Its Bro Time :)

Wow. Its been ages since I last came to the blog. What better than an idea of sharing about the time with my brother all these years on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. It used to be such an important and festive occasion. More so for the gifts I had the right to ask for and that moment when he touched my feet and that would be the only time throughout the year when I would feel like the elder one. In our tradition, it’s the brother who would take blessings from the sister irrespective of who’s elder. Which by the way was quite cool. When we were little, it used to be a trade for the special sweets post the aarti. Yes bro, you want that sweet, how about touching my feet and making me feel like the king ;)

I say king cos I’ve always been the favorite tomboyish sister to all my bros across the extended families and neighborhood. Except for my elder bro. He hated me. We hated each other very righteously. Who do you hate the most would be a question in a friend’s scrapbook, and we would reply with each other’s names. I love to recall the crazy fights for the left out chocolates in the fridge. I barely got any! OR maybe if I yelled “Mummmyyyy….”, I would get one thrown on my lap immediately :D. That was the strategy; my only way to get things out of my brother. Now all his fault - these were the reasons I became such an annoying sibling. For every little thing that he would do to bug me, I would raise my voice or run to mom for justice. And it would always be in favour of the younger one!! Obviously I know why he hated me so bad :D

Its been almost a decade and it still makes me so pissed to think that I used to always be the Luigi in Mario games, I would have to be the player two in Contra :-( and always lost in mortal combat for no damn reason. Maybe I was just bad at playing it. Yet I hate Him for that! The fights to get that one cupboard from amongst the two. And then fight again for a swap because his mind had changed about the one he liked :-/. Now was it my fault that my handwriting was better and He got scolded for the stupid scribbles he did on that homework notebook!!

Had super violent fights from throwing legos and pens at each other to He dragging me down the couch to the bathroom door :-/ I hated him I repeat! While growing older we did take advice from each and started liking each other for when we thought it was a wise suggestion. We would run away from that feeling as soon as it hit the head that we had liked the other for something. That wasn’t possible!

The permanent argument of who is loved more by the parents never ends. But through these years its been fun. I’m glad I had a big brother in the school days to always feel like I know a senior dude and he’s my Bro, yeah! I’m cool :D. We still hate each other and still fight. But its rakhi and its time for him to touch my feet to get that sweet! All my blessings to him for an awesome life :)

A Dedication

There was a time when an overdose of you irritated me to the core.

Every predictable reaction of yours, gradually seemed so boring to me.

The trips with you on the then new Mumbai Local trains seemed fun initially, and became a usual practice later; while we focused on the other things in life, like, which side of the station was Bandra East :P (Refer earlier blog posts please)

Today, I stand alone, eat alone, commute alone, look at Gaiety Galaxy alone…

I seek your great company to feel that same irritation all over again, which probably I might not ever get…

I die to see those, oh-so predictable reactions, the times when I know what your opinion would be on a particular case and yet I would wanna discuss it…

I crave to tease you for those silly habits of yours; the teasing that you hated at a time and I’m sure you miss getting really pissed off at those times..

I travel on the local trains of Mumbai alone, looking at the groups of friends cracking up on a joke, or even crying together at times… And I wonder … All I wish is one more trip with you in those trains and I would hold it all, capture the moments, never let go of the memories then…

I wish to take you to Bandra East now and show you how much more I know about the city :)

I never knew I would miss those moments so badly someday, that a million thoughts would occupy my mind at once & I won’t be able to pen all of those down….

I realize now that the things that might really get on to you, can turn to things that you would long for in the days to come!

Now that’s what I would term as a real friendship, that kept me all alive throughout the days while we were together, in college, that let me spend those years being completely the wicked, silly, naughty, stupid, lazy – ME.

I am sure my children would yell “Yeah Mom, you’ve told that story a whole six hundred and seventy nine times already!! :| “

Dedicated to the most special bond that I am gifted with: Friendship.

Di - ding (3)

Growing up: Is a transition
From: the phase wherein u would cry out loud n seek being pampered by everyone around;
To: the phase wherein u cry out loud deep inside n yet let none notice it ... :)

Time ... and TIED !!!

Shifting from New Bombay to Bombay was a drastic change in itself! Used to be all chilled out and free back then. When I came here, it was more of anticipation and excitement in mind than any other feeling! Have started “working” finally!!

Should I blame the city for keeping me so well engaged in the long commutes and activities? Or should I still stick to the fact that I’m really falling in love with it!! The air here manages to keep me all alive and charged up in the crowds and even in my sweats!

For the crazy organizer that I am, it sometimes eats you up! Here’s how! ... Well, I am one of those who would have their days and weeks well planned; their activities chalked down on their to-do lists almost daily!! And how it eats you up is, no matter how much I try, it never happens! I never complete the list! And what sucks is that it bothers me bigtime to keep the stuff pending! Believe me, it feels like it’s all piling up your head!

Late at nights, when I’m still trying to get some work done, it really baffles me to see that there are still few things waiting on the list to get Checked while its already the last time I could’ve blinked my eyes for the day!!

Still, to get a little sound sleep I would convince myself saying that I’ve worked up to and at times over my day’s capacity and need some tight sleep now!! :-/
Can’t even stay up late at nights like I used to, at Kharghar, ‘cos I simply can’t afford to ! :(

Well, this is how I “usually” expect my days to go!

Half of which is left unchecked at the end of the day! It’s a snapshot of one of the smallest “to-do” lists of mine.
Now, either I’m expecting too much outta my days or I’ll really need 30 hours a day to stay content! The worst part is that the pile of pending stuff is inflating by the day and I’m sure of not getting a 366^th day of the year for clearing it!

Days come and days go, I’m the same; rushing to office, seeking a little physical and mental rest at the end of the day, trying to keep it all perfect and yet I think, doing too little for it! :-/

This is how I’ve been for the last few months… But I still would love to mention; I love Mumbai; for some unknown dumb reason. I’d rather start learning to manage all this than blame the city for it!!

Some MBA gyaan for time management pls!!

I wish...

--> I wish we could eat with both the hands at the same time, non-stop, not care about spilling it, enjoy the food & yet not explode our tummies!

--> I wish we could love many gfs/bfs at the same time and yet none of them made a stink!!

--> I wish we could scream, yell, dance anytime in public and none called us insane!!

--> I wish we could hit the sack for a couple of days at a stretch in hibernation before we felt like going to work!

--> I wish we could say mean things to people on their faces while they got deaf for sometime!

--> I wish we had soap bubbles all around us 24*7.

--> I wish it rained loads every time we got all tired and sweaty!

--> I wish we had li'l rivulets rather than the footpaths, so we could walk our way back home through them after work, with the awful formal shoes in our hands!!

--> I wish the puppies never became big dogs and stayed cute forever!

--> I wish everyone was of the same height, so that the darned heels never came in use; also it would be easier for everyone then, to kiss!!

--> I wish the hot celebrities lived like everyone else, so they would be more accessible :P

--> I wish the scary creepy bats never came out to fly even in the night & if they do, they better get slower and colorful!

--> I wish more animals lived in the cities with men & anybody could eat absolutely anybody, thus doing justice to all ;)

--> I wish telepathy was really a strong thing; things would become so much easier when you have to utter no word!!

A lot more to add to the list... Later !!
Keep :)

Di-ding (2) !!

Why does every relationship have a shelf-life?... Usually, a shorter one for the good ones :)

Di-ding* (1) !!

Life is a Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Paper Set!!

--> The sad part of the fact is, you can choose only one option for each question, while the other options may (and WILL) seem too close!! :)

* Di-ding's are the "di-dings" that buzz in my head once in a while...Moreover, they sound better than ta-da, ting-ding and dhan-tanan! :P

Happy New Year!!

Felt jittery thinking I will be “working” in a few days… The nostalgia of last two years always dominates those jitters. However, there’s an excitement about the days approaching. Will I be able to manage this softer side of mine with the whole hectic life was a question I was asked in one of my personal interviews. I'd said I will manage! Hope I do!! Jittery, nostalgic, nervous, excited, happy, ebullient and what not!! :)

I am a power gal. or am I ?

What a day!!
(Note: Beware! Good use of the word "Powerful" in the following post!)

At Bandra station. Highly determined to have a great lunch after being completely fed up of the boring bland college mess food.

Thinking over the places worth going, keeping in mind the expenses that need to be kept within limits. Always have been in the Bandra west, we thought of going the East side this time. And this “we” includes just the two of us.

The powerful Shweta asks her dear friend, not to worry at all, we will get down, take an auto and end up somewhere good, it doesn’t matter if we’re new to the place we can manage! Come ON!
They get down a particular staircase, see people queuing for tickets, see JUST a couple of autos at THE Bandra East gate and still don’t get that it might be a wrong exit that they’d taken.
The o so powerful girl is still encouraging the friend to go ahead…

They take a left turn from the exit just because the powerful one feels it’s better to take a lesser crowded way out. They walk and they walk. Few little houses, few paanwalas, few kids playing on the lane, few kabaadiwalas, . . . they’re still not getting it!!! Is that how a bandra east station exit should be like?

They walk faster because it starts seeming creepy now (rather than taking an about turn to the safe station). They see a completely secluded area, railway lines on the right side, trees on the left. Where are we, where are we!!! Are places like these called “no-man’s land” ?

In the scorching sun of the late noon, they are still walking, the powerful girl boosting the courage of her friend that it’s all gonna be okay, it’s not a very wrong place, we’re gonna get outta here soon to the busy streets… (Thinking “hopefully!!” )

Finally, some mortals here and there, some big scary guys throwing huge stones on the electric poles for no known reasons. All of them looking at the two girls as if seeing a girl for the first time. “what are they even looking at, dirty, silly, cheap, pervert guys!” thought the powerful girl, still not realizing it’s not a great area to be in!

Hoping for a better scene ahead, they speed up. The powerful girl still encouraging her friend, cracking jokes so that she doesn’t worry much, cause then she herself would have two things to worry about; first how to get outta there and second what to do of her fifty kilograms heavy friend if she collapses.

A long time passes in this whole walking and hoping and getting dreadful feelings. Finally a group of middle aged “uncles” appears. Well they too look dangerous but suddenly they’ve become uncles cause they look lesser horrifying than the guys that they left behind.

“Uncle, where’s the exit to the main road from here?”… Oh the powerful gal speaks!

“Beta, where do you exactly wish to go?”… Uncle still not understanding we’re SO lost!!

“uff uncle, don’t u understand! I mean where exactly!! We don’t even know why we came to bandra in the first place!! For God’s sake!! Anyway how should I keep things safe now before my friend yells that we’re lost and makes it even more unsafe!!” ... The Powerful girl Thinks !!!

“Well, uncle, we were actually looking for an auto or a taxi, there’s none here! So . .. if you could..!”

“o yes, you’ll get an auto nearby, go straight towards the railway gate, cross the lines, there you’ll find ‘Gaiety Galaxy’(it’s a mall she thought) and loads of autos there.”

They both leave the place asap and head towards the gate, which has not come into the scene for many minutes now! Finally, they heave a sigh of relief on seeing a railway gate, cross it right a second before it closes down on their empty heads, and again, a long walk to nowhere.

They thought they would cross the gate and the mall would appear out of blue; the existence of the human race would be witnessed for that matter, after the long walk in nowhere!

They walk through some government offices, come across some babus of the offices abusing everyone else in the world while sipping their teas…

“yeah, there are human beings here, follow those decent looking uncles, they look civilized, we will get through this!!”… Of course, it’s the powerful girl thinking again!

“Is this bandra at all or are we out of bandra??”, shouts the friend. And we get the point why the powerful girl tried to keep her friend calm, controlled and quiet. Cause she spoke once and made quite a few heads turn!!!

“Shushhhh…. ok shut up, we’re almost there!!”

AND THEY SEE AN AUTO….

GAIETY GALAXY. I love this mall... Is it a mall or just a multiplex?... So many people! We are back to the city where PEOPLE live!... Is it a multiplex?... Everyone seems to be waiting outside for some movie show to end!... Are there no stores inside? ... Its too ugly and badly designed to be a mall! ... What is that chick wearing? ..Ooh, nice hoops.. Oh, her friend looks better! ... What a crowd at Bandra man,.. we must come to bandra more often,...oo nice guys, or should I say ‘Eye tonics’ !! ... Is this a mall?? ... Forget it!! Lets get outta here!


“Auto!!!!”

The Swirls in Your Head,,,

When you complain about something, what is the reason behind it really?

Is it because things are not happening the way you want!? Or is it because its “their” fault, that the people concerned are not behaving the way they “should”…

Who decides this “the way they should be…”? Isn’t it You! You like a person for the way he is, not just because you’re in a good mood at that point of meeting…You like him for what he was. Now do people change? Or is it only the circumstances that change?

People are always the way they were, the way they have been. That’s what makes each person unique right! (Try to change yourself, for good or for bad, to test this. Deep inside, you’ll be yourself only, at the end of several trials)

So one thing’s clear, that people stay the same, the circumstances change and what changes with them is the way of seeing things.

And what explains that?

Well, you “label” people differently, you like a person for no big reason as such and hate another person simply ‘cause you do! You like being with a person, that’s something You have created in your mind…

So, comin’ back, do people really change with circumstances or do these labels that you set get altered?

Sometime ago, you had labeled a person as a really nice person. Today, if he doesn’t behave as expected (as labeled rather), you complain about him!

Can you really complain when it’s all in your head? Can you really expect people to behave the way you want them to? Do you change your mindset about people simply when they fail to be the way you wanted them to be?

All the questions probably end at another one… What do you concentrate on, more, in a relationship… is it about giving in, or taking from, a relationship?

A balance between the two would make life too simple to live!! :-)