out with her is just is just like a breath of fresh air.

These types of girls are usually the danger zone of getting friend-zoned.

4. The Sweet Talker/Gold digger

Keeping up with Kim Kardasian (Photo Courtesy - foxnews.com)

This one is a cunning fox. She takes her time in getting to know you, your likes and dislikes. She acts in a way you like. Praises you, cooks for you and does everything possible to make you fall in love with her. And then she subtly tries to influence you to give her gifts. Sending you pictures of things she likes. Before you know it you are doing her shopping and paying her bills. You won’t even seem to mind it because in your eyes she is oh-so-perfect. Your friends will try to put some sense into you but you will pay no heed. She has that bedazzling effect on you. In case you do come to your senses she will make sure to extract every last bit of benefits from you, ever heard of a hard duty divorce alimony?

5. The Crazy one

Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl (Photo Courtesy - cineticstudios.com)

Have you seen Gone Girl? If yes then that’s the kinda girl we are talking about here. If you haven’t seen the movie, then please do watch it. They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. If you by any chance mess with this girl, she is going to make you pay. Big time. She will leave no stone unturned to make your life hell. She with her group of comrades will sit together over martinis, carefully plotted each and every detail of how to ruin your life. Depending on the type of unjust you have done to her, it takes just about some nano seconds for a perfectly normal girl to transform into that crazy bitch. I have indulged in some minor scheming of my own. Read more about that here.

6. The Tattletale

Kareena in Jab We Met (Photo Courtesy - bigindianpicture.com)

This one just goes on and on and on. She will tell you about her day, in minutest details including how many trips she took to the washroom to pee. She will also keep you updated on all the latest happenings in her friends’ life. She will bitch about the girl she hates. Tell you who is going out with who. Also tell you the secret her BFF swore not to tell anyone. Though she shares everything with you, there is an equal chance that she bitches about you the moment she is with her friends.
It’s a little hard to trust this girl and also somewhat hard on your ears.

7. The Mysterious One

Robin in How I Met Your Mother (Picture Courtesy - barbarashdwallpapers.com)

Everything about this girl is perfect. The way she talks, the way she dresses, her smile, her hair…it’s all so dreamy. You fall heads over heels for this girl. Everything thing seems perfect until to realize that there is only a fraction of her that you know. She is fiercely independent and always in control. Bills to movies she handles and is capable of watching them alone. Although she is extremely fun to hang out with, she will never make you feel needed. There is this shield around her which if difficult to break. She doesn’t like to talk much about herself but is a patient listener. Takes time to open up but once she does never break her trust. Because trust issues is the reason behind that strong walnut shell she has around her.

This girl is usually artistic in nature, she paints or writes or engages in some creativity. It takes a little work to be in a relationship with this girl. Poke and nudge her about her behaviour and she will cut you out of her life. She can’t handle drama, especially when she is already burdened by it from her girlfriends.

8. The Marriage Material

Daina Penty in Cocktail (Photo Courtesy - apnatimepass.com)

She is the kind of girl raised by Alok Nath. Everything about her screams sanskari. She dresses appropriately, talks with just the right amount of shyness. Cooks delicious food and has that distinct mother hen feeling associated with her. She does not experiment with drinks or talk with guys or lie to her parents. Whatever she lacks in the crazy/adventurous quotient she more than makes up for it in the taking care department. She has the 2Cs and 2Ps of the one – Commitment, Communication, Persistence and Passion.
You are one lucky man if you manage to get this girl. Agreed she is a little boring but she is a gem. She deserves a guy who treats her the best and thanks his luck every day for getting her. And if you mess with this type of girl, ditch her or have an affair behind her back..well then you will just rot and burn in hell. Because this girl prays and keeps various fasts, hurting her will invoke wrath of numerous gods on you.

9. The Innocent One

Amrita Puri in Aisha (Picture Courtesy - blogbestwallpapers.com)

Ever since I have seen this episode of HIMYM (Season6 E15) guest starring Katy Perry, it has given a new dimension to the word innocent. Check out some of the quotes from the episode and decide for yourself. “My apartment building is so safe. My landlord even installed a security camera in my shower”.” Maybe I should feel weird about giving a stranger my Social Security Number, but the guy's a Nigerian prince!”
Hilarious as it may sound the truth is, some girls are innocent. They believe all the shit some stupid skunk tells them just to get into their pants. They have a childlike innocence and a tendency to tear up at slightest provocation. A lot of guys are really crazy about these girls because you are guaranteed to have a lot of firsts with this girl.

10. The Damsel in distress

Katrina in Bang Bang (Photo Courtesy - pinkvilla.com)

 Just like Rapunzel, this princess needs to be rescued from the metaphorical tower. Your number will be on her speed dial and she will call you nonstop. You will have to pick her up from places, carry around her shopping bags, and beat the hell out of guys that are apparently stalking her. She is beautiful which just flocks guys around her. Generally she is also a little clumsy, which means she will forget her phone, drop her things, fall down frequently and do a lot of other careless stuff.
She is the girl for you, if you like playing the dad.
 

Well, that's all we have. Hope you enjoy it as much as you did the other one. Leave your feedback in comments.
Love:
Sepo

UP AND DOWN IN THE LIFE

[The title of this post has been ripped off from a book called UP AND DOWN IN THE DALES. If ever you come across this book do not miss reading it! Strongly recommended. There is nothing special about this book, but the simplicity and the soft humour is the highlight.]

Life is indeed a roller coaster ride. Showing you highs, then suddenly taking you to the bottom and finally gracefully gliding back up. Again.

The different times teach us different things, about life, about us and about the people around us. When everything’s alright one really doesn’t care about anything. Hitting an all-time-low is a nightmare for anyone.

Sometimes when feeling low, I crave for a “someone”. Someone who will hold my hand and looking into his eyes I ll forget everything else. Someone who ll say nothing, just give me a hug, which says it all. Someone who ll put me to sleep and sing me a lullaby. Someone who will carry me to the balcony and count the stars with me, when I can’t sleep Someone who smiles at me with a breakfast tray when I wake up. Someone who will get me flowers just like that. Someone who kisses me when I lose my temper.

Oh yes I am a hopeless romantic (bigger than the biggest) and it seems like I have gone way too far with the vivid description of “someone” or rather what the someone should do to/for me. I need to stop now.

Well, I know life is all about being practical and smart. But it doesn’t hurt to be a little foolish and silly (and a hopeless romantic) at times.

So three cheers for “someone”.

Also a very happy and bright new year to all you wonderful people out there.

Hope you have a great one!

Ciao.

TALK ABOUT BEING CARELESS!

I had an exam (JMET) last Sunday @ Delhi. HB pencil was a prerequisite for it. I had seen it on the admit card but I DON’T KNOW WHY refused to take it seriously. I thought it’s a mere pencil afterall, I can get it anywhere! Alas, on the morning of my test what I see is that there are no shops, none at all in the vicinity of my exam centre.



I still am not bothered though. A pencil can be borrowed can’t it? So after entering the room I started to look around for my prospective shikaar. My row was mostly vacant save for a guy who had just one pencil and one pen on his table. I did not want to attract attention by widening my horizons. I started feeling a little scared then. What if no-one comes in my row? What if I have to tell the teachers that I don’t have a pencil? What if the strict looking male teacher shouts at me?????



With all these questions in my mind I got a major shock. The answer sheet asked the details to be filled by BLACK BALL POINT PEN ONLY. I carried only blue as it was mentioned in the admit card clearly “BLACK OR BLUE”. But the answer sheet had a totally different story to tell. Well the pencil went out of my mind now. Thankfully the black ball point pen problem had many other takers as well.



After a lot of deliberation teachers said it was alright to use blue pen as the same was mentioned in the admit card. Already having committed a blue error I did not want to be disqualified for not carrying a pencil, so tension and desperation was at its peak now. It was then he (angel) came and sat right in front of me. I tapped his shoulder lightly and with a smile asked “do you have an extra pencil”? He gave me the pencil together with a puzzled/weird look! Ohh. A sigh of relief! I was very embarrassed, so embarrassed that I could not even ask for sharpener when the lead wasn’t sharp any more!



I have another exam this Sunday @ Chandigarh for which I am leaving just in a few minutes! This time I am carrying all the requirements and also the things not required. 2 blue pens, 2 black pens, 2 HB pencils, eraser, sharpener … you name it and I have it. I have 2 of everything to maybe help a someone like me!

p.s This post has been written in a state of hurry. Please excuse any typos.

UN-CIVIC

Nope. The little boy is not related to me in any way. I met (actually saw) him in a public bus. It has been some 4 months since i saw him. Was just browsing through various folders when i came across this pic. Now i know, its very bad and un-civic of me to publish his pics ( also clicking his pic without his consent, well can't help that much, when he was totally in some other world :P :D).

I just couldn't help it. The little guy was just so cute and adorable (muah). Sitting right in fount of me with a million dollar expression of his face....!! I just had to take his pic.

don't ya guys agree.....?

i just love little kids. My friends have started calling me baccha chor after this incident...!!

JAI MATA DI.........!!!!!!!!!!

Just back from a wondrous trip @ MATA VAISHNO DEVI. Needless to say it was enjoyable and fun (well, a little tiring as well :P). Anywhere you go with your friends the amount of fun and joy you experience just triples up...!! Same was the case in this trip of mine.....

Initially there was a big strong NO from my dad. He was against my going because he felt the weather wasn’t suitable and the fact that his delicate darling isn’t strong enough to withstand the hard journey. For those who don’t know, to reach the peak of the mountain, where the goddess resides, you have to walk 14 km steep road. Adding the 14 km of the return journey, the total distance to be covered on foot is 28 km.

We started our journey from the bus stand of Jammu. The 20 of us boarded a bus to Katra city. In the bus we had lot of fun and irritated the other passengers by our shouts and songs. I am sure the people there(including the driver and the conductor) will never forget the ear shattering shouts, hoots and whistles we all contributed in while passing from the TUNNEL. Once there, we went to an eatery for our snacks. There two groups were formed and a battle was started as to who will order the most appetizing food. My group ordered a pizza. The other group ordered Nan’s and some paneer dish. When the food arrived each group started mmmmm, aaahhh’s and yummmy’s...!! Our pizza was a disaster, the crust tasted like a biscuit. The trouble was that we had to eat the whole damn thing or else the other group would have taunted/tormented us to no end.....!!

After the yucky pizza and an ice-cream, we started off (kinda). Our speed was super slow... as after every one step, we would start taking photographs, marvel the beauty around, crack jokes at expense of each other...! Had pan’s. After reaching the place which marks the start of the journey, we started off.Full-on with zeal and vigor.


(the place shown in the pic marks the actual start of the journey)


We met a few dhol-wala’s, and the dancers inside us, jumped at the opportunity. We danced for almost half an hour. The journey-up the mountain takes round about 5 hours. But our journey started at about 9 PM and we reached up at 4 AM. Had to...!! Afterall our journey was interlaced with lot of fun. In between many a times, my legs gave up. Breath was coming slow, and I thought “I m gone”. But Mata ka jaikara every time gave me this sudden surge of energy...! The journey is such that when you reach a place, you realise that you have to walk four times the distance you just walked. Trust me; it’s not such a great feeling. But on the way, seeing the enthusiasm of the people you get the required motivation. On the way saw a few people who bowed after every step they took.... clear example of belief and faith.

After freshening up, we did the darshan and were free by 6:30. We went for breakfast after then, where most of us were overcome by the sleeping fit.....!! For the breast fast I as usual ordered the wrong thing. The pau-bhaji I ordered comprised mostly of ginger which I absolutely loath. So I had to eat just the dry pau’s...! Those in the deeper sleep fits, skipped the breakfast all together.

It is said that the darshan are not complete unless you visit the even higher situated BHAIRAV GHATI. It’s the most difficult part of the journey, the distance is short but the peak is the steepest. Also while coming down the steep slope blows the wind out of you...!! I decided to skip this part of the journey as I wasn’t sure whether or not I will be able to manage it and I did not want to be a burden on my friends. There were four of us who were not going to the bhairav ghati. So we separated from the group and began our journey downwards. A friend amongst us was visiting for the first time and he was totally gone. Overcome by sleep and the fatigue. I myself wasn’t faring any better. It was my second visit and I was just as tired. Early morning climate there was freezing cold. We were eagerly waiting for the sun to come out (Sounds so strange, when you live in a place where these days the temperature is above 40 and it’s scalding hot). There is nothing as beautiful as the sunrise and sunset amongst the mountains. The sunrays falling on the highest peak of the mountain is a breathtaking view. It added to our lost energies. Slowly but steadily we walked, taking rests in between. I walked ahead of them to quickly grab a bench for rest. Even the drained energies couldn’t stop us from striking poses for the pics. We clicked as many pics as possible to make our friends jealous. :D

More than half of the downward journey we covered finely. Inbetween we stopped at CCD to revive ourselves. But that rest proved not good at all. My shoes started to hurt like hell. I had to poke my hells out of the shoes for the rest of the journey. Also the sun by that time was directly above our heads which was adding to our woes.....! Now there are two ways, either you walk down the road or you walk down the stairs. Obviously walking down the stairs is shortcut, but it adds to the pain in the calf muscles. We took the way down the stairs. One of them comprising of more than 500 steps. Muscles I wasn’t even aware of introduced themselves to me. The only 1km journey left seemed difficult/impossible to cover. Struggling and staggering we somehow dragged ourselves. Reached the point from where we started. Took an auto rickshaw from there to the main Katra city (when we started, we covered this distance too by foot). Waited in same eatery for our friends.overcome by sleep, most of us dozed off. Slowly our friends arrived in scattered groups, all red from the heat.

Took a bus back to Jammu. The bus ride this time was all quite and calm. Walking or even getting up was now a torture. Legs were all numb and full of cramps. Reached home. Just took off my bag. And slept straight for 15 hours.......!!!

Now missing all the fun. Had a great great great time. This was probably the last trip with friends. And my legs feel better, much better.

p.s will share the pics with you soon....!!

THE FOUR LETTER WORD.

Love- it is not merely a word. It’s an emotion. One of those which is impossible to predict. You can never ever justify this feeling. You can never explain why your heart beat suddenly accelerates on seeing someone. Yet love is also one of the most natural feelings, example, a mother’s unconditional love for her child, love for your friends, pets... the list is endless.....


Every place shouts the presence of it. Movies, magazines are full of it. Love stories, which are bestsellers. How can one not get inspired/influenced by this? There have recently been incidents in my life which have both strengthened and weakened my belief in love. Also this topic in itself is so complicated, that I was sceptical as to whether or not I will be able to do justice to it. But I had to take this load off me and also I had promised a friend of mine that I will write about it. Now I seriously have no idea as to what exactly I am going to write about... but have to start, so ......

I ll begin by the story of a guy, who loves a girl from the past three years. The girl however refuses to acknowledge the fact and the guy. The guy refuses to give up. The situation now is that the guy has just one ambition left, and that is to somehow or the other get her or just talk to her some way. Career, hobbies, friends ... all these things hold no meaning to him. Everything is just about that girl. He keeps talking about her. Keeps on making plans to somehow just talk to her. His whole life is centred around her. Sometimes I feel, she is all he’s living for and at times I fear she is the one he could even die for.



This guy happens to be a good friend of mine and I care about him. Sometimes I get so clueless as to how should I help him. What should I say to make him feel better? What should I say that does not sound like a cliché?”I cannot live without her”. How to reply to that. Who is at fault here, the girl the guy ...who? And what exactly is this thing called love..? You meet someone and suddenly your whole being is around and about that person. your days are gone thinking about them, wondering how great it would be to have them around.... is this what love is...? This longing, the need to be together, .........!!!

And even when you are lucky enough, and your feelings are reciprocated, what happens then...? Naturally, everything looks heavenly. Life is suddenly beautiful. There is no greater source of happiness than knowing the fact that there is this special someone, who constantly cares, worries about you. Reminds you constantly, how special you are. Your days and nights belong to them and you feel you have attained the most precious gift ever. But love doesn’t come with a guarantee, there is no permanence.



Coming to another story, a love story straight out of the pages of mills and boon. Innocent love, not knowing the true realities of life. Lovely beginning, great start, perfect understanding. When the couple attained stability and settled down, there were suddenly cracks visible in spite of the strong foundation. It seems like love left them. There is nothing to talk about. The long never-ending, pocket-emptying telephone conversations are now a thing of past. The initial hellos are followed by uncomfortable silence and ended with formal talks. No endearments. Now what went wrong here....everything was so perfect, so true, just like a fairytale...

But as they say “life is no fairytale”. The harsh reality is that, even when two persons are committed to each other and practise fidelity, things can go wrong. Distances occur which are impossible to bridge, like two banks of a river. There was a time, when every detail of “what all you did the whole day” was disclosed, but now you call only because of habit. The communication gap at one point of time gets so huge, that you realize that the person you at one time loved is now nothing but a stranger.




It becomes so difficult to take a step towards improving your relation. Always waiting for the other person to make the first move. And when the other person fails to do so, thinking “if he is not bothered, why should I care”. Small problems change to bigger ones and the distance keeps growing.

Amidst this enters a new person, who suddenly gives you attention and appreciation. You would go towards that person like a piece of iron towards the magnet. However hard you try to stay away, make promises with yourself, it becomes impossible to think rationally. When the person you love criticises you, has no time for you. That new person gives the required comfort and a great boost to your self-esteem and self-confidence. Is this cheating....? Infidelity...?




Do you even realise the fact that what you are doing is wrong, does this fact register in your mind..? It’s injustice to yourself, your partner and that “new” person. Then what to do....? What is the right thing to do..? Go back to the place you receive no respect, or break all ties and set yourself free...? I know there are “n” number of solutions available... just Google it and you ll be spending rest of the day reading great answers to your queries. But how badly I wish it was that easy. In reality when you are under such a situation (or for that matter any situation relating to love) your brain refuses to acknowledge the solution or the easy way out (saying this on basis of personal experiences...!!). Maybe it’s true that love is synonym of suffering...!!

So what exactly is love....? does it exist or is it just a gimmick. Is it popular only because it’s all over the movies, and it’s kinda “cool” to say that I am in love...? I am still in a dilemma. Hope I get my answers soon....!!
For then
keep loving ...!
I ll like to end the post by quoting a line by someone who’s been there and done that...
“Don’t confuse love with desire
It comes from the ashes of desire”.

p.s
I think this is my longest post...!! (:D) ohh god this love...!!

RIDE @ KOT AND BHALWAL......!!

Well my college is situated in a god forsaken place called KOTBHALWAL (or so I thought). Today I went on this beautiful long drive with two friends of mine. Actually, that one friend of mine recently bought a new car. So, he was to give us a ride since long but somehow a plan could never be formulated. But today FINALLY we got hold of him and he willingly/happily took us on this great ride.



Our college is basically located in the outskirts of Jammu city, which means a lot of open fields, mango trees, corn and wheat fields.... in short fields, fields and more fields. Also a lot of cows, ill-mannered people...umm well don’t want to get there. So beyond the college I had never really gone anywhere apart from maybe half a kilometre sometimes to get a matador (the matadors there are super crowded and you have to keep moving ahead to grab a spot to stand in those utterly smelly crowded and full of obnoxious people). There also a very famous jail out there, where the most notorious and hardened criminals and terrorists are held. As such it’s always at the centre of some or the other controversy.







Today on our long long drive we crossed all the boundaries and rode on the newly made beautiful road, surrounded by scenery on both the sides. Also a few gardens and a water body too....!! Well I desperately wanted to stop and get down, walk around a bit and off course take pictures (photographs are imperative to my existence as I keep mentioning). But no one allowed. Actually the roads were soo deserted, we were scared that anytime dacoits will somehow emerge from bushes and pounce on us. After going on, our friend suggested we go and check out GCET’s (a government engineering college) new campus @ chakbhalwal. So, after few more gardens, dairies, fields and broken roads we finally arrived at the destination. At that moment I was so happy with my college and its location. That college is totally cut-off from the whole city which was proved by the fact that there were no towers in our mobiles. The college too was deserted. I was wondering what it must seem like @ night. Hmmmm SCARY IS THE WORD....




Well nevertheless the campus (still under construction) was superb. Similar to the campus of SMVDU @ katra, Jammu. And FINALLY we got down, looked around a bit and most importantly took a few pics. Though I missed eku she couldn’t come for reasons I m not capable of explaining. And most importantly I came to know that KOT and BHALWAL are two different places. And my PRESTIGIOUS college is in the KOT part. And the KOT part is the most sophisticated amongst the kot, bhalwal and chakbhalwal.




So, overall had quite an adventurous day...!!

BEAT THE BLUES (girls)...!!!

The maddening pace of this so called competitive life saps out the energy, funk quotient (I have no idea whether such a term exits..!!) and zeal to “live” out of any babe. And it has its long list of side effects as well. To name a few we have topping the list..... Depression... yes the most talked about illness these days!!. And hell why to blame just the fast pace of life of this?!! There are “N” numbers of reasons to drive you nuts
1. Meeting those dreaded deadlines
2. BF troubles
3. Homesickness
4. Weight issues
5. Acne
6. PMS (damn)
7. Nothing to wear (this problem is universal)
8. Chipped nails

.....
.....
And the list continues..........

We all have days when our spirits go down to hit an all-time low. But do not sit and brood. Get up grab your sexiest dress and those highest heels and that brightest of bright make-up and VOILA....welcome back...!!!
Yes it is a proven fact that dressing up is successful in killing those bad mood bugs. Its psychological, you concentrate and take control over the situation. You pay attention to every detail which makes you feel that you are the priority, immediately lifting up energy levels and kicking out the blues (only to be replaced by happier, brighter hues).

When you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you look good, it’s all interconnected you see...!!! :P So whenever those mood swings occur, make some “me” time, doll up and conquer..!!!

SENsational SINGLE MUM

I have like always been an ardent admirer of the ever dynamic Sushmita Sen. Recently my respect for her multiplied when she became the proud mother of little Alisah. There are only few such people who utilise fully the power available to them and help others. Sush is definitely one such person.

 She first became a mum when she was some 20 years of age, high on the ladder of success. That time many people criticised her of taking a reckless decision. But today I m sure they eat their hats when they see the beautiful Renee....!!

There is this Hindu adoption law (of which I was unaware until now) which states that if u already have adopted a child u cannot adopt another child of the same sex. It so happed that this particular law was changed recently and Miss Sen. made a jump at the opportunity and after many legal hassles brought home an angel 

Now this adoption thingy is no child’s play (especially for singles) the legal formalities can blow the air out of any superwomen. It is really tough to get the adoption agencies to process your case on same footing as that of couples. One has to reiterate one’s sexual orientation (gay or straight...!), financial status and the fact that whether or not you can provide a good and wholesome environment like couples.

So you need to be passionate and fervent about the cause. U have to have the fervour in you a la Sushmita...!! So hats off to her and I think I too will someday adopt a baby.... some 10 – 15 years later that is.... :P

p.s the law I have mentioned was read by me in some newspaper so I m not sure about the exact words. I have written what I remembered of it...!!

LITTLE GIRL

It’s so hard to believe that once upon a time i was a little girl. I rack my brain to go back in time and see how it felt like ... being a little girl. No worries about the future, not having “what do I wear today” moments (mum would take care of that), no “shit... I m broke” troubles (daddy the greatest would buy the stars for me) and after all there was no cell phone to get recharged or that desperate need to buy that hundredth pair of awesome shoes...!!! Homework troubles were solved by the darling sister...!!

School was one hell of fun, teacher would give me “excellent with 5 stars”..and the only animosity in the classroom was due to the number of stars one got(there were no gossips and no "are they going out..shitty stuff". aah the fun filled swings...The merry go round, the see-saw, slider....!! (Why can’t i still have fun on the swings, without gaining askance glances from f***** up people..??)

Summer vacations were not spent in training and project reports.. but reading fairy tales...!! Snow white and Cinderella were idols and friends... prince charming was on a horse..!! Jack and the beanstalk, rapunzel, lil red riding hood and off course the chacha chowdary were the favs..!! There was no time limit for watching television. An absolute discipline was followed and 9 ‘o clock was the time to retire (my cousins still tease me that I couldn’t keep my eyes open after 9 :))

But then came adolescence and everything changed... pretty frocks and skirts gave way to denims..!! Cinderella and snow were gone and replaced by Britney and Christina...!! Tom cruise was the prince. Fairy tales were now biting dust. “Archies and the mills and boon” were now in vogue. Hair was no more in piggy tails. Then came the “mom I can take care of my hair now” phase and the straight cut hair turned into steps and flicks. Pocket money was not just spend on candies and chocolates now..!! And the phase of girly gossips started (“what was she thinking while wearing this hideous outfit”/”isn’t he just so cute”..)!! the innocence was lost..!!! And the remaining bit was wiped off by the chemical reactions, integration and differentiation

The little girl was lost and gone....!!
I miss her...!!