It wasn't the end after all...

She was waiting at the coffee shop. People walking, talking, clicking photos, celebrating someone's birthday...she had a date. It had been quite some time, that she had not made an effort to actually go out and impress someone. She was never the kind of person who did that, actually! She used to like a guy, and wait...wait till HE came and approached her. She was 21 now. As she took the first sip of cappuccino, her mind wandered back to the time...when she was 15...her first crush...her first date....the feeling of being 'committed'...for the first time.

It all seemed a bit blurred now.But, she remembered a few things...she always recollected them...whenever, wherever possible...those memories still bought a smile to her face, albeit it was reduced from the teeny blushy grin to a lady-like poised smile. She tried to rewind- the uniforms, her first cellphone, the first exchange of glances, Y! messenger...and as time passed by, they became daily chat buddies. So much so that, they even had fixed timings to come online. She knew everything about him...yet liked him..as he was. Accepted him..just like that. As the wind blew, she slid back the few strands of hair that covered her face, reminding how he had done the same...once. He liked coffee. Does he still do? 'coz she had never liked it!
So many memories. silly teenage love. Yet, even after all these years, unknowingly, all she looked out for in every man she met, was his face. Had he changed now? He did look better with the rugged look. It all started like a fairytale...unexpected, breezy and everything seemed perfect! It didn't last long though...few days? a week probably? She wondered what went wrong...but then, not of any use analyzing it now..was it? Her friends used to initially listen to her, when she cried, missed him..wanted to talk to him..but as days passed by, she realized that it had started annoying them too. They said, he cheated on her. Did he? She never got the answer. Now, she didn't have anyone to ask to, as no one ever stayed in touch. Neither those friends, nor did he. She looked at her hands...he always said that, hers were baby soft...still was! She removed her ipad and logged onto Facebook. She wanted to visit his profile. But, something stopped her and she closed the browser. She used to, at time, try the last number she had contacted him on, but it didn't exist any more. It had been the same story, everyday. Every time, she was not in a party...not busy with a project or assignments, didn't have a novel to read or had just seen a romantic movie..for the past 6 years. She never cried these days thinking about it...she had stopped that long ago, when he walked out of her life. But, she wondered if anything would be the same again. Would she like it, if everything became like it was. Maybe no, she was so used to this routine, that it had become a habit.
She wondered how many girls he had been with over the past few years...did he ever think about her? Atleast on her birthday night? Had he fallen in love for real with someone? What would she do if she saw him now, with his girlfriend. She knew she couldn't forgive him...neither could she forget him. As much as she tried, she didn't want to. She tried diverting her attention to the little toddler pulling her kurti. She bent down to play with it, when she heard a heavy, manly voice, "Abhilasha Banerjee?"
She turned around and looked at his face, a well-built guy with a goatee. And, that voice!!
Perhaps it wasn't the end after all...

Image courtesy: Google

Let yourself go! :D

I FINALLY managed to catch up with one of the recent releases, saw a film called 'Zindagi na milegi dobara'.
And, no, I wouldn't say that it was an absolute masterpiece, or a film which has a superb story...not too much of masala, neither too much pre/post release hypes...nor any item number!
All this film had was 3 things:
- Brilliant music
- Breathtaking locations
- Life!

Basically, it's just about three friends who are out to face challenges and tasks chosen by one of them. They all are too much entangled in their own lives, and yet somehow manage to meet up and fulfill the 'pact'. If you've watched the movie, you'll notice that when Hrithik and Farhan are set and ready to face the thing that they are afraid of the most...their heart beats..louder and faster! They listen to it, take a deep breath and dive in (one into water and other into sky!).
The moment Hrithik dives into water, he has Katrina (his love interest) beside him, supporting and holding him...guiding him all the way along...
When Farhan jumps into the air, he shouts...shouts his lungs out and calms down...and when he does that he feels the cool air hitting his face...and slowly you notice the growing smile on his face!

I too, suffer from Acrophobia (fear of heights)...and ekdum real...(with all that shivering and sweating!) and yet, when I saw that smile on his face all that came to my head was "Mahn! I have to do this!"

We never realize how fast time flies off...We run, work and toil to earn..in the process forget to live..And, as each day passes by, even children are pushed into doing the same. One day will come when parents might end up creating a FB account and buying a cell-phone for a child even before they are born! For godsake, that phone is just to talk only when it rings...not otherwise!You work hard, so that we can support your family...so that your children get the best possible education and all the other stuff, that you never got...you sacrifice everything you have, to fulfill those responsibilities and in the process, forget you have a life too. We humans are weak...we don't know how to live in claustrophobic places and yet, due to our superb adaptability, we adjust..and move on! Till a day when you reach old age..no teeth, wrinkles, and grandchildren around...a point where you may have fortune, but no life...You've done everything for your children but nothing for yourself. And then one day something happens and then...you say, "We sacrificed everything for you"..while your children reply "Well, I never asked you to do that!"
Often we bind ourselves to responsibilities that probably never existed. I agree, that it is a competitive and expensive world, and you have to be practical, blah blah! But, think about it...you never gave birth to a child just to stay away from it and earn money! You taught the child how to stand, trust him..he'll find a niche in life ...just be there to support him... There is no use of the money you earn if you aren't there to leave him to school for the first time...or to see your daughter drive the scooty for the first time! Times change, so do people! A little love, support and time from your side will be remembered a lot more than the money you spent on his classes. The other positive side, you will be doing the thing that you like the most...clicking photos of your child, picking her up from school or having snacks with her friends. Don't do things which you feel you ought to do, do things you want to do...at the right time, right place! Tomorrow atleast you wouldn't be regretful about the way you lived.
How many of us even know what is that one thing that makes your heart beat louder and faster? How many of us have tried to face our fears till they don't exist anymore?
Stop postponing that 'ideal vacation' you had planned...just pack your bags and go! Don't hesitate to tell that girl in your class...yes, the one who sits in the third row 2nd bench that you like her...for all you know, she might be feeling the same! Lower the windows of your car, and put your head out in the rain!

Because, sometimes those small li'l things are ones that matter the most...

Because sometimes...you just have to...

get mantal and...LET YOURSELF GO! :D

Dilon mein tum apni
Betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Nazar mein khwabon ki
Bijliyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise
Aazad rehno sikho
Tum ek dariya ke jaise
Lehron mein behna sikho
Har ek lamhe se tum milo
Khole apni bhaayein
Har ek pal ek naya samha
Dekhen yeh nigahaein
Jo apni aankhon mein
Hairaniyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum
Dilon mein tum apni
Betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho
Toh zinda ho tum

(If you carry impatience in your heart then you are alive
If you carry dreams in your eyes then you are alive
Learn to live like the free waves of wind
Learn to flow like the sea does as waves
Receive every moment in life with open arms
Every moment is a new beginning seeing with your eyes
If you carry surprise in your eyes then you are alive
If you carry impatience in your heart then you are alive)

-Farhan Akhtar in the film

Regards,
Rithika


Photo: Google

The day I was born.. :)

18th November 1994,

She was wriggling in pain...she felt as if she would die, any moment...she could sense her lower body going numb...complete palsy, perhaps...the pain was getting unbearable...she held on to the pillows, as those were the only things around her, which could tolerate all the scratches made by her neatly manicured nails...

"Aaaahhh!! save me...I can't bear this any more...pllleeeaasseee"


She shouted her lungs out!
Satish stood outside the emergency ward. Rubbing his temples, he looked at the clock. It was 2:24 a.m.


05th February 1994,

The results were in her hand, and they were positive! She walked out of the room, to the hall where her husband was anxiously waiting for her.

"Satish , it's positive...the pregnancy test is positive!!!"


Rashmi was always the perfect person, according to Satish ...perfect human, perfect daughter, perfect sister, perfect wife and now, she would be a perfect mother! The calmness reflecting on her face, even when she broke such a big news, was something that made him fall in love with her...each time he saw her!
Rashmi walked upto him slowly, Satish got up and embraced her...She felt secure and safe, she always did when he held her close to his body...the warmth of his body and his voice made her go weak on her knees!


He moved the hair near her ear and whispered, "I love you Rashmi.."
He then, moved his hands towards her stomach...he realized that in it, she was carrying something that was his...something that would be a beautiful, living epitome of their love..
Rashmi couldn't help but smile at all this..She sensed the first feeling of being a mother..the tingling sensation in her stomach! It was wonderful...and more than anything else, Satish was happy!

Then began a journey...which cannot be expressed in words! It can only be experienced, by a woman! 9 months..19th November was the expected due date. The "to-be" parents were in a state of ecstatic bliss 24/7...

"You feed me one more dose of that bitter sticky thing, and I swear I'll throw you outta here."
"But you gotta have it baby, there's no alternative"
"No no no...I'll throw up AGAIN..."

But Satish had already stuffed the spoon inside her mouth.Hardly a month or so was left, and Rashmi looked perfectly plump, round and glowing. She had grown accustomed to all the nausea, the periodic kicks, the regular visits and tests in the hospital, attending counselling sessions, thinking twice before eating or even speaking anything! Talking to the li'l one...browsing names...she had even grown immune to the discomfort in sleeping in a single position...She had to do it, she wanted to do it! It was HER baby!


Satish wanted a girl...he was very sure it would be a girl...he had even decided the name of the child...

"What would you do if it's a boy? You won't love it that much?"
"I am telling you naa...it's gonna be a girl...take it from me!"

Satish even spoke to the child referring to it as a "she"...All this made Rashmi a li'l tensed.

The labor pain began on 17th November, a little late after midnight...just as predicted!

"Man, this child is on-time!" Satish thought to himself...holding Rashmi's hands and trying to calm her down was proving to be a herculean task..

"Breathe, Rashmi, don't scream continuously...break le thoda beech mein!"
"Tereko nahi samjhega...I AM THE ONE GOING THROUGH ALL THIS..."
And, she screamt again...Satish was almost sure that by the time the baby was born, he would go half deaf!

They reached the hospital and Rashmi was hurried into the room for some tests to ensure that the baby is safe and sound. 

The doctor came in, all ready and dressed, "Would you like to see how the delivery takes place?"
"No, doc! Please! I am fine here", Satish said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. The last time he felt soo nervous and dumbstruck was when he saw Rashmi for the first time...big eyes, long hair and a smile that could melt anyone!

Satish sat on the couch, dreaming and assuring himself that everything is going to be fine. Rashmi would perfectly handle it...she went to work till the 8th month of pregnancy, hanging from Mumbai's crowded local trains...she could do this too...THIS was the last part! And, he dozed off. After a while, he could hear his mother-in-law's voice asking him to wake up!
He woke up with a start , and felt bad that he had fallen asleep.
"The doctor is calling the father" his mother-in-law said..

He went in, hoping that everything was fine...and saw a child, moving its limbs...as he neared the child, it turned its face towards him...
And, that was the most beautiful thing he saw...big eyes, long forehead garnished with black, curly hair, red cheeks, fair and chubby with a visibly big depression in the chin! IT WAS A GIRL!!
His daughter was lying on the weighing scale, staring the room, with eyes wide open!

The doctor came upto Satish and said, "She is a beauty!"
Satish smiled and asked, "Can I hold her?"
The doctor nodded and he lifted that tiny thing and brought it close to his heart 'coz that was her rightful position!
That day he made a silent promise...that he would always, come what may, protect her...He would not allow anything in the world harm his doll..he would stand by her come what may! He realized that it wasn't the last part...It was the beginning! It was the birth of an important role of his life- as a father...
He waited for this moment 9 months...and his daughter was staring at him, in his arms giving a slight smile without any teeth!

He took the child to Rashmi, emotional as she was, burst into tears...
"She's a scorpion!"
They both gazed at the child and Rashmi asked Satish,

"What are we gonna name her?"

"What I had already decided...!"

The entire family clapped..

And as far as the tiny tot was concerned, she loved being the center of attraction! :)

Do you remember the first time you held me, Dad?

Each one's "story of birth" is special...So go ahead, ask your parents about yours...

And don't forget to thank them

Afterall, as Karan Johar says:

"It's all about loving your parents!" 

A father is someone who

holds your hand at the fair...

makes sure you do what your mother says...

holds you from playing when you are sick...

brushes your hair when it is tangled because mother is too busy!

lets you eat ice cream for breakfast.. 

but only when mother is away!

he walks you down the aisle...

and tells you everythings gonna be ok...

– Anonymous

I love you, Dad..why?

"Because any fool can be a father, but it takes a man to be a daddy!!"

For a girl, a dad is her first and mostly last hero! :D

Regards,

Rithika

Emotions..! ;)

April 2nd 2011,


World cup finals-India v/s SriLanka and India wins!! (yayiiee!) 
My li'l brother tired and exhausted of all the shouting and dancing sits next to me, watching the players rejoice and celebrate! The commentators were going gung-ho about the "tough" players getting all emotional and crying. While the SriLankan players were shown smiling, hiding their disappointment and shaking hands with Indian players. On seeing this, my brother turns to me and says, "Funny na? we won and these people are crying and they lost and they are smiling!"
Which got me wondering, it IS weird! I mean, the ones who lost must be crying, not the ones who won! 


Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary.  ~Mark Twain


Emotions are soo spontaneous, and bring about soo many changes, many which go unnoticed and quite a few which make a huge difference! We have in us over 60 emotions, and never even realize before spending them! 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emotions


We have progressed soo much in every field...yet, there are soo many things which still remain a mystery...
Perhaps, that is why some questions are better when left unanswered...that's the beauty of human mind! :)


Regards,
Rithika

EDUCATION--> not mere degree, a way of living! :)

I always found personal response questions funny! Our English paper, every time has minimum 3 of such questions. Hmph. I never realized the logic of evaluating a person, and giving marks for his/her own opinion! Are you trying to encourage him to open up and express? Well, then imagine his plight when he would he receive the lowest marks for doing it. What an encouragement! :\

One of the topic for essay was--> "Role of educated women in development of the country."

"Okay, now WHAT DO I WRITE? what would fetch me a minimum 5.5 out of 10 for essay?" I tried, I thought..I racked my brains! Attractive proverbs? Couldn't remember any! (Damn it!)

Now what? I hardly had any time left..and still didn't have even the rough format prepared. I deleted few words from the title, focussed on "educated women" and "role in development."
And then, began my essay:

http://www.vri-online.org.uk/apk/index.php

According to the 2011 census, India's population is about 1.2 billion, while the sex ratio is 914 females against 1000 males, considered the lowest since independence (pehle ladkilog ko toh bachao!).. Still, Indian government makes efforts to improve women literacy in India Why? To increase the literacy rate! "Literacy" is a key-factor and indicator of a country's socio-economic progress. Now, if figures rise, India's position as a developing nation also rises (and, we also would feel a sense of satisfaction seeing an increase in rates!) 

What does education really mean? Z for zebra? teaching how many apples I would have if out of 10, 3 apples are taken away? knowing the names of Indian states? their geography, topography? history? No! The exams that we give are infact, mere milestones we cross, as we grow. And, finally end up getting a Bachelors or maybe, even a Phd. in a particular field. And always, we judge people their intelligence with THESE degrees! Elders never ask us, "How many NGOs have you joined, beta?" :P

Even, people who count census do the same! (For calculating "rates!")

Let's face it then, the government is doing its part and bringing about a statistical rise, but what about quality?

If the quality is not proper, how will a country with such a gigantic population ever "progress"?

I had once read definition of education in one of the websites as "the act or process imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgement, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for a mature life." (Huff! big na? :P)

And I agree with it! 

You call yourself educated and still agree to pay a bribe just for getting things done quickly than others? You say you were a topper of your class and still believe that girls are not meant to work after marriage and can't compete with men just 'coz they can't afford to tear shirts in public! What, are u in search of Sal-woman?! (btw, I HAVE had that argument hence, am writing!)  You drive a 97 lakh worth BMW and spit at every other signal, and call yourself educated? You don't vote during elections and go out off the country thinking that "mere vote se kya hoga?" You get molested in a crowd yet keep quiet thinking " faltu ka court ka chakkar kaun katega?" (Who will take the trouble of running to a court?) You get discriminated on the basis of color/ religion/ language and still feel "Ab jhagda kaun karne jayega!" (Let it be, who wants to fight now!)


Doesn't your conscience never ever stop you from doing it? Because it is WRONG! Have you ever realized that, it might be those Gandhiji lessons, value education classes, environmental education talking! These are always "student-friendly and scoring" subjects! But in reality, they are actually the ones which teach us lessons, for life! What we don't realize is that, as we grow, we learn, a lot more than we are taught!  And, somehow as we grow, we remember the mischief we did in those lectures, but forget the values that were taught or in other words, we prefer sticking to those things which are more convenient and benefit us! We were taught to "face" problems, not adjust and flow with it!
These are just a few examples. And in each case reflects our complacency, we get adjusted to the environment very fast! Mumbai, is one such city, has faced everything from bomb blasts to floods and yet bounced back to normalcy each time. But for how long? We know that we don't deserve to die just because few jerks wanted to "display their valor"! They CANNOT decide our faith! Every morning we leave home, and most of the time we aren't even sure WHEN we will be back, forget HOW! 


We don't expect a dandi march all over again! But we can atleast ensure that we aren't destitute of our fundamental rights, any time! We can atleast ensure that our lives, lives about 1.2 billion are not tossed to-and-fro by handful of people sitting on those chairs! 
The main idea for educating people is so that, they can have a brain which functions and thinks on its own, and decides what is right and wrong....if u don't hve thoughts of ur own...ur degree is sheer waste of time, money and a tree! You are supposed to be doing what YOU feel is right! Break open those chains, open up your thoughts, don't let your brain get washed away by some moron! NO NO! You weren't taught to do that! Speak, shout and do!! People will listen, they will HAVE TO! 

I realize one thing, today...India will never progress...not if if the citizens, rather the youth keep running away from their homework everytime! 


P.S.: If my blog post doesn't fuel the fire, try watching A WEDNESDAY and RANG DE BASANTI! I'm sure films have their own way of advising! ;) 
Until next time, take care and do good! 


Regards,

Rithika