Life goes on...there are days when I am hit by nostalgia and I  revisit my blog and some of my blogger pals...Renuji, IHM, Mampi , Balvinder, D , Nancy (Reflections) ,Ki jaana main kaun, Mishy-Piper....and many more. There are so many blogs which I can no longer access..they seemed to have disappeared...Mampi, Blavinder and many more...I wonder if you all are still around in blog-sphere ?

This is just to tell you...I do think of you all. I no longer remember how to tag people, pictures etc..guess will pick it up once am back. Shout a hi if you drop by..

Aaj phir tumhari yaad ne dil ko dastak dee hai
Aaj phir tumhari awaaz ne pukara hai
Haule se mera dil yeh kehta hai
Tu aaj bhi mujhe bahut pyaara hai....

Ditch the Drive !

So I decided to pick my daughter..Nothing spectacular, my daughter has experienced this chauffeur- driven service from me all her life! But you see, this time round I was grumpy, irritated and just did not want to drive. So off I  went in my new car, speeding down BKC- one of the few, make it very very very few,  roads in Mumbai where you can go above 30km/hr. After innumerable wrong left turns, right turns and U turns I finally manage to locate the place. I crawled at 5km/hr trying to locate the main gate/ watchman/ ANYONE on the deserted road on a hot summer day at 2pm.

As I kept crawling and looking around, I heard a CRUNCH..Stop! I braked hard..there really was no need to press hard on the brakes, the car was barely moving!..Suddenly the world acquired a different dimension! . It took me a few minutes to realise that the front tyre had gone in a ditch and the car was tilted and balanced like a poised gymnast on one of those crossbars !I gingerly opened the door and stepped out , at the same time trying not to dislodge it from its current position.

Did I mention that the road was deserted ? Well, suddenly a few people came on the road, helpful drivers a couple of rickshawallahs, watchman etc.
 Most of them tutted. " Arrey Madam..Kay Kartos Tumhi "? (What have you done ) "You did not see the ditch? There is a piece of ply laid across it."
Thank you ! I fumed internally. Piece of ply on the ditch ! How the hell was I supposed to know that the harmless piece of ply had a gaping hole underneath.

"You will have to call a tow-chain" quipped one driver
"Abhi kidhar se aayega. Madam park karo aur Jao..Driver ko bhejo apna" , suggested another.
"No no  Just call your husband"
Suggestions were flying fast and furious. I looked helplessly at one of them and said'"Why don`t we all try pulling it out. Just help me push it."
Half of them vetoed the idea outright." Nahi Hoyega..No.  Call  the Tow chain."
One enterprising fellow demanded that I hand over the  jack and he would some how try to rescue my perfectly balanced car...Amongst all this commotion a young driver walked up.

"Stop now all of you. I am getting in the car and we are 7 of us.. So just lift the front and I will manage it."
He got into the car and lo! behold in a couple of minutes the car was back safe on the road.
" Not too bad. Only the Mudguard scratched a bit." said a helpful soul
I blew a sigh of relief. I thanked him and said , "Main toh bahut darr gayi" ( I got really scared)
He looked nonchalantly " Why ? It was an accident. Its just a car. You are safe na ? Call your husband now. He will be happy to know you are safe."
I looked at him .Thin, scruffy fellow in dirty jeans and old faded striped shirt. He walked back to his car and drove off.The crowd of 6 soon dispersed..as suddenly as it had assembled.

Moral ? Why did I write this incident ?
To highlight :
Apathy of the so called educated lots who drove away in their air-conditioned cars without a glance ?
Apathy of the government..At a higher speed or late evening this ply covered ditch could be a disaster?
Gratitude for these so called uneducated drivers who rush to help out people ?
Wonder at the wisdom of the young man ? Its just a car ! You are safe..

Go figure!

Aaj phir tujhe bhulane ki koshish ki hai
Aaj phir se nayi raah dhoondne ki koshish ki hai
Koshish Karne par toh  bhagwan bhi mil jaata hai
Shayad is liye ek baar phir ek nayi  koshish ki hai....

Faasle

Yaad bhi aati hain tumhari,

dil be kehta hain baat karoon ,

Faasle magar badh gaye itne

ki baat karun bhi to kya karoon.

None of it matters

Mumbai Voter turnout- 45%....Such a shame!

One of the most popular , rich, urbane city, the economic capital of India , city of dreams...none of it matters. Peace march, candle march, angry outbursts..none of it matters...terrorist attacks, slums, horrible infrasrtucture, roads caving in ,skyrocketing prices...none of it matters..

What matters is the break you can take..long weekend..Alibagh, Lonavala,Ganpatiphule here we come..and the ones with deeper pockets..USA, UK, Spain, Australia..

And it is so so so HOT! The temperatures are soaring and we can`t step out in this heat to like vote or something..Puhleeze..

Such a shame. I am ANGRY..Mumbaikars or is it Bombayites ( whatever) have stuck to what they are great at..APATHY..Mumbai always bounces back and it has and how...we loose, we suffer, we cry , we forget and we move on and then go for a holiday to regain our spirits..vote? For what? For whom? Forget it ! It`s a fabulous opportunity to take that much needed break..Anyways if a couple of us don`t vote it hardly matters...

But it does..And it`s a shame that educated people are the ones who have chosen to ignore their right and power..

Ji Nahi Karta

Baatein hain bahut si ,

Par kissi se kehne ko ji nahi karta.

Ajab se mod par hain zindagi ,

Par kadam uthane ko ji nahi karta.

Jaanti hoon ,tum ho paas

Phir bhi ,haath badhane ko ji nahi karta.

Kya yahi hai Zindagi ?

Jawab jann ne ko bhi , ji nahi karta.

So Coool

A bright, sunny ,lazy Sunday afternoon.
I was driving and humming, with my daughter T and her friend N sitting and chatting away in the backseat.I let their constant chatter wash me over and continued driving and humming. Suddenly, got interested when I heard T say.."At least One we should get."
I turned and smiled, “ What do you want T?”









T ,smiling beatifically, "A fracture Mamma.”
"Fracture? Are you mad?"
N :"Aunty ,it is sooo cool.”
"Cool? A fracture? It`s painful!”
T and N both insisted that it was more cool than painful.
"Mamma When I get a fracture , I will get a plaster. And then All my friends are going to write on it. And N will stick that Barbie sticker for me and she will even draw smileys, and a butterfly too!"
N " Ya, I will. And if I get it first, then T will do it for me.I want it on my leg."
T : ' Hmm. I prefer the arm."
N: "And you know Aunty ,my brother is getting braces."
T :"So lucky na? I wish I would get them. Mamma ,don`t you think I need at least plates? See this tooth. Its all crooked.”
"So?”
"Please Mamma ,can I get braces. Please. I want the blue ones."
N : "No don`t take blue. Take green or pink. My brother is getting Blue. My mamma says I can`t get them because theres Nothing wrong with my tooth!"
I glanced through the rear view mirror and saw two long faces!
So unhappy that they have perfect teeth and No broken limbs.
The pressure of being uncool is getting on. Sigh!




pic courtsey : http://www.prevention.com/
www.superstock.com/

B+

Hi..I have been playing truant (for a genuine reason though! ),for a while.I am back now and look forward to happier times this year.

I really don`t know what to write (psst writers block? Well you need to be a writer to experience it and I ..stop digressing!). Ok first thoughts first. I read somewhere that Negativity sells. The more negative are your views and comments ,the more popular you would be .First step to Success starts from negativity in approach,thinking and action.

This year I want to debunk this theory. I am going to focus on goodness and positivity.

To start with a happy note. I have been on the comp since 15 minutes and trying to remember any good deed done by me..I have a list ready! Good. Now , let me start with thanksgiving and make a list of good deeds done by others. Zilch.

I am still thinking..Hmmm Its begining to dawn on me that how easy it is ,to recognize the goodness in ourselves. and how difficult to look for it in others!

Yipee! Remembered a good deed. I have lived in Mumbai for 16 years but NEVER boarded the Local train. I had to reach town (read South Bombay-don`t get me on as to why it is town ;-) ) and was running late. So I called up a friend who is a frequent traveller. She gave me detailed instructions. Like:

Get down from the rickshaw at the station(Yeah!)

Walk towards the left and you will reach a ticket counter (Yipee!)

Buy a 2 way ticket-second class its cheaper.(I need to penny pinch-what with recession,terrorist attacks and what not)

Walk out and go in.

Walk to the left,climb the overbridge(not so easy ..get ready to shoved and pushed and elbowed)

Get down on the left again and wait for the train (Whoosh..not so bad haan)
But the minute I reached the platform I was lost. I wanted to board the ladies compartment and didnt know where to wait. (Remember most locals halt for 30 secs)

I walked upto a group of young college girls apprehensively.

" Errr.. Excuse me. Where do I wait for the ladies compartment , second class?"

One of them looked at me pathetically and pointed vaguely, "There."

I was lost. Suddenly, I felt a firm hand on my elbow. I turned and saw a smart lady in kurta jeans, kohl in eyes ,carrying a folder. She firmly pushed and took me ahead. We boarded the train easily. Then she went about her calls.

Just as the train was chugging in at my station, she got up and motioned me to follow her. She asked my destination,andasked me to follow her. All this while she was on her phone. I tried to match her brisk steps . Soon we were out and she pointed the taxi stand. She turned, smiled,waved and just melted in the crowd. I stood stupefied for a minute and then moved on.

There is not much to this incident but it revived my faith in human goodness and kindness. I didn`t know her from Adam`s ,yet she extended a helpful hand. Life is indeed an echo and everything does come back.

So go on this year , help someone just for the heck of it, don`t expect anything in return. It will anyways come back to you.

Cheers! Have a year full of love and compassion .

pic courtsey http://www.mobilephun.com/, india.targetgenx.com

Mera Bharat Mahaan !

Had to share this with you all...

A roadside vendor at the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar)charged two foreigners -hold your breath-- Rs.10,000 for 4 samosas! He claimed that they were full of healthy herbs. The gullible foreigners paid but they shared this piece of transaction with ---guess who?? A police officer! The good officer promptly walked upto the vendor and got the hapless consumers a refund of Rs.9,990.

All I can say.It happens only in India :-)

pic courtsey www.finestspice.com

Tit for Tat

A couple of days back my 10 year old daughter T came running to me.
“Mamma”, she screamed.
“What happened T?”
“Mamma you know what? That A has hacked into my account. She is really mean.”
T has an account with some site for little girls. They get to choose a buddy and play various games to earn points. With those points they can buy accessories for their buddy-clothes, shoes, makeup, household stuff etc etc. She is hooked to the site and so are many of her friends.

“T please! I am not interested in your stupid buddies.”
“Mammma but you know what A did? She hacked my account! She has spent all my hard earned points and bought very expensive dresses for my buddy. Imagine 2000 for one small dress! (I was thrilled! Good ,my daughter values money-even if it is virtual!). And she sold Tia`s (her buddy) clothes and accessories in a yard sale. And now Tia wears a horrible purple dress with dirty, soggy, hairy boots. She looks Yuck!”
I grinned. “It`s ok T.”
“No its not. How would you feel if someone did that to your child? “She demanded tearfully.
I realized that this was really important to her. I sat and asked her why was she so upset.
“You can earn the points back”, I told her gently.
“Do you know how much I have to work for it? It`s not easy. Come and see my Tia”,said T .
We went to the site and sure her Tia and her surroundings were in shambles. I got enraged too. How dare anyone do that to my dear T. I fumed and seethed.
“How did she hack? Did you tell her your password?”,I screamed.
“Yes. All my friends share their passwords”, said T in all innocence.
“Well Rule no.1 -you should never ever tell your password to anyone”, I said firmly.
“Not even your best friend?
“No. No one.”
“Not even Mamma?”
“Well Mammas should be told everything.”I stressed.
“Ok”. (How long will this implicit trust long, I sometimes wonder)
“Well, let`s try to change your password.”
But to our dismay there was no such option! You could however change your account and get a new buddy.
“No I want Tia only”, grumbled T.
I tried to convince her but she stood her ground.
“Ok, Tit for tat then. You know A`s password right. Now you, spoil her buddy. Let her get a taste of her own medicine.”
T was excited and went about her destructing spree gleefully.
Later at night she came and rattled off a list of things she had done. “I organized a yard sale and sold her buddy`s sofa, bed, jacket, fur boots etc. I made her buddy wear the old, soggy ,hairy boot!”.We both laughed heartily.
Just as she got up she said,” You know Mammma after all this I feel sad for A.”
I was taken aback for a second but soon forgot about it as got busy with my own things.
Yesterday T called out ,” Mamma come see my new buddy –Susan.”
“New buddy! How come?”
“Mamma I felt bad for A. I didn’t like it when she acted mean to me. Even she would have felt bad no? And if I also behave like her, then what is the difference between her and me?And you know what? She called this morning and said sorry. So I told her let us stop doing all this. We both are losing our pretty things and points. She agreed. So no more fighting! And now I have 2 buddies!”.
I looked at her beaming face and hung my head in shame.

ps.. If only we and our leaders would learn from this simple incident and stop our hate tirades ,the world would be so beautiful!

picture courtsey-toys.about.com

Closure

I lost my Mother-in-law a few days back..October 5th to be precise.She went very peacefully and suddenly. Good karmas everyone tells me. "What ever happens happens for the best".. I have been spouting such gems for years but honestly cannot relate to it right now. What`s good about her death?
I miss her terribly. Much as I would love to paint her as Lalita Pawar ka avtaar( I some times did too) , she was always there for us. Our morning tea time ,where we would discuss(read-bitch) about our nalayak servants,good for nothing relatives,the dumb tailor who always ends up messing our clothes,sometimes even our spouses and their so many shortcomings, was our real time together. I wonder who would even care to listen to my Bai-woes ,now that Mummy is gone?
Every afternoon she would come and peer at my computer while I checked mails or surfed. She would look at all the pictures on facebook and continued to be amazed with the fact that I could actually talk to my sister or sister in law far away.I turn and look back even as I write.She is not there.
There was a ritual where being the only bahu I had to give her a bath and drape a red saree around her. I had given her a bath umpteen number of times in the past, when she was sick. Nothing new, still I was shattered. She was ice cold, wouldn`t move, respond or even tell me that the water is cold. My friend says it is an important part as it is a kind of closure. You are made to accept that they are gone.
What closure? I don`t understand it. I know she is dead, I have touched her hard ,ice cold body and I know she is gone. But I still wait for her to return back from her card party. I still peep in her room, I almost hear her calling me out. Hell , I even made a cup of tea for her this morning at ten.
Closure my foot.