Colours of Life!

(This is the copy of the article I wrote for an NGO's magazine... I interviewed a rickshawpuller to get a glimpse of the life he lives... thought I could share my experience and what he had to say!)

Clad in a red check shirt, blue pants, folded; a pair of chappals… that is how he has always been seen: this is his everyday attire, his uniform to work. That is Mr. Harish Chand Gupta, a local rickshaw puller. Slim, with average height, a thick moustache and lines of experience etched on his prematurely matured face, he looks older than his 21 years. Originally belonging to a small village called Supol in Bihar, this Marwari Baniya now resides in a small colony in East Delhi.

Born to a well-to-do family, Harish has two sisters and two brothers, apart from his parents in his family. His father commanded a good position in a private organisation, earning about Rs.15000 per month, when he got entangled in a murder conspiracy and lost his job. Since then the family has been forced to resort to farming to sustain itself. His sisters are happily married and settled with husband and kids. His elder brother has a business of his own while the younger one operates an atta chakki.

Harish’s childhood was eventless, yet full of fun and frolic… playing without any worries, studying, hanging out with friends without a care for the world… no responsibilities, nothing. Such was life till class Six, when it became evident o him that life is not going to e as smooth as before. Seeing the increasing financial burden on his parents and the dismal returns on their flood-affected land, Harish decided o quit studying and leave his village in search of a better life.

And this is how he ended up in Delhi twelve years ago, in 1994, at the tender age of nine, all alone and a total stranger to the city, just like the scores of other people like him, to earn his living and make his own luck, in the city of his dreams. When he reached Delhi, he first worked in a clothes factory as a helper for six months. He then shifted to a beer brewery in Haryana and worked there in the capacity of chief engineer for five years. However, daunted by some ghastly accidents and deaths in the factory premises, he soon quit his job. He then went to Punjab and farmed for another two years. After that, till date (five years now) he has been pulling his own rickshaw, which he bought from his savings.

Apart from pulling his rickshaw, he also alternates as a keeper in a nearby bookstore. In total he manages to earn about Rs. 4000 per month. Of this he spends Rs. 2500 on rent, food and other expenses; and manages to send home Rs. 1500. On a typical day, he wakes up at 5:30 am, gets ready, works from 7-9 am, has breakfast and takes rest, gets back to work till lunchtime at 2 pm, rests some more after lunch, opens the bookstore around 4 pm, cleans it and arranges everything, then back to his rickshaw, working till about 9 in the night, when he comes home, cooks and has dinner and retires for the day. He lives all alone, cooks, washes etc. all by himself, with no one to take care of him. He has no social life, no friends, and no entertainment… not even a television or radio. Such is his life, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Is he happy? He says: “Life is currently okay. I do not particularly enjoy it, but do not mind it either. I plan to make it better. I want to make enough money to be able to buy some land of my own to build a house and cultivate a small farm. For that I am learning how to drive a taxi, to start a taxi service of my own.”

Doesn’t he dislike being alone? Wouldn’t he like a life partner, to take care of him and support him in all his endeavours? He quips: “I do not want to get married just yet. My parents and after my life to ‘settle down’, but I want to have my own house and enough money to sustain a family comfortable before I marry.” Marriage and settling down, apparently is a touchy issue for him, due to heartbreak in the past. Some time ago, he fell in love with a girl who did not reciprocate his feelings. Since then he has been quite forlorn and has stopped believing in love.

His happiest moment?

“The life is led as a child, amongst my family and friends: no troubles or worries… only lots of love and fun!”

His saddest moment?

“When my loved on refused my proposal and broke my heart.”

His moment of regret?

“I should not have quit my studies and left my village so soon. Had I stayed on, maybe I would have been much better off right now…”

His proudest moment?

“When I bought a small radio for my parents from my first salary!”

All in all, life for Harish has been full of hardships, struggle and sacrifice; but he still goes on, determined to fulfil his dreams.

His parting words?

“All I want to say to everyone is that one should study and work hard, get a good job, house and family; and take good care of them all… strive to achieve your goals, believe in yourself, don’t give up, and be a good human being.”

With this, and a twinkle in his eyes, a dream in his heart and a song on his lips, he rushes off, beckoned by a prospective customer, and pedals away into his future!

R.I.P. Confusa Multiple Tiffanitias!

Sad News...

My doggie of 15 years died 4 months ago...
Her name was Tiffany. She was a cute lil golden brown dacshund, the light of our lives.
She was old, sick, but comfortable. Although I knew that there will be one day when she would have to go, I could never bring myself to accept it, and still have not.

She died when I was here in Ahmedabad, when I could not even wish her goodbye, when I could not see her one last time; in my mother's lap. Everyone back at home is quite grief stricken. I cried the day mum told me. But I'm over it. But I know, I'm not quite over it. I'm ok right now, cuz I'm here. But I know the moment I set foot at home, I will burst out crying, cuz there will be no brown lil thing running towards me, barking, jumping, trying to lick my face, wagging her tail @ 10 wags/sec! There will be no sad eyes looking at me when I leave home. There will be no innocents looks at me while I enjoy her favourite sweet. There will be no one staring at me questioningly when I'm trying to trouble her. There will be no one responding to my calls. There will be no one running to go fetch my slippers, or the ball I just threw. There will be no one on my lap when we go out for a drive. There will be no barking when the bell rings. There will be no snoring beside me on my bed at night. There will be no Tiffany ever... again!

While this thought saddens me to no end, I try to think of the happier times that we had with her! Tiffany, the doggie with a million names, every one had a different name with which they called her. So many names, so many poems made for her... Tifi, tifu, chipi, chimpu, chima, tipu, chipu, timpukdini, champakali, cheepnee, tipni, futti, chunni, cheefee...!!!!

We called her confusa multiple Tiffanitias: confusa because we are still confused what kind of weird creature she was, multiple cuz she portrayed multiple animal characteristics (she was timid like a mouse, jumped around like a rabbit, was fat like a buffalo/elephant, etc) and ofcourse, Tiffanitias was her Species Name!! I know its crazy, but thats how she was, and we were, when we were around her.

I miss her, still. And always will. After all, even human beings are not capable of the unconditional love that she showed me. Even if I slapped her a minute ago for doing something stupid, she would come running with the same enthusiasm and love when I would come back home that evening, that she would have had, had I not scolded her. I could vent my anger on her, say anything and everything to her, without the fear of being judged. She meant so much to us, that none of us would eat, sleep or do anoything without her. So much that if ever a calaity struck, even before I would grab food/water/money or look for family, I would look for her. So much that even if my mom had just one roti to eat, she would first give a part of it to Tiffany, and then to us. She was the baby of the family. She was a part of everything in our lives. She went with us for vacations, car drives when we went for icecream, to our relatives' houses when we went for dinner. She was an active part of every festival we celebrated: she got the tikka and sacred thread on her wrist on Dussehra and Diwali; we coloured her wild on Holi. She sould sit patiently through all poojas, except when I made rangoli: then she would roam about happily in that room, wagging her tail, ruining my colour work!! We even tried to make her into a quintessential Indian Doggie... by draping her with a duppatta for a sari, complete with earrings and makeup!

She was great fun outside home too... When she was a young doggie, she was known to be a fast runner. The moment someone would open the front door, she would run out, and it would take 10 of us kids and 20 minutes for us to locate and catch her!! What a devil she was! Not only that, she was quite a dish when in her ol days... there were countless dogs who were crazy about her, but the lady she was, she never gave any Bhaav to anyone. Sure she had friends, but her heart beat for only one: Raph, our neighbour's Golden Labrador. So what if they were different breeds, so what if she was 1/10th the size of her lover, they were crazy about each other. Every chnce she got, she ran out and right into their house, and rush to meet her love. A pity they could not consummate their love. Apart from her lover, she had a lot of friends, like Beetle and Sugar amongst others, and she spent days and night froliking about with them! They were best buddies, totally inseparable! Such was their bond, that they all celebrated and attended eeach other's birthdays. Ah! Birthdays! Another fun day for her. We would get a cake, nad arrange for lots of fun non-veg food , and invite all the dogs of the campus. Ad they, like good friends, would never come without a gift for her: a ball, a bowl, a collar/leash, a chewtoy, food etc.

We had lots of fun during the rains too. Funny, she hated having a bath like every other canine, but she loved the rains. She loved running out, getting dirty, and jumping around. There were areas where water collected, and we used to put her in a tub, and she used to happily float away in her makeshift boat! Yes, life after that was not so much fun, when she would enter the house and dirty everything she touched! Then both she and us kids got the scolding of our lies from our parents. But we never learnt, and repeated the whole thing the next day!

Towards the end of her life, she was old, lazy but comfortable, and thankfully not diseased or in pain. She just died of old age: she gave up eating, and after a few revivals, she finally gave up on July 5th 2006. She died a virgin: we never could get her to mate with any dog. Was she a lady, or plain stupid, we are not so sure. But whatever she was, she was a darling, and we all miss her presence in our lives. Nothing is the same without her, and can never be. In a month, we are getting a new doggie, but no one will ever be able to take her place in our lives and hearts!

Tiffany, we love you and miss you and always will!
So long, Farewell. Adieu my friend! Adios Amigo! Hasta La Vista Baby!

The Show Will Go On...

Bloodshot eyes
Dark and gloomy skies
No day, no night
Only she is in sight

No present, no future
He only knows the past
Disappointed yet optimistic, says he
"Nice guys finish last"

He loved her, but did she?
'She loved me... she loved me not..'
Plucking petals of a flower?
More like pices of his heart!

Those magical nights
And the mornings after
The high, higher than cannabis,
The hearts beating faster...

The sweetest coffee - the one they shared
The dinners where they hardly ate
Sneaking in for a midnight rendezvous...
These meant much more than just a date.

They knew they were different
But still it felt just right
They knew it was almost impossible
But the romantics, they always saw light

But like they say, all good things end
And end they did, but maybe only for one
For the other there was hope, even across borders
but little did he know, that she had none.

One day, then two, a week, then a few
He waited for her by day and by night
For her, he was no more; but he still felt her
In the breeze, the music, the moonlight!

He now sits here, still
wasted, withering away
But he refuses to give up
Till he hears her say

"I Love You"
And then he will be reborn
But until then, the curtains wont fall
The show will go on!

Memoirs of a Mother.. (A true story)

I still remember that fateful day in the wintery January of 1983, when I realised that I was pregnant! Our joys knew no bounds. I was 28 and eager to start a family. Barely married a few months ago, my husband and I did not have much: just a single room house on rent, a few essentials and the both of us. My husband, fresh out of Med School, had recently acquired a job with a grand hospital and was earning a good Rs. 3000 per month. We had little, but we were happy. And now, a little one was to come into our lives soon. It was a heartening feeling; but a little scary too. How would we manage? Would we be able to afford a good life and provide for a bright future for our child? All my fears and anxiety were laid to rest by my husband who was very supportive, and by my family and friends. And thus began the beautiful journey of motherhood.

We were very excited. We began nurturing our dreams: thinking of names, buying clothes, collecting important tid-bits from family and freinds (recent mothers' hand-me-downs), plans to save money to buy toys and crib...

And then it struck me - my husband sonographed me and gave me "the news" (at that moment I could not decide whether it was good or bad) - I was pregnant with twin girls!

For a moment I was shocked - I could not react, and when I did, it was not pleasant. It was simply impossible: raising two girls, together, in a one-room house, on a meagre salary... It could just not be done! I gave up. I told my husband I wanted to abort the babies. I would not be able to handle them. I wasnt sure we could pull it off. My husband, though crestfallen at my reaction, convinced me that we could make it if we tried. My family came to our rescue. They collected lots of baby things, came to live with me and help with the pregnancy and promised to help take care of the babies when they arrived. And so I agreed, and the journey continued.

The next few months' were pretty comfortable. Sure, I had some weird cravings at weird timings, and I suddenly stated hating my favourite foods. There were good days, bad days, horrible days, and great days too. Everyone pitched in , in whatever way they could. There was a lot going on, both inside and outside, but I was so loved and taken care of that I did not realise how time flew.

Then one fine day in late August, a month before the due date, things started to speed up and we were surprised to know that the stork intended to visit us a month before plan. On August 30th, 1983, I finally gave birth to the two most beautiful and precious babies ever! It was fairly smooth though exhausting., but all my tiredness went away when I saw the tiny little bundles of joy!

They were born premature, and as a result were very weak, thin and sick. It was a miracle they survived, but they were getting better by the day. The were identical twins: fair, rosy, fragile - and everyone who saw them fell in love with them. The doctor who delivered them told me she had 4 sons and desperately wanted to adopt my second baby. Smiling, I refused. Smiling because just a few months back I was ready to abort these little ones, or give them away; but today, I could not bear to do that! My brother-in-law also wanted to adopt my second one, and so did a few others, but I politely refused them all. These were my babies, my fruits of labour; and I was going o keep them, love them and nurture them twice as much as any mother! The two little Japanese dolls (as my doctor called them) had a band strapped to their wrists to differentaiate between them: one with a blue strap, one with a red one. We deided to call the elder one Mini, and the younger Tini for the time being, till we finalised their proper names.

And then our world came crashing down - Mini improved and came back home a week after her birth, but suddenly Tini was getting sicker and sicker. As it is, in multiple births, each kid doesnt get equal nutrition during pregnancy, and in this case Tini was the weaker one. She was going from bad to worse and stayed at the hospital. The days crept by. Finally she started to get better, and by the time she was 13 days old, she was well enough to visit her home for the first time. There was much jubilation. With lots of hopes and dreams, we finally got Tini back home, and lay her next to Mini. What a beautiful sight they were! We decided to keep a watch throughout the night. My husband stayed up for a few hours while I slept. Then he woke me up, and it was my turn to stay up and watch over Tini's condition. While the 3 slept, I stayed awake, but very drowsy. Dont know how and when but at some point I fell asleep and was only woken up by loud crying noises of Tini, in the wee hours of the morning. We all woke up, and after doing whatever we could to calm her down, we realised something was wrong. We rushed her to the hospital. apparently she had caught a deadly infection on the blood called Septicaemia from the hospital itself, and was very sick. Though enraged by the lack of proper care in such a big hospital, we first concentrated on immediate steps for Tini's treatment and recovery. Those few hours were the worst hours of our lives. We hoped, wished and prayed, but it was too late. In the wee hours of a September day, when the little one was just 2 weeks old, she succumbed to the disease. The other half of Mini, my second Japanese doll - was gone! The baby so many people wanted, did not go to anyone; not even to us.

With heavy hearts and tearful eyes, we went back, wondering if there was any way we could have avoided this. Had I stayed up, could we have saved her life? Maybe, maybe not. Thus came an end to our dreams, hopes, wishes, happiness: atleast half of it. Though she spent all her life in the hospital, we missed her presence. But all the same we were grateful to God that Mini was alive and kicking. She continued to be sick for a year or 2, but after that she flourished. But even today when I see Mini, sometimes I think of the little one, long gone: of how pretty she would have been, how her life would have shaped up... Would she have been a star student? Would she have had a great sense of humour? What would have her marriage been like?

' Sweetheart I know you were going thruough hell, and aybe it was a blessing for you to be liberated. But do know, all of loved you and still do. We did whatever we could for you, and above all, we miss you and wish you were here. But, as they say, sometimes God gets lonly and needs some nice people around him. I guess he needed you the most, amongst all of us... '



(FYI, My old nickname is Mini)

Touch Wood!

How many of us are there who have never used this term? None? I thought so... You see, we humans, in spite of being the supremely intelligent creatures we are, cannot help but be superstitious about some or the other thing at some point in life. The other day when I was thinking about this, I thought of asking around, what people believe in.

Some common beliefs which most of know, if not follow, are:

1. Do not go out during an eclipse
2. Dont walk under a ladder against a wall
3. Do not take the path which has been crossed by a cat, esp a black one!
4. Do not cut nails, comb hair at nite
5. Dont purchase steel items, oil, black clothes etc on saturday
6. If someone sneezes just as you are leaving the doorstep to go out, your day will be ruined
7. Dont wash hair/clothes, consume Non Veg food on a particular day (differs from culture to culture)
8. Dont use scissors in air, or give someone a knife; it creates fights
9. Order of wearing shoes, or taking them off; which foot to keep out first when leaving home etc is important
10. teen tigade kaam bigade!
11. trisdekaphobia!!! No - 13!!
12. Dont keep footwear near head when sleeping on teh floor; wash feet before sleeping; else you will get nightmares
13. Aankh fadakna (can be both good and bad, depends on which one is fadakoing!)
14. Repeated howling of dogs means death in house
15. Veseels falling, crow crowing outside means visitors coming (crows also make wishes come true)
    
16. When you bite your tongue while eating means some has just abused you .. while some believe it means you will get delicious food soon!! (I would rather believe the second interpretation!! :))
    
17. Fallen eyelashes or Buddhi ke baal (seeds getting dispersed) fulfil wishes!!
18. Bury broken tooth, or keep inder pillow for money from tooth fairy (aka mum n dad!)
19. Spilling salt or breaking mirrors means bad luck
    

Some interesting and unfamiliar ones include

1. Don't give a sutta with the fag b/w th index n middle finger (as in the way you smoke it)
2. Keep the doors open much after 6:30-7 PM : at that time Laxhmi aayegi :))
3. In some village the newly weds are not allowed to sleep together for 3 whole days..thoda control ker liye to long lasting marriage hogee.. (poor poor newlyweds!! suhagraat bhi manae nahi dete.. zaalim zamana!!)

Whatever it is, we are really good at coming up with some really awesome ideas, logics for doing and not doing some things. Some beliefs may actually be doing good, like keeping a vrat may actually cleanse your system... no junk for one day may actually do good! Also not cutting nails etc at nite may have come around to ensure cleanliness?? Same goes for washing feet before sleeping!

But some beliefs are are like obstacles.. Have come across situations when some people were sick but they were not given adequate treatment as they were thot to be affected by spirits.. and they died! Stupid, harmless superstitions are ok, but some totally illogical and dangerous beliefs and rituals can be fatal; be it the ritual of shooting in air during a marriage (in one instance the groom himself was shot dead by mistake), or sacrifice girl child to satisfy gods (arising more from the various biases our society suffers from!).... the list is endless!

High time we separate the harmless beliefs from teh harmful ones, and make a wise choice in deciding what to believe, for the betterment of all humankind!

(Untitled)

The first yawn
The cute baby smile
Those sleepless nights
Tunning around with the food

The first bicycle fall
The shiny black shoes for birthday
The first soccer goal
The straight A grade card

The first girlfriend
Followed by the first kiss
and shortly thereafter the first heartbreak
The first fist fight
and a visit to the doc for stitches

The first earning as a newspaperboy
The first scholarship for college
The first serious relationship...
and the memorable days after

The first interview - the most nervous day
but even more nervous -
The "pop the question" and "meet the parents" day

The affirmative answer
from both the dream company and girl
The first car, and house..
The difficult early days,
with not much other than love and togetherness

The first moonlit date
The first honeymoon
The first child, and first time responsibilities
The first tear, the first smile for the lil one!

The first heartache to see
The grown up child leave home
The first tears of happiness
To hear about the upcoming wedding

The first grandchild, the first gift
The first family reunion at christmas
The first heart attack, the first pang of fear
The first admission in the hospital,
The first night of unbearable tension

The sad faces of teh family
The worried look of the wife
The clenching fist of the child...
and the sad smile of the lil grandchild

The last few days and moments
The last sights, sounds, tastes and feelings
The last tear, the last smile...
and thw last breath before I rest for a while..

Goodbye, I had a great time!

Hey Stranger!!

Hey Stranger, have I seen you?
I remember your intense eyes,
The dimple on your cheek, the sweet smiles,
I've seen this blue shirt somewhere before,
I can feel your breathing, your heartbeat and more...

Hey Stranger, have I met you?
I remember your amusing adventure on the beach,
The lunch was chicken (wasn't it?) And the dessert - peach!
The stories of the times when you were a little child,
I remember your youth, when you did all things wild.

Hey Stranger, do I know you?
I still have your secrets, the truths and lies,
I don't need to speak to you; I can do that with our eyes.
I know your favourite fantasy; your deepest darkest desire,
I know what displeases you, and what ignites in you the fire!

I know the touch of your hand, the feel of your hug,
I know your birthday, your favourite movie, the name of your pug;
Without having seen, met, known each other, we connect,
God only knows if we really meet, what would be the effect!

Do we really not know each other? I guess then that means
You must either be my soul mate, or my favourite dream!

Padhna Likhna Seekho....

As I settled to another boring day at office, one of my colleagues came up to greet another guy sitting right behind me, and started to poke fun at him, singing a song I heard aeons ago: "Padhna likhna seekho, o mehnat karne walo..." I stooped doing whatever I was busy with, and looked back with a confused/amused look on my face... Trying to remember the song. And then I remembered: not only this song, but many other old, forgotten jingles/ad songs...

Jab main chhota bachcha tha,
badi sharart karta tha,
meri chori pakdi jaati,
jab roshni deta bajaj...

Kya rangeen jawani thi
ek raja ek rani thi
(something something something something)
roshni deta bajaj!

Ab main bilkul buddha hoon
Goli khakar jeeta hoon
Lekin aaj bhi ghar ke andar
roshni deta bajaj!!

(gosh we kids have had so much fun with this one..!!)


Vicco turmeric, nahin cosmetic
Vicco turmeric ayurvedic cream
kil muhason ko jad se mitayein
haldi chandan ke gun isme samayein
twacha ki raksha kare ayurvedic cream
Vicco turmeric ayurvedic cream!

(Wow I actually remember the whole thing!)



Then there was this United cooker wala ad, where this guy has his boss coming over for dinner, and needs to impress him for a promotion. So the wife cooks food in United cooker... Khaye jao khaye jao United ke gun gaye jao... United ne kar diya kamal, mili tarakki, (something something)..


Of course how can we forget the epic ad: Pan pasand, where this gal is being asked to get married but she doesn't want to marry the guy who has come to see her... "Shaadi... aur tumse?? Kabhi nahin!!" Or Pan Parag "Baratiyon ka swagat pan parag se kijiye"... they also had that one ad, where this guy Jalal Agha guy is at a party, where everyone is asking him for Pan Parag, and he keeps giving one packet to them; until he meets this 7 foot tall guy who asks "mera kya hoga"....

I also remember this ad... atleast this line.. Where this woman (was it the Deepti "Sita" female? Im not sure..) says about nirma washing bar (I think) "Ab aap samjhe, maine yeh tikiya kyun li?"
I had a special place for this in my heart cuz my dad used to say for me, whenever he was proud of any of my achievements " Ab aap samjhe, maine yeh Bitiya kyun li!!"

Im sure we all remember the "bhool na jana, ECE bulb lana.." or " kuch lete kyun nahin, Coldarin li?" or maybe " Bechara, kaam ke bojh ka mara, inhe chahiye Cinkara!" And above all, the eternal jingle "Lifeboy hai jahan, tandurusti hai wahan!"

There were some cute ads, like the Dhara ad where that lil kid runs away from home, only to come back for yummy homemade jalebis; or the "I Love you Rasna" series, Cadbury Ads (the woman dancing in the middle of the cricket ground, or the kya swad hai zindagi mein one... Beautiful!!), Lijjat Papad, Mugli Ghutti 555 (aha meethi meethi!) Lalita Ji's ads...I can go on and on and on!

Then there was Dabur Lal Dant Manjan, TT underwear (khel kood ya PT), Utterly Butterly Delicious Amul, Shilpa Char chand lagaye, Santoor: Meri twacha se meri umra ka pata hi nahin chalta, MDH Masale sach sach, Tobu Cycles... and ofcourse... the VIP Ad with the guy in his undies saving a damsel in distress... or the "Whats he got that I aint got" Ad... hmmmm.... ;)) There was another ad, an anti smoking ad... with a cigarette in my hand, i felt like a man! I also remember one Phillips ad where a guy is trying to serenade his girlfriend by singing a song on a guitar: only he is lip syncing to a song playing on his Phillips player, and he is caught braying like a donkey, strumming randomly on the guitar when he accidentally switches the player off!!

Ofcourse no one can forget the unforgettable Titan ads, especially the Titan tune: simply awesome!
But yes, my personal favourite was the Captain Cook namak ad, with Sushmita Mukherjee aka Lily of Karamchand fame, comparing Captain Cook namak with her manpasand namak.

No need to remind you of the "Ek chidiya, anek chidiya" song... or "Mile sur mera tumhara"... they rock!!!

Ol' Ads... ol' memories... ol' days... simple ideas... cute stories... catchy jingles... mass appeal... Those were the times.... Aaj kal ke jhakaas ads may come and go, but we will fondly remember these ol ones forever!!

Road Trip 2!!

Still riding high on the enthusiasm of the first one, as soon as we joined in the third term at IIMA, we were ready to go ahead with Road Trip No. 2! So one Friday in early Jan this year, it was decided: We would go to Nalsarovar, a nearby Lake and Bird Sanctuary. And so, on Saturday evening we all fixed our respective riders and pillions, and 4 bikes and 8 people got ready to start off early on Sunday morning, before day break, to reach the destination in time, to see the birds wake up at sunrise. So we all slept early, or atleast tried to, excited at the day ahead.

At 3 am, Vikas came over to wake me up. I quickly got ready and by 3:30 we were ready to leave when BV gave us a call to let us know that the trip is delayed by 45 mins and we would leave by 4:15 am. Faced with 45 minutes of no plans, we knew we could not sleep: Vikas would feel very sleepy while riding. So we sat up, watching some arbit movies etc. Finally at 4:15 am we went to the maingate, to be faced by the first difficulty of the day (yes there are more to follow): Apparently some egg-head was driving very fast and crashed his car into our friend Manac's bike. Thankfully Manac was alone, however the bike was very badly crushed, and Manac's foot was hurt badly. After some quick first-aid, we arranged for another bike (Poor KG, we woke him up at 4:30 am on a Sunday morning!) and decided to leave. Manac insisted he would also come, and tried riding for a while, but the pain gave way and he had to return to the campus. The rest of us: Pepsy and BV, Mishti and Chandru, Sid and Vishnu, Vikas and I continued; one after the other, headlights shining, riding on a coooool winter night.

Although none of us had ever been there before, nor anyone had perfect idea where it was, we could do with whatever little instructions we had, and thankfully did not get lost because the road was pretty straight. (Unlike Lothal!!) Finally at about 6:30 in the morning we approached Nalsarovar, parked the bikes, sought permission to enter (one needs to pay money to get in) and settled down for the boatmen to come. It was a cold but beautiful morning, and we sat there, sipping hot tea, and watching 100's of men carrying curiously loooooong sticks. Later we found out that these were the sticks used to row the boat and navigate, by the boatmen!

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a 100 boats appeared: all colourful, with names like Haseena et al; and so did a throng of people: Localites, people from across Gujarat, and ofcourse, some foreigners to complete the fanfare! (Seriously, do people have nothing better to do on a cold Sunday morning than to come to Nalsarovar, something important like sleeping? Only we poor sleep-deprived students know what a luxury it is... Enjoy it while you can, kya pata kal sona ho na ho!!) All around us people started to negotiate fares in Gujarati, while we stood there clueless about where to begin. Finally a sweetlooking couple standing near us gave us information about fair fares and helped us get a good deal. Finally after much haggling, all 8 of us got into one boat, and started sailing with 2 boatmen.

Dawn was breaking, birds were waking, and it was a sight to see. Though we could not go to the banks of Saurashtra where the Flamingos are, we still got to see Seagulls, Herons, Egrets etc. These boatmen knew the species of all kinds of birds, their eating habits, hibernation etc. It was an awesome sight, and we enjoyed every moment of it.

Apparently these boatmen also fished in the lake: the waters were very dirty, but very shallow and had some fish. So there were a lot of nets embedded on the lake bed. In fact we saw one net and enquired about the kind of fish, and got lucky (or unlucky) to see that a fish was caught in the boat. A fisherman came with a boatful of dead, stinking fish, and proudly showed us his haul, while we all sat there cringing our noses and feeling sorry for the fish! Its quite a horrid sight I tell you, seeing a dead fish, with eyes wide open... Yuck!

Anyhow soon after that we approached what looked like a lost island from Lalooland! I mean it: there was dirt and huts, with lotsa flies around everywhere. Open food kept here and there, little naked children running along, buffalos tied outside each hut/shop... We asked the boatmen, who answered that this was an island famous for desi food, as well as bird feed. While we were very hungry, none of us dared to eat food from this place, and instead settled for 10 rupees worth of bird feed. With that we took a turn and sailed back towards the shore. Halfway there, we saw a flock of seagulls nearby, and at that opportune Moment, the boatman threw the feed in the water, and it was sight to be seen: Millions of seagulls appeared from nowhere... And dove into the water to get a bit of the feed. It was marvellous, one of the most enchanting sights I have ever seen!

After the feed finished and the birds departed, we started to approach the shores: we saw horses running along the shores. Apparently this was another tourist attraction, rather a commercial venture: people bought a ride along the shore, galloping away on horses, early in the morning. It was quite popular, judging by the crowd there. Finally we touched base, and disembarked, paid the money, and dragged our feet towards our bikes. But before we left, we bought conches (shankh kinda thing) which some little children were selling for Re 1 apiece! Such beautifully coloured, soft and clean conches.

With heavy hearts, and hungry tummies, we then left Nalsarovar, having captured whatever magic we could in our cameras. On the way back, Vikas and I got lost, but we finally reached Sankalp restaurant, dying to have some South Indian food. Unfortunately it was closed. So we proceeded to Mysore Masala, and had a lazy, sleepy, tired breakfast; and rushed back to IIMA to crash in and sleep off; only to wake up late in the evening, that too only cuz it was a Monday and we had to study something!!

All said and done, tho we spent hardly 2 hours there, it was a beautiful place, and a great Bike trip!

FIDOE... No more alcohol and drugs for you!

It all started with an acute pain in my stomach. I felt nauseatic, lost my appetite (yes I really did!) and felt sick very often. A coupla days later, I threw up in the middle of the night. Our batch's Docs came over to have a look and gimme some medicines. However, the next day I was sick again. But I dreaded going to the Institute doc.
Ask me why? Every time you go to him, irrespective of what problem you have, he will first play the game of 20 questions with you, and then irrespective of what answers you gave, he will give you 3 different coloured nameless tablets. I could not bring myself to trust him, so after a number of colourless tablets and references to other doctors and lotsa tests, I went to the best hospital in Ahmedabad: SAL hospital.

I met up with the doctor, explained my situation, and he diagnosed enlarged spleen and accordingly prescribed some medicines. After consuming them for 2 days and not feeling any better, I returned, to find that he was not there. So another doctor had a look and diagnosed that its actually viral infection and gave me a different set of medicines. I took them for another 2 days, but, as you might have guessed, I was sick as ever. I was missing classes in the beginning of the term, and when one day I had an unbearable pain, I knew it : something had to be done, and done quick. So I went for the third time. This time I insisted on a good Gastro doctor, not just anyone available. So I met Dr. Tripathi: a smart, goodlooking middle-aged doctor. I felt better already! :)

I told him about the situation and after prolonged discussion he said " We have to look into what is wrong with you Aditi, and so I recommend that you stay with us here for a couple of days. Nothing major, just a few tests and you will be free to go in 2-3 days."

And so it began. My stay at SAL. I changed into the hospital clothes and shifted to my room: a double room which I shared with a lady who had just undergone Hysterectomy. She was a sad sight, and her husband was a quiet, morose man. I was there at 12 noon, and was beginning to feel hungry. But they kept me hungry cuz they wanted to take some tests. Finally at 4 I got a sandwich to eat. And at 7 I got my dinner: 1 lil cup of dal, chawal, sabzi, 2 tiniest rotis, exact 2 pieces of cucumber. And that was all I had.

But my worst moment ever was the time when they inserted the Drip . Now why one earth did they have to put one in the first place, I dunno. I am able, on regular diet, and don't need one. "Doctor's Instructions" is all what the nurses said, while they prepared to insert the drip. I was sweating buckets all this while. All my life I have been dead scared of needles. I hate the very thought of any needle piercing my skin, so much that if I am made to get an injection, I cry my eyes out... I mean it! And here they were... inserting a huge needle in my arms... I lost all senses and started to cry and beg for mercy. But these nurses I tell you: they have no compassion: they just laughed at me and caught hold of me and put that darned thing in my arm!!

After a lot of hullabaloo, things quietened down. Many of my friends came to visit me. Just when things were looking ok, the needle in my drip moved, and instead of the glucose going in, blood from my veins started coming out in the tube!! I screeched and screamed, and Paro, who was with me, lost her senses too! Both of panicked and only when the nurse came and fixed it, did we settle down. We could see how much of a nuisance this was for the lady and her husband, so I changed my room in the middle of the night.

The next day I was to go for X Ray and ultrasound. I got up and was ready to walk out when they insisted I sit on the wheelchair. Wheelchair? I told them it was stupid, cuz I am able to walk and all. But they did not listen: they made me sit on it while they wheeled me thru the corridor, into the lift, down to the clinic. And all this while, I, with my coloured hair, painted nails, flower wali chappals, sat on the wheelchair, grinning away while people around me stared.

And so the story continued. Every day they would start streaming in at 6 in the morning, gimme injections, medicines, food.... and people from my college would keep coming and going. The best part of the stay was that I was perfectly healthy, and could move around, not much pains... and yes... lotsa CHOCOLATES!!! (Not to forget... no classes/quizzes/studies for 3 days!!) But this also earned me the title of "Fraud Patient"... people came to my room, and were shocked to see me smiling, moving around etc. They actually said " FIDOE, behave like a patient. Lie down with a sad face." But I just could not do that. I would talk, watch Friends on the lappy, read books... chitchat with the nurses (they taught me gujja n I taught them hindi)...

But there was a problem,: Every time someone asked what happened to me, I would not know what to say. Finally after a million tests they said that my liver was malfunctioning. Later they told me that some medicine I was taking, had resulted in this malfunction, and they asked me to discontinue that "DRUG". So whenever I told this to someone, they immediately quipped "FIDOE stop drinking and taking drugs!!" Bahut khinchayi kari. They put my screaming-at-the-sight-of-the-drip incident on Dbab. But all in all, my friends were a great help, and did a lot for me. And I am very thankful to them for that.

that's all... After 3 days I paid up the hospi and came back on Friday, back to the rigor: which started with the WAC report due on Saturday! Tho hospital trips are usually not very nice, I sure did enjoy this one!
;-)))

A Quick Headsup on Whatsup with me...

Hey there everyone!
I know I havent written in a while, even though i promised... but I'm getting there. There will be lots coming up, now that we have an extended weekend!
As for whatsup with me, I am thru with exams (finally), have become a tuchchi (hopefully) and have started my internship at GENPACT, Delhi.
The office is 15 mins away from home, people are nice, my boss likes me, the work is chilled out... and I am enjoying!! The only problem is that I have an afternoon shift: 4 pm to post midnight! But even that is not a problem: after spending one year at IIMA, I am freshest and most productive at night only!
Baaki sab great, some more posts coming up... keep visiting!
Tkae care have a nice summers! CIAO!

Crushed!

Cute looking boy, hair falling on his face, drop dead gorgeous smile, always surrounded by lotsa frenz... yes, such was the guy I had my first crush on... way back in school....

Its an amazing feeling to have a crush on someone! You wanna start you day looking at him, your heart is thrilled when he looks at you, and more so when he smiles! You are totally floored if he comes to talk to you, or gives importance to you by spending lunch time with you instead of his frenz.

You eye him surreptitiously, wondering if he is looking at you. When he answers in class, you look up at him dreamily and proudly. your copies are full of hearts with your and his initials, and so is your desk: full of scratches and scribbles!

When you hear from someone he was talking about you, your happiness knows no bounds. An electric shock runs down your body when he accidentally brushes against you, shakes your hand, or holds it during some sport/event etc. (or winks with a naughty grin).

You are willing to go an extra 100 miles to hang out with, talk to or help him. You consciously keep checkin your appearance in the mirror, hoping your clothes and hair look fine, and you look cute enough!

Listening to his voice is heavenly. You run to receive every call that comes, and wait by the phone impatiently for hours if you are expecting his call. When you hear about rumours of you having a crush on him, you feign surprise or anger, but are secretly thrilled, especially if he doesnt mind! You leave anonymous notes and cards for him, and think all sweet anonymous cards/notes for you are from him. (Who else could it be? ;))

In true bollywood style, you have already started to think you are in love and will marry him. You imagine being Mrs XYZ, name your kids, dream up your future!

Until one fine day you see him walking hand in hand with another girl. At first you dismiss her as another friend. But then you see them kissing at the end of class. That is when your heart breaks with a clatter, and you wake up to reality and get back to your mundane life. Swearing you will never indulge in all this crap again...

But soon enough, this really sweet and cute guy comes along... he is a new guy in school, all lost. And who should he come to for help? You of course! His killer smile and the twinkle in his eyes take your breath away.. and your heart skips a beat... There you go again!!!

These are a few of my favourite things!

these are a few of my favourite things... some sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings... some of them i have experienced, some of them i havent, but would love to. thay are not in any order... i kept writing as and when a thot came to my mind... what are some of your favourite things? do lemme know!

1. winter morning sun
2. sunrise/sunset colours
3. rippling waters of the ocean/calm lake
4. waves splashing on your feet
5. birds flying in a formation over the horizon
6. dewdrops on plants in the morning
7. walking on the wet grass barefeet early morning/late night
8. beautiful colours of flowers / butterflies
9. voice of cuckoos, dancing peacocks
10. birds feeding their lil ones
11. kittens/puppies playing with each other... in fact all baby animals
12. smile of a baby... or a sleeping baby
13. cute lil toddlers wearing cute shoes n dresses, running around, shrieking with laughter!
14. toothless smile of the old
15. the glow on the face of a couple in love, a pregnant woman or a new mother!
16. sunlight streaming in teh room late afternoon/ moonlight late night..
17. the smell of your favourite dish, just when you are damn hungry!
18. finding money unexpectedly in your old jeans pocket
19. running into your old long lost friend and realising that you can still pick up from where you started
20. a sweet smile or compliment from a stranger
21. your guy unconsciouslyholding your hand while you both are crossing a road
22. no queues!!
23. no quizzes at IIMA!!!
24. Saral Da's OM classes
25. a song dedicated to you on tv/radio
26. soeone calling/messaging/mailing just to say they miss ya
27. someone admitting they have a crush on you
28. Sanjeev Kumar... oooh!! [too bad he is dead :( ]
29. mountains covered with flowers!
30. scooping up snow in your hand
31. bathing in the rain, then having hot tea and samosas!
32. the feel of a baby's skin
33. losing weight, however little! ;)
34. earning your first salary, and getting gifts for your loved ones
35. being proposed in public, unexpectedly, with the guy down on his knees, a ring in hand...
36. walkin on the beach at night, barefoot, in teh moonlight
37. sound of the bell announcing the end of day at school/college
38. tasty sams, aloo parathas, mangoes, lichis...
39. kadhi chawal, rajma chawal, chhole bhature... and the likes!
40. my doggie when she licks me on my nose!
41. floating in a pool, on your back, under the sun, with a drink and a book in your hand..
42. squirrel nibbling on nuts
43. a cheetah charging towards his prey... running smoothly and gracefully
44. winning a contest, game, lottery..
45. your best friend's / your own wedding
46. your best friend/you yourself in love! :)
47. sitting on the couch, with your legs propped up on the table, with a pack of popcorns and a glass of chilled pepsi, watching your fav movie!
48. riding a bike, gliding, with teh wind in your face..
49. your best friend's shoulder when u need to cry
50. BLOGGING!! :))

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder

After a hectic week at office, I managed to get a weekend off, and rush back to meet my family in Delhi. On that idyllic Sunday, when I entered Cafe Coffee Day to grab a cuppa Irish Coffee, I bumped into a long-lost good friend, Tanuj. We used to be at school together. After leaving school, we went to different colleges to pursue higher studies, and soon lost touch. That day, I met him after almost 7 years! After lots of oh-my-god-is-it-really-you expressions, we sat down to catch up with each other, and fill each other in with everything that was happening in each other's life. Apparently he was there with a friend, (someone I did not know) Arjun. He was sitting on the chair, wearing sunglasses, dressed in smart trousers and a crisp shirt. He was quietly sitting, and smiled towards me when Tanuj introduced us.

I sat there, talking to Tanuj, while Arjun sat, listening. Not once did he talk. Tanuj told me he had married Sana, his school sweetheart... Sana! That amazingly beautiful babe, model-like in her beauty, I was sure she was gonna make it big in Bollywood! I congratulated him, and told him I was very happy for them, and that he was lucky to have found such a beautiful bride. He looked at me and smiled, saying " Well, a good looking guy like me, has to get a beautiful bride. She is good, but not half as good looking as I am! She is the one who is lucky here!!" And he burst out laughing. Tanuj... he hadn't changed. The same ol' good looking tho very egoistic guy. Got a pretty and smart girl... and gave himself all the credit.

I had had enough of Tanuj so I steered the conversation towards Arjun. I asked him if he had some woman in his life. He smiled and blushingly admitted... "Yes, I do have a sweet gal in my life, and we just got married last month!!" I congratulated him, and urged him to tell me more about this girl. He said -

" Her name is Sanya. She is the most beautiful creature made by God. Her beautiful almond shaped eyes, the long black cascading mane of hair, the flawless skin, luscious rose-red lips, slender neck, full figure, petite hands with long fingers and pretty nails, long legs and the prettiest feet ever... every dress, every cloth, every style, every colour suits her. She never needs any makeup, flowers, jewellery... she is a natural beauty: cherubic, angelic, heavenly. There is no one as beautiful as her, she is unique, and I am glad that she is mine!"

I was awed. Never had I heard anyone describe his loved one so passionately, never had I imagined a being so beautiful, and never had I seen love soooo deep... I sat there, quitely, drinking in the image of the woman he created, when Arjun interrupted my thots and said -
"Would you like to see a picture of my beloved?" I nodded my head in agreement, eager to look at this heavenly beauty. Arjun took out a picture from his wallet and handed it over to me. And I looked at him standing next to his beloved: A Plain, rather not good-looking short, dark and plump woman... I thought he gave me the wrong picture. Before I could say anything, Arjun said that he just remembered he had an important work to do and had to leave asap. He got up and left in a jiffy, forgetting the photo behind. I showed Tanuj the pic, waiting for an explanation. He just smiled at me and said -

"Yes, she is the same girl he was talking about... Sanya. They have been together, in love for almost 15 years now, even tho Arjun is blind by birth, she happily married him. They are totally in love with each other... they are really the most beautiful couple I have ever seen... Hats off to them yaar!!"

And I looked at the picture, nodding in agreement: She really was the most beautiful woman, and they were the most beautiful couple ever!!

A shiver running down my spine... and my table, bed, room...

Wednesday, March 8th, 2006, at 12:00 am an earthquake of intensity 5.6 on Richter scale hit Gujarat. No casualties reported, though the aftermath of the 2001 episode has people terrorised still.

My experiences....


I have lived in Delhi for 22 years, and have experienced many earthquakes.
Nothin serious ever happens there. Gujarat one was the worst earthquakes I have ever experienced.
And one before that... the day "dil se" and "volcano" movies were being telecast on TV, and around 2 am types there was a major earthquake at the precise moment when the volcano burst in "volcano" and bomb blast happened in "dil se"... people actually thot the tremors were special effects!

Earlier I never used to realise an earthquake was happening. Mom n Dad used to come to my room.... and ask if i was ok... cuz there was an earthquake. But i had no clue.
Over the years, I became good at detecting tremors...
But lately kuch zyada hi ho gaya hai..
Every now n then I feel tremors.....

A coupla days ago at IIMA at 4 in the mornin I was roused from my sleep cuz of what I thot was an earthquake.. sleepily I checked rediff n all to see if there is any news of earthquake.
kuch nahin tha... and i heard no screams so I went back to sleep.


Today again I was sleepin when the tremors hit My bed and every thing around me was moving... and I told myself "Beta Aditi...so jaa... phir se you are imagining it..." and I was going back to neverneverland when there were harder tremors... and then shouts...
And I was happy!! For the first time... I was right! This Time it was ACTUALLY an earthquake... and not a figment of my imagination!! Excited, I ran out....
Usually I am very very scared of such things....
But today, when Earthquake in Gujarat happened.. (earthquake and Gujarat
together in a sentence make me shudder), I was anything but tensed!!
Very happily I climbed out of bed and ran upstairs in the open, and a few minuted later, came back to my room, and settled in my bed, smiling :)

But jokes apart, I am glad everyone is ok here.. and hope that's the case everywhere!!

Roadtrip!!

It was a cool day in December. With end term exams coming up in the near future, we were bored of mugging... and decided we had to have some action in life. So it was decided. We were going to have a road trip to a nearby archaeological site: Lothal. Now I know even you have forgotten your class 6 history lessons... Lothal was one of the port cities of the Mohenjodaro-Harrappan civilization, located about 60 km from Ahmedabad. We got the directions, arranged for bikes, the drivers and pillions, and decided to set out on a fine Saturday afternoon. Why afternoon you ask? Cuz baby, this is IIMA: we have classes on Staurday as well! :(

Anyway so we got everything ready, got over with classes, had lunch, and set out. This trip introduced me to some new people: a guy I had only heard of but never really known - Danko. Another guy, who I didnt know was even a student - Vikas! Anyhow after hurried introductions, hajaar instruction, rules, regulations and much deliberation we finally started off: MaNac and Dhamki, PG and Mirchi, Vikas and BV, Danko and ME!

We reached the highway, and turned right. We kept going on, smoothly, 4 bikes: 3 gals and 5 guys... with hair flowing in the breeze, sailing on the smooth Gujarat highway roads. After about 45 minutes, we were nearing Gandhinagar when PG decided to ask one of the localites if we were on the right way. This is how the conversation went.

PG: "Bhaisaab, yeh Lothal jaane ke liye sahi raasta hai?"
Guy: "Kya??"
PG: "Bhaisaab, yeh Lothal jaane ke liye sahi raasta hai?"
Guy: "Kya keh rahe hain aap? Lothal? Arre bhaiya, yeh raasta Lothal nahin jaata!"
PG: "Kya baat kar rahe hain?
Guy: "Aap log galat aa gaye hain... Lothal Amdavad ke doosri taraf hai..."
And he walked away, leaving us all stumped.

We had gone the wrong way! It was already 3:30 pm, and we had lost almost 1 hour, in the wrong direction. We would need another 45 minuted to just get back to Ahmedabad! We quickly got all the bikes rounded up and took a poll: What to do? Go back and go home, or visit Gandhinagar and Akshardham etc., or actually go ahead with Lothal anyway? We all decided we had enough enthu to continue with Lothal, no matter how fruitless it could get. So off we went, about turn forward march, back to Ahmedabad and on to Lothal.

We raced the bikes. Forgotten were all the rules of "no driving above 80 kmph". But it was fun, reeeally fun! A lil too sunny, and the wind would make your eyes water, but it was one hellava ride! The roads were well maintained, divided, with very little traffic.

As far as I consciously remember, I have hardly ever sat on a two wheeler, leave alone own one. So in teh beginning I was a bit skeptical about putting my life in someone's hand, but then i thot "what the heck.." But I did not regret the decision: Danko drives really well, and it was great fun! On the way, we almost ran over a dog which suddenly came in the way... but thank god for Danko's reflexes... nothing happened to any of us!

On the way, I was enjoying the sights and the scenery... after a few factories, all we had around us were trees and fields, smooth roads, cooooold wind, and beautiful weather! I could not help noticing the ads for an engine oil called "Laal Ghoda". It reminded me of a particular brand of tea which seems very popular in Rajasthan. Its called "Laal Ghoda Kala Ghoda Chai"! Everytime I went to Jaipur, I saw hordings, bullock carts, buildings etc... everything short of humans painted with this Ad!!

Anyhow after a fast and furious ride, when we were trying to race the sun (cuz if we were too late there was danger of the museum and site being closed down for the day), we somehow managed to reach Lothal at 5:45 pm. And guess what? it closed down like 15 mins ago!! We got down, and talked to some employees sitting around, hoping to get in. We begged, and even offered bribe, but they would not agree. Not cuz of any other reason but that they did not have the keys. The officer took them and went to Ahmedabad. The gate to the excavated site and museums were locked. Since there was no way we could get in the museum, we jumped over the fence surrounding the site.

It was deserted. And actually quite an anti-climax. Not as amazing as we thot... quite derelict and decrepit... some wells, some kitchens, some baths... The so called houses were too small to qualify as a full fledged house. However, as mentioned in my history textbook, I did notice that the structures were in proper right angles and the drainage system was amazing! (Better than IIMA I'm sure... everytime it rains the whole institute is flooded! Louis Kahn forgot to make drains it seems... ) We had a lot of fun taking digs at the Harrappan Civilization, making fun of everything around us, weaving imaginary scenarios and stories... when PG says "People, beware. The atmas of Lothal may not like all this... the bhatakti atmaas may tak revenge!!" Anyway, after hanging around for 20 mins or so, suddenly a guy materialised from nowhere. He said he was Harish, one of the caretakers. He said he jumped over the fence too, and showed us around. Explained the whole structure, very passionately. PG, the ghost-crazy guy was convinced that teh Harappan spirits had sent him to stop us from making fun and giving us gyaan!

After some time, it was around 7, and we were getting hungry, and there was no way we could reach the insti on time and have dinner in the mess, so we asked Harish if he could arrange for some food. He said that there were hardly any houses nearby: Lothal is a pretty dead place. It would take a lot of time for anyone to get food from any place. But he agrred to go look for it anyway. We thought of having a bon-fire. We asked him if we could get some sticks etc. He just nodded and went away. We waited for him for 15 mins, but no sign. We called out for him, but it seemed that he had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

Bas, phir kya tha, PG was back in his Bhootiya mood.. "Guys lets narrate scary stories.." It was getting dark. We were on the way back to the well where we kept our helmets etc. when we saw a neat pile of sticks... as if conjured from thin air! When we arrived here, it wasnt there. And here it was, sitting happily, as if it had been there all this while. And there was no way Harish could have set it up, cuz he was nowhere to been seen for miles. We wondered how it came there, but gav eup soon and lit a nice crackling fire. Danko got a bedsheet, which we spread on the grass, and lay down, to look at the stars.

The sky was soooo beautiful!! Never had i seen so many stars, twinkling in the sky... we also spotted quite a few satellites. After a coupla futile tries of narrating scary stories, and some bakarr, we decided it was nearing 7:30 and it was high time we leave. It was decided we would have dinner at some road-side dhaba. So we packed our stuff, put out the fire and jumped out, and went off.

We reached the highway and saw 2 dhabas: one did not have food, the other had some stuff, made for the owners. But one look at our hungry faces and the guy agreed to arrange for some food somehow! He finally got us some weird dal, pyaaz aur aloo sabzi, another weird looking dish, a dish made of farsaan, and tasty parathas, with achaar and salad! We dint care what we were eating: we just gulped everything down with gusto! It was one of the most fulfilling tho weird meals of my life!

After a hearty meal, around 9 pm we got back on the bikes and had a freeeeeezing trip back! As usual, I was being my "i-dont-feel-cold" self.. and was wearing floaters and a single sweatshirt! I almost froze the death!! But the experience was fun all the same! On the way back, we clicked our pics in the darkness: 3 headlites shining on the dark roads... all in line.. it was beautiful! By 10:45 or so, we were back in the campus. Snug in our rooms, after a hot bath! Boy! Was that one hellava Raodtrip! It was my first and the best ever trip!!

Since you have gone...

Since you have gone
The flowers have lost their colour
The birds dont sound sweet anymore
The sun has lost its warmth
The moon has lost its glow
Since you have gone

Since you have gone
The mornings dont feel refreshing
The nights are so depressing
Life is so empty and hollow
Each day is difficult to swallow
Since you have gone

Since you have gone
No touch feels as gentle
No word sounds as kind
No one seems to be my own
I am simply losing my mind
Since you have gone..

comin up shortly...

hey all...
i have been extremely busy with this and that..
i am in teh middle of 4 new posts....
do bear with me and keep checking, ill come up with new posts asap!
thnx!