Social media - a new chaos monger!

Why should we do social networking responsibly including all the forward chains on Facebook or WhatsApp or in any other form?

This is how I answer myself to this question - 

Conscience and society are inherently and mostly parallel narratives. 

You have to break your own path to intersect at some point and when you do, the society grows - even if by an inch, it does grow!

Now we may argue - how would an inch make a difference? To your surprise- it may make or break a society by just taking your mind to this simple example. 

Consider yourself like a single link to a big chain named society. As long you decide to be a part of that chain, that is running on a single line of thought - even if you are responsible moving it by inch, the end link of the chain is standing at a farther point and leading it in a way you won’t see until you reach that point following, just to realize that it never agreed with your conscience all along. It is not your fault as you were blindsided by being an inch in the middle with your conscience continually running a parallel narrative, you did not focus on. 

But now, consider breaking your single link from the chain and you see another line of thought and find yourself leading it now. Now, you control the direction to a new chain behind you that you run by your conscience.

Choice is always yours! It may not be the easiest, it may not be the comfiest too. 

But, do you want to keep being in the middle of the chain you don’t know where’s it leading or you want to consciously break the chain and lead by being the right example driven by your conscience. 

Think before moving the forwards by inch - they may not be always going your way! 

Reasons Knot To Hike In Snow

• Unless snow-white offended you, how could you resist?

Of the wide spectrum of old school colors and then a whole new rainbow of Pinks, White always has and always will stand out as CLASSIC. Although, I get you Girl, why you would not stick with it at least 5 straight days of the month [Oh, I am just getting started here with my chain of 1001 poor jokes.]. Otherwise, it is the purest of all and at every glance of it, can only bring peace within. The mountains which are usually the boring brown standing tall amidst the mesh of not-so-green trees, snow adds a beautiful third dimension to your exploration. If you get luckier to get sun rays shining at the same time, your camera would just not stop clicking as neither did mine.

                      

   

• If Daddy Dearest never slapped you, these wintry ones will get you some idea.

Does it make you roll your eyes when I say my daddy never slapped me? What can we do if he was a blessed father with such an angelic baby girl! Or, I could be a little more honest in saying that he was just too sweet to lose some of his hair by pulling, just so to avoid those 'slightly more than often deserved' slaps. Alas, who has ever escaped the destiny! And so, I get my fair share of wintry slaps as I walk and try not to step over black ice. The icy cold winds swiftly brushing against the cheeks eventually make them as red as those “Not for sale” tomatoes. Just make sure, you invest in a winter cream that does the job right, and you would not need any make up for a selfie in that beautiful white backdrop blocking all the back-light away for your perfect picture. 

Okay, zoom a little bit more for a proof. [...click..click 5 seconds later] There you see me!

• Silence of the Lambs

As, not many people could or would love to get their feet in the snow puddles, your hike can become almost as close to experiencing meditation for the first time [the yogi within just burped].  Even the birds would have migrated to warmer temperatures and there will be nothing but divine silence between you and that mountain lion waiting for its ‘Food To-Go’! [apparently, I am more humorous than I thought I was]. Nonetheless, your car will thank you for getting it the premium spot and not cramping it into “compact only lanes” in busier and warmer seasons.

  

• ‘Aww, I have nothing to wear’ Paradox of Choice resolved- Wear them all!

Post every shopping haul, there is that tiniest moment of all when you don’t know which one and wish you could wear them all. But, then of course the fact of making a fool of yourself  strikes you and you resort to the most effective strategy - ‘Inkie Pinky Ponkie’. But for you My Girl, I totally empathize with you for your  365/365 days when you have nothing to wear out of 365 clothes sitting in your closet (let’s spare the Girl a leap year!). Without dwelling much into that ‘never to return’ topic and coming back to that weird wish of wearing them all at once – you have the perfect opportunity to do so on your hike. Well, I have no intentions of cracking you up with my silly jokes this time when I say – You will need to layer them all up if you want get back home happily alive!

Pee-kaa-booo!!! That's my 'I am so pretty' dance!

      You can keep pondering on why I gave you just a handful of reasons tied up in a knot for the most memorable hike of your life. I was really thinking the pictures popping in between my poor little attempt at sarcasm will do the job.  But, for once, you can stop downloading those winter wall papers on your computer and go find for yourself till the real winter is here to stay. Go, bring me more reasons for my next one! Honestly, a slow or fast, careful or carefree, bumpy or smooth, be it any walk in the snow surrounded by the mountains and with nothing but the blue sky watching over you can be one of the many humbling experiences that teach you there is a world out there that is mightier than your problems!

Little black diary

3P.M Thursday evening, when you are almost excited to get into the week ending mode, and it is time to finally get the dryer unloaded ; you stumble upon a messed up drawer. Yes! You had plans to organize all the never used items in there, on a Friday of last month. To do or not To do?

Easy answer strikes you and you try to close it, is when, that old black diary holds your horses!
Do not open it! No, you just have an hour left to get ready for your dinner date! 

It shouts a Pandora Box! Yet, it itches you to the guts and you flip through the pages only to leave you tongue-tied. 

Those chewed up words, scratched lines, doctored handwriting ... what were you thinking?? 
An incomplete note about a night when you were caught for what?? One line note for that long lost crush for whom??  First torn & dyed  pair of jeans, that drafted testimonial that never made to paparazzi on Orkut, the tempting miss calls on that old red phone, the attempted cheesy Shayaris...
You wonder why is everything his or her or this and that, on those ruffled pages?? 

How you wish to travel time and fill in those blanks and give these notes, their due closure! The exhilarating gush of memories that ran past you a minute ago, is not helping.. You struggle through the pages, but to no avail. 

And then the phone rings and you have exactly 10 minutes to shower.

Someone rightly said - some memories are too beautiful to unfold, too fragile to be told. They deserve the forever mystery! They deserve your little black diary! 

I may fret but I will not regret

Bring down the shutters of your whispers
Coz I may fret but I do not regret
I am a traveler ... I am a lover...
I rise and I fall at my own will
Far beyond your dangling prejudice
You may not see, where I stand still

My ways go way beyond your intolerant words
They know no bounds to the endless grounds
Bring down the blinds to your thoughtless minds
Coz I may fret but I do not regret

If religion is what liberates you, I urge
Walk in your heaven and leave my earth
Lock out the hatred as it holds no worth
I see no orange I see no green
All I see is your haste towards that greed

So bring them all, O bring them all down
Coz I may fret but I will not regret!

My Choice (Vogue viral video)

Watched the Vogue "women empowerment" video and read a view point against it also.
As much as I don't/can't/wont/? follow fashion, does not mean I am against it. In my hectic life, when I don't have time to target sales or wait for them, I buy what I want to buy and I may end up buying a Gucci.. This should not give you the right to brand me as a brand freak.. I may not be a brand freak but I will be cheating on myself if I proclaim that I do not notice them... It is my choice to have the eggs poached or eat them over easy... So far, this write up gives you conclusion or even make any sense??? If not, I can keep writing further about how I like branding myself or not branding myself. But that is not what I intend to and  I equally understand your dilemma. Since I am writing this up, I get objectified and so did #Vogue and #DeepikaPadukone after that video went viral..
They would have got out of this mess by simply not creating that video and everyone would have waited for either the new edition of Vogue magazine or Deepika's Piku (trailer looks promising right).. But the minute they posted the video and it went viral because some people applauded, someone has to take the burden of criticizing it and get applauded for it, as well... Not that I disagree with the other view point and I totally understand that Deepika Padukone and Vogue are trying to sell their next brand... If not for them, who has the money to create an impressive ad?? Why don't you give it a shot.. No! You cannot because you don't have the means to and even if you had, you can chose not to.. :)

That is all that ad is about!

In the race of supporting a cause and criticizing the means for it, the real essence is lost in the translations so easy...
In the end, if you are still confused how to jump to a conclusion of this write up (that's the irony that we always seek for closure), I suggest "let go" because I chose not to reveal it. That is My Choice!

Happy New Year

It's a bright sunny day with the sky so clear , the birds chirpier that they had no fear.. The light shining high through the clouds that fly ..I could not ask for more, from the days gone by ...

The life that stood by my window seems long gone.. The friends and the fellows my heart once won... I wish this Christmas brings its Santa to me.. The moments I wished I wanted in to be..

Bring them all as I pack my bag .. Keep them safe till I catch up with the lag.. Whisper in the ear of the few days of this year..let me flow smooth in the change that I fear... Lighten up my heart for all that is dear... Let me wish myself - A Happy New Year...

Shared from Google Keep

Bazaar

Bike Yahaan Har Bazaar Bike

Kabhi Samaan To Kahi Dar Daar Bike

Hakikaton Se Sarabor Is Duniya Mein

Chand Khayalon Ke Bhi Pulaav Bike

Koi Kalaa Ki, Toh Koi Salaah Ki

Ajab Gajab Hain Yeh Khareed Balaa Ki

Saam Daam Dand Bhed Ke Bal Par

Sadhu Sant Sang Bhagwan Bike

Beete Din Bachpan Ke

Jab Chile Ghutno Par Jeet Ke Marham Lage

Aaj Khel Ke Maidaano Mein

Haar, Jeet Se Dugne Daam Bike

Har Daav Par Lage Daam Toh Kahin

Har Daam Par Lage Daav Dikhen

Mol Lagaye Kis Cheez Ka Bandhu

Yahaan Jal Jeevan Har Bhaav Bike

Bike Yahaan Har Bazaar Bike!

A Piece Of My Perfect Pie

Ever since we are born and brought up in this world, there is a perfect plan that goes on forever in our minds.  We exist, is a proof of a plan well executed by our parents :) or otherwise! ;) A plan, that starts from a midnight queue by our parents to get us into the best of the schools in their view and which finally slows down its pace (never seizes though) when we move out to make a living with some stranger out there in the world. However, as they say, you are more of what you inherit and less of what you make yourself to be. The first thing that you inherit is to plan your life! Plan a Perfect seiz

Like every other person, even I planned and failed many a times during the execution. Dreamed to be a singer and ended up being an engineer. Weird! Planned to live initial lovey-dovey married years and ended up away from hubby in a foreign land for more than a year! Then, planned to work together with hubby in the same foreign land and ended up being a house wife! Weirder! Then planned to be a happy housewife and I guess now ending up wanting to work again! Epic Weird!

 

It’s amusing that not even we plan our lives, we also tend to work out things to fit our friends and family and their lives too into it. Being a single we party hard, call the long lost friends which were never called before and which never will be called after the party too! There are some specially planned girl-shops-out days and guys-night-in nights that are alibis to our perfect “single” life!   Suddenly the late 20s are at the doorstep and time to Say Sayonara to Singlehood shows up. It happened to me in my early 20s and so I do not know the true flavor of that farewell. As I was being married to the one I always wanted to be with, it was a good plan in progress!

Being married in your early 20s is not as difficult as being married to a person in His early 20s too! :P Not generalizing, but a girl is happy and on cloud 9 when she is married as opposed to a guy for whom it is a treacherous journey to leave behind all his bro-talks, bro-walks and bro-socks for a house with a girl hovering over to make him lower the toilet seat every now and then. Eventually, they realize this was not what they planned for! And then starts the new saga of planning a “two-together life”! It is again not as simple as it looks. The tricky part creeps in when you both want to have fun and still save lots of money at the same time! Weirdoes’! Who can beat that?  

 

However, as life takes its toll on your perfect plan, there comes a time when you have to leave your fun behind to grab opportunities and go for the run. Along came the temporary singlehood again in our marital status! It is hilarious that you miss something more and more crazy in your life when you are questioned about it by others! All the long lost friends ping you that very time or it seems that way :) I do not know! And then all the opportunities that you rolled your life for seem to cease. For me, it happened a little late. But when it did, happened for good!

 

Finally we were back again in our nest and the never ending plans started all over again!

This was the best time of my life when I was back with hubby after a long time and was going to meet some wonderful people in my life who will mark some awesome dates forever in my calendar. I am sure those days Koramangala dinner home deliveries were scaling to the highest sales point. Honored to claim the credits! A bunch of married couples done with their first anniversaries and planning their respective futures over A Bottoms Up! I remember the Birthday 2012 when we, with one of the couples (friends), were determined to be in a pub and almost fought like teenagers to let us in post 22:30! Within 5 minutes of argument, we came back to behaving like married people do! Headed back home!  A perfect plan to go-disc with friends-for-life made us spend an amount close to my first pay check ever! Coming back to life the other day was full of self-restraining orders! A trip to Pondicherry with 6 people packed up in a car, driving day and night and all we remember from that is how we all snuggled up in a single room and ate like never before! Everything seemed so meant to be with! All we needed was one Goa trip to nail “the more the merrier” perfect life! Hence, the already jinxed planning started. And as fate had to call an intervention, we parted our ways to three different parts of the world before we could even fuel up for the awesome trip.

 

Here I stand today on a verge of my little less than a mid-life and the decided years ahead of me with a bucket full of to-dos and not-to-dos for me, for my future kids and if life permits, their kids too. :) Today, when I see a girl rushing for her office day, I see the life I left behind which did not seem so perfect those days. :) When I see a lady getting her kids to school, I see myself not at a perfect spot than hers.:)  All these years, all I have learned is that I shall never stop planning my piece of perfect life! Some will work, some were not meant to and some never will. If all perfect plans would have worked out well, I think I would have run out my batteries to live more of my life!

 

 In the end, all that matters is I still have some perfect moments yet to come, some perfect people yet to meet in my perfect life yet to live! :)

Happiness - the most expensive of the lots??

If Only, true happiness could be bought along with smile correction surgeries. This could have been hottest deal in the market!

Gone are the days, when we had one channel to be watched on TV. How we longed for Wednesdays Chitrahaar or Sundays Ducktails! Gone are the days when a letter by a cousin or a friend made our day. Gone are the days when even a 10Rs dress circle ticket for a Yash Raj Movie  was considered a V for Victory. Even the constant whistlers never bothered us. Gone are the days when we dreamed of 2 Diwali s in an year just to wear new clothes.
Before I get caught in my own nostalgia, let me not deviate from the idea behind my write-up. As it is not what I want you to rendezvous with your 90's flashbacks.

Because 20-30 years down the lane, gone will be these days too. Gone will be the days where we have two different sources of entertainment - TV and Internet. You never know, a gadget might suffice for one click multitasking entertainment. Gone will be the days when only Saas Bahus make Shandyantras  in the daily soaps (well, this one will be a respite for many ;), only to realize Damaad-Sasur taking the stage over ;) ;)
Gone will be the days of tweeting, posting pics, social networking when we might be able to create our own virtual world of relatives and loved ones with a touch screen technology. (lucky lovebirds of that era :). Gone will be the days of theater and cinema when we might expect a superstar coming on an hourly basis for a live entertainment @ home. :P 
And looking at the history sheet of attires (getting shorter day by day), I fear people might not need them any more to create any more generation gaps between their waist lines. 

With the rocket speed revolutions, one thing that is getting expensive and rarely found is true happiness. Yesterday, a single new dress kept me going the whole year. Today, even my exorbitant shopping spree cannot pacify me :( I am on cloud 9 with my iPhone 2/3/4 until someone gets the new launched iPhone 5.
Being competitive is important for survival, but it can never be the parameter to gauge happiness in your life.

It is said, happiness is found in the small moments of your life. Just an add-on of my philosophy - if you can not find those moments, create your own. Ever since we grow up, we are instilled with a competitive spirit and we barge in the race to tune into the "Run Forest Run". Every other day, we achieve a target to supersede, another one is right there at our doorstep even before we could cherish the accomplishment. This notion never did make a grip on me all through my life. 
Although, I tried to be a part of the crowd, the greater minds had an alibi for the unsuccessful targets too. They suggested, if you fail to succeed, look upon the more miserable of the lots. This will soothe you down. You will find yourself better off?? Even this never did ring a bell to me.  

Do I need to look at either of the sides to be successful and lead a happy life? What if, I competed with my present. What if, I try to better my tomorrow than my yesterday. At least, I will not kill myself keeping myself  unhappy for I could not be someone or keeping myself contented because there is a bigger loser standing out there. As expected, this philosophy did not work wonders in my time,when I was in the race :). However, now that I am an adult and I have no fixed percentage to judge my life, my philosophy is what keeps me going even in the darkest of the days of my life. With the least of what I could achieve by myself, I am happy to realize that I did better my days everyday. Each day, I  slept peacefully just asking a question to myself, was my today happier than my yesterday?

Life gives you endless reasons to compete, compare, mourn, bitch about, get upset over something or with someone. If only, you could quell them and find yourself only one reason to hold on to your smile at the end of each day that ends.

Ik Naya Aashiyaa..

Is oor chala, Kis chor chala, Kyu Dhoondh Raha Tu Apni Zameen
Har Nayi Dagar Har Mod Chala, Kyu Theher Gayi Phir Bhi Namee…
Jis Oor Chala, Jo Shor Mila, Us Bheed Ko Na Apnaaye
Us Bheed Ko Cheer, Tu Jis Bhor Chala, Har Ant Andhera Ban Jaye…

Jo Khoj Raha Tu Yaha Vahan, Sab Dhoondh Dhoondh Pachataaye
Har Shodh Mein, Har Bodh Mein, Vo Khoj Leen Ho Jaaye…
Har Dhoop Chala, Har Chaav Mila, Kisi Thor Tu Naa Ruk Paaye
Jo Khoj Raha Tu Yaha Vahan, Har Aks Tere Pathraaye..

Ik Dagar Jo Peeche Chodh Chala, Ik Zameen Jo Tu Thukraaye
Har Nayi Dagar Ik Nayi Zameen, Ik Naya Aakash Banaye..
Jo Waqt Chala, Har Ghaav Mila, Har Ghaav Cheekh Chillaye
Har Cheez Yaha Par Nayi Mile, Kyu Naye Sukoon Tu Na Apnaaye..
Har Waqt Mila Ik Naya Gila, Tu Apne Andar Paaye
Kis Oor Chala Kis Mod Chala, Ab Khud Hi Boojh Na Paaye..

Ik Dagar Jo Peeche Chodh Chala, Vo Mod Chalein, Chal Jaayein.
Vo Zameen Jo Teri Apni Thi, Vo Sukoon Jo Tujhe Apnaaye.
Ye Jaanta, Ye Maanta, Har Yaad Jo Tu Bisraayein
Har Dagar Par Apna Nishaan, Nayi dagar Tu Phirta Jaaye
Is Daud Mein, Us Shor Mein, Jo Raah Tere Pathraaye
Bas Yaad Rakh , Parindey Naadaan
Har Dagar Par, Har Pagar Par, Vo Mod Tujhe Na Bisraayein!