Reflection

Source: Internet

I look at her.

She is quiet and still.

I approach her hesitantly. With trembling hands I lift her chin up.

Her eyes bore into mine yet they seem distant and aloof, as if searching something far behind mine.

She does not move. She is still.

I smile and she makes a futile attempt at the same.

Her eyes well up instantly and I feel the wetness on my cheek.

I encourage her and she spoke through her eyes.

I push along and she pulled back, afraid to cross the line.

She became quiet again.

With quivering lips she muttered something.

I thought I heard my name.

I looked at her and she vanished.

She vanished, leaving me to my reflection and my thoughts.

Dasvidaniya - Until we meet again!

Dasvidaniya or ‘Goodbye’ is not just a word but a very sincere emotion, an emotion which you feel when one fine day a very close and dear friend leaves you and moves on with life and you are left with nothing but precious memories and empty promises to meet again.

However, what will truly remain is the fact that we met; the fact that we shared a beautiful chapter of our life with that wonderful person.

Ishika, a person whom I met 5 years ago, contributed to that special chapter in my life and will always remain a part of it. She was truly unique and exclusive in many ways, and I’m sure people who’ve interacted with her will approve and agree with me. I’ve often commented that she is a single-piece manufacture and nobody else can be like her.

I’ve argued, debated, laughed and sobbed with her. I’ve shared dirty jokes, personal problems and several fleeting emotions with her.

She is an epitome of liveliness and full-on energy.
Nobody can beat her in window shopping ;-)

She used to grumble and whine about Mumbai since her relocation from Calcutta, and most of the time we ended up arguing which city is the best.

She often lured us to come to her hometown for all the special places, shopping sprees, roadside eateries and Durga Puja. Though she stayed in Mumbai, her heart lay in Calcutta.

Now that she is leaving Mumbai I know that somewhere she would miss this city and would definitely praise Mumbai with all her heart to fellow Calcuttians. Somewhere surely a part of her heart would continue to live in Mumbai.

So when Ishika decided to leave Mumbai and move back to Calcutta, it’s only fair that we give her a royal farewell. After much deliberation, we fixed a date for the surprise party. I called up past friends and team members and asked them to be a part of this surprise party:

And then what, cake was cut:

Food was served:

Liquor flowed:

And everybody made for a perfect picture, eating, drinking and chatting.

Satyameva Jayate – May Truth Prevail!

Aamir Khan on the promo ad for 'Satyameva Jayate'. Source: Internet

 Satyameva Jayate! 

The name itself is enough to offer goose bumps to true patriots. And so a show with this name can never go wrong for a true Indian to whom the truth is served in a platter with a hard-hitting tagline ‘Jab dil pe lagegi, tab hi baat banegi’

The national motto of India (which is inscribed in Devanagari script at the base of the national emblem) has been adopted as the title name of Aamir Khan’s venture in television, a show that talks about a number of social issues faced in (a not so) shining India.

After a lot of speculations and marketing efforts, the show was finally aired last Sunday (6^th May, 2012). To be frank, I did not remember to watch it. On a lazy Sunday morning while flicking through channels (a ritual and favorite pastime), I landed just in time to catch the show begin on Star Plus.

Aamir – the perfectionist that he is, made sure that the introduction to the show was as classy and impeccable as the star himself. However, the hero of the show was not the star, but the cause, the content and the contestants. This is a thoroughly researched (by team), well produced (by production house) and superbly communicated (by Aamir) show which kept me hooked onto it till the very end.

People who failed to watch the show asked me whether it was melodramatic, since all reality shows and social issue based shows are bound to be dramatic. I would say it was a well-balanced and well controlled show, not letting any emotion to be prolonging or too boring.

Though Aamir did shed a tear or two (along with the audience), but then who's complaining, after all we are Indians and we exhibit emotions regardless of anything, and he is an actor!

The format of the show was interestingly strung together with contestants and their stories, facts and statistics, Aamir’s ease with the audience and some light moments.

All said and done, I’m only hoping that this show doesn’t fizzle by the end of its season and lives up to its expectations. Also, don’t want this show to be just another show where issues are highlighted and then left hanging. Courage to face the issues and initiatives to correct them should be the final outcome of this show.

Aamir Khan can only bring the issues to the forefront, how we as audience and as Indians react to it is something to be looked forward to.

Satyameva Jayate – May Truth Prevail!

A visit to the hills - Travelogue I

 They say the preparation to a vacation is much more enjoyable than the vacation itself. And I truly believe in this adage, now that I’m experiencing it :-)

It’s the month of May and May brings freshness in the form of a holiday for many. So how can I be left behind?

I’ll be off to my summer vacations very soon with my friends (Neha, Nikhil (Nair), Nikhil & myself), to the quaint hills of the north. To be precise it’s gonna be a tour to Darjeeling, Gangtok and North Sikkim.

Darjeeling Tea Estate, West Bengal (Source: Internet)

Even though the trip is to be commenced on 24^th May, the experience through which I’m going through right now is unexplainable. There are a hundred emotions running through my mind and random thoughts which crop up every now and then. This is truly what they call pre-vacation pleasure and I felt the need to jot down this experience, lest it be elapsed in the traffic of my thoughts.

Presenting to you, my experiences of pre-vacation excitement and the subsequent day-dreaming about the same:

1.      Vacation means shopping – both before and during – and so I think of the number of shopping excursions I need to undertake so as to spend my 10 day vacation in style and comfort. Not to forget the luggage which will accommodate my brand new purchase along with my toiletries, accessories, books and other wanted and unwanted things.

2.      I think of the night before my trip, when I check and double check all my packed items against the checklist of items to carry.

3.      I think of the sleepless night before the trip.

4.      I think of the wonderful day when I get to leave office at 2pm, as against the usual 7 or 8, to take my train from Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) to Howrah. This is just the beginning (*grin*)!

5.      I think about the hurried and hasty drive to the station (since I stop in between to shop some more) while thinking about my friends curses and abuses about my penchant for punctuality (the lack of it, that is) and I reach just in time to catch the train.

6.      I think about the chaos in the train before everyone settles down. I think about the last minute remembrance to get a bottle of water or a pack of chips, to attend goodbye calls from family and friends and lecture/advise calls from mom, I think about winning the fight for window seat after I deposit the luggage, I hear the announcement blaring on the intercom signaling the train’s departure and catch a glimpse of the station before it blurs off, silently praying to the Almighty for a safe journey.

7.      I think of the co-passengers with whom we will be sharing the compartment, who will either entertain us or bore us to the end.

8.      I think of the food served on the Duronto (we will be taking the CST-Howrah Duronto) and immediately the taste of the chicken curry, the slurping sound made by Nair while finishing off his soup, flicking off a salad from Neha’s plate, the request for a second helping of desert from Nikhil, comes to my mind.

9.      I think about the games we plan to play in our journey (cards and UNO for our entertainment and antakshari and dumb charades to entertain and frustrate others), and when we are bored of annoying each other (and others), we will silently return to the world of books.

10. I think of the scenery unfolding before my eyes through the tinted glass window and snuggle up with a cup of chai to relish the moment.

Gurudongmar Lake, North Sikkim (Source: Internet)

I think of all these and many more, however, some of these experiences I want to cherish and write when I’m actually visiting them. Watch out this space for more on my travel-o-experience and some scintillating photographs.

Adios!

Appraisals kab hai, kab hai appraisals?

It’s April – and it’s that time of the year which a Corporate Employee recognizes as an important milestone in one’s career. Yes, its Appraisal Time!

 Appraisals – the one word which creates more suspense than an entire series of Sherlock Holmes books put together or garners more attention than any IPL season or Bollywood blockbuster release.

So here we are, all set to receive the news of a pay hike either through an envelope indicating that extra money you have slogged for or awaiting the month end for your salary account to disclose the same.

Having no high hopes of my own increment, I was wondering about the type of people we encounter in this phase of ‘high-undue-tension’.

Source: Internet

Mr. Chintamani (always the bothered and worried):

No matter what, Mr. Chintamani is out looking for chinta (tension), even if it’s not due in his account. He is the one who will initiate the ‘appraisal’ conversation right from November and will go on asking people what they think about the pay hike this year and the market condition for the same. He will crib and cry till the last day of his knowledge about the salary raise and then keep mum after he is appraised. And mind you, no one ever comes to know how much increment he gets!

Source: Internet

Mr. Chillpill (always the cool and may appear a fool):

He’s the cool dude of the gang and is not worried about boring things like salary hikes. He is unfazed about the company’s decision to rate him and is content with everything. If at all corporates thought that he is the right person for their organization, since he is not bothered about money matters, then they need to rethink. Mr. Chillpill is usually the one who job-hops and makes attrition rates in a company to soar.

Source: Internet

Mr. CCTV (always on red alert):

The name suggests it all. He is the watchdog of the boss and the company in general, who is majorly appointed for his skills in accumulating and giving up-to-date news about other employees and what business they are up to. So even if you’ve had a manicure or plucked out your eyebrow, or you take numerous trips to the loo (yeah, seriously – someone keeps a tab on it as well) to the hours you spend on phone calls, it’s sure to appear on his list of ‘to be informed’. Be wary about him, since he can make peanuts more appealing than your salary if you mess with him. And as far as his own appraisals are concerned – by the way who is concerned about him!

Source: Internet

Mr. Chaato-till-your-tongues-are-parched (born with a silver spoon for all that chamchagiri):

He needs no introduction. He exists in every organization, in every department and in every team. God! Does he ever feel thirsty with parchment due to the continuous ‘chatofying’ and ‘lal-tapkofying’? He is the one who will notice your boss’ silly haircut and compliment it no matter what. He laughs at the boss’ PJ and will also contribute to it. However he is less dangerous than Mr. CCTV, since he is concerned more about his own business and does all this for pure self – interest.

Source: Internet

Mr. Chupa Rustam (the guy who no one knows):

Yeah, he’s the same guy who neither shows his anxiety about assessments nor his happiness on getting a good one. He pretends to be Mr. Chillpill but he is similar to Mr. Chintamani. You will not even know if he’s married, has children, is a gay or simply not interested in anything. But he is the most clever and cunning out of the lot.

Source: Internet

Mr. Dhamkau (always the warning bell ringer):

‘If I’m not appraised well enough, I’ll resign’, ‘If I’m not given a bonus, I’ll quit’, ‘If I’m not given a comfortable chair, I’ll put down my papers’. You got it right. He’s the one who is ready to resign at the drop of a hat if things don’t go as he wishes. And he’s the one who will be with the company to collect his gratuity. Whether his demands got fulfilled or not, nobody ever knows, but all we know is that he will not quit till your 2^nd generation joins the company.

There would still be more characters to the list but I’d like to end it here, so as to not hurt any more sentiments.

Now go look out for characters similar to these in your company and have fun at their expense and stop worrying about appraisals, since I believe what is due to you will always be due to you! So why worry!

As far as what my character resembles – I’m not dumb enough to put that down on a blog   :-D

Adios!!

(PS: About why all characters is a ‘he’ – what else can you expect from a female writer :-P)

The person I’d miss the most!

Source: Internet

I barely remember the time when you occupied the place of a mentor, inspiration and motivation. All I know is that you were something I looked up to even though I never admitted it.

Without your presence I wouldn’t have known what it feels to have a head in the family. You were there to guide us through tribulations and to bring that extra zest to any occasion.

Was it not yesterday that you told me how much you love me – your first grandchild – and that I bring a certain joy and pride to you? Why is it then that I do not find you anymore to share the joy?

How can I forget the numerous trips that you took me to various temples in the south, giving me a sense of our culture and heritage? The fables and legends about various temples, Gods and Goddess’, history and myth that you would tell me on these journeys still resonate in my ears.

Your generosity and love, independency and dignity, ethics and morals are something which is sculpted within me and will always remain there.

The struggle that you endured all your life is a lesson for the weak and downtrodden. It’s an inspiration to me in my times of difficulties.

Your valor and perseverance taught me that we take charge of our own lives and not the other way around.

Yet you chose to leave this beautiful life and took a place up above the sky, twinkling amongst one of the stars.

Would you still remember me? Would you still know that I love you and miss you above all other things?

How I wish you were there when I bore my children to teach them about love and life and be a part of their childhood as you were a part of mine!

How I wish things went back to those days when life was with you!

You would truly be missed but remembered in every walk of our lives. You were a benefactor on earth, now you are an angel in heaven. Hope to continue my life with the sweet memories I shared with you.

Love you Nani!

My Sunglasses, My Style

Source: Internet

“Amma, what do we gift Appa for his birthday this year?” I shrieked from the upper floor of our compact little row house. My mom, busy in her kitchen, yelled back “why don’t we gift him yet another ‘his-all-time-favorite’ sunglass?” 

That sounded like a good idea. Not a novel one, but definitely a good one, since my dad is known for his love and obsession for eyewear that makes him go ‘Ohh La La’.

I’m like my dad in more than one way. My love for reading and writing, my ability to lose temper at the drop of a pin, my likeness for food etc. are all a boon that I inherited from my dear dad. And one of these boons includes my fetish for sunglasses.

Two pieces of glasses framed accurately for my big, bright eyes, perched on the slender bridge of my nose and the rims supporting the glasses flowing to the back of my ears – the thought of them makes me go crazy and leaves me gasping for more (*pun unintended*).

It can’t be denied that, as an accessory, it’s a must on everyone’s closet.

I’m proud to be the owner of 5 exclusive sunglasses which I use on different occasions. But it was not until I started working four years back, that I could possess my own eyepiece.

Even though dad offered to gift me on several occasions, I denied accepting it since I firmly believed that certain things in life (which are truly dear to you) need to be earned and not simply get it.

(In that case, you may ask as to why I chose to enter this competition where you get to win a sunglass for free. I would again repeat that I am here to earn it and not simply get it J)

Coming back to the subject of this blog, GKB Optical is truly a one-stop shop for sunglasses, since it’s loaded with brands, types, varieties, price range and unique options.

Their website even offers a ‘virtual trial room’ by way of their tool – Try-It-On, which gives you the liberty to try the sunglasses either on one of your pictures or on one of the available ones, sorted according to face types. This is a better bargain, since I believe that sunglasses need to suit your face, for it to bring out the personality in you.

The two most favorite sunglasses which I chose from GKB Optical website and why they take this position can be explained below:

Source: GKB Optical

My first choice is the all-time-favorite Classic Aviators! (Brand: Ray Ban. Model no. RAY-BAN RB 3025) I loved the shades of this piece and I’m sure it will frame my face beautifully with a touch of elegance and chic. This classic eyewear will be accentuated with my choice of another classic combination of white tucked-in shirt over blue jeans.

Just as a wardrobe is incomplete without a pair of blue jeans and crisp white shirt, a sunglass collection will be imperfect if it does have the aviators (again, one of my many beliefs!).

With this combination of apparel and sunglass I’d like to make my fashion statement as classy, stylish, and smart.

Source: GKB Optical

My second choice is the sporty Ray Ban piece (Brand: Ray Ban. Model No. RAY-BAN RB 2132).

Why this choice? Well I’m an outdoor person who loves to explore and travel. Trekking and adventure kicks my adrenaline rush.

Since I go out often for various treks, this sunglass is sure to add that extra zing to my personality and the activity. I would pair it with a simple tee and jeans, the rest will be taken care by the glasses.

Also pairing this sunglass with a saree or a kurti will provide a different dimension to the Indo-Western avatar and will make you look a class-apart.

As to how I would use both the glasses as an accessory – I like the classic way of resting it on my head, which sweeps back my free flowing hair and serves the dual purpose of a hairband as well.

These are my choices and my style! And I have yet again proved that I’m a Ray Ban loyalist!

Over to you Mr. Judge!!

This entry is a part of the contest at BlogAdda.com brought to you by GKB Optical Sunglasses