The most memorable day of my life

As my college exams were over I was in full party & vacation mood.
Goa and Thailand were the two places on my priority list.

But my parents were all set to ruin my plans as they had decided to visit Jiran, too meet a relative.

I was reluctant in going to a village as I wanted to go to some happening place.
My parents warned me of cancelling plans for a foreign outing next year if I didn’t accompany them now. I had no other option than to go along.

When my friends came to know about my vacation plan they were laughing like hell.
They wished me all the best for my trip in a mocking tone.

I was really scared now.
Going to a village and staying there seemed to be a nightmare.
I was really pissed off as I had no clue of how will I even sustain the ambiance of the village for a day.

Finally the day came and we started our journey to Jiran.
It took us around 8 hours to reach the place.

As we entered the village, everything looked messy and obsolete.
The lanes were narrow and houses looked like the ones built before Britishers came to India.
People had so sense of fashion and hygiene.

Finally after 1 hour of crazy horn blowing, frustration and agitation, we finally reached the home of my mom’s cousin, whom I used to call Hari uncle.

They were waiting for us anxiously. As we got down they welcomed us whole heartily.
It had been years after I meet them so couldn't recall their face.

There house was very big and looked more like a historical monument which was not white washed for ages. There were no marble flooring and furniture appeared to be of Akbar's time.

They showed us our rooms and told us to get fresh as dinner was ready.

Our room had nothing to be happy about as it was as old fashioned as the house.

After having dinner, everyone decided to sleep as we had to get up early in the morning.

In the morning I asked uncle where we were going. He just asked me to follow.

When we came across a farm he told me that it was there's and they grew different vegetables like ladyfinger, cucumbers, green onions, pulses and cereals.

It was before dawn and the crops appeared dancing with the cool breeze.

The panorama was beautiful and so natural.

We have to get to the top of that hill which appears at the other side of this farm, affirmed he.

I was gasping for air as the path to the top was not easy and it took all my stamina to even stand still.

Come on my boy we have almost made it, exclaimed he. I could see a 50 year old standing at the top and motivating a young champ to take those remaining steps.

When I reached at the top I was completely tired and out of my senses. Suddenly a gust of cool breeze touched my face, blowing my hair. What I saw next was phenomenal, tiny extravagant shades of orange and pink appeared in the sky. Shortly after a fiery ball enhancement started to make it’s way beyond the mountain ranges at a distance. Sky was filled with colours of unexplained magnificence that had no known name. I felt like I am on top of the world with nature charming me with all it's elements.

After doing some yoga and exercise we headed towards our home as breakfast was waiting for us

After we were done filling our hungry stomach, I was in a desperate need of a shower as my complete body was stinging and sweating.

We will go to a nearby river side which is just 10 km away from here and don’t worry this time we will go on my bike, Hari uncle chuckled.

We were accompanied my father also.

When we reached the spot there was no crowd there. Uncle told us that this place was rarely known to the village people. In no time he climbed up a rock which was 20 feet high and made a dive in the water. 

Wow, that’s super cool I thought and tried myself too. I was feeling a bit nervous as 20 feet was not a small height, but then I made my move and went straight into the water. I could see small fishes passing by my ear; it was a breath taking moment for me, so natural and wonderful.

                                     

After doing different somersaults and relaxing in the free flowing water for some 2 hours we finally headed back home.

It was already 12 and lunch was at our disposition.

Dal Batti with a lot of pure ghee glued me to it. I loved having a lot of ghee in my food and this time I got exactly the same. I ate like a vociferous hungry boy.

We generally used to eat with spoons but this time we used only hands, and I bet food is more delicious when we use hands rather than spoons or knifes.

Finally the exciting day came to an end after we had our dinner which was equally delicious.

It was the most memorable day of my life as it got me close to the nature and also changed my mentality. I used to think that village people are nothing in front of us but I was proved wrong.

I got inspired and motivated by Hari uncle. Life is not so tough and complex as we think. Village people in spite of getting few basic amenities enjoy their lives to the fullest and the people living in city cry for petty things. It made me optimistic about the life I was living and also gave me the strength to face new challenges which were going to come in my life.

This post is written for Housing.com

The bold step of my life

I lived with my family in a small town called Dewas in Madhya Pradesh. We were a middle class family which consisted of 6 members. My father was a business man and my mother was a housewife. I had a younger sister and 2 elder brothers. My sister was our little princess who was loved by everyone in the family. She had a dream to become doctor and wanted to get admission in the top medical colleges of Mumbai. We were against sending her alone to a new city but as my job location also came out to be Mumbai so my parents agreed to it. 

Mumbai the commercial capital of India has lot of opportunities for everyone. It was the city of dreams which had fulfilled dreams of many people. I also had a dream to own a flat somewhere in Bandra. I got a one room kitchen in Andheri for me and my sister. As her college was in Bandra so it was the perfect place to live in. My sister was a bright student from her school time. She was always good in studies as well as other cultural activities. Her enthusiasm and determination was appreciated by all her teachers and friends. She was an amiable person who used to jell well with others. It was her first day of the college and she was filled with energy.

 I gave her a hug and told her to concentrate on studies. As it was a new city so I advised her to be cautious while judging people and making friends. In few months itself we got comfortable in the new city. My office team was really amazing. It had some nice people which became my best friends. As we all were foodie so every weekend we used to explore a new restaurant. Blogging was my passion and I was really happy to meet some great Mumbai bloggers in various meets which were held once in a month. My life was going on smoothly until the worst weekend of my life came.

It was a routine weekend and my office friends suggested going to a bar. I was a bit hesitant in going as I used to not drink. My friends especially my senior insisted on trying it once. As he was my senior so I agreed to only taste it. After we went to the pub my friends drank a lot and got out of their senses. As I was also drunk, my friends insisted me to stay with them for the night. I agreed and stayed with them. Next morning when I visited my home I was shocked to see my sister shivering with fear and pain. Blood was coming from her head. When I asked what happened she started crying. I appeased her and requested her to tell what the hell happened. She told about a guy in her college whom she fell in love with. He was very loving and caring. Yesterday night when I informed her about my night out she asked him to come to the flat. What happened next was quite evident, she was raped. I went to police station to file an FIR against him. As he was the son of a local politician, police was reluctant in filling complain. 

It was time to take a bold step to provide justice to my sister. I used the power of blogging and spread the case on social media sites asking for justice. One of my lawyer friend helped me file a case against the culprit. My blogger and journalist friends provided the required media coverage. In no time the culprit was behind the bars. After this incident I took pledge to start a NGO which will work for providing justice to the rape victims. I will always remember this incident as a bold step in my life.

This post is part of activity Start A New Life by Housing.com.

Look Up Stories- My Optimistic pace towards Dawn

Being from a typical Indian Brahmin family I sacrificed my likeness, educational choices and so many things which I cannot even count because number keeps going on but today when I see myself; sometime I cannot recognize my own identity. I doubt myself and ask one simple question to myself if I am the same girl who some years ago was just a statue of sacrifices and today when I see this new bold lady in me who fights for the rights of women and protest against injustice and try to protect justice always.

Some years ago I had to marry a rich Brahmin engineer guy at the age of 20. I remember it when I just completed my graduation and wanted to pursue further studies. I had a dream of becoming a great lawyer of this country but as our Indian Brahmin society doesn’t like bold lady lawyer especially when a higher position comes in the destiny of a women then maximum number of people sow thrones on the path of that lady in order to make her unsuccessful and ineffective in her career. It was my destiny and I had to get married soon without fulfilling my dreams.

My husband was not soft enough towards me and I came to know about this immediately after some months. I was 9 year younger to my husband and we had lots of differences in thinking and likeness; Yet, I controlled myself and somewhere a hoping ray was alive inside me and I was waiting to receive my husband’s love. Time came and that hoping ray turned off and I lost all my patience when I came to know that I am not eligible for any love from my husband as it is already reserved for someone else. Yes, my husband had extra marital affair and after almost 2 years of marriage I came to know about this bitter truth of my life.

I finally decided to take an exceptional step for myself as I was really young and I didn’t have dare to sacrifice my whole life just for one bitter truth. I decided to take divorce; I had good amount of gold ornaments which I had received from my parents during my wedding as a dowry (Stridhana). I moved ahead filed a petition to seek divorce from my husband on the ground of “Adultery”. Subsequently, I arranged a new home for myself and enrolled my name as a law student; simultaneously I joined one multinational company in which I was a legal trainee. Somehow I managed to run my household and I was getting a reasonable amount as my stipend. After three years continuous hard work I received my “Sanad (license to practice in law courts)”   

Today, almost after 3 years I became a Legal Manager of one of the reputed multinational company and I proud on my previous decisions which made me more stronger and gave me a bright future and optimistic surrounding.  

This post is part of contest Look Up Stories with Housing.com on IndiBlogger

The unnamed Heroes

We have couple of experiences in our life when we come across a situation when an unknown person has been a Hero in our life. I share two such instances here.

Firstly, I would narrate my experience- I was in 1^st year, appearing for my engineering exams. I left my home at 8.30 on my two-wheeler, for the chemistry university exam. I was just on schedule, mentally revising all that I had studied till late night the day before. On a busy square in my way, I had to stop for a red signal. An overloaded auto was going by, but somehow the driver lost balance and steered towards my Activa. It hit the front wheel of my Acitiva, and as I was waiting for the signal, I easily left my vehicle as soon as the auto hit it. Activa fell on ground, I jumped aside. The auto rider disappeared from the scene in seconds, I was in a state of shock… people had gathered around me… I lifted my Activa with the help of a person and tried starting it. The engine started but the moped did not move… I was in frenzy, had to reach exam hall within 15 mins, but my vehicle dint budge. Just then a man came from the crowd while most people had left while some simple stood there and stared, but this gentleman started pulling the mudguard of the front wheel using his bare hands. It took him a great deal of effort to pull the metal outwards from both sides which were hindering the motion of the wheel. And finally, my active moved!! I thanked the man in a hurry and reached the center 15 mins late…did a while lot of explaining to the examiner and finally wrote the paper. If it was not for this gentleman, I would not have reached there on time and may be had to appear for that paper after 6 months!!! I always feel indebted to this man. I regret that I dint ask his name and could not thank him enough for the efforts he took for an unknown girl!! He is a Hero in my eyes!!

Secondly, I would like to share an experience from my friend’s life. Reshma had come to Mumbai on a couple of months ago. And she had to go to her Aunt’s place in south Mumbai. As she stayed in Powai, going by local trains was an obvious choice. She had little experience, so she asked a lady about the next train arriving on the station which would go to Parel. The lady told her the platform no and Reshma went to that platform, got onto the local train. But she failed to notice that she got onto a general bogie instead of a lady’s special bogie. It was a busy hour and got even more crowded at the next stop. And seeing a girl alone in such jam-packed train compartment, few boys took advantage of the situation and started pushing her on purpose and bothering her. Another boy was standing nearby saw this, and he came in front of Reshma and enveloped her in a way that the wall of the compartment was against her back, the boy in front with his hands on the walls so that no one could push her side ways. He only asked her the station she wanted to get down. Entire way he was standing rock solid, endured the pushing and pulling; and protected her without touching her even once. When she reached Parel, he asked her to always take ladies compartment from next time onward. Reshma thanked him and wished the best for him. I salute this guy for being sensitive and chivalrous to an unknown lady. He is a Hero in his own way!!

It makes me happy that I have such things to share. I salute all the men who have at some point or other helped a lady in the hour of need even without being asked for help. We respect and thank you from the depths of our heart. You are the real Heroes!!!

Are we the slaves of our own minds?

So many times I find others and even myself, saying that “I could not achieve this because... I cannot do that because.... “  and we lament over these things... keep pondering how awesome it would have been had i achieved what I dreamed about!!! So much energy gone waste, so much time lost.... and we got nothing out of it. I accept that in order for some of our goals to materialize, the external factors are as important as internal factors. The internal factors are our hard word, dedication, perseverance...so on and so forth. Whereas external factors are things that we cannot control. Like bad weather not allowing us to go out, do our work, our own health concerns. And guess what... Murphy laws always come into play when I need them least and somehow I end up not achieving my target and then list ten things that led to the failure..  And I tend to think none of those ten things was my fault!!! thats how i keep the guilt off my mind... and yet mourn the fact that i am not where i saw myself headed.

But now that I think of all those things, I realize I wasn't sad because I was in a bad situation…but I was sad because I believed I was not in the place where I was supposed to be… May b I was in a better place than I aimed for!! But I am trapped in the cage of my thoughts, incapable to experience the beauty around me… Even if the current location is not so good, it is just part of the journey… keep treading the path, it will take you some place nice!  Sometimes in life, we don’t get what we desire but we get what we deserve, and what we deserve could be way better than what we desired!!!  Probably that’s why people say ‘Think BIG!!!’

Some of the biggest discoveries were not planned they happened. All great scientists and explorers had a vivid sense of imagination and an open mind. Soar high in the sky of opportunities with the wings of imagination and undying spirit!!

Budding Love...both sides of the story!

Her thoughts..

Why am I acting so stupid! If I keep behaving like this, the whole world will know, what I feel about him. Forget others, I think he is also suspecting something. And moreover, at some instances, his behavior is strange, as if he is also going through same phase. But the next moment, everything changes. I really don’t understand what is going on.

I am stupid enough to behave oddly and let out my feelings and perhaps he is clever enough to play along. Yes, actually I think he is just playing along, enjoying all the attention that he is getting.

People say, women are complex and its difficult to understand what they are thinking, but this is so not true. My eyes give away all my secrets. But it is so difficult to guess his feelings. He says something and his eyes seem to speak something else. And I do not get anything at all. That look in his eyes… what is that?? I keep wondering, guessing and hoping so many things. But I never understand the real meaning.

Sometimes it seems that he knows about my feelings and feels the same and wants me to know that. Sometimes it feels that he knows my feelings and just playing along flirtatiously. Sometimes it seems that he hurts me just to hide his feelings and sometimes it seems that he means to hurt me, to make me understand the reality that he is not at all into all this. And sometimes everything is a mess!!

Actually I think he is least interested, behaving normally like any other acquaintance and I am exaggerating everything. May be our eyes met just by chance (or may be because I keep staring at him!). And whatever he does, holds the gaze for a few moments very ‘normally’ or say ‘professionally’, the famous professional eye contact and all! Yes I think I am just exaggerating everything.

His thoughts..

I know she loves me. The way she looks at me gives away all, all her feelings that she tries hard to hide! And the way she looks at me, it just makes me crazy too!!

A girl with a golden heart, yes this will be the right description for her. She is not conventionally beautiful, but really cute. She is graceful, simple, mature and intelligent. Well the brain is mature, but at heart, she is so childish (This she will never accept). She keeps scolding and teaching me all the time about my bad habits and all. She does these things not only because she loves me, she is a genuine well wisher for everyone. She is kind at heart, and just incapable of hurting anyone!

Seriously sometimes I am really rude to her. But it happens sometimes, when you like someone a lot and just to hide your feelings, you behave rudely and end up hurting that person.

A year I would never wanna live again PART III

My college had ended and I was eagerly waiting for my call letter from Ways2sms.com.
I didn't had to wait for long and received it on 16th August. Marriage dates were also out and the big day was decided to be 12th November. Unfortunately my training was going to be completed by 3rd November, so I had very less time to prepare for Mahila Sangeet after returning from training.

It was 15th August and I was doing my last minute packing to leave for Mumbai.
Aditi came at my home around 2, one and half hour before my train was about to leave.
I can see that she was sad  but carried a smile on her face. Today I also understood the importance she had in my life. I was going to miss her like anything but didn't knew how to tell her that.
She hugged and wished me all the best and threatened to kill me if I missed to contact her even a single day.
Training went smooth and I had an awesome experience. It was my last day at training and I was very happy to return back to Indore.

Only a week was remaining for the marriage and everyone was bit nervous, tensed and hell lot busy.
I was one who was the most worried person there ,as we had very less time left for the rehearsal.
Everyone was missing their steps and it was a complete mess on the first day of our rehearsal after my return to Indore.

Our group consisted of 3 gals and 4 boys. From our side we were 3 of us , me , my cousin brother and sister.
Remaining 2 gals and 2 boys were from bhabhi's family. We had developed a great bonding and sync when we practiced before my training period. But today everyone appeared out of form and sync. So I was eagerly waiting to see the same return when we practice tomorrow.
We had a recording of the complete parody and everyone was told to practice the steps at their home and come prepared the next day.

Our practice started at 9 in the morning and we continued rehearsing it till everyone was not exhausted.
It was a gr88 session and I could see the old form and sync return.
Our Parody was 45 mins long so it was taken care of that everyone had an interval to get some breathe between the songs. My participation was the longest which comprised of 40 mins with a solo dance also.

It was 1st November and we were all together to rehearse for the last time.
Everyone gave his/her best shot and our dance was appreciated by all the relatives who had come for the marriage and were staying at our home.
I prepared the list according to the sequence of dances. I checked with the host whether she was ready with her part. I called DJ and told him to reach the venue on time.
Everything was set from my side. I was really happy and wanted to enjoy the eve with aditi as I didn't even  meet her after my return from Mumbai.

I was a bit nervous though but i really cared as I was going to meet Aditi who was an ocean of happiness where a single dive can refresh and free you from all worries.

To be contd