The “YO” Dadi

After an amazing vacation at home, a fun filled Navratri, I was back to Mumbai yesterday. Back to the mundane life of work. To relax myself after the trip, i thought of going for a hair message and hair spa today at O’Hair.

O’hair has always been my favourite salon, reasonable in cost with great service. Well the salon as usual was crowded with all the modern gujjus of Matunga central; thank god i had taken an appointment. After 2 mins of waiting, my attendant Rewaz took me to my seat.

While having my oil message a gujju lady, i guess in her 50’s, sat at a place adjacent to me. The lady came to the salon for hair trim. What caught my attention to her was her huge diamond nose stud glittering in the brightly lit salon. And yes, how did i know she is gujju, her gujju saree, typical type of jewellery that she adorn and while i was guessing it she spoke in Guajarati to someone sitting nearby, a mystery person, as i was unable to see him/ her.

My tendency to avoid gujjus made me concentrate on my head message again, I closed my eyes went back to the do not disturb, i am relaxing mode. Well this mode is when i avoid people, noises and my thoughts to disturb me, all i do is just stop and detach myself from the world around. After around 10 mins in this mode, i felt something vibrating on my head and opened my eyes. While Rewaz continued my head and back message, I happened to notice the lady again. Her trim was done and the attendant now was blow drying her hair. Now the lady saw me noticing her and gave a smile. I reverted back. To avoid the awkwardness of noticing the lady again and again, not because i liked her but coz of her nose ring, i saw myself in the mirror then my attendant then the people sitting behind when finally i got a ping on watsapp and thankfully sometime passed by.

I dint realize that the lady was not looking at me when i was done with my chit chat. Then i heard her saying “mane bhi aa karavu che” to the mystery person. A teenage girl in a funky pink t-shirt and denim shorts peeked to see me. She smiled and said “hair message pacchi kyarek karavsu, tamari haircut and setting thai gai dadi”.

We say generation gap, but i have often noticed this that many grandparents that they change and adapt to the modern lifestyle and thinking because of their bonding with their grandchildren. It seems when the grandparents retire and become friends with grandchildren, they adapt to this “Yo” generation, transforming into the “Yo” dada’s and dadi’s.

While i thought about this, the voice of the teen age girl “YO Dadi”, i looked at them, the girl was showing something to her dadi on her cell and i realized she had said “JO Dadi”.

Flying Visit @ Home for Diwali

When it started???

A month and a half back i got to know we have just two days holiday for Diwali, I thought it makes no sense going home as the distance is far off. Surat, where my relatives reside, was a best option to celebrate Diwali, i thought. Then I was least bothered to book my tickets in the helm of my work and the days passed by. I was just 10 days for Diwali when i thought i should book my tickets and found no luck for Surat. I happened to see the pictures of last Diwali on the laptop, and experienced a sudden pang. It was a bad feeling, may be a feeling of nostalgia and out of the blue i urged to go home for Diwali. I thought i would give a surprise to my family. I checked for flight tickets and the rates were exorbitant. But my urge to go home increased and i realized my eyes were betting tears.

After some time, thinking what to do, i dialled my brothers. I told them about my surprise, now for my Mom, Dad and my cousin sis Rakhi. Putting the ball on their court, i asked them to check for tickets with the agent. Luckily, in two days i got a sleeper ticket for Nagpur in Vidarbh Express.

The trauma of NO HOLIDAY

Diwali was on 26^th, Wednesday while we had holidays on 26^th and 27^th i.e. Wednesday and Thursday. While arranging for my tickets, I also was talking to my senior colleague in the office for a chutti on Friday so that i can have a prolonged visit. She tried explaining it to my Boss, but all seemed to end up in vein. I have to take a week off for a family function in December, so even i did not insist much for a holiday. Finally, when my colleague told me about no holiday for Friday, i decided to cancel my ticket. When i took my cell to dial my brothers, i got a call from Aakanksha, my friend from Nagpur and my roommate in Mumbai. She wanted to visit Nagpur as well for Diwali and asked me if she could join me. I told her she can take my tickets as i was not going at least not for 2 days. It was then that she told me that she also plans to go for 2 days and flight tickets are available for Friday morning at reasonable cost. Finally, a yes came from within me automatically and our entire trip gt fixed.

The Train....The Nightmare

I left the office at 6.30 in the evening for Dadar station to catch my train and Aakanksha was already at CST, probably boarded the train as well. We had decided for as minimum luggage as we can, as we just had one ticket and expected the train to be crowded. I waited for the train for almost 40 mins, arranged for our food as well. The train arrived on time and all of sudden i saw hundreds of people wanting to board it from the same door in the same boogie. Thanks to Mumbai local journey, that i was used to this chaos, and indeed i was able to board the train safely pushing and pulling others :P.

We had an Upper seat, Aakanksha called me when she saw me looking for my berth. Until then our lower was full with more than required number of people and i thought it is a good idea to climb up. The boogie was full of people and i wondered if they all will be travelling long distance. But most of them got down at Kalyan and herds and herds boarded as well. Now i had started feeling sick of the crowd and the murmurs and everything around me. I wished the TT to come and throw these unwanted people out. Moreover, i also wanted to get down as i badly wanted to visit the loo. I can’t get down, people around the gate didn’t want to move, I could see the crowd settled near both the doors, pushing and pulling and shouting and arguing. It was 4 hours now, and i asked a fellow passenger about the TT. He was confident enough to inform us that the TT won’t come, and i was cursing him within, both the passenger for this bad news and the TT for not coming. But he told us that the crowd might get down at Nasik and we can get down and come back fast, as more people would board. It was a unanimous decision of the people around to lock the doors once people get down at Nasik, reason being the general boogie was full and ours was a boogie just adjacent to general.

As decided, we followed the crowd when they were getting down from the train at Nasik. We reached the door and to our surprise around 20 people had arranged themselves well around the area just leaving some space near the entrance door. Damn there was no space even to approach the loo and those were asking us to move back. Moreover, people on the station, who wanted to board the train, started banging and pushing the door badly, and they succeed to push it open. Now we were stuck between the people sitting down, others wanting to come in. Both side pushing us and we screaming at the top of our voice. Thanks to that guy, seemed like a bouncer, who helped us by pushing people aside and making way for us in. As we reached our berth, we climbed up, arranged our luggage somehow and went to sleep. Morning i woke up at 7.30 but laid until the train reached Ajni, a station before Nagpur. We then got down and took our bags while the train reached Nagpur.

HOME Sweet HOME

I reached home by around 9.15 am. Dad was not at home, I had told my mom already about my surprise visit, as she had informed everyone at Surat that i will be coming there for Diwali, just to avoid problems later. I tiptoed round my house till the back gate and entered the room. My brothers locked it from inside, and we sat there waiting for my dad, no one in the house knew i was in. Mom guessed it when she saw my bro, and came to see me. We hugged each other and i could sense her happiness. She went out and started sending all my favourite things to eat.

My brothers called my cousin Rakhi, i hid behind the cupboard, she entered the room and as she turned, I stood there. Thank God, she didn’t shout. We also called Cahru, our close friend, Meet, my cousin, and were having good time. In between, i called my dad and informed him that i m in Mumbai only as i didn’t get tickets for Surat. I got a good scolding though :P.

My dad came home at 11. He went to kitchen and was talking to mom about me not going to Surat, when i entered the kitchen from his back and sat next to him. The moment is hard to express. I hugged my dad and the next moment, He, my mom, my brother and Rakhi started crying. I had bought an Idol of Goddess Durga in silver for papa and Payal for my mom as a gift for their 25^th Anniversary. I gave it to them and met other people from the family.

The entire day went on meeting people, and preparing for Diwali Puja. Same was the next day when i visited the market and met many know people. Many of them i seemed to have forgotten. I was wondering was fast my life runs. Tomorrow, i have my flight back to Mumbai and by 11.30 will be at work. It seems i have put on my runners and m running all day trying to manage my time in the best possible way. Life has indeed changed drastically. And I as a person have changed as well. Gone are those days of preparing and shopping for festivals, today i have to find time to enjoy them. Festivals are now merely an excuse to find sometime for my family and myself. To stop running for a day or two and just to relax.

The next morning i boarded my flight and was back to Mumbai, back to work, back to running. Today as i write this experience, it seems like those two days were just hallucination or just a beautiful dream. J

The Train Friend

It has been 3 years, away from home, exploring a completely different world. The journey towards my aspiration, indeed, has been through thick and thin but surviving all the odds i still fight for my existence.

I recently got a new job, met new people, and met new challenges. Moreover, left the place i was staying at, with a roommate, for last 8 months. In short, life had changed completely and i was happy. I had to shift to my didi’s place temporarily till i secure a good place to stay. Mornings started early and nights began late and it took an hour of local train travelling from Dombivili, where my didi stays, to Dadar, where i work, both are the most crowded places for local travelling. Indeed life was HELL. No sleep, no proper food, new people, lots of workload, to describe it well. But i was enjoying it. Every day i used to catch 8.36 am ka Dombivili local.

The frequent journeys made me acquainted to a didi. She too stayed at Dombivili and worked at Dadar and was new to this crowd, though she was from Mumbai, as she got married three months back and was staying in western line before. The first day i saw her, she was sitting at a fourth seat and so was i, both struggling to remain on the seat. I asked for a safety pin and there started are talks, and it went all till we got acquainted to each other’s routine and family as well.

The next day had to catch the local at 7 am as i was handling the PR of a trade show at goregoan. It was a three day event and we didn’t meet. The forth day when i boarded the same 8.36 ka local, i rushed to secure a window seat. I sat there as a smug, as if achieved something great. While ogling at the mass of ladies struggling to board the train, i glanced at the lady next to me. To my surprise, rather our surprise, it was she. I can’t describe the feeling. It was as if i saw one of my close relative after a long time, when it was just our second meet.

Before i uttered a word, she asked me, “Aare! bahut dino baat dikhe. Mujhe laga aapko naya ghar mil gaya hoga.” Then i stared bitching about my event, and one after other switching various topics, we went on talking.

The next day went on as usual; we met at the station, boarded the train but secured only one seat. I sat till Thane and then offered her to sit till she got her pre-booked seat at Ghatkopar. Strange though but now we had become train friends J

It was now a week since we met, we exchanged numbers too. I reached the station and was looking for her around. She was not there, even when i boarded the train. Damn, i was feeling so lonely. There were many known faces around, but my eyes waited for her. She had told me about her visit with her family to a temple near Mumbai, has she not returned. Well it was actually not my concern why she had not come, but i was sad. I called her, she didn’t answer. Was she all right? I went to the extent of thinking that her in-laws must have objected her work. God knows what the reason was but i kept on contemplating for the entire day.

The next day, finally she was there. The first question i uttered was “kahan the aap kal? I missed you? Seat bhi nahi mili.

I will be leaving Dombivili soon, but whenever would visit or pass by i will remember her, our chit chat and our experiences.

The only thing i could give her is these four lines which i conceived in her absence in the train

“Life’s journey is indeed like a local train journey,

A few people board the train with you, a few join in between.

Many leave at their respective destination while there are very few who are there till the end.

The journey has many experiences, some good, and some bad.

We meet many people; some make a difference while some are indifferent.”

I never thought that staying away from my family would make me so lonely that even a stranger would become a dear one, and that this small life span we shared together will bring tears in my eyes whenever I’ll think about it.

Mesmerized by a little angel...!!!

Sundays have always been hectic, since I have started working. Those cosy late mornings, bunking the lecture, skipping the lunch, all have suddenly vanished in blue. Life has changed, I have changed. Now I am among those people who get up at dot 7.30, sometimes fighting for 5 more minutes of sleep, getting ready and walking through the herd of human cattle at Andheri station, then gasping to breath to get into the local and secure a seat. Frankly life was good from the other side of the bridge.

It was 13th June, and I had to travel all the way down to Mulund, to meet my relatives. Had to get up early, so that I reach early and get back early too. Thus commenced my Sunday morning and the entire day went on good, with lots of talks and food. While coming back in the evening, I boarded a semi crowded local for Dadar and luckily got a fourth seat (well can be unlucky to as I was barely able to sit besides the two fat ladies). I was struggling hard to sit, fidgeting as much as I can to make the ladies shift a bit. Finally when I won the battle and was smiling at my laurels, I figured out a little angel dawdling behind a lady. But of course the lady making faces and looking at her angrily as her head would bump into her. Poor thing, the little girl was sleepy, and had to control her and in that crowd she can't even reach out to her mother.

Frankly even I started feeling sleepy now, looking at this drama for last 15 minutes. I wondered life was so different initially. There were no responsibilities and deadlines. But above all there were no tensions. Sleep when you want to, get up when you want to, eat live and be merry. All that my parents expected from me is to see me smiling all time.

Well coming back to the Sunday and the train, the little girl finally realised me noticing her. She looked at me for a few seconds and I smiled at her. I expected a smile in return but instead got a grim look (I tell you, even kids today have ego problems). She must be thinking I am mocking on her predicament of not being able to sleep. But baccha I pitied you and me too because after your grim look you indeed mesmerized me and now even I was following you towards the dreamland.

My eyes were now watery, they wanted to close and I felt they were heavy enough to remain open. But I can't sleep. It was against my principle I thought (as I always wondered how someone can sleep anywhere and everywhere). I felt like cursing this little angel. Wondered did she have any sort of power to hypnotize?

I struggled for almost five minutes (believe me it was very difficult) when the train got a bit vacated at Kurla and I shifted in the third place. Suddenly, the girl got up and went to her mom sitting in front making a 45 degree angle from the point where she was sitting initially. There she lay peacefully in her mom's arms. I felt jealous and for the first time missed my mom's lap so badly. But I was happy for her. I closed my eyes and sat till Dadar arrived and then before unboarding, I looked at her again. Now she smiled but the situation changed as now I stood in her shoes. I felt she was mocking now over my plight of being so away from my home, my mom. But as my duty of being elder to her, I smiled back and waved her a good bye.

The Helpless Nature

The moon today was beautiful...it was so bright that it dismantled the darkness around....but thr was some thing missing in the nature...it was the wave of cool breeze in which the rigid trees can dance and swing....it seems nature too is helpless sumtimes to explore itself completely....jst like us
But then i wondered....Nature is helpless and can do nothing about it, but we can.
We have so many things around...so many opportunities but we tend to ignore them. Just because deep down in the heart we are sad and unable to adjust with what life gives us and the root cause for this is our thoughts. Its not our mood but our thoughts that are constantly pondering over the fact of "Lacking something" that makes us feel helpless. Frankly if u just divert your mind a bit....may be for a an hour or so and then rethink about your helplessness, you will find a solution.

Just don't let your mind conquer u....instead u conquer your mind...you should control it :)

Poems...

Sapne wahi dekho jo saach ho...agar dil mein sacchi chahat aur sahas ho...
par aapne sapno mein nahi...aaj mein jio...
aapna aaj sunder aur kushhaal banao....kyuki aaj par nirbhar hai tumhara kal...
khusio se bhar do aaj ke har pal...
chahe jitna bhi kathin ho raasta...tum yeh baat mat bhulna...
ki...har andheri raat ke baad...suraj ko hai ugna...
na harna tum himmat...chahe jitni bhi mhsukilo ka ho samna...
aapne dil mein rakhna...aapne saapno ko saach karne ki ek kamana...
yaad rakhna yeh baat...aapne sapno ko wahi saach kar pate hai...
jo mushkilo se na daar ke...aapne sapno ki sundarta pe vishvaas karte hai...

SO,

Keep dreaming high like mountains....
show your abilities like fountains...
Never to turn back n see...
Flow seamlessly like the deep blue sea...
only then your will observe...
the talent you have preserved...in your mind...
but till now...you were blind...

It happens in love (My Friend's love story)

8^th September’09, Mumbai

Today my life is completely a mess. I met with an accident on road while I was returning home after a tiring day and an unpleasant breakup with my girlfriend. I don’t understand why God created girls. If at all He made a mistake of creating them, why did he invent this stupidity called “LOVE”?

I saw her for the first time in a party on 31^st December 2007. She looked great in her black evening gown. Her blonde straight hair we falling on her face and she moved them with her thin and beautiful fingers. She was a friend’s friend. I was taking to her for about an hour or so and the only thing in my mind was “is she single? How can such a wonderful creation on earth be alone?” But to my surprise she was. After that we started interacting and meeting each other regularly. Finally on 8^th February 2008 we became committed to each other. Finally our love story began and slowly it started getting deeper and deeper.

Initially we were so compatible and frank with each other, we discussed about our past experiences and our friends and any topic beneath the sky. We always had different opinions but a deep understanding too. But time always does not remain the same.

I got engaged in my job and career. She was busy too with her masters. We both had different paths of life at present but were happy being away and eager to be together. We both made some new friends in these different paths but suddenly her friendship with his dear friend started growing deep. She told me about all the things and the moment they spent together but some where i was feeling a bit insecure. It was obvious that she will stay with him for a long time as we were not together and he was the only reliable person with her. But my insecurity began to grow and i started treating her badly. She was silent and tolerated all but everything has some limits.

Today we talked after almost five months. I can see the same love in her eyes but not for me anymore. Well it’s not for his best friend too. This love is for her career which she feels that it will vanish if at all she continues with me. I tried to explain her, i tried my level best but the relation is no more.

I engulfed myself into the world of sadness and unconsciousness. I drank until I forget her, but it seemed impossible. My life starts with her but what about its end? Well i can’t answer that but the important thing is my present, which is empty without her being there with me.