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!