The Three Musketeers – On trips to Knags

The lovely memories of those late evening trips are very close to heart. It is almost as if, we just went there yesterday. Our grand trips to Knags – to have Indian Junk food. You name it we ate it - Tikkis, chatpati chat, fried aloo, paneer tikka, bhalla and God knows what else. Oh ,I forgot to name the fellow junk food lovers – (In Arun’s Words) The Boy next Door – Arun and The Angel – Ridhima. During our 2 years of doing MBA , after attending classes (do not dare to laugh, sometimes we attended classes too) and other numerous extra curricular activities , once in a while three us would board metro, not to go to our homes but rush to Knags – more precisely the Chotta Gol Chakkar and its famous “ Vaishnav Chaat Bhandar”. (Tip: The ones who have not been there have really missed real yummy junk food).

But ,I am missing out the most interesting aspect of this trip. Now, we used to reach the University Metro station when lots of college students were coming back from their so called extra classes- Being helpful friends me and Rids(That’s Ridhima for those who do not know her) are, we would ask Arun to sit on the back seat of the rickshaw so that he could see all those beauties, and they all could see him too. He didn’t have a girl friend back then and I think is still single. Arun never appreciated this kindness(but why??) – I would never sit on that seat coz my nickname being Princess- it was never an option, and Rids did not coz sometimes she acted devilish, too. So, Mr. Arun would sit there trying to hide his face – embarrassment of sitting on a rickshaw…funny these guys are always acting strange.

Coming back to the Knags – After reaching our destination . We allowed our senses to take over – taste, smell and eyes – Starting off with Tikki and really chilly aloo chaat was awesome. Followed by some great Paneer tikka and bhalla if the chaat became too spicy. These real spicy chaats always made Arun rush to buy mineral water bottle from the shop across road. After eating to our hearts content , we would turn towards another favourite junk food- Chuski..Aha. The chuskiwala was an intelligent business savvy guy and would stand right next to this shop. Taking a chuski each, we would move towards the nearby book shop and spend a few minutes there. Again, the time to take rickshaw back to the metro station comes – this time Ridhima would sit on the back seat (we shared sometimes)- This was easy because by now it was dark and nobody would stare. Poor Arun ,had a bad deal. Chatting on our way back and enjoying chuski at the same time ,we always ended up with some drops of chuski on our clothes by the time we reached the station.

Don’t think our junk food journey is over. The last junk food seller was the high point of the trip- This fellow standing ouside the metro station would sell- aam papad, lal imli, khatte laddus and all those yummy unhealthy stuff that our tongues loved and throats hated. We would buy in bulk and then share. Some to take home and some to keep in purse to eat in the college. Boarding the metro again we would reach Kashmere Gate discssing the trip and planning the next. From there I took another to reach home and Arun and Ridhima would go their way.

We do not take such trips anymore, but the AC restaurants, well dressed waiters, lovely food and great ambience can never take away the charm of those junk food trips.

This One's For U Bro

A cuddly woogie woogie wush Boy,

I was three and he became my favourite toy.
I do not remember the first time I saw him,
but people say I fooled many just to have a glimpse.
In a hospital where little kids are not allowed,

I rushed passed and dodged all.

My Baby brother, is all grown up now,

has become a guy I m proud of .
Two of us were always cahoots,

planning some new mischief every other day
And everyone knew the mastermind ,

was not born in the month of May.
This little boy with dimples won everybody’s heart,

coz he is genuine and always was.

As a child he was a big drama,

always throwing around amusing threats,
Leaving the house and not coming,

from school were the best.
Ma always knew how to tackle him,

though I could and never can say no,
And this is a fact he very well knows.

Memories of us are special,

for our bond goes really deep.
He is just not my brother but a mentor,

rock, support and friend indeed.
Our relationship gradually became stronger,

when we became friends,
Now we could share our thoughts, crushes,

college bunks, grades and trends.

We were always there for each other,

And each of us has passed through a lot.

I was his support in all his growing years, & still am
But never realised when, he became mine.
My little baby bro was all grown up one day,

living away from family had matured him.
Now I could sit back and rest ,

he was on his way to become the best.
So different we are like chalk n cheese.
He is crazy about dancing & I have two left feet.
But, ask us to stay apart and our hearts would freeze.

Don’t think we have never fought,
Even dogs and cats would think twice,

after seeing our fights.
Pillows, punches, sandals and all,

even our tongues would take each other apart.
Along with it is, an unbreakable faith

of never being alone,
of having a friend who will always be there.

It’s a relation that

starts with heart, is shared by birth,
Strengthened with friendship and build on Trust .

I am not LAZY…I Just like Working on My Own Pace

I have a tendency to decide my pace, that is the speed and way I do my tasks which normally do not match with the people around me. Now, if I do not feel like getting up early or staying on bed with a book on a holiday...Does that mean I am, Lazy? No, at least not as per my dictionary, it is not my fault that the rest of the world’s definitions do not match mine. I think it is about my moods…. But still it confuses me why do people call me lazy?

Just to give you all a few instances: I always got up later than my parents wished(& I still do the same) but then also never managed to miss my school(huh) , I did not study for exams(like crazy during prep. leaves)….but still scored well, I never did holiday homework( Holidays are for enjoying) but was never caught, if I did not do any homework, the teacher would be absent the next day…..that’s about my school life…Now do the above label me a lazy (as I have been called so since School days)…..Pause & Think. Be a little flexible and do not pass hasty judgment.

Okay , let me be a little accommodating, I can sleep any time during the day and if on a Sunday I get up before 10(in the morning not night) or do not sleep after lunch …..the coming week seems too long. And, this just implies that I take care of my sleeping habits. Even the doctors recommend 8-9 hours of sleep. We can work on a timeline in our professional life but how can you run your life based on a timetable fixed, not by you but, by expectations of people. I believe that “ If there is something you really want to do you would find time for it , else there is always an excuse. " This means,that the priority of the task depends on whether you want to do it or not and also when do you want to do it. And, as I am an advocate of conserving Energy, if there is something I do not want to do right now, I would never waste energy on it (As it is World is facing energy crisis). Aha! So I hope, now you are thinking my way (Well , maybe a little).

I just do not feel like making an effort to do something that is not important in life at present – like cleaning my almirah, setting my room, learning to cook, going for a walk, going through the contents of my table drawers etc.(it is a long list so won’t bore you with it). But I always find time to read a book, chat with a friend, sleep, and now a days, write a blog. (And trust me it is not an easy task). So as I love myself (Tip: Start loving yourself and then expect others to follow), I think I am quite talented as I can prioritise my tasks but people do not appreciate this talent.(And I can't understand, why?) Some mischievous person started off the rumour that I am LAZY and I think people who do not like me much(and there are many of them) fuelled it. You know putting ghee in the aag.

I hope this blog quashes the rumours and make people recognize my talents! (As I do) ...

Your Aura affects Mine…so Think Positive

I read a report long time back - All human beings are interconnected by some force, and whatever we speak floats in the space (now this is a too difficult to digest, so won't talk about this). This interconnection is because all of us have an aura (‘Aabha’ in hindi) around us. The aura of a human being is his/her energy field and is affected by what we think, do and the people around us. The photographs of idols, god, and deities or even of the people who have reached the highest level of self actualization are always with a halo around their head. No matter from whichever religion, country or faith, this light always says – “Come to me, I have the solution”. We can not see this aura but we always feel it. Think about all the people you have met, some make us positive just by being near; some would just make you depressed with their mere presence. A smile gets an automatic response – a smile and some people light up the room, simply by entering it.

I strongly believe in Aura, - and Your aura affects mine…so please think positive. A smile, an encouraging word, a confident stand and positive attitude is all we need to overcome obstacles in life. Hence think positive, it makes your aura positive which affects people around you. Who wants to be around a person who always looks at the half empty aspect of the glass? We pick up vibes and this makes it even more important that we should have a positive aura. Why? Well, let me try to explain, I do not remember much of the Physics I studied in Class 10th, but there is one thing that I would never forget – Newton’s Third Law – Every Action has an equal and opposite (in direction) reaction. And along with this, the entire issue is a vicious circle: When I think positive, it makes my aura calm, bright and positive which affects the people around me in a favourable manner. When they pick up positivity from my aura , it calms them , makes them think positive which makes their aura soothing. And their aura, ultimately affects mine. So we can easily gauge what would happen if I think negative.

Not surprisingly, these negative thoughts are very energy consuming and even absorb the positivity of the aura around. So, even the advocates of conservation of energy should support me and think positive. From a personal experience, everyone in my MBA batch (plus one before and one after) understood the power of smile and positive aura because of a close friend of mine (Rids – the Angel). With an aura which was and still is both calm and positive and a smile that makes you smile, she was(and is) a favourite with everyone. God Bless u Rids, for being the oasis of calmness in all that chaos.

Coming to the core point of the topic, whatever we think creates vibes around us, which makes our aura. This Aura is not visible but is felt just like air around us. The critics of aura call it the Non Verbal Communication /signals send by our subconscious as a response to the people around. Name it whatever you want but the truth is you affect the people you meet and in a manner that you may not always perceive so at least think positive and smile, that ways the affect would be positive. Imagine you are not feeling well and a few friends visit you, some of them smiling and some with frowns. Think whom would you want to meet under the circumstances - ? The smiling friend - probably the most inexpensive but most effective medicine . Believe it or argue till your last breath, your aura is a powerful tool.

I therefore repeat, Your Aura affects Mine.…so be Good Friend and Think Positive around me.

Dad’s Princess - Papa ki Pari

“My Dad’s Strongest” the famous line from a toothpaste brand is closest to my views about My Dad (and I think most of the gals would agree with me). We never grow out of thinking that our dad knows everything and I have no intention of doing so ever. On the same lines, I think if he does not know about something, it is not worth knowing.

I managed to watch “Main Prem ki Diwani hu” and miracle I still am able to watch hindi movies. The only good part of the otherwise pathetic movie was the track “Papa ki pari hu main” and I made Dad hear the whole thing (not watch, coz loving my dad so much, I could not torture him by asking him to watch Kareena Kapoor). And his reaction was a typical Punjabi Dad types – “Huh ye koi gana he”….with a sweet smile.

I have been pampered and most people would say spoilt but with love & confident that things would happen the way I want them to. This attitude made a lot of people call me princess (and I am one, for and because of, my Dad). He is the one who loves me the most (along with Mom and bro, of course), criticizes me the most, pushes me to limit and does not accept that I should give up trying. Through all my low phases, one constant factor was my dad standing with me and urging me to fight. He has never tried to make me dependent on him rather he says - Face it, Fight the odds and if ever anytime you feel tired or think you can’t , just look beside you, I would be there and take it forward for you. But this does not mean that I have done everything on my own. I have never stood in any line to collect any forms or submit them, never asked around how to fill and where to submit them; enquired about routes and restaurants close to my institutions….Dad did all this for me. My only task was to tell him what I wanted and it would be done. The fact is that he hated and still hates me going out in hot afternoons, chilly winter evenings and gets scared if I get wet in rain(which I love doing). I am my Dad’s favourite and everybody who knows him, would testify this. The easiest way to get into his good books is being nice to me.

The flip side is that - he knows me too well and I can’t fool him. He knows when I am fooling around and when I genuinely try. He sets real high standards for me and then expects me to meet them. Not allowing me to rest till it happens. And, as he and I are a lot alike, all this leads to a lot of arguments coz even I set targets for myself which very often are different than his. On these occasions, which my mom and bro call fights but I and dad term them as discussions, nobody else is allowed to speak. We shout, scream and move out of the room (sometimes I think we both enjoy these discussions) and after a few minutes one of us calls the other after reading or seeing something interesting. This amuses the rest of the family like anything. He has been trying for years now to make me go on morning walks, be punctual and remain active and inspite of meeting so many failures(I just can’t be all these 3) being the man he is , he is just NOT ready to give up. So battle lines are always drawn. I can parrot his lines (read lecture) on these topics word by word anytime.

Do I resent this attitude? No. Why should I? One can easily live with all this if the positive side includes a safety net always available , a protective ring around me to save me from everything and a selfless love for me that has been there even before I came into this world. Dad would allow nothing and no one to hurt me; to do that you have to get past him. A small sneeze of mine makes him go through all medicines at home and a little headache makes me the most pampered member of the family. My Dad loves me and does not hesitate to show that Love. Probably this is what makes me so confident and urges me to be what I am. Love u too, Dad.



P.S : I forgot to mention - Do not ever dare to/try to criticize me in front of him, unless wearing a body armour coz that is one right he has given only to himself and mom.

I Accept that I am a Snob...

"I am a Snob....and I do not apologise for being one."

Being a citizen of a free and democratic country with considerable intelligence , I have the right to be selective about whom to speak to. Ironically, in the name of good manners, schooling & then career(Office Etiquette) we forgo this right . Do we not have the right to, not to talk to people we do not like, or may be simply we do not want to talk?

I am a snob, or a nicer word would be an introvert. I like to talk to people only when I want to ,else leave me alone. Why should I talk or be nice to someone I do not feel like being nice to? I may not be in a good mood, may be I am busy,or I want to be left alone or simply I do not like the person.

The underlying question is - Why should I? When I buy clothes i like, go to places i want to, eat what i feel like and do everything my way, then I also have the right to choose who I will talk to.

To be nice to a moron, idiot and totally unworthy person(as per my standards) or trying to be nice to a highly intelligent ,with superb IQ, extra sweet human being is not my idea of having a great time. If it makes people wary of my reactions, and create lot of bad vibes about me, let it be. If I try to make everyone happy, the one person who definitely would not be happy, would be, ME. So, label me "Selfish" but then let me spread happiness starting with making myself happy first.(Shades of Grey in my otherwise lily white nature.)

I have heard a lot of people cribbing in private, to their close friends that they wish they didn't have to talk to 'so n so' person but then 'had to' coz (any of the 1000s of reasons), that one talk wasted all the positivity inside the person and another few hours complaining about the same. Why not just ignore the person and move on? I am not rude but I refuse to be a liar or hypocrite. I have often been accused of being arrogant and standoffish but I can not help it.

It's not that I am stubborn and didn't try to change. I took up Corporate Sales after completing MBA and had the most miserable time of my life trying to survive in that atmosphere. Meeting people, trying to be nice to them and smiling, when i felt like kicking and screaming was not my idea of a dream job. I stuck to it for 11 months and then gave up, which I feel was the decision that saved my sanity. It's then that I accepted that I just can't talk to everybody.

Though, now I do make small talk with everyone having learnt the art of differentiating between friends and acquaintances. Maybe this is my way of staying away from people who I know do not care about me, maybe its my mind's strategy(a kind of defence) to save me from getting hurt. On the other side, I am simply a SNOB/SELECTIVE.


I choose to be like this and my friends have accepted this eccentric nature. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks about me?

Addicted to Books……..Including Mills & Boon

I feel the happiest with a book in hand and then people can scream, dance and jump around me without any affect. Infact, one of the best part of my school “BBPS , Pitampura” was the Great, Awesome , Wonderful Library . Since then I have been looking for an equally well stocked library but haven’t been successful. Whether it is my School’s achievement or failure on part of all other institutions (and I have attended many) I have gone to, I won’t comment on.

Coming back to me , I can’t read Science fiction - had I liked all those scientific terms & inventions I would have taken up Science Stream at +2 level. I hate those self help books- didn’t these people have something better to write about. I am allergic to reading most of the Indian authors, like Arundhati Roy highlighting the plight of “Poor India” – taking away my pride in all I see around. Though, have read some autobiographies, I reserve my feedback for each of them individually (too many variations). Do I like reading non fiction? No, to be truthful, a big NO. I do not have the time to look into others lives no matter even if they are ready to share. Imagine your life, your family, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbours, your enemies - I mean already the world around you is full of real stories. I choose to spend my time with them than reading about life and experiences of someone I do not know. Call me a fool if you want but I would rather learn the lessons on my own.

I love Books but I am choosy. I have my favourite authors, plots and types of books that I read. The thrill of a good suspense novel like Robert Ludlum, narration of Dan Vinci, fragrance of love in Romantic ones, the grandeur of era in classics, and dreams of my favourites the Mills & Boon novels.

Yes, I am a die hard fan of these novels. And not at all embarrassed to accept it for these books actually should be a favourite of all Hindi Movie Lovers, recall the most popular lines from OSO “ant mein sab accha ho jaata he …n agar sab theek nai hua to picture abhi baaki he mere dost” . The same philosophy runs in M&Bs , in the end all is well. Such positive books, no matter what problems the main characters fall in, no matter what circumstances befall , they always find true love and live happily thereafter. Why belittle them for some extra romantic (read physical) scenes (they are marketing gimmick )? They follow simple storylines, set in beautiful locales across various countries, giving you a glimpse of their culture, making you visualize the people , building and scenes. At the same time you just need to feel while reading them , no heavy stuff, just simple bliss of emotions and feelings- the very essence of humans. But some highly intellectual creatures term only the taxing, heavy words and intricate plotting as readable material. I feel happy when I read them and that’s good enough a reason for me to buy a new one every time I see it.

Lately, I was feeling restless, probably the way addicts feel when they do not get their dose. Poor me , there is no book shop near my house so I asked my best friend (Neena) to get some books. But my darling Neena, has suddenly developed a liking for books I do not like: Indian authors, realistic situations , non M&Bs and those Twilight Series. The height of her love for me was getting the Book 2 of the Twilight Series : New Moon. Now, as there was no other book to read , I picked up this book and read 2-3 pages , skipped 4-5 and continued. So many references of last book therein made me feel like vampire, and I managed to irritate Neena so much that she had no choice but to buy Book 1 and most likely would get it this month to read. This love of Books is so deep and close to heart that it’s the only present I love to get(I hope the people have got the hint).

I do not remember when I read my first book or which one it was but I remember the fragrance that I still have in my memory, of a library filled up with lovely books. That’s one of my dreams to build up my own personal library with a wonderful collection of books.

I am already doing it step by step and you all are invited to contribute.