First Rain of the Year

Here's to the times when nothing made me happier than counting the rains...

Saal ki pehli baarish mubaraq ho ^_^

 Also this, because it feels nice to be liked at times ^_^

Homesick.

"Tor ghor porishkar korte giye ek gada kaaner dul r clip pelam" the Mommy said during the usual Goodmorning call today, "...Shob Kota oi brown kouto taye rekhe diyechhi jate khuje pash jokhon ashbi"

Somewhere the faint hope they she still holds on to, of me going home, of me settling down, of me leading a normal life, of me finally being happy, of me finally getting accepted, of me finally accepting, makes me worried, very very worried, and extremely sad.

Time to leave everything else and head for home maybe. As Shahid said yesterday 'jism mein dafn' much too much. Or maybe it's just the Monday morning and Supervisor coming back, talking. Who knows. But there is a sense of utmost suffocation and helplessness in Karnataka 560037 and I need to breathe. And I don't know how.

Also the out of context because I like

Zipline: Check

Yay!

Kuch Sawal Jo Sirf Qayamat K Roz Puchhungi... Kyunki

A possible end to writer's block and how!

Why the writer's block at the first place if you're wondering, well, remember that History teacher who did not let you participate in Computer quiz because you didn't know the date for Napoleon's second attack in the middle East?
Remember Priyanka George who had to repeat a year with you because she had Chicken Pox during finals  the year before?
Remember yourself when you didn't get that promotion that December when everyone deserving and non deserving did?
THAT be the reason. It's not gloom, it's not sadness, not depression, or anger, or frustration for that matter, nothing! I don't even know if it's disappointment or shock or Obhimaan or loss or disgust or what, and hence the writer's block.

Have you ever found yourself living someone else's dream and someone else living yours? The only key factor here being, you forever thought that their dream needs a lot of heroism and they always ridiculed your otherwise simple and mainstream dreams. Role reversal much and happily? Maybe being Mr.Snape and adding an Always to all the go-get-to-be-the-hero type questions will choke you. Maybe the winner actually takes it all- beauty, peace, vows, money, appreciation, blessings, and a lifetime of self initiated togetherness. Specially now when you have heavy stones in the place where dreams would reside, especially when the doctor can not help, will not help.
THAT be the reason. It's not gloom, it's not sadness, not depression, or anger, or frustration for that matter, nothing! I don't even know if it's disappointment or shock or Obhimaan or loss or disgust or what, and hence the writer's block.

Hardest GoodBye EVER

When the FM plays "hreed majhare rakhibo" very late in the night, the night before you leave your city of joy, yet again, and this time with news that has changed you forever. With a heavy heart you fight again, you leave again.
But. Oh. Ouch. Oh.

Na Badhleo Kobita Badhbo Aaj

To what could have been a story  very fond,
To what has become a tale, too predictable.

To what could have been a rock bond,
To what has become person, too vulnerable.

Same old
Same old
People too cold.
Souls, too sold
To instant relief, to new found perfection,
Glitz, glamour,
Profits on roll.

To what could have been the 5th anniversary ,
Is just another 31st January.

Not All Wars Are At Battlefield

You wake up early, not that it’s a new thing, given your early morning shifts.

You finish work and come back to the apparent Bangalore ‘home’, pack your bags because you’re going to your actual home today, its Christmas after all. 

So your packing is done. Time: 3:00pm, train time: 5:00 (Yes we are train people, the non-privileged- non-quota Janta). Choice between cab and bus? Cab and bus? Mental calculations about the money that could be saved in bus and eventual better spending of the same on gifts for family. But time in hand, only 2hrs and Hello Bangalore traffic.

Easy decision made. Ola Share Ahoy! Thank you demonetization, cash in hand 600bucks. Olashare fare to the station 300. Anyway, happily you leave for home.  

Here comes the Ola person who picks you up and takes the complete opposite direction to what you should actually go. Ask why? It’s noon time madam, not much business. So he will go opposite for a distance of 1.5hrs, drop the other person and then drop you to Majestic.

So you get down in 5mins, and pay him full as per rule. Cash in hand 300, time in hand 1.5hrs.

You have tears in your eyes now. Your one roommate is at office, the other one with her boyfriend and other one visiting her boyfriend. People you can ask for help, NONE. Admirers you can ask for help, many, but you won’t.  Suddenly all those lectures of the roommate saying it is nice and important to have someone in life you can depend on, at times of need, even if you won’t, start to seem true.

You finally see an Auto bhaiya. Money demanded 350, you have, 300. You plead and plead and plead, look teary eyed. He finally agreed after a lot of dialogues in Kannada that you don’t understand. Now you suddenly feel the need to call home and realize, Battery charge, 3%.

The Auto bhaiya takes you from this route which you are not aware of and all the post afternoon Friday jam suddenly starts pouring in. Your 3% battery slowly becomes 2% and there are constant calls from the brother and mother about whereabouts, you cannot even share the state and worry them. You don’t even know if the route is correct. Your battery won’t allow you to check maps, you don’t know if you will reach in time. You keep on asking “aur kitna time bhaiya” and you start crying silently. And again, all those lectures of the roommate saying it is nice and important to have someone in life you can depend on, at times of need, even if you won’t, start to seem true.

The Auto bhaiya sees from the rear mirror probably and suddenly his whining about the 50 bucks ends. He says “don’t worry meedam, train at 5, pohocha dega”. You smile a little but the traffic seems impossible to go beyond. Anyway, you reach Majestic at 4:55pm sharp, thank the Auto bhaiya, get your big suitcase down at the first gate, beside platform no2. And train to Solapur? Platform no. 4, opposite platform. Good Lord. Time now? 3minutes to train and call from home stops, phone is dead. All those lectures of the roommate saying it is nice and important to have someone in life you can depend on, at times of need, even if you won’t, start to seem true again.

You see a coolie checking you out, you ask him only, with the ultimate bechari  state and he demands 80 bucks. You collect all the 10s in your wallets and together they are 50. You plead and he agrees, He agrees! He runs and you run after him. This Jab We Met stunt in real life is not as fun. The train starts to move, the coolie throws your luggage in and you get in! Breathe, find your seat! You are thirsty, you are hungry, you are tired. You remember the roommate say it is nice and important to have someone in life you can depend on, at times of need, even if you won’t. This situation would have been different if you had the/any special someone dropping you/ seeing you off/ checking on you/ being with you/ at least listening to your frustration.

Eventually you find your seat, put your phone to charge and inform home.  Collect all the one rupee and two rupees coins to buy a bottle of water. Hunger can wait, thirst cannot. And thus you spend the last money left on water, spend the night hungry to reach home next morning, to your people.

And when you took the first sip of water that night in the train, even though knowing your next 12 hours would be without food, you prove the roommate wrong, your roommate was wrong after all.

And for all those who think I breathe drama, yes I do. 

Shob Choritro Kalponik

 Ekti meye k chintam. Last to last year ei sheet kal, more specifically, thik ek shomoy e onek conversations hoy taar shathe. Ami tokhon shoddo dumped, Piya tokhon shoddo where-are-we state e, r shobai e tokhon benched. Thik shei shomoy e dekha hoy amar taar shathe. Ujjol rong, sharp naak r chokhe ek odbhut confidence. Ei chhilo amar kachhe Nondini'r first impression. First and forever impression sheta jodio.

Nondini, amar khub kachher bondhu'r khub kachher manush ebong premika shei shomoy. Ek ebong ekmatro karon jaar jonno Accenture er forever neglected and de-scoped office er baire jawar kotha bhabtei pere uthchhilona amar bondhu, tana du maash bench er por o. Jara ei byapare janenna, TCS r Accenture holo Unitech building er conjoined twins. Shey jai hok, ei sheeter maashe, post lunch roddur khetam jokhon shobai, tokhon e Kolkata'r forever lyadh office hours theke shomoy ber kore ashto Nondini basically prem ta korte, phowara pare and us being the shameless people that we are, used to take away most of their time shit talking.

Tokhon amar besh baje haal, kotha beroto na mukh diye r onek weight lose korechhilam(thank God for bench period). Constant state of gloom and vulnerability te companion chhilo Piya j proti lunch hour e nijer praktan r taar shombhabbo new interest k ghure berate dekhto oi same campus e (yes Accenture TCS bonds are epic). Tokhon Nondini diner por din amader bojhato, of love, of life, of loving and living, of giving and taking only what is yours. Ei Rajput meyeti aste aste shobar khub priyo hoye uthlo. Amar bondhu had this sense of pride and happiness r hoyto kothao na kothao amar kachhe ora ideal hoye uthlo. Etotai ideal j Goa te mod kheye ek jon onnojoner phone na dhorleo next morning everything would be fine. Etotai ideal j barite baba'r shathe over a small comment of 'o otoi bhalo hole TCS e pelona keno' would fuel a war. Etotai ideal j diner por din dekha na howar por o when one selects bondhur biye over one meet, cities away, the other one understands.

Tarpor du bochhor por shei same January maash e, aaj, Nondini'r biye holo. Happily. Patro notun keu, Manager. Shesh gyaan?
And some day in future when you are in a far better state, with far better people, you'll thank the day when you lost what you thought you couldn't live without

And thus ends one more love story where noone will be blamed, ever!

Ecospace At Such Night : Check

Mandate!

The mandatory year end post:

1. What did you do in 2016 that you’ve never done before?

Jumped into a river

Slept on a hill top under the open sky

Watched a Tamil movie (Rojonokanto) in Karnataka         

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year?

Nothing kept, nothing made.

             

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Uhmm…

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No

          

5. What countries did you visit?

Here comes the bezzati!

6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?

Home

               

7. What date from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory?

The days the world got too shameless

               

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Clearing PIP. Truly!

           

9. What was your biggest failure?

MDM has been my long time failure apparently

               

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Hello Thyroid!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Saari for the entire clan of Aunts :D

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Really?

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Behavior I don’t know. Actions, well, Boss!

14. Where did most of your money go?

Tickets

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

It was a Blah year

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2016?

Tumi onno karo shonge bedho ghor

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

1. Happier or sadder? Happier

2. Thinner or fatter? Same

3. Richer or pooper? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Studies

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Whining

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Dancing Bollywood, drinking 5star and eating mach bhaat ^_^

21. Who did you spend most of the time on the phone with?

Maa

22. Did you fall in love in 2016?

No

23. How many one night stands in this last year?

:/

24. What was your favorite TV programme?

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No

26. What was the best book(s) you read?

All that I read was Cursed Child.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Aluma Doluma

28. What did you want and get?

Pujo leaves

29, What did you want and did not get?

Onsite               

30. What were your favorite films?

Praktan

Doctor Strange

Dangal

31. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

Went home!

   

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Denmark.

33. What would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?

Don’t care and dress up anyway

               

34. What kept you sane?

Pep talks

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

None

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Demonetization

37. Who did you miss?

Home

            

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Narmada and Anju

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016?

This too shall pass

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?

Zinda hoon yaar, kaafi hain

जो मिलके रात जागते थे... सेहर में पलकें मीचते हैं यूँ

जुदा हुए कदम
जिन्होंने ली थी ये कसम
मिलके चलेंगे हर्दम

Fix You

It's been a while since I wrote love letters
It's been a while since you received the same.
An open letter to you,
Who is more than just a name.

   Glad that you happened,
   Glad that we crossed roads
   Where this friendship nursery rhyme
   Can beat all the love odes.

So fear not my dear
You will win this war,
And I will always hold your back
From near, or from far.

   It is through today's rain,
   That tomorrow you will get your due.
   And I will silently shed pride tears
   While you, 'fix you'.

     -Abhishikta


For very specific people, with all my love.

Check

To be so tired both literally and figuratively, that you cannot sleep.

Wax Doll

There she stood
Beautiful, spotless,
Virgin stature of perfection.
Oh touch her not!
Oh tease her not!
My wax doll so dear.

So I kept it safe
For years together
For years to come,
From known attackers and sweet knives,
From disasters, from horrors,
Situations, scenes and people too strong.

Then it came one day
Calling itself 'life'
Arms wide open; intentions, unclear
With one face of hope
And the other so ugly,
Oh so ugly my dear.

To it's storm, 
To it's fire, 
I lost. 
But my darling won.
Put up a fight that would remain unknown
Scars, that would not be shown.

But to realise.
The wax doll that has always been
Is actually; steel within.
And I hope
Oh so much;
That THAT, wasn't just a dream.

-Abhishikta

Pearls Of A Rainy Friday Evening

On being someone's Sunday of life. Someone so important and yet so unwanted. Someone so desirable yet someone they used to know.

A rather confusing topic for many maybe. But then, I'm cool like that.

For all the times that I've known, mostly after joining job, Sunday is the most ambiguous day for me. Sure it starts with an early (by Sunday standards) call from home, and then from the roommate (who would diligently get breakfast for all) and I sleep more, and some more. There is this ultimatum about Sunday when we don't want to wake up because we know the moment it starts, it will end. By the time it is evening and we realize the day has not even started properly for it to end, it is Goodnight time.

So that is the thing about Sunday. We love it with a melancholy. Knowing that it has to end and it will. So we happily wait for it and step on it sadly. It is graceful poignancy with cheap greed.

Sunday is like the first love of your life whom you love with all your heart and will always do, but it will go, just because it has to go. Like your annual one week vacation to the country for which you wait but you don't want it to come, for it will go as soon as it comes. Like the sea that you love so dear but you can't keep on walking inwards forever, for your own good. Like me. Like you.

So are the rest of the days bad? So do you love Sunday the most? No, absolutely not. But there is this sense of belonging, wanting, losing, helplessness, greyness about Sunday. Maybe that's what makes it so important.

So? Who's the Sunday of your life? And how does it feel to be one?

Maybe the only good thing about winters (which is present only at nights here) is the privilege to walk with hands inside the jacket’s pocket.
This ‘walking’ space here, which is hard to get, but Thank God for nights and winters and jackets with pockets, when you can think and just think. And maybe see certain posts and status’ of certain people and sigh, and think some more.

Yeh kaha aa gaye hum, akele chalte chalte
Also, 30^th of November. That’s why the post btw.

Hello Winter :)

Edu Kondala Vada, VenkatRamana, Govinda Goooovinda

Tirupathi

A place that I had planned to never ever visit because

A. I am not much of a teerth yatra fan

B. It is rather tough place to go to.

 

However, as they say, when the God calls you, you go and we went. It would be really unfair to say that it was not planned and everything “happened”. There were plans, and re-plans, and schedule matching, and re-plans, and weekend office spoiling, and re-plans, and cold wars, and re-plans, and A’s onshore clashing, and re-plans, and finally on one Saturday afternoon, when we were supposed to work, we left office at 3.

Now to especially mention the fact that it was last weekend when we were cashless and Bangalore ATMs were sights to see and Tirupathi locals told us, no money anywhere around. Money we had, 500-ish. We left Bangalore anyway. Thank God that Government had exempted the toll for this time period, little thoughtfulness. I do not know how many of you know but the Bangalore-Kolar highway is pretty and the mine areas look pretty filmy. People staying in Bangalore for quite some time, must be aware of the fact that nobody actually looks at the cars while crossing the road, we just cross (and the cars WOULD stop). So we met this woman near the Kolar Gold mine highway who was quite in the hang of this Bangalore road crossing practice and our 100km/hr car almost killed her. Quite a heart stopping experience, that.

We of course reached Tirupathi waaaaay later than expected, blame it on too much Antakshari and too much work and too much distraction. When we (when I say we, it is everyone but me (no specs till here)) finally saw the Tirumala hills with shankha-chakra-tika bright lights, it looked like not too much of a challenge for the night. Lots of discussions, pros and cons of trekking on a Kartik-Chaturthi night, the possibilities of dacoits and wild animals later, we started off with the last bit of change left, in an auto to the Tirumala hills footstop, 12:30 in the night.

Tips for whoever wants to visit: To reach the main temple, you will have to reach the Tirumala hills first. There are 3 ways to reach the Tirumala hills:

1. There are fully functional bus services from Tirupathi to Tirumala, 24*7. There are private and Government buses, you can also take your car. This will take is somewhere around 45-60 minutes.

2. There is a stepway trek from Alipiri. This step trek is roughly of 9kms, of which there are 3550 stairs and rest are almost flat roads. Normally people take 4-5 hours through this route to reach Tirumala. This is open 24*7 and no matter when you start, you will always get to see fellow devotees/ trekkers. We took this one.

3. There another trekway from Srivari Mettu. This opens at 6am in the morning. As per our hotel person, this route is ‘safer’ and it takes only 2.5 hours. We did not take this one but somehow, most of the people at Tirupathi would tell you to take this one.

And we started our journey from the Alipiri. There was a full crowded market right at the stairway where the steps start. N wanted to climb up without chappal and so she did.

Tips for whoever wants to visit: The Tirumala is on the seven hills. These seven hills are considered religious by the people so mostly people walk barefoot. It is completely alright if you want to wear your shoes/chappal and trek up. You may get a few dirty looks from Aunties and Uncles but you will find many people walking with shoes.

As per the official website and other sites, it is a compulsion for women to wear salwar or saari. And mind you girls, when they say salwar, they want to highlight on the dupatta. Although I did not face any disturbance, but when S visited the same place, she HAD to buy dupatta because she went ahead with Kurti.  No matter how much arguments we have, this one rule is unbendable apparently. The clothes criteria will come only after you reach the Tirumala hills so during the trek, wear whatever you want. The boys can wear whatever they want (I know, unfair).

Make sure you carry enough water or cash or at least your bottles. There would be many many water stations and washrooms and small shops on the way as well. When you start your step, there would be a big fire lamp in the middle, which is for keeping away nazar, do NOT look back at it from the steps (yeah I’m superstitious).

And thus our trek was on. After the initial jing and jang of looking at old sculptures and people and everything else, there were steep and unending stairs straight. Very excitedly I turned back at the 300^th step and made everyone turn back and look at the pretty city lights from up. THAT made N dizzy, she did not tell me, knowing me. A knew, and thus started the rest of the trek where I was wondering why on earth is A not letting N walk for more than 50 steps, on one go. Somewhere around the 700^th step, N’s haal was behaal. A ran to this water stall and call it God’d grace, he got his Rs.500 note exchanged for bottles of water and Glucon-D. This change was all that we had now. Panting and resting every now and then we finally reached the point of the shankha-chakra-tilak on the hill. It was the 2082nd step and we thought woah, here it ends.

It turned out to be the Biometric halt and not even half of what we had to cover. There were 6 kms more to go. This probably  was when I felt for the first time that I would not be able to make it.

Tips for whoever wants to visit: You may not be able to locate the biometric counter, it is to the left, where the amphitheatre (type) ends. This place is a mini-mela and you will find a lot of food options (South-Indian mostly). This is only half of what you’ve climbed but the road ahead would be simpler, but distance would be longer.

For us, there was a little excitement in counting the steps, no matter however steep and rigorous it was. After the biometric, you need to walk straight and then 2 steps, and then straaaaaight and again two steps. So even after walking for 15 minutes, you may end up finding that you have covered only 20 steps. I had a great time scaring N who clearly thought some wild animal will eat us up (remember how the localites warned us about animals on the way?).

Tips for whoever wants to visit: You will find a small deer park on the way, If you are travelling at night, or day for that matter, leave the poor animals alone. Your torch lights and selfie drama clearly makes them VERY uncomfortable. If your find a random animal on the sidewise treeline, do not irritate it or shout. They will not harm you. If anyone tries to scare you about dacoits, don’t panic. Other than small pickpocket incidents, Tirupathi trek is a safe business. There is some temple  on the Jungle pathway and I did not try it. Go at your own risk if you want to.

We also found this animal en route, which someone said was Nilgai. I doubt my animal skills, that too without specs. Since there are seven hills that one has to cross before reaching Tirumala, a point will come where you will actually walk on the same road as the buses. I had this immense wish of stopping a bus and going but then, batmanhood.

This last stretch is about 4km straight and a little steep. I was obviously thinking that at the end of this is our destination. It had become around 5-ish by then and 5 hours we estimated, The Glucon-D had done its wonders to all and I had almost started regretting not having it. At the end of the interconnected hill road, we saw, 600 more steps, steep ones. And suddenly, everyone started to get up on their knees.

I sat down and thought of giving up. N and A forced me Glocon-D sips. 10mins rest, Glucon-D and pep talks later, me and A started trying the knee step stunt and gave up after 10 steps. Somehow we finished the 600 last steps and wohooo, Tirumala ahoy! 6:30am.

Tips for whoever wants to visit: From Tirumala to the temple is a different journey again. Most buses will leave you at Tirumala near the temple. Please ask the local shop people and keep your belongings in the locker room. However they allow wallets so carry money for the hundi if you want to. Only one ID card is enough to get lockers. Once you reach the temple, they will make you take the laddoo token (except for free darshan where they get the token inside the cage), there are three line varieties:

1. For free darshan: You need to follow the queue. On weekends and holidays, do yourself a favour and do not go for free darshan. They will make you walk and walk and walk and wait till you finally reach the cage. However, the cage will be overpopulated and all will sit on the ground and sleep on top of each other while waiting.   

2. For special darshan: You need to pay an amount of Rs.350 per person online and get your special darshan tickets. The queue to the cage will be smaller and the cage will have chairs.

3. For divya darshan: You need to trek till Tirumala and the queue will be smaller than free darshan and longer than special darshan. You will get into the same cage as free darshan.

The cages are numbered from 1-30. I do not know how much of this is true but the free darshan and divya darshan cages open once around 10:45am mostly, so try getting into the cage before this time. Next slot cage opening may take a lot of time. This cage is basically the waiting room where they will serve you breakfast/food/tea/coffee for free. Washroom, fan and drinking water is present throughout. However, people with claustrophobia, try and avoid.

After getting inside the cage number 28 at around 7am, the crowd slowly slowing increased till a point where you will actually sleep on top of random unknown people because you are too tired. We did not even wake up for Pongal or coffee. Around 10:45 the cage opened. People from all the darshan varieties merge at this time and no matter what trick you follow, you will be pushed and pulled.

Tips for whoever wants to visit:  Please don’t push or pull or fight. You will have a LOT of weird, cheap, nice, polite, rude, pokey, loud people around. Bear or not, don’t push or pull. I do not know how much of this is true but Govinda should be seen from toe to head and then you should do your prayers looking at his eyes. You will not get more than 2 seconds before they throw you out (literally) so be quick.

We finally had our darshan at around 12 after a LOT of lines. The 2 seconds seemed surreal. I, of course could not identify Govinda’s eyes and thus, yet again, my wishes went unheard. I was glad at least N and A saw him in the eyes and prayed for whatever they wanted. Next would be first line to some other God place where the Pujari may force you to give money but don’t if you don’t want to. I didn’t. Then would be the Hundi line where the popular belief says, the more you give the more you get. If you know about the Shree Chakra then do that as well. We were almost killed while coming back due to some path blockage.

 Tips for whoever wants to visit: Please do not carry babies. Decide on a common meeting place if you lose each other because 80% people do.

End of gate they give Prasad and after so much, the curd rice that I have forever disliked also seemed exotic. Finally you get you go to the laddoo counter, show your coupon and get the ever so famous Tirupathi laddoos. While coming back we took the bus back to Tirupathi from Tirumala. You can trek back. We reached Tirumala by 4pm and finally found a card accepting restaurant. Yay!

Tips for whoever wants to visit: The people and vendors and everyone can be very very rude. There is very little point in going into an argument but then, if you’re me, you WILL fight. I hope you have someone to peace the situation out.

Coming back was tough. There was Aji who had not slept for more than 40 hours and had to drive, we had trouble walking and he was planning to drive in that. Men are men and thus we started off. My job was to shit talk and keep him awake. It was around 10 in the night when he suddenly stopped the car on the highway footpath and just dozed off, that was when I got scared. After that, and before that, for that matter, I kept on looking at his eyes, red sleepy tired eyes. Phew. The tolls were free again and in that trance, he did not even stop to check. N thought we would die. In my half closed eyes I kept on talking, this time nonsense. At about 1am we reached Marathalli. Finally. And then a lot of drama followed but then what is life without drama.

And to do all of this at the time of no cash, pat pat pat.

So again, as they always said,
Edu Kondala Vada, VenkatRamana, Govinda Goooovinda

That You've Always Been Her Lover

Sail in peace.

For all the ideas, right or wrong, about poetry, love, life, and everything in between.

Lots of love, Sir.

When Your Poem Isn't A Poem

A word,
Few words,
Rambling in motion;
That is when
Your poem isn't a poem.

How you colored your hair blue,
How love abandoned that was true.
The last bus miss,
The upside down kiss,
The drinks unknown,
Moon view from the home.

Random,
Just random.
That is when;
Your poem isn't a poem.
It is THE you.

Whole of, and entirely.
Even,
Without poetry.

- Abhishikta

Phir Se Diwali, Bina Ghar Wali

Back in 2014, I had shared this video because I found it so nice. 2 years later when I watch the same video again, on a lone Tuesday holiday afternoon, it touches me deep inside and chokes me in a way that Shahrukh’s disease revelation scene in Kal Ho Na Ho did.

So Diwali 2016.

I was so sure last year during this time that I would SHOMEHOW move back to Kolkata by the next Diwali and now, here I am, exactly where I was, with zero change in life, except for the addition of a few extra kilos and ice cream!

Why I would remember this Diwali?

Anju suddenly got us hand painted Diya’s after working on it till 1am (consider the fact that she wakes up at 5 every day and travels 2+2 hours daily to work). And without any exaggeration, I accept, this task needs a LOT of patience, when I tried doing the same, I gave up at the first stroke of brush :D

Narmada gave me the happy guilt of choco lava. And that too after lunch, and that too after continuous ice cream dose. I was so happy to see her happiness at the arrival of the sister from Singapore. Home :’)

I was so happy to atleast give Abhimanyu competition in bowling. And to come home in a bullet with the whoooosh of the wind in the chill of Bangalore. Someday I would own one B-)

Ashokji  got us chocolates (and yes, all my friends here are determined to keep the fat in me, on) and crackers. I was glad that like home, there is someone to listen to the silent abdaars. Add this to Karnataka -Tamil Nadu tiff and Ulsoor strike :3

This Diwali was also when I first did my fairylight shopping.  The lights were pretty and over priced (Hello Bangalore) but it certainly made me very happy for some time. I remember not buying the same last year because ki r hobe. So YAY, this time ^_^

KaliThakur was a little too angry I guess because even after pulling Nivedita(Dhanyavaad :D) to the far and only Kali Pujo I could find, I could not see her face and we could not wait because with love, comes certain restrictions sadly. Also Thank God she was there with me for the 4 days when everyone else went home :(

That followed by Subhayan! Oh God he looks likes a ket NRI now and talks with an accent. I was so glad I could make fun of his bidesh  tinted dress wala coat. Subhayan, the sadist in me wants you to watch the video above and cry a little like I did :P

It also was the first time perfect Rangoli with Nishita. Consider the fact that there was unnecessary early morning travelling from part to the other distant part of Bangalore. Thank God EVERYONE went off from Bangalore on Friday night itself and there was ZERO traffic, except for unlucky (broke) people like us. That also meant my plan to skip the all Bongs meet for lunch  that afternoon went down the Hoogly, sorry Kaveri. So it also was the first time we got a cab that looked like biye barir gari  and the mahaan Piyadi got inside with bhaiya kisika shaadi tha? The man gave us very dirty looks and no wonder he refused the final U turn to the destination :D

That and Aye Dil Hai Mushkil. I would do a review soon but Urdu is so damn sexy. Mujhse Pehli SI Mohabbat Mere Mehboob Na Maang. Uff! And cracker buying where a chhoto tarabati  is 100 bucks (Hello Bangalore). My favorite part of the weekend was probably when at 10:30 in the night, this nice autowala agreed to take us (4 people and a cake and crackers and food packets) for just a distance of 5 minutes. I was in charge of paying and coming inside so I wished him Happy Diwali while he was going. He stopped his auto and said “Happy Diwali Madam, Very Happy Diwali Madam, Bohot achha laga sun k, Happy Diwali Madam’. And he left. I was so happy. Genuine happy wishes and for what. Sweet :’)

The night that followed I remember vague. Piyadi and I as usual wasted a lot in our experiments and Arjoda was thanked immensely. So Diwali was not that bad you see. Much better than the last year and the coming year. However, certain things that you keep seeing and hearing from here and there would definitely hurt you but bleh.

Also, LOOK how pretty my house looked this Diwali, like every Diwali *_*