Return

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 14; the fourteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

I love spending a lot of time with toddlers because it allows me to experience unabridged, unsophisticated, unrestrained joy. Their playful eyes and their creaks of glee reminds me of all I have lost in my journey.

They are right at the precipice of knowing things — the kind that we can understand — but despite their verbal “handicap”, they’re pretty good at communicating. They go around in circles when they are happy, cry when in pain or when they seek attention or to get things their way and squeal when in surprise.

They live for the moment.

It’s almost like attending a free therapy when I’m with these kids. They know how to live their life king size. And they offer their “wisdom” to anyone willing to share. 

Raising them is no easy task. It’s difficult to gaze in admiration when you’re cleaning poop. But as an outsider, I am thankful. They teach me to have an open mind that anything is possible to be free; to ask question; to get amazed at the simplest of the things; and most importantly, to be me.

They help me peel away the layers of worldliness, knowledge, and debonair and enjoy the rawness of the human spirit.

To experience happiness in its purest form.

To feel filled within.

I’ll probably feel a speck of sadness when these children grow up with time, but for now I shall  make the most of their wonder years and enjoy my return to the age of innocence.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Hyderabad to me...

Well, I am in South India. Not for the first time though, but definitely the first time for more than 2 weeks and with another year and a half lined up. 
So this is it, Welcome to Hyderabad!

With my upbringing in Delhi, I have had quite an assortment of food! But since 15 days, my every meal at the mess includes Rasam or Sambhar! 

Food the way I’ve never seen before
Vegetables that I don’t identify
Curry leaves in everything
Rasam everywhere
No ‘daal’ in the daal
LONG queue for bath and longer for lunch

To top it all, Long hours of classes! Wait... I asked for college life, not school life!
 My life is suddenly going into a routine! What's happening? Waking up at 8 in the morning is the only sad part of my stay so far. I can still manage with the food but not sleep :P
The TV doesn't have a remote. Common..Who can enjoy TV without a remote. If you want to change, You need to get up and change the channel. So it keeps on playing telegu stuff and I don’t even cross that corridor. 
My room-mate’s possibly the best I could ever have! She is my best friend, so it’s like having someone from back-home live with me :-) 
Very few guys in the college(Hot guys are scarce) but I made some good amount of friends.So, life doesn’t actually suck :P Its actually cool to live at the hostel. Its so much fun here. You stay in a party mood 24*7 staying at the hostel. 


Hyderabad's language is funny. I’m not talking about telegu, any south Indian language is the same for me; Here, I talk about the hyderabadi hindi :-| Oh, you’ve gotta hear it to know what I’m talking about. Sometimes, I feel that I don't even know Hindi for that matter.

Ok. This is different from the place I grew up.
Very different.... actually!
But I am sure that life has a lot in store for me here

I liked the faculty though. Classes get boring because I don't sleep well at night ;)
Even seniors have been good so far. 
Ahem. So well, you get the hang of it, don’t you? 
Somethings suck big time here but then the amount of fun I am having can compensate for that. I am loving every part of it here. And surprisingly, I don't miss Delhi :)

I will not be able to write often now.Nift is keeping me alot busier. It's gets a little difficult to sit and write something with such amount of activity going around you. 

Hyderabad Calling...

And I am answering the call.

I never thought I would feel this way. Rounds and rounds of shopping done, lists made, planned and re-planned everything, empty shelves, bags packed,  clean room and my heart - filled with vacuum.

Amusingly, Most my bags are filled with "Blue" color. I don't know why I choose that color each time I shop. When someone asks me for my favorite color, I say "Black" or even "White" or "depends" but still I choose blue when given a choice!
And right now, I am Blue!

Cried like a baby when my mother talked about being an independent girl and taking care of myself in Hyderabad. I always wanted this life but my empty room makes me feel so depressed. Writing this post is another atrocious experience.

All final preparations have been done, Last calls from best friends and last messages from cousins have been wrapped up. But how should I wrap up this empty feeling?

Like I am running away from my responsibilities, Like I am losing something very near to me, Like I am being self centered and pursuing my dreams on cost of my duties. Duties of being my parent's kid, of being a friend, of being there for people who have always been there for me, of being a shoulder to cry on when mum had something to share!!
I love my mom, grandmother, my dad n even "my brother"!!

Why can't I stay at home? Why am I so aspirational?  Why can't I make a future in the city where I was born? Why am I doing this.... to myself and my near ones? Why is it so important to constantly keep running?

Anyways, my priorities are set, the choices are made, and I made them.
My parents supported me through out with this and I just can't thank them enough for believing me and my dreams. My mom has always been my support system and somewhere I want to live upto her expectations , thus the chase... thus the burning desire to be the best! I don't know how crucial this move is in to shape my future, how much I will be able 2 achieve out of it, how much worth it is of all the sacrifice..

All I know is, its now or never.
And I don't want to regret later for the choices I made.
Its not easy, well nothing is!
And I am going to give it my best shot.

So, adios to everyone! I may be busy there but gimme a call whenever you want to! I'll always be there!
Love You Guys!!

P.S: I'll especially miss you: Neha ! the long conversations on phone, the shopping, the coffee n the couches, your advice, n everything!!  I'll miss them all! Please stay in touch!! Love you...

Who cares?!

This morning, a woman in a blue Ford suddenly came in the lane of black punto. He shifted his lane to avoid the crash and came into bicycler's lane. Thankfully, there wasnt any bicycler there! Otherwise, he would have died.

And then, lots of tooting followed. 

When I saw the lady in the blue car, I noticed that she was on the phone and also, with "HT Food guide" on her steering wheel and it looked like that she doesn't know where she was going. The guy in the black car consequently rolled down his window and started abusing . 

It wasn't a new thing to see in a place like Delhi, but the reason that I write about this today is precisely that — it has become commonplace.

During my daily commute, I see drivers blaring, showing the middle finger, changing lanes perilously and running over people walking.

And then there are people who keep messaging, attending calls, applying kajal and lip gloss, watching a DVD (yes, I’ve seen that!!), reading the newspaper, painting their nails, eating and turning around to feed their babies at the back — these are the people who are the reason for such disorder. We have the laws to ensure that such things dont happen. But who cares?

It amazes me to see how people forget that they are not only responsible for their families travelling with them but also everyone else whose travelling on road.

And it’s not until they meet an accident that they realize such deportment. But isn't it too late then?

What do they gain from those extra ten seconds? How do they agree to put their lives in danger just to make in that green signal? How can they be so uncivil, so unkind? Why can’t they stop somewhere to finish their lunch and then move on — all it will take is five minutes! Can’t that lip gloss be postponed till they reach the parking lot of wherever they are headed? Can’t they tell the person on the phone to call back later? 

As per WHO, it’s estimated that 1.2 million people die on world’s roads every year and about 50 million are injured. The road safety record of India is abysmal - every year, more than 1,00,000 lives are lost in road accidents. In addition, this also results in disruption and huge economic, social losses. 

I cant find any explanation for such utter disregard of life, but I hope some of you reading this will recognize this as an opportunity to amend your ways and ask those unsafe drivers in your life to amend theirs..

Is Indian Media - Misusing Its Freedom?

This post is my entry for the Blogadda contest on the topic "Is Indian Media - Misusing Its Freedom?"
In association with Pringoo - 


http://www.pringoo.com/custom-designs/Soccer~South~A-Soccer/did-25999/mid-1/ppid-496


News? It’s such a jape these days.

There was a time when media was very influential and enhanced critical thinking and analysis for general public. It was the time when reporters did serious journalism and brought up "issues of significance".

It was the time when the badges of journalist were worn with pride.

But now, with the news channels broadcasting 24/7, they have started broadcasting" anything" their news cycle. Not only has the idea of what constitutes news changed but also the way people look at it changed.

I recently watched Halla Bol, a Hindi movie digging into the connection between news and sensationalism. What they impersonated was very similar to what we’re barraged with in the name of news, day and night.

This morning, I was skipping channels when I again noticed this news on a news channel:


It was regarding the cricketer's Dhoni wedding. It was on for almost 10 days now and I still cant figure out the hoopla! Why am I supposed to know the bride? And details of their vacation together? Why cant reporters get a life!

Is this what we’re reducing “news” to?
Striking visuals and beside the point stories — to entertain but not educate.

Whenever I ask this from an elder, I am told that it is viewer's choice!

Is it?

Is this kind of blunder acceptable instead of the problems that really need to be looked into? Have we given it up to the media for telling us what the news should be?
If not, why don’t we articulate our repulse?

Or, are we viewing TV just for entertainment sake making an assumption that real news can be read in the newspapers too?

Media is supposed to be a reflection of  the society  but is this what we have become? 

Now, don’t go for tweeting this.
It might just show up on a news channel!

Double Bonanza :D

After an year of disappointments, I finally hit it to the nail.
Yes... I got through NIFT Masters of Fashion Management (MFM).
14th June, 2010.... I will always remember this day!
past year was tough! After hell lot of entrances, only "1" success. I was so looking forward to it. I needed it.
This is gonna be a new phase of my life. I will soon be in "Hyderabad" with my best friend. I always wanted this life. Being on my own... struggling through the way... I hope everything goes well from now on!

Talking about the second bonanza, I gotta new laptop! Lenevo U450P.... I loved it. Not only it is awesome but for a laptop. it's pretty sexy! Cant get my hands off it :)

Wish

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 12; the twelfth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

On a busy day
I stop by the coffee shops
Just for a sip or two
Not that I am addicted to it
But to you…

Each time I sit in coffee shops
My memories of you faded…
They come and they go…

So wonderful….
Oh! How we met...
a cup of coffee
whiff of those arometic beans
with little reason or rhyme
in the corner of the cafe...

Those subtle thoughts
the little words
Smiling, Laughing, Relaxing
Over coffee,
at your favorite little cafe

I didn’t speak
The look on your eyes
expressed your soul
your voice so compelling

Every word you spoke
touched my soul
the tone of your passion
and the way you could pause my thoughts

As the caffeine surges through me
and brings my body to life
I wish you were here…
This time too..

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Sleepless nights...

As 8th July, 2010 comes near, it creeps deep into me.... the FEAR! I don't know why? Its a strange feeling I have got. I have got through NIFT Masters of Fashion Management and on 8th July, I have my counselling. I will be alloted a centre on that day. I always wanted Bombay or Bangalore as my choice of centre and now when its completely in the hands of God, I am worried. Now that I dont believe Him but because I am asking for such alot of things together.

I researched about both the centres and every time, I come up to a different conclusion. I cant figure out which one is the right better option for me. I have now completely left it to the God but still it scares hell out of me.. I don't know why!

Another aspect of the story is that I have got my best friend from school  been admitted to the same course. Initially, I never thought that we could stay together in our post graduation but now when I know that our ranks are so close, I have the "greed" to stay together. I may not be admitting that to my family or any of the friends but I want to stay with her and I am praying hard for that. I want both of us to get the same city: Bombay or Bangalore! I am neutral among the choices as far as we stay together. I never thought that I would exploit my options because of a friend but I can't help it. I will do everything to be with her for the next two years of my life. I have been sleepless since nights due to this. I find it a little silly to take this here but I need to get it out of me as soon as possible.

I hope 8th July will hit soon and  we both get the same city. I don't  really care if I get Bombay or  Bangalore! I know the city(as long as it is Bombay or Bangalore) wont make a difference to the career I have always aspired for!

P.S. Its a completely random post throwing alot that has been inside me since a month.