My Friend - Part 1

My Friend - CSR, she is my best friend. My C - a friend I cherish in my life more than anything else.

I remember even today the way we had met for the first time. It was my 8th standard when I moved from a co-education school to a girls' high school. One of my friends from our colony took me to my section - H.

She introduced me to the monitor of the class. Her name is A. A took to me to the middle row as it was bit vacant and asked me to take a seat. I sat on the 1st seat of the row. Girls were going in and out of the class as it had not yet started. After a while C came and saw myself sitting there. She became furious and got irritated. She came to me and asked me with an arrogant voice, "Hey, leave my place. It's mine." Well, it was my first day so I had no option but to listen to her. I asked the person next to me to move a little to the right. She did not. So, I had to move to the corner seat next to the wall. That was definitely not my choice of seat, but again no other option left. So, that's how we had met. We never spoke to each other after that day. We never exchanged anything. Not even looks. However, there were two sentences which I used to say to her, almost every Mon-Sat. "Hey, leave me the space to go inside." "Hey, let me go out."

We did that for almost 1 year or a bit more than that. When we moved to 9th class, we had no classroom for us. Thus, they used to divide the entire class to go to section A to G. There was no such section H physically then. The first day of my 9th class - I was assigned section E. She too was assigned to the same section. I reached a bit late to the class that day. When I reached there I found all the chairs are occupied and there is no place to sit. There was always competition for seats. I went to the last row and stood there. I had some so called friends then with whom I used to share my knowledge, especially Mathematics, and Tiffin box. I asked one of those friends D, who was sitting next to me, to allow me to share her seat. Well, she said it's small and won't be able to occupy me. She refused to share her seat with me. I didn't say a word afterwards. I stood there and kept my bag on the floor. C was sitting there at the corner. She was noticing everything. She kept quiet for a while and then called me. I looked at her and then turned back. She again called me and then asked me to sit with her. I said the same thing that D had told that it's small and she won't be able to sit comfortably. She still insisted upon me coming there. So, I did. I sat on half of the chair and she did on another half. We continued that for that day. Next day we arranged one more chair and we sat together. We started talking to each other. I use to draw and paint - she too. We started liking each other from that point. It was Drawing/Painting which brought us closer. We started experimenting with drawing, colors. She used to write poems. I used to write stories. We shared that too. She began to write stories and I began with some small poetries. We became very good friend. And one day we thought of teaching a lesson to D, as we found her gradually to be selfish and mean.

Every Monday, morning we would found the chairs will be shuffled because of cleaning activity and thus there some time shortage of chairs in the class. Students would bring chairs from other class. One Monday, we reached class early and there was shortage of chairs. Everyone brought their chairs. Except D as she was late and by that time Class Teacher was on the room. So, there was no chance she could peep into other class and bring a chair. Initially we thought of sharing the chair. However, when I recollected the incident with me, I hesitated. Poor lady stood for some time and then sat on the floor the entire day. The next day too, the same thing happened. Third day, we felt a little awful and thus allowed her to share until Interval. After that we asked her to arrange a chair from the other class.

With time passing by C and I became very close friends. You could say that we are soul friends now. When we were in 10th C thought I would lose contact when we would move to different colleges. However, by that time I had started liking her so much that I used to share everything with her. She became my best friend. And I could not think of losing her by any chance. I told her I would never ever disconnect the friendship with her. I still strive to be the way I was in school. However, sometime due to additional responsibility I am unable to give her time. But yes, we are in touch even today.

We have shared a part of our life with each other that it's almost impossible for anyone to take us from each other's soul. Even if someone tries to damage our thoughts, we would be alive in our heart, in our soul forever. She is like a second mother to me. She is so caring, so affectionate and lovable, so understanding that sometime she takes over my mother's place. Since my 9th standard I have shared more time with her than with my parents. We have met each other hardly 7 - 10 times in these 9 years. She is coming here this weekend and I am so excited to meet her and to spend some time with her. My fair lady will soon move to my current city. And we would live our school days again.

God! I wish you to please let our lives go smoothly with that child alive in us. May God bless us!!

♥ ~ Smile

The simple gesture @ Rajdhani

Today we went to Rajdhani restaurant in Forum Value Mall  to have "Rajdhani Thali - Ek Khandani Parampara". Myself, D and my brother B went together. We had delicious food there. As soon as we reached there and I said the person at the entrance, table for 3. He gave me a genuine smile and said, "Yes ma'am, seats are available. Just go inside and our people would help you out."

We went inside and yes we were asked to choose the place to sit. We choose the place near to the "Rasoi" i.e. Kitchen. Immediately the people who serve various dishes rushed to our table and started arranging everything and served us food. We had some chapaatis, puri, 4 variety of curry, 3 types of Daal, kadhi, 6 varieties of sweets, salad items, chutney, pickle, 3 types of rice (plain rice, khichdi, and curd rice). Wow... it was amazingly delicious. 

After we had the food, being satisfied we moved towards the entrance.  I asked asked my brother to hit the dholak. He was a first timer to he did hit it slowly, creating a very low noise. He was scared that it might turn into pieces if he hits hard. Thus, the person at the gate in the traditional Gujarati/Rajasthani (both state's traditional dress is same) dress said, "Sir, hit it hard". But my brother was too shy, so the person and the gatekeeper both asked me to hit it hard, "Ma'am, please you hit it". NOTE: He had already seen me hitting it hard making a huge sound. I did as they said and this time too it made a hug sound. And everyone was happy. He and some other people said loudly (no shout - as they didn't even call each other by words or voice. They just show their hands and their fingers with their codes. 4 for Curry, 3 for Daal etc.) "Hajoor!!". As we were leaving I looked at the gatekeeper to give him a smile; he said, "Thank you ma'am!!", with proper eye contact with me and a genuine smile on his lips and eyes.

After a long time I heard a proper 'Thank you' with appropriate gestures. I was waiting for the proper Thank you, especially at the places where we go and eat.  I have received some proper 'Thank you's before too, in various other shops. I love to visit those places often. But I had not heard one in any of the Restaurants or Hotels. After 5 years I could hear a genuine 'Thank you'. I am use to go to Rajdhani for its food is awesome and is very very very tasty. However, now I could feel that the people are good there  and have some respect for their clients - genuinely.

I felt so good for I could see the attitude of gratitude after a long time. I am pleased and I feel a sense of satisfaction and happiness now - not just because of the food, but also because of the good behavior we receive there. Well, about the rating I would give a 5/5 rating to the place, the food and the price. Rs. 225/- only. No where else you get so many items, so tasty, reminds you sometime of your Mom's food.

Hope you too savour some food there and would share your experience.

Catch you in the next blog...

♥ ~ Smile

Someone is watching you!! [CC # 4]

There was a farmer who thought that if he stole a little wheat from different farms, then other farmers would not notice him, while he would have a big pile of wheat.

One night he went to farms for stealing, and asked his daughter to stand guard him while he does so. As he was stealing from the first farm, his daughter shouted, "Dad! someone is watching you." He came out running, but saw no one there.

He then went to the second farm to steal some more wheat. Again, his daughter called, "Dad! someone is watching you." He came out running, but again he saw no one there.

Then he went to third farm. For the third as well, his daughter cried, "Dad! someone is watching you." As before, he came running back but saw no one again.

This time he was furious. "Why do you keep shouting that someone is watching me, when there is noone here?"

His daughter replied, "Dad, there is someone who is always watching you from above and that's GOD."

Dear friends! I read this story during my school days. And I truly believe that God is always watching us.

Now, here's one story from my own life.

When I was about 11 years old, I attended the school annual function of my siblings. My 8 year old sister participated in a group dance performance. I and my 9 year old brother were a part of the audiences. We enjoyed the show throughly. Especially the group dance. We were trying our best to look at the front liners, however, our attention was drifting towards the back row dancers. We even tried to focus on our sister, still our eyes were being dragged to the other dancers.

It was funny to see the miss-coordination, the different steps being followed by the flock of young small kids. The public was laughing especially at the struggle of the last liners to be in sync with the front-liners.

The front row dancers are obviously the best, as the dance teacher would always put on the best dancers in the front. So they capture the attention of the chief guests and the principal of the school. However, compare the attitude and reactions of the two sets of students, you would find significant difference between the front liners and the last liners. The dancers in the back are usually fillers. They are expected to hide behind the dancers in the front line. They get their cues from those placed ahead or at their sides.

You can clearly figure out the degree of commitment by both the teachers and the students in those 5 minutes.

After the show when my sister joined us, we discussed about the dance performance.

I asked them, if they noticed any difference between the dancers in the front and the dancers in the back. My brother replied, "Yes, the dancers at the back and the dancers in the front were not in sync, their were not in line. They were trying to imitate the movements of the dancers around them. There faces had a blank expression, the gesture was missing totally."

Then, I asked them, "Why were they not performing well, when they had the same teacher and the time given to all of them was same as well?"

My sister replied promptly, "May be they had no interest. Or they were shy and they thought they could get away with copy or hide."

Then I told them, "It is attention and interest by the individuals, which made all the difference. The students knew this is for everyone's viewing, still they were not good in performance. The teachers too knew that. Still they too took the other last liners casually and paid most of their attention to the best dancers of the class may be.

Remember the world will watch you all your life, just as you watched this dance performance and just as you watched your friends.

You may think that you are not being watched, but you are - by your teachers, by your parents, by your relatives and friends - by anyone, anywhere, everywhere."

Dear friends, most of all we have to watch ourselves before anyone watches us. If you train to watch yourself, you will know when the world is watching you, this is what you have trained yourself to do. Hence, we may be placed in the back row, yet performance needs to be as good as the people in the first row. Never ever forget that all our life God as well as the World will be watching us in all that we do, whether it is big or small. Again, God is another name of one's conscience. It is one's guardian in the moments of moral crises. It is inner voice, which guides us in the right direction.

If you betray other you are actually betraying yourself. If you betray yourself you can't reach to the greater height of success in your life. Try to show 100% interest for the work you do. Try to give the 100% attention to the job you do. Let's try to live up to our commitments, our beliefs, and our values.

"Cat drinks milk closing its eyes, thinking no one is watching it." But is it really not being watched? I believe you know the answer. Let's not behave like the Cat and give unfinished things to anyone. So remember, Someone is Always watching US!! i.e. Your Conscience.

Catch you in next blog...

♥ ~ Smile

Trip to Guhantara - the cave resort

It was a trip arranged by D's company, Real Soft Inc. It was the last Saturday of the 1st month of the New Year. It was an annual meet with fun, games, song, fancy dress competition, rain dance, award distribution and food... food... lots of food. Ah! How I forgot about the drink! Yeah, there was this huge number of bottles and a few drinkers dancing around the ground.

We started at around 10:30 AM with D's girlfriend, Honda City. We took the outer ring road to reach silk board signal. From there we took the BTM road and moved towards Nice Road. BTM - I can't forget the traffic there. We touched the nice road and then took the road towards "The Art of Living International Centre". After we crossed the centre it was village area. Had a glimpse of one big lake and a small one; the cows, villagers, foreigners, temples, large patches of trees. We took a right turn to enter one of the colonies in the village. At first I wondered how come a resort is there in a village. But yeah, it was in the outskirts of the village. Guhantara - an underground cave resort. The road was not at all good, was full of small rocks and pebbles. There were small banners with the facts about the largest tunnel, mountain, river, animal, mammal etc. It was fun to drive slowly (obviously you can't drive fast in that road) and read the details and move ahead.

Finally we reached. It was 1 o'clock already. We parked our car. The guard guided us to the underground. We signed the register and took the underground path to reach the venue. When I reached there I could not believe the venue was so historical. It looked like a cave with these huge pillars. There were semicircle shaped stair cases. And the in the middle was the stage. It appeared as a miniature of the historical theatre of Rome. We sat down and watched the fancy dress competitors. They were having fun.

We settled down with D's friends and their families. I took some snaps of the competitors. After a while we had some snacks and then lunch. Mean while they had the singing competition. It was fun. The singer would choose a song from the list they provide. They have the corresponding music. You sing along with the music and it feels as if you are actually the singer of the song. I took part in the competition and sang my favourite song, Anuradha Paudwal and Kumar Sanu's "Dil hai ki maanta nahin" title song. The DJ gave me the song lyrics and I practiced while having Lunch.

When he called me to the stage I sang my song along with the lovely music of Nadeem-Shravan. I did made some mistake once for I was nervous and the pitch slipped. D came in front of me quickly and took some pictures so that I don't feel nervous by seeing him. I came back to the track and continued. I felt so good with the support of D. Its just few months of our marriage with lot of struggle to adjust with each other, to mould each other to the taste of other. I truly felt that the roof that has gone away when I left my parents home, has again come back. It was a nice experience and those who know me they showered compliments. It always feels good when you receive compliment. Anyway... There were few other people who sang Hindi, Kannada songs.

Afterwards the DJ called people for Rain Dance. People had great fun there. Even the small kids they entertained the viewers a lot. Neither D went for the Rain dance, or me. However, D went for swimming, as he loves to swim. I was the woman with the camera there. So, I carried on with my photography. They quickly finished their Swim and we started for sightseeing. We came out of the tunnel from another way.

The outside was green, with variety of trees and flowers. There were table and chairs made of cement and were beautiful. The flowers at some places were arranged beautifully. I took a whole lot of pics of the flowers and the sceneries.

After a while the award ceremony began. The DJ called me to give a complimentary free entry coupon. Afterwards D's company gave some complimentary awards to the winner of the various activities and games they had conducted. I got the prize for the singing competition. Yahoo... Finally I could sing in front of an audience and got a prize. Thanks for Toastmasters International, where I got a platform to get out of my public speaking fear. They had various awards for the employees. After the ceremony everyone went to play ground for some out door games.

It was almost end of the afternoon and the evening was slowly drifting towards us. D and his friends played cricket. Some played volley ball and some badminton. Some married women were taking care of their children, thus could not enjoy anything else but enjoyed their children's activities.

I experimented a bit with the camera to take the sunset photographs. Some came out beautifully. Gradually it was night and everyone came back from the playground to the grass land. We sat down there and had some snacks. My head was aching by that time due to the sun and hunger. As soon as I had a chicken kebab, wow, I felt so good. I had few more varieties of snacks. It was too cold outside and thus they arranged for the bonfire. Some people danced around it with the DJ playing the songs. Some savored their drink. And soon we had our dinner as most of them wanted to reach home earlier. It was already 10 when we started for home. D was too tired and had trouble driving his GF. It was dark everywhere. Somehow he managed to drive with his right leg paining enormously. He wasn't able to fold his leg and thus kept his leg on accelerator continuously.

Finally we reached home and it was 11:30 by then. We reached early due to no traffic. Though it was tiresome, but it was fun and enjoyment. I took so many pics, around 895 pics. The underground resort was good, the food was nice and the nature is just lovely. They say you will forget all your tensions. Truly I could sense and feel that. It was good to be away from the kayos city life for a while. Its a good place to go with your family or team and have some fun and food. I would recommend this resort and would give a 4 star to it.

Few of my shots are here:

♥ ~ Smile

My Wedding Ring

Well believe it or not... this is my wedding ring gifted by my sweet husband D... my "Dost"

♥ ~ Smile

My Wordie

Odia or Marathi or Indian - who am I?

Recently I watched some interviews by Mr. Raj Thackeray in You Tube. I went into a comma state for few minutes after listening to his viewpoints. My husband asked me, "What happened?" and my answer was a blind look at him. Mr. Thackeray's thoughts had left me in the state of horror and panic. I had not felt such insecurity even when the Kargil war had happened. I recollected my stay in Mumbai.

I have lived there for more than 2 years (2 years 3 months to be specific). I would say I love Mumbai - for it was my stay out of my home state Odisha (earlier called Orissa) and I had faced some real challenges in dealing with the huge population, traffic, culture, food, water, pollution etc.

Though there were many challenges that came through, the situations, the people; they gave me an idea about the practical real world, where you cannot survive with the thought that the world is full of peaceful humans. Everything is still fresh in my memories. The rush in local trains, the huge steps that you have put in order to catch your bus after you come out of the platform - amazing! Just amazing! I never had such experience for the past 21 years or my life. And after the long 22 years I am actually facing the fast paced world. Gone were that calm and quite weather of my city, those cows - buffaloes - goats - crows - and many others birds/animals. And I am here in this land full of huge towers - naae - those are houses where people live; much above the ground. Rush anywhere - everywhere!

Before I landed there I had this fear in my mind. Mumbai mahanagari ~ सपनों का सेहर (the city of dreams) - you can reach to the top here - you can destroy yourself too. These bad clouds were over my mind throughout my stay for almost a year. After I completed my first year there, I started to come out and mix with people. And that's when I actually discovered the city, the people, the food and the culture. People around me used to love us for our manners, for our behaviors. They used to share their food, sweets with us. They helped us with tools we needed for some house hold work. No one looked at us if we were wearing Jeans, Sleeve less t-shirt or a skirt. I was not used to these kinds of fashionable clothes earlier - for I was scared what the people around me would think of me. However, I found this place so lovely and the people treated us just like their own people. Well... exceptions are always there - just like Mr. Raj Thackeray.

I would say we are pointing out at that guy for he is able to show his guts and tell us, "Yes, you non-Marathi Maanus - Get Lost!" However, there were few... unhu... there are few more maanus like him. It's just that they don't have guts. However, I wish the population of these people is less. For, after listening to Mr. Thackeray's speech, I have no more interest to go there back. I have fear in my mind now for they would kill us some day - just as the British soldiers did 100 years back. I have stayed in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. However, whenever, someone asks, I say - Mumbai is my favorite place to stay. Especially, Navi-Mumbai - I just love that place and the people out there. However, as these things are going on there I am hesitant to go back.

There are more confusions that go on and on in my mind. My husband is born and brought up in Mumbai, Bandra. However, he is an Odia as in-laws went there and settled there for my father-in-law got his job in Navy Dockyard. He doesn't have fluency over Odia language, however, is affluent in Marathi. I can understand Marathi completely (for I stayed there for 2+ years), but cannot speak it. I am born and brought up in Odisa. We stay in Bangalore, Karnataka now. You know what! I wonder which language should I focus on, which language should I teach my child? Odia or Kannada or Hindi or Marathi or Telugu? Tough question to answer! Hindi - we would teach for its declared as our national language. English - without this you can't do any kind of communication/business in most part of the world. Kannada - for here too this Kannadika feeling is there. Odia - Marathi; God knows if my children can ever focus on them in this fast paced - competitive world. This definitely makes me sad every time I think about it.

We say we are democratic and have so many religions, so many languages to speak, so many variety of food to savor. But aren't these causing a lot of struggle, misunderstanding, and stress? We say we are Indians. I say, "I am an Indian!" However, we don't have a single language called "Indian". Every time we have a war we all become one and we say we are Indian. After the war is over... and just few days have passed - we all become our own religion, language based, state based, city based people. We say no to two lovers to get married cause ~ one is Brahmin and the other is Shudra ~ one is Hindu and other is Muslim ~ one is from North Indian and other is South Indian ~ one is from Village and other one is from a City ~ one is from Mumbai and other is from Nanded ~ one is from Odisha and the other from Pune. I can go on and on recollecting situations I have seen in my and my near and dears' life. Things don't go good with Indians from different part of India. And there always happens a big... naaee... a Huge drama around these two people from different zones. Thank God they were Indians!! And one of them was not a foreigner. What if he or she falls in love with a foreigner? I can imagine how long the melodrama would continue and then a gigantic war between families. Output - can't state a single "The End" for it varies.

Sometime I feel I have lost my identity. These events, fighting, struggles they are filling my heart, my brain with panic, insecurity, fear and anxiety. It causes unnecessary stress. I feel insecure for myself. What if some day a riot breaks on and opposite parties want to kill Odias and Marathis. What would happen to us then? Who are we then? Myself: an Odia; Himself - a Marathi. Both will be cut down by those giants. Can you recollect the scene from 'Bombay' movie? I can clearly now.

I am scared to visit Mumbai at all now; though I have to some time for sure, for I have my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their children settled there. God!! Save us!! Give us some sense about our own country, our own people. Release us from the hatred and fear.

I read this blog few days back and I liked it very much. Go on and feel the 'Indian' in you for you too must have some moments in your life like this: "A Lunch with Bal Thackeray".

Catch you in the next blog...

♥ ~ Smile