That Night...

There was nobody at home but me. It was night and they were yet to return. I was fighting off sleep and trying to keep myself awake.

The phone rang once and by the time I picked up the landline, the line went dead.

I glanced at the clock, for it was late. Just as I glanced up, the clock struck 12'. I glanced at the clock and then at the door.

"Why on earth were they so late? Why was the mobile not reachable?"

I glanced back at the book but the silence seemed to resound too loudly. Not liking the silence around me, I decided to put on the TV.

I switched it on ,only to find a blank screen. The silence seemed to mock at time. I began to remember the horror movies   I had seen. An unexplainable fear began to assail me.

I began chanting all prayers that I knew in my head and headed for the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

I stepped into the  kitchen and grabbed the door of the fridge. I pulled hard but the door refused to open. It seemed as though someone was pulling it from inside.

Shaken, I quickly left the fridge and made my way back.

On the way, my glance fell on the mirror and my reflection in it. I looked different and something seemed to be changing . I could feel a figure looming behind me. It seemed to slowly creep forward.

I made a dash back into the kitchen. There was a puddle of water on the floor. I slipped, fell and hit my head on the floor.

Thud.

With my hand on my head and with a groan, I groggily opened my eyes.

It was a dream. I had fallen off the sofa. Shaken by the dream, I sat back on the sofa and tried to calm my racing heart.

The phone rang and I rushed to pick it up, hoping they were on the way. But by the time I reached there, the line went dead.

I returned and just as I glanced at the clock, and  the clock struck 12'....

De'javu or was it?

There still a bit of hope...

Two days after he returned, we sat at home talking and talking. There was a bit of office work that needed to be wrapped up that day itself and whilst that was being done, we discussed and re-discussed on rushing for a movie about which a few people had raved about.

The last moment, 20 minutes prior to the movie was to begin, we decided to rush and make it for the movie. Luckily, since the theater was close by, we reached right at the time the movie was to start. We got the tickets and were in by the time the advertisements were over.

With our minds being diverted by the mindless story and being relaxed, we drove back chattering away...

Just as we neared home, a commotion in middle of the road distracted us. I saw a few people bending a lifting what seemed like a leg.

It was late night and it was an accident...The roads were empty save for a few...

"Are we to stop and check?', we asked ourselves as we slowed down. 

"Should we check if anybody needs to be taken to a hospital?", we pondered.

"It will create a problem later", we thought out loud. 

"But what of somebody really needs our help and is benefited by our gesture or loses something because there is none to make such a gesture." This was the last thought in our minds as we parked the vehicle.

These questions, counter questions and our exchange took place in the heartbeat. I found myself waiting in the car whilst Gowtham went to check what and how we could help.

Around 10-15 minutes later he returned, it was a man and he had crashed onto a pole. Apparently, the guy seemed to have lost control when a stray dog jumped into the middle of the road, a few bystanders said.

The guy was wearing a half-helmet and it seemed as though he had hit his head. A few people had rushed him to the hospital.

We do not know what happened to him, nor do we know how he fared. Though one feels bad for the guy and his misfortune, one thought lifts up my mind. There is hope for us. 

Why hope I say? There is hope, since people are willing to stop and help out, instead of just watching or hurrying elsewhere to avoid 'problems and issues'.

So I repeat, there is still hope for us...

The Day She Had - Passing it on

The day was hot and sweltering and with the cleaning, the shopping and the tight schedule was driving things crazy for her and for him. 

With a pile of clothes piled on the bed, with a list of things still pending to be done, both of them were running helter-skelter. The morning was passing by and through laziness the list was becoming shorter and shorter.

They set out to meet a whim of hers. She wanted to study but she didn't know what to study. They went to this place where they gave a book that threw her into more confusion with regard to what she needed to study.

"What do I do now? Do you think I should go with my initial plan or should I look at alternatives? Do you also want to join me in doing some course", she asked her husband.

Busy driving, he just nodded his head as he drove to their next destination.

With one thing and an other being crossed from the list, they reached the final destination to do some shopping. 

She picked one and he picked another, they selected one and they discarded another. With finally a few clothes selected, he went out to try them, while she waited outside.

She saw another women waiting, just like her, for her husband. The man came out trying one t-shirt after the other. It's when she saw the man give a loving and excited smile to his wife, that she really observed the women and her beautiful dress.

She thought back to the day when a stranger told her she looked gorgeous. She remembered the thrill and the happiness, the unexpected recognition gave her. She steeled herself to give a compliment to the lady on her dress, to give a unexpected but hopefully a lift to the other lady's spirits and to spread some happiness around.

She steeled herself and rehearsed what she should say,

"That dress is really beautiful..." No.... "Your dress is really nice...." 

"Hmm....Well..That covered the dress but not her. Will she appreciate it?", she wondered.

"That dress is really beautiful and it suits you nicely...", "I think that should do it", she thought to herself.

The lady's husband came out in another outfit, she waited a heartbeat for the husband to return to the changing room. After all, it was too embarrassing to say it in front of somebody else.

The man didn't go, instead they stood talking.

"Should I just say it now, or should I wait for him to go", she wondered.

Just as she put her foot forward and gave a smile, they turned and walked away talking.

The time had passed, she didn't pass on her message, she didn't pass on the feeling she received from a stranger. She shook her head at her own silliness and vowed to herself that she next time she wouldn't hesitate so much.

As she looked at the couple walking away and turned with a smile, she saw her husband coming to meet her. Meeting the smile in his eyes, she smiled in return and as peace settled in her mind, they both walked away.

(Thanks to Jay - who inspired me to come back to my blog after a break.)

The Day She Had...

She was in a hurry. There was so much to do and so little time to do it all in. She was in the middle of a major cleaning activity which she needed to complete before the afternoon and then she was going to be travelling with her husband.

She finished one portion of the cleaning and was to begin the next round when she heard the loud shrill of the phone, cutting through the silence in the house. As she picked up her mobile, she saw that it was from the workplace.

Within minutes, she changed. She needed to go out and get something done related to her work.

"It's as well that this came up," she thought. There were other things that needed to be done outside more important than the cleaning.

She stepped out into the bright and sunny morning. Disoriented with the brightness of the sun, she took a minute before she caught an auto to the place where she needed to go.

She reached the gallery and viewed the beautiful paintings. Confusion set in as there were too many to choose from. She called a friend to ask for help. They decided to not to go ahead with the initial plan and that being done she was free to carry out her personal work.

She walked across the road and waited for a bus. Many buses passed her way but none that would take her to the destination she needed to go. She waited and waited and at last she saw her bus coming from far. She closed her bag, kept the phone inside and groped for the umbrella. That's when she realized, she had left it behind in the gallery.

She trudged back to the gallery, and then back again to the bus stop to begin the long wait.

But she didn't have to wait for long. A bus came soon and she left for the next destination.

She reached her stop soon and stepped into the large market place. She moved from one shop into the other , the personal work now being taken over by the shopaholic in her.  As shops passed and interesting things caught her eye, she forgot the time and set to bargain in earnest.

Another sharp ring of the phone, amidst the loud throng of the market jostled her out of the shopping frenzy she was in.  It’s when she grabbed the phone she realized that much time had passed. She needed to rush back, buy things to cook in a jiffy and then rush home to pack for the travel.

She hurried back and into another shop, this time closer to home. She looked and poked at fruits and vegetables before she settled on a few.  She moved outside lugging all that luggage to check out on the other fruits that shop had. As she struggled with her packages, he opened the door for her and smiled at her. She thanked and moved forward to finish the shopping and move home soon. He was forgotten and done with in her memory.

She finished paying and stepped out with another few packages in her hand. The bags were heavy and she was in a hurry. She moved forward when she heard a voice from behind. She turned and saw it was him.

"Don’t mind my saying one thing to you," he said.

He waited while she nodded.

"You are looking gorgeous", he said.

Shocked she could only stutter "Thank You".

He turned with a smile and walked away into the milling crowd.

Who is he, she doesn't know…

All she knows is that her bags feel lighter, her heart seems fuller and smile graces her face. She walks home with a spring in the step wondering, "Who was he….?"

Cooking Extravaganza

For those of you who have read my earlier post on "My experiments with cooking" will be surprised to hear that I have been making inroads with my cooking.

For the past almost three months I have actually been cooking or at least experimenting with cooking. I don't do too much other than make lunch for Gowtham and me to take to office. Of course the occasional laziness does set in and we scrape by.

My cooking skills were put to test just two weeks ago when his parents had other agendas and left the house to just the two of us. Within no time, we made plans and that too huge plans. Without another thought in mind, we made a few calls and were set… We were having dinner at home and had invited a few friends over.

One Monday evening, we sat and decided on the menu and went out to buy the required ingredients. As Tuesday evening  came forth, I began to panic, "What had I gotten myself into!!!" My panic spread and within no time both of us were taking turns in panicking and comforting and reassuring the other not to panic. After a bout of panic, we sat down and listed whatever needed to be done and sat down to cut the vegetables required for the 'big event'.

On Wednesday morning, instead of cooking for office, I made the preparations for the evening and decided to give cooking for lunch a skip.

We rushed home that day and were in by 4.45 pm. By 5.00 I began the marathon with Gowtham cheering me from the sides and also stepping in between to relieve me of my duties or to give me a break. So focused were we on finishing it all in time that we were done, ready and all set for everything in less than two hours.

So there we were, with two big bowls of Tomato Rice, Raita, some Munchy Friames, and a casserole of White Sauce Pasta. We then decided to order a plate of chicken gravy to satisfy those of carnivorous appetites.

The meal went well and the food, even though, it is only me putting it down here, was liked by everyone. The fault being only that in my haste to ensure that the food lasts for everyone, I ended up making double of what was actually required and we ended up eating the same things two day in a row.

All's well that ends well...until my next major attempt at cooking!!!

OMAK

A few months ago I needed a small write up  for a magazine.  That's when I hunted and hunted...and stumbled upon a weird  acronym - OMAK - It meant 'Observe Merit and Appreciate Kindness'

Now this concept of OMAK basically tries to highlight that different people have different qualities which could be considered as merits or shortcoming. And it talks about our natural tendency to focus on faults in things, people and everything around us. It cautions us  not to do so, but to "Observe Merit" in people and "Appreciate Kindness" in what they do.

As I began to read a few articles from the internet on this, I began to shake my head in negation,  "Of course not! We aren't that negative….It depends and varies from person to person and on the person's outlook"

As I finished reading and pondered a bit on this, I began to see that may be I had to change my stance.  Recalling a few instances made me realize that at many instances many people including me have been negative. I read a bit and tried to understand the concept and for a few days even tried practicing the concept of OMAK.

Now I had read an article, tried practicing the concept for a few days and that was it… Gradually, things returned to the way they were...

So caught up in life and the daily grind, going through the motions day in and day out, the smile that was plastered on my face was getting tinier and tinier. Was it because I was finding faults with everything or was it because I was in a situation to be considered as a fault?

I am unsure….

As I sit and ponder I realize that 'fault finding' and 'whining' have become a integral part of human lives. In fact we do not just limit it to these two. We have now also specialized in the area of 'sarcasm'.

You may shake your head and say no...But just think for a few moments and you realize that a lot of interactions that take place in our lives may have either of these things

What has changed so much in the world that these things  - fault finding, whining and sarcasm have become a part of our life?

I am really unsure and saddened by this. But something forced to revisit the article I read on OMAK earlier and I am directly quoting a few lines from the last paragraph here….

"It’s hard tochange the world; it’s certainly easier to change how we see the world. The keyto happiness has always been in our own hands. "

It put the smile back on my face and hope in my heart. Let's see what tomorrow brings!!!

Valentine's Day Special

This year Valentine's Day was like no other!!!

On the one hand, it was my first Valentine's day after marriage and as such the day was special enough with both of us trying to do little things and trying not to go overboard…

Me and my Roses... :)

 On the other hand, it was my first "Official" Valentines Day Celebration.

At Kancor, this year, we celebrated Valentine's Day in a small manner. I am unsure if in India generally such celebrations are seen. But it was a good experience with a lot of feel good and smiles across everyone's faces.

The anticipation was sparked off a day earlier with a mailer that talked about Valentine's Day providing the opportunity to celebrate and express appreciation in the workplace. This with a joinder to celebrate the day with a splash of "Red, Pink and White" ensured that the day was in hues of these shades.

We had heart shaped balloons and bowls filled with heart shaped candy to welcome as soon as one stepped inside the office. The day started of with something sweet as people moved to and fro and picked up candy from the bowl.

To accompany this, we went around giving each employee a red rose and wishing them on Valentine's Day. It was a pleasure to see the smiles on everyone's faces as they received these flowers.

Joseph and Me

To top up this good feeling was a gift from a few guests. We had a few auditors down at our office and as they saw the smiles and the good cheer, they went out of their way to contribute to the candy bowl with packets and packets of Gems.

Colourful Gems!!!

It was a sweet day with flowers and candy and smiles on many faces. Waiting to see how the next Valentine's day pans out!!!

A Pleasant Interlude

A few days ago, there was a message on one of the Facebook groups about a reunion at our college (Amrita). It was just a one-liner saying that we had a alumni meet (not so much a reunion) at so and so date and such and such time.

I was in two minds whether to go or not. It was during a weekend, on a Saturday to be precise. Residing in Cochin, this meant that I needed to leave Cochin either on Friday evening after office hours or early on Saturday. I had already been caught up the last weekend and also had to travel back to Trivandrum on Saturday night.

Though I was a state of mind to go, the constant travel and the fact that my entire weekend would be eaten up was a sore point for me. I had made up my mind, I was not to go. Anyway, it wasn't as if many had said they would turn up...So it really didn't matter…

But a push from an unexpected direction. My husband gently prodded me to go. After all I did want to go, and after we were to travel to Trivandrum, so what difference did it make if I left a bit early and fulfilled this wish?

My mind was in a state of flux, to go or not to go…

I booked my tickets for the journey. I was to travel on Saturday morning. I kept telling people that I hadn't decided whether to leave or not. "Go" or "Stay back and relax" were the alternating mantras in my mind. It was Friday night and I still hadn't decided what I was to do…

Come Friday night, and I decided I was leaving. I didn't care if I went for the alumnus meet but I wanted to go to the Ashram. The Ashram, which during my three years of college, was both my prison and my refuge. I shuddered at the memories of the hostel which washed over me but I longed to go to the Kali Temple and seek peace like I used to.

A View of the Ashram from Vallikav (Picture Courtesy Google)

A few hours into Saturday morning, I found myself standing at the Ashram. Drinking in all the sights, I could scare keep myself from gaping. So much had changed, it seemed. Many things seemed displaced but the Kali Temple I sought remained the same. I slowly walked up the stairs and went inside the peaceful abode.

A view of the Kali Temple from Outside (Picture Courtesy Google)

 The Kali Temple was a place of refuge for me. Many a times, when I was troubled during my college years, I would seek out a corner in this peaceful dwelling. It was a long hall where many could be seated. Towards the front was a elevated area where the Kali Temple and the beautiful Kali idol was placed. Over the three years that I had spent there, many a times had I come seeking for a place where I could pour out all that troubled me. It was a place where I could open myself up and pour all my sorrows and find the peace that I lusted for.

Inside the Kali Temple (Picture Courtesy Google)

I sat here for a long time and then went around the rest of the Ashram soaking in all the changes. As I wandered about, I overheard someone mentioning about a Darshan. I wasn't sure if I had heard right, after all I thought Amma wasn't in India. I went ahead to check things and I realized that Amma was very much in India and giving Darshans the very same day.

I went ahead to take a token for Darshan uncaring that I may miss the Alumnus meet that I had actually come for. The hours passed by and it was past time that I left for college to the alumnus meet. But I found that I wasn't too keen on going to college if it meant missing the darshan. But since I had enough time on my hands I went to college anyway.

A view of the college with all it's changes (Picture Courtesy Google)

Once the program was finished, we returned to the Ashram and waited patiently for our time to come. It had been close to four years since I had had a Darshan  with Amma. It was a time to contemplate, a time to ponder on life and a time to sit ..at peace with myself.  I left the same evening for Kollam where I was to wait for Gowtham, Rohith and Ashwin to pick me up for us to complete the remainder of our journey.

It was a unexpected turn to the day, a pleasant surprise, a long wait and a brief visit with Amma. The icing on the cake, were the moments that I had for myself, my thoughts and prayers.

Looking forward to the next visit to Amrita with the family...

Randomness

I gazed across the room in despair,  I wanted something that I could never get...The feeling of being closed in was becoming something I couldn't shake off…

My frustration grew as waves of despair rolled through me...I didn't know what to do, where to turn and what would be…I was helpless and bound…bound not by ropes but by words and trust...

I heard footsteps echoing down the corridor...the voice grew closer… I had to control...and compose myself...and not let the tears that threaten to flow , escape…

Moments passed and I struggled to think of something pleasant...I closed my eyes and fixed a smile on my face as I  walked across to greet that voice...I hoped that my face did not betray my thoughts as I struggled to keep my voice steady and hands from wavering.

I had to present  a cheerful facade. He was not to suspect that I was upset. I had to get him away from here where even the walls would hear what I had to say to him. I had to tell him, of what I had learnt, of what I suspected, the treachery…

I tried to move toward him naturally and waved toward him as if nothing were amiss. He seemed flustered and was running toward me. I strained to make out what he was saying but now I could hear footsteps behind me as well.

I felt a sudden jolt and something heavy hit me...I tried to turn but the hold I had on myself was slipping… The blackness seemed welcoming and I let myself sink into oblivion...

Grab those books...

It was close to 8.00 pm....The crowds showed no sign of slowing down...We gingerly made way through the crowds and there I saw in front of me Paradise!!!...

Shelves and Shelves of books...And I was going to let myself free....let myself be....

Gowtham said,"Take whatever you want..."  

I nodded my head and began walking to the shelves...The books were in disarray and the shelves were all mixed up...I readied myself...and set to choosing books quickly...

Though books were many, many were duplicate...many were names unknown and unheard of 

for me...Relentlessly, I went in pursuit of authors I know...Gowtham became my book stand whilst I kept dumping the books I needed into his hands....

Wondering why I was acting in a crazy way???

Reliance Time Out was closing...I had heard of it only in the final days and I was  rushing on the last day of the sale to see what I could salvage....Apparently all Reliance Time Out outlets were closing down and the stocks were being handed out at really low prices....

I salvaged whatever I wanted and stood in front of the billing counter...I was in for a long wait. All lines were overflowing with people and their bags full of items. I urged Gowtham to stroll around and see if he wanted to maybe pick out movies or music or anything else that caught his fancy.

It seemed like a still from a Sci-Fi were people rush to supermarkets to stockpile before the alien invasion...Things strewn about and in disarray...and nobody even to glance on who was picking what...People had bags and bags of items stuffed and were foraging for more....

After what seemed like eternity to us...We emerged unscathed and only 1200 Rs poorer after having taken 19 books of various authors..It was tragic that Time Out was closing...but the sale was definitely a blessing...With a smile in our faces and heavy bags...we moved towards the vehicle...

My Purchase that day...

Happy Reading!!!

My experiments in the Kitchen...

My heart started hammering...I hoped the nervousness I felt didn't come out...I smiled and inwardly I wondered...What was to happen???

My forays into the kitchen have been minimal. I mainly get into the kitchen to do the assorted help that my mom requires, the little bit of heating that is needed, the sketchy cooking (sandwiches, instant noodles , instant soups and so on...) My actual and full time stints in the kitchen have been brief.... Two months whilst I was in Bangalore for my project and a few days at home when my parents weren't at home have been the only time I cooked.

But now....with my husband's parents not at home...Gowtham and me were to enter into the cooking part of our married life. The first instance of actual cooking and we were going to have guests at home...OMG!!!

We were going to go simple with just Phulka's, Egg Roast and a tossed salad.... We planned to rush back from office, buy the ingredients and do whatever needed to be done....Now in such a situation, let me tell you, my thoughts in office were entirely on how to go about for the salad. Phulka's were fairly simple and didn't require much thought. The egg roast was Gowtham's department and he knew what and how to experiment in that dish. Now salad on the other hand was just something added and mixed together based on whatever salad's we used to have for dinner at our place and the GM diet preparations in the hostel...

Fortunately or unfortunately something came up unexpectedly and the dinner plan needed to be cancelled....I didn't know whether to be happy or sad..On one hand I really didn't need to do anything but on the other I really didn't get a chance to do anything at all.  Before I could decide on whether needed to be happy or sad...the dinner got re-planned for the next day with additional numbers being added.

The next day we rushed from office and set to doing things the way we pictured in our head around 6.45 pm....JK and Komal came along around 7.45 pm...Komal got into the kitchen in full swing and both of us managed to complete the Chapatis (Phulkas got cancelled at the last minute) and all the cutting work for the egg roast and the salad. Gowtham came in and got the setting done for his egg roast as well...

We had Jojo, Vishak, JK, Komal, Gowtham and me...A wonderful night with wonderful people...with food that disappeared fast enough...a night that gave me the confidence to may be try out stuff for the days to come...

I guess...All's well that ends well.....

And they tied the knot...

The last three years..it seems quite a long time..but now when I look back it seems a blur....

The gals, all sitting together, huddled and gossiping about the latest things. So many things to discuss about, so many plans to make...so many dreams to dream about...One of those discussions was all about this...One of our good friends (Read: Lisa) tying the knot....getting hitched...

It wouldn't be wrong to say that some of have have been waiting for this to happen for the last two years...:)

We set out from Cochin the day before around mid-night...There were quite a few of us in a van that we had booked. The van definitely wasn't derelict but the pace at which we traveled the entire length of the journey made it seem so. 

The journey went on and on...well, it seemed so...None of us were really sure about how to get to the church and it did seem like we had been travelling for miles...When we felt we must have neared the wedding place and were sure that we were lost we asked around. The inhabitants of the place assured us that we had only 30 kilometers to travel and this was around 6.30 in the morning. We traveled for another hour but still couldn't see our destination. A few minutes later, we again pulled up to ask for directions. To our trepidation we were told we had to travel another 30 kilometers to reach the Chittarikal (for the wedding). Another 30-35 kilometers and we were all fidgeting on our seats. It was early morning and we hadn't stopped properly for rest till now (at least that's what we girls felt).  

Oooh...We were just wanting to stop somewhere and take a break....And finally we pulled up, and thought that the journey was done. But to dash our hopes to the ground, we still hadn't come close to the wedding center. We had to travel yet another 17 kilometers before we could reach the hotel where the other guests where put up. The next hour went agonizingly slow and by then all thoughts of the wedding had neigh flown out of the head.

It was around 9.15 am and we had finally neared our destination. We called Gincy, the only one of us who had reached 'the destination'. Thinking about meeting up with Gnz after a gap of an year and going together to Lisa's wedding set our pulses racing.

We reached the hotel and knocked on the room door and then 'Aaaaaaaaahhh', we screamed like banshees and hugged each other. Oh, what a pleasure it is to meet up with your good friends and for something as special as another friends wedding.

And so the time passed and then we were in the church and the ceremony had started. As we watched, the said the vows and tied the knot. A beautiful ceremony made more beautiful by the fact, that it was a girl we loved and a guy we had come to know and love over the last two years.

A week has now gone by and I still can't believe that, Lisaaa ,you are married!!!!! Well girl, here'as a toast to you and Matt. Guys, have a happy and blessed life...Wishing you the very best forever and more...

Every love story is beautiful, but yours is one of my favorite!!!!

A writer’s block?

It’s been a really long time since I have written. Over the last few months there have been moments when something or the other struck me. That idea , that thought was something I wanted to put down but neither time nor circumstance were right to sit down leisurely and put down in words those thoughts of mine. There have been moments when all I had was leisure…I would open my laptop, open the blog and then sit staring at the screen…the words just wouldn’t come. I would stare at the screen and wait for some idea  or some inspiration to strike. As moments pass, my frustration would mount and to avoid that I would go into  Facebook and go chit chat with somebody about something.  And so the months have passed and I have written nothing.

And today as I sit simply with nothing to do... my thoughts go astray and I realize it was a combination of factors preventing me from writing…Changes in life brought on by work, the nature of the job, my nature, and of course the changes in my life over the last few months (of course you can guess what these are)…everything has robbed from me the time I used to dream and fantasize and write things down. And now as I sat in the dark (power cut) I realize changes are bound to happen, and I have no choice but to make time for my writing, if I am serious about it. And with these thoughts in my mind, I sit to pen this down and post it as soon as the current comes. And so my “writer’s block” is at an end…

With a smile and hoping to come back soon with more….Adieu

My brother...Sheldon personified...

Those who know me very well may have had their fill of stories of my brother...This is just a write up on one of the latest happenings that proves that my brother is "Sheldon personified" followed by a few of my brother's famous sayings.

Let me start of with the incident...

Whilst I was in my second year at Rajagiri, I came across a TV series called 'The Big Bang Theory' and to say I was hooked would be an understatement. I was pretty surprised when I came home to see my younger brother also watching the same TV series. He was hooked to an extent where he knew half the dalogues and could say them without any prompting.

As days went by, I began to see, what I call Sheldonism, in him. Knowing him and his gang of friends and I would probably describe them similar to the geeks/nerds in this series....

Yesterday he had the Scence Fair at school where he and a friend of his had an exhibit. This exhibit had its origins from an episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'. There is an episode where they show Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj experimenting on a Non-Newtonin Fluid  . So they set up the entire thing and it was really a great concept. They set up the speakers and the mixture and showed people the oobleck do a dance. For those who haven't had a chance to see this series or couldn't understand this experiment, I suggest you watch the episode here.

 I had been mulling over the idea for putting down some of my brother's so called  "laws" and "survival tactics" for a long time now. Seeing his geekiness in the form of a great experiment,  I felt that it was high that I share these laws with a few others as well...

PS: You may raise your eyebrows after reading the below. These are straight from the horses aka Rohit's mouth...

Rohit's Law of Bottleum 

"The water in a bottle remains constant unless and until an external 'Rohit' comes and drinks it, where Rohit can mean anybody and everybody"

 Survival Rules

Rule 1: If anyone ever says anything you don't understand....just smile and nod your head at them...
Rule 2: Keep others expectation of you very low..So when you actually do something, they will be surprised and happy.
Rule 3: When people whom you don't know come and ask if you know them just smile and nod your head...
Rule 4: If you don't want your teacher to catch you during an extremely boring period, repeat whatever your teacher says at intervals, nod your head always, smile at the teacher and don't let them catch you yawning.

The most important rule here being the Rule No 4. According to my sources, this rule is used very extensively.

So signing off for now...and will be back with more of Rohit's craziness as soon as I can....

A day at the abode of God...

Kumarakovil and Suchindram are two temples I visited today along with my family. We had arranged for a bus to pick and drop us there and back.

Everybody was ready and in the bus and we headed off to Kumarakovil. Kumarakovil is an ancient Murugan temple situated in Velimalai.

Courtesy: http://www.nanjilonline.com/tourism/kumarakovil.asp

It was a wonderful experience there. There were very few in the temple and we went around slowly and praying piously. The temple seemed very ancient and was very quiet and peaceful. As we went our way around the temple, we were directed to a idol of Shiva. Here the story was that Shiva is meditating. So you had to call out to him and only then pray, as otherwise he may not hear you. Here we clapped and called out before we prayed in front of the idol. As we came out, we saw a group of people who were singing aloud to the lord while they stood there. In this group was a old man who was was leading the chorus. He voice was filled with devotion and made you want to stay rooted to the place as you listened to him. But the rest of the group that was with him would begin by the time he completed half a sentence. And that was a cacophony. So we stood there for sometime listening to half a sentence filled with devotion and another sentence that was a cacophony where you could neither make out head nor tail. Now my brother was to take the Kavadi so as soon as arrangements were made we left the singing group to themselves. This time we went once again into the temple as a procession behind the Kavadi. After the prayers we left, towards our next destination.

Our next destination was the Suchindram Temple

The Suchindram is another ancient temple dedicated to the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It also contains well known and worshiped figure of Hanuman as well. The temple is close to Nagercoil and is well renowned. It was one of those temples that I had learnt about in History at school. The entire temple was filled with exquisite and intricate carvings that left one with a sense of wonder and bafflement. This was my first trip to Suchindram as well.

Pic Courtersy: Wikipedia

We entered the temple and went to get the receipts for the various Puja's at the temple. My uncle had gone to one such corner. Upon his return, we saw that he was accompanied by another man who offered to take us around and explain the things inside the temple. Now we weren't too sure if it would work out and whether it was advisable to have someone like him accompany us.

But as we went in he narrated the story of how each idol came about and what they signified. We were actually able to understand a bit of the background and take in the beauty and also pray. As we moved from one part of the temple to the other he should us some of the well known carvings and the hstory behind them as well. He also led us to the musical pillars for which Suchindram is well known. He beat upon these pllars and we heard the different notes. Many of the pillars there gave away vibrations and notes that we not only pleasing to the ear but also left us smiling. The sheer magnificence of the place and the beauty left one spell bound. How were these achieved by our forefathers so many hundreds of years ago...one would be left wondering...

We also came across the Hanuman idol here. This idol is one of the biggest Hanuman idols. We had wanted to do the puja for Hanuman as well. The guide who was with us made it possible for us to participate in this. We stood very near the idol as the process of garlanding, putting butter and washing the legs of the deity with Rose water (pani neer) took place. It was a wonderful experience made even more better by the presence of a good guide.

As we left the second temple, we left with a sense of satisfaction, happiness and inner peace. It was a wonderful day...a day at the abode of God... 

Revisiting Memories...

Two weeks ago we had Inflore being held at Rajagiri. It was Inflore 2013...

Forget the fact that I wanted to head back and check on how things were this year..with the programs, the quiz  the panel discussion...basically the entire works. I tried making plans, checking up with people, trying to  get people to make it that day while praying that I didn't have to report to office that day.

So what was it that I really wanted? More than checking out Inflore, this visit was a journey to the past, a chance to meet up with people exchange stories and revisit old memories.

Just planning the visit and the ride to Ernakulam brought on memories...We reached Ernakulam and as the car drew nearer to the gates, excitement mounted up. We met people, our classmates and batchmates, the juniors (who for some strange reason remembered us) and the faculty as well. We spent time walking around, catching up on gossip, exchanging stories and the time just flew by. Very soon it was late in the evening and we set off for the class dinner that we had planned...

The dinner was an unexpected sort of event. Four of us girls with about ten of the guys. It was quite late when we reached back but the time spent at the restaurant seemed to fly by as people cracked jokes and pulled each others legs. It just seemed like another day out from college.

In fact, we had made plans for Sunday as well. Lunch at Kayees, followed by some time at Kashi and then some north indian treats...Some time spent roaming about in Fort Kochi and then some time at Hanish's place. It was an amazing day and had to end early as we needed to head back home and work.

The day ended soon and with a heavy heart we left...We left with the heart filled with memories, sweet times and a longing to stay back for a bit more...as we headed back...back to the newly joined corporate life...

Thoughts....

I sit here wondering what to write. Thought flow into my mind..Many instances even..But what do I pen down?? As I sit wondering, I think of the things that I could say, that I would say...And resolutely I sit with the impressions in my mind...to put them down in words..to give substance and form to thought....

I begin...I falter...the words don't come, the sentences don't flow...May be now is not the time...May be a writer's bloc, I know not.... 

So I set them aside...these thoughts...set aside for a later day...a later time....

The Kitten Saga...

In one of my previous posts I had mentioned that Cute and Smart (our kittens) were missing. Well to continue where I left off last time Cute and Smart never came back. And the mother cat came everyday for its daily sustenance.

We suspected that the mother cat was carrying once again and I found myself praying fervently that she bring her kittens to us. The onam holidays came with a bang and we left home for the well awaited week away from home. We were away for almost 10 days and where in for a surprise when we reached.

The mother cat seemed to have realized that we were back. It came for its food and we noticed that she looked slimmer than the past few weeks. She seemed to have delivered her kittens. We searched high and low expectantly but sadly found no signs of the kittens.

Two days later we heard a sound. On investigating, we found that the mother cat was in the process of bringing the kittens home. Amma and I watched cautiously letting her take her time to bring them. After a suitable time had passed we went and checked and discovered only one. I was shocked and had never thought there would only be one. It seemed very unfair. After a long time we heard another sound. We ran up worried only to encounter the cat bringing another kitten. As we glanced cautiously trying not to disturb her we saw a wonderful sight. There were three...One was a tuxedo cat black all with its patch of white, and the other two were calico cats with patches of orange and grey and white.

And the mother cat...she is definitely one confused cat...let me tell you...

First she brought the kittens into the outer room. They were so tiny and looked so fragile. They were barely the length of my palm and so scrawny. They hadn't even opened their eyes. They were just a few days old and looked very vulnerable.

But two days later....The cat, God alone knows what got into her!, took them elsewhere...

She then returned with the kittens a week ago but refused to go into the outer room. She had been staying under the stairs that were there on the terrace. When it began raining a few days after than she shifted behind some metal sheets kept on the terrace.

We tried to get her to shift inside but the stubborn thing just didn't allow. Yesterday morning there was very heavy rain and when we checked the kittens were lying on the wet floor. We shifted them back to the old room where they are content for now.

The three kittens...They are so different now. Just two weeks old and they already seem aggressive. Cute and Smart were very docile compared to these three and they seemed much quieter. These three can surely kick up a ruckus fast. They hiss and snort and mewl when they see us. And they are just two weeks old and the cutest kittens ever...

And then were three...

The grass is greener...on the other side???

It's always said and believed by most people that 'the grass is greener on the other side'. Having experienced this phenomenon and having others also express something akin to this, I am not surprised that the maxim s quite well known not only in English but also in Malayalam.

So why is it that I am going into something that is very cliched???

Today for some strange reason I find myself thinking about decisions taken...Were they right or wrong....Was the grass greener then or now?  My mind really doesn't want to compare and contrast...but...

My thoughts are on why things happen the way they happen...Why do we need to go through some lessons in life...Why can it not have been perfect the first time itself..or why could not this be the first time? Having always believed that in rebirth and re-incarnation, I believe life is for some lessons to be learnt, and for us to have the necessary interactions with a few souls. The concept of Karma and a person beings dealt out with what he or she deserves is also something I believe. But this belief of mine does not remove the responsibility of an individual to shape his or her life. My belief is that there are choices that we are given and our life and destiny would depend on the choices we make. 

So where am I gong with all this...Actually no where...As  think over my concept of life and the decisions taken...I realize...I don't regret the choices I have made and the way life has shaped up....The decisions taken and the experiences had... Realizing mistakes made and deliberating on new decisions...No...I don't regret it at all....Beacause I believe each wrong decision has helped shape me to be the person I am today...

But underneath all that...As normal human tendency goes...when I see another make the right decision the first time itself...my heart makes a leap...and wonders... if only I had made the right decision the first time itself...

 I guess no matter what you say or think...sometimes the grass is always greener on the other side... 

On your mark...Get Set...Gooooo...

I had received a mail from Anita. It was about a trip that was being organized from office. It was a trip to Veegaland aka Wonderla.

I wasn't really sure of what to do..Should I accept or not? Would Anita or Lekha or any of the few people  know be a part of the trip? I decided to sit on the invitation for a few days. Two days later I decided that I would give my name for the trip. No sooner had I sent it that I received a mail from the organizers thanking me for being a part of it especially since I was from the HR.

I had never thought about it but as days passed I got pulled into the organizing committee as well. As the 'D- Day' approached there were plans to make and things to carry out. The company decided to make it an official trip and bore the brunt of our travel charges. But as the days came closer I realized that I knew very few for the trip. There were around 60 who were to come. I knew none to well, save Vishak, who was with me in the HR Department. 3 months into the job I had interacted with many but only in a official capacity and was only getting into the mode of easy camaraderie with a few of them.

Anxiety loomed large in my head. Did I really need to go? I had wanted to go so that I would meet new people. But as the time drew nearer, rushing off with people I barely had time to know did not seem like a sensible idea at all.

After some thought on the matter,  I decided to put it out of my head. I had decided to go and I was going to do it. No backing of like a coward. So I was all set, the only thing putting me off was the fact of getting up in the morning which I knew would disappear as the day arrived.

The D day had arrived....

We left quite early in the morning and our bus had most of the people who had joined in the last one year. Kiran and Arun, from the organizing committee, were also with us for sometime in our bus. Kiran introduced us to Arun and the others. I barely began interacting much with them when we reached. Being in such a crowd where everybody knew everybody else other than you was a bit overwhelming.

We reached Wonderla and I met the others who were in the other bus. Here things were a little better, as I knew at least the names of a few people and had spoken with quite a few of them earlier. But as the day progressed, I got really comfortable with all of them. I met a lot of new people, spoke as though we had been interactive for ages and had a lot of fun. We went on all the dry rides and went on the water ones as well. We splashed water on each others, coaxed people to join us on the rides they found scary and hung around till they closed Wonderla at 7.30 in the night.

The return journey was also good. I expected people to snooze off, as the day had started early and was ending late. But not everyone dozed. There were people sitting a chatting. I was surprised to find myself in one of these groups chatting along with them though I had met then only that morning

So all in all. Had a really wonderful trip...Had loads of fun...Met loads of people...and really glad I plunged and was a part of the trip. Happy to be a SunTecian...and glad that it is helping me be more outgoing and people-centered than I considered myself to be....