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Ten Things of Thankful- My Debut Post :)

September 6, 2015, 5:02 am
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There is always some thing in life to be thankful about and it is almost a necessity to stop and count your blessings and thank your stars. Today I was reading a post by my blogger friend Dyanne Vinyard Dillon --  The Birthday Editionand felt I should actually give this prompt a try! Lately I am not myself due to many personal challenges which keep pulling me down. I climb up and try to remain sane but sometimes the challenges and worries over power me. All of a sudden yesterday I felt I should actually be thankful about many things in life. So am I here with my début post for Ten things of Thankful. My list goes like below for this week

I feel Thankful.....

1.) About  the fact that I am working. I have been struggling for a job during my break which was in 2012. I did not work for more than an year and I never really liked what I was doing till then. Then after a long career gap I shifted gears and became a full pledged Technical Writer. As writing has always been my passion, I felt like I found my true calling but mind you however true the calling is, it always has some inbuilt challenges. When I say I am technical writer, people exclaim , "Oh ! Does it mean , You just sit and write!" How cool. But it is not just that. It has much more to that but a post on some other day about my professional hiccups and my love for my job. I Thank God for making me capable of getting what  I want!

2.) For the books I get to read  It is truly said that books are the best of friends. I thank Yann Martelfor writing the gem of a book - "Life of Pi." This book has been a great learning experience so far. My Thankful post will be incomplete with out it coz the entire book covers the essence of being thankful about so many things. I am simply relishing each and every word written in it
Image source : here
3.)  For the man in my life , for his patience and calmness I feel thankful. It would have been a riot if we both had same amount of emotional upheaval or intense mood swings. We do fall apart at times but patching up just happens. I feel more thankful whenever I come across many men who are jerks or whenever I hear complicated stories about them!

4.) For my friend Kalluri Hema . There are other friends too with whom I talk but it is not the same. I feel liberated when I speak to her, heart to heart even if I am in India and she is in London. I can talk anything and everything to her. As some complicated emotions were doing parade on my mind she came to my rescue and I just felt a lakh times better than before. We are like Carrie Bradshaw  and Miranda Hobbes of Sex and the City. I wish there were 2-3 more people to complete the group! We have common childhood memories and silly jokes to discuss and laugh every time like it is the first time! I thank God for all those long lasting friends with whom we can open up and Hema needless to say I love U :)
Yep. The more I think the more I feel it's us. Image sources are this and this

5.) For the Retail therapy. It is truly said that those who cant find happiness in money didn't know where and what to shop. I was hoping to buy statement necklaces from many days. I saw a friend getting them from ebay but the shopping procedure just seemed complex there. Finally I found two gorgeous pieces on Limeroad.com. The joy of buying some thing for youself is priceless. Now I am waiting for an occasion to wear any of them
one of the purchases

6.) For finally ticking off a long standing wish on my bucket list - To watch movie all alone. Yesterday on the fly I decided I should go to movie alone. Sometimes you don't have a proper company to do stuff and at times the people who can accompany you are too busy or occupied with their own things. So I thought to do my own thing and went to a movie of one of my favorite actors and totally loved the experience. Infact the movie watch felt much better as I could laugh loud and examine different elements in the cinema with out any disturbance!

7.) For the appreciation I got at my work place that I am doing a great job and they are impressed by the dedication I show at work :) I was not liking many things linked to work but this single compliment reduced the intensity of dislike and I felt rejuvenated.

8.) For the heavy rain today. Rains have an instant power of bringing me in good mood and mum's garden seemed magical after getting wet in rain. Shared below are the rain snapshots. Rain lightened my head if only temporarily!


9.) For my smart phone and the imo.im app , Google hangout, skype or any thing in it which makes video calls possible with my husband who is in Belgium for 3 months. Thank God for  smart phones and apps. Life feels much better& people feel near though are far.

10.) Lastly I feel thankful for the Ten Things Of Thankful prompt which made me dust my blog and write some thing positive on it after so long. This is a wonderful initiative which made me realise we all have our share of problems and it is important to count the happy moments once in a while how ever small or big they may be!

Ten Things of Thankful
Click on the image to know more
This is my first #10Thankful post . The hosts for this cool initiative are A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall, Amycake and the Dude, Considerings, Finding Ninee, Getting Literal,I Want Backsies, The Meaning of Me, Thankful Me, Uncharted, The Wakefield Doctrine

If you want to add your blog post link for the prompt, do it here!
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"Salaam to Kalam"

September 16, 2015, 10:52 pm
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Originally published in ViewsPaperTVP-09-FB-001
People come. People go
Time doesn’t halt. It will flow
People live. People die
Only few have wings of fire and always fly!
Today I pray in front of the God with just a single desire
I ask him for the seeds of wisdom and those wings of fire
The fire of knowledge, the fire of good will and the fire of passion
The fire of purpose, the fire of perseverance and the fire of the right emotion!
You are the reason I felt there is no need to always announce my success
You are among those legends who proved intellect is the true finesse
You are the reason, a child could and can strongly believe and walk the path of belief
When the country was getting filled with corrupt leaders, you came as a relief!
You are the only person who strengthened the words – the pen is mightier than sword
You are the reason I felt, declaring I am Kalam is the best way to feel right and good
Your words changed my way of living and thinking.
If my soul is lost, your words always help in finding.
You are the one who proved humanity and wisdom come above religion
You became the reason for many kids to form a common legion
You are famous as the Missile Man but you are the symbol of love and peace
Your visionary gave us the power to dream and the courage to make it true
When religion becomes the reason to stereotype many around,
You stood as a living proof and filled hope and pride abound
Your life should lead more and more like me towards the path of the fulfillment
You are immortal and live forever in our thoughts and will rule our hearts!! 
quote-life-is-a-difficult-game-you-can-win-it-only-by-retaining-your-birthright-to-be-a-person-and-to-abdul-kalam-242453
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Moving on...

September 26, 2015, 11:03 am
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"You still stuck there. Please move on buddy!"
 "You are making fun of me even today for that. Come on guys. Move on!"
 "Heart breaks are normal in life. You should try and move on darling."

How many times would you have heard the words MOVE ON in various contexts! Moving on is the much required phenomenon in any one's life. If you can't move on you are damaging your present. If you stay where you are and refuse to budge you are hampering your happening future. But is it so easy to move on for every one? In this post we shall talk about moving on and the challenges involved in it. This is an interactive post and I would like to see your replies and experiences.

Long long ago when I was in school, I was very emotional. Not that I am less emotional now but then I was a wreck. I was an intelligent girl who loved to have fun and laugh a lot and always wanted to express what I felt with ease but my emotional quotient mostly kept me in silence. I was scared of so many things. My dad used to compare me with Lord Hanuman who at some point forgets his special powers. I am not a mythology expert but I remember just this bit, though I never researched on whys and whats of this information. Yes. I am a Muslim but we all are fond of Hindu mythological stories and facts. My family instilled the belief in me but it is not possible to always have family by your side...

I still remember the day when I was giving 7th standard board exams and when I had to give a tough paper one day , I got boils and itching started all over my body due to some histamine release and over excitement. I had to take avil-25 to calm down. I am very sensitive to slightest of disturbances. They can be physical , chemical or psychological. Avil 25 used to come to my rescue .When I had some new chicken cuisine in a restaurant and got rashes all over the body, my friends got shit scared looking at me :-| Even today if I am over excited, my nose starts itching horribly :)! Going back to the exam day, by God's grace I finished the exam , by the end of which I looked like a ripe tomato. The memory stayed with me. It was not so easy to move on. I always carry avil with me, when ever I travel or when I face an emotional upheaval but may be my immunity increased with age and I stopped feeling the necessity of popping the pill !I am allergic to many foods, smells, noises and my body instantly responds in weird fashion :) but some how I learnt to control the reactions! If only it was so easy to control the emotional disturbances...
Source : here
Our basic necessities in life remain simple till other people start impacting our emotions and some external energy controls our system. Some people are rock solid and ward off the external forces even if it means to be a loner but some can be easily influenced. At times the influence is so strong that they are no longer the people they used to be! Currently I know 2-3 friends who are going through various kinds and various phases of heart break. Some seem like they have moved on. I don't want to scrape the dead wounds so I don't ask any questions but it kills me when I see people like them or me going through extreme emotional turmoil. Yes women are bigger emotional fools. Doesn't mean men are devoid of emotions. This random thought of moving on started the night before when I was listening to a song move on and was unable to sleep. Like Calvin says, darkness is the perfect time to keep thinking about our fears :) ! Some things in life, like liking a particular person, falling for them or getting your life linked to theirs are mostly  not under our control. After all we are humans whose self control is at toss in certain scenarios :) Making your heart say yes or no and keeping your will strong at the right time changes the game!

When I shifted from Bangalore to Hyderabad I was feeling utterly sad. Hyderabad is a city I adore but still I was not feeling good about the big move. I felt I will miss the sense of freedom for many reasons in Hyderabad! But then I could do nothing to stop it rather than moving on. It was a bitter sweet experience, from the past 6months . Even if I still remember Bangalore in a fond manner, I have got used to Hyd . I am xenophobic and new job, place and people always make me jittery but I had to change 3 jobs after wedding and have learnt how to move on though I am yet to master the art of moving on. Ultimately I have no regrets and moving on did make me stronger professionally and personally!

The situation is more challenging when we deal with matters of heart and assume we are strong enough to be practical when time demands but end up facing the repercussions ! A failed marriage, a broken friendship or a relation ship, lack of expression or emotion in your partner or some one or any one whom you like being extremely insensitive towards you, all these scenarios  leave a gaping hole in the heart. Mending it takes hell lot of time. So much time that you wonder why you are feeling so lethargic with each passing day. You curse yourself. You mouth cuss words. Then you try to move on. You do new things. Go to places.  Meet friends. Cook. Write. Party. Travel e.t.c! The pain subsides but lingers till you actually move on. The actual moving on happens only when you really want to move on which is when you suddenly realize he / she has moved on and you are being an idiot by making him/ her your motto of life.

SHIT HAPPENS and rather than making it hit the roof , floor and walls , it is better to flush it out. You need a good company to do so - a trust worthy friend, a companion who is fun to be with, a sibling with whom you can share darkest secrets and so on so forth. Doing things alone is a herculean task. I am daily subjected to different people going through different challenges in life and I myself have so much on my mind that I am in a position where I can neither be a support nor seek support! We all have those few special people whom we can bug with your bickering thoughts and feelings. But a time comes when you have to fight a lone war because every one around is doing the same too and because you and only you can put an absolute end to your tangled thoughts. Your friends can act as catalysts but for the reaction to happen, you need to act first! I am not saying that matters of heart are simplistic. They are too complicated . Heart does what heart does even when your brain keeps cautioning it just like in the below cartoons!
source : here
Image source: here

Emotions and heart games are usually played by any person till he / she feels you are perfectly under their charm or control or whatever you may want to call it. If they get what they want then they are happy or else his/ her brain starts taking an immediate action. When brain intervenes, the hearts involved seem like loads of crap. When some one, whether it is your brain or your asshole partner easily say YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON just when your heart actually started wanting for more,it hurts ! It hurts like hell. It takes too much time for your heart to rest and to let your brain do the talking, but that talking if you do you are saved. My only message to all the emotional creatures out there is that, give your brain some work too. Do not enter in to any kind of relation ship if your brain continuously is giving different types of warning signals! Do not make yourself a victim to vague signals of heart. Try to find that perfect balance between heart and brain for your peace!

No two people are same. No strings attached seems good as the movie title where by the end they end up wanting more :) If it is not your cup of tea, it is better not to drink it or at-least be wise and get rid of it after 2-3 sips. When you see your relation ship is going no where or if you get negative vibes from your partner or boy friend it is better to cut it in the root stage and move on. Any kind of relation ship demands emotion, whether it is short-lived or long-term, whether it is with strings or with no strings. It is tough to have a physical attraction towards a person minus emotion but if you realise the other person is a jerk , if you are getting subtle signals which your heart may filter before reacting but the CLEVER brain senses, please listen to them. Do listen to your brain once in a while to wake up and to regain sanity and to move on!

Yes it is said that following your heart gives you a sense of fulfillment but it is not always true. Just like in the quote shared below follow your heart but do take your brain with you!
source : here


Source : here


















Having shared these awesome quotes, I just have a last piece of advice to all the emotional people out there who are fighting all kind of battles. In the battle between Heart and Brain may you win and get what you deserve the most. Don't feel bad for being vulnerable. Wear your emotions like a boss. I am sure there will be some one who will just be fine with who you are and who has the emotional quotient similar to yours! Lastly , thanks for keeping up with this post loaded with random thoughts and emotions ;) Do share your experiences in replies and in life remember to move on if you should!

Signing Off,
Afshan


image source : here

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Kanche movie review

October 29, 2015, 12:15 am
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I went to watch the movie Kanche with out any pre-plan. This post is not necessarily a review. I just wanted to write it for two reasons. 1.) It's been long that I blogged on movies which impacted me and 2.) I rarely write about Telugu movies which I always think, should be done often as I love watching a good Telugu cinema! Needless to say Kanche falls in the category of good cinema. It has a unique script, a thought provoking story, powerful dialogues, a good director Krish and a fresh star cast who did manage to do their best!

Kanche - Who's who!
Directed byKrish
Produced bySaibabu Jagarlamudi
Y. Rajeev Reddy
Written bySai Madhav Burra
(dialogues)
StarringVarun Tej
Pragya Jaiswal
Nikitin Dheer
Sowcar Janaki
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao
Gollapudi Maruti Rao

Source : Wiki
About Kanche stars

I watched Gamyam and Vedam  made by director Krish and became an instant fan. I trusted him and hoped this to be a watchable flick and he did not disappoint me. Kanche has Varun Tej in the leading role. It is quite a bold and modest attempt by Varun Tej, taking in to consideration, the biggies of film industry who back him up and who mostly do meaty and massy roles to allure the audience. I am not saying the mass impact is not important but I applaud Varun Tej for picking a story which actually suited him, instead of being under the stress of out shining the uncle or cousins! For those who never heard of him like me, he is Chirenjeevi's brother Nagababu's son. So it is natural to have the immense peer pressure which might have lead him to mimic what his seniors in family are doing but I appreciate him for trying to gain his USP, and for standing out of the crowd ! I did not watch his debut movie Mukunda . I only saw posters and hoardings which showed an intriguing fresh face. He does have a spark in eye which is charming. If hero is around 6 ft tall, the villian Nikitin Dheer is equally appealing who stands tall at 6ft 3" or so . Both seemed apt for their respective roles. Varun Tej who acted as Dhupati Hari babu in the movie is calm, docile, poetic yet strong and bold. Nikitin as Eeshwar is rude, crude, angry and violent. Pragya Jaiswal as Sita Devi is a fresh face who looked a bit like Nargis Fakiri and played a passionate role as the lover of Hari babu. All other veteran actors Sowcar Janaki , Gollapudi Maruti Rao are all known faces who were just fit in their roles.
source: here
source : here
Kanche Story line and Review

Kanche starts with a war backdrop and a monologue in the background where the context to the movie is set. You will get a fair idea in the opening scene that movie will revolve around a no-nonsense serious theme. The story oscillates between past and present , presenting to viewers , lives of people set up in two totally different locations and conditions but the problems , ignorance and wars waged with in a society are quite similar. Kanche, a Telugu word means fence . The entire movie shows how people demarcate the society with many fences laid due to various reasons like caste, creed , religion , region and status and how these fences can lead to disaster. The male protagonist Hari (played by Varun Tej) falls in love with Princess Sita Devi. They both hail from same town where the feelings of demarcation are strongly imbibed in all the dwellers. Hari, a person from lower caste and Sita Devi belonging to a royal family try their level best to persuade their elders , society and also the brother Eeshwar played by Nikitin Dheer but Eeshwar stays stubborn which leads to a outrageous fight between hero and heroine's brother leading to some tragic consequences. The story is set in the year 1936. After 3 years , in 1939 the hero and villian are seen to be serving Indian military forces and supporting Italy during the world war when Hitler and his followers are ruthlessly slaughtering people. The hero and villian have same amount of valor but their ideologies differ.

The scene where Hari saves months old baby girl whom the German forces are vehemently planning to kill as she is born to a jew and non-jew, is quite touching. The plight of people during second world war makes us shiver and the viewer can effortlessly draw an analogy between the world war battle field and the fights across the fences in the small town to which Hari belongs to. It dawns on every movie watcher that it is just a matter of time to witness an unfortunate event like world war 2 if people don't wake up. Director subtly connected both the stories and the way Hari breathlessly tries to erase the borders and shows us the big picture of humanity is like a wake up call to all of us. Be it 1936 or 2036 the problems we face were, are and will be similar is the gist I got from the movie!

By the end of the movie you feel tragic but you leave the theater with a contentment in heart which makes you think that with a strong resolve and a pursuit to change the wrong doings around us, we can actually do miracles and make our life worthy!

Varun Tej's role and most of the sensitive dialogues will be etched in the mind.

Few loopholes in the movie
  • Direction and editing are faulty at some places. For instance war scenes are  repetitive and will bore the viewer. Editor should have put some more effort in making it flawless!
  • Not every one understands German or English. I felt subtitles should have been provided for every viewer to understand the conversations.
All in all the movie is an engaging watch which will impact most of the viewers :)
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Random Conversations with the Smartest Kids

November 17, 2015, 7:32 pm
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image source : here
After a long satisfying walk with i-Pod still plugged in my ears I walked to the elevator of my apartment where two smart and cutesy kids were waiting for the elevator. The little girl totally scanned me , my face, my hair , I – Pod, sweat and everything and the little boy was lost in his world of Narnia. I felt, the girl spoke something to me after her scan. I stopped the music, removed the ear plugs and looked directly at her.
Me: “R u talking to me?”
Girl: “Yes . Ofcourse. From looooong and U r like humming loudly and dancing, unaware of it.”
I smiled mischievously at the lil drama queen and replied ;) : “Was I ? Ok. Tell me? What is it ?”
Girl : “ Which floor do You stay?”
Me: “6th and U ?”
Girl : “2nd. So how many rounds do You run / walk on an avg?”
Me: “ 8-9. If I feel like I do more than 10.”
She smiled appreciatively and I felt proud by the genuine glow in her eyes.
I asked, “ Which class are you in? Are you coming back from tuition? ”
She replied, “I am in 4th . He is in 2nd, pointing at the boy still in Narnia . I am in Oakridge , he is in Glendale (Or some such name she took). No tuition. Just a chit chat!”
I smiled appreciatively this time as I was super impressed by her sing-song English! :D
Me: “Cool . Is that your school project?” I asked pointing at the bottle with leaves which she was carefully holding.
She thought for a second and again replied in rhythm , “ Yeahh . Actually I am making a project out of waste materials, waste means not waste as such, we collect leaves , colorful papers and put them in bottles, put some lights in them, decorate them a bit more and we just hang them.”
I replied, “Wow . That’s awesome.”
She was quite happy and enthusiastically added, “We assemble to do the same every day.”
I replied, “Great.”
The boy returned from Narnia and shouted loud in a giggly tone, “It is not her school project.”
The lift arrived and we got in.
She promptly hit his head gently with the bottle she was holding and said, “ Dumbo, you think U know everything . You are in Glendale. I am in Oakridge. How do you know about my school stuff ? If you gonna say something , you gonna make some sense!”
I was looking clearly bemused at her!
Then she faced me and said, “He is a bit of cock - a – doodle – do . if U say some thing to him he is gonna say to entirrrrrrrre world , hence I kept the secret from him. As you asked, I just had to say.”
*I mentally noted the word , to check for the meaning after I reach home*
“Cock- a – doodle – do: The loud crow of a cock. (used as a conventionalized expression to suggest the crowing of a rooster, as in stories for children.)”
Me quite unsure of how to react, said , “Err. I am sorry.”
She: “That’s al right. No problem.”
Then out of the blue she said loudly, “I Just love your shirt (some old black tee) and that shrug. I have a similar one. Not a shrug but a dress!”
“Oh. Thanks!” I smiled broad at her. Finally we reached her floor. She was getting out. I just wanted to hug and kiss her but instead said, “ALL THE BEST for your project!”

She said an official Thank You and I felt like I am talking to a colleague :-o ! They both waved bye energetically to me. That moment I felt like be-friending her and equipping my vocab skills. I felt, I can learn better English by talking to her everyday rather than talking to many of my age or folks elder to me at office!
PS: This was a FB note written by me after a recent incident in my apartment. I later felt, I should preserve this in my blog too :)
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For the love of Maggi...

November 22, 2015, 10:09 pm
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I think almost all the Maggi lovers will mark the date and time of the return of Maggi. After all the hoopla around the ban happening from about 5-6 months, Maggi has finally come back like a boss in full confidence, flanked by its fans. Snapdeal invited Maggi with much love by packing 12 packs of maggi with freebies and a 2016 year calendar. I felt I was insane to register myself for the Maggi 2 minute Masala noodle Welcome kit sale but once I received it , I felt glad and nostalgic. Nestle's Maggi did create ripples with it's come back. 
Maggi is back :P Image source : here
image source: Here

Though not all, atleast 60- 70 % of Indians have a story associated with Maggi. The ads are touching and real coz many people have such emotional bonding with Maggi. Before you frown, let me share my Maggi experiences and journey with Maggi so far :)

It was in school when I first tasted Maggi Noodles brought by an aunt from Bombay. I had my introduction to Maggi during one of those summer vacations and I didnt become much of a fan then. Even in the later years Maggi was not frequently consumed at our home as we preferred traditional breakfasts / foods like idli, dosa, bambino semiya or many more to Maggi. Slowly Maggi seeped in to our minds as it was easier, tastier and was fun too. It used to be fun to dig your fork and roll your noodle around it and eat with a slurp sound and it is fun even now :) I realized the importance of Maggi in my life only when I started living away from home.

Maggi is a blessing to all those like me who cannot cook but want to eat something which doesnt taste like hostel food (I claim that I can cook now though Maggi is the only thing I can cook with confidence ;) ) . Hostel food usually is a riot of colors which all taste the same. There are many pale yellow liquids of different texture. You can name them only after tasting them. Sometimes it is rasam , sometimes sambar and most of the times it comprises of different kinds of Dals! Some deep fried Indian curry which is brick reddish or brownish in shade and totally not eye pleasing is also served. A white curd, a red pickle , burnt paapad or fryums, a boiled egg or a bowl of oily chicken (which actually used to be heavenly after a week's torture) usually are part of the menu. Whenever my taste buds used to become thick and fail to serve their duty, I used to find my peace in this magical yellow packet with a taste maker.

It doesn't exactly take two minutes to make and I never complained for whatever time was spent in making maggi, because by the end of it , it always pleases all my senses :)
Image source : here
We at hostel used to feel like master chefs when ever we invaded the kitchen with Maggi packets in hand. The hostel cook and his staff politely used to allow us to use the utensils and all the ingredients. There are different Indian-versions and variations of Maggi. Some make it with egg, some with boiled chicken, some with onions, tomatoes and peas and some like it just plain. As there always is a problem of a mixed crowd of vegetarians and non-vegetarians we mostly used to cook it with veggies and matar . The end result may not be as beautiful as in the ads but it was delicious enough to soothe our taste buds and get our senses back! Like this, Maggi became a forever warm friend who used to bring smiles during the dull, mundane hostel life. The partnership with Maggi only became strong with passing months and years. Different people want it differently. Some like it in a watery texture, some prefer it semi solid and some want it to be dry. Maggi is wonderful at marketing as it keeps coming up with varieties of maggi for various consumers. For health conscious public, maggi introduced vegetable atta noodles and oats maggi. Now whether they are actually healthy or not is an open question but the only answerable question is that every living being on planet can easily make maggi. If you train your pet it can make maggi too :-) . This makes maggi the most sought out food and the most favorite food for people living away from home!

During many instances Maggi came to my rescue and so many encounters with maggi are forever memorable. Some are listed below!

1.) I still remember all those lazy days and nights in Infosys Mysore Training Center spent with Friends and Maggi. I do miss those long mid night talks and violation of the rules by boiling Maggie in the kettle. The fun quotient of training days increased due to the boiled maggi in rooms and spending endless nights with friends sharing life goals, horror stories and love stories :P

2.) I remember the day I had high fever and couldn't eat any thing till 3 A.M. in the morning and was suddenly hungry when the soupy noodles brought back life in my eyes and I slept peacefully much to the bliss of my mom

3.) My husband's maggi recipe is super hit at my place. The one made with scrambled egg and onions. A sunday which starts with that maggi can never go wrong. 

4.)  Most memorable maggi incident was when we went to Rohtang Pass , a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas (Source: wiki). When every one was suffering from Acute mountain sickness and suffering from headaches and falling sick , Maggi and a hot piping chai felt like elixirs of life  .A plate of steaming maggi was the only solace when our empty stomachs were growling! There used to be a maggi ad in mountains which exactly matches the scene we were in that day with tired bodies and sick faces!
Rohtang pass vaali Maggi
5.) Mountains , hillstations, rains, sleepy towns and maggi go hand in hand. You can find a maggi stalls in any quaint little town. Maggi is the quickest choice of food during your long journeys . I found solace in Maggi during my trips to Nainital, Munnar and many other places


There are many more anecdotes which can be narrated here, that describe my fondness for maggi but I will stop here and end the post on a happy note , with the pictures of my snapdeal package and a funny video made by some fans on FB. Now all those who have removed cooking, under their hobbies, can add it back in their biodata as Maggi is back ;) There were many whats app jokes floating around during the ban and now too which are outright hilarious- 


Boy- I Love u…
Gal – but I don’t love you…
Boy – agar kal tum ne mujhe i love you nahi kaha to…
Gal – to kya karo ge? 😐
boy – to main Maggie kha k apni jaan de dunga…
😄😄😄😂😆 
(A boy is threatening a girl that he will give up his life by eating maggi if she doesn't accept his proposal)
Snapdeal Welcome package - Quite impressive
                               
PS: My breakfast today was Maggi which gave rise to this post

Maggi might be not the healthy choice of food . It might be having Lead but it has not lead to any serious consequences so far and I hope it continues to please our palates and hearts. This post is dedicated to all those students, people staying away from home and each and everyone who survived on it many a times!

Originally published at ViewsPaper
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The biggest "Tamasha" called Life

December 1, 2015, 9:47 pm
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After a dilemma to choose from some new movie releases (like Cheekati Rajyam & Size zero ) I finally zeroed on Tamasha.

Film: Tamasha
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Piyush Mishra
Director: Imtiaz Ali 
Writer: Imtiaz Ali


Tamasha - After watching it, I felt reviewing is tough because  not every one can be an Imtiyaz Ali who can explain all the complicated emotions in such a simplistic way ! Like some one told in a review , only he can understand the complicated heart matters like no one else and also succeeds in letting the viewers understand them! 

Tamasha makes you go in to a pensive mode. Fun and emotions are blended well and it presents to U the finest PAIR OF THE YEAR Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone heart emoticon - Both have evolved beautifully and Imtiyaz brings out the best in both the actors. Deepika is drop dead gorgeous and Ranbir is no less. His demeanor which naturally gets transformed, his expressions, the Dev-anand act , the very acting prowess will just charm you.They both complement each other perfectly well.

Story line, songs and my views: 
Tamasha is a fantasy world created by Imtiyaz which is not actually full of fantasies and depicts the real tamasha we all face called life. It is an off beat movie which suits only a niche audience. It is like a stage show from start till the end where you get enchanted by the characters dancing on the screen and also the characters which come to your mind from your real life experiences :) 

If the song Chali Kahani kick starts the story showing the little Ranbir who gets intrigued by all the magical stories embedded in the universe and happily lives in his world, the song Matargashti gives you a picture of a fairy land and fills a kind of zeal in your heart which makes you want to go out and be the free spirited person, you actually are from your heart. The song Heer to badi sad hai shows the transition and transformation of characters which evolve in a period of years. The song Safarnaama sung by Lucky Ali, shows the path to your own heart and describes the journey.

The imaginative narration and unique story telling technique used in songs will definitely create happy and sad emotional waves in you! In the first half the bonus is the beautiful Corsica in France where our mystery boy and girl meet. 
image source : here


Deepika is more or less like Ranbir from heart, who loves stories and Asterix in Corsica is the reason she travels to the place which shows that she longs to live the stories she reads or hears. She gets totally awestruck by the hero. However, as per their pact of not revealing their identities, they separate without the knowledge of who they actually are and the second half of the story shows the transition of hero who gets used to the maze created by the world, becomes a product manager and lives the same day every day and is tuned to being monotonous and boring! I loved both the story telling DON in the first half and the robotic Ved in second half, who is more realistic and strikes a chord with 90% of population who kill their hobbies or passions to earn money for a smooth life! Ranbir showed his excellence in both the roles.

 You may occasionally remember the Jordan of Rockstar where he finally succeeds in making passion his career but doesn't succeed much on the personal front. There are glimpses of Ranbir from Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani as well in the movie!

The story is all about the journey of the boy Ved, who loves hearing stories and dwells in the spirit of all stories but eventually gets burdened by the education, mathematics, management and in general the life which makes him do everything he dislikes. Meeting Tara creates ripples in his head and he ultimately decides to explore his own story and embrace his inner self. The way hearts are broken and distanced is also so beautifully shown , that you almost want to go in to the screen and hug Tara and Ved during the song , agar tum saath ho and the book shop scene. However I would have preferred a more supportive Tara who could have helped Ranbir when it’s traumatic for him!


source : here
Some of the scenes which will stay with me:
  • The scene where Ved’s storyteller from his childhood- Piyush Mishra mocks him, when Ved requests him to give an ending to his story. He shouts, ” Kaayar , apni kahani kaise khatm hogi mujhe poochta hai. (You are such a wuss, you ask me your story’s ending?)” It is like an eye opener to all the viewers who seek advice from others and wait for approvals!
  • The entire Corsica episode and the fun and frolic side of Ved and Tara which is beautiful and heart warming. 
  • The scene after the stark realization Ved has , where he narrates a story of Heero to his dad () , mom , Sushma Seth (grandmom). You should go to theater and hear to the actual story which makes you question yourself!
  • All the songs of the movie which are unique. I loved the way the wat wat song  (sung by Arjit Singh & Shashwat Singh) is shot (the auto driver whose passion is singing is shown in this foot tapping song).
Even if this is not something which You haven't watched before, You gotta watch this just for the unique "story telling" style! Three cheers 2 the team! Jab we met is undoubtedly Imtiyaz's best to me . The music of Rockstar and Highway is heart touching and the music and story of Tamasha is like Chicken soup for the viewers' soul which is soothing and nerve tingling and definitely helps in clearing your head :)  "Tamasha is the best possible reason to divert yourself from all the Aamir Khan's Tamasha" 
tongue emoticon smile emoticon Go for it glasses emoticon . 

All those creative people who are more or less like Ved, can identify with Ved’s character; who is mesmerized with stories but has outgrown his imaginative self due to the mundane life he chose. The film definitely helps them to recognize and revive their old self. The concept of the movie is rather appealing, but it may not every time work in real life, because a lot of home work needs to be done before turning your passion into a full blown career!

PS: You may either love or hate this movie but cannot have any mediocre feelings after watching. You will definitely get high on emotions! I end the post with my favorite song.


Originally Published at The Views Paper
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Salute to Mumbai Martyrs (26/11)

December 6, 2015, 10:27 pm
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Image courtesy : here
Saw a Spine Chilling documentary on 26th Nov 2015,of the Mumbai terror attacks and the Siege which lasted for more than 60hrs from 26/11/2008 to 27/11/2008 and was too shocked to speak or have any opinion. Excerpts from Ajmal Khasabs interview in Hospital shown on HISTORY channel are shared below.
Police: Whom are u asked to kill?
Kasab : Logon ko (People)
Police: U know what is meant by Jehad?
Kasab: Nope!
Police: Then Y r u killing?
Kasab in a satirical tone: For the money sir (Paisa milta hai baau)
Police: Dont U feel guilty for doing so many killings? Havent U questioned your trainers that?
Kasab: Yes. At times I feel so, but they do wash our brain and in 3 months make us ready for sacrifice.
Other than this, all the live conversations on radio phones between the handlers from Pakistan who were coolly giving instructions to each Terrorist to kill, to not get diverted, and to scare people by throwing grenades or burning the dome were recorded. They also passed continuous instructions on how to fight till the end and not get caught by police men made me too dejected , helpless and my eyes and head were boiling by the end!
I was not aware that they also had put Rdx in taxis which took some more lives . Looking at the feed of surveillance cameras made me silently cry. Hearing to stories of survivors did not make me courageous. At one juncture the handlers from Pakistan over the radio phone, when the attackers were amused by the hotel were exchanging conversation like below:
Attacker : “You know here they have computers with 30 screens or so, masha allah ! So amusing!”
Handler: “Don’t get distracted . Have you put the rooms and dome on fire or not? I should see them on TV Live . Do that ASAP.”
They were discussing their agenda and passing orders between each other simply like we do in case of an office project or some sport played for fun or a good cause :( I watched the massacre on TV for more than an hour and couldn't sleep properly the whole night as the scenes and voices kept dancing infront of my eyes!
8 terrorists or may be more in groups of 4 destroyed the city like never before. They are doing it with out any thoughts or feelings , like robots who are keyed and loaded with evil programs. I was too terrified when I saw that the terrorists made it a point to kill till their last breath. Not sure if it is right to feel this, but when a guy called Fahadullah said that his partner died just beside him, I felt pity - Pity on their nonchalance, the life they lived, the parents who gave birth to them, the country(ies) who nourished them. I felt weak and hopeless when they were chanting the beautiful words like Insha-allah and Masha-allah for these evil deeds. Again the same questions bothered me! How can they be brainwashed? How do they become so evil? What can stop all this? How can we uproot terrorism? How to do our part in uprooting it?
I know there are many Indians too who are recruited by all the terrorist organisations like ISIS or Al-Qaeda or any such inhuman organisation which makes me shudder. How and what can stop all this ? Can we be united and come up with a strict agenda to end the evil?It was Mumbai or Hyderabad then. Peshawar or Gaza later, Paris and Mali now and the places like Syria, Palestine, Nigeria, Gaza, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on , so forth who always live under the canopy of terror."Saddest fact is that the main motto of these people who call themselves saviors of Islam is to destroy Muslims like me and many."The terror waves are getting bigger with each day and How ? What ? Why? When? - such questions keep flogging the mind as always.
Wish the youth gets a right direction. Wish God takes the lives of terror creators in worst possible way. Wish initiatives like this - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Islam-and-terrorism-now-in-madrassa-course/articleshow/48383137.cms keep increasing. How I wish everyone can prefix the words Non-Islamic to all the terror organisations, instead of tagging “Islamic” with all attacks. How I wish I can live a life where there are no questions bombarded at me about the religion I follow!
But for all the perpetual questions, the only answer I have is-" I am a human and any human who does an act which I can't even fathom for the betterment of humanity is God to me!" I am not sure how to end this post but I just want to salute all the brave hearts , like Vijay Salaskar, Unnikrishnan, Hemant Karkare , Tukaram Omble and many more who have lost lives during this massacre - http://www.ndtv.com/photos/news/a-tribute-to-mumbais-bravehearts-982#photo-9649 . Whether or not it counts this is my tribute to all the “HEROES”
Note: This is an FB note I wrote on 26th November
The pics courtesy : https://www.facebook.com/Indianarmy.adgpi/photos/a.154174701445834.1073741939.123788044484500/437212886475346/?type=3
http://drop.ndtv.com/albums/NEWS/2611bravehearts/1ff.jpg
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2015 Roundup- "A sheer roller coaster ride!"

January 10, 2016, 7:16 am
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The year 2015 was quite a roller coaster ride for me, as I shifted my city and multiple jobs. It taught me too many lessons which can never be forgotten and it also gave an insight in to my heart and helped me understand myself better with each passing day. I will try to maintain the tone of this post not too emotional and the length appropriate :) The year started on a high note, when Imran (my husband) and I decided to shift to Hyderabad from Bangalore. I was actually low but was feeling high as well, as new things make life less mundane! I was also high as I will be near to mom , dad and low as I would have to leave the city I loved the most. I will list down the major events of 2015 in my life!

High Points and Low Points
  •  I celebrated Newyear 2015 after visiting God's Own country Kerala - Wayanad and wrote the below lines when the clock struck 12:oo A.M. on Jan 1st 2015 - "A new path is ahead of us. We may not be able to predict to where it will lead us but we know we have to walk it anyway and embrace it and not run away. Wish you all courage, strength, love, optimism, good will, health and fun while you tread along it ! Happy newyear 2015 to one and all"Well it is the same for any newyear. The trip was beautiful and rejuvenated me for the big move to Hyderabad

Taken at soochipara falls - Wayanad
  • Hyderabad- The land of Biryani and Haleem and the land where mom, dad and bro live did pull me towards it. I was glad but at the same time was feeling confused as I hate being in midst of too much crowd and too many known people. Fortunately I was and am not a part of many social gatherings but still the very thought, spreads the phobia instantly in my head, due to various reasons, the major one being below :) , My dislike towards "variety" of people and liking towards books and my cosy corner, only increased with each day. Sadly I became more unsocial but I became much better , because who else can be better friends than books ? The best book I read in 2015 is Life of Pi , which is worth a 1000 friends !
source : here
  • I joined a new job in Hyd in Feb, and it took it's natural course of time to get acclimatized. It was neither easy nor tough. Started missing my Bangalore office friends as each day felt more lonely. I finally got used to the place, did well in the job and received accolades and managed to get bonded with the team.My Doctor appointments increased due to carpel tunnel syndrome and other general recurrent health issues and naturally I had to mention this at work, but I felt blessed as most of the team was co-operative and polite. They had that rare attitude which wants the co-worker to do the work and go and I feel proud to say that my work always spoke for me. My timings in office, the energy or enthusiasm were measured ofcourse, but never scrutinized a lot, and I was at ease even with tight schedules and micro management only because I loved my work and they knew that fact! I slowly started forgetting Bangalore.
  • A big personal blow which happened in 2015, is the breakup of a loved one with his spouse. I visualised how the marriage was broken and what all lead to it and was totally shattered. It still shocks me whenever I revive what all happened and when I keep hearing or seeing what all is happening. It taught me a big lesson, that a sweet smile, education and a beautiful face are not good enough reasons for a marriage. It is very tough to choose the right person specially in India where many people go with the tide and try to work on their broken relationships much later and fail. I appreciate the guts of the person who decided to file a divorce. A loud applause for making the decision to restart the life, because it doesn't make sense to live on broken remains with bruised hearts! My prayer for 2016 is that honesty and truth should eventually win. I want the hearts of all my loved ones who are facing the brunt of this broken relationship to be repaired. I want them to use their hearts again and feel good. When  I think of them, I always remember the below quote from the movie - Home alone and for those who have caused pain, their acts are their own curses !
source : here
  • Expect the unexpected, I had to leave the job after 6-7 months due to travel plans to Europe and the conveyance issues to office, which were hampering my health but the twist in the story is , I couldn't travel due to few unavoidable reasons and joined another renowned company much near to home after a short gap. I felt it is the solution to all my problems and I can save my time, energy and stay fit but God indeed is a gamer. My health problems increased in a month of joining the new office. The place was unfriendly, work was always random and unclear , and people somehow were too disconnected and I was cheated as there was a  mismatch between the written policies in joining forms and the actual baseless policies which were mentioned to me at work. I somehow failed when it comes to"attracting" the new manager and new people with my work. I always was and am passionate about the work I do but when the boss sucks and when Devil wears Prada doesn't work for long, I felt I should resign . The lesson I learnt is to never ever express the vulnerabilities at work place as the person to whom you report may seem empathetic in the start with the honey dripping tongue but has full potential to be an actual jerk. After too many arguments , verbal fights , and me escalating and mailing the other authorities , I left the job. I definitely am not enjoying whatever happened. It took me 10-15days to recover from the poison spurted out from crap mouthed person who is the sole reason for my resignation. I still am in shock and it will take time but this only made me more strong and when I will be back, I will be back with a bang. She (my manager) for a second seemed to have sucked the soul out of me like a dementor in Harry Potter. When demons invade from all directions , you are shaken and you loose confidence for a while but then you have to come back because you know your worth and no Tom , Dick , Harry can measure it in a span of a mere 2months. To hell with her and to hell with the people who lick her feet. I was never so glad just because of not seeing a person on daily basis! 
I want to suggest a book Big Leap by Gay Hendricks for all who are sailing in the same corporate boat and have to face rude bosses , unhealthy work culture and robotic people around you. I am sure it will definitely help you either to go with the flow or just amend or get rid of the mess!
source: here This is my all time favorite movie- Pursuit of Happyness. I feel so peaceful , when ever I watch it. I watched it after I resigned and regained the faith that I can conquer the world and I will not let any idiot tell me, what I can and can't do
  • Another major event for this year is my husband's visit to Belgium as part of his office assignment , for a period of good 3 1/2 to 4 months. Long distance made me miss him like never before and I can surely say it strengthened our bond. Minus point is that I did not plan to visit Europe and joined the new job which I left now :( Biggest learning is to not miss such opportunity if it knocks my door again. I was extremely tensed after the Paris terrorist attack as husband visited Paris just two weeks before the attack! I was quite edgy till he landed in Hyderabad and let out a sigh of relief as soon as I saw him in the airport. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I want to say that as soon as I saw him half of my worries vanished and my faith in myself got restored with him by my side again :) The bonuses from the trip are the Belgium chocolates , which taste heavenly & the gifts I got from Paris!
  • I travelled to Mumbai for just 2 days, to meet bloggers and attend an amazing event #BNLF (Blog Now , Live Forever). It gave many memories and made me glad as I travelled with a friend and this is something which I wanted to do from long. I went to watch a movie all alone. This must be a silly thing for many, but I fulfilled it after ages , so making it one of the milestones reached in 2015 :) . I visited Pondicherry, which was blissful due to the beaches, ashrams, and the general calmness around the city!
Pondicherry Beach Sunrise
The loot from Belgium

At #BNLF Mumbai

Some desires and to-do's for 2016

I don't have any resolutions for 2016 as resolution sounds like a heavily loaded word, but I want to make a to-do list and will strive to implement most of the stuff from this bullet list and I do have some prayers!
  • To read more and to travel more. I have read around 10 books in 2015 and I definitely want to increase the number. I have challenged myself to 30 and I am really hoping to reach the goal as I am a slow reader.
  • My prayers for my loved ones. I really pray they get rid of the evil vibes which are bothering them from long. May the good omens be with you!
  • A prayer to get my own deepest desire fulfilled.
  • A prayer to not witness terrorism and be a part of some good change and do my bit, giving importance to burning issues and NOT BE PART OF ANY MUDSLINGING on trivial crap over social network.
  • To reduce the intensity of FaceBook usage and deactivate my account for a while. Only blogs keep me glued to FB or twitter but excessive usage damages brain at times. I am waiting to take a break from online socialising rituals and see less updates from the entire world :)
  • To work in a company only if I feel good about the change and not take any hasty decisions while taking up a job!
  • To blog more, cook more, learn new recipes, to continue the gym regime and to just be in good health, be happy and smile a lot.
A very Happy new year to one and all. Have a great 2016 Fellas!

What were your #Talesof2015 and do you have any plans for 2016? Do share :)


I’m sharing my #TalesOf2015 with BlogAdda. 

Thanks to Blogadda Team for this topic as it helped me to reopen my blog :)
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Second Spring Book Review

February 2, 2016, 12:18 am
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Title : Second Spring
Author : Sandhya Jane
Number of Pages : 285
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis and Review:

Second Spring is the debut novel by Sandhya Jane which narrates the life and happenings of Avantika a single mother, who has a strong persona and is highly successful in her profession. The book is all about the ups and downs in her life because of the love which hits her a second time, and on reading the synopsis, I felt the book will mostly reflect the hardships faced by Avantika in a innovative way but sadly I am heavily disappointed as page by page, the book felt like a daily soap or a Bollywood flick. I don't want to sound rude, but I was bored after finishing 50 pages. The story was going no where and was absolutely predictable just like any Hindi movie! First few pages made me feel may be this book has more to it than just the love, spark , infatuation and confusion episodes between Rohan and Avantika but I was wrong. The book has redundant episodes and thoughts of Avantika and Rohan. I really felt, the author should have done more work on editing and removing the repetitive lines. Avantika's son Aarav's bond with his mother was some thing I enjoyed as it showed how single mothers can get deeply attached to their kids. Other than this , I liked few tidbits like, description of the corporate atmosphere, the necessity to be quite social and the tactics one should possess to improve networking so as to have career progress. The respective episodes felt real and the author described the projects , meetings and presentations aptly as she herself works for an investment bank I believe. The intervention of Facebook and how lost friends can be searched and found is shown well. The life and episodes of Rohan and Avantika during the time they spent together, and after they part their ways covers 90% of the book. It is possible that the turn out of all the events can be a real thing, but the way it was narrated, I felt I was watching some hindi movie from 80s - 90s.
Source : here
Avantika slogs for the progress of her company and herself but it feels bad to see that she shifts to Missouri (USA) only to forget her love.  By the end of the book, the only thing I could appreciate was that the protagonist Avantika carefully and confidently chose what she wanted , with out falling in the booby trap of emotions once again but even this felt like, I was watching the climax of the movie Hum Dil De Chuke sanam . The book oscillates between Rohan and Avantika's diary pages thrown between infinite number of meetings and office hours. Rohan's family pressures, forced marriage and orthodox beliefs are all highlighted which are day to day problems in India but on this date and time when things are slowly changing , I could not relish the age old story line where he sacrifices himself for arranged marriage and so many lives ultimately get destroyed. The surprising element in the book is Rhea, a kid who is the love child of Avantika and Rohan. This surprise totally failed the story for me as once again , it got too filmy where in kids are born as easily as coffee comes out of vending machines, just by spending one passionate night together. Again it is a possible scenario but I couldn't make myself like it! Sorry to say that the book is too clichéd and I couldn't enjoy it.

I am not an author myself but there is a lacuna in this book even if it had good language and vocabulary. A weak plot, routine story line and monotonous episodes made me want more from the book.

I wish the author good luck for her future endeavours.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

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"The Topsy-Turvy Honesty"

February 12, 2016, 4:07 am
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We were always told and taught that, honesty is the best policy
Our actions were controlled by this guideline, till we realised it's a fallacy!
Childhood was easy with a heart as clear as water.
As the years get added up, the emotions get complex and we falter!

The feelings we had as kids were either black or white
We had only two answers "Yes or No" and always felt al right
As we grew, the airtight heart started battling and lost the vigour
Not every thing was white or black for us as the visionaries got greyer!

Requesting a simple thing we needed was a piece of cake then
Asking for a favour now takes all our energy and all our might
All our colourful dreams then, always took shape in a happy flight
Growing up meant practicality and made us calculate our delight!

Being inquisitive was an achievement in the past
As we grew, we realised it is an asset to run the race and be fast
Whatever we ask or don't ask, was always provided to us
Being dependable now is an act which is considered as a big minus!

It is a common phrase to say, "Honestly I think!"
We all say it nonchalantly with out even a blink.
But do we always mean every thing we say with or without a thought?
We forget most of the words spoken or heard by us which in the long run rot!

Yes, we are hearing it from ages that honesty is the best policy.
But indulging in honesty sometimes makes everything topsy turvy!
Everyone loves your honesty until you are honest about others with them
Your practice falls flat, when you are honest with them about them !! :)


image source: here
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False Ceilings - Review

February 25, 2016, 9:54 pm
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Title : False Ceilings
Author : Amit Sharma
Number of Pages : 256
Genre: Fiction

Amit Sharma has been one of my favorite bloggers . I started reading him some where in 2012 at mashed musings which has now moved to http://amit-sharma.co.in/blog/and instantly became a fan. The humour, plethora of emotions , his opinions on sensitive topics which were most of the times in sync with mine, his daddy diaries and many more write ups kept me always glued to his blog. So when I came to know that his book, False Ceilings got published , it was just natural to think of buying it. I was highly elated when Amit sent me a copy of False Ceilings. I would anyway have bought it but the personalised copy made the book more special. With out much ado let me share how I felt while reading the book.
The copy I got

Story line and my Review

The book starts with Aaryan and his , "if - else" statement amusing the readers as they will start thinking, what it is all about. Amit grabs your absolute attention from the very first page and some where the coder in him seemed wide awake. Page by page he connects you to all real life scenarios and tragedies where the if-else happens zillion times! The book keeps oscillating between different eras. In total, there are four different eras, pre independence , just after independence, 1980s and the years spanning from 2017-2060. However different the eras and modes of living are, it all gets hazy as so many emotions from different eras seem similar. The chapters flow seamlessly from one era to another but bemuse the reader as so many characters start dancing infront of him . When the puzzled reader uses all his might to connect the dots, there comes the secret wrapped in yellow cloth which does a parade on mind. 1980s and the then NewDelhi are perfectly captured. The book increased my awareness on tragic events which happened in our country years back, like for instance, I came across Operation Blue star in the book and understood thoroughly what it is for the first time! The scenic beauty of Dalhousie of 1930s and also the later decades is also captured so wonderfully!

The secret which is passed on between the generations  intrigues the readers. For a moment I felt, some sci-fi secret is embedded in it due to the tragic consequences it supposedly leads to, but unleashing the secret was a surprise to me. The suspense in the story was kept intact till the last page. Ultimately I realised that hatred , jealousy and obsession are the open secrets which can destroy the harmony and hamper the bonds in a family. Be it a family or the nation it was shown realistically how open rebuke can lead to severe damage! The blurb gives a peek in to what the book would be narrating and the reader travels from the narrow passages between the hills in Dalhousie, to the busy Connaught place of Delhi and also can visualise the sikh riots and the terror the country faced in 1984. As we enter the futuristic era of 2017-60s, where everything is fast paced , where our soups are in the form of capsules, I wondered has everything actually changed. Aren't the emotions, the love, hatred and confusion still the same ?

Be it Shakuntala , Meena , Lipi or Manohar , Vinod and Aryan , some traits are just passed on from generation to generation. There were junctures when all characters looked extremely blurry to me but then everything falls in to place and head gets clear as the book ends. Other than the entangled human emotions, there is so much more to know from pre independence and post independence eras. The book also reflects the scenario where when one is a continuous victim to other's venomous mind and caustic tongue there is a fair chance that they become venomous too!

All in all , the book makes a great read and will not disappoint you at all. Only desire I had was to know more about the futuristic time-zone - of 2060s. I would have loved to know and imagine more about the technology and how things worked after 50+ years but in any century humans will be humans is the crux of the story! You may feel like searching your own false ceiling and decoding the deeply embedded secrets of your life once you finish the book!

 I am awed as it is just Amit's first book. I wish more power to his pen and good luck for all his future works!

You can buy False Ceilings on Amazon and Flipkart . Do visit Amit at http://amit-sharma.co.in/ and share your views.


Happy Reading to you all too :)
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The Phoebe-ish Poem

March 26, 2016, 10:01 am
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Passing through the fragrance of the roses and the petrichor
I reach the office to sit in midst of the stale cubicles, which is a bore
I catch the whiff of a sudden rotten smell and I look around to verify
I realise it is the stink of the unwashed socks and in my seat I petrify!

I try to turn around and give a filthy look at the person who spoiled the morning
But the smell is so strong that I sit there and think of a way to end the mourning!
I thought of Phoebe and her smelly cat song and instantly imagined me singing one
The lines of which would go like, "Smelly shoes , smelly shoes ,What is he feeding you?"
image source : here
Sitting in the same room along with you both is the biggest feat!
Smelly shoes, smelly shoes why are you sticking to those feet?
Get rid of them , breathe , relax and just be scot-free!
When the smell drifts off , those feet will be happy and happy will be we!!

Smelly feet, smelly feet , I hope you utter the truth
Should I blame you, the socks or the shoes, on whom should I have the ruth?!
Who among you is actually spreading the stink?
The smell has engulfed me and I am losing the ability to think!

To add to my misery, it has rained, which ruined my day
Because, the strong obnoxious odour is here to stay!
I want to leave the office this second, come what may
But I have tons of work to do and I can only sit and pray!

Dear stinky shoes, I cannot imagine the stuff hidden underneath
And not so dear drenched socks, I wish there was a dryer beneath!  
Anyway you need not take my wrath and face the music
It is your owner who made the pleasant morning tragic!

It is a wonder how a person is oblivious to his own stink.
It is amusing to see that he is happily humming and I am at the brink!
Oh God! Give me the power to lose the sense of smell for sometime.
Or give him the power to disappear from my vicinity and please end the crime!!

PS: This poem was started on a rainy day, at office in my cubicle , the moment I caught the whiff of smelly shoes and  for some reason I never finished it. The unfinished poem was getting stale in my drafts. The smell was so strong that it made me open the draft-post ;-). I finally finished it now in summer when the temperature is high enough to roast me!

PPS: My poem clearly has the Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) style. I started watching FRIENDS Tv show now. Yes I am two plus decades late and my addiction to the show is irreparable :) I love Chandler , Joey and Phoebe the most! A post definitely on Friends, some other day!

Have fun and a great weekend and please wish that I blog more often :)

Enjoy Phoebe's cute song ;)




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FOMO - "Fear of Missing Out" and Facebook Deactivation

May 20, 2016, 11:35 pm
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Originally published at Viewspaper

Few days back, I got this below forward message in whats app and it got me in to thinking. Actually it got me in to a deep self introspection.

"Do you know FOMO? Psychologists coined this term recently... It is the feeling that some one else is having more fun or doing something better than you.This fear is often aroused by seeing exciting posts on social media of what other people do!"
FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out

Every word in the above forward message stands true. It stood so true for me that I had to deactivate my Facebook account. In the crowded social network with millions of updates per day, I am sure no one would have noticed that I was missing from there. Other than a couple of friends who actually would have noticed due to missing tagged pics or some posts rest all stayed oblivious to the fact that I was Poof from face book. Even my blog gets unnoticed with out FB. No FB means no readers , well almost no readers in my case. That is the only aspect of my social networking which I deeply miss but as I am blogging at a tortoise's speed, it doesn't matter much for now. But I must say, after I deactivated my FB , a good 40% of my brain got empty and I enjoyed the emptiness. It is up to me whether or not I use it to fill with knowledge, books, news, music, talks, or simply nothing.

The term "FOMO- Fear of Missing Out" exists from quite some time but these days it is mostly triggered by social N/W. I am not saying I have a chronic FOMO but my condition did get severe at some juncture. I forwarded the above message in a whats app group where I have a close knit group of 4-5 girls, and we joked around how we have FOMO syndrome when we compare each others' lives :) Every one who received that message gave a positive affirmation that they are suffering from it. It didn't make me feel better because"COBH - The comfort of being in the herd " is neither soothing nor can work as an antidote to FOMO. Before talking on how FOMO can actually impact and what we can do to subside it, I want to talk on the factors which may lead to FOMO!

FB can actually be considered as the 8th continent of the world. Seven is a magical number, but when something like facebook intervenes our lives with an intrinsic energy and power ,  and changes the math, it sure may lead to imbalance. It is an integral part of our lives. There are many things to do there, like Check ins, check outs, opinions, counter opinions, verbal fights , verbal abuses, pages and posts to like, and now posts get the privilege of getting subjected to other emotions like anger , happy , surprise , being thankful etc. We have walls to be climbed and browsed , walls to slide down in a sea of posts which are not appealing to you and walls to stalk, walls to block, walls to hide, walls to unhide, so on so forth. Facebook gives so many options to customise your features and increase or reduce the buzz around you. It is definitely nostalgic when old photographs, memories and age old opinions posted are reminded, which makes one feel how their opinions, thought process and appearance have evolved for  good or for bad! 
image source : here
Facebook gives a free peep in to every one's lives.  The peep is free and it always will be, the way they state it on the login page :) Every thing is glittery and you feel happy go lucky till you see something posted by someone which you might be wanting badly. You can do anything to get it. If you get the power of  navigating through the laptop / mobile screen and be in that place and enjoy exactly those events, you will do it without a second thought but alas, you don't have such power. All you can do is mindlessly check the updates and move on! When these updates exponentially increase with each day, that my friend may take you to the first stage of FOMO! The fear of missing out is the worst possible fear. Whether you really need the thing you are actually missing or not is an open question! You may be needing it but not so badly. The intense feeling you get about possessing it whenever you open facebook is sometimes irreparable. Yes I shamelessly admit that I am a victim of FOMO. I thought I never was and never will fall prey to such diseases but I realised for every human being a point comes in life when controlling all the senses seems too hectic. A juncture comes in life when life attacks you head-on with out giving you a chance to get stable!

I deactivated facebook for a month and I must say I felt calm. With less buzz around me I felt relaxed. I could read more, be creative, did my work-out more efficiently. A person should be strong enough to not get bogged down by the rest of the world and its happenings but it is OK to not be so strong at times. It is not always possible to carry yourself and feel alright every minute. Before the advent of twitter, FB and all kinds of social web pages we were less exposed to others' lives. It was easy to just live and let live as the updates were minimal and conversations were not perennial. But now FB is the only place where people want to discuss most of the happening moments, add life events , dump hatred or love, do any thing and everything. I am not saying social sites should be banned and I am not saying some one should take the ownership to streamline the process. I am just saying it is tough to not get effected. In my case, I am facing a difficulty in conceiving and I already have a hard time explaining to neighbors and people in office or any one who asks me whether or not I started planning in an exclamatory tone! I am at loss of words, when people ask questions so easily  but questions are guaranteed in life, answers are not. During such moments, when you see hordes of baby pictures on FB with various captions, discussions and mothers and fathers discussing their parenthood at length, you do feel slightly unhappy. It is not easy to dance in joy or party at every one's success. People who take the minimalistic approach are the best but there are many whose emotions and expressions never get stalled. You first congratulate, then you take part in one or two conversations and later you forget but when mountains of updates surround you, it gets tough to forget. It gets confusing as to how much is too much ? How much desperate you are for something gets directly proportional to how much others are achieving it :) It is like Murphy's law!

Recently I activated FB and below is my status update which got many responses from people who are sailing in the same boat. Some responses are shared here!
PS: Identities are purposely hidden


My FB Status:Top three questions posed in INDIA, affixed with the wonderment which generally is served as a combo along with the Question and this is not a scenario just on facebook. It happens inside and outside the virtual network!
1. Are you married ? If you have crossed a mere 21-22 this question is like a bulldozer which clears your patience in no time. If you reach a age of 25-26-27, Public expresses wonder as to why you are still not married ? What actually are your requirements ? If you have some issue? In the case of men a doubt on performance (You know where!) - Strangely women are exempted from this as if having sex and consummating the marriage is just the MAN's act .They will always put forward a helping hand to bring you out of the trauma which clearly is created by them.

2. Do you have kids? Immediately followed by Are you not planning for them? Do you have kids--- this question is like a tight noose around your neck. When you choke , catch a breath and try answering with a funny expression- "No. Not yet!" then the round of questions start, When were you married? When did you start planning? Why you should plan asap! With some ground work done on your DOB, your age and after thoroughly collecting all necessary statistics linked to your sex life, a careful analysis is done and rays of enlightenment are inserted in your head about pregnancy, motherhood, the beauty of it and so on! By the time a person crosses the age of 28-29, 30-31, 32-35 or 40 I think he/ she knows very well about child birth, causes, symptoms , analysis, pregnancies, and all the technicalities or complications of it and can decide when to have it or whether to have it or not. A 25 yr old and a 40 yr old are given tips with equal fervour and enthusiasm. Just because you are a mother or father to two toddlers or may be four, do not behave as if you have decoded all answers of universe! Universe is huge , leap out of that well you dwell in and get a brain enlargement. May be it will help before you get permanently stuck in the coils of the QUESTION MARK!

3. If you are divorced or have broke up with your partner, people around you are extremely curious, immensely sympathetic, behave as if they totally understand you , where as in reality they don't have a frigging idea how it actually feels. What all a person has to go through, the turmoil, the reluctance, the memories, the self-introspection, sleepless nights--- all these are absolutely known only to the person and his dear ones who are facing the brunt of it. If at all you have some dignity or have seen someone closer to you going through this, then you will also have the heart which makes your brain and mouth shut up. Trying hard to make a person open up is the worst decision during any break up! Added to that analysing the situation, pointing out the faults of the sufferer and suggesting rectifications when the wounds are fresh proves you can be nothing but a pain in ass. If he/ she wants to open up he/she will. It is totally up to the person as to what ,how , why and to whom he/ she wants to disclose. Do not cash on the vulnerabilities and do not behave like a prick!

There are many other questions which make rounds in my country or any other country where some of the fellow INDIANS reside! If you are in the vicinity of the questioner, equip your self to give the best possible answers because there is no escape and there never will be. People take offense very personally and strongly here if you are not married or want to stay single or get divorced or have no kids. Beware of the hoodwinked sympathy/ empathy. Save your ass from all the Crass. JAI HIND 

Some of the replies to the above status update were like below.
tongue emoticon
XXX I face it on regular basis......i feel irritated all d time but can't help..we can't change people's perception in India



 XXXSo true... 

XXXTrue. And if the answer for the second question No , they will suggest so many remedies , like go to this temple, go to this doctor , etc. I was also bugged off.

XXX Haha Indian mentality, can so relate to it,people leave no stone unturned to make you feel guilty for the life you are living and the supposedly wrong choices and decisions they think we make by delaying certain things !There is no escaping the questions and the scrutiny!

XXX I've faced the last two many many times..ughh

XXXStory of my life - the child part

XXX Some people shamelessly ask 'What's your salary' too! 🙈 Slighlty off topic but yeah this also falls under such questions one should never ask people...!

XXXAlmost torture how they keep insisting on a 'good' answer!

XXX Well!! Been there! Still not married? No kids yet?? Are you planning your second child? The first one will learn how to share only if there is a second one and all that crap! However my point is this is not restricted just to India - when it comes to uncomfortable questions, it is universal! After living in USA for about 6 years now, I can say these questions have no regional bias!  and yea - to me the questions are not a bother! Who asks them is what matters! If the one asking is a concerned parent or a friend , I will be very glad to elaborate! If it is a nosy freak, I can give an equally apt reply! 


When I activated my facebook account , many said they were glad to see me back and that they were missing my updates . It did feel wonderful to hear that .I don't have any animosity on FB. It is a great medium for people like me who write. It gave me some wonderful friends whom I can never forget but but but ... the big problem which all FB users face is FOMO! It does attack you once in a while, when you are putting all your efforts for something and longing for the same and not getting it. A psychiatrist may articulate your thoughts but self help does work wonders. In my case deactivation helped a lot. I am back after a break but would deactivate again when I feel like! I realised that distance makes you miss or like or enjoy something. Same happened with me and facebook :) I do have FOMO now and then but I redirect to JOMO- Joy Of Missing Out like in the below oatmeal cartoon and make myself happy by reading a book, watching some thing I love, surprising the people I love, exercising or any thing and everything which erases FOMO! Have a good day!


source : here

source : here

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Alone Vs Lonely!

August 13, 2016, 8:03 am
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When I am sitting amidst the green pasture holding a cup of tea
When there is  no one around me and I feel solemnly free
When I talk to myself and enjoy my own company
That is  the  moment I am alone, sensing absolute glee!
Image source : here
Amidst the buzzing crowd full of activity
When I shout, and there is no one to hear my plea
When I talk to myself as I see no silence in the vicinity
Those are the moments, which make me feel lonely!

When I hear to music and can dance like no one  is watching
When I whisper my secrets to myself and do not feel like sharing
When I rule my time and around the clock, can plan anything
Those are the "alone" moments which feel so fulfilling!

When I want to share my thoughts and express what I  am feeling.
When there is no soul in reach, who is actually listening
When there is havoc around and every one is talking
Those are the "lonely" moments when I feel like sulking!

When I write, vent it out and I am at peace with myself
When my write up is not getting rotten from ages in the shelf
When I feel there is someone protecting me, like an invisible elf
Those are the  lonesome moments which keep me get going.

I am a crane,  who is living  with a flock of pigeons
My skill or the beauty of my pen go unnoticed, for eons
I am a fish, trying to swim with frogs around me in tons
I feel like I am surrounded by a mob with many guns!

Lonely and being  alone are  two similar words but are universes apart
One is the forced zone for me to stay, another is chosen by my heart
One is a blissful experience and the other comes with a price
Being alone is  a dream come true and being lonely needs firm practice!!

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F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Lives On!

October 14, 2016, 8:12 am
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When Graham Norton  exclaimed on his show that "Friends Lives on" I wondered what is all the hullabaloo about Friends which I keep hearing. I never gave Friends a chance and when I finally gave it , I regretted just after two episodes thinking how come I missed it all these decades. In school days I may not have understood it much and in our small town we did not have many cable channels as well. However I felt uber glad that I gave in to the temptation of Friends!

From the first episode of season one, I realized this  is just not any other show and is going to be etched in my mind till I want to forcibly push it out of it ! Thanks to Comedy Central for introducing me to this series. I was on job break for 3-4 months and I got friended in the best possible way :) My day started with it and ended with it. I just couldn't shut up about Friends with my husband, friends or  any one and every one I come across. What I felt deserves a place on my dear blog and hence this post. The strongest element of this show is the way, day to day mundane things, emotional and even heartbreaking happenings are shown in a lighter tone which gives the feeling that nothing's gonna stop the ongoing life and the way every one's demons, personal and professional problems are shown is so realistic!

You feel good by just seeing how Chandler gets bored in his office or how Phoebe sings whatever may be her lyrics, how Joey just enjoys all his food or how Monica makes her passion her profession and can go to any extent to please others, how sensitive Ross is or how beautifully Rachael progresses in life. However for a normal person like me in India or to that matter any person in any corner of the  world, it is very tough to live for a decade with the bestest friends and to not give a damn about the  rest of the world. However fictitious this  set up may be, it is uplifting. It helps you sail across your sea of emotions. It is not an exaggeration if I say F.R.I.E.N.D.S. changed my life for good. I want to discuss all the leading characters, one by one in this post.

Monica Geller: Monica's (Courteney Cox) apartment is the hub of happenings , the center stage for everything, the best host and a best friend one can have is Monica Geller. They all do jobs for a living whether or not  they like it, and like my favorite Monica Geller says it  is true that,"We all have jobs! Thats how we buy things." To most of us job is majorly a necessity which pays us enough to do things which we actually want to, and this fact is highlighted by Monica who always steals my heart with timely dialogues. After Rachael runs away from her first marriage, the way Monica consoles her like in the below image just soothes me every time I think about it. Almost a virtual Monica hugs me saying this whenever I am in soup! Monica is a magician. She can conjure food in no time and she is so big-hearted that  I always feel bad whenever I watch her as I never had such a great girl friend. I could have really used the company to stay rooted and balanced. I have some great  girl friends but I never had an exact replica of Monica. If I get such sensitive yet practical, such logical yet silly, such warm yet curt friend I would never let her go!
source : here
Rachael Green
Rachael's (Jennifer Aniston) story starts with a marriage from which she successfully exits but is confused as to where to go and what to do. Monica accepts though initially she has her doubts. Rachael becomes a better person and a great friend and seamlessly blends with the group. Rachael gets a job and becomes independent only after getting inspired by her friends. The best quality of Rachael is that irrespective of whatever shit she says or happens to her, she would stay the same emotional person she is. There are few qualities in her which don't suit my taste but just like all fingers of our hand are different, all our friends cant be same too! I love Rachael for the way she is passionate about her fashion career she chooses and the confidence with which she decides to be an unmarried mother to Emma. Tells me a lot on how a woman can mould herself and take up bigger challenges. Infact I appreciate both Ross and Rachael for being ready to raise the kid.The natural flirt that she is brings a smile on my face. She has a quirky sense of humour. I love her for being straight forward and transparent about her feelings and her natural reactions and frustrations which she expresses with out holding anything in heart. Well, in real life it may not always help but it does relieve you. All is well that ends well and Rachael's story and twists accelerate the audiences' enthusiasm in watching the Friends sitcom.
Image source : here
Ross Geller
Ross's name automatically comes when you write about Rachael. Because they are Lobsters right ;-)? I simply love this man. Sensitive men around you is a rarity and finding one who can be loyal , caring and can wait for you for years to make it work is something any girl can fall for! Ross has failed marriages but he still accepts things as his fate and tries moving on, ofcourse with the help of his friends. Ross's expressions steal the show. The way he says "hi" in a dull, dragged tone always makes me laugh loud but I feel a tinge of sadness and want to hug him at the same time. Ross and Rachael's on and off love story and his epic dialogue "We were on a break,"can never be forgotten. Ross's mind blowing words like,"Unagi,""Pivot," his passion for dinosaurs, the way he fights for his sandwich in office and anything and everything is hilarious. David Schwimmer a.k.a. Ross Geller actually directed some episodes too. Ross is uber cute in the young college videos shown in some of the episodes and his restless pursuit for achieving Rachael just steals one's heart. They never really moved on but still stay friends always which is extremely refreshing and some thing to learn for all the viewers. Ross's expressions and innocence are in sync. Ross and Monica make the perfect brother sister duo. The common fights they have which all brothers and sisters have in life is adorable to watch  and I can never think of any other person playing Ross Geller!
We were on a break :) source: here
Joey Tribbiani
Joey (Matt Le Blanc) is a pillar to the series. Be it being funny due to his dimwit or just being the magnet to all kinds of girls, he aces it. Joey's food intake is unmatchable and I often use his famous line- Joey doesn't share food. Joey's iconic "How ya doin?"  seems like a cool opening line for any guy and just makes me smile broad whenever my husband uses it :-). He stands next in line to Phoebe when the crazy-quotient is measured. The conversations Joey and Phoebe have are extremely fun to watch ! Joey Tribbiani is the hottie of the series and he still is hottie. Just because of Friends, I started watching his new series - Episodes , which did not grab my attention but Joey didn't fail to impress me. Even at the age of 49 he is super fit and mesmerizes me! Joey even if dates multiple women and cannot even recollect their names has a sensitive side to him which makes him do anything for his friends and also makes  him develop a sudden soft corner for Rachael! Read 21 Joey's best lines on buzzfeed. Joey makes me smile no matter what. His struggle to be an actor looks so real and it is a fact that he had his last dollar in pocket when he was selected in Friends audition. The struggle did pay back :) Just the tone of Joey leaves me smiling broad sometimes. He is like the stress buster of FRIENDS and Chandler-Joey combination is a magical treat for viewers!
source: here
One of the many howlarious lines by Joey - here

Chandler Bing

Chandler is my heart favorite character  ! Who wouldn't love a frivolous personality around them? His famous dialogue that  he uses humor to come out of embarrassing situations really works for me many times! When you cannot solve some problem, finding some humor in it, always lessens the burden and Chandler has reaffirmed my belief in that. It is shown that to cover up his awkward childhood episodes (of his mom and dad) he relies on humor.The way he wants to stick around Monica and fears commitment but ultimately realizes its LOVE is the best moment for me in all the episodes! Chandler is not as bad as he thinks with women and romance. In reality if there is a person like Chandler around me I would give no second thoughts before having a crush on him :). The bromance word would have started after Friends, after the unconditional bond the two friends , Chandler and Joey share! Chandler is a friend on whom you may not depend for solutions but he can interest you in some humour! The way he handles the situation when he knows that he and Monica cannot have kids, just gives courage to anyone. Nothing is tragic enough to spoil your life is Chandler's funda which everyone badly needs to follow. The climax scene is so moving , where the couple are blessed with 2 adopted twins. I was actually in tears looking at the vacant apartment. Some of the iconic Chandler Bing dialogues can be read here. Chandler (Matthew Perry) is so iconic that the makers have included his original lines many times in the series!
Source: here
Phoebe Buffay
Last but not the least meet Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), the star singer of Friends series. I cannot pick an actual favorite in this group of 6 friends but Phoebe's unconventional sense of humor and weird imaginations are just so unique that they place her in a  special category where she competes  with none and just raises the crazy-bar every time you watch her. I love Phoebe for her selfless acts (bearing the 3 children of his  brother and the way her brother says it to others is extremely funny), her empathy , easy going  nature but getting  all emotional when situation demands or when she just feels like, are some of her impressive traits. On the first night she meets Rachael, when asked if she could spend time with Rachael, the way she frankly replies as in the snap shot below just made me her fan instantly. Frankness is needed to an extent when you dont  want to do something :)
source: here
Her style of singing to her heart's content and feeling  extremely good about her talent fills immense confidence in any person! The iconic smelly cat smelly cat will always be remembered by viewers. Phoebe's lyrics are so fun to listen to and the way she sings make the lines  more hilarious. Phoebe Buffay as Regina  Phalange and her very usage of Phalange in the climax scene made me ROFL. Phoebe's identical Ursula though enters the series occasionally doubles the crazy quotient. I so hoped for Phoebe and Joey to get hitched but it would have been a routine end and of course we wouldn't have got a chance to see the ageless Mike:). Janice with her "Oh My God!"is another memorable character. The celebrities who used to come on and off in various seasons made the series more special!

A glimpse of the song

The unconventional ways of giving birth and raising kids (phoebe to brother's triplets, Rachael to Emma with out marriage, Monica and Chandler adopting twins) gives hope to viewers that life can be moulded to make  your self happy.If you really want to do something there are  multiple ways. FRIENDS influenced me in a way I never could have imagined before watching the show.

Three cheers to all of them and thanks to the makers David Crane and  Marta Kauffman who created this amazing show from which there is no escape. Truly, FRIENDS lives on!!
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For the Love of SRK!

November 1, 2016, 6:30 pm
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Some call it madness, some are in sync with me. Some think I am still stuck in teens. Some say I should move on! (but why??) 

I say that this love is unfathomable and irreparable. My unconditional love for SRK cannot be explained clearly to 'others' . I dont even remember the exact moment, when it started. I was 7 years old when Baazigar was released and was clean bowled by this man with captivating eyes. I didn't know the actual meaning of words crush, mush or love then but one feeling I had was I could easily get drowned in those eyes, get arrested by that stare and keep staring at that adam's apple. Those contact lenses Vicky Malhotra  uses to look different from the good SRK aka Ajay, make him look almost vile and some one like me cannot stop admiring every shade or color he shows! The song ye kaali kaali aankhen (though both hero and heroine do not have black eyes :) ) is my heart favorite till date. Baazigar is one of its kind. There are many movies where hero goes to any extent to take revenge on the villain but baazigar has an interesting plot, two charismatic new comers (Kajol and Shilpa) with our very own heartthrob SRK. The movie has many factors to make it a good watch, also it is the first movie which earned Khan a Filmfare Award for Best Actor.  The sweetest Fauji who enchanted the audience on small screen, acted in many more tele-serials like Circus, Dil Dariya, Waghle ki Duniya  and has just spread his charm quickly in all directions!
Young lad from Fauji- source here
SRK as Deewana
His intense acting in Darr and Baazigar won my heart. I became an instant fan in Kabhi haan kabhi naa. I mean look at how he looks at you. Can you escape the charm? The innocent Raju from Raju bangaya gentleman who travels to city to establish himself, again made me fall head over heels for him.
This wonderful song is quite inspiring

The role in Raju Bangaya Gentleman is very near to SRK's real life. Juhi and Shahrukh made a cutesy couple though it never felt like there was hot chemistry between them, atleast to me. The movie shows the struggle of a man who wants to succeed. Two more good movies, where the duo showed their charm are Yes boss and Duplicate, with a slightly similar story line where a talented young man is trying to establish himself. Each and every movie done by SRK and Juhi is enjoyable. Their comic timing is perfect and they both complement each other well! Then came 1995 ... The first movie I went out with friends, the turning point of my life when my eyes couldn't dart off from RAJ MALHOTRA on the screen is Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejayenge. I mean just see how he turns around and looks at you ;) . My heart was gone that moment and it goes on and on even now and the hotness both the actors kick started continued for years :) ! Even after 21 years I still see people arguing on Facebook that DDLJ is a bunch of crap , quite unrealistic and totally non-feminist (this part I never can comprehend even though I am a feminist myself). First and foremost thing for which movies are made is - entertainment. There are different genre of movies , some are hardcore romantic , some are real , some have senseless comedy and so on so forth. How much ever unrealistic some haters may have felt  while watching the flick, it is not an exaggeration if I say, it made many people believe in love which can happen like an accident, not necessarily in a train or in Europe but the belief keeps a person get going. The hope that there may be a guy or a girl  just there who can love you as much as Raj and Simran love each other is good. The words, "Mai aaraha hu Simraan" or the way they both wait for the elders' consent overcoming all challenges may be unrealistic but life can be unreal and magical once in a while right?

source : here

A different angle is shown in Bachna Ae Haseeno where our protagonist Ranbir Kapoor goes to apologize to Minisha Lamba who blindly thinks Ranbir is her Raj but finally starts feeling may be her husband who has overseen the shortcomings and accepted the challenges in the marriage may be her real Raj? The point here is, Raj has set a benchmark which sometimes may be fulfilled by the most unexpected person in your life! YES. This can happen. Even though many guys say they hate the movie and SRK and curse the movie makers by cribbing that no one has shown what happens after Raj and Simran get married, I know that secretly they adopt a pinch of SRKism to woo a girl. The magic of DDLJ still is intact in my heart and many hearts like mine and my belief in love is unflinching no matter what!
source: here , Sarson ke khet became the most romantic place to hangout for me after the movie ;)
No one can romance like this man does. It feels like he is romancing the mind and not just the body! After all these years even in his 40s when he played Suri Paaji in Rab ne Bana di Jodi, I was clean bowled. Such a cute, innocent common man who puts a sincere effort to win his wife's heart will make any one feel good and dreamy. The story line may seem silly and the comedy at times may seem monotonous but the premise of the movie and the sweet nothings can make your heart warm! If a fighting couple goes and watches the movie, I am sure they would cool down after the movie :) "Aapka dil chahta hai ki uska dard kam hojaye!", these words work like a balm when told or just calmly implemented! There are many more movies where SRK showed his magic of wooing / romancing a woman. If friend ship bands became famous after Kuch kuch hota hai (which almost feels like the famous Archie comic- with Archie, Betty and Veronica), valentines day became a hit-celebration after Dil to Pagal hai. For the unromantic in you, if the rugged looking SRK boiled your blood and made Chak de an overwhelming watch for you, I am sure you would have liked him just for once though you may not want to accept it. 

With Swades he ignited my patriotism. As the detective in Baadshah or the reporter in Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani or journalist in Dil se, he made me smile and feel good. His exuberance and energy levels are unbelievable. He is quirky and will make you laugh no matter what! There are many more good movies done by him which influenced me in one way or the other. Every one talks about Kajol and SRK but there is a movie Chalte chalte, which shows the much wanted after marriage-love and struggle of Rani and SRK who effortlessly heated up the screen with their chemistry. The song pyaar ham ko bhi hai pyar tum ko bhi hai makes one muse a lot ;) 

When the topic of sad songs has come, how can I not talk about Hamesha tum ko chaha - from the epic movie Devdas? Dilip Kumar may be the best Devdas but SRK is the most adorable Deva. Paro and Chandramukhi weaved their own magic and make this one of the most memorable movies of Sanjay Bhansali that exudes grandeur!
The song which once upon a time made me cry!

Coming to his quick wit and humor, I am sure there is none in Hindi film industry who is as witty as him and who talks to his fans with so much ease! His fandom is unmatchable. I have heard and seen the stories about people waiting outside Mannat (his residence) for having one distant glance at their super star. Recently after watching Fan, I wanted to write on how I felt connected to the movie but I was at loss of words. Though there were elements in the movie which were not much to my liking, I loved it for many other elements. I may not be a psychopath like Gaurav Chadana but the intense passion and love of SRK's fans is so aptly shown in the movie. Going to the movie with another fan was an exhilirating experience for me . I went on first day first show and there were people in theater who were as mad as me, screaming during the opening scene where all bits and pieces of his journey, interviews and awards are shown! I loved fan for the very Jabra (something extra ordinary )factor and the words, "Rehende Tu nai samjhega!" is what I tell to many who question me how can I like him ? and exclaim that he is a old bag, he has no talent and is just lucky or this or that! 

Seriously this feeling can never be explained...

Some of the many witty quotes told by Shahrukh Khan are here .  
When asked if he is bisexual - Source: here
Just like there are many memorable movies done by him, there are some poor choices too. I  did not like watching him in Happy Newyear, Chennai Express or Jab Tak hai Jaan or Dilwale and some other movies. Even if I play the songs in loop, these movies made me feel bad as the work done by him doesn't suit his skill set, humor or mettle and the movie may not always work when a guy is good , acts in all his glory and gets what he wants or the love of his life no matter what. I would be lying if I say, I missed his good movies and started craving for them.

 I had my fingers crossed hoping that he strikes back with some thing different, something which will mark as a new start! May be he listened to his fans' hearts, he came up with the apt film - Fan ! Even if the movie has minor loop holes it was blissful to watch him play both roles of Aryan Khanna and Gaurav Chadana. All the fans were taken back to the Baazigar and Darr era. I am eagerly waiting for Nov 25th, for Dear zindagi and for other upcoming movies- Raees  and Imtiyaz Ali's romantic film (still untitled). I am sure with better directors, SRK would be able to deliver better performance and mesmerize me like he usually done! I can write  many sequels to this post but for now I want to stop  here, and wish him, a very happy Birthday! The hope to meet him one fine day is still strong and inshaallah it will happen :)

Dear SRK,

Thanks  for making me an absolute romantic at heart :) May this year give you great health, more success , more awards and many more good movies - 
A post, straight from the heart of a Jabra fan!

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"C'est la vie"

November 4, 2016, 11:16 pm
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Dear Zindagi,
                     
I remember writing letters of this sort in my personal diaries or journals. Now that the habit of writing a diary is a thing of past, this is a wonderful opportunity for me to thank life and fall in love with it all over again. C'est la vie in French means  "That's life" in short. It is what you say when something happens that you do not like but have to accept because you cannot change it! Life is a mixture of events, some may give immense happiness and some leave you stranded and teach you the much needed lessons. How much ever hard a phase may seem in life, it passes too. This  is the biggest lesson I learnt, that time heals the wounds and always gives a chance to begin afresh! In my 20s when I was struggling, figuring out my actual ambitions in life and fighting my body-weight issues, I  started hating and cursing my life. I do have many hate letters written in my personal journal , cursing life and God for the life I got :-).

I know "being slim" was and will always be the in thing. How much ever attractive or smart you may be, you know for a fact that looks matter and mostly the first and foremost factors which attract a person to other person are - good looks, physique, the debonair way of dressing and so on so forth. It takes lot of maturity to actually know a person and like him or her. Due to my obesity I used to shun from any kind of relation-ship even if life gave me some fair chances!  The same life gave me few great memories and friends who made me feel good. I realized I am good looking, no matter what. I slowly came out of the shell of self consciousness and mingled with people who can hold an interesting  conversation for more than 15 minutes atleast. The life which made me feel like a  loser due to turbulent graduation years and body image issues made me feel like a star when I cleared job interviews effortlessly and got a wonderful opportunity in a reputed organisation.

It was always a roller coaster ride as I sailed through my adolescent years.  Which major subject to choose? Maths or Biology? Which choice has more career options? What do I actually want to do? Do I like that boy? were the questions which strangled me for long. All I wanted to do was "have fun" and let time decide the best for me. I was a topper, rank holder all my life but YES I never actually had clarity on what I want to do and neither do I have a clarity now. I love this suspense. When life hits me head on I feel prepared as I faced many uncertainties by now and have come out of them in  flying colors. Education and career-wise, I transitioned from being a full blown Biology student who is quite  attached to the subject, to a Bio-Technology student, to a Software Engineer , to a Technical Writer and I am quite happy on the podium I am standing today with no idea of  what future holds for me. 

I am at that juncture where I feel happy by my acts and not the place or people. This made it easy for me to live even when I am surrounded by some folks who can pierce me like a prickling cactus. I bloomed like that brilliant flower in mid of cactus spines.Years of life have taught me how to respond to cacti or just not respond to them. 4-5 years back it would have been an impossible scenario to me, but thanks to life which taught me to bother about things which actually mean something to me.

Crossing all my 20s , now after a decade,  I feel like a winner at 31 when no one's shit matters much. I have outgrown opinions of others about me but I don't like to announce my victory to the world because when did world actually care about it? 

When I remember my 20 year old self and when ever I am facing life as my opponent I recollect Baz Lurhmann's powerful sunscreen song shared below. This  holds good for me till my last breath and summarizes days of my life! Listen to it carefully! Concentrate on all lyrics. If it didn't relax your nerves and change your perspective a bit, let me know!


Once out of my la la land where day dreaming ruled my hours during my teen years, I realised life is not a bed of roses. There is not  going to be a knight in shining armour or a dewy eyed Shahrukh Khan waiting for me at the end of the tunnel :) The real need to work on self-love and on things which made me feel better and happy dawned on me, some time immediately after my graduation and I sensed that things will slowly fall in place when I love myself. Losing body weight felt good , not for any Tom, Dick or Harry but just for myself. It did boost my confidence , when I started wearing clothes I liked, which earlier were not available in malls in my size . You know how the best attires are made for skinny people :) I  danced to myself on my achievement but I understood I may gain weight once in a while and free advice would always be dispensed by anyone and everyone regarding all aspects of my life!

There are funky people like Aunty Acid and so much humour embedded in universe coming to your rescue when you feel like dispensing an advice to folks around. Having some inbuilt humor in you helps in overcoming the biggest obstacles or the nosiest  people around you!
Source : here . hahha . Joke is on u ;)
"The next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it." --- Frank Clark

All in all I feel content with the life I am living. On this day if I get a time machine and travel back in time, I really can't think of editing something I have done already because how much ever you travel back, life is always full of surprises , challenges, smiles and tears and it always lifts you up after making you fall down. I am trying to take life as it comes and make it less complicated because it all depends on how I react to life and its happenings and I will always remember to count my blessings! Ending my post with a beautiful quote by Abraham Lincoln!

Love you Zindagi,
Afshan
source : here
“I am writing a letter to life for the #DearZindagi activity at BlogAdda”.

Being a die hard SRK fan I am quite intrigued by Gauri Shinde's Dear Zindagi, in which the talented Alia Bhatt acted too. I just can't wait for it to hit the screens on November 25th. Watch the teaser below.
Dear Zindagi - Take 1: Life is a Game

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"Dear Zindagi"

November 11, 2016, 8:59 am
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Dear Zindagi,

How are we doing so far? Since the writing bug bit me we both are interacting in one form or other, sometimes on paper , some times  on blog and some times by telepathy. So what is it like, is it carpe diem till now or did we totally waste some  moments? Hand in hand we surely have come a long way! If I have to write a letter to a 15 year old you, I would like to write that I miss you. I miss the innocence , the purity of thoughts and  the bigger dreams. Nevertheless I just want to tell that I am proud of you for dreaming big, for believing in yourself, for being in terms with your conscience always. I just love you more as your heart was less complicated and demenour was more sweet. Time and things have changed you for good and sometimes for bad. But that is how dealing with you is no?  The issues which seemed like mountains are like molehills now. I hope the mountains of the present day would be molehills tomorrow. I still remember how some things seemed like burning issues years back. 

The social studies exam paper which always gave me shivers and the memory of how I just wanted to tear the pages off the civics or economics text books after the exams is still fresh. But later in life I loved few concepts I learnt. I mean just think about law of diminishing marginal utility--- The first unit of consumption for any product is typically highest, with every unit of consumption to follow holding less and less utility. Consumers handle the law of diminishing marginal utility by consuming numerous quantities of numerous goods. I still remember how my wonderful social teacher explained this law and the supply and demand theory using the banana fruit as example. You first eat a  lot if you are hungry, then if supply keeps increasing and you are no longer hungry , the demand for banana reduces. The study of demand and supply and law of diminishing utility got etched in my mind and I even applied it to my interests in life. When something is in abundant, we never love it. When we lose it, we miss it and start craving for it, we all know this fundamental principle. I realized every thing I study can be linked to life in one way or  the other. I started enjoying whatever I was taught or whatever I learnt all by myself. I realised that the feeling of learning something new is so liberating.

Years kept moving on and the things I love kept changing with time and happenings. If I loved drawing at  8, I loved writing and reading at 17. If I loved motichoor laddu as a kid, I loved barfi more as a teen :) Some loves  remained constant and some didn’t. While  racing with you I realized nothing is constant. The things which felt may kill me didn’t seem so harmful later. The day I broke  up with my best friend due to some silly reason seems  funny today. The day I cried because  I thought I would fail in the annual examination which would be the end of  my life  sounds stupid now. Some  friendships stayed with me, some were seasonal , some were there for a reason but every sort of bonding  taught me what I need to know. My love for reading started some time in high school when I finished the English non-detail book, Great Expectations– a novel by Charles Dickens. I finished it even before the school term started during a train journey and I was super excited by this colorful world  of books I entered in. My imaginations got new wings and I got new friends in the form of books. To all my friends it is a common  sight to spot me sitting in a corner, sprawled in the hostel lawn or sofa or sleeping on my bed holding a book. Harry Potterbooks were my best companions  during  my college life. It is not an exaggeration if I say that these books helped me get over my home-sickness , only difference is, I  was not in Hogwarts but was just pursuing graduation like every one else!

Many books influenced me in many ways and I evolved. Anne Frank’s – The Dairy of a young girl left me teary eyed  during an industrial trip in college. Life of Pi taught me how to face adversities and Tuesdays with Morrieis the book I will keep near to my heart. The Alchemisthas every thing you need to know in a nut shell.  Great poets  like Robert Frost , Maya Angelou,  Oscar Wilde, Kahlil Gibran, Kabirand so on so forth influenced my thoughts and made me pen down many poems. Their wisdom is contagious! I am a bibliophile but a slow reader. I don’t read everything on which I get a hand on but most of the things I read stay with me . There is so much to read and so less time. I am still catching up with my reading list and I hope to read more and talk only when there is a  need!


My love for books has surely changed me and you for good! This  letter is an ode to all kinds of books I read, be it in curriculum or outside it, which influenced me. Thank you books for filling less non-sense in my head and for being there  always no matter what! Hoping that the mountains always turn to molehills in the end I sign-off!

Source: here


With love,

Afshan

“I am writing a letter to life for the #DearZindagi activity at BlogAdda".

Dear Zindagi - Take 1: Life is a Game
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Half Baked Head - (19) - Proactivity and Productivity

September 17, 2016, 10:36 pm
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When you bump in to corporate assholes, creativity gets churned and Half-Baked Head is reborn :) The long forgotten series of , has a new cartoon by me today.

Women employees are patient, can be creative and they can handle multi tasking, can be mothers , manage house hold work and still love their jobs. There are many such women specially working in Indian companies who are denied promotions or hikes and progress is hampered due to reasons like conceiving , pregnancy or other sickness issues or any other minor/major glitch in personal life which may have temporarily disturbed the office hours! Same applies to men too but as this is about some one I know, there is a woman in the cartoon!

DISCLAIMER: THESE CARTOONS ARE BASED ON EVENTS WITNESSED , HEARD OR GUESSED BY ME!! RESEMBLING ANY BODY ELSE IS VERY MUCH POSSIBLE :)
Click on the image for better view

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