Happy New Year - "Resolution Kya Liya?"

Another old post. Someone bumped it up on my wall and it seemed to resonate with my mood this year. This is the answer to most commonly asked question every new year. No offence to anyone's resolution but this is what I feel.

Hoping whatever your resolutions may be - you are granted with strength and the means to fulfill the same. Wishing all my readers a wonderful and blessed New Year

                                                                  -----------------------------------

Yesterday i got in touch with a lot of my friends and family members to wish each other the arrival of the new year.. whole day yesterday, as i answered my phone, the opening statement was a very cheerful "happy new year"(i hope i get some more calls today...)and what followed more was an inquisitive question: Resolution kya liya?? My answer to most of them was "nahi ya..kuch nahi"

So eventually i decided to get into the league and see what can be my new year resolution...so i followed my friends footsteps to find out others resolution...made some calls...wished them new year and asked "Resolution kya liya??" the answers i got were like...From "smoking chod dunga...job dhoond ke rahoonga, is baar padhai mein jyada mann lagungi, saal ke end tak shaadi kar loonga" to "is saal to main naya bf dhoond hi lungi, yaar is saal main apne coaching wali us bandi ko propose kar hi dunga, is saal ke end tak main indepedent settle ho jaunga, etc etc etc..." (bohot lambi list hai, apka kuch special ho to please bata dena)...

After listening to various resolutions...i figured out resolution lene ke funde...

1. Resolution are all about our benefits.(me main mera...mera kya hoga)

2. Resolutions are anything random which we guess no one will remember...(smoking chod dunga and the league)

3. Resolutions are all those statements which sound impossible to others...(saale bada aaye... smoking chod ke to dikha...paanch saal se keh raha hai..)

4. Resolutions dont mean anything...not to us not to others...its just a way to find out how bad is your hangover...(ans: umm...hmmm..sochta hun yaar=very bad, haan yaar hai ek do...dekhte hai= little bad, yaar maine to soch liya hai iss baar main boss ko dikha dunga ki mujhe better job mil sakti hai=sober but frustrated that he couldn't drink last night...)

All these resolutions and their interpretations got me thinking the importance of new year resolution...i just wonder that can our new year resolutions should be about others...a little more simpler...a little do-able...something like...i'd try touch more hearts...sit for some more time with mum and tell her how much i love her...give a little more surprises to my partner/ spouse, shell out a little more than my share of money if my friend is going through hard time...i will stop judging people by their money, car, clothes, house, etc....i will try give out some time/money to some charity, organization needy and make them feel they have equal right to be happy...something like...i will work more on the issues close to me...follow what my heart says.. not what someone like dad's friend's brother's son would say...make one person smile a day...try not to break my parents/sibling/ friends/ spouse/ girl/boy friend's heart by trying to be a rebel...

I will try just be myself...like my mum taught me to...and if this is acceptable...these are my new year resolution...

P.S. (no offence to smoking chod dunga and other resolutions...they are just references) 

Happy New Year to All

UBC Day 18 - Job hunt - 16

Continued from Part 15 - Baby.

To find the entire story so far, please check Mid month blog roll

--------------------------

Once again girls sat at a relatively quiet corner of the café and sipped their drink. Her daughter was two and a half months now and today was the first evening she was out without her. When Deepti called in to tell that three of them were meeting, and she should join, her mother pushed her too.

They discussed random stories about workplaces, families and life. Most of the conversation revolved around naming the young one. Ritika was recently engaged and Shriya was a mother of a one and half year old child. Shriya helped her with several tips to parenting.

Listening to girls talk about family, Priya couldn’t stop thinking about her daughter’s future. Her family will never be complete. She won’t have the answer to the question, “where is her father?” She thought of her and the word they used for such children, “Illegitimate”. She knew a worst term, but she couldn’t dare to let it appear on her tongue.

“So have you started tuitions?” Ritika asked, bringing Priya out of her trance.

“Umm...no” Priya shrugged. Then she thought and replied with a more appropriate answer. “Actually next exams are far off. Students are generally less interested in these days. Also, I haven’t had time. Now I think I’ll actually look for a full time job.”

“Are you sure you are ready?” Deepti asked.

Priya nodded. She had spoken to her mother about it. She was more than happy to keep the baby and family needed some money. Priya knew tuitions will never be enough.

“Have you applied somewhere?” Shriya questioned.

“Yes, at a couple of places. But you know how it is; no one talks about an opening without any reference.” Priya replied, thinking of all the negative replies that she had received.

Later that night, Deepti gave a brief account of her outing to Harsh while he chatted about his team dinner. When she mentioned that Priya is looking for job, Harsh asked her to ask Priya to forward her CV, his company was hiring and her profile would fit in perfectly.

The very next morning, Deepti informed Priya and by afternoon, Harsh had her CV.

By the month end, Priya was scheduled for an interview at one of India’s best organizations in her field. 

---------------------------

It seems happiness has finally found it's way to Priya's life. Do you think so too? Or it's temporary?

UBC Day 16 - Reunion - 14

Continued from - Married Life - 13

---------------------------------

Priya had met Ritika at Deepti’s wedding but had not got any chance to talk. She was meeting Shriya for the first time that day. She was a bit annoyed to see two new people when she hoped to sit and talk to her best friend.

The conversation on the table was mainly around Deepti and her new married life. Her both friends seemed rather nice. Their care for Deepti showed. Priya slowly forgot her own set of issues and joined them in teasing Deepti.

They coaxed her into details of her life and teased her over minor details. Priya laughed till she had her tears in her eyes. She was grateful to these girls for she did not remember when she had laughed like this last.

“Common Deepti, tell us more about your married life” laughed Shriya.

Deepti blushed. “There isn’t much to tell.”

“Oh yes madam!” the duo teased and all of them burst out laughing.

It was after about one hour when Ritika and Shriya left. Girls promised to meet more often and hugs and kisses later parted ways.

Deepti dragged Priya to a nearby coffee shop and asked her about her health. Priya had told Deepti all about her pregnancy and her fall out with Nitin. Deepti was the only person who understood her position and supported her.

The girls sat there in absolute silence. Priya didn't have much to tell, and Deepti didn't feel like talking about herself.

After a while, Deepti broke the silence. “What next?”

Priya framed the sentence before she spoke. Then she started in a slow voice. “The baby is due in a month and a half. I will be home till then. Akash, Shailja aunty’s son wanted some help with his CS exams, so I agreed to teach him for a small amount. Just yesterday he said, that one of his friends wanted to join too. So for now, at least next four - six months, this will be all. Then I will have to look for a job. Mom is pushing me to get married, but I am not ready.”

Deepti sighed. She didn't really know how to respond. They were best friends. Sisters that neither had. They had been through everything together, but today when life was a bed of roses for Deepti, it seemed the thorns had been picked and laid in Priya’s way. She didn’t know if it was her own happiness or Priya’s problem that made Deepti feel shallow and vain.

They drove till Priya’s home in silence. Parting ways, Deepti said, “let me know if I can help in anyway.”

Priya hugged her friend and comforted her. “You don’t need to feel sorry. I am fine. Especially now that am back, I am doing quite good. I will let you know if there is anything you need to do. Otherwise, for now your support is all I need.” With these words she opened the door and walked up to her house. Deepti started the car to park it two houses away and then realized she had to go to her new home, to Harsh.

Friends are forever

I am participating in Ultimate Blog Challenge and writing a story as part of daily post. Having written the post for the day, I was more or less done for the day.

However, then I came across the prompt from Indibloggeshwaris and couldn’t resist.

Rightly said, friends are the family we choose. And my family that I have chosen to live with for past two years is my roommate.

There are so many moments that I can think of when I think of this girl. One of the most hilarious ones is when a friend hopelessly tries to pit us against someone as a joke and we rather bash him up.

Friends, whom we live with, become more like our sisters and our family. As much as we do appreciate our space, we miss them when they aren’t around.

Good music, good food, good wine and good times. What else does one need when you have a good friend as a roommate?

Love you girl.

***************

Well, my post on friends won’t be complete without posting anything for my two lovely ladies who are now happily married and are busy with their lives.

No matter how far our childhood friends maybe, there is never a distance between hearts. No matter how seldom we speak, there is never any communication missed.

These are the girls whom I have grown up with and against all evens and odds our friendship has lasted.

They know my secrets, my embarrassing tales. We have been with each other through crushes, love, breakups and patch ups. We have driven each other crazy and cried over silly fights. There are countless memories that we together smile at.

Friends who are there forever.

UBC Day 2 - Exams, work and relationships - Part 2

Here comes the Day 2 of UBC. Continuing my story from Cocktails and Gossips - 1

------------------------

Three years ago – On exceptionally late Morning, or so Deepti liked to think she rushed out of her house after shouting goodbye to her mother. Only to return back in two minutes, to fetch her forgotten folder for the meeting.

Deepti had finished her graduation last year and no matter how much she wanted to study further, she loved the idea of being independent. So she had taken up a job during her campus placement, much against her mother’s wishes and started to work as financial analyst. Meanwhile, she decided to study CFA exams.

With Priya in Singapore, Deepti didn’t really have any friends whom she could call close. However, she didn’t even have time for that. Between a nasty boss, a demanding job and never ending course of her CFA exams, her life was more than full.

It was third week of April, a day when her results were supposed to be out. Thinking about her results, as soon as she stepped into office, her boss pointed out that she was late yet again.

Apart from a little squinty look from her boss, her day went exceptionally well until Four PM. She was busy with her file, eyes half popped out in concentration when phone beeped. There it was. Her CFA result. Mustering up guts, she opened the mail. And before she knew it, a tear rolled down her cheek.

She had not made it through the level two for the second time.

Before she had time to stop those tears or wipe them out, he walked by and asking for her result. He cut himself short, when he saw her teary cheeks.

“I cleared mine” his enthusiasm died by now. However, it couldn’t stop another tear rolling down her cheek.

“Hey, please don’t cry. Please, it’s ok! You gave your best shot, didn’t you” he tried to console her in the softest possible voice.

Deepti was more annoyed than depressed. She was annoyed at herself, at her result, at her mother who insisted that she had studied enough, at this guy trying to console her and at his goddamn good looks.

“Let’s go for a coffee” he said. “Why? To celebrate my failure?” she retorted. “No, just so that you feel a little better” he nudged, taking her out for coffee.

Next morning, Deepti gave a full account of his looks, manners and coffee to Priya on phone.

Deepti soon found herself in love with the man she had begun to date after a coffee. However, three months later he suddenly found rekindled love for his long gone girl-friend and it was over.

Deepti thought of Priya’s expression and wondered “Why these crazy ones have to be the hottest ones in the crowd?”

She vowed herself to not get emotional ever again and continued with her daily affair. All went smooth (even her fight with her exams, which she managed to clear at third attempt) till her mother one day bought up the topic of marriage.

------------------

Did Deepti get married to someone her mother wanted? Was she really over her short term relationship? What is in store for her? Read more at Day 3 of UBC.

Friends and Italy- my happy traveller wishlist

I have always been an elaborate planner. Especially when it comes to travelling, one of my favorite pas-time is to plan holidays. I sit for hours in front of my laptop, searching for fare prices, reading travelogues, contemplating over finances and making a list of dream destinations.

I recently listed seven places I really want to go to. But when for Indiblogger competition "Creating Happy Travellers" by http://www.yatra.com I had to pick one that will be happiest – I’ll pick Italy.

Few years ago, with release of Eat Pray Love, Rome became a famous destination. But if you are as big a Mario Puzo fan as I am, your love for Italy is as much as your own nation.

Seven blogs bookmarked on my internet browser

Now that I have established that my attention span is very small, I guess it also gives me right to establish that my mood to write changes… therefore, I am not writing about one of promised topics but today I am celebrating my favorite blogs.

I have a practice. If I like a blog, I follow. And when I really like a blog, I bookmark it. I suddenly realized yesterday that I have full seven blogs on my favorites bar.

Seven super - teachers in my life

My original post planned for the day was seven people I love the most. But keeping in mind that today is teacher’s day celebrated in India; I change my post to seven teachers of high importance in my life.

Since everyone we meet, knowingly or unknowingly, whether we like or not, teaches us something, my post is categorized into groups who taught me a certain thing. This isn’t a first or second list, it is in the order of when I met them in my life.

Letters unsent - letter to my best friend/s

Dear Best Friend,

Or should I say best friends? It has always been a challenge for me to describe best friend as singular. In my journey called life I have shifted many places and each new place has given me a new set of friends. Amongst this each new set of friend, I have somehow many to always find at least one best friend which has left me with a list of best friends rather than one particular best friend.

One of you best friends always questioned and criticized me on this point and did not understand how “Best” which is superlative can be plural. I have wanted to explain you that as many people I meet in every new space, I leave behind a trail of familiar faces, happy memories and friends who have set out to different journey than mine.

To the girls I love the most...

Some of my posts in July have revolved around my best friend’s wedding and this friendship day (otherwise I find the concept a bit over-hyped) I get a bit nostalgic over the years spent with the friends who have been with me through most of my life.