Platonic relationships.

For years this matter has left many to ponder and wonder.



A relationship between two people of the opposite sex, where emotions are kept under wraps, passions don't rage, like a river bank; both of them, running parallel, going through all the rough and tumble togther, witnessing, suffering and rejoicing all the pain, sorrow and happiness.



Do relationships like these really exist? Do they stand the test of time? Is it a coverup or an impossibilty? Or it is a comfortable ground where two people form lasting bonds that grow stronger with age? Do you think a man and a woman can connect on a "platonic level" without any side effects?

Why is it that I end up with weirdoes as friends?



F gets up in the morning, hurries through her shower and heads for work. Half way through she realises that she has forgotten to eat her breakfast and has also forgotten to comb her hair. So standing at the door of a Virar local, she requests a girl standing next to her to catch her bag while she combs her hair, only to realize after a few brush strokes that her hair is blowing away with the wind and are getting entangled!



The second one, let's call her 'A'. She is best known as 'The-always-late' employee. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't get to work (or anywhere else) on time. She gets into work only to find out that her Project Leader (PL) has asked her to shift on a desk right opposit him, everytime she gets up he can see the PL head on. Thankfully, for her, if the PL stands up, he only gets to see 'A's face and not the so-many IE windows. And morever her office filters have blocked all websites except for Yahoo! and Rediff, in the name of religion or society and lifestyles!!!



She goes to the neighbouring floor to speak to her friends about her exacerbated situation. Just as she is about to leave, she sees his PL coming from the opposite direction. She pretends to discuss the project specs and waits for the PL to get into the elevator. And as soon as she sees her PL going, she exclaims out loud "Gaya Idiot, he is a real pain-in-the ass", only to find her Project Manager standing behind her!



This is as unfair as life gets!



Later in the afternoon she is introduced to a new colleague 'S' who happened to be her classmate in the 10th standard. Her travail increased twice as much when she was told that 'S' was not allocated any project and which would happen only in three weeks, and till that time 'S' would sit next to her all the time. Now with 'S' around her frequency of opening Internet Explorer has gone drastically down. She is forced to work while 'S' just stares at the screen.



So at the end of the day she prays to Lord to give her patience and a constipation pill, so that she can mix it with 'S's lunch.



Today morning, she is again late for work. She sleeps in the train and travles all the way to Churchgate instead of getting down at Bandra. Reason - All work and no time pass makes 'A' tired and a dull gurl!



'F' and 'A', my life is so colourful and facetious with the two of you!

How does one know when to give up? When is it really OK to say "I cannot go an anymore and I Quit"? Or is it that one should never give up at all?



I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday, he gave an 'nth' attempt to clear the last group of his CA exams this year. And with the result day nearing, he was all agitated and baffled. His entire future, which as of now is amorphous and ambiguous, depends solely upon his results. I tried motivating him with the all time jazz, "don't worry, things will fall in place" etc. During the course of the conversation he told me in a very demure tone that he would quit pursuing CA if he does not clear his exams this time. He was completely befuddled, he didn't know what to do, to keep appearing for CA exams and hoping to clear each time or pursue another Post Graduate or Management course, where there is cut-throat competition but the chances of him not clearing are minimal.



He said he was loosing the battle and that he could not take it anymore, he could not forsee any end to it. He was loosing his self-empowerment. I adviced him against it, like a friend who thought he wasn't thinking rationally.



After a lot of persuading he finally gave in and bought my argument.



There are a lot of people who don't succeed no matter how hard they try, is that an indication that we should stop doing the current thing and explore other options without wasting time? or is that we haven't tried hard enough?



We have so many choices before us, the process of choosing becomes exciting, easier and even exhilarating when we realize who we are and what we want. Isn't success all about challenging your limits and much more? Thoreau advised, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." And visionary William James offered a powerful formula for following through on any important life choice: 1. Be bold. 2. Begin now. 3. No exceptions.



If the coming year is going to be anything, it will be what we make it. As Peter Drucker wisely noted, "The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Wishing all you lovely people Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

How many times in life have we been in situations where we felt totally out of control because of the result? In situations like these, there are two choices that we have - live with fear or live with faith. Faith, the most poweful thing we are capable of, it is something that cannot be proven. As the old adage goes " What you believe is what you create".



It requires a lot of courage to believe in something that cannot be proven, stepping out of our five senses into a reality of possibility. It takes us to a place where everything is possible with use of imagination and attention.



Belief is the building blocks of experience. Some beliefs are ingrained into our psyche and there are some that we carry with us from the experiences we have. Beliefs, sometimes cause fear, anger, resentment, leaving us imbalanced and in a state of imbecility. Examining your beliefs is the stepping stone to buliding strong faith.



Beliefs allow us to release fear and anxiety around situations; it is an amazing experience on so many levels. It gives us peace and opens the door to many new things in life.

Sometimes loss can the best of things that can happen to someone. I have finally decided to move on. The excess baggae of it all had to crash someday..and it did. Picked up all the debris and locked it firmly. I should have done this much earlier, but I was just being headstrong. Though I admit that you are important to me, but i refuse to dilapidate any more of my life. I refuse to be gullible.



Me thinks that the beauty of life is hidden in the pains that come our way. You can stay in the comfort zone for a relatively long time, the discrepancy is felt when you are out of it. But at the same time you would not want to get back there again.



You carry the journey forward, despite the pain and the imperceptible stains, wanting to try things out, making less number of mistakes, being assertive, taking practical and mature decisions, falling and rising, and continuously struggling.



Dreams are no more amorphous, surprises are not always congenial. But the fact remains that life does not deal in fantasies, only facts remain.



The journey of life is sometimes longest, yet thrilling and a little scary.

Of Coffees and Conversations.

I bumped into a college bumchum on my way to work today and we decided to meet at Barista in the evening. As we sat sipping our steaming coffees, after a few chats of perceptive discussions and objective exchange of thoughts, the conversation automatically turned towards relationships.





It felt light speaking to him, about all the years, for the way it had been, for what it couldn't be. Some lessons are so hard, they break the back and then there is little spine left to stand upto Life again.



There are some relationships that make you better person, you start having a zest for life, they make you live life to the fullest, even while the person is longer around. You bask at the moments spent together and as you move on, you only wish happiness for the love that was lost.



People change over time, their perspectives, attitudes, behaviour, likes, dislikes. The people you turn on to for support, advice and direction turn away. Sometimes things just fall short..love, hate, care, concern..



My close buddies say I have changed...maybe I have, don't know for the better or for worse. I have arrived where I ought to be, leading a life, gifted to me by God for karma-clearance, spirit enhancement, progress; to grow, to learn, to more than anything - evolve and attain the fulfilment of my individual destiny with the person or path destined for me.

Another wedding.

Another close friend got married some days back. The girl was my office colleague, I never knew the guy, had just heard about him. They are a lovely couple, completely and always in love with each other. His parents were against the marriage but they went ahead anyways.



It's so nice to have someone to listen to your dreams, to make you laugh, someone who really cares about you, someone to share your problems and hold you tight when you feel insecure, someone who abides by the decisions he makes, lives by the promises he gives and never lets his love outgrow.



It was an educative week for me, two best friends got married, both love marriages; I learned that there can be happy endings if you believe in each other and care enough for each other. But the hardest part is to find the right person...

Why??

Sometimes it's just so hard to see something that started out with so much promise, wither into nothingness. X had loved Y endlessly and selflessly for 5 years. (I had written about 'X' and 'Y' in my earlier post) But she was not lucky enough to have been loved back in return. The conclusion of their relationship was inevitable from day one. Memories catch her when she least expects them, flipping through old photographs and tracing the outline of faces and moments; she lives them all over again, catching that magical look in a pair of twinkling eyes, she thinks of the moments when she held him closely and tightly, never wanting to let go of him, wishing that time would stand still and she could hold him like that forever.



But even today,



*Why can't she forget his smile, his voice and his face?

*Why is he the first person she thinks about when she has to share matters concerning her?

*Why does she make his B'day a excuse to call/email him?

*Why is he the first person she thinks of when she goes online, inspite of the fact that he has mentioned it to her upteen numbers of times that he doesn't want to talk to her?

*Why does she think about him every time her cell phone rings?

*Why does she pray for his betterment?

*Why does she refuse to believe that he is going steady with someone?

*Why does she compare him to every other guy she meets, and why is he always a cut above the rest?

*Why can't she bear the thought of him touching another one?

*Why does her blood boil when she thinks of his current girl-friend?

*Why does she see thinks pertaining to him with a positive attitude and rose-tinted glasses?

*Why can't she see the messages behind the cruel words that he told her?

*Why does she still want to know everything about him?

*Why can't she believe that he must have forgotten her and that he cares a damn about where and how she is?

*Why does she fantasize that he still cares for her and must be thinking of her on-and-off?



Why is it so difficult for her to accept the fact that it was never meant to be? Sometimes the mind gives you enough reasons on why it was never meant to be, but the heart still cries for what it was and never will be the same again. The relationship that spanned 5 years, built brick by brick came crashing down like a pack of cards, shattering along all the dreams that were built and nutured.



I really wonder what strength it takes for people who take these risks over and over again. They say it gets better with time, maybe it does in some ways. Nothing in this world is permanent and constant, not even misery. But the hardest part is learning to walk again and keeping the faith all along, that there is someone and something better in store for you.

The Blame Game.

It’s so easy for us to look to others to shoulder our guilt for occurrences in our life. We accuse people around us, be it co-workers, friends, parents, siblings for things that go wrong in our life and also our mate for our inability to sustain a loving relationship. Yet, who’s to blame? Actually no one, because there is a responsibility that each one of us needs to take and it is ours and ours alone.



Who is responsible for the grief and sadness in our life? Who is responsible for the hurdles that we find ourselves facing? Who is responsible for the anger and resentments that we carry within? Who is responsible for the joy and laughter that comes from within us?



The word responsibility consists of two words, mainly response and ability. It is the ability that we have to respond in any way we choose to any given situation.



On so many occasions in our lives, we have been quick to respond with anger, and claim that the opposite person, whoever it may be made us angry. No one can make us angry, except "ourself". If we don't respond to someone's conscious efforts to make us angry, their efforts would be futile.



We are all powerful beings and we always have the choice of how we react and respond to situations and circumstances in our lives. Yet, I have seen in myself and others a tendency to avoid taking the responsibility of actions undertaken by us and trying to place to blame on someone else.



Do we ever relate our point of view with that of the others when confronted with any particular incident or situation? Do we ever surrender to the moment knowing that everything that comes to us is there for us to experience from, learn from, in whatever way we choose?



We are all 100% responsible for our actions. Inspite of that there are some of us who choose to be in misery and pain? Why? Why do we punish ourselves or others for events that have taken place in our life? Aren't we just hurting ourselves by carrying the load of negative feelings within us? Why do we harbor the feelings of anger or hatred in us?



It is better to empty out all the negative feelings and fill our hearts with love, light and positive feelings. It not only makes us feel better but also lightens the environment surrounding us.



With every new day..we shall rise and shine.

My best friend's wedding

Dee is getting married next month. My friendship with Dee has many precious moments, times when we'd strengthen each other's belief in the 'good' after a bad day, times when a chat with her would erase all troubles and tensions, so much so I'd never wanna bid her good bye. We both knew our weaknesses but like friends are,we'd appreciate the finer qualities in each one of us,numerous times we have talked abt our insecurities,shared our vision,dreamt real big,fought and made up.



Here's a list of things on why I love her so much :



*I can by myself, when I'm with her.



*She never makes fun of me, even when I look like a clown.



*We can talk about everything or nothing - It's always okay with her.



*She always seems to know, when things aren't going great.



*She's so dependable and trustworthy.



*'Coz every assuring word from her chases away all my blues.



*She understands me..even when I am sobbing.



*She's as helpful as therapy, but she never charges me for it.



*She brings out the best in me.



*She can read my innermost thoughts.



*For her sensitivity and support.

----------------------------------------------------------------------



"Special times shared with you are precious"



Our life unfolds in hours, days and years,

in warm, remembered moments of joys, hopes and tears.

In dreams come true,in sorrows left behind,

In treasuerd joys we've found and new adventures still to find.

And of the precious moments life unfolds in every day,

the best of all are shared with friends we met along the way.



Because you're a very dear friend

And a special person in my life,

I find myself thinking of all the good memories we've shared...

Each memory is special and

Each one makes me hope

We'll be spending many more good times together

in the days and years ahead.

Chances and Choices.

The greatest things about life are chances - the ones we take and the one ones we miss. They are made out of the values and doctrines imbibed in you and by the rule book of honesty. It could be just about anything...a work spoken, a gesture or even breaking of traditions.



Being caught up in a moment with the person you are attracted to is a chance. But, if you decide to love that person even with his/her faults, that's not a chance. That's a choice.



When you choose to be with a person, no matter what, that's choice. Even if you know there are many people out there who are more attractive, smarter, and richer than your mate, and yet, you decide to love your mate just the same, that's choice.



Regarding soulmates, there's a beautiful movie quote that I believe is so true about this: "Fate brings you together, but it's still up to you to make it happen." I do believe that soulmates do exist. That there is truly someone made for you. But it's still up to you to make the choice if you're going to do something about it or not. We may meet our soulmates by chance, but loving and staying with our soulmate is still a choice we have to make.



Have you made your choice? Or taken the chance?

Can you have a better start for your day?

1) Your friends send you nasty reminders because you did not reply to their earlier emails.

2) Mom complains about you not spending time at home.

3) Work sucks

4) So does life

As I walk through this journey of life I have..

*learnt to stop judging and pointing fingers and have begun to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties.



*learnt the difference between wanting and needing and have begun to discard the doctrines and values I've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with and have learnt to go with my instincts.



*learnt that that it is truly in giving that we receive. There is power and glory in creating and contributing.



*learnt that I don't know everything, it's not my job to save the world and that I can't teach a pig to sing.



*learnt to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.



*learnt about love. How much to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. I must not project my needs or my feelings onto a relationship, look at relationships as they really are and not as I would have them to be.



*learnt to stop controlling people, situations and outcomes. People grow and change and the same stands true for love as well. I can't and neither do I have the right to demand love on my terms..just to make me happy.



*learnt that alone does not mean being lonely.



*stopped working hard at putting my feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring my needs. I have a right to ask for the things I want and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.



*learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. Life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.



*learnt that life isn't always fair, we don't always get what we think we deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people.



*learnt to deal with evil in its most primal state - the ego. Learnt to admit when I am wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.





Finally, with courage in my heart and with God by my side I take a stand, take a deep breath and begin to design the life I want to live as best as I can.

What if..

What if you were given an oppourtinity to go back and change on thing about your life, what would it be? I have dwelled on this question on many occassions when nothing made sense, everything went wrong, but till date I have not found an answer. There are times when I am happy, mind seems lighter, all complexitions seemed to be ironed out, these are the times when I don't want to change a thing, it's a feeling that it can't get better than this.



The trouble begins when I am feeling low, when everything seems to go wrong, I keep agonizing over my failures and circumstances demand that I be alone with my own personal space. Everything looks horrible then.



Off late, maybe for the first time in life I am wishing that I could change that one decision that I took some years back. Realistically, there is no point in digging the past and crying over spilt milk, but how I wish that I possessed the maturity then to make the right decision when oppourtinity was not knocking but banging at my door.



Our actions, more often than never, affect someone else's life and we turn a blind eye to the events that are happening. How many of us are responsible adults? How many of us are responsible for our actions? What matters most - the responsibility of our actions or the responsibility towards the person? I really don't know. I am trying to live life my way, just being what I am - relaxed, without tensions, without pretensions and without hypocrisies.

Always Remember

Always remember to forget

The things that made you sad

But never forget to remember

The things that made you glad.



Always remember to forget

The friends that proved untrue.

But don't forget to remember

Those that have stuck by you.



Always remember to forget

The troubles that have passed away.

But never forget to remember

The blessings that come each day.

Veer-Zaara.

Finally, the wait is over. Yash Chopra, the maestro of romance, returns with his cross border romance flick.



Saw a late afternoon show of the much awaited movie. It's not entirely inedible. You got to watch it like any other Yash Chopra film – with your eyes and heart wide open. Like any other Yash Chopra film, it has oodles of open-air romance, sensual chemistry between the lovers and teary-eyed emotionality.

It has multiple cameras zooming in and out of mustard and sunflower fields, gushing waterfalls, snow-clad mountains and untimely rains, it has its hero and heroine running towards each other from opposite directions to give that one passionate embrace.



Preity does a good job at playing a Yash Chopra heroine: She looks dreamy and plays the character of Zaara with grace and restraint. While Rani Mukherjee walks away with the best lines and a performance full of grit. The songs are completely blended into the movie, the songs are pure poetry and the lyrics magnificent.



So what if Veer-Zaara is not really a legendary, memorable blah blah, saga of love and blah blah. So what if it is not even among Yash Chopra's best works. It is poised to make big bucks at the box office and may even pick an award or two next year. So if you are a fan of the Chopra factory of filmmaking and looking for plenty of eye-candy, Veer-Zaara promises to make your Diwali a happy one.

Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year.

To all fella bloggers across the globe:



May Ganesha shower u with His choicest blessings today and forever.

May this festival of lights bring tons of joy, happiness, prosperity, luck & warmth in your lives.

May success be yours and time favours you.

May opportunities knock your door whole year throughout and you make best use of that.

May you get all the inner strength to fight the odds, year across.

May all the happy moments be here to cherish forever.

Shubh Deepavali ..... light the lamps of love & affection.



Happy Deepawali!

An Umbilical Bond.

A Mother is :



A DENTIST who uses a string.

A SUNSHINE on a cloudy day.

A STORY TELLER when you can't get to sleep.

A HAIR STYLIST on the night of the prom.

A DOCTOR who cures poison ivy.

A TEACHER who teaches about life.

A SEAMSTRESS who patches torn jeans.

A COMEDIAN who makes you laugh when you're down.

A CHEERLEADER at all sports activities.

A NURSE who bandages a scraped knee.

A ARTIST who teaches finger painting.

A LAUNDRY LADY who keeps you dressed so nice.

A BAKER who makes chocolate chip cookies.

A TUTOR who helps with homework.

A COUNSELOR who gives guidance.

A CLEANING LADY who finds the bedroom floor.

A TOOTH FAIRY who rewards you for your pain.

A HEALER of your first broken heart.

A CHAUFFEUR for all social events.

A DISHWASHER who never complains.

A SELF-ESTEEM BUILDER for everyone.

A COOK who keeps the meals balanced.

A DREAM CATCHER who helps find dreams.

A KLEENEX that dries the tears.

A KEY that unlocks the door to the future.

A JUDGE who makes decisions with wisdom.

A PARTY PLANNER who makes you popular.

A SINGER who taught childhood songs.

A LIGHT that guides through dark moments.

An EGO BUILDER, picking you up when you're down.

A DRUGGIST who knows the cure for your pain.

A PRAYING HANDS that guide spiritually.

A GUARDIAN ANGEL who keeps you safe.

A FRIEND who puts real meaning into "I Love You"!

God Speak to me !! - By Ravindra Kumar Karnani

"The child whispered, 'God, speak to me'

And a meadow lark sang.

The child did not hear.



So the child yelled, 'God, speak to me!'

And the thunder rolled across the sky

But the child did not listen.



The child looked around and said,'God let me see you'

and a star shone brightly

But the child did not notice.



And the child shouted,'God show me a miracle!'

And a life was born

but the child did not know.



So the child cried out in despair,

'Touch me God, and let me know you are here!

'Whereupon God reached down

And touched the child.

But the child brushed the butterfly away And walked away unknowingly."



(This poem was originally written in the Hindi language.)

I've realized that...

*It's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon.



* That I am not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of me or what I am... and that's OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions).



*People don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for me.



*The way I view myself, and the world around me, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into me psyche. And I have begun to sift through all the crap I've been fed about how I should behave, how I should look, how much I should weigh, what I should wear, where I should shop, what I should do for a living, who I should marry, what I should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children or what I owe my parents.



*It's time I open up to new worlds and different points of view and I have been reassessing and redefining who I am and what I really stand for.



*Principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a by gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.



*Negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate life and poison the universe.

Quote of the day ....

"Willpower is the ability to resist temptation until you are sure no one's looking" ;-)

Maybe Tommorrow.....

Today was silent.

Things were different.

Things felt different.

No obvious difference.

A change of direction.

I can guess where I need to stand now.

I see the tide comming in high.

Can' t wait for the waves to clash at my shore to

Take away all the garbage, moulded past from my sands.



The tide takes its time to come in.

It can take a long time - sometimes.

I was hoping to see the first white unicorn gallopping towards me today -

From a distance at least.

No, only silence and a grey, wild ocean in the distance.

Stormridden still.



Maybe tomorrow I can see my ocean comming closer.

Maybe its waves will break the silence of today.

Maybe the day after tomorrow will pour the precious water over me.

Cleansing me from all sins, from all pain.

Releasing me from all horrible memories.

Comming to restore what was covered in mud and dirt,

Tortured by elements which weren' t meant to interfere.

Healing me with a love which is meant to last as long as rivers run to the sea...

Prajakta - perfect blend of modernism combined with traditional values.

Prajakta, for all of you, who don't know her....she's a girl with delicately outlined kajal - eyeliner smudged eyes, a body that's shaped like an hourglass and a smile that stretches from Kanyakumari to Mt.Everest. She likes to take care of her body and herself, realising that youth is only once afterall and has become more aware of her sexuality and individuality than she ever was earlier...did the exams do the trick or the examiner...;-)



With Karva Chauth round the corner, we 3, myself, Prajakta and Viji (as she's called in office) had this conversation:



Me : Viji, are you going to be fasting for Karva Chauth ?



Viji : Yes, have been doing so since the last 2 years.



Prajakta (intervens, as usual) : And how do you break the fast? Do you perform the complete puja?



Viji : Nopes ya, I and M (wouldn't want to name Viji's b/f's name here. Let's call him 'M') go to a restaurant and there he makes me drink water. Fast Broken!



(Wah, what a convenient way of breaking the most important fast, which is observed by married women for the "welfare" and "longevity" of their spouses. Long live husbands and b/f's, if we were to be treated to fine restaurants and fine meals....it feels good to eat khanna cooked by someone else!!...are the men listening..??)



Prajakta : Oh! So you don't break the fast through the conventional way i.e like seeing the reflection of the moon in a thali of water or through the sieve..etc which is the actual process.



Viji: Nopes, and it would get too obvious to Mom at home if I sit and perform the actual process.



Prajakta : Arre, U can do it yaar, take the sieve that we use to pour tea along with you when u go to meet him and before he starts to make you drink water..see him through it!!!!!



I, Viji burst into laughter..and so does the rest of the gang.



Can anyone think of a better modern-yet-so-traditional way?

Memories - are they (un)important?

A few days ago, I had this discussion with an ex-colleague, Amit about this matter, and a comment that he made, precipitated my thinking. "I cannot forget things", he said. "I have enjoyed all the aspects of my past relationships..but there are some bitter memories too..which I do not want to let go off because they help me move on".



We, or rather, most of us have memories, and u'd agree with me when I say that memories are VERY IMPORTANT. Memories denote our life, what is important to us, events that have influenced us, affected us, triggered our thought processes and our reactions to situations. They act as our very personal collection(s), where we store those who are most dear, most lovable, most hatred, most hurting, most despicable, wildest, least pleasant, precious and special to us, in our lives thus far.



We all carry memories with us, that are special to us, for the happenings and events they cage, for the people they involve and for the times that have been happy and joyful for us. And at the same time, we also carry with us the bitter ones...the ones that hurt, are sad, for the people we have lost, circumstances where we were treated unfairly and events that loom large on us like a dark cloud, which haunt us, even years after they took place.



So then, how important is it for us to carry memories?? The positive ones take us to days which were full of fun and joy, peaceful, exciting and full of love and laughter. These are the ones that give us strength and encourage us to move on. But the negative ones...they create a complex mosaic of our motives and passions that control our lives, piece by piece they uncover the truth which make us bitter, inhuman, angry and dejected? Are the negative memories to be carried?



We are all humans, we cling to things of our past. Those of you who have suffered a heartbreak, have lost a loved one, would probably grok on what I am saying. We cannot forget the people that we have loved so intenesly, not becoz we can't forget..but becoz we don't want to. And inspite of how seldom we allow ourselves to think of them, when you touch that place in your heart where they still live, the pain of it will take your breath away. And with time, we only reminiscence about the ones that we WANT and WISH to.

Life remixed.

Life irruptly has acquired a new dimension, renewed ambitions and a sharper focus. I can now aver that whatever happened during the last few months has given me inclement lessons and am no longer insecure, doubtful of my own capacity, or in a state of quandary. Instead there's been a drastic change of attitude in handling difficult situations, dealing with people, sustaining relationships and increasing frustration.



Perhaps past has its own way of correcting ur future, and some lessons were crucial for my own well being.

Earlier, I would get so easily dependent on others for the smallest of decisions, it's surprising to see to myself have the courage to face reality all alone.......Me..bravado :-).



Maybe am learning to survive on my own. Am learning to be objective and rational. Am learning not to give up till last minute. Am able to see my dreams take a shape,even if its just a start!



As long as there is willingness, I'll do it....

I long...

I long for a morning mountain,

as I take my pen in hand...and try vainly to capture the wonder,

the beauty on paper, and then...

I'd love to just hear a faint trickle of a little meandering stream,

that tickles my ears with it's music,

and teases the sun with it's gleam.

Then I'd love to be perched on some clover,

so soft and cool to my cheek,

with blue sky above to caress me,

beside that frolicking creek.

New Learnings...

Disclaimer : The contents of this post has been taken from a fwded mail sent to me.



*Humankind has not woven the web of life.

We are but one thread with in it. What ever we do to this web, we do to ourselves

All things are bound together, All things connect



*Don't ever stop dreaming your dreams;

they're a very essential part of you.



*Do whatever you can to make them a reality

by the course you take, the plans you make,

and all the things you do.



*Don't dwell on past mistakes;

leave yesterday behind you --- along with

any of its problems, worries, and doubts.



*Do realize you can't change the past,

but just ahead is the future ---

and you can do something about that.



*Don't try to accomplish everything at once;

life can be difficult enough --- without adding frustration to the list.



*Do travel one step at a time, and reach for one goal at a time.

That's the way to find out what real accomplishment is.



*Don't be afraid to do the impossible,

even if others don't think you'll succeed.



*Do remember that history is filled with incredible accomplishments of

those who were foolish enough ..... to believe.



*Don't forget that there are so many things that are wonderful,

rare, and unique about you.



*And do remember that if you can search within

and find a smile ... that smile will always be a reflection of the way people feel ~ About You!!



*Go outside tomight....Go look at the stars.......

See how wonderful God's creation is. So are you.

A Reflection.

Walking home, the other day,

I met myself, coming back that way,



Wondering, just how and why,

I looked at me, he looked at I,



I am you, a year from now,

He continued, with a bow,



If you do nothing, else in life,

Heed these words, take my advice,



When times get hard, you'll feel you'd want to scream,

They are not that bad, as they seem,



If things get dark, you find some light,

If you are wrong, you make it right,



And if nothing seems, to go your way,

Tommorrow, is, another day,



Your life is only, your's to live,

So smile, cheer up, stay positive,



But if you feel, your out of luck,

Look to your soul, to get unstuck,



Stare deep inside, what do you see?,

Yeah thats right, in you, its me.

SOME MORE WORDS FROM MY HEART.....

Another smooth dreary night is blessing the atmosphere

With its mysterious mystique charm

The earth is letting its wounds

Re-open their silent gates

To sip the rain of heavenly sands.



Digging through hidden graves of deceit,

A weary kaleidoscope opens its feeble dry arms widely,

Fluttering its newly born bat - like wings

Above an ocean of dying corals.



Inhaling the inebriating fragrance of a celestial entity,

Accompanying a lonely lifeless cliff in its aimless voyage,

Dreaming inside a rhapsody of transparent visions,

Far away, into a borderless, meaningless dimension,

A shallow silhouette is counting the stars.



Each falling drop of tranquility that enwraps the air

Is a castaway traveller

That coyly murmurs its story –

A fairy – tale that has been denied by its own vibration.



Escaping into an obscure refuge,

Being sipped into a mesmerizing mirage,

Unconsciously diving and drowning inside the luring wonder

Of the fountains of time,

The shadow returns to its denied origin.



Hiding behind curtains of incandescent light,

It tries to retain the elapse of time

Inside an ancient broken hourglass

That relishes

The dreams of celestial insomnia

No more…



An hourglass whose threads of sand

Forgot long ago what it is like

To count the sleepless stars on the ocean of corals…

The weekend that was...

Saturday night had an exclusive girl's night out, we discussed throughout on the demerits of men, talked about memories of our respective lives....dwelling into the past and had so many beautiful moments to share. Blessed with pals who are amicable and sensible, we share many of the same points of views, the people I feel absolutely at home with, so gossip was flowing in large numbers.



Sunday and at work, well what is new? I was asked to compensate for a colleague who was on leave. Bosses work for less and get paid a lot more, afterall the economy needs to function, the world needs to move on.



Tomorrow is my precious day off. Have a long list of errands already, to give the car for servicing, visit the bank for the renewal of FD's, to go the university to apply for my Degree Convocation certificate, challans..etc. Once done with them, I am going to spend the rest of my time doing what I love the most....Sleeping..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Birthday Wishes.

Vinay :celebrates his Birthday today i.e 11th October. Ok, since you were so persistent that your name should top the list, here I am doing the honours. U'd better confer me the Platinum medal for being such a sport. Bold, assertive, truly awesome in creativity..he'z lots of fun to be with. Hope lots of laughter and fun fill you day, Dude!



Suraj : celebrates his birthday tommorrow. Personification of the typical Librian - Refined and graceful, just and balanced, easygoing and fairminded. Creativity, efficiency, ingenuity - the skills of modern day life, HE HAS IT ALL. Hope your day's wonderful right from the start!





Sheetal : She celebrates her birthday on 14th October. Here's a special message for you:

Warm thoughts are with you always,

Just in case you didn't know,

And on a special day like this particularly so....



And when your day has come and gone,

Remember - for it's true -

Thoughts as warm as these

Will still be there with you!



Have your Happiest Birthday Ever..Dudette!

!! Om Pasta-ye Namah!!

'is been a good week. Friday night went out for dinner, aunt's Happy Birthday! And me being a person devoted to refined enjoyment of good food, made a meal of pasta and pampered myself to all the deserts available. Not once did the sting of conscience prick me for those oodles of weight I am gonna be putting on! Who cares!?! Hungry Kya....Dessert's and Pasta's Zindabad :-)

The Sands Of Time.

Theirs was a bond that defied words, time and years. They willed life and strength into each other, talked to each other for hours and made each other laugh whenever they could.



He (let’s call him X) was not a warm person in any aspect of life, but inspite of that, he had been affectionate with her (let’s call her Y). His standoffishness had almost seemed like a challenge. Because of that each smile won, each warm gesture, had felt like a victory to her and all the more impressive because he showed no warmth to anyone else. Y was young then and intrigued by him. X seemed so competent, and in addition to the appeal of his pedigree, there had been a childlike innocence about him that had briefly opened the door to Y’s heart. He was passionate without guile. The loftiness of his style, his considerable attention towards her, and his exquisite manners when they had courted had elicited a kind of hero worship from her.



Inspite of X’s reputation for being tough in his dealings, he seemed extremely kind to her, which ultimately proved not to be the case. Talking to him was like a breath of fresh air, and a lifeline she clung to on dark nights. His warmth, light and almost elfin quality struck Y from the time they met. For the first time in her life, she thought X was the person she wanted to be with. His lineage was beyond reproach, and his shy, gentle, unassuming ways suited Y to perfection. He was a reasonable person with no apparent vices other than the tendency to work too hard. It was remarkable to think about how X had come into Y’s life, by sheer happenstance years before and how lucky she was.



The time they spent moved them infinitesimally closer to each other; it felt like a single sparkling diamond hanging suspended in the night sky. X became a habit, which was hard for Y to break. Theirs was a relationship that was tender, passionate and solidified by mutual trust.



They drifted apart over time, Y was aware of it. She had known for a long time that his affection for her had at first diminished, and then finally disappeared. The wall between them was one that Y never tried to scale, although she tried at first. Her every attempt at drawing closer to X was futile. He resisted all her efforts until finally she accepted the vast, lonely chasm between them as a way of life. In order to not feel shortchanged by what was not available to her, she had convinced herself and her own little world that she needed nothing from X. Their brief conversations only reinforced her feelings of being shut out of his life. He had long since become the hub of her life and he alienated her from himself. The gates to heaven never opened between them again, and she saw to it that they remain close, and stay that way.



The relationship they led was not something Y had envisioned or hoped for, but it was something that she had accepted and made peace with. His aversions to Y was so extreme, it was almost phobic. The only way X could escape it was too ignore her completely and pretend that Y never existed. He blocked her out, and put all energies into work and removed himself as much as possible from life with her.

X was so infinitely precious to Y and she did not want to jeopardize anything or anyone. She is happy to see him happy, but the truth is that it has been excruciatingly painful for her to let go of him.

I can’t tell you who X and Y is, but they are someone very close and dear to my heart!

Taj Mahal - Epitome of Love.

It's the 350th anniversary of the Taj Mahal. An eternal love story between Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal -----Love in the true sense and in it's purest form.

Love Is A Many $plendoured Thing. Indeed, love is an inexplicable, extraordinary feeling, chemistry between two people that happens once in a lifetime. It's an adventure that brings a spirit of surprise and a sense of wonder to times shared together, a special bond that even miles can't break.

But does true love really exist? Are perfect relationship's extant?

What does a relationship mean to you? What would you do to make your relationship the right one, if not perfect?

For me, the fundamental foundation of true love is laid on the pillars of sacrifice. The right relationship is the one in which you enjoy every moment spent together..laughing, talking, sharing, caring, wherein your relationship grows, slowly and naturally, little by little, the experiences you share together, draws you closer, you learn to appreciate each other's talents and differences and despite the distance, love grows stronger and fonder.

Love is real. Whether anyone of us will ever find "true love" will be a combination of Luck, Faith and Courage. The Luck to bring love your way, the Faith to belive your heart and the Courage to reach out and grab it.

Browser Blues!

My browser does not support any sites! Any site apart from Hotmail, Rediff and Yahoo just speaks of upgrading my browser! Shuldn't it be upgrading by it's own?! I mean, all the other software's keep asking to upgrade every time a new version is released, Y shouldn't IE also upgrade itself?



Anywayz, I tried doing the same from the microsoft.com site, it didn't happen. Got a CD from an office colleague (Let's call him M), he was considerate enuf to burn the entire setup file for my convenience! Bless the day, M, when you first entered office! But my browser refuses to comply. There's something majorly wrong with it. I knew a Software Specialist well, that's why never felt the need to call another one but, this time, now will have to earnestly request 'M' to do it. An addition to my list of things to do and get done. Hands are itching to cross it off soon.



Come October and there are seriatim of Birthdays.



Birthday Wishes for:



Allwyn (a.k.a Olly) who celebrates his birthday tommorow i.e 3rd October. He is one helluva rockin' dude. A guy with a refined sense of style, usually controlled and rational. Cheers dude! Hope this birthday brings you ending smiles and may you be blessed with life's best.I wish you many, many more Happy Birthdays!



Cheers!

The Eleventh Commandment.

Just finishing reading The Eleventh Commandment by none other than the master storyteller Jeffrey Archer, the author of ten novels which have all been worldwide bestsellers.



Ranging from the Oval Office in the White House to a Russian Mafia's boss's luxurious hideaway outside St. Petersburg, The Eleventh Comandments sets new standards in contemporary thriller writing. The pace, the ingenuity, the twists, intertwined with a moving love story, show Britain's bestselling writer at the peak of his page turning powers.



Worth a read!