Where have I been!!

Well, I’ve been away from the blogging circuit for quite some time! Don’t know whether I was missed!

Well the reason I was away might sound weird and strange to a few.. and yet a few may identify with it too!

College days are coming to an end! And life’s never going to be the same again! Thankfully, most of my friends are placed and hence, we decided that we’d spend every single minute that we possibly can – Together! – doing and bettering things we’ve done in the last one and a half years –

Idle strolls around the college,

Chai at tapri,

Finding out new places to eat out at (be it a new restaurant or the latest tapri to join the already existing clutter),

Finally executing all the trips we had meticulously planned out over the months and for some reason, they never happened…

Then of course, there was Symbi Olympics…

The new year's eve…

Lohri celebrations...

V-Day,

Holi…

And what not…

And when we didn’t have any reason to celebrate, we were looking for reasons to and that took quite sometime too!

And yet, when we still found no reason, that was a reason good enough too – running out of reasons!! 

The last few months I’ve seen how the groups have considerably dissolved (down with Groupism!!), how some of us are really eager to get back to the corporate world and yet how a lot of us are dreading that! Most people’s status messages read – “the best days of my life coming to an end!” or “I’ll miss u guys!!” and so on! People are uploading pics on various networking sites about “life @ Symbi” and the likes… Suddenly, no one wants to bunk classes because we aren’t sure when again in life will we experience the joy of sitting in a class – passing messages, kicking someone’s shoes around the class, kicking a friend’s chair while he/she pretends to be attentive, tickling someone, pulling someone’s hair, scribbling love notes (class notes are passé!!), looking at the clock every 5 minutes wondering when the lecture will get over, sleeping with our eyes open (the art we’ve so mastered!) or just stealing glances at our secret crush!

All this and soooo much more is what kept me busy the last few months! Hope, I’m excused for my inexcusable absence!

HOME, THAT OUR FEET MAY LEAVE, BUT NOT OUR HEARTS!!

(Note: The article was written sometime during my summer break at home this year. Have been too lazy to upload it! But I guess… better late than never!)

Well, the mornings have never been more pleasant and the evenings, more beautiful. The summers seem to be fun for a change. The heat, humidity or even the power cuts do not distress! The food’s never tasted better, the mangoes have never been sweeter, and the maverick dust storms, sometimes followed by a deluge are an absolute delight. Everything seems right this day. Coz I am finally “HOME”. :) The scuffles with my brother over what to watch on TV, my mother chasing me in circles eager to impart me cooking lessons, and my father’s indifference to all of this – it’s all back! Going on long drives, eating gol guppas from the shop round the corner, going on an ice cream date with parents late at night , playing cricket on the terrace, going shopping for vegetables, watering plants in the garden, and of course, lazing around, doing nothing – now that’s some routine! Watching 5 flicks simultaneously on television with endless cola supplies, cooking Maggi at 3 in the night, and then there’s the dog licking your feet at 6 in the morning telling you that it’s time to take it out on a walk… well the joy is unparalleled!

To some, the routine might sound all too familiar, to some, even a bore. But I look forward to this part of the year (the day when I go back home) each day with ineffable anticipation and excitement. 7 years away from home have taught me one of the greatest lessons in life – ‘Greatest happiness in life comes from small things! So, take time to enjoy the small things in life for one day they will be the big things you wish you could have back!’

Disclaimer: The article has been written with no mal intent. The writer is not to be blamed for stirring up any nostalgic feelings and consequent emotional intoxication!

Mum's the Word :)

I must have sent innumerable thank you cards and messages to countless people I’ve known, sometimes even to people I’ve barely and rarely known! Until, one of these days, it struck me, that there is someone to whom a “thank you” note has been long overdue! Someone whom I’ve always loved a lot (expressed so on many a occasions too), someone who has always put me before herself, someone who has been my support system all along and yet someone whom I’ve taken for granted a lot of times, someone who has had to bear the wrath of one of my terrible mood swings (for which she’s never been responsible!), someone I call Ma, Mom, Mummy – my bestest friend!! A thank you note to Mom?? I had to think of something better! Maybe a holiday in Goa! And that’s how Go Goa finally got going!

The whirlwind water sports, the beachside gupshup, the temple tour, the pristine churches were the order of the day. It was the beach and the sea that had us really excited! We spent the entire day at the beach - enjoyed parasailing, jet skiing, the “bumpy bumper” ride and then, just the sea waters… and yet at the end of the day, felt that we could come back to the shore each day for the rest of our lives! The rendezvous with the seemingly endless stretch of water was a treat! The surprise though was the innumerable temples our guide took us to, across Goa. Temples in Goa – not something I had the faintest idea about! And how can I forget the Dona Paula beach! Mummy had made it very clear at the start of the trip that she wouldn’t return without a visit to the beach where the famous “Ek Duje ke Liye” was shot. She even spotted the rock from which the actress jumped off to her death in the movie. Wo! She sure acted like a teenager that time. And I was all smiles! :)

And just like all good things come to an end, so did this. I had the time of my life, and I am hoping so did ma. Love you mom! Life wouldn’t have been what it is without you, and I wouldn’t have been what I am, without you!

The Sunset...

         The waves rushed excitedly towards her. They kissed her feet, tickled her. She smiled, then laughed. Then turned, and walked away. The waves followed her for some distance. But she didn’t care. The waves beat a lowly retreat. The sea pulled them back to where they belonged. She returned to the shore the next day. She set the pulse of the waves racing again. They returned to her. She smiled, then laughed. Then turned and walked away. The waves tried, in all desperation, to reach out to her. But she was colder than she seemed. She didn’t care. The vast sea drew in the waves and pushed them to a distant shore.

         She returned to the shore. The waves were conspicuous by their absence. The sea withdrew. She stood there cold and numb. A lonely tear rolled down her cheek. She smiled, forced a laugh. And then, she turned and walked away. None to follow her. None to reach out to her. She kept walking, oblivious of where the path led her. She returned to the shore, each day, thereafter. To undo what she did. She couldn’t. She stood there, long and cold. As the evening drew closer, she could see the sun setting down on her…