tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91581454923823560892024-02-22T19:13:03.206+05:30AhamkaaraEgotism - The cause of the senses of “I do” and “I experience.”Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-67385184940635371522020-12-03T18:33:00.002+05:302020-12-03T18:35:39.182+05:30Sleep and I - Relationship Status: Complicated<p><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">Very long ago, there was a time when my dear sleep and an
early bird me were happy being together. Both of us waited only to hit the bed.
We were going strong. There was so much understanding and love for each other; we
were in sync. Our love created something very beautiful – dreams.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCwkmuIBWhvvQfCmMPKykq4UelQAIYOrQYqofDVbdsr8jvd6-6VehrXYSUwJpTTpc0Zi3jSu4LpBCxCQpUe2OqDgXqPLy6ofTYbWMeylO1ZxnU04QcUe0qvR4_t4RcpI3osOz42Y4SA/s2048/IMG_0062.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCwkmuIBWhvvQfCmMPKykq4UelQAIYOrQYqofDVbdsr8jvd6-6VehrXYSUwJpTTpc0Zi3jSu4LpBCxCQpUe2OqDgXqPLy6ofTYbWMeylO1ZxnU04QcUe0qvR4_t4RcpI3osOz42Y4SA/w200-h150/IMG_0062.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">BH jumped into my life, right from my dream. He became a
reality. The amazement was overriding my life so much that I couldn’t close my
eyes at night. Those long conversations, late night talks, giggles and butterflies
in the stomach experiences kept the clock ticking. My dear sleep kept waiting
for me in the bed. Every. Single. Day. I did not realize that I was cheating on
a long, stable relationship. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">Then, BH and I married. The first few days of our married
life were euphoric, and it did not really matter at all when I slept or when I
woke up. My dear sleep was disappointed and I was clearly disillusioned with
him. And then the everyday grind of life began. BH, being a night owl, was discussing
all his intellectual notions of life at night. I would struggle hard to make
sense out of his words. Everything seemed like an Over-Head-Transmission (OHT)!
My kindhearted sleep was right there, with his arms wide open. But, I shooed
him away because at the end of the day (pun intended) I was keen to impress my (then
new) husband. So, I kept my eyes open like this. My dear sleep was ashamed of
me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">The struggle was real. I had married a man from the other
end of the sleep spectrum. There were days when I was literally spouting
nonsense half asleep when he was trying to have a conversation. There were also
days when I would stealthily elope with my dear sleep when BH was going on and
on with his theories and philosophies. The best part of those dates with sleep was
that it worked like roofies for me. I would not remember a thing and I would
wake up with energy of having 10 Red Bulls. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">While BH and I slowly were slowly adapting to each other, my
dear sleep had started behaving cold with me. I would lay in bed with my eyes
wide open <s>(over)</s> thinking of <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">What better points I could have used in an
argument I had in the past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">What worse things can happen to me, my parents
or BH, and how would I cope?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">The sounds I heard were of some intruder? Why is
a mosquito buzzing somewhere? Oh why have I developed supersonic hearing
capability now?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">Those unresolved battles in my mind, plotting
the whole revenge path and then thinking it isn’t worth it.</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmWZsjznbCQgQ6V1f7tfnBuCA3mU_2_QTPbGQJLlbNP66NvWrpnoUlr7ayQnh63Aw5JRgxRefB5Yl_70Hu-K_ZgaIyozn_ashYl1gPQiA3PKgvSyFXuPdZSR77X9LIXVZyKiPSMvNZA/s220/tenor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmWZsjznbCQgQ6V1f7tfnBuCA3mU_2_QTPbGQJLlbNP66NvWrpnoUlr7ayQnh63Aw5JRgxRefB5Yl_70Hu-K_ZgaIyozn_ashYl1gPQiA3PKgvSyFXuPdZSR77X9LIXVZyKiPSMvNZA/s0/tenor.gif" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">By the time my dear sleep gave a namesake hug, I’d remember
that I forgot to set the alarm. I set and finally embrace sleep. There is no
warmth or depth in his love. As a result of which, I would panic wake up to see
if the alarm clock’s battery has gone out and the alarm didn’t ring. Or worst, I’d
wake up just a minute before the alarm goes off, cursing sleep for that one full
minute of separation. My dear sleep thought I was beyond redemption. I was clearly
not comfortable with the fact the relationship with my dear sleep had hit the
rocks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">Then Baby 1 happened. Sleep had turned into a sadist, vengeful
person. I would stay up all night and nap an hour or two in the morning. I had
become a zombie. Years passed, my dear sleep looked like he had softened his
stance. But then, Baby 2 happened. I stopped seeing my dear sleep. Finally,
after years, I made an honest effort to reach out to him, talked to him,
offered apologies and he did look convinced. I was happy. I slept like a baby
that one night. Next morning, I realized Baby 3 is on the way. My dear sleep
smirked as he left my side. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">I could not figure out the meaning behind the smirk back
then. But now that Baby 3 wakes up every half an hour at night just to show
some love to me. I think now I know what the smirk meant. For now and for a few
years more, I can’t put in words the relationship I share with my dear sleep. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s complicated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTJYDJTV1Yy9HZYl7lHS59T22-JmTgHpxOnp7cq5qtOf31uns_hX6JFMCsZ_GAK3arjYXzca0HrCxEzVZ98UxTFKQVWbzYondy62UuS4-9V4U7klM-PWWyJikyXjSxpKp0kVFErNbOw/s320/TIRED.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTJYDJTV1Yy9HZYl7lHS59T22-JmTgHpxOnp7cq5qtOf31uns_hX6JFMCsZ_GAK3arjYXzca0HrCxEzVZ98UxTFKQVWbzYondy62UuS4-9V4U7klM-PWWyJikyXjSxpKp0kVFErNbOw/s0/TIRED.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Hence</span></div><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;">the transformation from a delightful early bird to a confused
owl to a dog-tired crow!</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: Prompt; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-47573328154193640102014-12-04T12:43:00.000+05:302014-12-04T17:40:18.836+05:30Tomorrow, I will be absent.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="Publishwithline">
Till that day, I bragged to BH, that Bunni was a good
student. She loves going to school and she has never ever felt bad or cried to
go to school. I jinxed it. Badly. Very
badly. I realized later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Tomorrow, I will be absent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Me</i></b> <span style="color: #666666;">(Shocked)</span>: Why do
you want to be absent?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Because so many of my friends remain absent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Me</i></b>: If somebody is ill, or if you have an important work to
do which cannot be done after school hours or if you need to visit someone
without delay, you should take an off. Else you shouldn’t miss going to
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She listened, very still, like I was telling a fascinating
fairy tale. She did not say anything. I thought that she is convinced. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-1FbyhQUD1hJgBIxnzTkDBkuhdraCNT2PT76_wVH4YwIoVyakkxfPBmNMBzGF8bRFbp3IzC10HEbr7P9bHJTwI-wLcUyXXrgLoDOSuTCMTwWlJUTKKkyErtm20NVnuORD1N8kobhxg/s1600/girl_shool_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-1FbyhQUD1hJgBIxnzTkDBkuhdraCNT2PT76_wVH4YwIoVyakkxfPBmNMBzGF8bRFbp3IzC10HEbr7P9bHJTwI-wLcUyXXrgLoDOSuTCMTwWlJUTKKkyErtm20NVnuORD1N8kobhxg/s1600/girl_shool_001.jpg" height="200" width="158" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That day, while she was getting down from her school bus, she
said, “<i>Amma, Tomorrow, I will be absent.</i>”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Me</i></b> (annoyed): What? I think I told you when you can miss
your school.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Tomorrow, I will have fever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>Me</b></i>: Oh baby. Don’t say that. You are a strong girl. No
illness can touch you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Then, it is my birthday tomorrow. There will be a
party at home. So, I will be absent tomorrow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Me</i></b>: First, it is not your birthday tomorrow. Second, I am
sure you would love to wear new color dress to school on your birthday and take
chocolates for your friends.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Oh.. Yes. I had forgotten the date today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That night, I told her stories and we recited a few shlokas
before she slipped into slumber. She suddenly woke up and said, “Amma, tomorrow
one day, I will be absent.” I was a little bothered this time. I wanted to know
if there was some other reason behind her repeated requests of being absent at
school. I did not want to ignite her crankiness at this time. I just smiled and
patted her to sleep. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day, I diverted her with exciting stories and
fun-activities while she got ready to school. And she got into the school bus
happily. There was no hesitation, or change in her expression when she got into
the school bus. I met her teacher that day, and asked how she was at
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teacher said that she was a good
student and had no problems. I saw her class-work books. I met a few of her
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no sign of any hitch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apart from those conversations, her behaviour had not
changed. She wasn’t morose. She did not exhibit any negative changes. I was
kind of relieved after doing all the necessary checks. Then, I thought I should
give her the silent treatment the next time she brings up the topic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That day, while she was doing her homework, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: “<i>Amma,
I will be absent tomorrow.</i>” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could not stop myself asking, “<i>Why do you want to
be absent?</i>” I wanted to be double sure that nothing is wrong. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni </i></b>(<i>gleefully):</i> Just like that. I want to see ‘red ink marked A’ against my name in the
attendance register.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What a reason! We stopped the conversation there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next morning, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>Bunni:</b></i> Amma, today I will be absent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Me:</i></b> I said, not today. Be absent tomorrow and day after
tomorrow. [Today being Friday ;) ]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Delighted little girl went to school happily. And when I was
helping her get down from the bus after she was back from school, she said.. “<i>I
have two pages of homework today, which means tomorrow and day after tomorrow
is Saturday and Sunday. I will be absent one more day after that. I will be
absent for 3 days!</i>”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I thought I was very intelligent. Hmmph. I remained
silent. I diverted the topic by asking her what all happened at school. She
narrated everything in an animated way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday morning, she got ready silently and we were waiting
for the school bus. There were no uncomfortable conversations or silent
treatment. As soon as the school bus came, she jumped into it and shouted,
“Driver uncle, tomorrow I will not come to school. So, you need not come here.
Aunty, remind driver uncle tomorrow not to stop here.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aaya of bus looked at me; Muted by her
unexpected bouncer, I just winked to convey that she was kidding. After she
came back from school, she said, “I will be absent tomorrow, if I tell you, you
will remain silent. So, I have told driver uncle and also ma’am that I will not
be coming to school tomorrow. If driver uncle does not come, you cannot send
me. If ma’am does not teach, there is no use going to school. (Awww. That
innocence!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I smiled at her and said, “<i>But you are a good girl. You will
not miss your lessons</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That statement
somehow made her happy. So, I survived that day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next morning, while I was dressing her up, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Amma, I will be absent to school today please.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Me</i></b> (<i>exhausted</i>): Since you are a good girl, you will not miss
going to school.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Today I will be a bad girl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>Me </b></i>(<i>Recovering from that bombshell</i>): But, I know that you
are a good girl, you cannot be a bad girl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bunni: Ammaaaa, I am a good girl even if I am a bad girl
sometimes. Nobody can be a good girl all the time. Take for example Appa, he
tells me that he will be a good boy with me if I behave like a good girl. But when
I do something bad, he says he will become a bad boy to me. Can I call Appa a
bad boy just because he is so when I am bad? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My feet had turned cold by that reply. How on earth can she
come up with this? What can I answer? She had given a big funda of life
actually which she may not have realized the depth of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I could open my tightly zipped
mouth, she smelt Maggi and ran into the kitchen saying that she wants to eat it
and said “<i>Give that tasty breakfast quickly! Or I will miss my school bus!</i>” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObjekUeFAP3gUwEvvGJQYv3HirlZtZokJtG995oyLm1cEl1aKXmmXUSku8LvN0FGZuvhdgCUxFzxvBwD-cB_q4Ben_Gj_lM4HgMASu3ema1xDZeauLfgIB5vMBJJ4wU-dpVtakJ57Jg/s1600/IMG-20141103-WA0011-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObjekUeFAP3gUwEvvGJQYv3HirlZtZokJtG995oyLm1cEl1aKXmmXUSku8LvN0FGZuvhdgCUxFzxvBwD-cB_q4Ben_Gj_lM4HgMASu3ema1xDZeauLfgIB5vMBJJ4wU-dpVtakJ57Jg/s1600/IMG-20141103-WA0011-2.jpg" height="320" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunni - With her bestie.. <br />
Waiting for the school bus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter how much they can drive you crazy, you love them
for what they are. This little thing will be five years soon. I cannot
visualize<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> what mental challenges we are going to face as
parents. But she lights up our life inside-out constantly with such sparkling
conversations. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-77504310338686272672013-04-08T10:00:00.000+05:302013-04-08T13:52:59.162+05:30Bisibelebath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Karnataka is a verily a microcosm of India - due to the richness and variety it encompasses in terms of food, languages (Kannada – an umbrella term for its various dialects, Tulu, Konkani, Kodava), culture and traditions. So, the state run Karnataka Tourism aptly holds the motto “One State, Many Worlds”.<br />
<br />
Food habits of a region are influenced by its climate, crops, location and culture. Karnataka cuisine has a wide repertoire of authentic dishes which have a blend of various sub-cultures that influenced and moulded it into its present form. Karnataka food and its varieties can be broadly categorised into five types based on the regions that make up the landscape of Karnataka; namely Northern Karnataka, Old-Mysore (Bayalu seeme), Malnad, Mangalore/Coastal cuisine and Kodagu. Different regions have their signature recipes comprising of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies. Technically, there is no one dish that can singularly represent all of Karnataka. Even Bisibelebath (pronounced as ‘be-see-bay-Lay-bath’) ; the recipe of which is shared here, is one of the authentic dishes of Old-Mysore region. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Cultural history</u></b><br />
Rice and Ragi (millet) are the staple foods of the Old-Mysore region. The history of rice is said to date back to the Vedic period. <br />
“<i><span style="color: #444444;">There is no mention of rice in the Rigveda, but it is referred to frequently in the post Rigvedic literatures. In Atharva Veda, it is called one of the two immortal sons of heaven – Rice and Barley. The Yajurveda mentions five varieties of it, of which the best was mahavriti</span></i>”<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Extract from the book Cultural History Of India, Om Prakash<br />
<br />
Toor-dal (pigeon peas), another important ingredient of Bisibelebath, has a history of about 3000 years. It finds its origin in the eastern part of India. We should thank the traders or the populations which migrated to this place for the introduction of toor-dal into Karnataka cuisine; without which Saaru (known as Rasam in other parts) and HuLi (known as Sambhar in other parts) would not have existed in their current tasty avatars. Now if you are wondering what the difference between “Saaru” and Rasam or “huLi” and Sambhar is - the answer is jaggery. A pinch of jaggery is almost indispensable in the Old-Mysore cuisine.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Flashback</u></b><br />
The hunger-inducing, heady aroma of piping hot, spicy bisibelebath first hit the olfactory sensors three centuries ago, in the kitchens of Amba Vilasa Palace - the palace of Mysore Wodeyars. The royal cook who wanted to be in the good books of the Maharaja, ventured out on a culinary exploration using a combination of lentil and rice, spiced it up with slowly roasted and ground spices like cloves, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric along with dried coconut, tamarind etc. Then, to add a dash of royal grandeur to the dish he added cashews tossed in hot ghee. This neonatal “bisibelebath” was prepared sans any vegetables because the then Maharajas chose their vegetable-based side dishes according to their preferences.<br />
The good old cook forgot to obtain a copyright of his dish and the recipe leaked beyond the walls of the palace. It reached places where creative people came out with various versions of bisibelebath, and the vegetable-loaded version picked up popularity.<br />
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<b><u>Now</u></b><br />
Bisibelebath, BBB or B-cube as we algebra-lovers call it, remains the favourite of many people here. It is a wholesome nutritious food. The usual routine that is followed at home is – cook huge amounts of Bisibelebath in the morning and gorge on it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and if possible, as the subsequent day’s breakfast too. And this kind of craze for Bisibelebath, is not unique to our home. The recipe I am sharing with you was passed down to me as a secret heirloom from my mother’s kitchen. The recipe seems extensive, but is worth all the effort. Ah..that intoxicating aroma and the lip-smacking taste!<br />
Here we go!<br />
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<b><u>RECIPE</u></b><br />
Serves: 4<br />
Preparation time: 45 minutes<br />
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<b><u>Vegetables</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV_8TmgGWuEe3HMDeij_xut-y2yWIcP-LVmTIyca86oETfC6MwOkj13FPxcynmKVyu5iIFMUBvNxBo1YgZw9c6oO1Sv8M2w3AjHytm-7vG50UmAeMY2wipODdhZs8piiIdMvm_LtIow/s1600/veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV_8TmgGWuEe3HMDeij_xut-y2yWIcP-LVmTIyca86oETfC6MwOkj13FPxcynmKVyu5iIFMUBvNxBo1YgZw9c6oO1Sv8M2w3AjHytm-7vG50UmAeMY2wipODdhZs8piiIdMvm_LtIow/s320/veggies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Carrot – 1 cup, medium diced<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Potato -1cup, medium diced<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tomato – 1 cup, medium diced<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Green peas/groundnuts – 1 cup<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Capsicum – 1 cup, medium diced<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>French beans - 1 cup, medium diced<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients for roasting</u></b>:<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Byaadagi Chillies – 2-3 pieces (used for color)<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Guntur Chillies- 4-5 pieces (used for the pungent taste)<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Channa Dal / Yellow split peas - 1/2 tbsp<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Urad Dal / Black gram split lentil - 1/4 tbsp<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dry desiccated coconut - 2 tbsp<br />
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<b><u>-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Aromatic Spices:</u></b><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cloves - 2 (Lavanga)<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kapok Buds - 1 (Marathi Moggu)<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cinnamon - 1 inch stick<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Black Pepper – 4 (Menasu)<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Poppy Seeds – ½ tbsp<br />
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<b><u>General</u></b>:<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rice – 4 cups<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Toor dal – 4 cups<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ghee - According to your preference<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tamarind -1 medium lemon size<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jaggery – A small piece<br />
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<b><u>Seasoning</u></b>:<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ghee - 2 tbsps<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cashews – 10 broken<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hing/ Asafoetida - A pinch<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mustard - ¼ tsp<br />
-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Chilli - 1 broken red chilli<br />
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<b>PROCEDURE</b>:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Take a heavy bottomed pan and roast the listed ingredients in the said order, without spices, on a very low flame.</li>
<li>Empty the roasted ingredients to a plate. Roast all the spices listed with 1 tbsp ghee. Once their aroma starts pervading the kitchen, add poppy seeds, desiccated coconut till the delicious aroma intoxicates you.</li>
<li>Wash tamarind thoroughly and soak it in water to get the tamarind pulp.</li>
<li> Cook vegetables, rice and lentil in a pressure cooker preferably in different compartments.</li>
<li>Grind the ingredients that you earlier emptied onto a plate and the mixture of roasted spices, desiccated coconut and poppy seeds, along with tamarind pulp and a pinch of jaggery with sufficiently required amounts of water.</li>
<li>In a heavy bottomed pan, mix cooked lentil and rice. Add cooked vegetables and the ground mixture to it. Add water so that it does not get very thick. Add salt to taste. Allow them to blend while you keep stirring.</li>
<li>For seasoning, add mustard, hing, broken cashews and red chillies sautéed in 4 tablespoons of hot ghee. Add this to the cooked mixture.</li>
</ul>
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There! Delicious Bisibelebath is ready to be served!<br />
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<b>SERVING</b><br />
Bisibelebath should be served piping hot with generous helpings of ghee. The Maharajas for whom the dish was invented were not calorie-conscious and still aren’t, I am guessing. You can see the picture of current Maharaja for confirmation ;)<br />
Serve it with boondi/chips/fried-stuff to satisfy the Indian penchant for something crunchy to go along with a heavy delicacy.<br />
Enjoy the Bisibelebath and lick your fingers away!<br />
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PS: This post was originally written for <a href="http://centreright.in/">Centre Right India</a><br />
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Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-53710421652991551682013-01-07T16:41:00.003+05:302013-01-08T11:01:54.366+05:30Stubble Grumbles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This was during our early days of marriage. One evening I hit a “rough patch” with my husband. My fingers which were moving over a terrain as smooth as melted chocolate, stumbled on a thorny terrain - his stubble! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was the same sensation I get when a metal is scratched. Sreeech... </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yikes! That put me off. I backed off and asked, “You did not shave today?” He rolled his eyes, “That makes me look cool! “. I gulped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had a challenging task ahead. I did not want to offend him by nagging. I wanted him to shave whenever he had a stubble. Slowly, I started dropping subtle hints.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>Showed him some snaps in which he was clean shaven and said he looked handsome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He replied “I know. A lot of people have told me so.”. He didn't even get the hint on why I was showing him those snaps. <b><span style="color: red;">FAIL</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>> Mailed him an article on the web which said shaving helps in removing dead-skin and also keeps the skin wrinkle free. The facial hair can keep oil and dirt on the skin and hence shaving is hygienic too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He replied “Don’t waste your time reading such over analytical crap. I don’t give a damn to all these things anyway.” <b><span style="color: red;">FAIL<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>Next morning, I put the toothpaste onto his brush, shaving foam onto his shaving brush, kept a flask of hot water next to the bowl and the after-shave lotion on the sink cabinet. Then I waited for him while I prepared the breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He returned as scruffy as a gorilla. I ran into the bathroom area to see that ONLY the toothbrush was used and all the other stuff I had carefully arranged remained untouched. <b><span style="color: red;">FAIL</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, after the series of failures I tried making friendly conversations with him. I said that a beard looks weird on him. It is a furry mask which hides the handsome cuts his face has. He defended by saying that a beard gives him a mature look and that it gives others an image of a thinker. And once he said “Having beard and moustache is so manly!” There! I got the exact reason behind my failures. Do not mistake him to be a misogynist. But, he is proud of what he is or has.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, I had to tackle this problem in a different way knowing the weak point. One evening he was watching a documentary on TV. I ran to him from behind and planted a kiss over his cheek. And I whispered in his ear “I do not want anything to come between us. Not even your stubble”. He requested for a cup of coffee. When I came back with a cup, Voila! I see a man who had sent his stubble to the rubble, by shaving double that day! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g94fqhedicx0RFcLP4zhLtmUU_7J_AsBJgczz3gR6dmDNOQdS6ITBj9IJIooG2IFc0_xjI95ou64cihMVHaiiNA5qq2kUU4GEpYVwdaRF2uVOO7UkB9_072dzpSgK4bGpfwt6AwxUw/s1600/cartoon-superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g94fqhedicx0RFcLP4zhLtmUU_7J_AsBJgczz3gR6dmDNOQdS6ITBj9IJIooG2IFc0_xjI95ou64cihMVHaiiNA5qq2kUU4GEpYVwdaRF2uVOO7UkB9_072dzpSgK4bGpfwt6AwxUw/s320/cartoon-superman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, love worked for me. If you think I blackmailed him, let me tell you.. Everything is fair in love and war. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sometimes even I feel sorry for him that he has to keep shaving and think - why shouldn’t there be a receding beard-line like receding hair-line?Why can’t people go bald on their chin? LOL!</span></div>
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This post is a part of the <a href="https://apps.facebook.com/425290917524532/?fb_source=search&ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank" title="Shave or Crave">'Shave or Crave'</a> movement in association with <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/" target="_blank" title="The biggest community of Indian Bloggers">BlogAdda.com</a></div>
Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-6675272368963978802012-11-26T15:30:00.000+05:302012-11-26T15:30:01.546+05:30Panchatantra side effects<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have always been a fan of children stories which are windows to our big world. I started off pretty early narrating stories to Bunni. Animals which can talk and which can emote kept her butterfly-like attention honey glued. Myriad stories made my life simpler in conveying subtle facts, rules and maxims to guide our daily lives. I was so proud of myself. But, later I started to realize, these stories have side effects too!</span>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All wells have a lion in them.</span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We were in our village, walking through the roads, we spotted a well. I thought, I will show her what a well is. But, she held my hand to stop me.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni: </i></b>Don't peep into the well. A lion is living in there. It will eat you the moment you bend in to see your reflection!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Remember the lion which fell into the well seeing its own reflection? (see <a href="http://kids.asiasociety.org/stories/panchatantra-lion-and-rabbit">here</a>) And you thought that is the end?</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><b style="color: #222222;">Ask for forgiveness. Get a life.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We were watching a National Geographic documentary. And a lioness was on the run to hunt a wild buffalo.</span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bunni started shouting.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Buffalo must have done something wrong, that is why lion is trying to kill. <span style="color: #666666;"><going near the TV></span> dear buffalo, dear buffalo, tell the lion that you won’t do that mistake again, it will forgive you. It won’t eat you!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">Anyone who falls dies!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">She does not know the concept of death. She just knows, the word and the situations in which I had used while narrating the story.</span><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We were walking on the road and Bunni spotted a traffic cop running. She was overly excited to see a cop running. (you know who runs in stories ;) ) she started shouting in the top of her voice.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><i>Bunni: </i></b>Amma, look! A police man is running!!</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
To my embarrassment, that police man stopped running the moment her words hit his ears and turned around to see us.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> Yes. Say Bye to police uncle.</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><br />
<i>Bunni:</i></b> Hi, police uncle. You should not run.</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<b><i>Police:</i></b> Why shouldn't I run?</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<b><i>Bunni:</i></b> See. Road has a lot of stones, you will fall down and die!!</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Police man looked straight into my face! I did not know what to say. I mean, how I can explain to him so much? I just apologized and ran to save further embarrassments. I could sense a smile on his face.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Steal and eat. Your tummy will be fat!</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had gone to temple. The priest was busy with chants and aarti. Bunni was doing monkey-jobs of climbing the railings there. I told her to stand silently, or the priest would get angry. As the priest came near us to give MangaLaarathi and Theertha,</span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Amma.. This priest has stolen and eaten a lot of Laddoos. See his tummy is so fat!</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was from the story of Bal Ganesh! Ouch! That priest's face was red! The pressure in my mouth for a roar of laughter was building by few kilo-pascals! I controlled myself and said. You shouldn't say so.</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><b><span style="color: #222222;">Every Gopal's wife is Suman</span></b></span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We had been to a marriage reception. When we were on the stage,</span><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><i>BH:</i></b> Bunni, Wish Gopal Uncle a happy married life</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><br />
<i>Bunni:</i></b> Where is your wife Suman?</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
Gopal looked perplexed,</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
<b><i>Gopal:</i></b> Who is Suman?</span></span></blockquote>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Gopal's wife Priya had baffled look on her face.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I intervened and stopped the conversations because I knew where it was going. The story of the goose which laid golden eggs had owners named Gopal and Suman, who were husband and wife. So, for her, every Gopal's wife is Suman.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Children observe and construe a lot more than we expect. What a fun life they lead. Absolutely no inhibitions, no rules and bounds for the way-of-life. So much to learn from them. The way these stories are embarrassing me, it is should be Punch-atantra.</span></div>
Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-50464745386360554532012-10-29T14:22:00.003+05:302012-10-29T14:24:42.763+05:30Arrgh-uments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqUHhekmarm-Xb0oKRIGgCKE4XJ4E9WnrxVoII64CRgRWp53vbTeeslPIFLIoZRoD0PvylZgkGxrvqVCWR79bOKKB-FucyqCFyGsL1f3yPUkaIadPhttqsdWNhcag4B-WuTVRV3V2Bg/s1600/ARGUMENTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqUHhekmarm-Xb0oKRIGgCKE4XJ4E9WnrxVoII64CRgRWp53vbTeeslPIFLIoZRoD0PvylZgkGxrvqVCWR79bOKKB-FucyqCFyGsL1f3yPUkaIadPhttqsdWNhcag4B-WuTVRV3V2Bg/s1600/ARGUMENTS.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arguments. The unwritten rule in the life of people who live together under the same roof. Arguments can ignite because of one small action/inaction, word/no-words or frustration. Over years of marriage, I observed that some solutions which have worked for me in wriggling out of or avoiding arguments. There may be many more. I will learn them eventually.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Respond. Don't react.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a big difference. Reaction comes with zero-thinking unlike response. When he says something which cuts through your ego and it brings up equally hurting words is when you have to drown them down your mouth. Take a deep breath. Step back. Listen carefully. If you feel situation is just blowing your head-off. Choose some corner of the house. Refuse to argue, even if the person comes behind you shouting all the way. Switch on mute mode. Take refuge in a place where you can cool yourself. Take your time. Choose your words. Give it back in a nice but firm manner when things are cool. ;)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Accept Manufacturing Defects</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the initial days of living together, there will be many frustrating things, which you may not like. You tend to pick up battles on that. Shout. Argue. Sob. But, you see somethings are inherent. They do not change over time. Wet towel will still find its place over the bed, wrapper of the new toothpaste on the wash-basin etc. Consider them to be manufacturing defects of that human being and accept that gracefully. And more importantly remember, you are also accepted with some such defects. Relationships are too valuable to fight over petty matters. Arguing over the same matter again and again is insane. It is like doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What is right? Not Who? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You are frustrated, you pass some hurtful remarks and you get back hurtful remarks again. You are now offended. There starts a big chain of bomb shelling. Everytime, you are adding new layers to the argument, each trying to win and prove the point "I'm right!". Never have that urge to get the last word. Always remember, you are NOT arguing with your enemy. The other person may have a kernel of truth at their core in what he/she is saying. Take criticism positively. Be honest enough to see what is right, irrespective of which one of you is saying it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy6Xy_MT_LwWdAnVLIUEq2RSYqJY3x59rvXP0tS__SrbJUDd9oVfDqPcAWjzFshiaUdtcT4IYemjoHMYOj2fDobPAkylL2iTkO1WG_kF92tUOBPM-FtEiP9N_V5-37g0xGL31z0M23Q/s1600/FUNNY.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy6Xy_MT_LwWdAnVLIUEq2RSYqJY3x59rvXP0tS__SrbJUDd9oVfDqPcAWjzFshiaUdtcT4IYemjoHMYOj2fDobPAkylL2iTkO1WG_kF92tUOBPM-FtEiP9N_V5-37g0xGL31z0M23Q/s320/FUNNY.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Agree to Disagree</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Watching old test matches of cricket has been an irritating issue for me. For BH, it is as enjoyable as those few minutes of a nail-biting finish. He tried explaining to me many a times, on how good a test match is, why it interests him etc. Finally, he understood, that I just cannot see through his perspective. Then he stopped explaining. Sometimes he gives in and sometimes he watches while I do something else. We just agreed to disagree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>POINTS TO REMEMBER!</b> </span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Arguments may augment tension if not transformed into a discussion.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let go of ego.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Don't use tears as a weapon in the arguments. It will be an unfair game when your partner is in the ring unarmed. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ensure discussions do not become diss-cuss-sessions.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wrote this post as I was thinking about ways of ending an argument I had with BH for not calling me or messaging me for 18 hrs when I was at my parents place! And there beeped my cell-phone.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I now understand how empty God's house must have been, when He dropped you into your mother's womb. Missing you dear."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">THERE! I realized. I missed an important point to end arguments. LOVE.</span><br />
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Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-9685678137957920802012-09-13T13:06:00.001+05:302012-09-14T09:43:19.286+05:30Clumsy Encounter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">June 16<sup>th</sup>, 2006</span></span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had a buddy group in our engineering college, like everyone who's been to college had. And we decided to watch a Hindi movie - "Krrish" on a Friday. There was a guy, whom I called "Anna"(for later references) who was (still is) very close. He messaged me and asked if he could bring along his chaddi-buddies to the movie. Since, I had heard some really interesting stories about his chaddi-buddies from him, I thought it would be good to meet them all. I messaged back. "Why not? Go ahead."</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The show was at 2.30 PM, I wore white and white salwar kameez, strung a single strand of silken pearls around my neck, smeared lipstick, etched the eyeline with kohl and finally a white bindi.. I looked into the mirror and smiled "<i>I love you. Mmmuuah!</i>"</span></span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sliding my feet into white, high-heeled sandals, got onto my chariot – Scooty pep! And zoomed off! It was 12.40 PM. </span> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">It rained all along the way. I was drenched when I reached the venue. I parked my chariot, swung my handbag onto my shoulder, removed the shades, opened the hair which was tucked up. The light breeze played my hair. I felt like I was walking through my dream. Friends waved from afar. </span> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So, now after all the pleasantries were exchanged, it came to the introduction part of Anna's chaddi-buddies. He went on introducing, I greeted them and waved Hi with a wide, really wide smile. There was this guy, who did not even smile, just said "Hi" in a base voice, without a tinge of politeness! "Insult! What crappy attitude this guy has!" I thought and I was breathing fiery anger under my breath. I knew, this guy was Anna's best friend. </span> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvzoUhLs8iK6OybojNewrKq_uP7fCx3qFpnoDJU5QMqgJcO2cltFf-d9MCEBYW8D3CDzdZR-xuF5YG33CsqnSmCMoDiuE-mHZSk3DWzuJOXWNXa-DZu8sL6_Wfd6tUuEpDD-myDFMhw/s1600/Attitude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvzoUhLs8iK6OybojNewrKq_uP7fCx3qFpnoDJU5QMqgJcO2cltFf-d9MCEBYW8D3CDzdZR-xuF5YG33CsqnSmCMoDiuE-mHZSk3DWzuJOXWNXa-DZu8sL6_Wfd6tUuEpDD-myDFMhw/s1600/Attitude.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">I ignored him completely later. We went into the theatre, we sat and started laughing out loud on some joke.. when I heard "<i>Do you mind, if I sit here?</i>" That same guy! "<i>You know how to be nice also? Moron</i>" I thought. Smiled grudgingly and said "<i>No, I dont mind</i>". He sat next to me, I ignored till he started laughing out loud to some comments passed. Though, I liked the hearty laughter, I was clouded by anger and revenge! Grrrr! </span> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">And finally when the movie got over, we dispersed. As Anna and his friends left, I found myself waving "Bye!" with a wide grinning smile again!!! And <i>that guy</i> just replied with a smirk. That moment I could imagine my ego banging its head and pulling out its hair out of frustration thinking - Why did I do this again? I did not know.. </span> </span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But, I knew one thing "I HATE HIM!" </span></span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When the winds of change blew. Hate transformed to love. The actual revenge is now! Happening :-D </span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-73193512019922342882012-07-06T22:57:00.003+05:302012-07-10T12:57:28.728+05:30Mesmerizing or A mess of memorizing?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My eyes were on the door waiting for BH's arrival. Guests had informed late about their arrival on a Sunday, and it had left me very little time to cook a lunch for them. I asked BH to note down a list of things in his phone I would need from the shop nearby, knowing very well about his slippery memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was half an hour since he left. He should have returned by now. The clock was ticking. So little time, so much to do. The shopping centre is nearby. It should not take more than 5 minutes even if he crawls on the road. Did he meet someone? But, shouldn't he know this is urgent? Or has something bad happened to him? My limbs trembled once that last thought crossed my mind. I reached out to my phone and called him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>***Nobody Gonna Take My Car***</b>.. The ringtone buzzed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Darn! He has left his phone! Then what will he bring? What took him so long? I thought, I will go near the shop and find out. My heart was thundering. I switched off the stove and other electrical appliances, ran into the room to get my purse.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>***BANG!***</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I got the shock of my life. BH was sleeping like a log!!! I just could not believe my eyes!! I shook him up, asked him what happened? He was still closing his eyes as he answered,</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I searched for my wallet. I could not find. I do not know where I kept it last night. Then, I remembered today is Sunday and I need not go to office" </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">innocently. I knew he was not pretending. Have you heard of cross-connection in the lines of thought? Here it was!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The pressure was building up inside me, my eyes had turned red and welled up with tears like they would pop out any moment. I had to gather myself and get down to work. Guests came, they enjoyed the sumptuous lunch. So, everything ended well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaR59HfDxPhzQ461TzQTo-cDdqkB2rWMaY36jQK5WSJJnP6iBIHHpF7sFSPIldWgJ5EwqOowaUkJJZznMjrnw3QllmZklXKEdsf6X4b2zfkCYHZZY1_HXkqv3TWUjEjnqWG63GI1-wQ/s1600/forgetful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaR59HfDxPhzQ461TzQTo-cDdqkB2rWMaY36jQK5WSJJnP6iBIHHpF7sFSPIldWgJ5EwqOowaUkJJZznMjrnw3QllmZklXKEdsf6X4b2zfkCYHZZY1_HXkqv3TWUjEjnqWG63GI1-wQ/s320/forgetful.jpg" width="233" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There is no exact algorithm to figure out what he forgets. He can forget anything. Be it hanging towels on the string after bath, keys, friend's wedding, birthdays, or even the destination to which he left home for. ANYTHING. I am happy that it is any"thing" and not anyone! He would have forgotten all his body parts if they were detachable!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If I get into a combative mode on this: tempers fray, accusations fly - which only leave my head in frying hot temperature. Nothing will change. I am not being pessimistic here, but neither am I optimistic about a human's ability to radically change their inbuilt qualities. I try to help him out without being nosy, by setting reminders in his phone or SMS-ing. I am sure that I shall evolve with many other reminding techniques as years roll-by.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next Monday, he had an early office meeting. I bid good-bye for the day, a hug and a peck followed. However tired I am, such gestures make me feel very light. As I closed the door behind, I saw the towel “as usual” lying on the floor in the room. I heaved a sigh. I was about to pick the towel up, I felt cold fingers over my arms. My breath stopped. He held me tight from back, while his warm breath tickled my ears, he planted a peck and said,</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Sorry, I forgot! I was too occupied with the presentation for the meeting. Bye dear"</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJyHwxMz6c1y2nWwLRt08tBnjuTGc2UMSBZGIcR4avUQgAb9JxbMnMhCSVIcEyczFTp2RWBJkNsb2z-RXcFCLwe5T1-yaITY_pJ6QcxYGVWzwuhqlGGJiKs9e-1TDLFIDiWYKy0z2sA/s1600/hug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJyHwxMz6c1y2nWwLRt08tBnjuTGc2UMSBZGIcR4avUQgAb9JxbMnMhCSVIcEyczFTp2RWBJkNsb2z-RXcFCLwe5T1-yaITY_pJ6QcxYGVWzwuhqlGGJiKs9e-1TDLFIDiWYKy0z2sA/s200/hug.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That left a smile on my face. </span> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Friedrich Nietzsche </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">said "The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time." There is no quality in man/woman which is dark. Everything is grey!</span><br />
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</div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-47038046551389689342012-05-24T16:30:00.000+05:302012-05-24T16:30:18.217+05:30What laga diya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The conversations I have with my little one just make my day! She surprises me everyday. It is a two-way learning activity. Now, she can remember, relate and ask questions. The most feared "Why?" has not started yet. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, here are some snippets of my enlightenment.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As a regular routine, we were lighting the lamps and reciting shlokas in the evening, and..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni</b></i>: What is inside God Amma?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Me</b></i>: mmmm.. A lot energy.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>*</b>Her eyes glowing<b>*</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni</i></b>: I drink Bournvita no? I eat all things you give no? Even I have a looooot of energy.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Did you know?</b> Bournvita is all it takes to become God.</span></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UoGqzd7SmXtspjejFGqeq4pGPOUkW-ysrE-qzoQVaXThAi8W5KULKuVWkzto7Ik4G2AYWk_IHrXcesUVirND4am98YT79e_jQmZpCYW69FMx8lynqsnaTFl8PW_jg5_HkPLYdY8RZQ/s1600/sudeeti_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UoGqzd7SmXtspjejFGqeq4pGPOUkW-ysrE-qzoQVaXThAi8W5KULKuVWkzto7Ik4G2AYWk_IHrXcesUVirND4am98YT79e_jQmZpCYW69FMx8lynqsnaTFl8PW_jg5_HkPLYdY8RZQ/s320/sudeeti_blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We were travelling by car and it was raining, Bunni was carefully watching the wiper blades were wiping off the raindrops on the glass. Suddenly she exclaimed..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Car is shaving like Appa no?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Did you know?</b> Car needs a shave on a rainy day? </span></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a family get-together lunch, they served "Aloo BonDa" otherwise called "Batata Wada",</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was hot and crispy,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me</i></b>: Taste it Bunni.. You will like it.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni</i></b>: No.. I don't want.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me</i></b>: Okay. See.. How Amma eats and enjoys..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni</i></b>: Amma.. Slowly.. There is no urgency.. No one will take that away from you.. Remove the peel and then eat.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Did you know?</b> The mouth I opened to have a bite, remained open as I was awestruck by that dialogue. Have you tried eating an "Aloo BonDa" or Batata Wada without the peel? :D</span></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had been to our village to attend cousin's wedding. Uncles have cows and buffalos at home. Bunni was excited very much about the animals in proximity.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One evening she sat watching my uncle milking the cow and she started crying.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Uncle:</i></b> What hapenned? Why are you crying?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Give the milk back to the cow. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Uncle:</i></b> It has given for us dear.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni:</b></i> No! You took it. It did not give. You did not even ask its permission before you took.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She started crying loudly. I had to take her to a different place to divert her from the topic.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Did you know?</b> You should ask the cow's permission before milking? </span></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was asking her the meaning of lights on the traffic signal..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> Red means?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Stop <with action></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me: </i></b>Amber means?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni: </i></b>Get ready</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me: </i></b>Green means?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni: </i></b><runs> Gooooo..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Comes back running to me and asks</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What does the head-light color in front of the car mean?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you know. Please let me know :D</span></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmPCQYRuj2vcGHAp21fS2XQ8cnY7OJKiHRlD-0TZjtNMTthDtyBX1-5vptgsRicVFNuNScmDV_608RBYnFvzRRb6i4-j_4wydcfaGz2oZ2ogXghTMhlkqwUmQ-i5VoOEUjZbPMDPJFQ/s1600/daaku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmPCQYRuj2vcGHAp21fS2XQ8cnY7OJKiHRlD-0TZjtNMTthDtyBX1-5vptgsRicVFNuNScmDV_608RBYnFvzRRb6i4-j_4wydcfaGz2oZ2ogXghTMhlkqwUmQ-i5VoOEUjZbPMDPJFQ/s400/daaku.jpg" width="217" /> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With just "Whats", Watt lagaa deti hai yaar! :D</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-9920753691766924992012-04-28T13:13:00.001+05:302012-04-28T13:30:31.938+05:30Attention Deficit Disorder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was pitch dark and we were passing
through the woods in a car. We were supposed to reach the destination
an hour earlier, the camera's craving for a hunt (read shoot) at many
places led to many pit-stops. Once we entered the forest, a guard
warned us against stopping the car anywhere. I held onto BH's hand,
rested my head over his shoulder and closed my eyes. Then, I heard
these conversations.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Girl: Stop for second! Look at the
lonely tree in the middle of the lake and the moon's reflection in
it!!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXGFM2RHsENVYo-kb77t-4nkQ0H7g-_aSlSQkjtzwkCR3Cq0jqUdcCFcN-iqUuVJaeHo6Vlz7TUufmI4DkfPR94hy5DmrhS1JkfeFZZz7dGBbAGWcgJVfQUosWcdIWUhOgThzCH3zZg/s1600/Vector_Cartoon_Girl_with_Video_Camera_Vector_Clipart_Illustration_111017-040450-691001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXGFM2RHsENVYo-kb77t-4nkQ0H7g-_aSlSQkjtzwkCR3Cq0jqUdcCFcN-iqUuVJaeHo6Vlz7TUufmI4DkfPR94hy5DmrhS1JkfeFZZz7dGBbAGWcgJVfQUosWcdIWUhOgThzCH3zZg/s200/Vector_Cartoon_Girl_with_Video_Camera_Vector_Clipart_Illustration_111017-040450-691001.jpg" width="156" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">BH lifted my head with his hand and
said,
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"What a catch in the night girl. It
will be a picture for life and please don't get down."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That girl had one kick-ass camera. She
quickly changed some settings clicked a few snaps in various
combinations of angles and modes. Then, she gestured the driver that
we can leave. She flaunted what she had snapped. The only person who
seemed to be interested was BH.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next morning, all of us went for a
walk through the wood. I took my normal point-and-shoot camera with me. As we tread
the rough terrain, we spotted many birds on the way. It was a visual
treat. But, when I turned to show BH a bird we had not spotted before, I did not find him.
I turned back. He was showing something to the girl with a kick-ass
camera. I went there to see what I had missed sighting. The valley
and trees looked beautiful with a orange hued sky in the background.
I captured that too.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">BH turned to the girl and said,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>BH:</i></b> Show me the picture you have taken.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Girl: </i></b>See this, See this and this.
Which is the best?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>BH: </i></b>All are good. You should take
photography seriously. You are made for that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Girl:</i></b> He.. He.. You are flattering me.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The voice inside me cried "I have
taken a snap too! And I am standing few inches away from you"</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Was I jealous? Or was I lacking
attention? I pondered. There is an intrusion in that territory of
attention was the output. Although I knew, that both of them were
intent on photography, I was hurt. I went into my shell. I slid the
camera into its pouch and walked swiftly away from them. Alone.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">BH, who notices the slightest of my
change in expressions, did not comprehend this. Maybe, he did not
expect. Then, I told myself not to expect a minute of atttention from
him on this trip. I kept myself aloof from the happenings. Strangely,
BH did not notice till that evening. I stood near a vast expanse of
dry land, gaping at infinity. I had a warm hand on my shoulder and
deep low voice said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>BH</i></b>: What are you doing here?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nTXvhyphenhyphentzOUjkBIMfVSM9GsirkWSWFYtZUZalct89e1b7nBLVA0IN6gM4VLny5hBwxLFAkZIsNBxvC9X4OpmosnGmGl1Loztus8NVwzb1BRdAaPcXBdmRo9lGHKvS8MY8CsyQhjwwtw/s1600/crying+girl+cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nTXvhyphenhyphentzOUjkBIMfVSM9GsirkWSWFYtZUZalct89e1b7nBLVA0IN6gM4VLny5hBwxLFAkZIsNBxvC9X4OpmosnGmGl1Loztus8NVwzb1BRdAaPcXBdmRo9lGHKvS8MY8CsyQhjwwtw/s200/crying+girl+cartoon.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me</i></b>: Nothing. I was just thinking to
tell you that this spot could offer a picture during the sunset. Go
quickly and bring your camera-woman.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>BH</i></b>: What? Are you jealous my lady? *<i>Laughs uncontrollably</i>*</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me</i></b>: *<i>Teary eyed</i>* Did you see one snap I took during this trip?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>BH</i></b>: Oye! Are you
crying? Dear.. She has a better camera than us. I was.. Leave it. Now
stop crying and show me the snaps.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me</i></b>: I won't.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>BH</i></b>: You are a kid.
Come-on. Grow-up.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After pampering,
cuddling, hugging and chocolate-ing I felt better. I lacked
attention. God! Such difficult times of my life :-D </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I cannot term this feeling as positive or negative. It really depends on how you deal with this feeling. I would not call term this as jealousy or insecurity, it is the behavior due to lack of attention. If the expectations and disappointments are not sorted as soon as possible, such feelings wont take long to grow into negative emotions.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, I suffered from "</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Attention Deficit Disorder- Initial stage</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PS: I was not angry. I was just hungry for attention.</span></div>
</div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-54265994237790829372012-03-05T01:16:00.001+05:302012-03-06T18:42:42.937+05:30D-Cold war<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;">The molten lava is burning inside. The 2 openings of the caves in the volcanic mountain are blocked by the rocks formed by the solidified lava. And the smallest mistake, could cause a hot volcanic eruption at home. That is how serious the situation is, when BH catches "common" cold and his nose (above mentioned as caves) is blocked! </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;">I had no clue whatsoever, what would turn-up the next morning. I was busy getting ready for the day and it was half past 9! I rushed to bedroom to wake BH up.. And what I saw was a gory sight which I had never witnessed before! </span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;">He was looking <span lang="en">crest-fallen, still on the couch. </span>BH's face had turned to a red tomato! </span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Me: </b>What happened? It is already 9.30! Won't you go to office?</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh_PQpaPS9kdffQsqhpuHti-oIshecTXQf5NOp4YpW4dQ2u7MG72jCI1zl75NkmIbhonKD7wtFe5p6JO0QpIf_slTk2pZL6KhRL7qnYqQYKUGXEigAK5h6uSSsPL7KA0DLORNOD30pQ/s1600/SickMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh_PQpaPS9kdffQsqhpuHti-oIshecTXQf5NOp4YpW4dQ2u7MG72jCI1zl75NkmIbhonKD7wtFe5p6JO0QpIf_slTk2pZL6KhRL7qnYqQYKUGXEigAK5h6uSSsPL7KA0DLORNOD30pQ/s320/SickMan.jpg" width="270" /></i></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;"><i><b>BH:</b> Yeah right! You want me to go to office even when I am dying? </i></span></span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif; font-size: large;">I was completely taken aback by that reply. "Should I call an ambulance?" I contemplated. Maybe I did not comprehend his condition properly. I just thought, he has caught cold. I immediately ran to him, sat next to him, apologized for being insensitive, pampered him and asked..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> <i>What happened? What is bothering you..</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;"><b><i>BH:</i></b> <i>Bloody common cold! </i></span></span><i> </i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;">I took a deep breath, and tried to gather calmness from all positive energy sources. I said I would bring him hot filter coffee, which would provide him some initial relief. He never behaved so touchy, vulnerable, emotional for 3 years now. But, he had not caught cold either. He had turned into a whining, clamorous stranger. </span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8h6zouFZbASkG1HORqNXEB8BV1aSeHD7rIiDZjxYif2daSc0Ijinpeccy57drLYlfz63tY-kGe6KW8xy4Q-7RXa5_LCkFxYKazKcpZbqV96Uj-MMsgJfaYLY29Bp9ldL3IG01syOxqg/s1600/ackchoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8h6zouFZbASkG1HORqNXEB8BV1aSeHD7rIiDZjxYif2daSc0Ijinpeccy57drLYlfz63tY-kGe6KW8xy4Q-7RXa5_LCkFxYKazKcpZbqV96Uj-MMsgJfaYLY29Bp9ldL3IG01syOxqg/s200/ackchoo.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;">Few hours later, there was a man sniffing, shuffling things around, growling, using swear words with every sneeze almost sounding like "Faaack....choo".. The tissues he used were piling up to make a "bean-bag" like structure. While inhalers, wrappers of medicines were also decorating the "yuck-y" structure. </span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=9158145492382356089" name="queryn"></a><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;">For 3 days, I bore witness to this "unofficial emergency period" at home. Common cold had caused a disaster of epic proportions which made a stalwart, chivalrous, invincible macho-man into a giant-cry-baby. And the worst experience during the emergency period was that I was not supposed to laugh at the comical drama that was unfolding. Remember volcanic eruption? I would not have been surprised if he had made a "will" in that condition or if he believed that this was the way the world would end. </span> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif; font-size: large;">Medicines, some home-made soups, steam, sleep and not to forget, some cricket did help him get back all the powers of a warrior. We were done and dusted with traversing the stony journey of his first common cold in our married life. As I was getting things ready for the day, the next morning, he was gobbling up crunchy "dosays"..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Me:</b> How I wish.. I could ban my man, when he is bowled by cold.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>BH:</b> In the end, I ruled and you were fooled.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Ruluko, serif;"><b>PS:</b> I know about <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7505207/Man-flu-is-no-myth-as-scientists-prove-men-suffer-more-from-disease.html">Man-flu</a>!</span></span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-43622275845079229222012-02-26T23:21:00.000+05:302012-02-26T23:21:27.385+05:30Stumped<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bunni completed 2 years this month. She has started making small sentences and some times she baby talks also. She surprises us with grammatically correct sentences sometimes.<span style="color: #333333;"> The things that come out of her mouth keep me laughing for a long while.</span> So, now conversations are two-way Indian roads. I quote here some of those experiences. Ofcourse, I have translated those conversations from Kannada to English. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni</b>:</i> Sahana! Fill water in this jar.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Me</b>:</i> You should not call elders by their name.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni</b>:</i> Gunds! Fill water in this jar</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Gunds – That is how her father calls me.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiD_PfJFoobNksBP_lh2qjC7Up8gTEpphQUih5YXifXm-O0PMW-bgRhTfUzU4d9O-IJBQ0nRqLku-BdVfxG4AZL3OALu2j-M3HkvJIBm0zlhQRgFIWBtv4mTxI_poijAc65tZKkDZLw/s1600/IMG_2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiD_PfJFoobNksBP_lh2qjC7Up8gTEpphQUih5YXifXm-O0PMW-bgRhTfUzU4d9O-IJBQ0nRqLku-BdVfxG4AZL3OALu2j-M3HkvJIBm0zlhQRgFIWBtv4mTxI_poijAc65tZKkDZLw/s320/IMG_2020.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><blockquote><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lesson : Follow the rule</span></b></blockquote><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni:</b></i> Amma, my hands are dirty. Wash. Wash. Wash.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Me:</b></i> Ok. Come lets wash. (washed)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni:</b></i> I want to wash it myself now.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Me:</b></i> Ok. Let me help you.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Bunni:</b></i> But my hands are not dirty.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Me:</b></i> No.. Your hands are still dirty, wash.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Amma! Then wash my hands properly this time!!</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lesson: You lie. You eat your own words</span></b></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A guest gave Bunni a real big chocolate</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> What should you say when you get a chocolate?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> One more!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There. Down the drain, went the "Thank you" lesson I gave her umpteen times!</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lesson : Ask and you shall receive. An answer at least.</span></b></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Potty time.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Amma, I got 1-2 shits. (She had just understood numbers and counting.)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> (Controlling my laughter) Ok. Come let me clean you.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> But, I want '9-10...a biiiiig faaat hen' number of shits. (From the 1-2 buckle my shoe rhyme)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now! Where should I bring that many number of uuurrrggh.. whatever!!</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lesson: Aim for the moon.</span></b></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was telling her a story from panchatantra. One of the stories which she likes, is a story of a wolf and a sheep.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> The wolf said, "I am old. I cannot hunt. You are an easy prey. I will eat you". And what did the sheep say?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Byaa Byaa Byaa Byaaa..</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Lesson : Keep it simple silly</b></span></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She loathes sleeping. Sometimes I call out for some non-existent uncle and complain about her loudly, when she does not sleep. That works. One night.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> Bunni.. Close your eyes and sleep.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> I don't want to.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Me:</i></b> Hey Uncle.. Come here! Take Bunni away with you.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Bunni:</i></b> Uncle.. Come.. Come soon.. Take me to play swing.. Amma.. you can also come with us..<br />
That was totally unexpected. </span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lesson : Face your problems</span></b></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaylwK7SOIyOyGtNY13iea3nHe11_VgrKYLx8680ihspU6_F9GlHZ-IA7KqLqdDfugTqg_NP6z7DVd8R53yEWr6d1ukW3nP2IL_FWCzuiqYGRAnQySwbksVF0Do0EG_bB8nGQpkI5yw/s1600/IMG_2191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaylwK7SOIyOyGtNY13iea3nHe11_VgrKYLx8680ihspU6_F9GlHZ-IA7KqLqdDfugTqg_NP6z7DVd8R53yEWr6d1ukW3nP2IL_FWCzuiqYGRAnQySwbksVF0Do0EG_bB8nGQpkI5yw/s400/IMG_2191.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Luckily, I am unlearning life with this bundle of joy! Such spontaneous reactions, surprises.. make my life a celebration!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com110tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-47794596970449298762012-02-21T19:42:00.001+05:302012-02-22T16:21:39.755+05:30Mother's love is the greatest. Really?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMM72-0MGTAFqoIxGmjxUbr6sdUitJupF9ed9CaSHLB5TAf5q5pkp1eFTVwotvRvFi1X1w1A6jXCTuXZqbMQnM_dEN1CTOQEvXgttUx-g6U912grkWrmzVwftom6i76jbApdQXIdLd1A/s1600/mothers_love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMM72-0MGTAFqoIxGmjxUbr6sdUitJupF9ed9CaSHLB5TAf5q5pkp1eFTVwotvRvFi1X1w1A6jXCTuXZqbMQnM_dEN1CTOQEvXgttUx-g6U912grkWrmzVwftom6i76jbApdQXIdLd1A/s200/mothers_love.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mother's love is irreplaceable, forever and unconditional. I agree. Which kind of love can be replaced? The love gotten from every loving person is unique. For <b>example</b>. Fathers love. Doesn't it comply to all the three words above? Ofcourse, there are exceptions in both cases.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">All forms of love whatever form they may assume, require, or at any rate, expect, some equivalent or less for it in return in the shape of affection, happiness, or pleasure. Is mother an exception? In some cases yes, and in some cases no. Chastise me as a bad mother if you want, I really don't know how I would have reacted if my child had not showed its love, affection back. I expected that. Do I become selfish? Yes.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">The way a mother loves a child and the way a father loves a child is completely different. The logic beats me when they are compared. It is something like saying air is superior to light in nature. Both are different, but essential forces of nature. Can any of one of them be replaced?</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">When someone says "Mother's love is great". I agree. Greatest? I don't. For the simple reason that it cannot be compared. Neither does any other form of love merit comparisons.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;">To compare, one must analyze. Do we really know the depth of the person's love? We just analyze the way we perceive. Some people express themselves very well and others don't. Does this innate quality of being an introvert make one a bad lover? </span></span> </span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mother has an advantage of sharing a natural bond during gestation. Then delivering in the most painful way known to the world. None of us can ever think of the intensity, the depth or the expanse of the love the soul has.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some fathers cannot even relate themselves to the child as soon as it is born. It is not natural for them like mothers, it grows on them. They become a different person altogether. And then the saga begins. For others, it begins as soon as he knows he will be a father. But, the important point here is "The Saga Begins". A father loves his child, puts the child first amongst priorities sans the natural/physical bond. Remains an unsung hero.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBRvAFAyuAbz9WpcMv_d5eFPx3uFN34Ly5Bsi60nILkrJkgfZ4p0fv86W8I2LPPFXZOZp6DT_UbL7j4oPDX_S9rPRa5oSOE8wkGUo-fuaSWYR3JTX0VLxXYoj2X2OjzbkeP7ZCV5Y_A/s1600/dad_baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBRvAFAyuAbz9WpcMv_d5eFPx3uFN34Ly5Bsi60nILkrJkgfZ4p0fv86W8I2LPPFXZOZp6DT_UbL7j4oPDX_S9rPRa5oSOE8wkGUo-fuaSWYR3JTX0VLxXYoj2X2OjzbkeP7ZCV5Y_A/s200/dad_baby.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I was a small kid, people asked me if I liked my mother more or father. Without second thought, I would answer "Amma!". Appa was a strict disciplinarian. He spoke very little. When he spoke, it would be very brief, to the point and direct. Such conversations often made me feel he is emotionless. </span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Slowly, as I grew up, all those "little talkings" had a big impact in my life. Infact, they were huge turning points in my life. Then, I started understanding the creature called father. One day, I was married, I had to leave home, I realized I would miss him as much as my mother. After Bunni, I witnessed the birth of a father, I remained amazed by the transformation a man has to undergo to father a child. I loved my father even more. </span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">To hail the greatness of one thing, we should not degrade the other. More importantly, lets not compare apples and oranges.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-18392674784363061082012-01-30T00:09:00.000+05:302012-01-30T00:09:41.226+05:30Home Alone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">In any healthy relationship, sooner or later, often or rarely the soul inside you craves to be a lone wolf. One such time, I confessed to BH, that I needed sometime for myself and co-incidentally he had some work in Bengaluru the same week.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"> </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>He left, and for the next few minutes</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">I danced around like a monkey, switched the music on to its maximum volume, threw a vessel down on the floor, *<b style="color: black;">BANG</b>*,<span style="color: #444444;"> (Thank God my neighbours were on a vacation!) </span>I enjoyed such little freedoms :)</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Day 1</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cleaned every nook and corner. Made our home dust-free.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Watched a horror-movie, which BH would NOT have allowed me to watch. Well, that night I heard weird sounds which made me check every room and every closet to make sure no one was lurking there. I slept with a thunderous heartbeat. </span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ5qTL6CLSFCHxIdyXZGN_vnLf-J5XaEqaVta8e6zkdk_KeHRybEHrHOJFOmacqz9OkUITStGxae1HJDVMAQeBlsgY5EAM9lYI9pVV0S63u_bHHyBFQV9z_93yf204NtxTEG8wKmK_w/s1600/IMG_20111227_233750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ5qTL6CLSFCHxIdyXZGN_vnLf-J5XaEqaVta8e6zkdk_KeHRybEHrHOJFOmacqz9OkUITStGxae1HJDVMAQeBlsgY5EAM9lYI9pVV0S63u_bHHyBFQV9z_93yf204NtxTEG8wKmK_w/s320/IMG_20111227_233750.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Day 2</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Go hubby time. Come hobby time. Did water painting, and this is what I came up with. I am no professional. Use of colors make me happy.</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnME9ZfWywQSn35UGlVGaMCocD9YtGD1ixgQgDFmwQgegR76Lt7r4MGTOgMyTO2c7x1DhY3GP19VQqHke3B-WD5i5FE7xQv5Fkfpuvd4znj-LUcnvL47YUn_BmKaWnUZwxnwUBPN1tzg/s1600/IMG_20111227_233811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnME9ZfWywQSn35UGlVGaMCocD9YtGD1ixgQgDFmwQgegR76Lt7r4MGTOgMyTO2c7x1DhY3GP19VQqHke3B-WD5i5FE7xQv5Fkfpuvd4znj-LUcnvL47YUn_BmKaWnUZwxnwUBPN1tzg/s320/IMG_20111227_233811.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ofcourse, I read books.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Day 3</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was bored to death to cook for just myself. I cooked once in the morning, ate that in the afternoon and then again in the night. There was no-one to appreciate my cooking.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">There was no cloth to pick-up from the sofa/bed/table/chair. No wet towels to dry. No '<b>remote</b>' fights. No-one to peep into what I was reading. </span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Day 4</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was dull and feeling low despite good-books, clean home etc. Was I missing clothes lying around? small fights? Wet-towels? All these imperfections made my life worth living? And that is when I realized Being imperfect is just "perfect"! </span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pondering over these series of incidents threw light on a few thoughts which criss-crossed my mind.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">We may have been born to be together for life, but what we should not forget is that we were born ALONE separately. So, when the basic penchant for solitude is rewarded, happiness ensues. How long? That depends. For me it was 2-3 days.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is quite common in a relationship for anyone to give up a part of themselves to make a life together. As I have understood "giving space" and "leaving alone" are two different things. Giving space is "Being alone-together" and leaving alone is the absolute "alone". There maybe people who think differently.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 0.17in;">An individual changes everyday. Sometimes, there is growth or decay which go unnoticed in the routine of day-to-day lives. Such changes which are a part of you now, need timely attention. Taking some time out to dream, create, re-invent, rejoice </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">our-self</span><span style="line-height: 0.17in;"> will help us grow into individuals who we can recognize and be satisfied with.</span></span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, whenever you need time for yourself. This is the Mantra.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><b>Communicate. Unwind. Nurture.</b></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Day 5</b></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">And BH is back.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">*Loud voice heard in the evening*</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Basic';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tigers piss on the trees to mark their territory and you mark yours by strewing your clothes all around!</span></span></span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com109tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-29301766425628802512012-01-18T19:04:00.003+05:302012-01-18T19:07:31.634+05:30Girl you'll be a woman soon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">My aunt called me up last month and told me her apprehensions about some physical changes in her 6 year old daughter. I calmed her down. I said, sometimes it is just a sign of the far future. Then, yesterday, she called me again and told "that which should not have happened" has happened. She was sobbing. Yes. Her 6 year old daughter had attained puberty! Otherwise called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precocious_puberty">Precocious Puberty or Early Puberty. </a></span></span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was actually devastated by the news. I behaved like a hypocrite by putting up a brave face. I told her "This is an inevitable incident in any girl's life and had to happen sooner or later. Anyway, visit a gynaecologist once."</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Later, my memory indexed to the same chapter of my life: Puberty</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was 12 years old. All of a sudden my body was on a growth-spree. There were some drastic changes physically. My face and hair started getting greasier. At one point in time, I had disowned my own body because of all those stupid changes. I was feeling weird. I was so conscious about my body. Though my mother had given me some lessons on menstruation, it took sometime for me to come to terms with those changes. I superficially understood what she said. Nevertheless. I was in a state to recognize menstruation only when my life decided to have a tête-à-tête with it.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxuYRYsVj3GVRSfrhyphenhyphenmB9qL4LRgiypcKr3VlDcKb9hNWGQig7yrNCSoyIkRkM20O3wMcYTUG3EfReWd6ytPP6smKkDOM28_W8m6-6W2U30GeZUBgOQ7-qFEGUyXIOci7D6mLhRxHEig/s1600/LittleLadyFin-1-791x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxuYRYsVj3GVRSfrhyphenhyphenmB9qL4LRgiypcKr3VlDcKb9hNWGQig7yrNCSoyIkRkM20O3wMcYTUG3EfReWd6ytPP6smKkDOM28_W8m6-6W2U30GeZUBgOQ7-qFEGUyXIOci7D6mLhRxHEig/s320/LittleLadyFin-1-791x1024.jpg" width="246" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">One fine day, I realize that my body had started functioning on its own without asking my permission! I had all theoretical knowledge on menstruation such as how it would be accompanied by acute mental and physical discomfort, cramps, back ache, mood swings, irritability etc. But, when it actually happened, reality hit me in my face. It was horrific to accept that it is PERFECTLY normal to bleed for 4 or 5 days! I remember asking my mother whether this would continue in my sleep too... </span></span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">All of a sudden the world around me looked different. I started identifying myself more with my mother. I had to accept that boys are different from girls. Till then, I would have fought till my last breath to prove that wrong. I cursed God for giving women this. I got my sex-education. Once friends started whispering about it, I felt more comforted by the fact that I wasn't alone. </span></span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, there I stood transformed from a girl to a young woman.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy3yhhP5ZSH0P_DlZgVJNDz2cwBW0ohDNeDi4nauG0rtj33_ouUQerIIka7ZfGJw3wv_W7oa7NqtLjLPxfZMqoxCIQV8xRH1GgBogbYbpePdOhypYMK9Kvbd8Y51nO3Y6WuBtMwEj8A/s1600/prepub-thumb-250x314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy3yhhP5ZSH0P_DlZgVJNDz2cwBW0ohDNeDi4nauG0rtj33_ouUQerIIka7ZfGJw3wv_W7oa7NqtLjLPxfZMqoxCIQV8xRH1GgBogbYbpePdOhypYMK9Kvbd8Y51nO3Y6WuBtMwEj8A/s200/prepub-thumb-250x314.jpg" width="159" /></a></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Coming back, to my aunt's call. My heart cried for the kid. 6 year old kid, has to accept that bleeding is normal and if seen her friends would shout "shame shame puppy shame"? She has to bear all the pain, mood-swings, cramps and other discomforts associated with menstruation? Not just that, the physical changes would make her stand out in crowd. How much of emotional distress can a 6 year old child undergo?</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why does this happen? While many researchers opine that obesity,consumption of adulterated food, family related stress, genetic factors etc, may be few of the reasons why early puberty occurs, there is no comprehensively accepted research that has broken ground in this aspect. </span></span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can suggest all theoretical plans to deal with such a situation like, telling your child it is perfectly normal and it is really OK to be so. Love thy body the way it is etc etc. Can I take the same things if Bunni is in that position? I fear not. A hypocrite I am, as of now. But sometimes situations give the necessary strength.</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa', cursive;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fingers Crossed</b>. <b>Prayers</b>. </span></span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><br />
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com97tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-15271025020798345062011-12-19T01:21:00.000+05:302011-12-19T01:21:50.455+05:30The Latent Talent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We had to attend a friend's son's birthday party. We were dressing-up. As I kajal-ed myself, I shifted my focus on the mirror to the background. He looked 'So good!'. Before he caught me, I shifted back my focus. And..,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Me: </b>That jacket looks awesome on you! Why don't you wear that often?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>BH:</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Smiling, as he combed his hair)</span> I often wear ironed T-shirts. That is why.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That answer pissed me off! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the social-gathering, after the cake-cutting formality, we had some free time before lunch. The party hall provided a mike and music system. What more does one need for the fun to start? We sat in the second row corner. A few elderly ladies started off singing some devotional songs. I buried my smart head into the phone. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Oops! did I use the adjective in the wrong place? )</span>. Then, I heard a familiar voice which said "This is straight from my heart..." BH was holding the mike. I looked at an empty seat next to me <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Now, you know that the adjective was certainly in the wrong place before!)</span> He sang "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beqTRIpoos8">Deewana hua baadal</a>" a romantic song from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir_Ki_Kali">Kashmir ki kali</a>. My eyes 'moisturized themselves'. HE SANG SO WELL! I mean it.. His voice.. Hold on the breath.. Shook the ground below me! He looked eye-to-eye, I don't know why? I was feeling shy. :D I thought I liked public display of affection. But..</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There was a roar of applause as he finished. I was proud of him. He never told me he could sing. He always made me sing over phone in our late night calls. Whenever, I asked him to sing he said that singing isn't his cup of tea. I was is no mood to put this under "You lied to me" category. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then, he got a phone call and he went out. Was it my turn to surprise him? ;)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMB2qEyNQ6aNqYsrn9L3VrF_piw2EVmKj6bkQlNsKZLt7o3fOLnshHt-062O3urA7NtC9LZyrunhhdIVsRjD3MAvoD3q787JQejrTJ1vwLnpudgmqeypcxGvmmPH-Ft6yQUYqWEHYfQ/s1600/girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMB2qEyNQ6aNqYsrn9L3VrF_piw2EVmKj6bkQlNsKZLt7o3fOLnshHt-062O3urA7NtC9LZyrunhhdIVsRjD3MAvoD3q787JQejrTJ1vwLnpudgmqeypcxGvmmPH-Ft6yQUYqWEHYfQ/s200/girl.jpg" width="118" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I asked the organizers about the songs they had. I chose some songs with thumpy beats. The first song was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY05I8SZYUA">Yeh ishq haaye</a>" from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jab_We_Met">Jab We Met</a>. The music started, so did rhythmic jingling of anklets. I thought, he should have come back in by now. My eyes were hunting high and low for him. And finally, he entered when the lines were "Poochona Poocho mujhe kya hua hai....". He did not know I could dance, and in front of a packed hall! He smiled. Walked up to the front stage, cross-folded his hands and watched. My heart was already racing like a horse because of the heavy steps of the dance, now it started skipping beats because of the "near" dear one.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The next was a Tamizh song. "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Srb79rcBas">Randakka Randakka</a>" from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anniyan">Anniyan</a>. I do not understand a single word in this song. But, the beats are heart (th)robbing. The introduction bit started, I danced like no one watched. People were shouting their heads-off. My ego boosted, the movements became even more smooth and flexible. I bent backwards in a beat, I saw BH dancing! Next, few seconds I danced like a cat-who-just-got-an-electric shock! But, I regained rhythm quickly. He did moon-walking ('o') Of all people, I never expected him to dance. Even if he danced, moon-walking? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AlGeR2xs-kUwNqbW3uuJy5Ord3P2G1Uc7IytIZk9Vvdwa19Mc5lM2bO6dgojjVz8LNbr8dtVTjfXEu6GvMk9i4q3mR9UW45WUUBmzBr4Bc_uLMpX2o_UTQy2Y3r8YBpEuYsZoKkLEQ/s1600/yellow+dance+1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AlGeR2xs-kUwNqbW3uuJy5Ord3P2G1Uc7IytIZk9Vvdwa19Mc5lM2bO6dgojjVz8LNbr8dtVTjfXEu6GvMk9i4q3mR9UW45WUUBmzBr4Bc_uLMpX2o_UTQy2Y3r8YBpEuYsZoKkLEQ/s200/yellow+dance+1000.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Amazingly, we matched our steps so well for the rest of the song, that I realized, I have a perfect dance partner too. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(dunce me?)</span>. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To my horror! The last step, he took-off the jacket – in style and threw away. "All this style to reveal a creased shirt?? Face-Palm moment arrives!", I thought. Thankfully, he was wearing a wrinkle-free shirt :D He hugged me tight on stage! I was so damn happy about his shirt, I reciprocated. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As we descended off the stage, </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: You never told me you could dance</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: But, I had told you that I would be with you in every "step" of life. And I just lived up to it.</span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com92tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-30628752495583027832011-12-12T02:17:00.003+05:302011-12-12T02:28:45.598+05:30Hither and Twitter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
This is a peek into another window of my world - Twitter. Selected tweets. My favorites. I thought, you may like a few of them. </span></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM8Nno8C67VNYYofrtwMVVYeUmKoT1NL5W_ABizWcbGwhxa3BydVomwB8FfZN1PsWaGeuXDaDW0zODOwefXOnxqRr3abao89EIvoqYNLBD_c0WzqCaJIELG2GrQdR0UNqHa132vHd2g/s1600/twitter-bird-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM8Nno8C67VNYYofrtwMVVYeUmKoT1NL5W_ABizWcbGwhxa3BydVomwB8FfZN1PsWaGeuXDaDW0zODOwefXOnxqRr3abao89EIvoqYNLBD_c0WzqCaJIELG2GrQdR0UNqHa132vHd2g/s200/twitter-bird-2.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />
</div><ol><li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Lying to your girl friend? Two results are possible. You are excused Or Your ex-cussed.</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Love at first sight? Why not? If it is a big plot in a posh locality?</span></span></div></li>
</ol><ol start="3"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">No point in accusing someone of being biased. Every human being on this earth is bi-assed.</span></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">What is 69? Inverted Kama?</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">My husband and I exactly opposite in every-way possible! Even when it comes to love, He loves me, and I love him!</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Birth and Death are the only realities of life, All other incidents in-between are reel-ties.</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Seasons of earth changes because of revolution. Seasons at home changes because of rotation of wife's brain :P</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">What is Loose motion? The condition in which waste disposal unit of the body disposes waste from both outlets in liquid state </span></span><span style="color: #0084b4;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23Chemistry">#Chemistry</a></span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0084b4;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Girls Beware! One inch addition to your perfect figure, you may end up losing curves. 36-25-36 are perfect squares!</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Husband said you are my sweety pie.. I am wondering.. Can numbers be tasted? π (Pi) </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23Math"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">#Math</span></span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23geeky">#geeky</a></span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">How I wish I was a serial killer.. There wouldn't have been mindless emotional drama running over thousands of episodes.</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">If Salman Khan is put in jail, the Khaidi number plate will be attached to his Chaddi!</span> #Shirtless</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">A board outside the house read 'No Parking in front of the gate. If you are a loud-speaker, read the first sentence by flipping letter P'</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Hope a spanner could fix all the loose, 'nuts'. #Pun</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">An orthodox mother said to her daughter "<span style="color: #333333;">Do not low-wear your standards by wearing revealing clothes.</span> "</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">My friend asked me, which day she should have sex to bear a baby boy. I said 'Son'day!</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Yearly nerd catches the book-worm :-D</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Most politicians will lose all their money when they bancorrupt #bankrupt</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Deciding to work out or not, is your life and your weigh ;)</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">My cousin wanted to get a pencil from a stationery shop. I wonder, which shop moves from one place to another. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(barring location shifts)</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Love hurts? Obviously! When you 'FALL' in love, what do you expect?</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">How does one auto rickshaw driver help the other auto driver whose auto has run out of fuel?</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">He 'Toe's the other auto. #Bangalore<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (only people who have seen such a situation can understand. I think.)</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Marriage stands if 'i mar rage' most of the time #Anagram</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Wear helmet or be ready for a 'hell meet'</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">If you sit in an auto rickshaw, you are bound to receive an 'auto-prick-shock' caused by the protruding springs in the seat :D #Bangalore</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Hubby watching the cricket match, explains 'test matches are real 'test' of patience </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">and endurance. And I think 'whose?</span></div></li>
</ol><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">All the above tweets are copywrited to <a href="http://twitter.com/spicy_words">@spicy_words</a>. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">You might have read one or two tweets. That is because, sometimes, when I comment on a post, that tweet-material would have flashed to me.</span></span></div><br />
</div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-48558546337380675542011-12-04T22:28:00.009+05:302012-01-24T00:35:44.397+05:30Letter W<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A guest post to bubbly <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/10745455677676368404">Ashwini </a>of <a href="http://ash-aqua-girl.blogspot.com/">Just The Way I like it</a>. As a blogger, one can understand that she is a voracious reader, balanced and mature headed person. I find myself nodding the head saying "yeah.. Right" reading most of her write-ups. It was an honour to write for your blog Ashwini. Thank you :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The below post is featured <a href="http://ash-aqua-girl.blogspot.com/2011/12/guest-post-letter-w-by-sahana-rao.html">here</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The 23rd letter of the English alphabet. Yes. The letter I do not like to see. A Plagiarist. A Copy-cat. Letter sans individuality. A Parasite. Oh.. Am I calling names? Wait. Wait. Let me explain..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now, go back to your phonetics and voice out "W". Loudly. Now, again. Loudly and Slowly. Did you say "double-u"? Supporters of W, try not using "Letter U" for voicing out "W". Does it have a unique sound? No. It does not. Let us come back to this later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Analyze, how do people write "W", They write 2 'u's or 2 'v's together like conjoint twins. it also depends on 'Letter V' for its survival? And talk of calling this letter out, DA-BAL-U Ufff! It takes 3 syllables! While all other letters in the alphabet take just one. Can anyone explain why we have given this special status to one letter?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Coming back to the phonetics, check out some words. We will now see if "W" can STAND ALONE</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Who? ---- Hu? (Bu.haw.haw. Now it needs "Letter H" also)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHNVny7sBN45JdchNoKe3w_SVD0qGYcqD1-6MVwzzLLN1PrzcpeqRpv4xvfdHSWKL0ECHLmJG5Dp9xI_L6ZQs27r-OlzbiTv83C3rs5k991hqZDzipvUuYu9pTsY8ZVIa89jpKamxcg/s1600/w_104_lg.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHNVny7sBN45JdchNoKe3w_SVD0qGYcqD1-6MVwzzLLN1PrzcpeqRpv4xvfdHSWKL0ECHLmJG5Dp9xI_L6ZQs27r-OlzbiTv83C3rs5k991hqZDzipvUuYu9pTsY8ZVIa89jpKamxcg/s200/w_104_lg.gif" width="165" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Went ---- Vent?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dew ---- Due</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wrinkles --- rinkles (Phew! DEAD...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But, there are minority appeasers everywhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, they reserved W for an important chemical element called Tungsten (where have you heard of this metal's name? Did the BULB on your head glow?) also known as wolfram. So, it occupies the famous periodic table also.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And then, they wanted people to think that "W" has bound the world to make it a global village. They were so desperate to do that, they made us write "w" 3 bloody times when we write a URL (imposition?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Woman, War, Work, Wine - Crucial driving factors of the cycle of life and death in the planet from time immemorial. Still we chose to give them to an underserving "W", which is nothing but a pretender with no originality of its own. And arguably, the most important word in all of our lives "we" although pronounced V, was still given away to W. "V" did get a raw deal here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I here by conclude the argument, that the english vorld should consider jettisoning the obsolete, vasteful letter "uu" and stop it from recking our lives by vilfully reaking havoc. And provide relief and compensation to other affected but more deserving letters of the alphabet.</span></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-86791653132380313892011-11-25T00:05:00.002+05:302011-11-30T23:50:24.685+05:30Does Life Change After Marriage?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvopidW7Eet4yoMIQhs3dYzVcvNpakK0zRpCm-0fyR0KmzuE4_oUdzlLoNKwW_Dg9PKUTmvn1XC98a12_h1jZKJKvx2ltqh55bWFDDTcR-ATabLVXshbUYLJd4IA8SrjNP0puOppQJiQ/s1600/rings-798431.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvopidW7Eet4yoMIQhs3dYzVcvNpakK0zRpCm-0fyR0KmzuE4_oUdzlLoNKwW_Dg9PKUTmvn1XC98a12_h1jZKJKvx2ltqh55bWFDDTcR-ATabLVXshbUYLJd4IA8SrjNP0puOppQJiQ/s1600/rings-798431.png" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hell! YES! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(I did not mean it changes to hell)</span> I always ask back a rhetorical question. Is there any 'time' in your life which has not changed? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here, I consider marriage as living a life with a person under one roof . Some enter marriage with rose-colored glasses and some with yellow-colored glasses. Such colors prevent us appreciating the natural colors of married life. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">No phase of life is a bed of roses. I am not here to paint a beautiful picture. As I understand life, I would vouch for my childhood being the best part of life. But, come to think of it, there were problems, fights, issues which were BIG THEN. If those problems and fights looks small now, don't you think we are doing the mistake of using wrong scale of measurement? I have grown up, so have the problems. Simple. Isn't it funny to expect the problems to remain small as we grow-up into adults?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2gF6WLXc2P26lp8def6SPhONiQ6-INOqUPQLuFwi2GOqpMig4lqnRXe2CCQ1qrNVIW1UHrP5ObEad2HteoC5-0k2FZEbbDCfYcyYc0UywioibDON9UeL_ogBZY1y1eB2WbQ2viWjeA/s1600/seasons-Of-Life-Large-711415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2gF6WLXc2P26lp8def6SPhONiQ6-INOqUPQLuFwi2GOqpMig4lqnRXe2CCQ1qrNVIW1UHrP5ObEad2HteoC5-0k2FZEbbDCfYcyYc0UywioibDON9UeL_ogBZY1y1eB2WbQ2viWjeA/s200/seasons-Of-Life-Large-711415.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">BH is an aquarian. Highly unpredictable by nature. So, I did not have any expectations from him before or after. But there were certain things which I had to make a mental note of, once I started actually living with him.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. How many ever times you meet a person before marriage, you do not know the person fully. Because, when you meet your beloved for a few hours, we try make that 'happy-time'. I do not call that pretense. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(natural behavior to avoid pre-tensions)</span>. After marriage, you get to see the real people. So, there will be many bitter-sweet occasions. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. There maybe many irritating habits <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(irritating to YOU)</span> which you might not have not noticed, like snoring like a bear, wearing not-so-soiled clothes, drinking bed-coffee without brushing teeth etc. etc. You may feel that you cannot tolerate, but slowly mind starts accepting the person along with manufacturing defects.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. No frequent telephone calls, sms-es, lesser kuchhie-mucchiee conversations DOES NOT mean that "<b>you are taken for granted</b>". It just means now your beloved has the privilege to be himself/herself. And that is a luxury! Accept him or her that way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. <b>There WILL be fights and arguments</b>. There has to be. Two different people, different ideas, different thoughts, different way of looking at things will end up having an argument sooner or later. But, as long as you do not get vindictive it is good. Arguing objectively will solve the current problem and deepen the understanding. Let the past ghosts remain in the haunted houses. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. If you think you-two will be "<b>two-body-one-soul</b>", I am sorry to disappoint you, it will not be so. It is a fancy idea to think so. But, later at some point in time you will realize you have lost yourself trying to believe this thought. Couple should complement one another. Differ yet prefer. Celebrate the differences.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8lAG-Jvj59KxDosCBEDCnDzeITw1l2g6yz3CGELTIvS6uhG_5vdxhBxrpKaXYdR2wPBJ6UsSFTQGat88J29Mf0pNAZ8uEYCOeXUg-zalQdgaduXKHS_rBbXtoAUYoB_cHJVQnMXWiw/s1600/online_dating_1_471859315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8lAG-Jvj59KxDosCBEDCnDzeITw1l2g6yz3CGELTIvS6uhG_5vdxhBxrpKaXYdR2wPBJ6UsSFTQGat88J29Mf0pNAZ8uEYCOeXUg-zalQdgaduXKHS_rBbXtoAUYoB_cHJVQnMXWiw/s1600/online_dating_1_471859315.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Change is eternal. Such things make life unpredictable, exciting and challenging. Let us face it rather than cribbing about "How life changed after marriage :("</span><br />
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</div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-1049535899245001182011-11-16T13:27:00.001+05:302011-11-16T13:35:41.543+05:30Dharma and Karma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Two incidents on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">twitter </a>made me write this post here.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Incident 1</u></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was 12.37 AM in the night, BH read a tweet and said "Sh*t! Someone is in great pain and trouble. Lets see how we can help out and ran out of the room." He looked concerned. I ensured Bunni is in deep sleep and closed the door behind me to understand what the matter was. BH showed me these tweets.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRejItyqpGzbCh6ApDEUIGMcFlH7wz3rYRQNRxDJ-DGtb33VrAKx79nB7Af_XUiMZhZYCL54BRVm1l9Mi0vPEo6AYLhlvgG78sSAhsvN-VucHWMeezKz6pjschooviqmRCUy8BNimPvg/s1600/first-few.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRejItyqpGzbCh6ApDEUIGMcFlH7wz3rYRQNRxDJ-DGtb33VrAKx79nB7Af_XUiMZhZYCL54BRVm1l9Mi0vPEo6AYLhlvgG78sSAhsvN-VucHWMeezKz6pjschooviqmRCUy8BNimPvg/s1600/first-few.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He looked for highway police-station numbers in Rajkot, many other police stations numbers in Rajkot. None of the numbers on the net were CORRECT! Damn! While there were other tweeples who were skeptical about this incident. There were many tweets going around. Like why is he trying to reach people on twitter instead of calling family and friends? How is he tweeting with that kind-of injury etc. etc.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">BH cared about none. He tried reaching out to people who were into media, he thought that would garner some help. While few people on his time-line said, that it is a fake-accident and you are wasting time, energy and sleep by thinking of helping him. BH said "We should not miss wood for trees. What if he really needs some help? If he is faking, it is his karma. I will do what I can, that is dharma." I nodded. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By that time, we saw more tweets on the timeline of the <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/yoursachingothi">victim</a>.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHYwfB-mGw5AASGXrX1cIMooR3V-C1_VpwwhkG3Wnp8DTRtC_2iqYYWkBzxEPB9_1y6VD3iUEXDt4GVppP9hf0IWk4dXu_7R7MZK5e8ycxwHRNL6wfbMEQi7E1VWL07WyQzzlJ5G_LQ/s1600/second.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHYwfB-mGw5AASGXrX1cIMooR3V-C1_VpwwhkG3Wnp8DTRtC_2iqYYWkBzxEPB9_1y6VD3iUEXDt4GVppP9hf0IWk4dXu_7R7MZK5e8ycxwHRNL6wfbMEQi7E1VWL07WyQzzlJ5G_LQ/s1600/second.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Ah. Someone helps. I could not have slept on such things. Come lets sleep." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We slept. Next day, he completely forgot. I kept track of this incident. There was a person who believed this was a fake accident. He worked day and night to find out a few things. And tweets from <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Rajput_Ramesh">Ramesh Solanki</a>, Mumbai Secretary, and Gujarat Rajya Sampark Pramukh BVS/SHIVSENA cleared much of the doubts. Here is the snap shot.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF01Z4i9UpuayU4KKTWdf_1liIBjBHkgs-4sLQ0SJr0yg-QLZba8LpxvP8SLD9Ca9FYK8Ssa2oKx7x3aVHyS2jhVzRwRIfn5YA0lk_qE1hrqfbMvWHg6LBauZf9Uy9jQ9LY8G53uMfiA/s1600/truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF01Z4i9UpuayU4KKTWdf_1liIBjBHkgs-4sLQ0SJr0yg-QLZba8LpxvP8SLD9Ca9FYK8Ssa2oKx7x3aVHyS2jhVzRwRIfn5YA0lk_qE1hrqfbMvWHg6LBauZf9Uy9jQ9LY8G53uMfiA/s1600/truth.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was shocked! Why would someone raise such false alarms? Just for some attention? Followers? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Ofcourse, his follower count raised from 93 to 270 during that incident.) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But, I really wanted to believe that the world is naive. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Many people including BH had called 100 and 108 to reach out to this "supposed" victim. Complaint has been lodged to the cyber police with some proofs and official reports by a person on Twitter. I told BH the whole story when he came back.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>BH: </b>As he sows, so shall he reap. Why bother?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Me:</b> Will you help someone like this again after knowing this? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>BH:</b> Yes. Certainly. There are 100s of requests for blood. I <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_979025382">RT </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://support.twitter.com/articles/77606">(Retweet</a> - Twitter lingo - a form of sharing in twitter.)</span> them faithfully, if mine does not match. I have known people personally who have really wanted help. So, I will do my bit by sharing. What happens next, is left to their destiny.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, this matter did end. For us at least. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Incident 2</u></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">18 year old high school student Ashley Billasano tweeted 144 times, in the span of 6 hours before commiting suicide. She had 500 followers! NONE took her seriously?! I do not know the handle of the girl, to paste the tweets. I read this article online. You can read it <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060099/Ashley-Billasano-18-sent-144-tweets-expressing-pain-killing-herself.html">here</a>. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Why did nobody help her? If people like <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/yoursachingothi">Sachin </a>raise false SOS calls. Many would ignore such tweets. Probably. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the ending note, world is a curious mixture of people. So, difficult to take a call on social responsibilities.</span><br />
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</div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-79359377895348223332011-11-03T23:27:00.003+05:302011-11-04T07:36:29.443+05:30See-Yeff-Yell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We recently moved to Aamchi Pune from Namma Bengaluru. So, setting-up a new home and settling down kept me away from the blogger world for quite a long time. Please excuse me if I have missed reading your posts or commenting. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">I joined BH who was in Pune from a month, on Thursday with <a href="http://walkofthoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Bunni">Bunni</a>. The task of making a home from a house began immediately. There was a socket near the dining area whose <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp">CFL </a>had burnt out. We had a spare CFL. I asked BH to fix that for me. He said "I'll take care of it during the weekend. You don't worry"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Saturday: After many subtle reminders, brazen hints and hard-to-miss cues the job was not done by the procrastinator (read <a href="http://walkofthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/09/pro-procrastinator.html">here</a>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Sunday: I fixed the CFL. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">He is such a calm and composed person, evoking reaction from him would be a real-time achievement for me. I thought, "Let me make this BIG" *wink*</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIybzZ7LicjDTSgDqufcjxB5OoChGpAOUb8JJ1Hu-1DA7AnpHO2VNqYO6yiGRTrPtbNwNh7ck6rK-7XWg-knf_vie1gdvs28Eh2bzcFFFZ_R5sZ6L-AassIyUbjl8HZ_GUntFY8rbIMg/s1600/CFLCharlie%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIybzZ7LicjDTSgDqufcjxB5OoChGpAOUb8JJ1Hu-1DA7AnpHO2VNqYO6yiGRTrPtbNwNh7ck6rK-7XWg-knf_vie1gdvs28Eh2bzcFFFZ_R5sZ6L-AassIyUbjl8HZ_GUntFY8rbIMg/s1600/CFLCharlie%25281%2529.jpg" /></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>How I changed the CFL?</b> BU.HA.HA.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">He remained glued to the laptop. The ladder stood proudly in proximity to the changing point, still I dragged the metallic ladder by its leg till the room he was in, with kRRRRR... screeeeeeech noises and then back to the point.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">AND THEN...............</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Every other sentence I used that day, I made sure I conveyed the message that I did HIS work. For that, I had to use a mix of creative juices with shots of sarcasm.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">2.00 PM - during lunch</span></b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>BH:</b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(munching away)</span>I'd do anything for a wife who cooks such luscious rasam and curry with hot-soft rice, it is heavenly.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>Me:</b> Good. Your wife couldn't have got the appropriate ingredients in the masala if the CFL that "I" (stressed) changed hadn't helped.</span></i><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">4.30 PM - after snacks</span></b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>BH:</b> I think we should call a plumber soon. The water-pressure in the tap is very low. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>Me:</b> Ah.. Now I know.. That stupid CFL was not lighting up because electricity for that point was not generated due to the low-water pressure?!</span></i><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">5.45 PM - Watching TV</span></b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>BH:</b> XYZ mutual fund looks a good bet for investment this month. The NAV is expected to rise steeply.</span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4CQhAl36dU5yJGS7xFC81oDRyqeOpxjVGWnVU7i9gdRcHjTZ9XWKNYn87laS9Oktg1AdQuMEWrVMQP5zCLHWzRfZJ5lKTnwfH8ek0HhJN57dqVMm2Xue_3TyFknUqKlzheEY7XDdvw/s1600/Angry-Birds.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4CQhAl36dU5yJGS7xFC81oDRyqeOpxjVGWnVU7i9gdRcHjTZ9XWKNYn87laS9Oktg1AdQuMEWrVMQP5zCLHWzRfZJ5lKTnwfH8ek0HhJN57dqVMm2Xue_3TyFknUqKlzheEY7XDdvw/s200/Angry-Birds.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4CQhAl36dU5yJGS7xFC81oDRyqeOpxjVGWnVU7i9gdRcHjTZ9XWKNYn87laS9Oktg1AdQuMEWrVMQP5zCLHWzRfZJ5lKTnwfH8ek0HhJN57dqVMm2Xue_3TyFknUqKlzheEY7XDdvw/s1600/Angry-Birds.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>Me:</b> There is another company ABC which manufactures the CFL I changed this afternoon. Stocks of that company are also expected to see a rise in value.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">At the end of all these conversations, I looked like a cat that swallowed a canary and he looked like a bird from "angry birds". A silent angry bird I should say. But, I was hungry for more. I had not got any verbal reaction from his side.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Finally at 9.15 PM - Reading newspaper</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">Talking about some teenagers love story which appeared in the news paper,</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: .....and she fell for him..</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: Whaaat? C F elL for him also?</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo, sans-serif;">He rolled the news paper to hit me. I ran giggling away as he chased me till I almost closed the door behind me. He caught me, threw the newspaper down and tickled the hell out of me. GOSH!! I was laughing like a jackass!</span></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com72tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-70679839516931185012011-10-20T15:49:00.019+05:302011-10-21T11:09:27.211+05:30Prenatal Yoga<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;">When I got to know about a contest in <a href="http://www.womensweb.in/" target="_blank" title="http://www.womensweb.in/">Women's Web</a> on <strong><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;"><a href="http://www.womensweb.in/articles/passport-healthy-pregnancy-contest/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Passport To A Healthy Pregnancy</span></a>, </span></strong><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">I decided to plunge in. Writing about that delightful chapter of my life is a gratification by itself.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"> </span><br />
<a alt="Passport To A Healthy Pregnancy" href="http://www.womensweb.in/articles/passport-healthy-pregnancy-contest" target="blank" width="352px"><img src="http://www.womensweb.in/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/p2hpcontestlogosmall.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">That <strike>un</strike>fortunate moment you announce your pregnancy to the world, monsoon sets in for the next few months for the mom-soon </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(person who will moan-soon)</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">. Why? It will be raining with wanted/unwanted information, advices and suggestions from ….ahh probably you cannot guess that. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(Advices have come in public places as well!)</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;"> I would use smile-and-nod umbrella. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">The ante-natal class I attended with BH helped me get complete information on the journey to create life. The </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">obstetrician and her team conducted this class for us. Many <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 12pt;">mis’</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 11pt;">conception</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 12pt;">’s</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #464646; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 12pt;"> </span> about pregnancy were wiped-off. One important factor which helped me physically, emotionally and mentally was YOGA! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">Healthy body, mind and attitude of the mother are critical for the growth and development of the baby. Yoga helped me achieve all these with ease. The first thing that registered in the mind was ‘<b>Pregnancy is not a disease; it is the time to say Cheeese!</b>’ I resolved to give the best I could do, for my baby to develop and grow in my-own-cocoon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">Physically<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10.5pt;">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">9 whole months of pregnancy is all about wait and weight</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(Don’t you think so?)</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">I <b>did not</b> gain more weight than required. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D95gpSKIm5aP-Yv05QGZKXU7M9nbvwgODtg7mBZvDPornlGxZJjyMcd-B4gy_4GAPTGXUJM4hp_ncJAsu1vUiw_iYPG7UQnDzwICNvgL0KBT0hzeqyjqL1W5n0EeNawKqja_QeOVyg/s1600/yogicpose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D95gpSKIm5aP-Yv05QGZKXU7M9nbvwgODtg7mBZvDPornlGxZJjyMcd-B4gy_4GAPTGXUJM4hp_ncJAsu1vUiw_iYPG7UQnDzwICNvgL0KBT0hzeqyjqL1W5n0EeNawKqja_QeOVyg/s1600/yogicpose.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">mage: <a href="http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/cartoon_yoga.html">123rf</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10.5pt;">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">The asanas helped me keep myself flexible, and tone up my reproductive muscles to put up with the stretch and changes </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(The uterus grows almost 500–1,000 times its normal size – ouch! Other organs, bones and muscles need to accommodate the change right?) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10.5pt;">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">Some exercises did help me loosen the pelvic floor muscles which was supposed to mitigate the pain during the labor.(read <a href="http://walkofthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/02/birth-of-mother.html">here</a>) </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(if that pain was </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">LESS</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;"> Asanas were the astras (weapons) I used to beat the common discomforts like backache, swollen legs, calf-muscle cramps, gastritis and many more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">Emotionally<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUiYi0Rlez56GbxpFa3UzKTuTL8DTa4wXGzU7K-POQeLrl-v8Rm0pVPT6ZRjT-7qSnq-NPxzA1B_UyaF5OJBduW83kPVg4MZgoBDxtrB9_J9TM7rTijlE3n54hGBefURcaPVlfsolCw/s1600/meditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUiYi0Rlez56GbxpFa3UzKTuTL8DTa4wXGzU7K-POQeLrl-v8Rm0pVPT6ZRjT-7qSnq-NPxzA1B_UyaF5OJBduW83kPVg4MZgoBDxtrB9_J9TM7rTijlE3n54hGBefURcaPVlfsolCw/s1600/meditation.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: <a href="http://depositphotos.com/5313929/stock-illustration-Yoga-Pregnancy.html">DepositPhotos</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Chivo;">In this go-go-go world, when worries, tensions, apprehensions are so common. Meditation was a real stress-buster.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Chivo;">Breathing techniques helped me during the labor to concentrate on the rolling out the red carpet for my baby rather than the pain<strong><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;"> </span></strong></span><span style="font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(*Inner voice* ‘Big deal!, She rolled on a red carpet like thing inside too’.)</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><u><span style="font-family: Chivo;">Mentally <o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10.5pt;">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Chivo;">I have read some where that, excruciating labour pain is akin to 40 fractures on a single spot, at the same time. The most important preparatory factor in facing up to this pain is ‘Inner-Peace’, which is bolstered by meditation and yoga. </span><span style="font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(Yoga to bear pain? Did you remember Yogi Bear-cartoon? Meee too.. :P)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPrQBlvh_ivso11jU1iw9M-n6k1g9J-7u2nh3Uch3mEwJGvloNIuixHXHIy9l-BP4nuRmcgwsHR6yb0iJRUTMsc8ATfgzCy7Mgvd09-Ylo5q4aJy4yQbjVCGUYefnCMwgOCyMFDA5Mw/s1600/yogibear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPrQBlvh_ivso11jU1iw9M-n6k1g9J-7u2nh3Uch3mEwJGvloNIuixHXHIy9l-BP4nuRmcgwsHR6yb0iJRUTMsc8ATfgzCy7Mgvd09-Ylo5q4aJy4yQbjVCGUYefnCMwgOCyMFDA5Mw/s1600/yogibear.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: <a href="http://www.google.co.in/imgres?q=yogi+bear&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=649&tbm=isch&tbnid=V4tBAfOttINQpM:&imgrefurl=http://www.realbollywood.com/2011/04/yogi-bear-review.html&docid=cXaWFpPDaAAdoM&imgurl=http://www.realbollywood.com/up_images/yogi-bear18032.jpg&w=175&h=259&ei=RgKhTsnkK4_rrQfblvT8Ag&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=115&vpy=179&dur=3995&hovh=207&hovw=140&tx=99&ty=114&sig=109700541207472360890&page=1&tbnh=134&tbnw=110&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0">RealBollywood</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">It is a huge reprieve from fear and anxiety that we face during pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: Chivo;">My two cents finally </span><span style="font-family: Chivo; font-size: 10.5pt;">(or four I should say)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Chivo;">Say yes to Meditation, you may avoid Medication<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">Yoga during pregnancy? YO! Ga-Ga over it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Chivo;">Don’t eat for two, it is too-much! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">(Remember the size of baby, rather its’</span></span><span style="font-family: Chivo;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> stomach) </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Chivo;">Go to a professional trainer. Do not experiment yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: Chivo;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;">Yoga is indeed the 'passport' to healthy pregnancy, helps the baby to 'pass' through the 'port' without a hitch <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">(*wink wink* )</span></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><span style="font-family: Chivo;">PS: I believe being mother is just a ‘state of mind’ for any woman. Just physically bearing child does not make any woman complete. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Chivo;"><br />
</span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-71162168424003292052011-10-11T17:08:00.002+05:302011-10-11T19:00:37.137+05:30War of words<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rikq0c3RkteCFf2lmUtHi-lSvlaK8kMRd85w6w8LdwncfpBTJqGmefbiRlpkXbZklTB5eut5n0RuCxeAnVA2b-VPwZRxlPTXJWQUIU83HT73zR0ZZk0RwxObkf2J5-LjfdVo1ERbOA/s1600/attention.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rikq0c3RkteCFf2lmUtHi-lSvlaK8kMRd85w6w8LdwncfpBTJqGmefbiRlpkXbZklTB5eut5n0RuCxeAnVA2b-VPwZRxlPTXJWQUIU83HT73zR0ZZk0RwxObkf2J5-LjfdVo1ERbOA/s200/attention.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">After a long time, it was one fateful day; I won the war-of-words with BH. He is extremely witty and hence funny most of the times. Winning the war-of-words with him is actually like winning a World level debate competition for me. And all happened on the same day!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">Kissing the trophy and holding out the trophy in my hand, let me present you the 4 episodes which led me to the victory!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Step - 1</span></i></u><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">I was extremely upset with his joyful comment on a sensitive topic and then…</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><b> BH</b>: Why do you take things seriously? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXddjmE7IzugStR2h1eaqthIOErnqXZYIzCcaywfKw4-hz8rq4o896VvZJKMwxrZWpkaHbMojAx3pmpn2jnhn_TgxXw7VFsMfVLByXlOUdsSFE0HNwRTCRdTbf9DubqQIrhgGc2DFpkg/s1600/cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXddjmE7IzugStR2h1eaqthIOErnqXZYIzCcaywfKw4-hz8rq4o896VvZJKMwxrZWpkaHbMojAx3pmpn2jnhn_TgxXw7VFsMfVLByXlOUdsSFE0HNwRTCRdTbf9DubqQIrhgGc2DFpkg/s1600/cow.jpg" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>Me: </b>I can’t be light hearted all the time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>BH:</b> Oh yeah right.. Women after marriage become heavy, so does the heart..</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: He he. Very funny </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: LOL.. LOL.. Even you agreed when you laughed. You should have laughed saying ‘She-She’ why did you choose ‘He-He’?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: That’s because the joke was bad! </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><i><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">And the next - 2</span></u></b></i><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">He stopped as he walked past the mirror, smiled and..</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: Don’t you think you are very lucky? Whenever, I see my reflection I feel that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: Ahh! Stop using my eyes as mirror. You will forget the whole world!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Ahh almost there - 3</span></u></i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Rarely does he brag. But, this was one of the rarest of the times..</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: People like me wherever I go. Everyone in college knew me. I had female fan following also. People came to me; in fact they still come to me with their problems, I could solve their problem just like that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: Ok. Ok. Cool. Sit down. Go back to your memories of third standard science lessons. The earth revolves round the sun, not you! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Final Blow - 4</span></i></u><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Back from office, after a hectic day, both of us had missed out on the days’ happenings. We switched on the news channel to know the news. And after few minutes,</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>BH</b>: This paid media! Never give the exact news, they give their opinions. All of them are biased!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b>Me</b>: Hmm.. I was just wondering.. Isn’t everyone bi-ass-ed?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||SCREEN CLOSES|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHF_W1oj14ec-MXZE6Ayks92P3WaIfszV5HTHZf5Y3RIAAHMJIsvO3_ht9m5AIJZHTzSjfWYjtvm5uOEf91e6ttc2iqsgu5wncbY-AVPs1iboVStc9-Op32giVczj76fRCG7m7VDhyphenhypheng/s1600/haha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHF_W1oj14ec-MXZE6Ayks92P3WaIfszV5HTHZf5Y3RIAAHMJIsvO3_ht9m5AIJZHTzSjfWYjtvm5uOEf91e6ttc2iqsgu5wncbY-AVPs1iboVStc9-Op32giVczj76fRCG7m7VDhyphenhypheng/s1600/haha.jpg" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">With ROARING Applause in the background, I humbly utter “Thank you, Thank you!” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-58472610043606504322011-09-23T15:37:00.010+05:302011-09-28T14:44:44.194+05:30Damn Him!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">I had to work late, so I stayed back at my parents’ place. It was 10 PM. The door bell screeched. Amma opened the door, a man in early 40s entered.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">My face turned cold with the anger. His sight had fanned the dormant flame of ferocity. I stood there staring in his face! <strike>Bloody</strike>! He did not have the cheek to face me. My body language did lay a guilt trip on him. He lowered his head as he walked past me. (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">His head was so much bent that he might have licked the floor as he went)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">A rush of memories came back to me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihewI5fDL2Twx6QwO2MlBuqGwKV5bodsrdKtTrvTMwe5V9FzxKxrjD5lWTVys5AU8RUqHnsmJ3Pu716hBOAcEYsnSnKrfakeubSJn0lx8F6UtlRqIjISq-aebM9kf0EFwuC1YydF20UA/s1600/girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihewI5fDL2Twx6QwO2MlBuqGwKV5bodsrdKtTrvTMwe5V9FzxKxrjD5lWTVys5AU8RUqHnsmJ3Pu716hBOAcEYsnSnKrfakeubSJn0lx8F6UtlRqIjISq-aebM9kf0EFwuC1YydF20UA/s200/girl.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">We lived in a rented house. We were the only family who lived in the city. So, any soul from the family who visited the city would find an accommodation in our house.I was an <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">eight </span>year old girl.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">I came back home after playing cricket. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(yes, you read that right)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_eARSRLKCBbO9MrNVtDkwjJS5sLYvFz3mQqU4j5EWHlimKZxdCCg3HCPJMQ4wip_WW5qnbgWluf-wSmI2M2hdbrh_ESkcCLKgqmHSPCCytzFw1n0CdvJDcHy4gV_OOyipAiDPPYYUw/s1600/cartoon-of-frightened-couple-vector.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_eARSRLKCBbO9MrNVtDkwjJS5sLYvFz3mQqU4j5EWHlimKZxdCCg3HCPJMQ4wip_WW5qnbgWluf-wSmI2M2hdbrh_ESkcCLKgqmHSPCCytzFw1n0CdvJDcHy4gV_OOyipAiDPPYYUw/s200/cartoon-of-frightened-couple-vector.jpg" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">Amma had gone out to bring provisions and vegetables. Then, a man in late twenties came home.A so-called relative. I used to hate this person. During earlier visits, he took me and my brother out to get us juice and chocolates. Then, he used to send my brother home and he tried holding <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(read touching)</span> me in a wrong way. His grip was too strong for me. I used to shout, or find some other way to run away from him.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">I was scared to tell this to my parents. What if they don’t believe me? I did not even know what his intentions were. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(There was nothing like sex education then. It was a taboo.) </span>I just knew that I was feeling uncomfortable. Whenever he found me alone, he asked so many questions of which I remember a few like “Do you know the part of my body which can turn hard with your help?” “Do you know why saree is removed in rape scenes?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">I did not know the answers to the questions then. I skedaddled literally. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O7xX9BMX82ZNQTUJ0RH1p-1ja4kPCskui9pv40CHazocUXj0WB8jlPyaJjZSLocb6iVvbwca7DqatwYaCQHxoa-TipbBDmIajby8bBcKlWDTUzUrh0wPRQrVreqGyWRPZdwQ1B9Y9g/s1600/gargamel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O7xX9BMX82ZNQTUJ0RH1p-1ja4kPCskui9pv40CHazocUXj0WB8jlPyaJjZSLocb6iVvbwca7DqatwYaCQHxoa-TipbBDmIajby8bBcKlWDTUzUrh0wPRQrVreqGyWRPZdwQ1B9Y9g/s320/gargamel.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">That day, when he came I ran into the room; started reading some class notes. My brother was also coloring something in his drawing book. He came in, he said, he is the heaviest person there. Both of us ignored his comments. Then, he said he can prove it, he just put me down and fell on me. My brother was just 5 years old then, I don’t know what thoughts came into his mind, he just lifted a small iron chair and he hit on this man’s head! He cried in pain and ran into the bathroom. We both were shit scared, and we ran out of the house and landed in my neighbors’ <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(we thought he would<span id="goog_481216551"></span><span id="goog_481216552"></span> die :D) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">By the time my mother came, things were normal. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">In the later days, I somehow managed to keep away from him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">After we moved into our own house, I rarely saw him. I did not attend any of the social gatherings which had a probability of him coming. Years rolled. He has two kids now. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Girls!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">Now, things make sense. I can comprehend his questions and intentions. I am sad, that I did not tell my parents then. But, I was really scared; of what? I don’t know. But, I am happy, that these incidents did not bear an impact on my innocent brain;to brand the whole male clan as sex-maniacs. I told Amma about the dirty man when I was in 15. She was extremely angry that I did not tell her at the right time. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><u>After thoughts</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">I really wonder how many girls went through such abuses in mute helplessness. Now, that I have a daughter, I don’t know how and when I should start sex education. I really fret.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">Some ideas which I can think of are,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Train her on self defense.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Tell her repeatedly that getting scared or acting like you are scared; is NOT girlish. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">3)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Tell her to keep distance when she talks to men. Not to encourage touch and talk. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">4)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Encouraging her to share the most embarrassing moments also with you, may be then we can take them into confidence. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(this did not work in my case)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">5)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Never let your girl child alone with men <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(sans really trusted ones like her father)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">What else can be done? What do you think I should do that dirty man?</span></div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158145492382356089.post-10188392366821086732011-09-16T13:22:00.008+05:302011-09-28T14:33:39.542+05:30The "Pro"crastinator<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u>Sunday Evening.</u></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps'; font-size: 18px;">I returned from my parents’ place where I had chosen to put my feet up and chill out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwLTQin4R5iCw00kEjbd7YCWoWNAKBi6yD5muvbUYFBKV_l-qbBdLL0IA4I8ZE5iaz_V5-mtWuhX_WhDvnM1O14MWJrDiuswVApTWLoYQom_sXDeh1Qe1DDTkZTO9PHPqs_VBMeX8Fg/s1600/clothes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwLTQin4R5iCw00kEjbd7YCWoWNAKBi6yD5muvbUYFBKV_l-qbBdLL0IA4I8ZE5iaz_V5-mtWuhX_WhDvnM1O14MWJrDiuswVApTWLoYQom_sXDeh1Qe1DDTkZTO9PHPqs_VBMeX8Fg/s1600/clothes.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">As I stepped into the room, I was shocked to see a dull-colored hill of clothes lying all over the bed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">The mercury level in my brain shot up! My head turned into a pressure cooker, I turned around to see BH welcoming some guests at the door.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> ('aaj BH bach gaya' I thought)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">Closed the door of the room, I did not want them to see what I saw. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;">Status:</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black;">Like the cat hides its litter, I veiled the view of the hill.</span></i></span></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u>Sunday Night</u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I did not want to clear the clothes this time. I wanted BH to clear the mess on the bed. I made some space on the bed, pushed the clothes to a ‘HIS’ side of bed and closed my eyes. He came, he cuddled, and he slept. We BOTH slept in ‘MY’ side of bed. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(come on, It was not the moment to push him off. **Awww.. Those cuddles**)</span></span><br />
<blockquote><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><b><i><span style="color: black;">Status:</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: 800;"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black;">Now the hill had grown taller because the base area occupied was smaller.</span></i></span></span></i></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u><br />
</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u>Monday Morning</u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I decided I will voice it out. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Me: </span></b>How long will these clothes lie unattended?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">BH:</span> </b>Don’t start off on a Monday morning. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(Typical ‘morning morning’ philosophy) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I zipped my mouth.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;">Status:</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black;">His clothes, wet towel </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(yuck!!)</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black;"> added to the mighty mountain. (Hill -> mountain)</span></i></span></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u>Thursday Evening</u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I thought, let me not nag, and let me lend a helping hand. He sat watching some sport on TV.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Me:</span></b> Even I will help you; let us clear off the mess in the room now. Switch on your **Dhan Dhan** playlist on the computer. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(Hard rock music is not of my taste, I feel someone is bombarding rocks on my head. By suggesting what he likes, I thought I am considerate enough)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">BH: </span></b>You don’t like to see me sit and relax. Do you? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(A stare)</span> I will clear that someday in this week.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Me:</span></b> ‘Someday’ is not a day in any week!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">Then silence crept in. </span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><i><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span style="color: black;">Status:</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">The Mountain had grown bigger in girth and had risen few meters above sea level.</span></span></i></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u><br />
</u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><u>Saturday Evening</u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I don’t like nagging. But, when things don’t seem happening.. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>Me</b></span>: Please, let us clear off the clothes today. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">BH:</span> </b>I am tired. Had hectic work at office this week, this weekend has come as a blessing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Me:</span></b> I have read somewhere “Nothing is as fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">BH:</span></b> Then, that is enlightenment. I don’t want to get more tired.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;">Status:</span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="color: black;">The Mountain was almost touching the ceiling fan!!</span></i></span></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I sorted the clothes and cleanly organized in his cupboard, put for a wash or sent it for pressing. It took me an hour. He came into the room after some time. He hugged. I expected a verbal admiration from him.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">(which I did not get)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">I suddenly remembered, ‘We had to renew our car insurance. I think it is expired!’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">He said ‘Don’t worry. The mountain isn’t over your head always’ *wink*</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">Post mortem of the incident made me understand him and others better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKPr2Bk22O6oXwnpTuMoc87DzKhl6LPSIBxROC_8NvdDibEclQ663doc7XWBB8cvxBGSPxZ5XiN2UX2mwDID44Ktkml1hM8LPFmlf2af4TbNkjBkVNxgHChOy0I1ERifEaX3QKxTIoA/s1600/killer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKPr2Bk22O6oXwnpTuMoc87DzKhl6LPSIBxROC_8NvdDibEclQ663doc7XWBB8cvxBGSPxZ5XiN2UX2mwDID44Ktkml1hM8LPFmlf2af4TbNkjBkVNxgHChOy0I1ERifEaX3QKxTIoA/s1600/killer.jpg" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Someone is hardwired to be<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/procrastinator"> procrastinator</a> by nature, works only when the sufficient pressure is built. </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Putting off an unimportant task isn't essentially procrastination: it may just be good prioritization!</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Someone may find a particular task unlikable. Hence, they avoid. Even if I tend to share the same feeling, may be we should work it out. Both of us should give-in alternatively.</span></span></li>
</ul><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Delius Swash Caps', sans-serif;">Don’t tell me that you would do it ‘someday’:P</div><div class="MsoNormal"></span><br />
</div></div>Sahana Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313761460595189822noreply@blogger.com85