Poetry my passion

250 - am I going slow?

2012-01-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

250th blog post. A toast to all my readers. Cheers!

A toast to my 60th follower, I was waiting for this magical number to be filled, it happened finally.

A long weekend, four days in hand and nothing much to do and I wanted to get rid of this 250 number which was stopping me from writing. 250 told me it has to be special, I felt somehow it is not happening and I started to blog. Bits and pieces about what I did in the last four days, a long weekend.

I switched on the TV two days back and I kept flipping through channels, till I hit the film, Partition directed by Vic Sarin and acted by Jimy Mistri (Gian) and Kiristin Kreuk (Nassim). The cinematography was astounding and Vic Sarin did a great job here. Being the director of the film, he knew what he wanted out of every frame and reproduced it. The film is about the partition of India during 1947. Only jarring difference was, both the actors though they try to fit in to their costumes, looks foreign. Nassim's brothers are disastrous picks, I should say, as the only quality they possess is fury and even in their reunion with their sister, their faces lack emotions. As usual, I was 5 years late watching this film.

Anirudh, felt like watching a film, being short notice and holiday time, we ended up watching Don 2. Used to like Sharukh a lot from his "circus" serial days. But, gradually I grew up and felt King Khan played quite simple roles, while he can definitely do better. With preset mindset, I went to this film. I can't help but stare at the opening scene where I met Shahrukh slightly aged but with an awesome gait and body, storms in, fight and leaves the scene. One moment, Thailand, next Malaysia, then Germany... Priyanka Chopra and her uptight appearance, her eyes, her lithe frame, her unbuttoned shirt does bring a smile, a sexy officer, looked little phony though. I rather liked Lara Dutta playing the part of Ayesha, SRK's Girlfriend. coquettish but did justice to the miniscule role she played. Om Puri, I felt disappointed, has no great role and for a man of his calibre, I expected more. The film screamed money and had a rich and exhilarating feel to it. SRK's humour does show at few places. Boman Irani and Kunal Kapoor played their role well. Came out of the theatre at 10.15 PM, with tummy, rich of buttery popcorn, veg puffs, veg pizza, a Coke and cold coffee. Burp!

Suresh, Ani and I went to Annual TTDC trade fair yesterday. We spent close to 4 hours, thousands of people thronging alongside and the audio loud speaker playing the ads of Gopal pal podi, Aids awareness, contraceptives and missing kids, purses, keychains and what not announcements. Every side we turned, there were shops lit with bright LED lights. Glittery costume jewellery, handicrafts shops, Plastic utensils shops, herbal medical, 'learn magic' shops, 2 minutes photo studio, "everything you name it and they have it" products. Everyone looked excited and sated after eating the huge delhi masala pappad, chilli bajji. I always am kind of vary to eat out in open, not sure of the oil or water they use.

An interesting moment came, when I stood on a wooden bridge and was shooting the picture of brightly lit giant wheel reflecting in koovam, there were three guys who came close to me and one among them said, "Hope the bridge doesn't give away; it can take only so much weight" and I couldn't resist adding, "Thank god! you guys are as thin as broomstick and agile, and am sure you can swim yourself to safety, provided you can stand the stench of water".. We laughed together, they were taken by surprise and I didn't bat an eyelid. But, this seem to have annoyed Sure, who gave a disgusting, irritated look and asked if I am done. I nodded and we left.

Malli, watched the film today. A masterpiece, every frame, every minute, every second I loved. This girl Shweta, she lived her role. This beautiful girl along with her friend, who is mute, the old story teller Monu, the village vet, Janakaraj are the main characters. Big smiles to Santosh Sivan and this girl Malli... I really loved the old woman Monu and her knack of telling silly stories, with utmost sincerity and the silly rhyme she came up with to get the blue stone (which Malli believed, would cure her mute friend). I would call Malli, an epic. The scene that touched me was when she tore her new skirt to bandage the hurt fawn. I had the urge to hug and kiss this little girl. Lovely dear! Hats off to you!

SYMA, Triplicane conducts a program called Child Fest every year and I was called as a Chief Judge to judge the kids who were participating in the event. Spent about 4 hours and every minute was enjoyable. Kids these days are too good when it comes to showing their creativity and it was difficult to judge, but exceptional talent always stand out and I shared with them about the days when Anirudh was young and I used to be a parent eagerly waiting for my son to perform.

7th January, my blog completed four years and now after completing my 250th post, I ponder, "Am I going slow?"

Everyday we run few miles...
only to turn and find our path trail.
Setting our path straight and clear...
Steer ourselves to reach beyond the mire.

Time moves on and not waiting for the dawn,
Past lost its magic; future holds the logic
Setting our goals high; let's nudge and fly high...

You are like air; fly away...

2012-01-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Am not asking you to stay
You are like air; fly away...
On a cold night, when moon took flight,
Your memory inside, started to ignite..

The clanging noise inside my brain,
The jarring silence refused to restrain...
Helpless I waited without control,
Your thought entered in to my soul.

"Fragile" I yelled at the thoughts,
It treaded soft and crept to my heart...
Knowing not what to do,
Slowly I started to accept you...

The thoughts of you, all new...
Excited; I felt till day two,
Then it started to gnaw at end,
Frozen and hard; bit raw to append..

I tried to drive your thoughts away,
Nailed it to a place and refused to sway...
Rusted and hard, it rubbed its way,
The blood splurting cutting a vein...

Even a fatal condition, is welcome than this nothingness...

2012-01-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

For the past two days, my mind is clouded with meaningless thoughts.. thoughts that is making me miserable. It's as if I am waiting for something bad to happen.

I am fine, if I am diagnoised with some fatal disease and told that I am living my last few weeks / days. Anything is welcome to break this monotony. Emotions are bombarding me and tears flow for no reason and going nuts not having a valid reason for being this way.

Turning to friends is not helping either, I tend to irritate them and decided to bear this cross on my own. Even Steve Jobs biography, which I was hooked on for the past few days, ceased to excite me. My ipod played non stop in my ears, only that the song doesn't register in my mind.

This reached to the most infuriating moment today... It was around 3.45 PM and I rose from my seat and went outside to take a walk. It was scorching hot, but cool breeze blew. It reminded me of the walk I took on a rainy day... I can't believe it was barely a fortnight since I went on that walk. Time flies when you have good time and drags when you are not having so good a time.

My next stop was my office parking lot. Watched Cars and bikes parked on either side, few bonsai palms and the green lawns... took few photos from my mobile... but my mood refused to lighten. Started to walk, stared at the parking lot again and proceeded to walk. Am I searching for something that doesn't exist?

If my blog space is not taking the brunt of my burdens, who else will? But even writing doesn't help me now...

This is my 249th post... Hope I hit a better mood before writing my 250th...

Till then... mysery continues...

Lovingly,
Agony Aunt

Photo Courtesy: http://www.neilcanning.com/

Calling a human, a 'Resource'.... is it right?

2012-01-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

From being a "personnel management" person and moving on to "Human resources management", it had been a very long association for me with employee employer relationship.

As a part of "personnel management", during early 90s, there were few not so hilarious moments, which now is hilarious to me, when I considered myself as an employer himself, as I represented the organisation and always called "We", when I spoke to everyone. What I failed to see then, blame it on my tender age of 22, was Viji was an employee like the other 407 employees, 408 being my number and I lived to see another 821 people join, before I left the organisation.

So why "human resources"?

Coal is a resource, steel as well and now we have added human to it. When I googled the term 'resources', I found amongst other natural resources, 'labor' was also added. Shouldn't we think about considering HR as human relations rather than human resources? A resource is something that can be 'measured, divided, moved, sold, exploited, traded', would you like to be one? No one likes to be called a resource, that too a "shadow" one at that. :)

If you still want to continue calling fellow humans as resources, then probably you should think of addressing your family members as resources too...

Then on this Bhogi day, I should say...

"It's Bhogi today, I got up early in the morning to see my "Kolam resource" (maid) putting rangoli before my house and was waiting for the "milk resource" to get me the milk packets... since, the senior most resources (mom and dad) were sleeping, I thought of not disturbing them and tip toed into the kitchen and boiled the milk for coffee. The most junior resource (my son) in my family wanted to go to a new film "Nanban" that got released two days back. But, since all money was with this senior resource (my husband), I was not able to give him money and we had to wait till the senior resource came home."

Would we call our family members as resources, however resourceful they are? Most of us, don't realize that by calling an individual a 'resource' we are politically correct and humanely wrong.

See the difference in the two statements made here:

"X is very dedicated and energetic resource in my team and I am willing to trade him to you if you can pay me for X$/hour".
"Mr.X is an energetic and dedicated person in my team and he will definitely add value to your project. His consultation would cost you X$/hour".

This is business and its not wrong to be in "selling services" (as it is put in offshoring), but we can put it in more proper fashion is what I feel.

This post is a small attempt to shout to this world, through this miniscule window of mine, that it is wrong to call our colleagues resources. If this article makes an individual think and ponder if he would be liked to be called a resource, then I succeeded in my attempt.

"Bhogi" is celebrated to discard old things and focus on new belongings. Likewise, I discard the old habit of calling a human being as a resource, starting this dawn.

The Sea, The waves, every fall....

2012-01-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

An evening at the Shore of the Marina, made me click this photograph and I requested my friend to write a poetry or a song that comes to his mind impromptu, not even a minute he hesitated before reciting these lines... Kudos Manoj! I am really honored... Thanks a lot!

Here is the poem:

When you feel despair and lonely,

When there is no respite...

When you push on blindly,

Prepping for the next fight...

Go to the seashore,

Look at the waves...

The feel of vastness you can't ignore,

Listen to the stories it says...

The vastness of the sea,

Brings one back to reality...

That, however big you may be,

You are not lonely...

The strength of the tide,

As it cross all barriers...

It pushes everything aside,

Drowning all its failures...

But the most important lesson of all,

Is to be learned when the waves stand tall...

They rise to great heights and fall,

But once again start it all.

Be like the waves there,

They raise tall and fall...

But they once again raise after each fall,

To keep doing it all...

~ Manoj

oo la la - soup song

2012-01-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Oo la la...

heading straight

Oo la la...

on a chilly night

Oo la la

the moon was bright

Oo la la

rhythm of life

Rushed to see you,

Stuck by the view,

Sitting at the desk,

Shadow grotesque...

Oo la la...

I sang alright

Oo la la...

My mind beguiled

Oo la la...

my vision blurred

Oo la la..

Tears poured...

you looked at me,

bright eyed...

I sighed and cried

standing tight...

Oo la la...

You rose from chair

Oo la la...

You rushed to me dear

Oo la la...

My heart beat fast

Oo la la...

oh! forgot my breakfast

I remembered the stick ice

Not to forget the chilled wine

took a straight shot

bang! it went to my heart...

Oo la la...

I love you dear

Oo la la

You are very near

Oo la la...

Down my throat

Oo la la..

It now turned soar...

Weird dreams of mine

2012-01-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

Lately, I am having weird dreams, funny / not so funny / disgusting / exhilarating. These dreams mostly happen during early mornings. My mom would be the person who wakes me up midway, at times very grateful and at times really frustrating, I try to close my eyes and badly want to dream again.

Think it should be ten days back, the dream started in a wedding hall and there was a wedding happening. I was with Anirudh and we were sitting in the third row corner seat and to our side was a water dispenser. I receive a text in my mobile and it reads, "I want to tell you something really important, the bride who is sitting at the dias, next to the bridegroom is not a bride." I got really tensed, asked Ani to catch an auto keep it ready for us to leave and rushed to the dias, silently went near the bride and lift the bride's head for everyone to see, it was a guy with veerapan kind of moustache. Everyone gasps and the bridegroom looked shocked and address the audience, "Please! no commotion..this wedding will happen as per the plans, in a way I feel sorry for this girl, if I ditch at the last moment, who will marry her?" Guests sit down and the priest starts the pooja and I with a stupefied look stand there and Ani stood at a distance, having a huge cup of icecream and I cursed, "Ani, I told you to catch an Auto for us to leave"... Now, not sure if to label this funny or melodramatic or tragic.

A week back, I had another interesting dream, I was sitting on Suresh's bike and listening to songs and he was riding his bike. We were heading to our Santoshapuram flat and half way through, I realised it was not the usual route and I asked him, why we are going that route... It was a dense forest and I got really scared. I kept telling him that I am scared and he stopped the bike and told me to get down and gave my digicam, said fully charged and now you take as much photos as you want and he started the bike and left me in the forest. I stood stupefied again.

Yesterday, there was another dream, my Mom was cleaning the house and she saw a chameleon and she cut its head.. (Poor mom, in reality she can never hurt anything, even a fly) This chameleon was running and nicely strutting, walking around without the head... gives me creeps to even think of it now. But, there in the dreams, I was kind of enthralled to watch it and mom dumped it in the dustbin. After sometime, Ani threw a frooti packet... I've never seen him drink frooti lately, nevertheless he threw it in the dustbin and it explodes and the Chame started strutting proudly again, few specks of fire adorning its neck... I stood stupefied again.

There was one more dream and I can't share it here. I was doing something really... ahem(blush blush)... and my mom woke me asusual and I didn't know where to hide my face and I wanted to go back to sleep desperately and hold on to... Jeez nothing... :)

2011 - a quick replay

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

I don't believe in calling a year bad or good. Every year has its own significance, both good and bad events make the year memorable.

Every flashback has a slilver lining:

It dawned on me that I am 40 and even if I want to forget this fact, my body reminds me of this every moment. Knees make all kinds of noise and I at times want to drill a hole and dump a container of lubricant inside my knee.
Frequent visits to loo and the housekeeping staff one day pulled me aside and asked me to consult a doctor. I should thank her for bringing to my notice that something was wrong after all.
It was too boring having palpitations alone as a medical condition, hence my body decided to run a sugar factory and here I am rich with sugar.
The diabetologist felt that Sugar is slightly on the higher side and I should do one hour of treadmill /fast walk / 8 times to climb up and down the stairs. He suggested yoga too
To start the easy way, went for a yoga class and the first day, when she asked me to do padmaasan, I was not able to fold the legs in lotus position and after great difficulty I did but while unfurling my legs fell back to my embarrassment. Whenever she asks me to lie down to do some yoga, I fell asleep
Mom started to prepare food for me and the menu goes like this: Coffee without sugar, 3 idlis at office for breakfast, lunch first thing I see everyday is bitter-gourd, sticky ladies finger bhajji (no oil; hence no deep fry), rasam and butter milk, evening coffee with out sugar and for dinner 2 chappatis and no potatoes :(
Don't ask me if after all this, I have reduced weight, yes of course 0.25 kgs.
Other than poetry, I found that Sketches and taking photographs my passion too and showcased my talent in FB, Blog, Flickr... wherever I can with few innocent tags and status. I am very innocent woman but people think otherwise.
Fate is very unkiind to me. Even If I take an innocent picture of a tower with men standing on them and doing some repairing work, I miss to see a guy peeing below that tower. So, for the world I am guilty and gross humour person.
Wherever I turn, I find smarter people around me and even my serious conversations are shrugged off as a joke....What more? wish you all a very happy new year 2012!

Anything and everything about love

2012-01-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

All about love:

Love is a four letter word:

Makes you cry when you are happy
Make you smile when you are sad.
It brings even people like Hitler on their knees.
It makes you a writer, making you write quips.
When you succeed in love, you have to baby sit.
When you lose in love, you become Socrates
Every lover gets to give free advises to the freshmen in love
If you are a guy, you turn a cynic and post cynical status on women in FB
If you are a girl, you turn a martyr and post melancholic status on men in FB
Friends steer clear of you..
Your love's birthday or your birthday, will become like a memorial day.
Turn into an atheist.
Start flirting
Fall in love all over again with a different person
Circle continues

Jack of all trades and master of none :)

2012-01-01T00:48:00.000-08:00

Few clicks of mine......

When everything goes wrong....

2011-12-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

There are days when everything goes wrong,
From tooth brush to listening songs...
Rage that raise from inside your stomach,
A bawl, a wail or yell don't keep a check...

Try to smash the glass on your neighbor's door
Shove your brother on the floor,
If you still don't feel better,
Then try things beyond your measure.

If none of these, gives you peace,
Take a noose, hang yourself, you sleaze!
Make sure to light a huge pyre
In case you escape the noose, my dear...

Random sketches of mine....

2011-12-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary...!

2011-12-12T03:12:00.000-08:00

"Kerala" I had been chanting this name, since 20th October, 2011. Finally, on Friday 9th November at 9.15 PM, I left Chennai on my brief sojourn to God's own country, paradise on earth - Kerala.

"Devna" meaning 'god sent', the only name I thought of first thing in morning and the last before I fell asleep for the day. Saw her photographs and fell in love and it was instantaneous. Devna, Manoj and Yamuna's kid the princess who is going to make them happy.

It was 8 AM, when I reached their ancestral home at Choondal between Thrissur and Guruvayoor. A steep slope take you to their home, cloaked in green paint and tiled roof, nestled between Are-ca palms and coconut palms. I was stunned to look at green vegetation and the neat home free of pollution, dust and the black oxide shiny floor looked out of earth.

Yamuna, her sisters and mom invited me and there this girl, the most beautiful girl, I had ever seen peeped from her aunt's arms and looked at me little shyly and her face lit up when she saw Manoj. The smile that made me stop and stare, my breath stopped at the sheer beauty of this little angel. Manoj called her Jhanvi and told me the young girl is Yamuna's sister's kid.

I entered their home, to see Devna sleeping on the cot.. Dressed in Pink, 'blessing' as her very name suggested... overwhelmed for a moment, hiding the tears of glee, hurriedly. The day went past, holding Devna and eating, talking, sleeping and it was time to leave. They gave me a room in the attic and it was low ceiling-ed and with a window facing their back yard... After a sumptuous lunch Manoj took me to the garden and showed me around. It was sheer magnificence, the tall thin trees and the pond... lovely lovely... It was a peaceful walk not much talk, Manoj explaining and gave me the name of the trees and now and then pulling my legs... had fun.. took loads of pictures... the lighting perfect and the way the ray of light filtered through the blades of leaves were amazing.

I can't forget the last time I peeped at Devna, on her grandma's lap taking a nap... the sweet little child thoroughly at peace.

Manoj and Yamuna are celebrating their first year of wedding anniversary today, 12th December along with the most blessed gift of their wedded life, Devna.

Time really flies,

Seeing from outside,

Between you my dears,

There were few joys and tears....

Many a moments happy and swift,

When you turned to give a hug or a kiss......

Few moments passed, sad with tears,

To see you cry and hug even stronger....

A gift bequeathed for your year long bliss,

A sign of love sweet and fresh...

She entered as a breeze in your paradise,

Lot more years am sure gonna be more fun and surprise.....

Another year, another start,

Let it witness your love and war,

When you live for each other,

Even fights add more flavour...

This day, I wish you absolute fun,

Even God would struggle to spin,

A simple wish to you both, my friends!

To stay together for many more years to come...

Happy wedding anniversary, Manoj and Yamu...

Forty plus

2011-12-07T03:05:00.000-08:00

It is great to know that you have turned 40 and there are value additions, keepsakes, which you should be really proud of. Lately, I had constant headaches and one fine day, my Mom pointed out that it's time for me to consult my Ophthalmologist. A keen observer, she noted that I remove my glasses while reading and it is not a great sign and I might be having trouble with my near vision too.. "too" means already, I am myopic and with a high power.

The visit to my optometrist, proved my mom's insight. I added "Master of Optometry" to my mom's portfolio. I knew that she is a best candidate for "home minister", "finance minister". Now, I am the proud owner of 2 pairs of glasses, one for distant vision, one for near vision. So, I got to juggle between the glasses for reading and viewing things.

But, hang on! I heard during my high school Math days, when you add -4.75 + 1 it becomes -3.75. But, in this case, it is not true, you either end up having two different glasses for near and distant vision or one glass with a thin line parting it . The lower half is +1 and upper half is -4.75 and to complicate this further my right eye lower half is +1 and upper half is -3.75 and yeah! I forgot the cylindrical power in my right eye.

I remember the optometrist taking a lens from her box and held it before my eyes and asked me to read the last line, when I told her I can't see it clear, she insisted and asked me to try and I tried. I read out 8 alphabets where there were only 5 in the chart and little pissed off by my attitude, she tried another lens and asked if the previous one was better or the current one. I said the previous one and clearly pissed with me, she asked me how the previous can be better, when I can't read the last lines, and while I was thinking of a smart retort, she found even thicker lens and I got reminded of the old woman with thick glasses in "Courage" cartoon and hurriedly said, that she was correct and I would go by whatever she feels is the correct one.

Chastised and vulnerable, I sat before the owner of the optical shop and looked at him the way a murder victim would look at the judge, pleading for mercy. He told me, "Now you are middle aged, it is normal to have this near vision and it will continue to increase till you reach late 50s or 60s and when you have cataract, then while operating, they will adjust this near and distant vision through introcular lens and you can make do with out glasses. He said this with a smile and thought I would feel really happy about this. He expected a jubilation from me, that I will get rid of my glasses when I turn 60 and of course after a cataract surgery... *blink*

I crawled out of the optical shop, my shoulders slumped. I had to swipe for an amount of Rs.7,500 for just glasses alone. Thank god! the glass frame was gifted to me by a friend and had to spend only for one glass frame (my near frame and a dear frame too)...

I turned to look at the bright light of this famous optical shop, and looked at the owner patting his tummy. This guy was really lucky, at the closing hours of the shop, I walked in and he made money out of me..(no pun intended).

மண்ணின் ஈரம்

2011-11-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

பாலையில் ஈரம் சுரக்கலியே,

மேகம் இன்னும் கருக்கலியே,

அண்ணாந்து பாத்தும், அதரம் பெருகலியே,

எறங்கி வரத்தான் மனசும் வல்லையே ....

எட்டடி எடுத்து வைச்சேன்,

மிஞ்சியும் போட்டு அழகு பாத்தேன்,

மஞ்சள் அரைச்சு முழுகியாச்சுது

மானம் கறுத்து மழையும் ஆச்சுது...

மச்சான் வரக்காணலியே,

மண்ணு மனம் போகலியே,

மனசு முழுக்க நெறஞ்சிருக்க,

நெருங்கி வர நான் துடிக்க....

மனுஷனை இன்னும் காணோமே

விளக்கு வைக்க நாழி ஆச்சுதே

வஞ்சி நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலையே,

இந்த கள்ளன் மனம் இறங்கலையே...

தலைவாழை இலை போட்டேன்,

தண்ணி சொம்பு பக்கம் வைச்சேன்,

நெய் சோறு ஆறுதே,

நடு நிசி ஆகுதே...

மாரியாத்தா நான் பொங்கல் வைக்கேன்

ஆடு வெட்டி விருந்து வைக்கேன்

என் புருஷன் வீடு வர அருள்புரி அம்மா!

என் மனசு குளிர வரம் குடுடி அம்மா....

Hold on! till I cross this bridge

2011-10-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

Wrote to one of my friend's composition...

Hold on!

Hold on! till I cross this bridge...

Hold on!

Hold on! till I reach for you....

come to me,

lets reach out and play

Won't you say?

what I want you to say?

Can't you stop?

wait for me to hold your hands and walk...

closer...

when I stand next to you, my mind is fogged.

Hold on!

Hold on! till I cross this bridge...

Hold on!

Hold on! till I reach for you....

Will you turn?

Take me in your arms and kiss....

make me forget,

the age old rules and risks

you breathed,

leaving hot trails on me

there! your fingers played,

every fibre in me screamed for release

I lay;

I lay; close to you....

blazing;

blazing; Thought I knew for sure

I love;

I love to get scorched this way

You won;

still there's time for another game

I love;

I love to get scorched this way

Swear!!!

Swear to make love to me this way everyday...

Funny, exasperating banking experience

2011-10-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

I love money, but last Saturday I came to a conclusion that I hate banks.

A privately held bank... what the heck...! Its my blog and I am giving the name Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) which had my money and made me stand in the queue for 2 long hours to get my money.

Since I have few other accounts, which has the convenience of online banking, I go to this bank very rare. My dad and mom who are ardent devotees of this bank, opened my first account in KVB and till today, they ensure that whatever savings of mine goes to this account. Technically speaking, they know that I hate to go there and they help me in depositing money and that way they can have an eagle eye on the transactions made... :) no offense... If not for my parents, I would hardly save money and they know its safe with KVB, as I hardly go there.

It so happened, last Saturday, it was dire emergency situation and my parents were not home and I had to go and withdraw some cash. Didn't have the ATM or cheque leaf as it was with my dad. Went to the bank around 10.30 AM and being a Saturday, they work only till 11.30 which they stretch max to 12 Noon. I took a loose cheque leaf, filled it and they gave me a token which read 32. There were two queues in the bank and with the token, I went and sat on a chair and opened a book to read.

After 15 minutes, it suddenly dawned, that they were not reading out any token no. When I went and checked with them, they looked at me strange and asked me to stand in the queue. My wail "then why did you give me this token?" went unanswered.

After one hour only 4 people got their cash and we were left to wonder, why the queue was very slow. Before me there were 17 people now and next to me, in the depositors section 14 people. "Wow! I wondered, how clever they are.

There was a commotion, the guy who was standing first was frustrated and started to shout. The teller said, "If you want cash, you have to wait or you leave your phone number and we will call you when we get enough cash and if you don't hear from us today then check with us again on Monday". The guy was furious but had no other choice than to wait.

The queue moved very slow, some people were made to wait and others were paid cash. I couldn't understand why and I stopped a gentleman, who got the cash and was leaving. I asked him, when others were made to wait, how he got the cash. He said that the counter don't have the cash and they are collecting the cash from depositors and giving it to people who withdraws the money. If the amount is more, then they make them wait. I didn't know then if 20K is a small amount or great for this Bank. Just hoped its a small amount for them.

It was then, I got curious about the depositors and started to watch their hands and their appearances, if they wear jewels, if they are rich or not... to my relief the guy who stood first had stacks of note which can definitely not be a lac (those people who were waiting, needed a lac or more) but close to 30,000 rupees and as I judged right, I was given my money finally.

I called my parents and told them that now I believe them, when they say my money is safe in KVB's hands.

Love lasts forever

2011-10-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thinking about you early this morn,

When Sun, dew rested on the leaves of dawn,

My heart happy as I murmured your name,

It came alive thwarting me, like a flame...

Here I am...! writing a song,

A song that will live, after I am long gone...

Tucked safe just for our eyes,

In the cocoon of our love and delight...

What is it, that I desire?

Your proximity my dear...

Love me hard; love me strong,

I will sing, my heart's song...

Kulambiyagam - a blog that makes a difference...

2011-10-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

A long pending post...

Who is a blogger?

Someone who blogs about things that interests him.
Someone who writes in an engaging manner.
Someone who entertains.
Someone who doesn't misuse the space given to him and acts responsibly.

I found such a blogger in Vasu. Vasu co-own a blog with his friend Gokul and their blog is always an object of surprise to me. Our thoughts and also known as "Kulambiyagam" which I think means "coffee house".. Though I tried reading few random posts of his, I was not able to decipher why he chose this name for his blog.

Most of the posts are in Tamil, written in a lucid style and laced with humour. A consistent blogger, who doesn't blog for the sake of blogging and contribute a message through every post of his. A voracious reader, who is not biased and allows himself to learn about different cults, genres and different styles and do not forget to share what he read in his blog with back links and you can be assured that you will be getting something out of his blog, every time you visit his blog.

Its amazing to note such a busy person, who holds a key postion in an IT company updates his blog regularly. Not just one blog but he runs two. His other blog is on software testing which too is shared with Gokul. Few of Gokul's post, I had read in kulambiyagam, make me feel Gokul and Vasu can be passed for twins. Haven't met him yet. Gokul, I would request you to be active too, that way we get to read a lot...

Posts I enjoyed in his blog:

MGR series
Telengana
2010 - a glimpse
Manmadhan ambu - review
Caste certificates - Marriages in temple
A memorable meeting
Poetry, Mathematics, Computers

They are in Tamil and I request Vasu to write few posts in English too. That way it will reach a broader audience. But, I really love the eloquence of his Tamil posts and I don't want to miss them and "உள்ளம் கேக்குமே மோர்"...

Parenting

2011-10-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this post to my friends Manoj and Yamuna, Hari and Hema who recently became parents and enjoying their parenthood..

Congrats guys...!

Few words of wisdom/caution to you :D

Aren't they cherub while their eyes are closed and a smile or grimace adorning their lips at hospital cradles? They are.. That's where these little angels sleeping 20 hours, make their plans for the next few months. I failed to miss that thoughtful look in my son's face when he was in the hospital bed soon after he was born. I thought he was just a baby. But underestimated what "just a baby" is capable of doing, once he reaches his haven.

A little addition to your family, your child has the power to make you too damn happy one minute and go out and ram your head on the wall the next. For those who keep quizzing if they are doing it right and for the baby sitters who doesn't get paid for baby sitting.

How to avoid ramming your heads:

When they sniffle and twists their bodies, attend to them immediately, either they are hungry or they wet their pants. If you do not attend to them immediately, you are in a soup.
When they cry don't assume they are hungry, it can be hunger or tummy ache or they are cutting the teeth or simple they need a pat on their back and in need of a fart or a burp. Farting and burping are not as simple to them as it is for us. The unwritten Bible for mothers from time immemorial through out the world, insists on making their baby burp after their feed and it's not that simple. At times, I have lied to my mother that Ani burped and put him on the cradle after a 15 mts haul.
They are babies, they don't understand your language nevertheless don't try to insult or irritate them by changing your voice and think you are speaking in their language by coochie cooing them. Just because you change your tone and talk in rhyme, it doesn't mean you talk their language and Yes! they laugh hard, not because they find it endearing but they find you funny.
I remember buying a teether and rattle for Ani. I bought it because I liked it, and thought mickey mouse and donald duck are kid's favourites. When I brought it home, he let out a screech and threw it on the floor. I looked at him with a stupid expression and tried to thrust it again the next day and he did the same. He didn't like it period and he showed his anger by searching for that toy and pee or do potty on it. Still couldn't understand his hatred for those toys. Better take the baby to the shop and buy whatever he reaches for. Mostly they like spoons, plates and their jarring noises... *rolling my eyes*
Don't take it to heart or take it personal when you carry them on your shoulders and miss a step while you walk. I bet they love that missed step and they laugh and laugh, till they hiccup.
Your heart goes to them, when they smile ain't it? You feel pained and miserable and know not what to do, when they cry, right? Remember they have mood swings too and till they start crawling or walking and they are dependent on you and you should keep them engaged.
Don't try to make them go to sleep, when you feel like sleeping. Better you catch up the sleep when they are sleeping. Take turns in watching the baby. Make sure there is a "night watchman" on purview.
Now you have lived with your baby for 6 months and gained some wisdom. Remove the breakables and expensive things to higher platform and leave the lower quarters bare. Avoid glass or crystals at homes, pack them and put them in your loft for better days.
Yes! they love to visit your uncle, but don't trust their innocent smiles the way I did and let them wander free. You might get involved in a conversation, forgetting its not your home and there could be glass wares in that house. One moment Ani was there and the next gone... My mom smelt Phenyle and we stared at each other for a second and we rushed inside along with my aunt and uncle where they had the floor cleaner. We saw Ani inside the kitchen patting the floor full of glass and phenyle liquid and he looked at us and said out "dhu dhu" meaning milk. The Phenyle was kept behind the LPG cylinder in the kitchen and probably he thought it was milk and dragged it. Thank God! he was not hurt by glass pieces and to my horror my uncle pointed out an acid bottle behind the cylinder. I was shocked, cursed myself and grateful to god, took him to the temple immediately and did special prayers.
They are mischievous brats, who bear with all your miserable lullabies; keep wake and when you go to sleep your energy drained, they start to have fun. They think you are a mountain and climb on you and climb down. Only that they forget they are on top of a cot and are dumb idiots and I heard Ani fall down and there was a huge greyish, greenish lump on his forehead and it was 12.45 in the night. And Suresh and my brother Srini stood scowling at me. "Are you a mother?" they seemed to say. Little they know, how I had to keep my eyes clipped to watch him the whole morning, afternoon and evening.
Think again if you dream that kids watch cartoons. They don't till they start schools. They love commercials and few film songs and you are in trouble once their favourite commercial ends. They want them played back. They howl till the commercial is played again or probably an ant crawling in vicinity. Ants are good snacks for kids, you need not bother with boiled vegetables, they hate them. You will find them squashed in unexpected places. It can be shoes or below sofa cushions.
When they use walker and spot a pillar before them, they head straight to those pillars and want them to move. If they don't it's not their problem, they turn to look at you HOWL.
When they are silent, it means trouble in CAPS. I am not going to tell you what they are up to, mostly 100 percent disgusting things.
Don't pick the dropped items and hand it back to them. You can be 100 percent sure, it will land on the ground and he/she would expect you to pick up and hand it back to you. They are not bored, when it involves your physical labour. It's their private joke on you.

Few handy tips:

Buy a buckled swing and hang it on the living room facing TV. Now you can do your chores quickly. You got exactly 8 minutes.
Give news papers and it will keep them engaged for another 4 minutes
Play with them, gently nudging their head with yours and you will have to do it for the next 10 minutes again and again and again until they are bored.
Clown around them and pull a face and it will keep them entertained for another 20 minutes.
A stroll, on their pram but with out a toy, can be their favourite pass time. If you take a toy, then make sure you have a companion, to pick the toy from the road.
If you want them to eat, don't put it on strawberry designed plates. Put it on the floor and you can be sure they will eat with out a fuss.

If everything fails, have a duct tape handy:

For visitors who visit the baby and new parents:

Johnson's baby kit is what we are reminded when we think of a kid. But, unfortunately everyone think of them as perfect gifts. Not to exaggerate, I still had a kit, when Ani was 8 years old.
Laces and frills looks good but before you buy probably you think how you would feel wearing them.
Go for toxic free light rubber toys and not heavy teethers and rattlers, until and unless you have a particular enemity towards the new parents.
You can buy baby utilities, can be little furnitures, a chest to arrange baby's dressers, a pram or stroller, or foot wear (3 to 4 set of booties), a nail clipper, digital thermometer, set of napkin pins. A collection of small needs, which the parents may not find time to go and shop.
Please avoid huge teddy bears, you might find them cuddly, but for infants they look like real bear and would frighten them. And, NO NO for a remote car. Suresh and I took turns playing with the car and actually forgot Ani for few hours. We don't need diversions, if you can't help us, that's OK but please don't divert us from our duties.

But friends, I want to add I am not trying to frighten you. I am stating facts.. Period!

Have fun Parenting! It's worth all the difficulties to see that one angelic smile in your child's face. Have a camera and a camcorder handy, don't miss to picture the funny faces they make, their first crawl, their first step and the loads of cheery, memorable moments.

Spicy sweet love story

2011-10-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

Scene - 1

The baby looked golden in the morning sunlight... Mom and Dad were loving the sight of their baby and amazed at the way he was created... pretty neat he looked, nestled in green cloak, he looked good enough to eat and they were proud.

Scene - 2

Just few miles away, there was another cry and a baby girl was born and she looked sweet and cherubic. She was looking pretty with her peach and cream complexion.

Scene - 3

He saw her and she saw him. But, that wasn't enough for him, he hated all those relations surrounding them. He had to wait for others to move, to get a glimpse of her. But, the first moment he set his eyes on her, he was sure he was made for her.

Scene - 4

She just got a glimpse of him looking at her and she cursed for not being tall. It was love at first sight.

Scene - 5

He decided she was for him and rehearsed on how to confess his love to her... determined to win her affection, quizzed what women love the most and it came to him, "jewellery"...! So, he bought the most beautiful silver necklace for her.

Scene - 6

She was delighted at his gift for her and confessed her love for him too... he looked at her flushed face and thought he is the most luckiest guy on earth.

Scene - 7

They broke the news to their parents, friends and relatives... They wanted to have an elaborate wedding and selected their wedding suits and rings.

Scene - 8

It was their wedding day and as every bride looks, she looked radiant and blissfully happy. He looked handsome and dashing and waiting with a smile...

Scene - 9

I, take you to be my friend, my lover and my partner. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and intimes of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.

Then the wedding feast, cake and dance... Oh! how they danced...!

Scene - 10

Their first night and full of fire works.

Scene - 10

Honey moon the most wonderful period of anyone's life... They chose the place, the bay and she wanted to sun bathe, sadly she forgot her sun screen... He mocked at her, calling her skinned chicken...

Scene - 11

More nights, more fireworks, started with chemistry and ended in Biology... She became pregnant...

Scene - 12

Baby's arrival

Scene - 13

Years passed by and they grew old. He came in after a tiring day and under the sun, with out the sun screen and she mocked at him, calling him a 'skinned chicken" and he shouted, "SHUT UP"... After all the love and fights, they lived happily ever after.

Epilogue:

Till the day they died, they fought like crazy and made up their fights like crazy and Oh! before I forget, they asked me to share their photos with you... The most happy and blessed family, I've ever seen... Their hops, their pops, their sweet spicy love story and photos dedicated to you... Do leave your wishes, in the comment section.

Him:

Her:

The necklace:

Our wedding:

Wedding vows:

Wedding night:

Honey moon:

Our Babies:

Our fights... Tit for tat... I was waiting for this opportunity

Fair tale end: We lived happily ever after

Common! I did tell that the story can get little Corny.... Don't blame me, after the fair warnings I gave you. If you read this, its at your own risk and Hey! hey! easy...! easy...!!

A love story - Teaser

2011-10-15T12:37:00.001-07:00

After a terrible writer's block, I am planning to resume my writing. Please make sure not to keep sharp objects like knife next to you. I warn you ahead, I am not responsible for any of your acts.

With this word of caution, I am planning to write a love story of two young hearts.... Just remember, that I am out of a tough writer block situation and be sympathetic and empathetic and leave generous comments...

Please forgive me, if you don't like my love story, as I am bit under the weather at this moment. But, the story can get a bit corny, and I strongly feel that's how it should be...

25 years later.....at Chepauk

2011-10-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

A phone call: "Viji, would you be interested in watching a Cricket match today?"

My response: "Yes, please".

Date: 4th October

Team: CSK (chennai super kings) and New South Wales.

Location: Chepauk Stadium

Plans were made impeccably and little did me or my friend expected that atleast 50 or odd spectators would turn our side to watch us instead of cricket match. Cursing the traffic that delayed my reaching the stadium, entered the stadium with my bag and eager flitting eyes... The security guard stopped me, probably feared the over excited appearance and my huge bag. Guess he suspected that I could be a human bomb and called two lady police and they searched me thoroughly in short of asking me to strip. Finally he let me in.

This friend of mine, with his lithe frame started to climb the stairs three steps at a time, too excited about watching the match and also about his new plantronics voyager, was engrossed in talking to our friend Harish who waiting for us inside the stadium. Had to rush to catch up with him and when I finally did, he turned at me and gave me a devlish grin...

"Where?", I asked and he showed me the fifth row from the end. For a second my heart stopped and resumed to beat but faster. I yelled, "NO! I am not climbing any further." By then people started to look at me weirdly and I had no other choice but climb and 'climb' I did.

The world was holding right as long as I was showing my back to the ground and concentrating one step after another. When I turned to sit, I realised that I was standing atleast 5 to 6 floors high and right below my feet was the pitch with tiny liliputian players, I had to swallow the bile in my throat and sat clumsily at the first seat I found.

I have this unbelievable and unexplained phobia for heights, vertigo or any fancy name you give for that, the fear is a fear. More than the fear for heights, my fear was that I might fall down squashing those innocent folks sitting in the rows below me.

Half turned to my back, held the chair behind me tight and refused to watch the match, instead watched the back rows. God only knows what those people who were seated behind me, would have thought...

Dog, Pig and other unparliamentary words flowed out of me easily, whenever I looked at my friends and they were amused. Manoj patient, controlling his laughter asked me to concentrate on looking down three rows at a time and I did just that and to my utter disbelief small boys jumped and climbed from one row to another and I felt ashamed of myself.

Guys signed for the popcorn and bought popcorn cones and stretched one to me, my one hand busy holding the back of the chair, while other the front of my seat and asked, "How the hell do you think, I can hold the popcorn and eat, when both my hands are engaged?"... Manoj with that grating smile said, "Common Viji! you have to face this fear of yours, this is the best way of doing it". I shook my head, he shrugged and ate my share of popcorn too, my stomach growled loud.

Heard whistles and howls whenever, "chennai super kings ku periya whistle adinga" was played... It was NSW who batted first and by the sound of it, it was all 4s and 6s...Slowly, I turned and noticed the huge camera swinging above the pitch this way and that way, it was like a ride in a theme park and was wondering what if that thin wire that held the Camera breaks, the 5 feet camera might squash someone on the ground.

Gritting my teeth and clamping my lips tight, finally looked at the ground, and turned to Manoj and asked the most dumb and stupidest question. I can only beat my own records in asking such dumb questions, "Where is Dhoni?"... "wicket keeper" he said and I swallowed my next question, "which side?" hurriedly, remembering there can only be one wicket keeper representing one team. I am not ignorant and used to be a great follower of Cricket, but fear made me forget everything.

I started to notice people around me, and those cheer girls... lovely English/American/Australian (don't know their race or region, they were all blondes) chicks who danced to our "ringa ringa" and naaka mukka song... My eyes were searching for one person, it was for him that I went to cricket that day, it was 25 years since I saw him. Slowly, I turned to Manoj and asked him, if Ravi Shastri would be there. For those who read my blog regularly would have known about my love for Ravi Shastri. He told me that Shaaz should be in the commentator area, the disgusting tone of Manoj, stopped me from asking more... Men are jealous lots was my thought and scanned the commentator area, which was too far and couldn't make out anything. Sad, I couldn't spot him.

It was 11 PM and CSK was on the verge of losing, we started to leave.. grateful that I was leaving, fearful if I would fall, even more fearful that away from public eyes, Manoj might push me under a running bus and upset at not meeting my crush of school/college days, half heartedly took the exit door and headed home.

I loved the stadium that existed 25 years back... It was not this high and I remember watching the net cricket from the first row... SIGH..! Still my heart missed Shaaz :(

B&W to colour days... a trip down my memory lane...

2011-09-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

It was like yesterday, I went to school and it was like just few hours, since I got married to Suresh and it's like just minutes since Anirudh was born.

This 2nd September, Sure and I stepped in to 18th year of our married life, and when I look back it's full of marital bliss, challenges and fights... Every day is different and there are times when every day was just the same.

It's become a tradition for me to write a poetry or a snippet for my wedding anniversaries and didn't want to put a stop to that tradition.

Planning to keep this blog post, a souvenir for my grandchildren. Hope they read this post and pour over the old photographs of their beautiful grandma, grandpa and their dad...

This was how I evolved....

My Dad decided that my Mom, would be his eternal partner and I have witnessed their affinity to each other, love at times and fights some time. If you look at their wedding photograph, Mom holding her leg firm and keeping her distance and dad slightly leaning to his left and made sure to respect the distance.... Date: 12th sep 69 "Spring of 69"? and Viji resulted on a Summer of 1971...

(the last to your right in the first row is Viji, in drill "shun" posture; that was a new white canvas shoe, I bought for the group photo event)

Let's not talk about schools, colleges or my marks... lets stick to interesting aspects of my life...

Dad and Mom, who got married little late in their life, mom on her late twenties and dad in early thirties, decided to get me married little early, still wondering why they were not punished for their offence, encouraging child marriage.

So, they chose the same month they got married and chose Suresh as their Son-in-law and hung to him like their life line.. Sure yielded very happy, handsome and not knowing that he is being sucked in to a whirlwind of utter madness... yeah! he had me, what else?

But he is the rein, who made sure, that I don't get overboard and do things at instinct. When hours of arguments with my parents doesn't work, Sure's silence would make me yield to whatever he says and his decisions are well thought off. He is sensible, practical and a man with such a dashing smile all the time. We got engaged to be married on 24th June 1994.

(Hey Sure, between you fell for that long hair didn't you?)

It was decided that we are to be married on 2nd September 1994. My Brother, Srinivasan's upanayanam (thread ceremony) was also fixed on the same date. He was studying in college then. Now that he a CEO of a company, I don't want to damage his ego by publishing his body builder photograph.. when I weighed close to 40 kgs, he would have weighed 35 kgs or so.

The day dawned with a mild drizzle and I was clad in 9 yards madisaar sari, kept eyeing at the half naked man standing next to me shyly. Sure was crying (he was sitting before agni in the homa kundam), his huge shell frame glasses, hiding those eyes, adorned with Kajal. Kajal courtesy, my mom... her hand trembled while applying Kajal in suresh's eyes before "kaasi yaathirai" and the tremble in her hand resulted in a thick blotch of kajal upto 2 inches below his eyes and as he tried to rub it off, it got rubbed on and he looked quite a sight.

At 9.50 AM, Suresh tied the Thaali on my neck and that was the moment of my life. I was looking at Suresh, while he was busy shaking hands with his friends and relatives :)

That was the only day, I was dazed and silent in my life, the only day I didn't go overboard and kept my mouth sealed, only spoke when a question was addressed or a response was expected. Kept smiling the whole day.

At 3.25 PM on 1st July 1996, Anirudh was born after a very tough labour which lasted for 18 hours and when I realised, I had no energy to "Push", C-section was conducted and Ani was born. Very chubby and cute baby.

It was in the year 1997, a day before Ani's first birthday, I quit my job and became a home maker. Ani used to wake up at 6 in the morning and go to bed by 9.30 in the night. A chatterbox like me... whatever I used to talk, he used to repeat in the same rhyme, even before he started to talk. And, he expected me to talk to him the whole day and he loved to repeat every sentence, at the beginning we were amazed but later became tired and I started to sing. When I complete a song and take a breather, he will say "MMMM...." and start to sing ooo la la la, ooo la la la.. (minsara kanavu days) and expect me to join. Even now, I change the channel when "mana madurai maamara kilayilae" song is played...

Even if his eyes closes on its own volition, he will make sure to rub the eyes and keep wake. It was tiring, trying 2.8 years but full of fun too and then Ani started his school. I had half a day and wow...! it was a luxury, I didn't waste those few hours and I slept. This idleness after all the exercise of running around at job and behind Ani, was the reason behind my increased weight.

7th September 2007, we arranged for Anirudh's thread ceremony and it was the same handsome Suresh, and slightly heavy viji, who exchanged garlands again....

Ani's school and there he is sitting to the right of his class teacher.... Can't believe time runs this fast, Ani is taller than me now and I feel really proud, when I see my handsome son and his "take a chill pill" kinda look he gives me all the time.

Now when I look back at the 17 years of my married life, I see moments of joy, moments of depression, moments of love, moments of passion and excitement... Now, I am in to human resources in an IT company and I love my job, the serene and tranquil work place and wonderful people around..

June 2011, saw our house warming, a small apartment and I have a secret passion for interior decoration and I am doing it to my home, little by little...

Three dreams of mine still remains my dream and I wish to make them real in a year or two.... I want to travel to Scotland and if there is a chance then whole Europe. Then I want to travel to Tibet... and build a small boutique of my own...that's all...! hope am not greedy... I pray to god to keep me alive and healthy till then...

Tomorrow, 12th September, my parents celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary, and when I spoke to my dad today, he told me "It was like yesterday.... your mom and I got married..." :)

Life goes on....memories stay... Don't you think so?

"Better late than never" - Tamizh Padam, A review

2011-08-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

As holidays go, be it a theatre or television, watching a film has become a mandate...

I stumbled up on "Tamizh padam" which was made a year back, but I never got to watch... A satire on Kollywood movies...

A full length spoof film of Tamil movies made through the past two decades. Directed by C. S. Amudhan. I just couldn't believe that the film is his maiden one...

Every cliche in Tamil film starting with female infanticide (but shown in the film as male infanticide ?Karuthappa), Village Head (Naatamai), mother son sentiment, friends sentiments, 'rich girl, poor boy in love' sentiment, underworld Dons and the skinny hero dodging or facing raining bullets, single handed fighting 10 people at the same time and the list goes on...

The director hits at every iconic idols of Kollywood and ridicule the so called masala and punch dialogues. Shiva the hero, is amazing as he delivers even the stupidest dialogues with utmost sincerity. The film is packed with witty dialogues, you have to be really careful and as the Ads say, if you laugh for long you will tend to miss the next laugh waiting for you.

Parts I liked:

Ridiculing the usual starting scene shot before Central Station, when the hero/heroine steps in to Chennai for the first time. I doubt the directors will definitely rethink showing Central station again ever.
Hero asking his grandma on how to grow faster, as he wants to fight injustice and his grandma suggesting him to pedal his bicycle faster and as the wheel revolves, he grows faster...
Shivaji Parody, on the bribe he had to give and like other superstar movies, taking up all vocations and become filthy rich overnight...
Was reminded about Murali, where he acts with Chinni Jayanth as college student.. Mano Bala, Bhaskar and Venniradai moorthy had done their role too well... The so called "youths" are the team behind rip roaring success of the film.
Learning Bharathanatyam in a day and dancing before the heroine and try to bring her image in rangoli but ends up with a chimpanzee face, trying to match it with heroine's face kept me laughing for few minutes.
The dialogue when the heroine asks her dad to shoot her first before shooting the hero and hiding behind him is ultimate.
Aboorva Sagotharargal gimmicks...
As every climax turned to an anti climax the "Run" parody, where Shiva tries to stick a small artifical mole on his cheek and not just the villain, the heroine too was not able to recognize is pure unadulterated comedy.
The hero suddenly is revealed as an IPS and his love for Khaki drives him to become a watchman after he gets fired... The CM, PM, and Obama's phone calls begging him to take up the police job again.
The court scene where the Judge quotes few film formula and let the hero go free.. Paravai Muniamma, acts amazingly well and her reasoning that she took up the villain job willingly to make her grandson a hero is the stupidest thing anyone would say and the ROTFL moment comes when she wins a golden globe award and she says with such a sincere face, "Ella pugazhum iraivanukae"...

One would either love this movie or hate it... There were times when the movie turned out to be too much of exaggeration, but I've seen my mom watching Prabhu's film and try to hide few tears at his innocence.

I remembered one of S.Ve. Shekar's plays where he would have ridiculed the China thambi Tamil film. Don't remember the exact quote but it goes like this.... "Kalyanamna ennanu theriyum, mudhal rathiri ennanu theriyum, adhaanala kuzhandhai porakumnum theriyum aana thaali na mattum ennanu theriyavae theriyaadhu.."

Pure entertainment and underlying sympathy that we are made fools of decades old formulas... A good one, I would say, little lengthy perhaps...

No! not tonight!

2011-08-25T08:22:00.002-07:00

"No! Not tonight!!!” said Aakansha, little vehement and Kaesav was taken aback... His expression was hard to miss, even when it lasted for just a second.

Was he hurt? Aakansha, thinking aloud, twisted the button of the blinds in her bedroom an hour later. She turned to look at the bed, where Kaesav was sleeping. His face looked tired and drawn.

“I look just the same, but what happened to us...where did things go wrong?", thought Aakansha.

Her mind went to the day, when she typed her e-mail link, Kaesav’s mail box opened... "Kaesav should have forgot to log out", thought Aakansha... She should have logged out immediately but, curious as she was, quickly browsed the e-mails and found to her fury, that her e-mails were not even opened...

She opened the "personal" folder with a smile and found 32 mails from a woman and the smile slowly died. With shaking hands, she clicked them open and found to her dismay it was very personal and there was one photo which was very disturbing... she quickly scanned the "sent" folder and searched for her husband’s response to those mails and found them..

Kaesav found her staring at the desktop. Aakansha, startled at the sound of the door closing, minimized the window before her and then closed it... Her face flushed, torn between guilt and anger took deep breath and tried to smile and turned to see her husband. "Are you fine?” Kaesav placed his hand on forehead, you look feverish... She managed not to flinch and said, "Yes, little unwell... took a paracetamol and thought of resting my head for a while... Dinner is ready; can you help yourself just for today???"

"You sure you are ok, dear?” asked Kaesav...

"Of course! Still alive", said Aakansha sounding bitter... Not knowing what went wrong, Kaesav headed for a quick wash and later to his dinner...

Aakansha took couple of sleeping pills and went to sleep and this became a routine to her for the next couple of years...

-To be continued

How I drove traffic away from my blog...!

2011-08-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Now! As I had been there and done it all types and am an expert in driving away the traffic from my blog, I want to share how I single handed drove the masses away from my blog... a few simple facts but really effective means of driving away the traffic from your blog...

0 - 10 blunders I made:

Cero: I started to think of blog as my space and do whatever I wanted. Right from picking a skin, with Shakespeare's photo on it, with a black background and green font... Adding to that, I gave a small list of people which included lists of my family, friend and pets to whom I dedicated my blog.

Uno: I loved music and I selected a few tracks I loved and started to play it auto... When people visited my blog the music will be on full blast and unfortunately a few of my friends who were in their workplace, had to hide an embarrassed look and till today I am not able to bring those followers back to my blog.

Dos: Adding google ads, a big chimpanzee dominated my page and grinned at people who visited my blog..."mail chimp" though an assistant, a definite put off on visitiors.

Tres: Dowdy template with dowdier fonts... Though I thought it was innovative to have different fonts for different posts, the blog looked like a circus ring with crazy fonts, crazier glitters and put a disgusting look on those who accidently bumped in to my blog...

Cuatro: My first post was to thank Muse... My readers thought that either I don't know how to write or Muse did the writing. So, they started to hunt for Muse's own blog and stopped coming to mine

Cinco: Long posts that ran for pages, with no proper punctuation marks and full of compound sentences and jumping from one incident from another and all of a sudden turned to jump back to the first incident.. I understood alright but the poor folks who read my post were as confused as a hungry baby in a topless bar...

Seis: 8 out of 10 posts were about love.... in that 7 posts would be poetry. My passion was towards poetry and I loved poetry and named my blog as "poetry my passion". Felt it was justified to write just poetry as labelled my blog under poetry. I kept telling myself that I wrote for my pleasure alone and my blog is my space... Only that later I realised, it was too cold and lonely out there at my blog, with out visitors. When I went back and read my poetry, I felt that they sounded like coz I made sure it rhymed at the ends...

Siete: Wrote a long story about me, my family dating back to great grand parents and about my son's grade and a photograph of a lovely little rose. Who the hell wants to see a flower and a dowdy autobiography in "about me"...

Ocho: Had no idea on what RSS feed was and disabled it and also turned off the comment section...

Nueve: Not even an inch was wasted in my blog... I placed so many badges in myriad of colours and it used to hit the eyes of the readers and they bookmarked my blog and made sure not to visit the blog again.

Diez: For safety reasons, I hid my blog and chose a few ?privileged members and invited them to read my blog. Don't ask me why I hid my blog. It was for safety reasons.. I didn't want people to steal my chimp and red rose photograph... My thought could have been what if people can trace me by my name and trace my work place and kidnap me and demand ransom to release me and I was more worried what if my family refuse to pay the ransom?

I listed only up to 10 coz my Spanish is limited to these 10 numbers and I don't want my current set of followers to comment, listing this post as one of the reasons on how I drive the traffic away...

Independence day at Brindavan Matriculation School, Triplicane

2011-08-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

Like any other Independence day, wanted to start my day watching our Prime Minister hoist our national flag at the Red Fort...

Its always a beautiful moment to hear our national anthem played/sung amidst the fluttering of our tri colour national flag and our hearts sing, "Thaayin mani kodi paareer, adhai thaazhndhu panindhu pugazhndida vaareer"...

Brindavan matriculation school, opposite to my house, amidst honks and shouts of vendors, dominated our street today by "neerarum kadaludutha nila madanthai ezhil ozhugum"... I along with my Mom, peeped out through our window and saw students, teachers and children assembled on the road, the national flag waiting to be hoisted outside the school on the road, people passing by stood, walked watching the commotion...

There were four little girls who were the lead singers and the audio of the songs accompanied them started to sing, thamizh thaai vazhthu, pledge and their school prayer. This was followed by brief speeches by school children and national anthem as a grand finale and the much awaited part for the kids, Chocolates... How can I forget the orange coloured fanta chocolate given to us after flag hoisting, I used to love it and it tasted better than the same chocolate bought in a store...

Watch the videos and you will be reminded of Kumbakonam School fire tragedy... We have this school, opposite to our house, in a confined space, sandwiched between two apartments, absolutely no ventilation except for the classes which might face the road...

If given a chance those kids would have happily sung...

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air

Can't live, can't breathe with no air

It's no air, no air

No air, air

But somehow I'm still alive inside"

I never give Brindavan Matriculation ?Higher Secondary School, as a landmark when I book cab, as there was a time when the cab driver stood next before the school calling me and telling me he couldn't find any school there. He stared at the school stupified and it was funny to watch him with his mouth open and muttered, "edhuva school?" meaning "is this a school?"

The students are deprived of ventilation, deprived of a playground, deprived of a moderate facility and the school doors are closed once the morning prayers are over...Incase of an accident no emergency exit... I pray to god almighty that he keeps a check on that old building with probably few decades old electrical wiring and be the guardian angel to those tiny tots...

But it was good to see the children standing on the road to celebrate our Independence day.. Thank God the whole school didn't turn up, there wouldn't have been space... The students when they render their speeches on Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lokamanya Bala Gangadhar Tilak, had to step in to a room where the microphone was probably placed...

Took a couple of videos, definitely not a picture precise video shot but to celebrate the spirit of Independence in the air and to bring notice to the pitch dark cavern called itself a school... I hope you agree with me when I say those kids need space, light and air as every living being do...

Google plus, +viji, going around in "Circles"

2011-08-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Small photographs revolving round in circles and you can drag and drop and keep playing until you get bored...

So, this plus concept drove me crazy... I had to wait for almost 2 weeks before I got permitted to enter google plus and this I slightly took as a personal insult.. After getting the access, I couldn't stop but spend one whole night exploring google+ and should say felt excited about the circle concept.

And saw lots of duplication of messages, for example few of my friends started posting the same comments, videos, quips in FB, Twitter and G+

It was funny to see that and probably they thought that "sharing is caring", but it went beyond and became "boring"

There were CD like circles neatly arranged and on the disc you can place your friends photographs and you can have as many circle as you want... that's the only thing I found exciting about G+...

Name the circles, whichever way you want.... it can be like:

Dog walkers - your co morning Dog walkers
Plague - Keep away from me
Sweet hearts - school, college, workplace
Bosses - Keep away.. don't include under any list names
Beware - People who know me, more than me
Strangers - Why did I even add them?
Emotional vampires - people who for every compliment expects two
Family - tread carefully, guaranteed no fun
Friends - who tag you in every photo and gives you lots of free publicity
soul mate - without you, I am useless

The best thing about G+ is privacy and absolutely until and unless you share your posts to someone, they will not be able to read or see it... But, my question is, does people in FB, Twitter of G+ wants privacy? If they do, then they won't be there in the first place...

On the negative side, anyone can add you in a circle, they don't need your permission to be accepted... it's insane and really puts me off to read a person's status messages or stolen quotes with out due credits... But stay helpless and witness my getting added and had to hide them and their messages... SIGH!

Opinion differs and I find my FB wall more inviting than G+... not sterile, little warm and like a home... For me G+ is kind of stiffling and I log out in max 5 minutes time...

But, I am an optimist and for all we know, when the full product is ready it might become the way we expect...

Waiting and till then will be revolving around in "circles"

"The story of my experiments with truth" - victim of sales talk :|

2011-08-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

The day dawned, the fated day, when I accepted my friend's invite to accompany her in her visit to EA mall... As usual with a spring in my step headed to meet her at the entrance..

There she was waiting for me and we started browsing shop aftershop... bought a t shirt from tantra for Anirudh and there near escalator, snuggly stood kalista... Kalista means, "the most beautiful", it looked beautiful and inviting and there again silver beckoned me and I dragged the willing Nami inside the shop... it was like indirapuri minus menaka and ramba...There the Indira stood and when he smiled, I knew that I am a woman after all and at the tender age of 40 had the capacity to fall in love all over again...

So the handsome boy with his infectious smile, talked to me non stop, talked about the stones, talked about the silver, talked about the designer, talked probably about his girlfriend too... who cares, I liked the way he spoke, it was like double cheese bursts inside a pizza and it was like sizzling butter paav and bhaji and it was like Anil Kapoor singing

Ho Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga

Jaise Khilta Gulaab

Jaise Shaayar Ka Khwaab

Jaise Ujli Kiran

Jaise Van Mein Hiran

Jaise Chaandni Raat

Jaise Naghme Ki Baat

Jaise Mandir Mein Ho Ek Jalta Diya

And he sold me a Zircon diamond ear rings and looked at me and asked if I would like to pierce the side of my ears... there at my most weak moment, I said "Yes" and asked him like a stupid fool, "would it hurt?"...

"Only a little, mam, it would hurt little for the next 3 days and you will be as right as a rain in another 3 weeks"...

It was then I believed in destiny and Nami encouraged me... the guy put a mark on the flawless ears of mine and I checked the mirror and said looks fine..

There he took something like a gun and asked me to choose the ear ring and I chose a magenta stone silver ear ring and the next few minutes the ear ring was shot on my lobes and I bit my lips to stop the scream...

Did I stop after that? No... he spoke to me, "Mam, why don't you buy small earrings to wear on the side of your ears?"

This time, I heard

Ennavalae Adi Ennavalae Enthan Ithayathai Tholaithu Vittaen
Entha Idam Athu Tholaintha Idam Antha Idathaiyum Maranthu Vittaen
Unthan Kaalgolusil Athu Tholainthadhenru
Unthan Kaaladi Thaedi Vanthaen
Kaathalenraal Perum Avasthaiyenru
Unai Kandathum Kandu Kondaen
Ènthan Kazhüthü Varai Indrü Kaathal Vanthü
Irü Kanvizhi Pithüngi Ninraen

There after 7 weeks, I still think about him every day, noon, evening and night.. I remember him whenever I shampoo my hair, whenever I wash my face, when i press my face on my pillow, whenever I untangle the hair caught on my ear rings.. I remember him 24X7, his face wreathed with smile, nodding at me, "only for a while mam... see for yourself", It's now over 7 weeks.. "Nami he did say 3 weeks didn't he or was it 9 weeks?, I will be alright, now that I am used to the pain, my lips stretch and eyes squeeze shut anticipating pain, even before I untangle the tangled hair...

Sales guys rock!

Viji's Monologue...

2011-07-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Audible gasps, collective sighs...

What went wrong? your thoughts benign...

Your heart nonplussed,

Your words laced with pride, love unfeigned...

What went wrong? I quizzed my brain...

Felt the pain long forgotten,

Relived it trying to comprehend...

What made me decide what I did?

What went wrong, when I was young?

Trying to find answers for your questions,

Prying the hidden depths, scratching, unfolding,

My hands searched my heart's contents.

There it lay - my heart! safely hidden

When asked, "Why?", no answers were given,

I had the fear that things wouldn't work..

Fear, fear was my only fear...

Time or space won't work here,

Both the souls torn and worn...

Thank God you felt the love,

Though it pains, you are blessed...

Strange things happen everyday,

Your tears would slip away,

Trust me! the pain would numb,

Leaving few memories unsuccumbed...

When walls talk....!

2011-07-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Imagine a world, when everything around you start talking. Your desk, walls around you, your bag, your shoes, books, dresses.

I have this strange habit of buying dresses, more than required. Its very exciting to buy dresses, but find it a great challenge to hijack it inside home. Nothing escapes my mom's eyes and it takes great skill, to hide the bag from her prying eyes. I won't blame my mom. If I had been in her place, I would have been more angry. She feels that it is a crime to pile rows and rows of dresses, without wearing them. Her advice to me is to give away the dresses which I do not wear to people, who need them and then start to buy new ones.

Recently as an innovative idea, my friend and me picked a bag that folds in to half. I turned a blind eye to the price tag and indulged.

If only this bag start to talk, I will be in deep trouble. Last Saturday, I went to my Yoga class and saw someone carrying a Rangachari Cloth Store bag. I was happy that I brought my bag along and felt for my purse and checking if my debit card was inside. There it was, snug inside a compartment. With a beaming smile, I waited impatiently for the class to get over.

Took an auto from Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (Mandaveli) to Rangachari (Mylapore).

Went to the cotton sari section, as usual I liked a sari, which I knew for sure, would leave a sizeable hole in my savings. But I didn't yield to my temptation immediately. I asked the guy to show me more saris in lesser price, but was having an eye on the off white and green sari all along.... First I left the sari before me, a person sitting next to me looked at the sari and I immediately picked it and put it next to me, after 3 mts it sat on my lap, another 2 mts it was in my hand and I headed to the billing section... Now I realise, even if I had left it on the shelf no one would have touched it. No idiot would pay 1800 rupees for a cotton sari, only Viji would. It didn't stop there, I had to buy an ear ring, bangles and even bindi... Thank God my bag doesn't talk...

When a bag has so many secrets, think about walls... Every wall would have multiple things to say... A honeymoon suite would have witnessed steamy scenes and they will earn millions by writing screen play. A prison cell, would share multiple things to say, a lunatic asylum will narrate thousand and one incidents...

A footwear it won't just stop biting, it would start shouting too.

Viewing colours through a black and white frame

2011-07-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness for beautiful eyes... Whenever I get bored, I google and stare at eyes. Pairs, single, closed, open, eyes shedding tears dripping kohl or mascara, eyes smiling, eyes twinkling with mischief, eyes soft filled with love, eyes furious with anger inside... green, blue, grey, amber, black, brown, violet...

I looked at mine, nothing great to look at... Black and White eyes..

I started my career at a reputed Eye Hospital in Chennai. For one of our in-house journal called "Agam", I wrote a poetry on eye donation.. My campaign for eye donation..

It went like this:

Light and darkness
Colours and hues,
Rivers and mountains,
Birds and Trees...

Miracle indeed viewing colours,
Through a black and white frame...
Donate the light of your eyes after your life,
For those who do not have the sight..

DONATE YOUR EYES!!!

Kind of kiddish, when I read the poetry now... I can definitely write better but more than the words the truth of viewing colours through my black and white frame made me wonder, what if my pupil changes colour...

How fabulous it can be, if I can change my eye colour to match the dress I wear...

Black and White
Blue and White
Green and White
Grey and White
Violet and White

Back to reality, maybe I should buy coloured contact lenses and try it and appease my desire to have coloured eyes. Now all set to see myriad of colours, hues through my bi coloured eyes...

Heading to buy contact lenses in a day or two and surprise a few!

A crude dream that made me cold

2011-06-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a nightmare, which goes on and on and you wish it was a dream and pinch yourself and it actually pains inside that dream.

I had a late eveningmare, after meetings friends I reached home at 3.30 PM today. Was reading a book, while I fell asleep. I woke up at 7 PM with a start, my face drenched with tears. I was angry and crying 20 minutes later, sitting on my bed. It took sometime to understand that it was not anybody's mistake and my friend is still safe.

I got impatient to get my net connected and write about a crude dream that made me cold. No! I am not going to bother you all with details but the underlying facts and few realisations.

Half conscious of what I was doing, messaged this friend and asked if he was alright. Then told him not to go out and stay at home. Naturally, he was confused and asked me what happened. I had to explain about the dream and the result of that fatal dream. May be he laughed at me, maybe he felt I was stupid to treat a dream as reality. After extracting a promise that he won't drive that day and spoiling all his plans, I tried to divert myself reading the book again. But, my mind refuse to comply, it kept replaying the incident, the sounds were so clear, the cries, shouts and sobs... Hellfire and damnation!

I listed in my mind, all the demands I made, all the fights I fought and realised that may be I should treat him with more respect and with not so many demands. I remembered the times when he used to make fun of me, pull my legs and I recalled the times when he had been so very kind and the times he had been very angry (this happens only when I provoke him). I keep forgetting that he is after all very young and he is still in his twenties, while I expect him to behave like me. Just because he accepted me as a friend, I made some demands and behaved at times like a merciless witch. One thing I decided today was, I will never ever fight with him. A dream clearly showed how lonely, I would feel with out him. The way my Husband, Son, Parents and Brother are important, he filled another part of me. Without him, I would still be a jigsaw with a missing piece.

My love for him used to be conditional, but I know today changed me for good.

On the lighter side, there were so many flaws in that dream when I think about it. Though it was very realistic while I was dreaming, when I think about it now, only a fool would have believed that dream. I even prayed to god that let that all be a dream and pinched myself in the dream to check if I was dreaming.

What else???? I am due for a long night without sleep, as I slept and watched a four hour long film, which went on and on and on. And now my friend had said his good nights, I couldn't sleep and blogging at such a late hour.

I had this dream on a Saturday evening,
A lengthy dream where you were quiet..
One whole day went with out messages
Tried calling the phone and was not attended.

Called your home, to hear people cry,
I heard few things which made me ask "Why?"
I cried and cried, till my eyes went dry,
I sat at a corner, witnessing my feelings die.

People spoke and I was quiet,
Replayed the events from the day we met,
I had this pain surrounding my heart,
For once I was not worried about that at all.

My dear friend!!!

What I feel for you is quite different,
Feel like a mother for her cherished infant,
Feel like a dad for his beloved son,
Feel like a sister, treating you heaven sent.

Be it happiness, be it pain,
I feel emotions tearing my mind,
I may not be your immediate kin,
Still feel that, I am no different.

Music in the silence of your smile...

2011-06-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

Music in the silence of your smile
Harmony as your eyes alite,
My heart beat as your music unfold,
The soul dances for your story untold.

Sing your song, singeing my veins and thaw,
Play! play! lasting for an eternity strong.
Play during dawn, play till dusk,
Drive away the Sadness, sorrow in check.

Any heart would want a reason to live,
You sing and my heart take a flip.
I have a wish, to hear you sing,
Eyes hooked and raised to plunge.

Rain, me and emotions indeed...

2011-06-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

I watched at the rain lashing on my window screen,
Gazing! my heart silently let out a scream,
Counting hours, counting minutes, counting seconds,
Waiting and wanting to cross the desired distance....

Why me?! Heart screamed again...
Trying to get the desired attention.
Tried talking to the stupid heart,
She, hell bent on believing my treason...

The rest half spent on mulling thoughts,
Slaying my martyr mind and heart..
Why me? I stifled the questions,
And spent my time on postmortems of emotions...

Jerked myself from illumined darkness,
The passionless passion of assumed rightness,
Either ways it holds true,
You, me and passion for sure...

In a distant land...

2011-06-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

In the land of no people around,
Where Sun, Star and Sea surround,
I heard you breathe my name,
I turned to catch, whatever you were going to say...
Between my breath and yours, dear!
You told me what I wanted to hear...
I heard it not for the first time,
Yet, saved the moment for future times...
Watched at the waves thrashing,
Eyes closed humming a song in unison,
No one around except us,
Not caring if its dawn or dusk...
Is this love? we don't ponder...
Days came and days went,
Yet our love not spent...

In the land of people around,
Where work, money and time surround,
I heard you moving away,
Tried not to cry... as you walked astray...
No wisps of breath on my neck,
Forlorn thoughts amidst work.
I tried not to think of you,
But, every act reminded me of you...
Deo and perfumes disgusted me,
Your distinct talcum haunted me...
I have before me lots of memories,
Like a fool, I thought those would suffice.
Memories don't keep me warm,
It make me cry and spur thoughts forlorn.

Log in log out syndrome

2011-06-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

During the past few weeks, I had been downloading pictures like crazy and been logging in and out of my blog twice or thrice a day to write a post.

All of a sudden, an idea flashes and there I go downloading pictures which lie on my desktop forgotten. NO NO! not forgotten, pricking my conscience. I feel guilty, everytime I look at those pictures. No thanks to Windows 7 ultimate :( Thumbnail of pictures are automatically visible and laughing at me for being a loser.

"Writing", when I crave for it, deserts me and pounce on me, when I am not prepared to write, making me write a hurried post like this, with no great content, no message, no nothing....

A teaser on my would have been blog posts... maybe you can deduce what kind of a post it would have been.. I know you guys are smart, intelligent unlike me.

Here I go...!

Post one:

I don't remember what triggered this... oh yeah! I went with my brother's family to "now deserted" (No AC these days) Spencer Plaza Courtesy: Express Avenue... Most of the crowd haunts this place not because they like to shop but to save themselves from the powercut that prevails in the City. I came across one poster which made me stop and read it again. Sejal (my sis-in-law) and me can't help but click the photo with a smile and my son who was curious came to take a closer look and left the place hurriedly. Finally the photo was shot through my Bro's Blackberry. It was a t shirt quote. May be this inspired me in collecting other photos or it could have been another milestone in my life.

I discovered recently that I had successfully added another three and half a kilo to my already loaded weight. Manoj and me made up a deal. I had to join a yoga class, exercise and properly diet and shed few kgs and he will cut down on his smoking. Waiting for such an occasion. I immediately enrolled myself in a prominent yoga school. Maybe the weight thing triggered to download the pictures or maybe both made me do that.

Post two:

Chatting with Kiran always start with a yawn. He loves to ping me all of a sudden, out of the blue with a simple cute "yawn" emot. He is the only person who has the audacity to send such an emot early in the morning. Though I always chid him, I will not be able to resist the smile. It was my turn on a late evening one day to send him the emot on a totally packed day, he told me that he had a power nap and if I had heard about it. I said I had heard about it and hurriedly opened another tab to google "power nap" and read about it and also came across these pictures.

Oh! My! look at the guy who holds the pillow. Divine to watch his face cuddled on a soft looking pillow. I think I will never get the knack of this power nap, as it takes atleast one hour for me to test the mattress, pillow, blankets... twist, turn, sigh and finally going to sleep after exhausting myself. 15 minutes sleep is not possible at all. I tried lying down one day in our office ONS (over night stay room) and was twisting and turning on the bunk bed and the cot screeched. After 2 or 3 times, a colleague of mine cleared her throat, which made me lie down stiff and only my eyes moved this side and that side and at the end of 15 mts, I got up and bumped my head on the upper bunk and hurriedly left the place after hearing the girl on top swear loud. I walked out with a stiff neck.

Post three:

Manoj left my company on 31st May. Though I put a bold front before friends and colleagues, it was tough to control my feelings and see him leave. That evening we packed his drum and he told me that he visited all his favorite spots and I saw him looking at my office, one final look and raced the car. It was silence for a while, before we picked up the thread and started to converse... I know very well wherever he is, he will remain a best friend forever and ever, still I miss having him during lunch and tea breaks and when the clock strike 2 PM, I still turn to look at the entrance to catch a glimpse of his car.

Missing you a lot, Manoj! :( Though we are poles apart, poetry connected us and I got adapted to his style and he mine...

I know Manoj :D you hate sentimental dialogues :) still, I don't want these pictures to go waste you see...!

A lifetime, thousand, millions of years

2011-06-04T01:59:00.000-07:00

My love for you is hard to explain,
It runs through me like a potent wine...
You are a song inside me,
My heart dance for your beat.

I know for sure you had to be in my life,
Can't think of a day, when you wouldn't be my side...
Oh my baby... god is kind,
For making me see you in my life time...

The song I hear from within,
I dance to its beat and swing...
I hear you calling from distance,
I race to you without hesitance.

Love is not very kind,
It make hearts race overtime...
I swear, I will hold on to you my dear,
A lifetime, thousand, millions of years

I want you to take me to a world, I've never been,
Oceans, mountains, deserts and Space is fine with me...
The place doesnt matter anymore,
As long as you let me stay by your side wherever you go.

My love for you can't be defined,
It spread through my soul as venom unfurled,...
Fire licking my blood and veins,
Singeing every pore, crevice undefined.

hold my hands little tighter!

2011-05-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Holding your hands,
Trying not to walk away,
Loving you, heart craving for you to stay
I wouldn't dream to let go of your hands.

Whenever I feel little distance between us
I rush to stand next to your side.
Hate even an inch that parts you and me
I will hold your hands, refusing to free.

When we grow old and our steps falter
When our energy drop and make us weaker
I will refuse to move from your side and
Would still want you to hold me tight.

I am not tired to say for thousandth time that"I love you" and would love to be with you ever...Hold my hands little tighter.

To wake upon 40th Birthday....

2011-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

"Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age"
~Victor Hugo

On the eve of my 40th Birthday, its strange to feel what I am feeling right now. I realized today why people are secretive about their age, especially women. Though, you get older every year, it's kind of scary when you step in to 30 and nightmare when you turn 40...

Stock taking:

As usual the stock taking for the year is happening inside me and to my surprise I found it increased in leaps and bounds. 4 inches in my frame, 6 kgs in body weight, 25-30 heart beat (extra)/minute, 20-25 brand new titanium hairs (Courtesy: not L'oreal)

There were certainly few stocks which got decreased like 25% of hair, 2dB loss in hearing, ?.75 D as hypermetropia (note that I am already myopic) and am not sure, if I should list this in increase or decrease... bit confused here.

I also found that there were certain areas were the stock was equal rather neutral / no change. My dreams, career, friends, family.

So, what now...?!?

I asked myself and slowly it dawned on me the advantages of turning 40. This is the time when one can feel healthy disregard on what others would think and live for themselves. It's pretty rejuvenating and exhilarating to experience this magic. I also now have the authority (as a "been there, done it all" types) to advice younger generation and have the right not to listen to any advices from "oldies" ("Common! you can't keep advising me forever, I am forty myself").

This fact is kind of liberating, the feel that you are superior and you don't have to listen to anyone....

But I also realized few changes in me, which pulled me down and I term it as Symptomatic 40 Syndrome... here I am listing them for you.

"About me" page needs a revisit...
Looking out for my school mates in social networks and think of having a reunion.
Make sure to "comment" and "like" your friends, family member's updates, photos in facebook and fish for comments and response and feel down when they are not receptive.
Quick trips to beauty parlors are mandatory and not a luxury anymore.
Yeah! preaching varieties of -isms the same way, my moms and aunts preached.
A bit quick to forgive myself, considering my age.
Taking more care to look young and feel elated when people say, "You are 40? you don't look that way" and feel disappointed when they say you don't look a day older than 35. (Whew! what do you expect, that they will tell you that you look like a teen?)
Start complaining about health and think of retirement.

Common Viji! You are 40 and not "Paati" (Grandma in Tamil) yet :) buck up buddy!

Oh! Yeah! to add up to the above list,

9. Give pep talk to yourself

(The way I just did in the previous sentence.)

Dammit! I just can't believe, I am living the last few hours of my late 30s and I simply can't believe I am writing this post.

Friends

2011-04-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

My blog is celebrating friends this week.

Universal laws on friendship:

Friends whatever shape, size, age enjoy fighting, hugging, smiling, crying, gossiping....

Even after long silences, disappearances friends can pickup threads anytime..

Few questions I had and my friends answers:

I sent two text messages to few of my friends. Here is the content of those messages and their response.

How long does it take to make friends? Can you give me two instances where you felt comfy and close to a person in less than a moment after you got introduced and a friend where it took months/years to get close. Who is closer to you now? The friend you made in a moment's time or a year? Can you really trust your life with a friend? For eg: You are going abroad, you forgot a medicine which is mandatory for you to live. Will trust a friend to buy it and hand it over to you in the airport or will you hurry and buy it yourself?

If it's not too much to ask how would you define a friend? Your friend?

okie peeps! here I publish my friends thoughts on friends and friendship...

Manoj:

"A friend over the year. Yes, I will trust my life with a friend. But once again this in from my perspective. Will change from person to person. For me it takes time to make one, but once made remains for years. Samy is one friend I made in an instant but got close over a period of time. You also I got close over time. Not in an instant and will remain close for years."The beauty of friendship can be anyways.... it can be made in a moment or years... can be anything and everything.

For me a friend is someone, I totally depend on and one who can depend on me. On whom I can demand anything and one who can demand anything from me. I have very few friends... Samy, Arun and you. That's it.... Others are just acquaintances.

Prabodh:

How long does it take to make a friend?

Depends, Sometimes it takes a moment and sometimes it takes years and.

Who is closer to you know?

It is very natural for my wife to be my closet friend,….but still I don’t include her in this list .It will be my School friends.

The friend u made in moments time and In a year?

Purna (My school friend from UKG but become my friend in college ….Instead I spoke to him for first time in college :D ): It took less than a hour to be his friend forever.

Yesha ( My X Colleague )

Can U trust your life with friend?

Deft. I can (and to some my closet friend I have shared my Cr. Card details also J )

Define Friend?

Happiness, Jadoo ki Jaapi (Hugging tight),Sharing, Bank, Love, Pulling each other legs, Unlimited Fun, Be with u in your worst time to share your tear or share the best moment of your life, Talking whole night and still having enough patience to talk more, Eating Maggie @ 2am ,24x7 Advice channel, Standing together in Principals office, Teasing you and still understanding your first love , Talking movies, Playing (cricket,volley,TT), waking up @ 3 in night to say I am not getting sleep, Laughing uncontrollably till your stomach hurts and tears are out , Traveling around , boozing (Sharing a quarter) ,Partying all night, Standing their as one of your family member……………………………………and so many things viji ( Each and every point I have defined here is what my friends are …and I am lucky to have the best friends ever and most of them forever in spite wherever we go………can’t thank god for more than that ) Love my friends.

Nami:

Well I hate to drag him into this but Ram was one person I took months to like and have him as my best friend. Though he has been given an up gradation in my life now, he still remains the closest and best'est' friend of mine. The other person is Prabodh. Took me months and maybe a year and half to make him a close and dear friend of mine. The friend I made in a year thought the ones I made in moments hold a very special place and are the most unforgettable people. You can trust your life with a friend, with respect to your example. I would prefer getting it for myself. But if circumstances are such that it cannot be done by me, then I would entrust it up on my friend.
Friend would be a bum chum who would quietly share a dish prepared by me and irrespective of how horribly it tastes, he/she would still compliment it :) and encourage me to cook more :) On a serious note, friend would be somebody to whom you could vent out all your frustration and happiness (I know that's clichéd but that's the way I see it) without any expectations... that person who would be on your mind first when you think of sharing something good/bad...

"Phew!! you got my thinking nerves into action! phhbtt!"

Kiran:

2. Hmmm... I'll define friend as a belief and an extension of famly. Just like how a family cannot leave a person even though he or she is bad. Friend also should stand by your side at the time. You hear a bad thing about me, you gotta come to me and ask and then I should be feeling comfortable to tell him even if I did something wrong.

Priya:

1. Two friends... One whom I made in a very less time and he made me comfy and the first time I spoke to him, I knew he would be my good friend. In another instance it took years still I can't call her my best friend. So it differs from person to person. If I think of a person, I would trust him/her wih my life, leave alone the medicine. There are ones who needn't tell that they care for me I really feel them. I'm lucky here I got 7 of them - Gokul. Hari, Manoj, Nami, Satheesh, Sundar, Viji.

2. Friend: Who understands that you are not well or hurt or upset even if you act that you are alright.

Shankar:

Tough to answer Viji, but I can trust him/her to buy life saving medicine when needed.

A person whom I can depend upon.

Ani:

2. Nanben da!!! ( Friend / meaning of the word 'friend')

Hari:

I would really be close with the ones with whom I have been in touch for a long time... not really with the ones who became friends in a short time. I would definitely believe my friend to get the tablets rather than me doing it.

A few close people who knows, who I am exactly.

Krishnan:

"Viji, I became close with my friends at the very initial meetings. I became a close friend of Siva after I met him, may be thrice. There are few friends, who got closer to me after a period of time. I am closer to both the types. I trust my friends."

Added on 17th April 2011

Me: Thought of answering my questions.... an afterthought....

Seconds, minutes to get acquainted, but to make friends it takes months then years. Family are those who leap in an instant and be with you during tough and easy times, but we take them for granted... why?

When a friend do the same thing as your sibling or wife do, we appreciate it more than the family? is it justified? when it comes to a friend even when you are tired, you leap and do it, while pulling a long face and complaining tiredness to the family. Why?

Coz family are people who are related to us by birth and it is not unnatural for them to shower affection and be with you during difficult or easy times.

Friends, who do not have a clue on how you looked when you were born, whether you are rich or poor or brilliant or dumb don't count. They see you as a friend and other things are pushed behind. Its sheer luck to have a friend who does not have an inkling about you but still care for you the way your family does.

For me it took years to make friends...

Kanaks, friends from my school days, she calls me, meets me and keeps in touch with me all these years, even when I faced tough times in my life and busy days.. holding even more responsible position than mine, she finds all the time in the world to talk to me and keep in touch with me and I feel guilty for not volunteering the call or meeting.

Manoj my best and closest friend, just thinking about him brings a smile and waves of affection and nothing matters and literally i did trust him when it came to life saving medicines not once but twice and will continue to trust him in future. He worries about my health, about my career, about my family, about my losing weight more than me... I trust him with my debit and credit cards and he trusts me with his....He was the one who initiated to bring Viji out of her shell. I used to be very reserved and didn't trust men in general. Manoj was my first follower in my blog, he was the one to criticize open that the poetry I wrote lacks feelings and "stick - in - the -mud" types. Those harsh criticisms made me write better. I can't thank him enough for everything but since he doesn't like thanking... here I stop!

Shiv though years younger to me, it took just few meetings, few months to become his friend. he brought in few changes in me in just few months which I doubt i would have ever achieved in my life time if I had not met him... thanks to him for pointing out facts and fictions and the fun in breaking the f(act)ictitious wall I tried to build around myself. Amazing guy! Be it music, a Java program, friendship his passion is just amazing... I want to see you as a great musician one day! But no! I wouldn't trust him with my life saving medicine, as if there is an issue or a bug in his coding he will forget the medicine, viji and the whole world... but still I would love him no less...I know lots of "fews" when I describe him but he is a friend I made in record time.

How to define a friend?

For me Friend is just not a person, I can rely on (like in A/C, Refrigerator, Electricity)... Friend is someone who can bring a smile or tear when I am stuck in Antarctica wearing a thin t - shirt and torn jeans or stuck in Sahara desert with miles and miles of sand dunes with half a bottle of water or standing on the tall peaks of Scotland/Tibet without a map. Just the thought of Manoj, Shiv, Kanaks will make me fight the roughs and hurry up to meet them again and I am damn sure I will fight and nothing can keep me parted away from my friends....

Why should I vote?

2011-04-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Tamil Nadu Assembly Election - 2011

"Should I vote? All the political parties are corrupted, I am planning to skip voting this time." We hear these lines every election and grumbling we go and vote in the scorching sun.

First time in Tamil Nadu 75-80% of voters exercised their franchise in the TN Assembly elections. Chennai recorded 66%.

Two political parties always dominated Tamil Nadu assembly. It's either one of the these parties that rule. Both of them are close competitors when it comes to corruption, bribes, scams... the only choice we were left for is which bad is better bad... To identify the better bad, we start to scan the last 10 years. This job was easy for us, as both the parties and their aligned parties own TV channels which continuously played and replayed each other corruptions.

The scholars and well educated side carefully chose the candidates who has good education, morale and goals. While others measured their side by checking on which film star does the campaigning and who gives them money or freebies to vote.

The ruling party, has loads of money to spend as they recently pocketed millions and millions in a scam, while the opposition party believing that they would win the election, promise freebies that will be delivered if they win this time.

We are caught in a maze here, I had my doubt on which party to vote, there was one particular guy whom I wanted to vote, "do it" types and stood as an independent candidate. But when I thought about it little loud, I found out that voting him may not be the correct thing, as I want the current government to be out of power.

Every night at 10 PM in the night the power will go for 15 mts in our area and I knew what was happening at this time. Whenever I saw 10 ambulances and police vans screaming its head off, I have an idea what's happening and I wanted to put an end to it. The final thing that made up my mind was when our neighbor shouted at a party person for forcing money in his hand. He yelled asking the party worker to get out of his house.

The only sensible thing to do is vote the opposition party, because the opposition party leader had some guts and did few good things... rain water harvesting, against govt employees strikes, . But still not convinced and what's the guarantee that they would not become like the current ones and again her attitude, not a seasoned politician...

So, why should I vote?

To speak my mind, to stop something that's unjust, to start something new (in the belief it will be better than what exists now) , for my community and for my child, for my Country to develop, to prove that still some democracy is left.

What do I want?

I want my country, free of corruptions, nothing should be free, people should earn enough money to pay for things they want, strict leaders who can exercise discipline and make India a cleaner, greener, richer country.

Life saving medicines and surgeries should be available for everyone and quality care should be extended in the Government hospitals. I had seen a case, where the people in mortuary refused to give the diseased body, till the kins paid some money, the family fumbling for cash to pay.

I want my country where there is no black market, no smuggled goods, no video piracy, no groceries black marketed from the fair price shops (ration shop) and sold in higher rates. I don't want to see the Chief Minister's photograph on top of even pepper and cardamom packet distributed in the ration shop. Dammit! we pay for it and you are not giving it for free and even if its distributed for free, it's not your money. I don't want to see every movie being released is marketed, produced and distributed by one or other member of the CM's family.

I don't want Anna Hazare to fast unto death for everything. And let's not start a committee that tend to drag for years.

Please dear politicians let us not beg, let's have a corruption free India!

Still having the confidence and belief, I set to vote under merciless sun minus shades, water, fans and dim lit polling centers cobwebs and bats hanging above our heads, senior citizens rushing past in gatherings (my mom and her friends inclusive, no separate counters for them) I voted after 2 hours wait. Don't ask me if I'm happy to cast my vote... It happens! No happy faces!

My mind clouded with doubts still not convinced, I headed home. One more month to know the results... anything can happen, the EVM can get corrupted, the danger of tampering, yet we optimist folks wait patiently...

Night that followed the third day

2011-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Abhi asked himself again as the 3 days he gave for himself was about to end.

The other day when he kissed Kavya, she stopped him when he lost control. He was grateful for that. What if something happened between them. He shuddered at the thought. He suddenly realised he was 5 years younger to her.

Am I in love with Kavya? (The face of the new girl who joined his office that day came before him and he hurriedly pushed this question to the back of his mind)
"I like her a lot. She is a damn good friend of mine. I don't want to lose her friendship ever."

If I quit the job this moment and leave the city and severe all the connections with her, will I miss her?
"No! true friendship doesn't mind distances... missing each other can never happen in friendship... we will always keep in touch"

Even if she is willing to marry me, can I convince my parents and get married to a divorced woman and never regret the decision?
This question does not arise.

There was only thing in Sam's mind during the whole day and it was to save Kavya from the rude reality. He didn't bother about himself. He went to the hospital and saw the boy's parents sobbing uncontrollably. They were taking the boy home. Sam slowly went and stood before them with folded hands. He couldn't speak.

The boy's mom hurled words at him and started to curse. Sam stood there and listened to every word lashing at him. He didn't flinch. After 15 mts of abuse, she started to cry again. Sam looked at Sanjay's dad and told him, "God didn't bless me with a child. But I can understand your mysery coz, I know how my mom and dad used to fret when I had a small headache... Sir, please tell me whatever you want. I know I can't give back your son but I will be a son to you and carry out all your wishes and will take care of you both till my last days. You might think, I am saying all this to save my wife. That's true in a way. I was about to divorce her. But I now realise, I love her more than anything else in this world. She is suffering, she is down with guilt and she had not come out of the room since yesterday. I know only time can heal her. And, I doubt if time can heal your tragedy."

The boy's dad looked at Sam told him, "You can leave now. Tell your wife she is free to make more accidents, for all I care. The only reason, I am not going to the police station to open the case again coz nothing is going to bring my son back. I don't need any favour from you. Earlier I accepted your help as I was not rich and I was doubtful if I'd be able to give the best treatment to Sanjay. Now nothing remains to be done. My wife need not get up early in the morning to prepare breakfast, she need not stay awake during nights to prepare midnight snacks and tea, no exam pressure, nothing.... nothing at all. We will spend the remaining days thinking about our son and will look forward to the day we will get united with him in heaven." Saying that he started to cry and Sam couldn't stop tears from his eyes. Whether they needed him or not, he was there with them the whole day... It was almost 2 in the afternoon and he realised that Kavya is alone at home. He called Sheela and gave her the news and asked her to be with Kavya till he comes back home.

Sheela knocked the door and found it open. She couldn't find Kavya in the bedroom or living room. She called out her name and heard a feeble moan coming from inside the bathroom. Sheela rushed inside the bathroom to find Kavya lying down on a pool of blood.

Sheela called Ambulance and then called Sam. Sam rushed to the hospital to find Kavya in the operation theatre getting operated. Kavya's dad and mom where there and they signed the consent form as it was an emergency surgery and they couldn't wait for him. That was a deep slit in her wrists and doctors were trying hard to extract the broken glass pieces from her wrists. It was around 6 PM the doctor told Sam that Kavya is safe and he can just see her for a minute. Sam went in, looked at her and there was only one question in his mind, "Why Kavya?"

He was scared to step inside his house. He automatically straightened everything and finally gathered the courage and stepped inside the bathroom. The huge mirror was broken and everywhere there was blood stains....

He came to the living room and sat on the sofa and it was then he noticed a stick pad stuck on the tea table, in Kavya's hand writing dated the day before... it read "Sam! you deserve a better wife, a wife who can carry your child and who can make you happy... I will somehow will make this happen, but the sight of knife or sleeping pills gives me a scare :) ... But I will somehow gain courage and will make this happen..."

"Why the hell, didn't I read this yesterday? How did she gain the courage? He knew the answer himself... the boy's death....

"I love you Kavya", he shouted but the strong sea breeze didn't carry those words to his wife... She turned and asked, "Sammy did you say something?"

"Yepp! the sea is blue and so are you... blue becomes you! and did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"Yeah! only 14 times today." she said laughing. "Samuel Livingston... I wanna be your daughter during my next birth... I wanna be your wife, your mom, your dad, your sister... I want to be everything to you... I can never love you enough... Yeah! I know I am greedy".

"Oh! drat Christians don't believe in rebirth... Maybe you will not be a Christian during your next birth..." Kavya started to giggle...

Third day

2011-04-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

When Abhi looked at the time it was 11.30 AM. He kicked himself for doing what he did to Kavya. He was staring at the entrance and saw the usual shuttle entering the office doors. People got down and walked towards the office.

His eyes narrowed, when he saw a girl walking towards the office. "Is she new to office? I've never seen her before..." he thought. The tall girl looked stunning. He couldn't take her eyes off her.

He rushed to the elevator, went down and walked towards the lobby and found the girl sitting there as he expected. He picked a newspaper and pretended reading it, while his eyes looking sideways and scanning the girl's look. He saw the HR person approaching the girl and took her inside the office. As he guessed the girl should be a new employee joining today.

He pretended to read 2 more pages, when he saw the boy's photograph in obituary column. His eyes clouded and his mind went back to Kavya. He felt sorry for her.

Kavya, her eyes swollen, was staring at the ceiling fan and she couldn't believe she killed a child. Wish she had the courage to kill herself. She didn't want to live either. She expected the police to arrest her any moment. She was terribly scared about it and looked at the side table which had a kitchen knife and three strips of sleeping pills. But she didn't have the courage to pick or use them. She told herself, "I didn't want to add more troubles to Sam's life. He had enough by getting married to me."

She thought of all the troubles they had faced in all these eight years.

Their wedding to start with, when she was not able to conceive a child, the check up with the gynecologist and the result was not in her favour. She was shattered when she knew that she had some medical issues in conceiving a child. He was there every moment with her.

But Kavya realised today that she was the one who grew distant and moved away from him.

Sam after spending the whole night at the hospital, with the boy's parents came home to find Kavya huddled on the bed and swaying to and fro. He knew that she was frightened. But he knew that it was time to break the news to her. After giving her some dinner he gently told her about the boy's death and she went still and then wild, started to curse herself.

He called the doctor and after a shot of sedative she started to sleep. Sam couldn't sleep, he was not sure what would be the next action from the boy's side. "Would they take action against Kavya? if so how can I protect Kavya from all this?" His body went cold with fear when he thought about Kavya getting arrested. "I won't let that happen," he told himself and slowly dialed the boy's father number. His hands shook as he dialed, he didn't know what to tell the grieving dad but he had to make sure that there is no case against Kavya.

- to be continued

Night that followed the second day

2011-03-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

Kavya took leave and slept the whole day off. It was two in the afternoon when she woke up.

She wanted to blot the events happened the day before, but it kept coming back to her. She felt the weight of the cycle and the boy, as she hit him and the force at which the boy was thrown away. She remembered the boy's face clearly. Thin intelligent face and he was wearing spectacles.

"What if something had happened to him?", "What if something happens to him now?". These were the questions constantly playing on her mind. She wanted to make sure he was alright.

The bell rang and she opened the door to find Abhi standing there. She invited him in.

They sat in silence drinking coffee.

Kavya broke the silence and asked Abhi, "How is the boy? any idea?"

"No, Sam was talking to them and I know that he is admitted in that private hospital in Marshall's Road." replied Abhi.

"I want to see him, Abhi. I want to make sure that he is alright, I doubt I will be able to rest till I see him and find him fine. I took two sleeping pills this morning, this is haunting me."

She couldn't control herself and started to sob. Abhi talked to her gently, reassuring her and when the tears didn't stop, he put his arms on her shoulders and held her and slowly combed her hair.

Kavi he called her and when she looked at him, he couldn't help but lower his head. He kept calling her name, "Kavi... Kavi... damn! I love you like hell...", he said finally, bent and kissed her.

Sam couldn't concentrate in his work as he was continuously interrupted by calls. The calls were from the hospital, the boy's dad called him 3 to 4 times. Sam kept talking to him, telling him that everything will be alright and it's only matter of days before the boy will be back to normalcy.

The boy first had problem in breathing and then vomited. Five minutes before he again got a frantic call from the boy's dad... "Sanjay is having seizures, twice in the past half an hour and the neurologist told me that he administered a powerful medication and if he still have problems then a surgery might be required."

Sam called home. He wanted to talk to Kavya. Six rings... Seventh ring.....

Kavya heard the distant ring of a telephone and straightened herself. She picked the phone and said "Hello" in a feeble voice.

Sam asked if she was sleeping, did he disturb her? She said, "No".

"How is the boy, I don't even know his name" said Kavya.

Sam said, "His name is Sanjay and he is ok."

"Anything else? I want to sleep for a while, I am feeling tired", Kavya told him.

"That's fine baby, sleep now... see you in the evening" told Sam.

Kavya's lips twisted wryly.

Sam stared at his phone, he felt something was wrong with Kavya, it's not like her to cut a conversation short. He decided to take the day off and go home. When he was about to enter his boss's room, the phone rang again. It was from the hospital and the doctor told Sam that the boy died.

Kavya lying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan and wondered, "What next?"

- to be continued

Second day

2011-03-30T11:33:00.001-07:00

It was at 3 AM in the morning, when the three of them walked out of police station. Kavya looked aghast and walked like a zombie between Sam and Abhi.

Abhi more confused now, walked along with them... his mind was blank.

Sam handled the position cool. It was mixed emotions he felt for her at this time. Anger, love, frustration. One thing was clear to him. Kavya needed him to take care of her.

Kavya's mind kept replaying the scene happened the day before. She got a message that evening from Abhi, which confused her. It was not in the usual friendly way. It was vaguely disturbing, she wanted to know the reason and started the conversation when she was at the restaurant but with the things that followed, she totally forgot about that.

Kavya asked for a lift in her friend's bike till the bus stop. When they were on the way, Sheela asked Kavya if they can go to a restaurant. She too was hungry and they had a Paav Bhaaji and coffee. Kavya opted to ride the bike, when they left the restaurant. She became irritant, when a bus moved slowly and not allowed her to overtake too. At one point, Kavya overtook the bus and looked at the driver disgustingly, when she turned to look at the road again, Sheela screamed to brake.

There was a school boy riding his cycle. Kavya hit the bike and the boy was thrown to the other side of the road. Sheela and Kavya rushed to check the boy's condition and found him still, there was blood below the boy's head and the boy was unconscious. A huge crowd enveloped them and they started to abuse. A sergeant who came that way, arranged for an ambulance and took Kavya and Sheela to the police station.

When she saw Sam, she couldn't hold her tears. Sam jumped to the obvious conclusion when he saw Kavya in the police station. He was relieved when he was told about the incident and his mind started to work fast. He checked the hospital where the kid was admitted and called and spoke to his parents. The boy's condition was little critical, but he gained consciousness which was a good sign.

He spoke to the doctor and asked him to transfer the boy to the best hospital in Chennai. He promised the boy's parents that he will take care of him and he will also pay them two lakhs as compensation. Though they were angry at first, the sensible part in them made them agree to this and they took the complaint back. He sent Sheela home and signed few papers before the officer and was ready to leave with Abhi and Kavya..

Kavya looked vulnerable, her body still shook, Sam was angry with her and asked her, "why the hell you rode the bike, when you didn't even have the licence with you?"

Kavya replied, "I didn't expect to hit the boy, it was only few meters to the bus stand."

They were silent. When suddenly Abhi asked Kavya, "Why did you message me, calling out just my name?"

Sam looked shocked... He started to walk faster.

Kavya stood there and said to no one in particular that she lost her bag and mobile when the accident happened.

-to be continued

Night that followed the first day

2011-03-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Sam rang the bell for the third time, wondering why Kavya not opening the door. He tried the key in the lock and it opened. He switched on the light and entered their room. He can't help but feel worried. It's almost a month, since he stopped picking her up from the office. He missed her sitting next to him and chatting non stop.

Life's not just the same. It was idyllic when they started to date and got married. The first few years went with out any trouble.

His hand reached for the picture in the side table, Kavya stood next to him smiling, her face radiant with joy. It was taken on their wedding day. It took almost a year to convince both the sides of the family that they love each other and wanted to get married. Kavya belonged to an orthodox brahmin family, while Sam was a Christian. The wedding happened according to both Hindu and Christian tradition. After the rituals the couple flew to Maldives and those were the days, Sam recalled were blissful ones.

It was 8.30 PM, still she didn't turn up home. Sam felt restless, she should have been home even she misses the usual shuttle and take the next one.

He reached for his phone. There were two messages from Kavya. Both the messages read, "Sam?". Sam's heart fluttered. Whenever Kavya messages his name followed by a question mark, a playful banter starts and they tease each other mercilessly. He looked at the time, it was 20 minutes back.

He messaged back, "Kavya?"

No reply.. It was 9.15 PM. He cursed himself for being stubborn and called her mobile. It was switched off.

He called Abhi. Abhi picked his phone and said "hello",.

"Abhi, Kavya is not home yet.... you got any idea, where she could be?" asked Sam.

Abhi who was still lying down on the terrace staring at the stars, looked at his watch. It was 9.55 PM.

He replied, "No. Why? What happened? I didn't see her at all today. Any problem?"

"Yet to reach home, I am worried. She had never been this late and her phone is switched off." said Sam. It was Abhi who got tensed now. He told Sam, that he will check with her friends and office.

Abhi started to make few calls frantically. No one had a clue where Kavya was. Abhi checked his text messages and the last message read, "Abhi?" The time was 8.30 PM and it was then Abhi replied back, "Kavi?"

She didn't reply to that. He thought she would have been busy making dinner or resting. He tried calling her number. It was switched off.

11.45 PM.

Abhi started to pray. He was not a theist not an atheist. He believed in himself and he felt that he does not need or trust anyone to do his things and he strongly felt that the best well wisher he could have can be himself. He folded his hands and prayed to the only god he knew, the tiny vinayak below the huge peepul tree in his village.

Both Sam and Abhi met and they went to her office. The guards checked the over night stay room, rest room. Her access card exit swipe read 6 PM.

When Sam and Abhi decided to go to the police station, it was 1 PM. Sam was non stop talking about Kavya. About their wedding, about their early years of wedding. There were traces of tears in his eyes.

Abhi learnt a lot about Kavya and knew that there was lot he didn't know about her. "Such a marvelous woman!" he wondered.

Sam and Abhi stepped in to the police station. Abhi started to talk to the inspector about Kavya and when he turned to look at Sam, Sam was looking straight. His face looked harsh and eyes hardened. Abhi turned to look at what Sam was staring at and found Kavya sitting, staring at them, her eyes filled with tears.

-to be continued

First day

2011-03-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Kavya looked striking in a red salwar kameez, her face void of makeup looked fresh, soft, a tiny red bindhi on her face, gold ear ring and a solitary diamond adorned her left side of her nostrils. She sat at the pew and was listening to the Pastor's speech. It went on for ten minutes and after that he said, "I would like to call up on Samuel Livingston before my parish, before my community, before my friends to appreciate his good deed. I am deeply touched by his love and compassion for his fellow human beings."

Samuel Livingston stood next to the pastor with a smile on his face. He thanked the pastor for giving him the opportunity to serve the society. Kavya stared at Samuel and she couldn't move her eyes away from him. She strongly felt that she was destined to meet Sam that moment at the church. She nudged at Teresa who sat to her right and asked "Teresa, who is he?"

Teresa said, "He is the member of our Church welfare committee. Why do you ask?"

"No, I just asked, it's as if I met him before, he looks familiar", said Kavya. To herself, "Maybe during my past birth I met him; Oh! drat Christians don't believe in rebirth... Maybe he was not a christian then...". She smiled to herself and when she lifted her head, she found Samuel looking at her. That moment Kavya fell for him.

Abhi downloaded an English film and watched it. Contrary to what he used to watch, it was romance and he smiled at himself. His mind went back to the day he saw Abhi for the first time. She was wearing a red salwar kameez and she looked very fetching. If there's something called life at first sight, this should be that, he told himself.

During the evening he came out of the office ahead time not to miss her leaving office. He turned to a sing song voice talking to a friend with a smile... Slowly the smile died, when he heard Kavya telling her friend that her husband will be picking her.

He walked fast and kicked a coconut shell. It hit the stray dog and it yelped with pain. Abhi was upset and angry at everyone.

Today he was lying on the terrace of his small rented apartment. The floor was hot after the scorching heat of the sun the whole day. He rested his head on his hands and started to think about his feelings for Kavya.

He asked himself three questions.

Am I in love with Kavya?
If I quit the job this moment and leave the city and severe all the connections with her, will I miss her?
Even if she is willing to marry me, can I convince my parents and get married to a divorced woman and never regret the decision?

-to be continued

3 days 3 nights

2011-03-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

Abhi got up from his seat and walked past his friends and rushed towards the lift. He wanted to talk to Kavya and ask the reason behind her decision. He saw her text message and knew that he had to see her that moment. She was sitting in her cubicle, her face red, looking fierce. He stood next to her and asked, "Care for a break?" Startled she looked at Abhi, blinked her eyes and stood to leave.

They walked silently to the lift and there was that unusual silence between them. Abhi waited patiently till they reached the cafe.

"What will you have?", Abhi asked."Cyanide", Kavya replied.

Abhi ordered a pepsi for him and lemonade for her. He sat next to Kavya. "How would prefer? Bitter or sweet?" asked Abhi.

Kavya gave him confused look."Cyanide", he said.Kavya tried to smile, but her lips trembled and tears slipped through her eyes.

"Hi Abhi, long time, no see!" cried Vivek. Abhi's eyed pleaded to him to leave them alone. Vivek waved and left them in peace.

"So?" he said. "We decided to put an end to this charade. I agreed to divorce him. Eight years of marriage, I just cannot believe this. How we loved each other. What happened? Where did all the love go? Where did we go wrong?"

Abhi, though knew that the relationship between Kavya and Sam was not all that great, he didn't anticipate this. Kavya looked at Abhi, her eyes doleful. Abhi couldn't bear the pain in her eyes. He repeatedly assured her things will be alright.

But he was confused at the tiny spark of joy in him. He stared at Kavya's bent head and controlled the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her pain away.

Abhi ordered another beer and stared at the cigarette he was holding. It was difficult to understand his feelings for Kavya. Though there was an element of sympathy, there was that curious exhilarating feeling whenever he thought of her. "Am I in love?" he asked himself.

He gave himself three days to decide his stand. His gang was chatting non stop. Abhi was silent, the air conditioned pub was noisy and it started to get too crowded. Abhi went out for a breather and sat on the parapet wall. It was then he heard Sam's voice from below. He heard it clearly.

Sam was talking to a friend about Kavya. "I know! you need not have to remind me. I loved her and I thought she loved me too, till the day she called me Abhi. I knew they were close friends but from then I found she messaged him at odd hours at odd times. She will be lying next to me, yet texting him. I told her yesterday night, that divorce is the best thing that can happen to us... she looked shocked but nodded."

-to be continued

200th Post!

2011-03-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Wanted to shout "Yay! this is my 200th post"... I googled on various blogs on 200th post and found that there were people who managed to finish 200 posts in 2 or 3 months, while it took almost 4 years for me to touch the magic number. Then my mindset came down to clenching my fists and shouting "Yes!" and to my dismay found almost all the blogs I went through, had a social message or boasted of great talents like photography, music, art. Another dampener, I am writing this post with, "let me not take another year to complete my 300th post."

Enough thanking of friends, family for their motivation, encouragement and a word of mention of their names in my milestones posts as everyone now knows about my family and friends.

It's the most exhilirating moment, when I finish a post and go back and read it after I publish it. It's like giving birth to a child.

Few random thoughts, anecdotes and experiences that puzzled me, made me laugh, made me cry and at times silent.

Yeah! that's me and this was shot taken by my office for our office calendar last year and the hands you see there are of my best friends Manoj and Namita... The theme was team spirit and "holding hands" we did.

Last year when I was asked to pose for our Company's calendar, I was astounded. My only fear was I am not photogenic and comes out as an ugly duckling. I was shocked, when two of my photographs were published in the calendar. February and October. The pre-photographic session was funny. The make up man who made my face, had to use one whole pancake on the sides of my face. He told me that he had to cut down my face as it's huge. He went on and on about my totally uncared and unkempt skin and hair. He pointed out to my lips with peeled skin (as usual I forgot to apply lip balm). The whole episode made me realize, that I need to spend at least one hour a week to pamper my skin. This was in my mind for few months and made me head to a beauty salon to straighten few of my front strands of my hair, after I got it done, they told me I should pay 4000 rupees, I almost had a heart attack. When I came home Sure exclaimed, "what have you done to your hair, why did you cut it this short? It was good as it is... how much did you spend for this?". I swallowed fast and started 4..., "What? 400? are you crazy?". I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I never told him after that it was 4000 rupees. Though I feel guilty about hiding the fact. What can I do to men, who jump to conclusions? I am not responsible.

There were weekends, when I had to spend all alone at home, my brother used to go out with his friends, dad for work or to visit his brother. Mom always spend time roaming around, grocery, market, her sis's place and stop for tea in one of our friend's place. It was then I started going to library and settle down with a book and called the books as my best friend. I still do. If you ask me now, I would have given anything to throw the book away and go out with a friend but I didn't have one.

There was a friend who was very dear to me and he was almost like an adopted son of mine. A cherished friend. Somehow we stopped communicating to each other and we never even had a fight. The thing that puzzle me is I never bought him a gift. The first and last gift I bought for him was a silver pen. He left for the US and that was the last I heard from him. I was forced to believe the superstition that one should never gift Pens. When I wrote this poem, he was in my mind.

During my college days, me and my friend used to walk from my college to home. We used along the beach road everyday morning and evening. There was one woman in her 60s and who sat near a subway begging. We approached her one day and asked her why she had to beg. My question was when there were so many old age homes run by the government, why can't she stay there and rest. She told me, "Child, its not like what you think... if you think old age homes are haven, then you are clearly wrong. I was in such a place a year back. You are too young, I am not even sure if I can tell you this. People who are incharge of these shelters, take money and let drunk men in and the women staying there were forced to have sex. It was once such day and one after another there were seven men who forced themselves on me. The next morning I escaped from there. Yeah! escaped, once you are in you cannot leave these places easily." I was shocked, speechless, angry and didn't know what else to say. I had 10 rupees saved after that month's expenses. I gave the 10 rupees to that old woman and asked her to leave to her native or to any of her relative, who can have her. She smiled sadly. That was the last day I saw her. I became little wiser and came to know about this little ugly world waiting for me and it was from then, I started to suspect every man I saw.

There were days when everyone used to carry the Rubik's cube. From the old gentlemen who sit in the beach relaxing during the evenings, housewives trying to solve when they cook, kids staring at the green, red, yellow, white, blue, orange stickers and wondering what it is all about. None of my cousins or brother or friends could solve it. We tried solving one side. There was no you tube or google to check for instructions. A friend would say that one of her cousin solved the puzzle, once I remember I even payed her one rupee to learn the trick and tell me. Which she never did. But I made sure that she paid the one rupee back in easy installments. Then there was this program in Doordarshan on solving this puzzle. The participants were given 5 minutes to solve the puzzle. There was a guy who solved it in the given time. Till today, I tried various methods of solving like peeling the stickers and paste them colour wise, little clumsy as there were air bubbles caught inside or the stickers peeled at the corners and even to my amateur eyes, I could detect the cheat. Then I tried removing the cube and try to put it back and I was never able to and one after other my brother's cube disappeared.

I loved going out with my Aunt, my mom's elder sister. She had lots of friends and every 10 steps we took we will be stopped by one of her acquaintances and I used to get juicy and spicy tit bits about others. She was a gutsy woman and never shy away from fights, whether its for getting water from metro water tank or bargaining with a vegetable vendor or directly going to school and talk to principal and request for admission for someone who just managed to scrap through the board exam. No thanks to her I got admission in the first group too. She fought for whatever was rightfully hers and a mother hen to all of us. Even if was one small milk peda, she cut the peda in to equal halves and give that to everyone in the family. If she had a chance to stand during election in Triplicane area, she would have easily won. "Seetha Mami", everyone used to call her and her last days were terribly sad. She suffered from stroke and one by one all her organs failed. First her speech gone, facial palsy they said, then she couldn't walk, she used to write and tell us what she wants, slowly the action in hand also died and just her eyeballs moved, then slowly it went too. I hated god for the first time. She never missed going to temple everyday and none of the guest who came home can leave with out having food. 10 days before she passed away, I went to temple and prayed to god and begged him to take her away and when my prayer came true, I became quiet for days,

Everyday when I come home from office, I have to cross the market place. A month back, I took an auto from where our office bus stops and was on my way to home. There was one Bolero Van with red lights flashing and inside was a police officer, with a mike on his hand shouting at people and the vendors not to block the way. He stopped near a flower vendor, the vendor gave him a small garland of jasmine, the officer threw it on the statue of the god on the glove compartment. We were waiting patiently for him to pay, but to my dismay he didn't pay and went to the vegetable vendor, who had the vegetables ready in polythene bags, his next stop was a fruit vendor and then a sweet shop. There were cows and calves standing innocently and munching the half rotten vegetables and the vendors who were already angry with the police officer, used their staff to hit the cattle, calling it names. But one of the bold cow felt safe as he was standing close to the officer and stood next to his vehicle half blocking the vehicle. When the officer honked hard, the cow lifted its tail and gave the car and the officer's face a nice wash... I almost rolled out on the floor laughing. Fitting punishment. How dare, he try to involve god too in his bribing act.

Today morning, being weekend and my maid took off ended up washing clothes in the washing machine. I filled the machine with dirty clothes, detergent filled in the space provided, set the machine for medium wash, went to take bath. The set time for medium wash is 15 minutes then drain and then water gets refilled for rinse. After 15 minutes, I could hear a faint alarm almost like a child's wail and it was then I realized, I did not let the draining tube free. In our house the great architect who designed our house plumbing system, forgot to provide an auto drain pipe that get emptied in the bathroom or toilet. I had to keep the hose pipe suspended at the back of the bathroom door, which I forgot to let free. Hence the commotion. I felt very guilty and had to rush from the bathroom to untie the the hose, so that my washing machine can empty its bladder. I went and stood near my washing machine and ran my hand on her gently and on the verge of saying sorry. It was only two days back, there was a traffic jam (election season) due to some political meeting and I had to suffer with a full bladder, so I can understand my Ms. Robert's (I have the habit of naming all my things, my washing machine's name is Ms. Roberts short for Julia Roberts) wail. My laptop is called Phoenix, my printer Garfield, my fridge Will Smith. It's funny as Phoenix has the habit of dying often and format and bring him back to life. Garfield growls and howls all the time, to even print one sheet of paper and kinda funny when I tell my son if he asks something to eat, "let me open Will and see if he has it ;)".

It was Nami and Ram's first wedding anniversary on 22nd March 2011. Ram was in Singapore and Nami in Chennai. Ram sent Nami lovely bouquet of sexy red roses and she was almost in tears. Nami ordered an iphone for Ram to be delivered in Singapore and Ram was emotional, stunned, happy and Nami in tears rushed to the restroom. I wish you guys that you should get every whim and wish of yours come true... love you dears!

A drive to remember!

2011-02-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

Tina woke up that morning elated, she jumped out of her bed wishing morning to her Mom, dad and Nikki her puppy too... "Nikki" she smiled at the name....

Mom gave a weird look, she was surprised to see Tina today. Everyday Mom had to cajole Tina out of the bed and it's not easy a task.

"Mummy"!!!!!!!! yelled Tina from the bathroom.

No response.

"Mummy", she yelled again. Tina's dad, who was sitting on the drawing room, reading newspaper called out to his wife..."Vani, Tina is calling out for you for quite sometime, can't you attend to her?

Mom grumbling, called out, "What do you want, Tina?"

Tina replied, "I forgot to take towels, can you give me one? Sorry mom! for troubling you". Vani was surprised, her daughter saying sorry... She shook her heads and gave the towel.

Vani felt proud at the way her daughter looked, she barely wore any makeup, her skin glowing and the smile in her face made all the difference. Vani dragged her daughter and kissed on her forehead. "You look lovely baby", she said. "Not half as lovely as you mummy, you look gorgeous, the other day Vini told me that you look like my elder sister, I felt really proud."

The car was waiting as Tina neared the bus stop and Nikhil was waiting patiently for her at the other side. He smiled at the way, she tried crossing the road. She was moving to and fro and came running. His heart swelled with love and pride.

Tina opened the car door and sat to Nikhil's left. Her right hand as usual she placed on the gear and Nikhil's hand covered hers. Every time he changed gears her hands were pressed and they got a thrill out of it. For the hundredth time, she told him how soft his hands are. Tina smiling to herself leaned back on the seat, relaxed with a smile. Nikhil who is always used to Tina's non stop chatter was confused, he couldn't turn and look at her as he was driving and asked her "what's wrong with you, Tina? Why are you silent?"

Tina said, "Nothing, everyday I only talk, why don't you do the talking once?"

Nikhil said, "You know I am bad at starting conversations... why suddenly?"

Tina asked him, "What time will we reach? How long will it take to reach Pondi?"

Nikhil asked, "What did you tell your parents? What did you tell your friends?"

"I told my mom that at I'm going on a picnic with friends, told Shravanthi that I am going on a picnic with my school friends" said Tina with a huge smile on her face... "See, how clever I am?", she gave a squeeze on his hands and he smiled at his clever Tina. He thought how clever girls are to when it comes to planning and executing things.

"3 hours" he said.

"What!?!" Tina asked.

"It will take 3 hours to drive down to Pondi."

He inserted a disc and music started to play. Tina's hand now placed on top of Nikhil's hand and she started to trace patterns on his hand absent mindedly and Nikhil wanted to shout, "Stop! please".

Tina was now talking about the first day they met. He was wearing a white shirt with blue stripes... She turned and asked him, "Do you remember the dress I was wearing that day?"

"Now I am in trouble..." Nikhil thought loudly and Tina jabbed her elbows on his ribs.

"Ouch!" he cried out and pulled her hands and held it to his chest and kissed and nuzzled her knuckles. Tina's eyes widened and she hastily drew her hands.

"What's wrong?" asked Nikhil.

"Nothing" said Tina. She became quite and it started to bother Nikhil. He was cursing himself for rushing her.

He tried to explain to Tina. "Listen Tina.... I am this way and I am a physical person and I don't shy away from showing my affection this way. If you don't like it, you just have to tell. If you think, I am going to say sorry for kissing your hands, just forget it."

"Are you taking advantage of me?" asked Tina.

Nikhil's face was livid with anger. He slowed down the car and looked at her and when he saw the genuine fear in her eye, his face slowly relaxed. He stopped the car and took her hands in his and told her, "If that's what I wanted to do, I wouldn't have waited for 6 months. Listen! I wanted to tell you something, for quite sometime now. I love you! I love you like hell.... I want to get married to you and have kids who are spitting images of my Tina."

Tina's eyes welled with tears... She didn't know how to react. She loved Nikhil more than her life but was not sure of his feelings for her. "What if he thought me as just a friend?" was the question, which always stopped her from telling him how she felt about him. She sat there silent, shell shocked. Nikhil was confused at the way she reacted. He cursed himself for blurting himself out this way. "Tina" he pleaded. It's now Tina's turn, she leaned and kissed Nikhil on his cheeks and told him, "I love you Nikhil. Today is the happiest day in my life. I will never ever forget today." She then sobbed. Nikhil held her shoulders till the tears stopped and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Then it was fun. They teased, played, called names at each other, joking and commenting about people passing by and Nikhil stopped at the resort, he planned to take her. They had lunch, icecream and played in the waves. They took turns and changed in the room they booked. It was then things happened. Nikhil took Tina in his arms and kissed her. He fished a jewel box from his jeans pocket and showed her the ring. Tina cried out at the sheer beauty of the ring, cluster of diamonds adorning a platinum band and he slipped the ring in her fingers and asked her, "will you be my wife?" She was stupified and was in a daze loving the ring that moment and cried out...."Beautiful... I love it" then she said "ofcourse! i love the idea, and if you promise to give me another ring as beautiful as this for our wedding" she smiled saying this.

Nikhil looked at her, before I start something and we both would regret later, let's get out of here. Tina called him "spoilsport" and Nikhil took her out for a walk on the seashore. The sun was hot but they didn't mind. They talked non stop about their families, friends, their future.....

It was close to 4 PM, when Nikhil said it was getting late and they had to leave... Half heartedly they started the car and drove down towards Chennai. The return journey was content and the music was playing. They barely talked and as they neared the city, Nikhil turned to ask Tina, if she can take an auto from Adyar to her place. He said he was feeling little tired. Tina surprised looked at his face and hastily said, "yes ofcourse!." He turned to check his Blackberry and started to message and check mails and she twisted the ring on her fingers and then she removed it and slid it in her chain like a pendant and wore the chain on her neck. Both there minds went back to their family and the next day.

"Are you sure? or shall I drop you?" he asked. Tina who knew Nikhil, also knew that whenever he added something to the primary question, he leaves it loose and he would feel happy if she doesn't take it. She said "I am sure... stop the car when you find an auto close by no need to drive till adyar.... this will be closer to your house isn't it?"

"Sorry dear", Nikhil said. "Don't know why, but I feel damn tired, else would I ask my princess to go by auto?" He touched her hand and gave a gentle squeeze but there was something missing felt Tina. "Did I say or do something wrong?" Her mind slowly replayed all the scenes and everything was so right. She hoped he doesn't change his mind.

She turned as she was about to get down, "Nikhil, are you sure?"

Nikhil's turn to ask, "sure about what?"

"Sure about your love for me, you gave me a ring today, are you sure about this? you just have to tell me. I can understand and won't mistake you."

"You silly!" said Nikhil... "I love you baby, I am little tired that is all. We will meet up tomorrow and you will know if I am serious... this time it is not going to stop with a K....". She closed his mouth....."NOOOO! don't say anything, till wedding no touching... got it?"

Nikhil pursed his lips and said,"OK, if you say so."

Tina got down and was bargaining with the auto driver and got in to the auto. Nikhil started his car and he thought, "Maybe I should have waited for few more months....was I hasty?"

Tina was thinking, "Did i do a mistake by accepting? maybe I should have waited for few months...."

That night they texted each other, "I love you", but their minds clouded with uncertainity...

But the drive to Pondy, should definitely be "A drive to remember!" in both their lives...

Few truths; few lies

2011-02-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes." - Mark Twain

Today is another day when I ran out of ideas but still wanted to write something. This post is only truth and nothing but truth.

I talk only truth and people seldom believe me. I always had to elaborate and describe my truth and people end up looking at me as if I lie.

When I was in my 9th Std, we had a devil "under" pretty cotton saris for a Maths mam... Mrs. PG is very strict and always carry a wooden scale, shiny and thick and never hesitate to use it on our knuckles. If you find a dent in my knuckle the credit goes to her. I almost pee, when she makes me stand up and solve a math problem in the black (green) board. I was made to go and stand before the green board a chalk piece in hand and x,y,z adorning the problem. I used to feel like I stand before a mam with the magnitude of a shark and a face like hawk, just waiting there to beat the hell out of me. I used to wonder, how does her kids and husband live with her? Then she asked me, "Can you solve the problem?" I keenly looked at the board and told her, "I am trying, mam"... She asked, "what are you trying?"...I replied, "On how to solve the problem" She said, "Go on! first try to arrive at what is the value of x and y, then you can substitute them." After 10 mts still clueless, I told her, "Mam, you should be really a genius to solve this algebra problem in no time... I adore the way, with a flourish you underline the value of 'x' and 'y'." She stared at me hard and gnarled, "it's integral calculus".. "Yes, that's what I told mam...", I sounded weak even to my ears and she walked the few steps before me, holding the shiny wooden scale.

After 9 years, I met Mrs. PG at the hospital i used to work for. I went and introduced myself to her and had to stifle a grin when she introduced me to her grandson, that I am the most brilliant of her wards. I wanted to hug her and tell her that I am in love with her.. Aside: "How this 'devil "under" pretty cotton sari' woman has such a good looking hunk for a grandson?" Aloud: "I am today in this position, because of you Mam... Bless me!". For the first time, I didn't feel as if I would pee at the sight of her.

17 years back, one day, I woke up late and missed the bus and had to call my boss and said, "Sorry Mrs. S, I slept late yesterday, woke up late and missed my bus. I will be reaching office by 10.30". She grudgingly said, "yes". When I went to office, I was summoned to my boss's room and she chided. "Viji, I hate people who lie, you could have told me that you tried draping a sari and missed the bus. You don't look sleepy to me." "Common!" I wanted to scream, Aside: "What do you expect... that I'll turn to office my rear attached to the mattress and blankets covering me?" Aloud: I said, "No... Mrs. S! I swear to God, I didn't lie." Mrs. S's eye became as hard as flint and I was bestowed with 20 minutes lecture and she asked me if the number I called is my land line and I blurted out "No! I called you from a PCO near bus stand..." Drat! me and my truth telling habit!!! I walked out fast before she could say something.

It took 39 years 8 months and 23 days to realize, "truth" is the most difficult thing to say and the most unbelievable thing on earth and "lies" are easy to say and people believe lies more than the truth.

Take away: Speak truth but coat it with little lie... Truth is like a cake base (unsexy) and lie is like a sexy icing, the more color, the more attractive. The proper ratio of truth and lie is agreed up on like a cake with colorful icing.

Have a great weekend!

Split personalities in me

2011-02-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

There are two persons in me Good and Bad. When I am good, I am less trouble. When I am bad, I am more trouble.

When I am good, if it rains I will share my Umbrella, the side with the hole on my companion. When I am bad, I will hide my umbrella and don't mind going wet, instead of sharing.

When someone uses an ear bud and enjoy twirling it inside their ears, eyes half closed, mouth half open...The good inside me would want to jerk their hands away, while the bad inside me would want to stuff the bud hard inside their ears.

When a friend smokes, good side of me would say, "Hold on! after all you need to hold on to something as you age." The bad side of me would say, "Feel free to kill yourself; just let me know when things worsen, I will arrange a luxury suite at the world's best cancer hospital".

Valentine's day... I know what it's all about!

2011-02-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

Trust me! I do know what Valentine's day is all about...

A guy who gives flowers and gifts,
But, who doesn't take money for it...

A girl who hold hands with a guy,
Who doesn't know the meaning of "shy"..

A husband who sends a bouquet of flowers,
After consulting with his friends, what will please his lover...

A wife who buys a watch as a gift,
To remind her husband, that time flies pretty swift.

Hearts, cupid wounded red,
Broken pieces mended for the next...

If you are married, you are intact
No need to sign the Valentine pact..

Everyone celebrates and you do too,
If you don't have a friend, "google" will help you!

My Valentine's day wishes to you all!
Now! I gotta stop at the watch shop!!!

Old habits die hard... ROTFL moments

2011-02-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Every person we meet, has a unique something about them.

Few funny incidents that I witnessed. A college mate of mine..... yeah flashback :) sorry! can't help it.. lots of memories you see....

She has this habit of speaking very fast. During reading sessions, its fun to watch her read. Dumbfound we watch her lift the book, the first word we will hear clearly, then it's like bullets raining fast.... All of a sudden, when she finds a line catchy, she will shift the book to her left hand and raise the right hand as if holding a riffle which she will raise before our tutor and "dud, dud, dud" she will fire words... We love whenever she volunteers to read. One day, she read few lines from Macbeth... It went this way, "Sleep shall neither night nor day. Hang upon his pent-house lid." she raised her hands towards our mam and recited these lines. Mam got annoyed of her habit, and told her "Yes! if you speak this fast, your husband wherever he tries to run, be it pent house or its "lid" - the roof he will never be able to sleep." The whole class laughed and laughed and Nagi joined us too in our laugh... Btw "pent-house lid" means eye lids.

I was sitting inside a bus, and there were two men and a woman standing holding crutches. By the looks of it, they had to cross the road and the woman was frightened and the men were encouraging her to take the steps. She kept refusing. The burly guy of the two held her and started to cross the road, she like a scared cat was fighting him but he didn't pay heed. When they were at the middle of the road, amidst the mad traffic, he freed her and there she lifted her crutches, limped and walked fast and reached the other side. What 15 minutes of motivational conversation by the two gentlemen refused to achieve, a moment of panic achieved. The funniest part was, when she was back at the other side, she lowered her crutches and started to limp.

There's a Femme fatale, whom I know is famous for her expressions. You have to see her to believe me. All the time she has a schooled smile on her face, which looks charming at the beginning and later tend to irritate you. Eager looks, pouted lips, swaying hips and a generous frame. uh! forgot to add "practiced lisp". She now has a child and I bet the child is more matured than her mom. It never fails to grate my nerve, whenever I hear her call out for me in her sing song whispering voice, "Witchi". I wanna scream, "I am not a "witch" but am sure, I will turn to be a wicked witch one day and whack you hard.."... One of my friend hates her so much that she loves the way this femme fatale sway and dance walk, she could hardly take her eyes off, still blame her for walking that way... No! I am not mentioning names here... people who know her can work it out themselves, people who don't know her are damn lucky.

There's me, Viji who has this funny habit of shouting at people before them but to myself, if you get what I am trying to say. I shout at my son before him to myself, but not at him. I will call him an idiot, a stupid et al, "et al" coz, I can't utter those words here, as this is a public forum ;) These "talking to myself, aloud sessions" happens when he takes off his socks in a rolling motion and leave it that way in the laundry basket or his vests, briefs half wet hanging coiled on the tap... The next day, when I remove them from the basket to launder, my face automatically wrinkles and I hold my breath, till they are safely tucked inside the fragrant soap solution....DISGUSTING habits!!!

Saving my breath for whom?

2011-02-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Goliath this time, sitting on my neck,
Holding poor me down on earth.
Waiting the hold to ease a bit,
The struggle heightened, giving no room to breathe.

Twisted, turned and fighting for breath,
Hopes didn't help me.
One more step, I tell myself,
Adjacent is a green meadow with fresh air to dwell...

Why me!?! dear Goliath?
Can't you leave little door for air to flee?
The imprisoned breath chortles out,
Why this much glee, as you desert me?

The fresh ones not gaining entry drained out.
Weakening as days go by...
I plead for little mercy,
I plead for little rest...

My eyes refuse to see the meadow next.
It's awash with tears fresh.
Common! help me if anyone is there...
I'm too tired to be bothered any more by this threat.

2011-02-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

DoWn(...)FaLL !!!

2011-01-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

"Trouble comes in threes!" is what people say...

I agree to this whole heartedly... My blog followers, now should be aware of my rendezvous with my staircase and my forced agoraphobia.

Last week of December, saw to my husband's passion towards shuttle cock, which eventually led to fractured calcanium and few months of bed rest.

I thought the worst was over, little I knew what's up next.

My son, who went to school, looking smart in friday school wear, came back with torn trousers full of blood and huge bruises on his knee and deep cut. Like heroic teenage guy, his school duck back almost touching his back of knee aka popliteal fossa aka knee pit (why worn that loose, I don't have any idea), fell down from the bus (I am sure it should have been a moving bus), though he claims, he got down when it stopped. Thank God for small mercies, one of the busiest highway, there were little traffic as it was afternoon. When my mom took him to doctor, he refused to take a tetanus shot leave alone sutures.

It just doesn't stop there, one flow of visitors followed by another, came to visit my ?invalid son, who played cityville, the unhurt leg swinging from the chair, another stretched on a chair, music blasting from his woofers, his ill pitched falsetto damaging our ear drums. The PC table and the adjacent table filled with packets of potato wafers, rasgulla, snack twisters (murukku in tamil - new coinage) and two bottle of waters, which disappears in one hour time and darling son expects that to be refilled every now and then. His loo episodes was too dramatic when compared to my husband who has serious injury, is subtle and sweet. The same injured leg, when his friends (both the sexes) drop in, will start with few limps, few curses, then whole lot of fun, laughing out loud... where does that wail and grunt of pain disappear, I don't understand. The moment they leave, the grumble begins.

Realised in the past month that life has few hidden corners and few ugly surprises meandering by. Only that I was escaping those corners till then and now facing the challenges and literally taking the bull by its horn. Atleast for me its just some mental and physical strain, I am worried about the pain my husband is silently going through every day. Never seen a person like him and a wonderful guy.

Ah! Ani is another story. Tomorrow, I need to change his dressing, god give me the patience and whatever it needs to do the task without letting things go out of hand. I wish he grows up fast and get married and be blessed with a kid like him and I swear he is going to enjoy his "nuclear" family!

Did I tell you, that I cried when I was told he got hurt? Did I tell you that I am continuously smiling, when I am writing about ani's tantrums. I swear there is not one dull moment with my darling son around. Love him a lot... Poor kid after all he is too young and it is difficult for someone as young as him to bear the pain, he is not like us grown up, isn't he???

Get well soon Sure, Ani! Missing our weekend bike rides! Common! polish your knee and ankle caps and jump out of your beds soon... just can't wait!

You are a challenge, hard to resist...

2011-01-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

Not sure, where this path leads to..
You've added hurdles to my clear road.
The more I jump, the taller the obstacles become.
Tell me one thing?
Why do you intend to complicate things?
Why can't you be the way you used to?
All sweet and easy to reach...

I am willing to spend the rest of my years,
Blowing the hurdles to reach for you...
You've become a challenge, hard to ignore,
I hope to restore, the age old love in store.
Why do you make it hard for me?
Why do you step up and down?
Determined to drive my patience ...

Whatever you do.. however you try...
You can't push me away and fly ..
You can act as if you don't care
You think your heart is safe, when not shared...
You can lay your feelings stashed...
But, I can see their heads raise high,
As, I walk past by your side...

Why do you intend to complicate things?
Why can't you be the way you used to?
all sweet and easy to reach...
I am willing to spend the rest of my years,
Blowing the hurdles to reach for you...
You've become a challenge, hard to ignore,
I hope to restore, the age old love in store.

New Year! Few dreams...few realities...

2010-12-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

While we are counting the hours, minutes and seconds for the new year to evolve, It's already New Year in Australia.

Every year we start with dreams of gaining more knowledge, wealth and good health. On December 31st, I dream of challenges and how to win those challenges. I dream about few scenarios, where I smile radiantly, head proudly poised, as a winner.

Few dreams:

Scene 1:

I sit in the middle of a dias on a chair, and sitting before a grand piano and sing a perfectly pitched song, and play the piano as well and hundreds of people mesmerized by my voice. I even dream about the white flowing dress and the jewelery, a platinum chain with an emerald pendant, my head held high. I don't know a thing about music, yet I dream and given a chance to go back, I will definitely learn.

Scene 2:

In blazers and neatly pressed trousers, I do a presentation, my hair straight, shampoed, fluffy and neatly arranged, my face minus spectacles and the usual snubbed nose replaced with a small but neat sharp nose and high cheek bones and a slender neck on which a solitary diamond rests and with a lithe, athletic body with perfect curves, waving my hands and stressing the point I am making and few middle aged men with elegant carriage and hair laced steel grey nodding and smiling at me. When it comes to stage and presentation, I panic and sweat and I am the perfect example of stage fear. If, I get a chance to grow up all again, I will definitely school and train myself to become a good conversationalist and eventually a management guru.

In a beach, wearing a sexiest beach wear and playing whatever game they play in beach, running with out getting breathless and face pink with all the exercise and men around looking at me with awe and I not even realizing the sight I am presenting, continue to play with my friends. If I get a chance again, I would have maintained my 47 Kgs.

Few realities:

40 Kgs, soft radiant face, long hair, handsome hunk of a guy next to me and we got married during the year 1994. A dreamy face, dreaming about the future full of happiness and only happiness!

47 Kgs, year 1996, a brand new baby boy lying on my hands, his nose scratched red and his second finger inside his mouth and sucking at it noisily.

50 Kgs, year 1999, craning my neck and waiting for my son to come out of his school on his first day to school

57 Kgs, year 2005, I decided that Ani has grown up and took up a job.

62 Kgs, year 2007, the job became a career. My passion for work developed and I threw myself and thought, ate and drank my work.

65 Kgs, year 2009, I realized that I am gaining lots of weight and had to something about it started to go for a after lunch walk and felt to lazy and started to learn to drive a two wheeler.

69.5 Kgs, year 2010, Still am not doing anything about it. Enrolled for a yoga class and found out that someone has hired my yoga master and decided to kill me. Can't fold my legs for a padmasan and after counting 50 numbers, I found out that I can't unfold my legs and it pained like sweet hell. NO! Yoga is not for me... may be aerobics?

Dream that might come true:

65 Kgs, year December 2011: At Scotland, spending my time going around the air clean and biting with fresh blown snow, witnessing a white Christmas.

64 Kgs, New year Eve 2011: At Switzerland, being a veggie, I lost few Kgs and here I am 64 Kgs and at Switz and learing to Ski.

Brrr. It's too cold, want to get back to Chennai to celebrate the New Year, the loveliest place in the whole world.

New dreams:

I now knew that it's easy and not so expensive to dream, and planning to continue that.

Dream 1: Owning a boutique full of designer platinum jewelery in a most sought after mall (why just stick to silver? it's after all a dream).

Dream 2: Own a house on a mountain slope with white picket fences, a small swimming pool (and I can swim too in dreams), few apple trees. Don't ask me how to work at my shop in the city and still stay on a hillside. It's after all a dream. Need not be practical...

Dream 3: My son top ranker at school, comes back home and talks to me about his friends, his ambitions and his plans... (I want to remind you this is a dream too and that too far fetched)

Dream 4: Suresh wants me to go with him for the new year 2012 party and that's a BMW he is driving.

Dream 5: Wish I am back to those days when life is simple, tension free and not complicated with money or ego. Sure, let's go back to those Hero Honda Splendor days, when me (70 kgs), you (60 kgs) and ani (60 Kgs) went out in bike, dreaming to buy a car.

Why?

2010-12-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

Wrote these lines for a friend's composition...

I wanna ask you to
dance along with me..
I wanna ask you to
sing a song with me...

On the highways,
not caring when cars speed by...
on a desert,
our bare feet fried deep red and shy...

Why I ask...do I feel this way?
Why you agree to whatever I say?

You can ask for my heart, soul
and everything I own
give me a nod
and I will be yours to own....

I wanna ask you to
dance along with me...
I wanna ask you to
sing a song with me...

On the mountain top,
when the clouds storm with force...
Under the Sea,
where corals gape and scrape our sole...

Why I ask...do I feel this way?
Why you agree to whatever I say?

I wanna ask you to
dance along with me...
I wanna ask you to
sing a song with me...

Forced Agoraphobia!

2010-12-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: This is not about the normal me! This is all about, what Viji had been through the past week.

For people who wonder, how can a person who loves to be with people and whose favorite hang out are malls, can turn out to be an Agoraphobic person. Re-read the first part of the title. I forced myself, rather was forced in to such a position. I can't imagine, a week away from my office, my colleagues, friends, music, reading...But I did just that.

I fell "head over heels" literally, while climbing down the staircase and hurt my neck and back. Now, my chance to visit the handsome doc staying close to my place, its been almost 2 months since I visited him. After 15 mts chat, my hubby got irritated with the small talk (gently reminded us about other patients waiting) and finally the Doc gave me some pills and as I was about to leave, advised me to have an X-ray just in case... and naturally he had to review the X-ray next day.

But, I never expected what a pain on the back this episode could be! I couldn't move to my right or left or lie down straight or crooked. Half an inch, if i try to move my neck, a shock went over my spine to my head... Trust me! I am not talking about the doc here. After 3 visits and his goddamn smile, I started to loathe him. The man smiles at the most awkward moments. I told him that it is difficult for me to eat and he smiled.... difficult for me to go to the loo and he smiled... difficult for me to read books and he smiled... difficult for me to watch TV and he smiled and told me to talk less and save energy for other things, coz it will be that way till the muscle pull rights itself out... and there! there! did I see a small smile on Sure's face? Still it hurts, when I am writing this post, I had to stretch and yelp... It's like a brand new cardboard stiff and not so supple and am sure will break, if try to stretch a little.

Ani wanted to visit EA, which is just a stone's throw away from our house. I yielded and sat on the bike and 50 feet away from our house, Sure's bike farted and made so much sound that people turned and looked at us. No wonder! Add 60+60+70 (in KGs) any bike would die a fast death, when it was made to carry that much of load. My husband weighs 60 Kgs and am not telling you who weighs 70... How much ever I am sick, my weight never goes down, the weighing machine always point to 69.5 or 70... (I know "Gotcha"!) and somehow we reached the mall, our bike panting for breath and sighed and heaved with relief when Sure switched the engine off.

Now getting down the bike was the most difficult thing... my legs froze, my back refused to listen and like a fool, I sat and didn't know how to get down. Ani and Sure were restless and asked what my problem was and I told them that I was trying to get down, but don't know how. Sure sighed and Ani waited, not with much patience. I slowly lifted my foot and felt perfectly alright till I raised myself from the seat. The moment I did, I bit my tongue to stop from screaming and I started to cry. There was one girl, a nice looking lad who came to my help, she gently helped me to get down from the bike. The wonderful kid of mine was suddenly so silent and started to be very kind to me. No wonder! the reason could be this other woman standing next to him and who does not happen to be his sis or mom.

We saw the huge Christmas tree, beautifully adorned and started to move towards the escalator, please don't ask me what happened after that. Wherever I went, the pain gripped at me and I had to stifle the screams, which resulted as moans and there were couple of people who looked at me in a weird way, thinking what I would have thought, if I was in the same position. I dreaded EA and wanted to go home and confine myself to my small dungeon (my room, which also is my library). For the first time, I didn't stop to buy anything, I didn't stop even for butterscotch ice cream :( I didn't stop to look at my favorite spot, a silver jewelery, designer sari and carpet shop. I didn't enter the book shop. First time, I couldn't enjoy the "Jingle bells... jingle all the way" music. I saw red everywhere and it struck me, why so much of red for Christmas? Why can't it be any other colour? My forced Agoraphobia should be the reason.

I know long post... but, can't help but moan with pain while typing this post!

Do I see red?

I am done... I am done...

Just one question! No! make it two....Was Jingle bells originally written for Thanksgiving? Can you get to hear this music in the United Kingdom?

Good night folks and Merry Christmas to you all !

Measured steps; failed climb!

2010-12-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Stroll - Part II

I took the measured steps,

But you refused to follow mine...

I matched my right to right,

I matched my left to left,

Hence, missed the step.

The ground gaping at me,

The steps lunging at me,

I tumbled down like a projectile

released from a catapult..

Didn't break the ground,

Didn't break the steps.

But hurt my back and neck!

Every inch screams with pain.

Not able to move an inch

without yelling out of pain...

And whom should I blame?

All because of you!

I only know to match your steps...

And you decided to quit and move...

And whom should I blame?

All because of you!

You failed to go with me.

Every shot I take,

Every bitter pill mom forces me to take,

Every time, I had to get up to go to the loo,

Every time, I turn my neck,

And an electric shock that runs through my spine,

And whom should I blame?

All because of you!

You failed to go with me.

If you had, I would have fallen on you...

Scotland Sand

2010-12-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

There are few emotions, very hard to express and few emotions which easily can be related. I am very expressive when it comes to emotions. People easily know when I am happy/sad/sick/upset...It is really difficult for me to keep an emotion free face.

My blog friends and my friends should now be aware of my dream to visit Scotland and Tibet. Three to four posts are about these dreams.

A friend of mine, who visited the United Kingdom came back to Chennai and joined me during breakfast and asked me to close my eyes and reach out my hands towards him and I knew I am in for a surprise and knew for sure it's not Silver jewelery, because he is a unique person with a unique style.

There on my extended hand laid snuggly a ruled white sheet of paper, with a hand written note in capitals reading out "SCOTLAND".

He told me, "Viji! I had to make this weird request to a friend of mine, who traveled to Scotland. I couldn't travel due to extreme weather condition, it is very cold now out there but was told it's a beautiful country, very lovely to look at and now you are holding (or is it standing?) on Scotland sand". I opened the wrapped sheet and found not sand, but mud which looked like clay and a foliage dry and covered with mud. It should have been wet, when collected but now hardened. I was speechless, happy, emotions rampant and I guess to Shiv, my face would have looked bereft of any emotions. But one load of emotions was bombarding me and I had to leave hurriedly for I was not sure how I would have reacted and in turn might have shocked Shiv and maybe lost a friend for good :-)

What hit me then was, its not the Scotland sand, but my friend remembering my wish and took all the pain and few embarrassing moments when he had to ask his friend this weird request. Now the wish to visit Scotland is even more compelling... But, that was a beautiful moment at my office cafeteria, the round coffee table, shiv sitting to my right and the paper packet in my hand and I doubt if I ever would have a moment that would equal this one... Ever!

Stroll

2010-12-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

Allow me!
Allow me to take the few steps with you...
My right foot and your right,
My left foot and your left....
Looking at every step we took.
Measured steps
Mesmerizing...
The way you tried to match mine
And I yours.
Allow me!
Allow me to take more steps..
And you watch our feet,
Their hesitant steps...
Our feet,
Greedy for more
Slowing down at the end of the street.
Hesitating, wanting more.
Lets stroll till the end of the globe.
Lets make tiny steps,
And I promise to match yours!

Epilogue - Manoj and Yamuna's wedding

2010-12-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

I called this play of mine and labelled it as a Tamil wedding. I started it as a play and wanted to write it as a light hearted humorous play, while it became a traditional and emotional one. Can't help it! I love weddings and everytime I attend a wedding, I end up with tears in my eyes.

Disclaimer: Everything stated in this play is truth and truth only. In case if you have any doubts in this, you can drop in to "My best friend's wedding" in Guruvayoor and yes, it's going to happen in a Tamil Brahmin way and yeah! you can witness the Scene 9 too.

Just wondering, where he starts and where she ends? Don't they look like a glued pieces from a jigsaw???? I can't love them enough! God bless!

Manoj and Yamuna are getting wedded,
This December 12th with pomp and grace...

The day has come, as it stands in good stead,
Let's witness their joy and tranced state.

Let's toast for their health and happiness,
Let's cheer for their unlimited fun...

Let's cry a little when they tie the knot,
Let's smile when they fumble for words...

Man and Wife and smiles all the while...
I couldn't be happier, they are friends for life...

Wishing them more happiness,
Wishing them more fun.

Wishing them loads of sunshine,
Wishing them cold nights...

If love can be measured
with a yard stick or tape,
I would say theirs would
make the tape fade...

Let's chill out at Kerala
For Breakfast, lunch and Dinner,
Hop in in the next train, and I promise,
Manoj, will meet you at the train...

His Invite for you: