All we are is contradiction!

I am a person of contradiction. Actually we all are but here I can just speak for myself. 

I call myself an ambivert. Sometimes I can't be happier than being in the company of a group of people. I face no problems in having conversations and usually come out as a social person. But within a fraction of an hour I feel like running away from that group, find a place that I can call my den, just think about whatever I want to think. I struggle in starting a conversation and despite being taken as a social person, 8 out of 10 times I fail to build a long term friendship/relationship.
This confuses me everytime.
There are days when I just grab my purse and leave the house for nowhere. Usually I end up in a crossword, cuddled in a corner with some random, unheard book. Today in one of these "date with myself" visits I was having a pretty successful date. Read a quarter of "Growing up Bin Laden" and had a juice and munchies. Extremely satisfied with my lone trip I was on my way back when coming down the escalator I saw a man in Gloria Jeans, sitting alone, reading a book. 10 tables around him were occupied and none of the occupants were alone, except him. Three floors down, I couldn't help turning my eyes from him. A zillion of thoughts ran through my mind. The one that struck me was "Oh! Poor man. He is sitting alone. Doesn't he have anyone to give him company?" I was shocked to hear my thoughts! I wanted to reprimand Miss Pankhuri Shrivastava's thoughts. But chose to remind her that she was also alone, reading a book and sipping juice. She has been blessed with good friends but she was doing so by choice.
This surprises me everytime
People choose different things. Sometimes their actions mirror your actions but if you are not wearing that dress at that time you prefer to criticize it. And this makes me think we are so complicated. Everything in the world except humans can be defined by a definition but for humans the definition changes for every different person. A far more complex issue is that even for one person the definition changes every minute.
Sometimes I want life to be simple but at other times I love the complexity.
This amuses me eveytime.
In short, life is all about Confusion, Surprises and Amusement.
At peace for now
:)

How blessed 'THEY' are???

I love India. I love every bit of Indianness in me!!!
I love saree, kurta, choodi and bindi. I love colours. I love festivals : crackers of Diwali, euphoria of Holi, dance of Ganesh Mahotsav, smoke emanating from a burnt Ravan, the 'eidi' of Eid and not to forget the grandeur of Indian weddings!
Yes, I love all this despite the fact that I am an environmental activist, I get irritated by noise pollution and abhor the stupendous amount of money splurged during weddings!
If you know me you will find it difficult to accept that I love 'paan' and more than that I love 'paan ki peek' :P
ohh yess!!! I love spitting the red fluid :P
I am amused by the madness of crowd and entertained by the rib-tickling ads pasted all over the local trains in Mumbai  like "Laabh ki 100% gurantee. Kisi bhi prakar ki pareshani jaisi ki prem vivah, manshahi shaadi, pati ki daru, sautan ka dukh, court mamla, dhanprapti, film me safalta atyadi ke liye miliye baba bam bam ji se !!!(vashikaran me maahir)" ROFL!!!
We are a country of crazy people for sure and we have valid reasons for all the above mentioned craziness...
But there are certain things which beat me and after a lot of contemplation I accept defeat.
The thing that made me write this post is "Why do we think that an eunuch is blessed?" Just because they are different from us?? Why don't we budge even a little and give a penny to a blind beggar but we hurriedly, without fail shower all the change in the purse on a begging eunuch!!!
They are not blind, they are not handicapped, they are not demented. In my opinion they are well capable of working and earning atleast as daily labourer. I don't blame them because they are a largely ignored community. Their rights to work and live a normal life have been violated with impunity. They are spread all over the country but there population is uncertain as there is no provision for this gender in the census form because they neither belong to the male nor the female one.
They've always been projected as a dark and sinister group of people, to be avoided at all costs. There is hardly any empathy and humanity while giving alms to them.They are a close-knit community who appear to care little for social acceptance but looking at some of them going around begging in the local train I wonder "Do they not get hurt when people make fun of them or laugh at them because God made them the way they are? Do they not wish to participate in elections, be members of parliament, be a part of other decision making bodies of the country? Do they not desire to express themselves on various platforms? Will they not love to be educated, develop themselves and live the way other communities live in our society?"
If we think they are blessed then are they not blessed enough to deserve these common rights???

ROSE AND PANKHURI

I saw a very rosy dream

Not about you not about me

But a dream in which a rose tells me

 “you are a rose, I believe, please justify your rosy name for me?”

Sitting in a room with roses all around

Red, pink, yellow and white

I think how to justify the name 

How to win this rosy little game?

“Let’s write a poem full of roses,

A poem where each sentence smells of roses.”

The red rose raised a brow,

And I started the rosy little work…

What a rosy fragrance is in a rose since its very birth
Undoubtedly it is one of the most beautiful flowers on Earth
Thinking more the realization dawned that a rose is a rose is a rose

What more could I have said about a rose?

A red rose symbolizes passion and love

A white rose soothes with the peace of dove

A yellow love whispers friendship and concern

But a black rose is unlikely to return!

Reading my rosy little poem

I find a rosy way to beat boredom!

Then I see in my dream the poem reaching the press

And Miss Pankhuri bowing down gracefully, with her cheeks full of rosiness!

The child in me!!!

Some think I am cute
Some find me sweet
Some say I am kind
But I confess, I don't know myself...

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is a child in me

A child who likes to play all day
A child who wants to make your day
A child who likes to fly kites
A child who loves to run after butterflies

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is a child in me

A child who loves to sing to you
A child who loves to dance infront of you
A child who wants to be a part of your happiness
A child who wants to rip away your sadness

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is a child in me

A child who dreams all day long
A child who prays to Almighty God
A child who wants to shine like a star
A child who wants to be like sunshine

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is a child in me

A child who loves to look at sky for hours
A child who loves to make mud castles
A child who loves to stare at sparrows
A child who loves to play with doves on the window sill

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is a child in me

A child who wants to learn all alphabets again
A for apple B for ball C for cat and D for doll
A child who loves the green of the grass
A child who loves the smell of the wet land

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is a child in me

A child who wonders and wonders and wonders a lot
A child who observes how the eyes blink when you speak
A child who probably knows nothing at all
Except that life is much more beautiful than what we think

Of all I know and what I feel
Is that there is REALLY a child in me!!!

Temple at a glance

What humbugs we are, who pretend to live for Beauty, and never see the Dawn!  ~Logan Pearsall Smith

I acknowledged this quote just recently, very subtly on a trip to Tirumala (Tirupati).
Sitting at a restaurant, waiting for dinner to be served, we googled Tirupati. The demigod informed us that Tirupati is a huge pilgrimage city, abode of Lord Venkateshwara and attracts millions of devotees every year. Its the country's richest temple (temples are also rich and poor!!!!) and the collection on 1st January alone was 3.80 crores (no comments)!!!!!
But you can access this information online. I'll tell you what you'll not read anywhere. 
Early morning when sun is still sleeping, we get up, take bath and leave for Tirumala hills. Its a collection of seven hills and on the top of the highest hill is the sacred shrine. The 30 minutes drive up the hill offers a panoramic view. The unending expanse of lush green valley, the pristine scenes and beautiful rest places for people to bask in the beauty. But no car stops here as all are in a hurry to reach before the queue for darshan becomes longer. We reached the top and its not just a temple on the hill top its a well planned town where everything is FREE!!!! Yes, free accommodation, free food, free toilets, even free buses. Tirumala resembles The Mall Road of Shimla a lot with an exception that never in the history of Shimla will so many people be present together on The Mall Road. Yes, the people came in buses, taxis, private cars and even on foot. They came like waves in an ocean, they came like angry bees from an upset beehive, they came like soldiers trying to seize a city from the enemy during war. 
I was amused and very soon saddened. The multitude had come for a trip- a religious one but a trip. They had travelled miles from home, had taken leave from work, packed bags and come for a trip. But hardly anyone on reaching Tirumala saw the sheer beauty of the place. No one saw the morning sun peeking between the green hills, no one saw the birds calling each other. No one seemed to smell the scent, no one seemed to inhale the fresh, cool air. No one saw how clean the roads were, no one saw how peaceful and serene Tirumala was. No one saw the nature's extravaganza touching the sky, no one. All were in a hurry to reach the queue and quench their thirst for the divine darshan. I agree that the town owes its existence to the temple and an ardent devotee is preoccupied with the idol darshan. But there is a small question that refuses to leave my mind unanswered-How can someone overlook the beautiful and breath taking creation of the Almighty for a man-made temple???  
Tirupati is a place where a man has to forget his comforts, his peace of mind and run like a mad man, suffer like a poor fellow. I saw police beating people to get into the line, I saw police insulting old men who couldn't walk fast, I saw pickpockets taking advantage of the queue and I saw corrupt people taking advantage of the few facilities given to the old and handicapped.
I was spared by all this, thanks to my father but I wonder those who come to Tirupati with their hearts full of religious fanaticism, ready to stand in a queue for hours, to be abused by other men, do they lock their self respect at their places and then arrive here???
There's one more thing which disturbed me a lot. God is perhaps the only object which is at the disposal of every person despite his rank, reputation, power or money. The shrine is acclaimed as the holiest of the celebrated 108 Tirupatis. The place where Lord himself came down to settle in Kali Yuga differentiates people on the basis of money!!! Yes, if you can spend more then you can have a better darshan. A person stands in a queue for 4-5 hours without any refreshment, not even water and finally when he enters the glittering room made of gold, he is pushed by petty policemen and forget a look, he is not even allowed a glance . A devotee who has spend money, stood in line for hours does not deserve to be treated like this. If he cannot be respected then he should also not be disrespected by policemen who themselves are morally degraded.  
Behind this expensive room of gold is another room where fat pandits sit and count lakhs and lakhs of rupees and a devotee dishevelled by ill-treatment watches them playing with the moolah!!!!
I have no hard feelings against the pandits or the devotees or the temple administration. I do not mean to disrespect the feelings of people. I am not an atheist and I do not appreciate blasphemy against God or traditions. But I am extremely anguished to see that the system is not correct. 
You pay to watch a movie, a dolphin show, a circus but you are not meant to pay to see your God. If you are a respectable person in your society then you do not deserve to be treated like a beggar when you wish to see your God. Temples are meant to give you peace of mind, relieve you of all worries, make you a better person by retrospection and introspection. They are not there to take away some peace that you have. I have always felt that the vibes are so positive in a temple that they have the power to transform thoughts, feelings and emotions. I just wish that this potential is not stolen by the disguised pickpockets present at the administrative corridors of temple. 

FIGHT WITH LUCK

I have found a very strong quality inside me.

I can laugh off at my troubles and still worry about them.

I got the biggest shock of my life recently. Something which I'd never expected. Something with a potential to shatter me.

It still hurts so bad.

But i've come to terms with it. It was a chapter in my life. This is again a big incident that has occurred with me. This has made my life spicy for others. If I write a novel with my life as a reference, it will compel the reader to turn the pages of the book and not put it down until its over.

But even after all this it hurts. God's games are not at all pleasant this time. My mom says "where were you when luck was being distributed?" I said "I don't know". But seriously I wonder where was I??????

I don't mind a lot if luck is not with me but I humbly kneel down and request with my hands clasped "Dear luck, if you don't like me then don't be with me but please don't conspire against me."

But the darling luck refuses to listen so now I warn you "LUCK, BEWARE. IF YOU DO NOT MEND YOUR WAYS, PEOPLE WILL GRADUALLY STOP BELIEVING IN YOU AND DEPEND MORE ON YOUR RIVAL --- HARD WORK AND NOTE MY WORDS 'SOMEDAY YOU'LL HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON HARD WORK."

These are your hands inside the box, darling luck!!!!

HIS GAMES

Finally, I am back to the blogging world and this time I make a tiny promise to myself that I will try to be active here.

So, a lot a lot a lot of things happened since 18th March (my last post). I turned 2. The day before my birthday happens to be the birthday of our dear Mother India. That day coming back from my aunt's place, I saw a towering building, decorated beautifully on the eve of independence with expensive lights and just in front of that building was a small boy, holding 5-6 Indian flags to sell, siting with tears in his eyes.
I do not know why he was crying but I know the reason is genuine and really painful. In a life where he probably doesn't go to bed with a full stomach, a life where he has never seen a hope of better living conditions, a life where he has been abused by others, a life where he is probably beaten everyday by a frustrated mother or a drunken father (if he is a little privileged to not be an orphan),  for him tears are not such a bad thing. But yeah it moved me and the curious Pankhuri inside me yearned to know the reason specifically.

Well, I couldn't but I thought of spreading some happiness among these poor children. My cousin and I contributed some money, bought biscuits and toffees and went to various slums in the city and gave them a small independence day gift.

It was good and gratifying but the question is - Is a one day kindness act by two girls sufficient????
The problem is colossal!!!
No matter what I am doing now and what have I achieved, I have a quality that I dream big. Yes people, my dreams are very big.
I really want to do something for these people so that their life takes a 180 degree turn. This thing is not just to write but what I feel actually from the insides.
I do not know what, how, when, where of my dreams but if God helps I want to do this.

Anyways, so I celebrated my birthday then exams came so suddenly and in such large number that it felt as if Tsunami has struck.

The exams were not as expected and not at all satisfactory. I think if I concentrate only on my short term problems then this is the NUMBER 1!!!!

I know it sounds lame and people would not want to believe me but the luck suddenly went against me.
Here, suddenly, I remember the day when we won the laptops. How in that quiz I suddenly knew the last, winning answer which was from the area about which we had 'equal to nothing' information -- sports and how on the day of my FMS exam I didn't attempt my strongest section -- English!!!!
This makes me wonder how small and powerless are we??? We are puppets in his hands and he is such a wonderful gamer.

Every plan failed, every decision had to be changed and straight from the top of the mountain I fell in a deep pit.

The future is so bleak that even a  torch's light cannot illuminate it sufficiently. But still I am positive, I don't know about what, but I am. I think I know it's just his another game. I kind of get this feeling that this has become his favourite game.

But, O my dear God, I want to tell you something " YOU WANT TO PLAY, PLAY. I DON'T CARE NOW. THERE WILL BE A DAY WHEN YOU'LL GET BORED OF THIS SEGMENT OF PEOPLE AND MOVE ON TO ANOTHER PEOPLE"

 Hey!!! Just now, while writing this, I understood the concept behind astrological science. Bad phase like sathe sati shani etc is when God is playing games with you and your life. Good phase is when God is tired of you and finds new people and lives to play with. YES!!! IT FITS PERFECTLY.

SANKALP-YUVA UNSTOPPABLE

PC (Priyanka Chopra) smiles at me showing those pearly-whites on TV , playing smart and saying,"Why should boys have all the fun?"... Well to be true, I feel no one has as much fun as girls these days ;)

We have the world falling on our feet literally... Nopes am not being arrogant... Naah! Naah! I, the girl, am not arrogant. 

We are shining bright and we are sought after.

Advertising industry has taken a complete turn when it comes to portraying women.

I feel so elated to see 'US' shining... We are everywhere, we are CEOs of organizations, we are ruling the film business,we are ruling the health and beauty industry, we are towering people in IT now. OMG, I am so happy for us. 

Men are advised to use AXE, Fairness Creams and what not just to land an impression on their women. ;) The whole perspective is changing gradually. 

Long gone are the days when women used to give in to what came in their way. Now, they demand, they explore and they 'call the shots' too.

Things are changing and I hope they are for good. I feel blessed that my family educated me and will, as long and as much I want to study.
I know there are many who are still caught up in the low-side.
I know we still have a long way to go... but I am glad atleast we have started walking in the right direction. 

Yes, my dear friends, we have started something under 'YUVA UNSTOPPABLE'. Today Jaya, Megha, Poonam (one of our juniors) and I went to a nearby slum, collected few children, talked to their parents and will be teaching them English every Saturday. Isn't it amazing?Four girls, 20 year olds, all on their own, took a step to contribute in a major way to the society for the upliftment of the underprivileged. OMG!!! I am sooo happy. The enthusiasm of the kids and the treatment we received there was exhilirating. We have zeroed in on the name 'SANKALP'. :D  Its not just we four, we have a chapter with a few members and the sankalp, I am sure u know what it is by now.

 

For once, I want to say that women are not all about suppression and pain. We have moved on. We have evolved and We are here to conquer the world. :) Enough of blame games and enough of crying behind the curtains. Optimism wins it all at the end.

Kisi mere jaisi kudi ne kaha hain :
"Bas ek kadam badaaney ki baat hain, raastey khud-ba-khud ban jaatey hain. Manzil par kadi nazar rakhney waaley hi ant mein jeet paatey hain".

Let's Keep Walking!!

beautiful GOA!!!

Goa, the smallest state of India is one of the most beautiful and charming state. It is globally famous for its pristine beaches fringed by coconut trees, beautiful landscapes, azure sky, medieval monuments, forts and churches and mix blend of culture. One visit to this state will surely compel you to come time and again to explore the magnetizing charm of Goa.

 I got a chance to visit this "Pearl of Orient" on the pretext of attending a cultural fest of BITS, Pilani, Goa campus. Nesting in the lap of verdant hills, overlooking the Zuari River, the campus proves itself to be one of the most beautiful campuses of India. The location of campus is unique in respect of scenic beauty and panoramic view of picturesque surrounding encompassing Zuari River, hillocks, waterways, forests and landscape and the students out there were a vanguard. A perfect combination of beauty and brains.

But this post is not about my experience in the campus but my experience in the scintillating combination of sun, surf, sand and sea which makes Goa one of the picture perfect destinations in India.

Visiting Goa is like getting into a big party, where everyone is enjoying life at its best. We also got in the same festive mood.

Our first excursion was to MAJORDA BEACH. This beach is a white sand beach and the first sight of this place was stunning. At 9am there was a perfect silence responding to the humming of the sea, where you can sit engrossed in a book and look up to catch the picturesque scene of the sea but sadly I had no book with me :P :P :P

After spending a wonderful time at Majorda we hired a taxi and left for CALANGUTE/BAGA beach.

Traveling such places on road is a totally different experience. One gets the essence of the state and its culture while on road. One thing which caught my eye was not the greenery, which was abounding, but the houses which were painted in dramatic and startling colours like violet, yellow, blue etc. Thus creating a sensation. They resembled colourful flowers blooming in copious greenery.

We reached the Calangute beach when the sun was sinking in the oblivion. It was beginning to get dark and so we got to see a completely different shade of the sea. One thing I must not forget to mention is that you can bet on the fact that in a day the sea never repeats its appearance.

The atmosphere at Calangute was very different from that at Majorda.  It was crowded with people, children making sand castles, colourful crowds surging towards the sea and the young and old alike lazing on the golden sands. This picture of a perfect tourist haven was completed with shacks and stalls under the shade of palm trees selling everything from fried prawns and beer to bags and clothes to sandals and even trinkets made of seashells.

At night we went to the most popular and happening night club of Goa - TITO'S 

 

"The year was 1971. It was the time of the hippies and the flower power generation. The hippies and other young people from Western Europe and the Americas were searching for Nirvana or Spiritual Salvation and Goa seemed to put them on the right track. The Goans also accepted these peaceful and gentle people whole heartedely. Life in Goa was simple then. No motorbikes, cars and restaurants.It was here and in this environment that Tito Henry de Souza who had traveled extensively decided to settle down and also provide a place for all the expats to meet up.
Today, Tito's is still the place where the world meets up. It is now run by Tito's two sons - Ricardo and David, and boasts of an indoor night club, a multi-cuisine restaurant called "Brass", an outdoor pub, the currently most popular beach pub - "Mambo's" a 24 hour coffee shop and boutique. Tito's is still the place to gather info on the various things happening along the Goan coast."

  Every Night is a Party Night in Club Tito's Goa

  Although we came very late at night and were very tired, we got up early in the morning to go for water sports. Goa is a paradise for water sports lovers. The long coastal area offers wonderful oppurtunites to indulge in all sorts of water-sport activites. The para-sailing and water scooter took our breath away.

PARASAILING was spine-tingling.

 

WATER SCOOTER was DHOOM machale :P

At 12 noon we left for the campus but lost the way as the driver did not know the location of BITS. We had our train at 3:10pm and somehow we managed to reach the campus at 2:45pm. The drive from the college to the station is of half an hour. You can imagine how tensed we were while leaving the paradise. Instead of relishing the last scenes of Goa we were praying to God that we don't miss our train. Our prayers were heard and we reached station just at the right time. As soon as we boarded the train it started. Phew!!!

On our way back in the train we saw the famous Doodhsagar waterfall. Goa is no less than a hill station. The hills and the waterfall were magnificent. We were spellbound. The waterfall takes a steep plunge down in the wooded mountains  and appears to be milky streaks cascading down the mountainside. Believed to be amongst the highest falls in the country, this magnificent fall is located in a blissful tropical jungle with crisscrossing streams. The view from the train was breathtaking.

Like a child joyfully rotating a kaleidoscope and chuckling at the changing patterns, one just gets hooked on to Goa. Beauty can be quite inebriating especially when you are in India and when in Goa, you have so much of it - in the golden sands, the blue waters, the sylvan forests and the lakes.

Almost everyone who visits Goa usually does the normal tourist circuits including one or two beaches and Madgoan or Panajim. But that is not enough. Beauty, they say, is not skin deep. So, when in Goa, you have to put in more days to fully savor the place, the pleasure of discovering a crab under a stone, churches of Old Goa, temples of small villages, and the thrill of walking on some of the best beaches in India full of crisp sea-shells. The mind stops thinking and the heart begins speaking. Such is Goa that you may not have seen. Goa has more than 100 km of coastline and the sea has different shades to offer at various places.

I will again visit the place and cover up what I missed this time. But even a day out there is captivating and memorable.

WORTH IT!!!

Today at 6 am I woke up, startled, by a loud thunder. Quickly I threw the bedsheet, went to the window and saw a horrendous yet a breathtaking beautiful scene. Dark clouds covering the horizon and making the atmosphere a little gloomy but when the downpour started I realized brass tacks.

There’s a day when you realize it is all worth it.

You awake from the dark, dreary shadows of doubt to realize that this life is beautiful and breathtakingly worth it. All of it.

Every single second. minute. hour. day. week. month. year.

Every single friendship. relationship. goodbye. distance. hello. love.

Every single tear. binge. escape. reaction. suppression. smile. regression.

Every single memory. story. joke. trial. mistake. tribulation. lesson.

It doesn’t come in the form of a person, place, or idea. Rather, an elemental eclipse that shakes the soul. An instantaneous shutter that shoots beams of light deep into the pits of the heart. Violet. Navy. Amber. Ivory.

Beams of purpose radiating from the mind. finger tips. ears. stomach. eyes. heart.

A purpose is all you’ve been searching for…and one day it just appears.

LIFE IS FULL OF BUBBLES!!!

Life is full of bubbles.

Millions of bubbles. 

BIG bubbles. 

SMALL bubbles. 

These bubbles float around us. We can't see them. They are microscopic. They are at the alpha level of the mind (now don't ask me what that means!). Each bubble contains a dream, an idea, a wish, a desire. Once in a while a bubble floats into the conscious state of the mind. The bubble grows. Bigger and bigger. Day after day. When it reaches its optimum level, its all we can think about. Day and night. All you want in life is that little dream inside the bubble to come true. And once that wish takes over your mind-body-soul, the bubble BURSTS. Just like that. Just as inconspicuously as it had surfaced in the first place. For a second you're paralyzed, not realizing what has happened. You don't know what to do, where to go. Your heart breaks. Your mind freezes. Your soul cries.
Time passes. And then slowly another bubble floats into the conscious state of the mind. This one too grows bigger and bigger, day after day........until.......
PHUT!!!

Life becomes a full circle.   

LOVE FOR ALL!!! ALL FOR LOVE!!!

I received it in the mail, and I just couldn't help crying.
I cried so much that even now my eyes bleed.
It isn't the pour of sadness, but the fact that beauty and humanity have come along hand in hand all along and all we can see is the negative, the little, pointless ailing.
Yes there is a cure. There is beauty.
Here and Now.

The girl in the picture is Katie Kirkpatrick, she is 21. Next to her, her fiancé, Nick, 23.
The picture was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony, held on January 11, 2005 in the US .

Katie had terminal cancer and spent hours a day receiving medication.
In the picture, Nick is waiting for her on one of the many sessions of chemo to end.

In spite of all the pain, organ failures, and morphine shots, Katie is going along with her wedding and took care of every detail. The dress had to be adjusted a few times due to her constant weight loss.

An unusual accessory at the party was the oxygen tube that Katie used throughout the ceremony and reception as well.
The other couple in the picture are Nick's parents.. Excited to see their son marrying his high school sweetheart.

Katie, in her wheelchair with the oxygen tube , listening to a song from her husband and friends.

At the reception, Katie had to take a few rests.The pain not let her stand up for long periods.

Katie died five days after her wedding day. Watching a women so ill and weak getting married and with a smile on her face makes us think..... Happiness is reachable, no matter how long it last. We should stop making our lives complicated.

Life is short
Break the rules
forgive quickly
laugh constantly
And never stop smiling
no matter how strange life is
Life is not always the party we expected to be
but as long as we are here, we should smile and be grateful.

LIFE AND ME!!!

IN LIFE

WE WALK ALONE ON THE SANDS OF TIME

LIKE A LONELY DRIFTING CLOUD

CLINGING TO HOPE...

 

BELIEVING THAT, AFTER EVERY WINTER COMES A SUMMER

HOPING FOR A RAINBOW AFTER RAIN

EARS TRYING TO LISTEN TO GOD...

DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!

SUN PEEPS THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT...

AND...

MORNING ARRIVES...

WAKING FLOWERS TO BLOOM...

AND INSPIRING ME TO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL...

:) :) :)

HAPPINESS OF WINNING + VACATIONS AT HOME :)

Hello everyone... :)

These days I am at home :D came for Diwali and I am enjoying myself like anything. Remember the post I had written "Longing for a date with myself"??? Well, God is great. He granted my wishes so soon that I can't help smiling :) :) :) :) :) So, its not the exact replica of my imagination but its no less. I have whole 24 hours of the day for myself. I can do whatever I feel like, I can sleep anytime, get up anytime, eat anytime, bathe anytime, watch TV anytime and study anytime...yeah I am studying and studying not casually but seriously and studying a lot. So that is giving me immense satisfaction. I am not tired when I go to bed but I have satisfactory smile on my face when I go off to sleep because I am glad to know that my day was spent according to my wishes and it was far more productive than those hectic days in Bhopal. I am missing Megha and Jaya but I am happy with papa, mumma and toshu. I can't describe how cute mumma has become. She is now probably the cutest mother on planet earth (no offence please). So I am having a heavenly time dating myself :)

One more thing, before I forget, I participated in a debate competition just before coming to Jhansi. There were three rounds, first was a general selection round. The topic was given on the spot which was "Religious diversity is a hindrance to the development of a country" and I spoke against the topic. Second round was infront of a crowd of approx. 500 people. The topic was given 5 min prior to the event and it was "Due to delay in judicial procedure, punishment of the accused in public by masses is justified or not?" and once again I spoke against the topic. The third round was a group discussion round on the same topic.

So finally when the results were declared the next day, I stood FIRST :) and got a printer as prize. I am thinking of starting an electronics shop with a printer, a laptop, a webcam all of which I have won in various competitions :D :D :D

DO ENJOY DIWALI AND IN THESE HOLIDAYS TRY TAKING OUT A DAY FOR YOUR OWN SELF. I TELL YOU ITS HEAVENLY :)

YEARNING FOR A DATE WITH MYSELF!!!

Amidst a hectic lifestyle and trying to be super-human; managing college, coaching, studies, friends, family and virtual life, we end up losing touch with the most important person, our own self. Even the so-called ‘Me time’ on weekends/ holidays is spent with other people and we end up being tired rather than relaxed. I, like many people around me, crave for that one day when I can have a date with myself. It should be easy right? There are no appointments to be made, no fees to be paid …wrong! It’s a hard realization that I am not that easily available to myself, not anymore. There are other things that have taken priority. :( :(
People who know me are aware that I love going for vacations. Sometimes I feel like packing my bag and going for a holiday just like that, to spend some time away from the maddening world around me. There are so many achievements, prizes won and so many dreams to be fulfilled which require hard work and diligence. Ideally, I would love to switch off my phone and not check my mails /orkut/Facebook/blog. I would walk for hours on a beach, dance away the evenings and indulge in body spa for hours. I would love to visit some religious places and eat my favorite foods, meet new people and silently watch the sunset. I would love to sleep for a good 10 hours and do window-shopping the rest of the time. I wish I could shut out the worries of day to day life from my mind for a few days and enjoy peaceful sleep interrupted only by beautiful dreams.
I have been promising myself this date for long, where I will have my undivided attention and when I will spare no effort in pampering myself. I will listen to myself with patience like I have never done before and I will discover things about me that I never knew existed.

PANKHURIS :)

I have nothing to write about this picture. No thoughts provoked by this. Its just that I found it so beautiful and soothing to eyes that I thought of sharing it with you all.

Hope you too like it.

:)

Lots of love,

Yours only,

Pankhuri