Once a mom forever a superwoman

Once a mom forever a superwoman!

Yesterday evening I saw my bhabhi (sister in law) teaching her both kids age group 4 yrs and 2.5 yrs together and was amazed on how she would react all excitedly saying GOOD GIRL to both d girls time and again every time they wrote something and looked up to see their mom’s face for assurance. My younger neice tried the same with me and I got tired in a couple of times repeating the comment GOOD GIRL.

2 generation's of mom's in this pic!

It was then it struck me after school time that motherhood is such a difficult and never ending task. As kids whenever we wrote an essay on MY MOM we always included the sentence that “mom gets up early morning and works till late” and also in between the whole essay we filled it with all the different tasks our mom does for us. As we grew up we became a little too occupied with our friends and other issues in life to praise our mom when she deserves being praised every day like a daily prayer.

When I saw bhabhi playing the same role even after hearing from her that she doesn’t get time for herself,  the excitement which she got on her face everytime she said GOOD GIRL amazed me. She’s the same age as me and here I am yet not even ready for the responsibility of marriage and I see my bhabhi and other cousin’s playing the role of a MOM with all its challenges and yet smiling every time their kids look upto them. Also worth mentioning I hear a lot of people saying these days that they don’t want to have kids because they believe in the saying “work harder, party harder” and kids don’t fit in this saying. But I am still old school and believe a woman’s life would never feel complete without the colors of motherhood in them. Agreed it’s a big scaring responsibilities but a fear worth facing just to feel those soft tinie miniee hands in your own and the hug u get when you reach home and they come running into your arms.

Hats off to all the mom’s and especially to my mom…

LOVE  YOU MOM!!!

P.S : A special thanks to my mom because I have been a pretty spoiled pampered kid in my childhood. Nobody else could convince me but my mom!!! :)  

fear or fearless due to death

I recently read the book called “Veronica Decides To Die” by Paulo Coehlo.

In that book the central character called veronica tries committing suicide by a over dose of sleeping pills and gets saved only to know that her heart is irrevocably damaged and she has only 7days to live.

Once you know you have only a few days left to live what is your reaction?

Ofcourse for someone who already wants to die is nothing bad but ya dying in one shot and waiting for your death everyday is something different. The girl is admitted to a mental asylum where if the author is to be believed there are more sane people then mad people. But there are few things which are striking in the book.

1^st is when you know you are about to die you do whatever you want to without been bothered if people around you like it or no, the author says that since it’s a mental asylum nobody bothers about their behavior as the others around are equally mad but come to think of it even in the sane’s world would you bother pleasing other’s if you knew your about to die in 7days.

The 2^nd thing is saying goodbye is too difficult. even if it’s a trip that’s come to an end or when your dying. Maybe that’s why our hindi movies always have a minimum of 5 dialogues before the person finally dies. But then again its only when something is about to end do you feel the urge to tell everything all at once because kya pata “kal ho ya na ho” par jab hum aaj mei saath hote hai toh kyon feelings express karne se darte hai. That’s why I always have this golden rule of telling everyone whom I love that I love them when ever I feel like example I hug my mom and close friends when ever I feel like it.

The most striking thing is on one hand death raises fear in us and on other hand the acknowledgment of death makes us behave fearlessly in our living form to do anything we want to and behave in any way we want to because there is no tomorrow.

Confusing humans – we keep contradicting our own selves.

jai baba barfani

Amarnath yatra – my experience!

It is said that once you do the holy pilgrim of amarnath you don’t have another birth they say it’s a door to moksh. But if you ask me the journey itself is a heavenly journey and once you reach the cave and see the shivling by your eyes after some 3 days climb in the cold weather and mountains you are undoubtedly gonna get emotional and cry for your achievement.

I am a person who believes in enjoying life in all situations and that’s why I have also gone ahead and made a wish list of things I wana do before I die. That list has lots of places to visit and one of the top places included amarnath yatra and kailash mansarovar. One of my close friend gautam has been visiting amarnath since 9 yrs now and I had heard loads of things about the same from him on various of our our meets at babulnath temple in Mumbai which is again a shiv ji’s famous temple. He fueled my wish all the more to visit amarnath and in my heart I always wanted to go there with him. Finally I told him to book the tickets this time but was still not sure if I would be able to go due to number of reasons.

Only when I boarded the train on 8^th july was I sure that finally I am going there.

Coming straight to the point where we started our yatra. It is a place called chandanwadi where we reach from pehelgham (the most beautiful place in india) from chandanwadi the 3 km to pissu top which is thrilling as its narrow and its tiring as well. The climb once done gives a view of the same river that flows in pehelgham it’s a breath taking view (hold your breath as all the journey till the cave is breath taking). Later from pissu top the next destination joji baal where the climb is ok you could enjoy the view around there later from jojibaal the next spot is directly shesnag where you have to hault for a night.

The spot is named sheshnaag because there is an immensely beautiful lake named sheshnaag there and its because of the same lake that we freeze with cold even after taking 2 to 3 warm blankets at night in the tents. But the lake is no less beautiful then any coral reeve beaches you see abroad. A thing worth mentioning is the efforts all the people who put up their BHANDARA’s and TENT’s put in your service. The bhandhara’s serve the yummiest kheer and rajma chaval (or may be I find them yummy as they are my favourites) and the tent guys also help.

NOTE – please don’t expect 5 star facilities in terms of toilets because your in the mountains not some holiday destination abroad. Mentioning this as heard many people crib on my way.

Next day the 1^st spot from sheshnaag is bawaltop and then is ganeshtop. They both are tedious climb but the destinations are near to each other so you can comfort urself saying “bus aa gaya” hehehe. Also ganeshtop is the highest place in this yatra.

From ganeshtop there is major climb down for posh patri which is no less then 5 star hotel as you get almost every variety of food there from pizza to aloo chat to barbeque. After poshpatri is panch tarni where was our 2^nd night hault that place is called panch tarni as at that point 5 rivers meet and submerge in the ganga.

The 3^rd day I was very excited as it was the final 6 kms to the cave to get the darshan of the shiv ling the last 6 kms is a mix of climb and normal walk but the mere excitement of getting the darshan would make you climb it quickly or easily. After reaching a point 1 km away from the cave one of my friend was not well so we hired a tent there and decided to spend the night there and take the darshan early morning. Finally D DAY came and I reached the cave after a queue of 1 hour.

A few moments before I entered the cave I saw a pair of pigeons(there’s a very old story behind the 2 pigeons also in the history of the cave), that moment onwards I started feeling the aura of the whole place, its really not easy to put it in words but its still heavenly and when you see the shivling after a long wait and a 4 day journey you will undoubtedly get emotional and cry. The place really does give you the belief the MAHADEV has taken you under his shelter and that you have passed his test of all the hardships and strivings and finally he is here to take care of you. The shivling on the day of my darshan was 12feet tall and it’s a sad thing that we can’t touch it anymore because of the precautionary measures taken by the government but none the less it is still worth all the pain and hardships people take to reach the cave.

On my way heard a lot of people saying “mahadev kahan chup ke baith gaye” due to tiredness but some how I feel that if you think about it positively mahadev himself will give you the strength to reach the cave. The sense of reaching the cave all by myself without any help is something only possible with the blessings of “baba barfani” (another name of amarnath shivling).

JAI BHOLE!

longings of a lonely heart

I look at the couples around me and wonder if what they have is real love or they think it is real or else is it just a adjustment that they have made to grow in life or rather should I say move ahead in life. That thought leads to another chain of thoughts as to “what exactly is a true love” or successful love stories are made on what basis?

I long for someone after whose entrance in my life I don’t need anybody else to love. Of course parents and siblings are in different section of my heart which is unreachable for others. I really long for one perfect relation the one in which I don’t have to search words to express myself, one in which I could look into someone’s eyes and see immense, unaltered love for myself, a set of eyes that just tell me that I was, I am and will always be the most beautiful woman for him no matter how old I get, no matter if my beauty fades, no matter if I have a scar on my forehead, no matter if I put on innumerable weight.

Someone who knows the real meaning of the words I say, someone who allows me to wander on my own in my thoughts or on the streets even when we are together.  Someone who knows when to leave me alone and when to hold me tight. A person who knows even the evil and dark side of my life and yet he wants to hold my hand forever. A person for whom my wishes are my wishes, who doesn’t analyze them to be good or bad. Someone who doesn’t tell me things I should or should not do but yet silently who stops me from getting into a mess. My great savior.

I have experienced many great relations in my life in terms of friendships. Friendships where all most the telepathy is so strong that even if we are miles apart we can still feel that the other is in trouble or pain and when anyone calls the other the feeling of doubt gets confirmed. Sometimes I feel if only I could pick up the best qualities from each relation and mix and blend them into the relation with the person I would call my PARTNER. But then that’s not possible, I realize that each relation is meant to be different from the other and it has its own plus and minuses but BAAWARE MANN KO KAUN SAMJHAYE!!! ISSE TOH SAB CHAHIYE!!!

So then the conclusion is to love each person for what you share with them and smile on life for what its given you.

care to shareee a rickshaw

Aye dil mushkil hai jeena yahan,

Zara hutke zara bachke ye hai MUMBAI MERI JAAN!

I love MUMBAI! Being born and brought up here I cant imagine staying anywhere else in the world but in MUMBAI. But, these past few months have changed the equilibrium of my thoughts they are now shifting to the other side, as in, I feel like settling somewhere else because the feeling of “being helpless” is increasing day by day staying in Mumbai or in India.

I don’t want to list down a set of problems that life in MUMBAI have or anything because Mr. Pritish Nandy has jotted them down amazingly in his blog on times of india. 

I particularly want to draw the attention towards the local rickshaw scene. Especially the so called “SHAEREE RICKSHAW”.

Is this concept made for our good or does it trouble us more?

M sure we have supporters for both side. But the thing is, 1stly the rickshaw prices are out of control. Ealier in 2005 it was simpler when the minimum fare started with 9 and then on u just vould read the meter and pay 1 rupee above it or less then it I don’t remember which one. But then the prices started hiking day by day and month by month. Also the readings and the prices are no more connected. You have to keep a meter card in your pocket to be sure they are telling the correct price. When I bought one card the prices changed again.

Anyways, the major problem is this SHAEREE RICKSHAW funda. Although it works like a service for people staying far off from stations but it is painfully irritating for someone who doesn’t want to share a rickshaw. Around a month ago I wanted to go to Bandra Kurla Complex from Bandra station and was shocked by the change of scene at Bandra station. Earlier there used to b a queue for rickshaws and now there is just SHAREE and what’s more irritating is when you ask them that I don’t want a SHAREE rickshaw as I m running late (they don’t don’t move the rickshaw till they get 3 passengers),  they would reply saying that nobody will come which means your helpless and on the mercy of some rickshaw walla to put a eye on you (which is annoying) and agree to take you as a passenger (but now being a girl you yourself wont want to board that rick).

This is the scene in Bandra east now lets go to Bandra west station. This time I myself willingly caught a SHAREE rickshaw along with my mom. There was a problem that there were not many ricks available as comparatively, in west the rickshaws get full and leave fast. After 5 minutes I got a rick and as my mom was not aware that I took a SHAREE she shouted at me when a 3^rd stranger came and sat. But finally the rickshaw walla (driver) started the ride. He took a U turn and then he took a left few minutes later which leads to Gaitey galaxy theatre where my mom pointed out to me that he broke a traffic rule as it was a no entry. Near gaitey he took a 4^th passenger and then again he got into another no entry from SV road to the National college ka lane. 3rd breach of traffic rule. Later he took a right from MMK college and then a left which leaded us to somewhere opposite the famous chappal wallas right besides National college on the main Linking road. In all this ride the driver were very rough in driving also I kept on asking him if he would drop us near KFC he kept saying yes. But then he was dropping us near national college to which I rebelled and then toh he broke the limits of breaking the traffic rules he drove from national college till the KFC point on the wrong side of the road. I mean WOW!!! Isn’t it amazing that we get caught even for not wearing a helmet and charged fine and the rickshaw drivers drive as if the roads are their father’s property. Plus NO OFFENCE TO ANY PARTICULAR COMMUNITY I RESPECT ALL RELIGIONS AND COMMUNITY , but all the major rickshaw wallas in bandra east and west seem to be muslims. It maybe a coincidence or it may be that the major portion of the less educated boys in their teens (from bhairampada and naupada) are choosing rickshaw driving as their profession for the decade. But, they don’t give any damn respect to the traffic police plus they behave insensitive even if you tell them that your 52 yr old mom has a knee problem and same is the case with the road vendors in linking road. They openly challenge you and try threatening you. You have no other choice but to feel helpless and opt to avoid a fight but why should we remain silent???

At times I wonder what’s more bad getting fined for driving without a helmet or feeling helpless in such a situation.

The great data recovery

I solemnly swear not to connect my phone to the office PC ever again!

I have had a thousand heart aches in just one day.

Yesterday one of my school friend requested me to e mail her one of her pic which I had clicked on my poor phone when we had met weeks ago at poptates andheri. I told her I’ll mail next day i.e. today. Today morning when I reached office I connected my phone to the computer at office to copy paste that 1 photo and suddenly realized its taking a lot of time copying so checked and discovered that my entire folder of IMAGES was getting copied. I interrupted the copying process and due as I don’t like storing personal stuff in the office computers I deleted it immediately from the recycle bin as well.

After doing some other copy pasting I realized that I just had 2 sub folders in my image folder on the memory card. 1st heart attack. All my pics are gone. Within less then a second I realized that I had deleted all the recyle bin 2 attack – I don’t have any back up. God I was about to burst into tears.

Even right now while writing all this down my heart is feeling the same pain that it felt the whole day. Being working in the online marketing field we have a bad habit of googling for any and everything in this world. In fact my most commonly used phrase has become “google it” as my ex boss used to say that now its got on my vocab as well. So I practiced what I preached and googled “how to retrieve files deleted from recycle bin” and got a couple of sites and blogs so I found out that it is possible to get my data back but I was sure it wasn’t coming easy and quick. But I tried doing it on my own. There’s a general saying when you are in a hurry you get all the more late. I had already received a msg from my collegue that I had to complete a task as soon as possible and this happened to me. A simple procedure of copy pasting 1 pic landed up eating half my day. I cudnt concentrate on my work as I was on the verge of loosing almost memories worth 4 yrs and I had to finish of this task asap. Irony of life when your heart says something different and your brain something different. I downloaded a software and found all the data but after selecting around 700pics manually when I tried to re-save it on my PC it asked me for my credit card details. So had to chuck that site. Yet I even tried searching how much it would cost but cudnt find that information. My heart was sinking deeper and deeper.

I was cursing everything in this world even my new top that i wore seemed jinxed.

I finally told the IT support team member about all of it. Luckily he was a friend and he tried assured me it would be retrieved. He asked for my memory card. I am a little possessive person in terms of my details but with a little hesitation I gave him my card. He tried what best he could to help me. It took him 2 hours, ofcourse he had other task in hand. Later he said that the data is more then what I was assuming so that meant I would have to select 700pics manually to restore. Which was not possible considering the fact that one of the partners of my office used to sit behind him. Another heart attack. In the meanwhile I tried some other software too to get my pics from my end. So I asked my friend to come to my computer and check. He came after another half hour.

I had not ate my lunch till 2.30 and had decided I wont till I don’t get my pics back. Once my friend came he tried getting the “activation pin” for the software that I had downloaded but cudnt find any till another 15 minutes. Again an attack. I told him to sit on the system and try his best while I started my work on my partners PC. After some another hour my friend finally got the solution and he got all my pictures restored on my computer. Aaaaaahhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!! relief finally!!!

At around 4 pm I got my pictures back and trust me my head is bursting and heart is still feeling the pain.

The good news is that I got my pics back. The sad part is I don’t know if all of them are back.

Never the less am still in a better position to get back to work.

Thanx to all the Tech freaks who at all invented all the recovery procedures and softwares. I may never like the hardwares and software codes but am still gratefull to all of them.

Its their birthday today! one of the pics from the collection that got retrieved.