A SPELL FOR LOVE.................

From the day I started my blog  (Wow!!!!! I still can't believe its been six months.....Woohooo!!!!!!) I have been asked by many to write what I think is a touche topic - "LOVE." The good-old- "LOVE". (I can't think of nothing but a long-drawn sigh......trust me!).

EVERYONE - my parents ( Dad , if you happen to read this , please allow me to continue under your roof..........:D :D) , my friends ( Don't you dare to gawk at me , I know EXACTLY what I'm doing) , my cousins ( Ah! I wish!) and well-wishers ( You know very well what I mean "Doctor- Who"???) have asked me a zillion times to write about it. And here I'm with my bag and baggage.

Well , people who know me very well  says I can do algebra better than the "love in the air" and have tagged me as the MOST unromantic specimen of the planet earth. (ouch ....that hurts). And I believe this is going to be one hell of a shock for them. ( I can think of nothing but of a really WICKED laugh!!!).

"LOVE" - the most beautiful four letter word you can ever think of. The warmth it creates , the rush which it can make in your system is just undefinable. I'm not willing to do any vain attempt to recreate all the poetical beauty of love and just make it a complete trash. I just can't.

Like a wonderful rainbow , it has got many shades. there is this father-daughter love ( I think , by far , its the most beautiful one , dear folks , he is THIS BIGGEST love of my life!) , mother-daughter love (Can be strained at times , but East or west , Mummy is the best) , then you have the similar son-father , son-mother love  , love for your siblings ( Sure , you guyz fight a lot , but still you just cannot be without them ) , love for your friends ( Sometimes they make you want to kill them , but if there is anything you want to talk about under the sun , even at 2 am , they are willing to listen to your blabber.) .......Fondly remembering and paying respect to my best buddy Dheeraj and his "great love and the truly unforgettable underwear quote"....DJ.... You are Great , Man!!

Moving on with my list........Student-teacher love ( You know , you have this one particular teacher at school whom you love and admire so much and you  like the subject she/he touches just for them.......forever Usman Sir and Rekha Mam) and then come your puppy-love for all the good-looking people in this world , crushes you had which everyone knows about except "THAT" guy/girl  and I was saving the best for the last----your FIRST LOVE.

And I'm told that your first love would always be special , because no one else can never ever take that place. It doesn't matter even if you are 70 , your first love always have that place , just in that corner of your heart , as a memory or a beat. Even their sight from miles away can unleash a thousand butterflies in the pit of your stomach........or so they say.

Can love happen twice? I was asked once. I don't know what others think , but my answer is NO. I totally support King Khan In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai...."Hum ek baar jite hain, ek baar marte hain, aur pyaar, pyaar bhi ek hi baar hota hai....". 
That ONE right guy/girl who can make you feel like you  are one of a kind and make you feel like a whole , just come once. You either grab it or let him/her go. So it makes it "extremely important" to KNOW what we are doing. They all say love is totally blind. And chances of banging your head at somewhere sharp is more in that blindness. By wearing your heart on your sleeve and trying your luck with every guy/girl you have your crush can do nothing but HURT you. And that too , terribly.

Be sure of what you want at first place and think with a clear mind. Always abide by your heart because it can never guide you wrong. But still , even after all that , you feel your doing right , what the hell are you waiting here for?! Most of the authors from the novels (I have had my share of trash) asks you to go ahead. After all , who doesn't love a happy ending?

When we quote the opposites , we say hate is the antonym of love. Which according to me is completely wrong. Hate is just love gone wrong. You know what is the exact antonym of love? IGNORANCE. Complete Ignorance. That person behaves like you never even exist in this galaxy can hurt you much , much deeper. (Oh no , I didn't say any of this. Courtesy to Amish Tripathi of Immortals Of Meluha.)

Love can hurt. Love gives you pain. Love can even make you kill. But still love is beautiful. Its something similar to that clouds in the sky just before the downpour. You cannot feel the clouds , but you can feel the drops of rain quenching the Earth's thirst. You cannot touch love either , but you feel the sweetness that it pours into everything.

(Endless gratitude and tons of love to the movie "A little Manhattan" and the one who suggested it. I doubt I can ever meet someone as crazier as you about this movie. And the lines you kept forwarding was just heart-touching. So , thanks a million for that from the core of my heart......:) :) )

LoVe and sMiLe more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......And I seriously have this intuition that my Dad is going to soon kick me out.....:D :D

The Fault In Our Stars.........(PS . A stack of tissues highly recommended............:) )

This time its a book review , dear folks!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that too , one of my favorite book , John Greene's "The Fault In Our Stars" and many told me that it was worth posting here. And so here it goes..........:)

A BOOK THAT I ENJOYED READING

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. But pity, a man who never reads lives only once.”

Some books you read. Some books you enjoy. But some books just swallow you up , your heart , your mind and your soul. And as Neil Gaiman said , “Picking up  my five favorite books is like picking the five body parts I’d most like not to lose”. So talking about a single book that I enjoyed reading would be indeed a very difficult one. In other words, books are my escape portal. I love that moment when you open a book and sink into it, and can escape from this world, that too into a story which is way more interesting than yours or mine ever will be.

You know you have enjoyed the book immensely and a certain kind of bond is formed when you can connect with the theme mentally as well as emotionally. And I believe that the theory which applies to your friends goes for books too , “Many may come and go from your life , but a few leave the foot prints”. In fact , among the zillion books , only a handful can leave its foot prints and make a great impact. A very recent book , which had the same effect on me was John Greene’s “The Fault In Our Stars.”

We open up the story with Hazel Grace Lancaster, an average teenager of 16, except for the fact that she was diagnosed for the thyroid cancer that has spread into her lungs. Upon her mother’s behest, Hazel joins a Cancer Support Group where she meets the most charming Augustus Waters whose Osteosarcoma had compelled him to lose his leg. Very soon , both of them develop a very strong bond of friendship and they talk about everything under the sun. Literally. That’s when Hazel shares about her favorite book “An Imperial infliction”, written by Peter Van Houten with Augustus. She is very much attached to An Imperial Infliction because she thinks that it holds answers for all her unanswered questions. She can relate herself much to the main protagonist of the book, Anna, because she is also diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. Hazel is very much confused over how her parents are going to cope with her loss after her death. When she thinks the book holds the answers for her questions, the author, Peter drops out from the middle of the story and doesn’t reveal the ending of the book. Neither does he say what happens to the characters of the book, whether Anna dies or lives or how does her parents cope with her loss if she dies. Hazel is very much disappointed over the unfinished ending and when she shares with the same with Augustus, they both obsess over the ending.

But Augustus somehow manages to track down the email of Peter’s assistant and when Hazel contacts her, she invites them both to Amsterdam to discuss the ending of the book with Peter. But both of them are again terribly disappointed when they reach Amsterdam and get to know that Peter is nothing but a drunk lunatic. All he talks is nonsense with both of them and shouts at them and they angrily storms off from there. On coming back to Indiana, Augustus shockingly reveal to Hazel that the cancer he thought which was diagnosed has returned back in its full form and his days were numbered. He says “I lit up like a Christmas Tree, Hazel. The lining of my chest, my left hip, my liver, EVERYWHERE.” Initially Hazel is distraught and heartbroken, but she soon snaps out of it knowing that she has to be strong in this phase. The rest of the story follows on how Hazel helps him to face the hardships courageously rather than run away from it and supports him all along.

There are many reasons why “The Fault In Our Stars” is special for me. One is the way of the narration of the story. For a while, I enjoyed being realistic and the way the author uses his witful remarks in the right places , he totally nails it. Besides I never thought literature and medical sciences could go hand in hand, as they are miles and miles apart from each other. But the way in which John Greene blends both of them into the frame makes Augustus and Hazel memorable characters. The other reason is that , even though this can be included in the genre of fiction , its not sickly sweet. And this one came to me as huge relief after Ravinder Singh’s “I Too Had A Love Story” and Durjoy Dutta’s “Someone Like You” and “Till the Last Breath” which was just overloaded with over sweetness. And the saddest part was that all these books had the same old story. But I couldn’t resist falling in love with the theme of “The Fault In Our Stars” which have been captured perfectly and rendered beautifully. The best part was it had every shades- you had hope , love , sorrow , anger , jealousy, friendship , anguish –everything in balanced proportions. 

It was the most imperfect book in a perfect way. And some of the quotes from the book , just strike the chords perfectly , like , “the world is not a wish granting factory” and “that’s the thing about the pain – it demands to be felt” and the very famous metaphor of Augustus Waters when Hazels asks him why does he keep a unlit cigarette in his mouth “A cigarette don’t kill you unless you light one and I have never lit one in my life. Hazel Grace; It’s a metaphor, you see . You put the killing thing right between your teeth , but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.”

I would like to conclude with the parting words of Augustus Waters in his letter to Peter Van Houten – “Dear Peter,

I’m a good person but a shitty writer. You’re a shitty person but a good writer. We would make a good team , you know. My thoughts are stars which cannot be fathomed into constellations. You don’t get to choose to get hurt in this world , old man , but you do have some say in who hurts you. And I like my choices.”

SCIENTIFIC TEMPER.............Scientific enough to raise your "temper"????????

Very recently I was asked to do a speech on "Scientific Temper" (the horror of it!) during Science Exhibition in my school. A topic I had the least of interest to present. First of all , I didn't have a  clue on what on earth did "scientific temper " mean. Second of all , whatever it was , Science and ME? It sounded like two poles meeting together. I had no choice , but to do it. So , I did what others would probably do if they find themselves in a fix. I approached "GOOGLE" and what I got was a bunch of broken links. Biting back my disappointment and being more determined , I searched and searched and searched. Finally , I got stuck at an article and the content on it just sounded "fla fla fla" to me. Since what science needed was "fla fla fla" , I went for it. Wikipedia fueled my GK on scientific temper as

"Scientific temper is a way of life - an individual and and social process of thinking and acting - which uses a scientific method, which may include questioning, observing physical reality, testing, hypothesizing, analyzing, and communicating".

Since I was supposed to say that our current generation used their skill of scientific temper in its true spirit , I still couldn't bring myself to blurt out such downright lies. Our generation and scientific temper? Who on earth am I kidding here?! Take the example of our science exhibitions. Our curriculum says you are supposed to observe , investigate and "create" a model. Now, tell me , how many of us follow that in its true spirit?! NONE. Not even 1% of the whole student population. The moment we get the topics , we rush to Google , our not-so-official Lifesaver and search for 2 weeks. And practically , we end up with "nothing". NOT. A.SINGLE.THING.
All the sites gushes on making the most impractical models you have ever heard in your life. And even by chance , you manage to scrap out an idea , it  probably will never work. Then our next option is our "IIT cousins". Those geeks somehow manages to build a sci-fi model and on the D-day you appear to look cool. (I know this thing very well guys , because this is what "I" did during my science exhibition.). If that doesn't work you still have the option of your friends. You somehow manages to arrange the materials you need to make the model and do everything else apart from making a model. At the end of day , you still have unused thermocol , brand new bottles of fevicol and what not. And the last back up option is free-lance science model "builders" to whom you have to pay around 2000-3000 bucks. FOR ONE SINGLE EVENT. FOR A MODEL YOU NEVER EVER SEE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

All this stuff is not making any sense to me. We talk about how our current generation is lacking that "flair" in them. When they are provided with everything to fuel the flair and don't have to move their single finger , how do you expect to have spark in each of us. The fact is that we are content with an Einstein , Newton and Flemming. We are willing to digest and parrot out their theories and postulates. We are ready to shoulder up their assumptions and contradictions. And we say we lack Junior Scientists here? What kind of sense is that, honestly?!!

AM I JUST A NAME?!!!!!

You know when they talk about the enlightenment of Buddha , I always picturise him under a tree and suddenly acquiring the ring of aura around him. What If i tell you I had one such enlightenment? Strange , huh?! Well , I don't have a ring of aura around me , but as for now my "inner peace" is all tangled. Recently I was re-reading the book "Life is what you make it" by Preeti Shenoy and when one of this protagonist died in the plot , I suddenly had this brainwave. Suddenly , If I was to die a day , without a single warning , I imagined what it would be like. I know it is very dumb , but still , you know , it sort of stuck into my mind and I couldn't escape. Well , of course , being the single daughter of my parents , it is going to leave them both depressed and distraught initially. My dad is going to miss his "favorite Maths and Physics pupil" (I'm kidding!!!! You know how much I love your classes!) and my mom her daily secret keeper. But eventually they will come around and learn to move on. As for my friends , I believe they will miss me terribly in every possible way and scream their heads off. Aparna is going to miss her punch ball (I know you will!) , Gayathri her chatter box , Amanda her book maniac and others what not (Sorry about stopping here guys , otherwise it would take a bit long!) . But that will be for 2 to 3 months. After that , they too would have found out their punch ball , chatter box and book -maniac in some others. My teachers , my friends , my relatives would talk about myself being an excellent student , niece , daughter , friend , sister and how no one can take my place ever in their lives. Well , guess what? They are nothing but downright lies. All of them are going to move on and I'm going to fade from each of their memories every passing day. Well , thinking from my side , I feel bad thinking about how my bucket list is just going to remain a "list" and nothing more. How my untold crushes are going to wither away even before they started ( I know , its a disaster!). And for not telling my parents and friends about how much they mean to me and lots more. But most importantly , What am I going to leave here? A few flashing memories in someone's head? Or the things I left unsaid or had already used? I really wish to conduct a pre-funeral for myself if I knew when I was going to die , you know. Just out of curiosity , just to know what others think of me , so that I can treasure it forever in my life. All you have with you , IS THIS MOMENT . Make sure  you live that at your fullest. Make some epic mistakes , no one is going to hang you! Fall in love , make new friends , dream even more and more. And most importantly , never forget to leave your signature here , in this world , as a proof that a person like you existed once. The number of days you lived here doesn't matter at all. The number of memories and the imprints you leave in others hearts matter. Make sure that you just don't remain a name , but something even more. #after all life is beautiful#

A MERE WORLD OF CONTRADICTIONS............

CONTRADICTIONS. A fairly big word from Oxford Dictionary. It also provides you with the satisfactory meaning. I first came across the word "contradiction" when I was in class 9 . Somewhere in history , in French Revolution. I was pretty curious to know what it meant . So I did what I would normally do . I looked up in the dictionary and it said - "deny the truth of a statement by saying or doing the opposite."

That's when it occurred to me. Most of the things that were going around me was QUITE contradictory. In fact , not quite , most of them. Half of the time , what I did was contradictory. Love was contradictory and so was hatred. People were contradictory and so were emotions and machines. I arrived at the conclusion -"World is nothing but a bundle of contradictions." ( Even this is a contradiction , right? Talking about contradictions in a contradictory tone?!)

Most of the parents say they don't mind what their children want to do later in their life. "Its their choice , after all and we are merely guiding them "-they say. But they do snub or scorn the idea if you want to become anything less than a doctor or engineer. If you mention anything about Arts , trust me , you're dead. (Not that my parents do the same , but still you know we are dealing with contradictions.A lot of them.) . Your friends say they won't hurt you anymore , but the next thing you may face is an angry outburst which would end up in your friend (or so they call themselves) saying you are nothing but a creep who finds pleasure in toying people around. (Wait..what?!).

We all are a bundle of contradictions , in one way or the other. You say one thing and end up doing the other. We may even give our "kasam se" tone but would do the opposite. and people bearing all this will only feel like giving you a GOOD KICK.

Don't let the contradictions take their toll upon you. Stay as what you ARE even if it means to break a few contradictions around us. (And this Itself is a contradiction.!!!!)

16 Types Of Readers We Have Met At Least Once In Our Lives!!

If you're a fellow book-worm, then you'll agree with me when I say that every person who loves to read book, loves to read books in his or her own way. They have different tastes, different reading patterns and extremely interesting idiosyncrasies. You know any of these guys?

1. The Binge Readers

These guys will finish a book in one go, no matter how thin or fat it is...(Now , that's me!!!!!!!)

2. The Emotionally Invested Readers

They get emotionally attached to the characters in their books. They probably cried when Dumbledore died.....(The same happened after The Fault In Our Stars..:(... ) 

3. The Ones With A Favourite Author

Those who only read works by best-selling authors like JK Rowling, John Green, Dan Brown, etc....( yeah!....that's definitely me!)

4. The Indian Cult Readers

They swear by the works of Durjoy Dutta,  Arundhati Roy and Arvind Adiga. Sometimes, they look down upon their fellow readers who quote foreign authors. .......9 Aparna Menon and arya Bhaskar ....Are you even seeing this.:D :D?????)

5. The Ones Who Read All The Time

Literally. These guys eat, drink, sleep and poop with books in their hands.(That is totally ME!!)

6. The Pseudo Readers

They who read one or two books every year and call themselves avid readers. (Why are you even living in this planet??)

7. The Escapists Those who read only during the exams to avoid studying.....(Does that ring any bells , folks??)

8. The Introverted Readers

They often read to avoid human interaction and awkward situations. They usually carry books with them to their workplace, college, school, parks, bars, marriages, funerals etc......(ahem!!)

9. The Readers Who Do Judge A Book By Its Cover 

They pick up a book, read the synopsis on the back-cover and then move to the next one. They can't stand the suspense you see. ......( I used to be one!)

10. The Collectors

They collect different editions of the same book and read every single one. Just because they can. .... (That sounds like US....Amanda and Gayathri!!!)

11. The Readers Who Make Notes

They get so pulled into the lore of a book, they can't help but make notes about the characters, the plot and sometimes, their own feelings....(oh Roshni!.Are you even seeing this?!!!!)

12. The OCD Readers

They like keeping their copies fresh. Really fresh. Tear or smudge a page or mess with the binding and that's the last thing you'll ever do. .....(oh yes!!!!..the very last thing!)

13. The Optimistic Readers

Their T.B.R (To Be Read)  list is longer than the average human's life expectancy......(Ashwin!...ringing any bells?)

14. The Ones Who Read For Love

Those who read books only to impress their significant other.....(Adi....no offence..but that's YOU!!)

15. The "Kinda Sorta" Readers

These guys only read the books people around them have read or discussed so that the next time someone discusses literature, they can pitch in with their own opinions. However, most of their opinions are half formed. "You know, kinda, sorta..."...( raised eyebrows and pointed fingers!)

16. The Moviegoer-Turned-Reader

Those who read books their favourite movies are based on.....( I hate these people!)

Well..That's it...........THE LIST!!!

Thanks to my Bestest gaddi..............SHANKAR AND ANU!!!!!!

People and MYSELF loved the pics!!!!!!!......."a day without you is like a year without rain"!!!!!!!!!

This is the midnight girl signing out...........Love more and laugh often , peepz.........<3 <3 :D

#Random Musings............

The wind blew and the sun shone.....
The stars gazed and the brook murmured,
And the heart........well , the heart just smiled..........:)
Just BREATHE..........
#after all #life is beautiful...............

WE MAY FAIL , BUT WE WON'T QUIT!!!!!!!!

“Winners never quit and quitters never win”………This is the mantra I always keep in my mind and frequently brush up whenever I feel I cannot accomplish something. There were indeed a zillion times when I felt it was better to quit and be done with it. And sometimes I have done that too………….QUIT. JUST LIKE THAT. But the regret and guilt that follows  thinking the situation could have had an alternate ending is just unbearable.

We often quit in the fear of committing mistakes or the ones already committed. Or when you feel as if you cannot do it anymore. Worse , when you get terribly disheartened because you got rejected or you were not successful in whatever you were trying to do. I just asked my dad once out of curiosity , “ Do you regret about anything you have done till now?”. He was mum for a few moments and then replied….”Actually no. If you are talking about the mistakes , I would have NEVER LEARNT if I didn’t commit them. If there is something I regret about , they are the ones I quit half-way”……..

I’m a helpless victim of stage panic. And this year I was chosen to speak about women empowerment representing my school.(Oh!...the horror of it…:D). If it was two years back , I would have obviously quit and turned my back to the opportunity. But this time , I didn’t feel like doing it. I decided to face the challenge with open arms. And finally the “D-day” arrived. I was hyperventilating , my hands had gone cold , my vision had blurred. So far , my opponents were doing excellently and as my call grew closer , I began to take deep breaths to calm myself. And at last my turn came , my number was called. I stood up and I could hear the thumping of my heartbeat in my ears. But still I put up on a brave air and went near the mic. I could feel a number of eyes looking up at me with “let’s – see-what-she –got” looks. Everything seemed to have frozen. I thought for myself-“ I can EITHER QUIT or BAG THIS UP EFFORTLESSLY. Ultimately  the choice falls upon me”….I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Suddenly everything was clear and focused. And what happened after that , I really don’t know. After I was finished thunderous applause greeted me and I felt good. REAL GOOD.

No, you are mistaken if you think I bagged the prize home. My number was 4 in the list. But it didn’t matter for me anymore.  I DID IT . I COULD HAVE QUIT EASILY , I COULD HAVE SAID “NO”-BUT I DID IT. And truly , that’s what mattered for me.

When people say they don’t have a choice or hope , they are terribly mistaken. Everyone got a choice – UNTIL THEY DECIDE TO QUIT. You may fail , you may break into thousand pieces , but giving up should not be your option. Be ready to fight it till your last breath. The minute you feel giving up , think of the reason why you held on so long. You always have another choice , even after  you fail – if you don’t quit. You just move on to the next level. If Walt Disney , Lionel Messi , David Beckham , Michael Jordan , J.K Rowling , Eminem and Steve Jobs had decided to quit because they got rejected or they had tasted the bitterness of failure , we never would have known these legends. Whenever you are about to quit , just remember…”PAIN is temporary , but QUITTING lasts forever”….

As they say……..”DO or DIE is an old concept , DO it BEFORE you die is new..:D :D….”

A WALK IN THE RAIN.......:)

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain”

This is exactly the view right now outside my bedroom. Breath-catching , Isn't it?......Like the last two weeks , it rained today. Heavily. I don't know if it was too much of tea or the whooping sensation in the pit of stomach  thinking about all the work to be done and lessons to be studied within a short span of time , 

which made me walk in the rain. I just had a very bad day and fight with my friends. I felt as if the whole of hell was let loose and nothing good happens ever in one's life.How can one live in such a world?! It was just drizzling by the time I was back from my school. I took out my umbrella and my Mp3-player (a very outdated one , considering today's Ipods , but always my constant companion.....:))

And I just walked. Walked and walked. Listening to my all-time favourites. The skies were just clearing after a heavy downpour.Cars , bikes and buses were buzzing around and was speeding away.And there were evening lights all around me - red , blue , yellow , white..........And for a second out there , I didn't mind being alive. I didn't mind doing all my work and fighting with my friends.It was nothing . It was just a walk in the rain , but it was something which made me realise that life was worth living - no matter how many thunderstorms and lightnings you have to encounter in your life , it will pass away at some point. All you want is the courage to face it and fight it to the end. Smiling at my own crazy philosophical theory, I walked back home , made myself a strong tea , picked up a book , chose the cozy corner of my room and settled down to read. Rain drops were lashing at the window pane.I opened the window a bit , for I didn't want whole of my bed to get wet and felt the raindrops . (And for a second , I did feel like Anushka sharma in "Rab ne Bana De Jodi"......:)........but the difference here was my mom screamed from below to stop the craziness of mine after a few seconds.) Sighing to myself , I closed the window and felt the rain thrashing at the pane.  I was suddenly back at my class 9 English class , and Rekha Mam was teaching "Song of the Rain" by Khalil Gibran........I could only recall some 8-9 lines , which was my favourite.........

"I touch gently at the windows with my 

Soft fingers, and my announcement is a 
Welcome song. All can hear, but only 
The sensitive can understand. 

So with love - 
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; 
Laughter from the colorful field of the spirit; 
Tears from the endless heaven of memories."

This year's monsoon was indeed special for me. Sometimes the whole of the rain is an unwelcome guest for me. Especially in the mornings. I just want myself to curl tight and sleep under my blanket. Other times , I just beg for a rain to the good heavens.You know what is most beautiful about rains?? It just washes away all the dust and dirt of the summer imprints. And you can start everything new and afresh.

So , next time , you happen to pass by a heavy downpour , bid goodbye to your conscience and step out. Just feel the rain in your face. And trust me , its worth feeling it...........:D :)

After all , "life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. Its about learning to dance in the rain".......:)

THE FAULT IN OUR "GIRLS"

Well , I sincerely hope Mr.John Green ( Author of "The Fault In our Stars") won't mind for borrowing his title and making some slight alterations here and there. I could never make out a more suitable title than this - "the Fault In our Girls".

Have you ever imagined a world where both genders , males and females are treated equally??.....To start with , I'm not a feminist , please don't get me wrong. But yes , I BELIEVE  wonders can happen in our society if we are treated equally. Admit it , we still stare   if we see a girl of 16 cycling (It actually happened with one of my closest buddies.....Stares , wolf-whistles , comments and what not.........but unfortunately for them , she was quite an expert in self-defense). If you walk to your home at 7 at night , people again stares at you shamelessly as if you are dancing on the public road. We are banned by our own family from wearing jeans , shirts , shorts and skirts saying it will "TEMPT" the opposite gender. Even if your family has not restricted you from wearing all this , don't worry at all. You , yourself will soon give up all those being fed up with the unnecessary comments and the stares. (but no , don't blame the "boys" for wearing the pants in the low-waist fashion which looks like its going to fall off at any second........after all "BOYS ARE BOYS" , right?! ).

I first felt there was a barrier in the case of equality between a girl and boy in my lower classes itself. When a girl cried no one actually cared about it saying the whole "senti-thing" was in her blood. But when a boy cried there was such a fuss about it.Why??..........Because they are "NOT SUPPOSED" to cry?? In most of the films,an actor's name is shown first , even if it is a women-oriented film.Why is that???? (And no we can't imagine a film without the glam and glitter of the heroine , can we? ). The little things , like , cutting your hair short or adopting a tomboy style , or even to their horror , getting a tattoo make the whole society gawk at us. We are labelled as "a girl with no limits.....beware of her".

Things doesn't end here. It seems that the moment a girl is born , the whole of the society cannot wait to attend her marriage. The sooner,the better.  As soon as you get a job and you turn 24 , you are ready to be married off. It doesn't matter even if you don't want to. Its for the society - in other words , we are not creating a chance to raise their fingers at us. You have to be married off as early as possible. Its the verdict of the SOCIETY  and you HAVE to abide by it. Guys can remain unmarried , but after all they are "boys"!!!!! You cannot because you are WEAK , FRAGILE and just a WOMAN . You are not safe out there .Even Manusmriti , the earliest metrical work on Brahminical Dharma in Hinduism states, "Balya va………………….” – 5/150. A female child, young woman or old woman is not supposed to work independently even at her place of residence." But the same society remains dumb and unresponsive as the number in dowry deaths and rape cases increases day by day. Why pray , it happens like that??????

We were all outrageous and enraged when we came to know what happened at Delhi just two years back. We did everything we could. Rallies , protests , more talk - time and shows in TV , magazines and newspapers were splashed with the "so-called news".New and interesting versions everywhere. We made the victim , a silent martyr. Speeches and debates all around said that she was very brave. Channels competed with each other to make her life story and what happened with her in to a series of soap with more drama each time. Some said our society has sunk into levels we could never even imagine.  And like every other sensational news , it all settled down after-a-while. After all , we all had a life to live. We cannot spend our entire life mourning on what happened with her.

Just a month back , another rape case in the country made all of us dumb-founded. But , mind you , no candlelight vigils this time. NO protests, no rallies , no soaps. In the long list of such crimes against Dalit Women, against ALL women in this country, this one has been noted. We have run out of words. Rapes are not minor items on the crime pages. But at the end of all this, when yet another horrendous crime is reported , what do we do ????? We READ , we RAGE and then we turn the PAGE.  And I’m surprised beyond measure , even after all this people actually blame girls for it and support those who did the heinous crime saying  “Boys will be boys . They make mistakes “. Behold girls ,you are living in a world where you have no value. You are like a china toy that can break at any second . In this male –dominated society , you cannot dream , let only breath. If someone misbehaves with you , its your mistake. May be the way you dressed provoked them . Or it’s the way you look . Or they are just bored and you are the new “item”. But its not their mistake. They belong to the MALE gender. Its in their blood. If anyone is to be blamed , its you. THIS IS YOUR FAULT……………

 This is what a girl wants to ask to our “society”, our culture, our tradition , our superstitions……..She wants to scream this out to the whole universe. In fact , this is the one and only question that lingers in her mind – “Is it my fault that I was born a “GIRL”?????????

Pause for a moment here. Think . Is this what our girls deserve? Is this what your mother , sister , wife or daughter deserve?. An honest answer would have been NO. I didn’t knew those who were brutally raped and hanged . Yet , I’m doing what I can do against this atrocity . Which I can do within my power. Raising my voice , against all the odds. This is not the voice of a single girl .Its the voice of all those who are waiting out there in their mother’s womb  to be tagged as a “GIRL” . It’s the voice of all those who have tasted all the bitterness of BEING a girl. We can still change the situation in our society tremendously by raising our voice against what is WRONG. As we mourn for all those who have been victims in this male-dominated society , we must stop and ask ourselves : Is this the society we want? If not , what  are we doing to CHANGE IT?????

AWAY WITH THE BLUES.............

Some days - they just don't work for us. We may not have an inkling of clue why everything we do that day goes entirely wrong. Why on earth does that smirk in our siblings face make us snap at them?? (Usually , they make all kinds of faces at you and you do it all back........but today....).We usually don't retort back to the snappish comments of our elder brother and sister.......but today you have created a World War 3 at our home. Pondering on what had gone wrong?? Join the club . You are not alone in that "blue-zone" of yours.

There may be a thousand reasons for this "haughty-avatar" of ours . But deep inside , we know that the day is all going to be grey -dull , moody and slogging.We may desperately need a mood - elevator just to get out of our blue-zone .We feel discouraged and think what happened to the "after all life is beautiful" mantra of ours . Nothing seems worthwhile.We may go on replaying in what we have been stuck a thousand times. We may snap at someone unnecessarily and make them offended too. The very memory of the thing / person / issues who is the root cause of all the troubles seems to haunt us. We will feel butterflies fluttering in our stomach at their very glimpse. We will not have the usual sensations or emotions of a normal human being.The whole world seems void and blank. We may feel sick like we are going to throw up at any second.........:(

I'm a totally off-balanced person(no , that doesn't mean I'm crazy or nuts!!). Most of the time I'm the happiest girl in this universe , but when I get depressed, its a Herculean task for me to snap out of it. I'm not good at maintaining an equilibrium with my emotions. Only God knows how my friends manage to put up with me , when I'm in one of my "worstest" (Pardon me , for breaking the rules of grammar....;))time. I'm annoying , irritating and moreover i become the source of all the confusion and chaos in this universe. I'm switched into a zombie mood and stays clueless and confused all the time. Crying does help to a extent , but the tag of being a "grown-up girl" and the croaking sounds you make after that is not at all pleasant. And trust me when I say you this , not a SOUL , feels too cheerful thinking about the prospect of spending time with you when you are still in your "blue-zone".

There are a million ways just to hop out from your blue-zone......(trust me , it all had worked for me...:D).One simple way is to try up the "JAB WE MET" theory of Kareena Kapoor.Write everything up , call whatever names you want to call a person , burn it and flush it up.There....its gone forever now.Feeling much better????........Another one is to confide.Ring up your closest buddies and let everything out.Shout , scream , sob, remain silent.........do whatever you want to do. And remember "a friend in in need is a friend indeed(the usual classy line!!!!!!). But you have to take care of the flaring phone-bills you got to expect and the rest of the earthquake you can imagine.(As in my case , I'm forever indebted to Gayathri Suresh , Aparna Menon and Arya Bhaskar, the first "three", I usually call upon......They put up everything I do(er....well, most of it....Guyz , I love you for it!!!!!!!!!!). Another one is to make yourself a strong cup of tea or coffee and go outside instead staying shut inside your room.Be careful of taking too much of caffeine, the experience will not at all be a pleasant one. Divert your mind as much as you can will definitely help you to get away with your blues. Keep yourself busy as much as you can. Try doing what you once loved to do. Book lovers , go and grab a book or two. Go through your old snaps - seeing the faces your loved ones will unleash a wave of memories and it will help to lighten up your mood. Take a walk , admire the beauty of nature and breathe some fresh air will do you no harm.

After all , it goes ....."I'm the master of my fate and I'm the captain of my soul.".......life is indeed very short. Think of how much would you be missing in these beautiful days if you remain "bluey".Bad experiences teaches us new things , accept it and start on a fresh note.If your day goes blue , try painting it in another colour............:D

LET'S GO CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recently , I was watching a Hollywood film - "Ramona and Beezus" and it sure became one of my all-time favourites.One of the star attraction of the film was the famous pop-star Selena Gomez , who hit jackpot with her album "Stars Dance".But even though Selena charms us all with her looks and attitude , for me the star attraction was the kid who played the role of Ramona - Joey King.

I'm one among those who read the book before seeing the film. And  for me the bookish version is always better - be it Harry Potter , Hunger Games , Jane Eyre , Little Women , Anne of the Green Gables , the newly released Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars (Thanks to the e-world) and yes , even the utmost cheesy and sickening Twilight Series.But about this film , I'm not so sure about the book.It was nice , of course , but Ramona in the silver-screen seemed more interesting.

She clearly does not give a damn about how the society perceive her.She go for he dreams-however stupid , childish or "terrifical" it seems.She does it all without a slightest care about the world.Her sister Beezus put it this way , "Ramona does not care about painting outside the picture".

The problem with us , "the serious lot" is that we care too much about how others see us.( Yes , this lot includes me too......:)) . We try to be someone else for the sake of others.All our uniqueness gets lost in the process, But even after all this the question remains , "Was it all worth?????."

One of my close friends (let's call her SA) is like the miniature version of Ramona. She is the biggest basketball freak I have ever seen in my life.When the rest of us goes left , she goes right. She loved watching all the reality shows and soaps even tests were scheduled on the next day. She jokes and prance about like a girl of 6 .She really did not care what others thought about her. It seemed as if she saw the world with her very own eyes. She never clouded it for anyone else.

Take my instance as an example. When I was little I used to dance like crazy even when a silly tune was played.All my grown up cousins would look at me like I had gone completely nuts. But , I was like -"think what you want , I just don't care".But when two weeks ago" Balam Pichkari" was blaring from the speakers I watched my little sister prancing to the song dumbfounded. I was totally amused. I realised with a jolt that I used to be that girl just a few years back. But when did she fade away?? All these passing years , I had to leave my innocence and childish "stuff" in the long thorny path of my life.I did a vague attempt to regain it all back when that feeling of something being lost began to sink in.I tried to prance around with my sis but I was shooed down. Everyone howled with laughter when I told them about my crazy theory. They all told the same thing , "Grow up , Girl!!!!"........

And what more do you expect? All the daily constant remainders from my teachers ( you are not a kid anymore!!) , relatives (Grow up!) , friends (For a while , let's be serious..) forced me to become the "MISS-SERIOUS ONE" (Is it okay to smile???...Sit like this?....what would others think??!!!). I would say it was very cowardly of myself. I was rather afraid of what others thought about me. I thought it would be the best if I remained "normal" what others thought to be "normal". But it was Ramona and Miss. S who succeeded in convincing me the other way. They both taught me that it is okay to be yourself , no matter how different you are from others. Each one of us should have our own version of seeing things and that's what makes each one us unique.

It's okay to be a total stupid and idiot or different rather than being a mechanized instrument. After all , as they say....

YOU JUST HAVE TO BE YOURSELF. LIVE LIFE IN YOUR WAY. AFTER ALL WHO CARES OR GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT US , RIGHT???.......:) ;)

SIMPLE TIPS TO EXHIBIT SUPREME PATIENCE.........IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IS YOUR PATIENCE GETTING OVER??? –here is a remedy. Do you feel your adrenalin rising up???Do you seriously think you are in trouble? Well, if that is so then I have a solution...........

Write up all your troubles in a piece of paper. Bring it to flames and flush it up. Does that seem silly? Then I’m not joking, this is one worth trying (it may be the “jab we met theory”. But why can’t it work for you when it works well with kareena?)J

Find more patience. SMILE A LOT (yeah I know you are about to blast off or use your AK47 but naah! you are wrong at that note). If not possible, laugh. Show your teeth to your so-called accused. (Hurray! My teeth are white).The person in front of you may think you are nuts.But trust me, this truly is not the time to worry on what others think. Let go of it (at least this time).

        SPEAK UP. Silence is no longer gold. Best way-speak it all to your mom. Believe me here you will find an instant relief. (Works well with cool moms like mine).next way-ring up your trusted friend and speak it all up. No you are not going low at this. (But only one problem in that…your phone bill will be flaring up and it proves to be an ever time high!J)

          Bite your lips, pinch yourself hard or dig your nails on you and just KEEP QUIET at least in front of your accused.(yes I know you have the anger to throw a coconut right on his head).But wait, do not do that. Not this time. Heads down and count 1to 10 on your fingers. Do not think of anything this time. (Yeah! this one is as hard as your board exams! But you’ll have to give a go for it!)

       Next is my most favorite one. Get yourself plugged and listen to your favorite cheerful music. It will help soothing you. Feel how your adrenalin oozes away. Think of a joke you remember this time.

   After all “ALL IS WELL” (‘Rubbish what is well??The only well that I can think of now is the one I feel like jumping into!’)Does someone inside you say like this? Next step-reply to it again ‘ALL IS WELL DAMMIT!’

   Keep your temper always under your feet. Stick to these steps.10 seconds over. Do you find yourself pondering “was I angry :0?” That’s done then. LAUGH YOUR ANGER OUT THIS WAY.J

MY SUPERMAN

There was a time in my 16 years of life when i used to care only about my favourite cartoons and toffees. When getting ready meant just combing your hair neat and putting a lot of powder. When the most difficult task was to choose a colour pen from your colour set. It was a time when the kids of my age used to adore superheros - batman , spiderman and what not . But my hero was my living superman.

I loved each and everything about him.Even the little things.I used to watch him with my little eyes full of wonder. Most of the roles played by a mother was done by my dad. It was he who taught me to sit. To walk. For my mom's horror , first word uttered by me was "acchan"........:). He was always there when I needed him the most.My annual days , Sports days, PTA meetings......everywhere. He was in the front row with a camera , recording whenever i presented something on-stage. (longtime..........:) )

Even though I was the only daughter of my parents he was always there as an irritating brother. I was not the "pampered princess" of my parents. He used to fight with me (and still does) even for very little things.We laugh together in the most stupidiest of things we see till our stomach hurts.He always manage to make me laugh even in my moodiest of times, I still don't know how.He is always there as a good listener for me. No matter how stupid or serious it seems , he listens to the whole thing as if it is is the most important thing for him in this world..........(hearing the blabbering of a 16 year old.)

I love when he shows his care and concern in very little things-let that be a day in my school , even a ride with him in the car or when travelling in a bus (yes! like all other typical parents , he asks me the usual question - "mole , irikkan seetu kittiyo?"). He is willing to take any pain and effort for me. I cannot forget when he was ready to drop me to my school every single day during my 10 boards even though he was not very well at that time. One of my best friend forwarded me the above pic and I kept it as our computer's background pic just to know what he says and I know it was worth setting seeing him smile. But , of course , just to irritate me , he smirked -" There is no need to try to soften up me like this , u know.Its not going to work." (rolling eyes.........:))

I was amused to hear the lyrics of Taylor Swift's album , The Best Day........."I have an excellent father , his strength is making me stronger." It rang true , for me.Indeed , each passing day I know my days with him are getting shorter and shorter. But he makes it a point to make it all worthwhile. He was , is and will be my everything...............MY BROTHER , MY BEST FRIEND , MY MENTOR , MY FIRST LOVE , MY TEACHER and moreover he excels in the role of being my dad. My superman never fails to amuse me every single day. LOVE YOU SUPERMAN.