Drenched #FridayFotoFiction

It had been 12 long months since I had seen him.

And the rains weren’t making it any easier.

I held my cup of coffee, picked up the novel, played my favourite music or to say his favourite music, and sat by the window, lost in his thoughts. 

My heart was pounding at a rate higher than usual, leaving me perplexed. And I wasn’t understanding the cause of this uneasiness since morning. 

A nice walk would ease the feeling, I thought to myself. 

Soon, I picked the keys, grabbed the umbrella and opened the door and witnessed the sight that nearly took my breath away! It was him… Standing right in front of me!

Drenched.

Both of us were. He with rains and I in his love. 

***

Linking with #FridayFotoFiction with Mayuri and Tina.

Cheers

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Breathe and Smile

 ‘We will welcome the guests with the tilak and maang teeka for the ladies and broach for the gents’,

‘Yes, that will look really nice and new’

‘But didi, it’s a baby shower. Not a wedding function’

‘Let it be, it will look nice’

‘Mummyji, I was thinking to have the badges made like mommy-to-be, daddy-to-be, grandma-to-be, etc. They’re really in these days.’

‘No. I don’t think it’s a good idea. We’ll do the maang teeka thing’

Hearing this, Neeta took a deep breath and let it go with a sigh.

***

‘After checking with everyone, I think 31^st December will be the best date for the baby shower. Moreover, it’s a Sunday so it won’t be a hassle for the outstation guests. We’ve shifted the date so many times… I’m glad it’s fixed now.’

‘Looks good to me’

‘As it is an afternoon function, we will be free by evening. Also, it will be New Year’s Eve, we should plan a small party for our guests. A bonfire, good snacks and a cake at 12 am… wouldn’t it be wonderful?’

And there Neeta stood… flustered with the idea. It will be her 9^th month of pregnancy. It was her baby shower for which everyone was so excited. Except her. She was happy only from the outside.

It will be so much of strain for her. First, to have a function in the afternoon and then another on the same day where she won’t be able to sleep before the clock strikes midnight. This was worrying her more than anything.

‘Mummyji, it will get really stressful for me. Let’s keep the function on any other date. It will be too much on the plate for me having back to back functions with all the guests in the house’

‘I doubt we’ll be able to shift the date. You don’t worry. It won’t be a problem. You can rest. We’ll handle everything. You sleep early, no problem’

‘How can I sleep early with so many guests in the house, mummyji? It will not look nice. Moreover, I don’t want to. I too would want to enjoy with everyone. Won’t it be much more convenient if we shift the dates?’

‘Dates can’t be shifted now. They’re fixed. I’m telling you, don’t worry, everything will be fine’

Yet, once again, her opinion was ignored and the things were carried on according to the whims and fancies of everyone in the family, but her.

Neeta was anyway a bit reluctant towards the idea of celebrating it large. She didn’t want any gathering or guests or celebrations. All she wished for was the safe arrival of her bundle of joy and then throw a party for everyone. Obviously, what she thought never mattered to the family and everyone continued with their party planning.

Just like this, her suggestions and ideas were ignored in every aspect. Be it the food menu, or the venue or the timings or the photographer or the gifts or the preparations and the funny thing is it was her baby shower!

Breathing it all out, she calmed herself out and wore a smile every day, not for anyone else but for her own mental peace and sanity! 

Cheers

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Of random ranting and more…

Of late I’ve been battling with a lot of issues and anxiety that is going inside me. Earlier I blamed it on the time that I’m going through but as the time is passing, I’ve started to realize it is not the time that is to be blamed but me.

It is me because of which I’m unable to deal with things around me.

Since childhood, I’ve hardly been an angry person. I generally don’t take things too seriously and let go of a lot of things. Not because I want to, but because they don’t affect me that much and hence no anger. Yes, there were times when there have been blasts and now when I think of them, here are a few questions and answers that I come to.

Do I use to get angry? No.

Why? Because I used to speak most of the stuff that I felt. Whatever I had in my heart, it was out from my mouth to my friends and that is why all the friendships I’ve had were unstained. Because nothing is inside and everything is outside… crystal clear.

Sure, there were issues with my parents while growing up and that was because I wasn’t vocal about how I felt and hence the ability to not speak my heart out and keeping things inside me led to a lot of frustrations which I couldn’t address and hence the turmoil times.

I’ve always been a chirpy person and I can’t keep quiet for long. Even if I’ve been upset something, that phase didn’t last much because I always speak out to people around me and clear things up and I get back to being me.

But today, as I look back, a lot has changed. I have changed. I am not the same ‘geet’ anymore. I barely speak. I hardly crack jokes. I don’t like sharing too much. The spark that I had seems to fade away. The willingness to know things isn’t there. That care and concern for people around me don't bother me now. And to top it all up, I am more frustrated than ever! Because obviously, I don’t speak much, I don’t bring out my mind out!

Why you wonder? Because, one, I’m not working. And not working means not moving out of the house much and hence no change in the daily routine, no meeting of new people. 

Two, there isn’t anyone around with who I can share my woes and tell them how I feel from inside. Three, because of the self-esteem issues, anything that goes against what I think makes me even more vulnerable. It brings tears to my eyes and the frustration that builds up is at its peak because of the inability to bring out what I have inside, in turn making me more bitter, aggressive and a bit depressed at the same time.

Not speaking up piles a lot of things making it work like a venom on my tongue where without making any rational point, I simply blurt out the thing that pricks me the most.

Also, earlier, if not speaking, I used to write it all out but this time even that is not happening. I don’t feel like. Doing. Anything.

I’ve signed up for a project next month and I am not enthusiastic about it at all. I’m wondering how I will be able to meet up the deadlines and the expectations and hoo-haa that comes with it. I didn’t even feel like signing up for the other things that are in store for next month.

I am not liking the kind of person I am becoming day by day. And I think of the worst repercussions possible!

And what’s even more pathetic is I don’t seem to care. I just want to let it go. Give up. On everything. And run away. From everything. Where there is no one. Not a single soul I know. No contact whatsoever. And I am not in a position to do this. Of course, it’s neither the solution nor this is going to happen! Which makes me even sadder!

P.S: I’ve opened the Word on my laptop zillion time to come up with some creative writing… only to end up ranting about whatever is going on.

P.P.S: This hopefully might clear a bit of the air and I might come up with something better to write.

How has the past few months treated you? Share with me… who knows what may trigger and I might get some inspiration!

Cheers

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Lone in the Herd

We live in times that we scroll through the Whatsapp/Contact list to see who it is we can talk to and yet don’t find a single person to rescue us from the loneliness at that moment… I remember the time, say 6-7 years from now, when Facebook was a rare thing and only “friends” used to be there in the friend list. Whatever you did or shared on Facebook, those friends actually cared and connected through it. It was the time when having mere 20 Likes on a photo was more than enough coz all 20 of them were real likes… Friends with whom we stayed in touch, friends who really mattered to us and whose single ‘Like’ would mean they know how we are doing.

I wonder how times have changed where having 300 likes on a photo from people we barely interact isn’t a big deal… the friend list is huge and yet there is not a single soul with whom we can talk when needed the most. We’re all busy… busy in our lives making money, working our ass off in the offices, having a family to take care of at home. In the middle of all this chaos, friends become some familiar faces we used to know. Those who were best friends are now mere acquaintances and people we hardly thought would make forward in our lives seem to be the only contacts we’re left with.

We’re all grown-ups now, we have ego issues, we have our reasons to not call and in between this we all learn to live without each other, to let go of the relations we never thought we’d ever been able to live without and the worst thing is it doesn’t hurt… it isn’t painful... it’s all numb, Neutral… 

|It doesn’t matter anymore and we hardly care to make the difference, to make the first move, to see the change it might bring because of one small gesture.

Are we really dying inside? Or we’ve just learned to live on the surface and put a smile on our faces for the world to showcase?

How can times change us so much? So much so that NOTHING REALLY MATTERS?!

Cheers

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#Mission1Million... Come and Make a Difference

After say a month, here I am on my blog… where else do you think would I go, eh? But this time, it is not a random rant post. This time I am back with a selfish reason, not for myself but for all those gentle beautiful souls who aren’t as privileged as we are. So why not come together, join hands and make a difference.

So, have you heard of Robin Hood Army? Stay tuned and find out.

What is RHA?

The Robin Hood Army is a volunteer based organization that works to get surplus food from restaurants across to the less fortunate people.

What does it do?

RHA was started with a vision of eliminating hunger and food wastage globally. It has its chapters spread in 45 cities across 12+ countries and have fed close to 20,00,000 people till date.

How does it work?

A drive includes collecting surplus food from their restaurant partners and then hitting the roads to feed the hungry.

So for example, restaurants in Green Park, Delhi will contribute to the homeless of the locality via volunteers who live in Green Park. Their volunteers are largely students and young working professionals. The lesser fortunate sections we help include homeless families, night shelters, orphanages, and patients from public hospitals.

What are the Rules?

At RHA, there aren’t too many rules. There are just 3 things that are non-negotiable--

1. They do not accept any monetary donations. Donations from donors can be made in kind only (food, clothes, etc.). They have a 10,000+ volunteer base, and to keep things transparent they think its best to steer away from money :)

2. If they have agreed to collect food from a restaurant partner / donor, they ensure that they collect it. They work towards preventing food wastage and therefore cannot propagate it anyway.

3. The quality of the food that they accept must be such that you and I should be able to consume it. Spoilt/rotten/old food items should not be collected.

Apart from that, they are all ears for any feedback.

How you can be a part of it?

The most precious thing that you can give them is your valuable time.

What you can do is share as much as you can, join their drive write on your blog, promote on your social media handles and spread the awareness.

Since, it is that time of the year (Independence Day) where all the Robins in India and Pakistan join hands and work against a common enemy- Hunger.

RHA has its wings spread across various cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Agra, etc.

If you wish to be part of the #Mission1Million, simply visit their website or drop a Hi on Facebook and they will get back to you.

I, personally know people who are associated with this organization and I am here to vouch for their credibility. I hope you all will help these robins accomplish their mission in serving a million people on Independence Day!

Other than that, if you have any queries, feel free to ask

http://robinhoodarmy.com/

https://www.facebook.com/robinhoodarmy/

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This is not a sponsored post.

Cheers

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Build a Home

Born in a middle-class family and staying at a really congested place was what my childhood all about. My house had huge stairs and old ceilings. It was a building 60 years old at least. And the surroundings were filled with perverts. You can imagine how possessive my parents must have been at the thought of me stepping out of the house.

Due to lack of space, we then shifted to a 2BHK flat and then to a 3 BHK one. Since then, things have changed drastically.

I am not saying that everything is really rosy but the position is much better than how it used to be.

Today, when I think of my bucket list and ponder over the idea of a perfect home or my dream home… all I can think of is build a family with love and care. I want to buy a house and make it my home… our home. I don’t want a huge mansion or a bungalow but a nice cozy place with enough space for everyone in the family. I want to decorate it with cute stuff in the children’s room may be and some classy stuff in the rest of the house. A house where peace dwells, a house where love flourishes, a house filled with laughter and joy, a house with respect for one another. That is how I dream about my house.

What dreams do you see for your house? Share with me and give me some ideas too.

Cheers

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Day 5: Book: When art thou write?

Don’t we all dream of writing our books one day?

A dream that seems so distant yet so close. A dream that we all chase and want to live one day… a dream that makes us write religiously, a dream that doesn’t lets us give up on our thoughts… a dream so far yet so close!

The thought of seeing your name on the cover page of a book, the confidence to finally call yourself an ‘Author’, the idea to finally see all your hard work in paper right before your eyes…. Aren’t all these moments truly enchanting?

We all think of writing a book one day and it’s not only with the bloggers or writers or people who are fairly familiar with writing but as human beings, we all think of writing a book one day and yet very few of us actually write one.

Do you know, one of the top regrets that people have when they are on their death bed? It’s writing that book.... which never happened because they were so occupied making a life that they forgot to live it or do something they really wanted to do.

That’s the thing with all of us… we all think we have time… lots of time and yet one fine day we fall short of the uncountable time we had. The irony, isn’t it?

I too want to write a book and I am not waiting for that perfect day to begin but I am struggling with the inspiration… I am battling with the topic or the niche or anything you want to call it. I want the book to be like a book… something really solid, worth reading, something that readers would love to hook up to…. That is the reason why I dropped the idea of the e-book of the A to Z challenge. I felt that my posts were good as blog posts but not as strong and compelling to take the shape of a book. I realized the flaws in my writing from compiling it in a book’s perspective and I learned that there was so much more that was required to be written in order to make it call a…. BOOK.

We all learn with time and the learning never stops and that is what keeps us going.

With that note, I am going to take off with that dream in my eyes of writing on an exemplary book... One day!

Tell me what you have got to say on that?

Cheers 

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Day 4: Tick off the Adventures

I’m not sure since when but I’ve always loved adventures. The adrenaline rush in the body, the spine chilling fear of seeing the death from so close (okay maybe this is too much of exaggeration but you got the point), the thrill and the excitement of doing things, going to the dark places, risky places… sure they scare the hell out of me but in some corner of my mind I also have this urge to know what’s behind the darkness, what is it that we fear so much and in the lure of finding out, I always choose such places and feel triumphant after coming out safe :P

There are a few adventures I have ticked off from the list but did I tell you, I have a long list? : P

Scuba diving, river rafting, parasailing, trekking, snorkelling, undersea walking, riding on the world’s fastest roller coaster in the world, go karting, cliff jumping, flying fox, river crossing, zorbing, and free fall are already ticked off from the list but there are many that are still waiting for their turns!

Skydiving in New Zealand and over the Palm Islands (Dubai), bungee jumping, riding that swing in Ecuador, Skiing, attend the Tomatina festival in Spain, go overseas all alone for a trip, are the ones that are yet to see the light of the day (the list is not over but these are the ones I can think of at the moment).

Swimming doesn’t count in adventures but its one thing that is there on my mind from a long time and I’m sure I’m going to learn it someday.

None of them is inspired by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara but the urge has only grown more after watching the movie.

Are you an adventurous person? Do you have a wish list for them? Share with me and give me more ideas… who knows we might end up doing it together!

Cheers

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Day 3: Take up a Writing Course

Here comes the third day of the Barathon and I’m happy we’re surviving. The third thing on my wish list that I want to tick off soon is to Study writing.

I know there is no set pattern about writing that anyone can teach, but still, I want to take up a course and experience the classroom learning all over again. I miss that so much in my life. Being a student again, meeting strangers and then becoming friends, making mistakes and learning from them, having someone by your side to push you more and more towards your goals… wouldn’t it be great?

Source

I want to have that mentor in life who could show me the path or push me towards my dreams, just the way my teachers used to do! I’ve always been that kind of a student who has had a strong support system and that system always pushed me to do more and more.

Writing is something that comes from inside and yes, books are the best teachers (the only teachers I ignore the most) but I still want to attend workshops, may be a few days or attend a course in a reputed school and probably have this skill polished a bit, fine-tuned a bit… I don’t know if that is going to help or not but I do have this thing in my heart that I would want to pursue someday!

Do you too feel like undergoing a particular course? Are you up for being the student again? 

Yes, or no, tell me all about it!

Cheers

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Day 2: Take a girl’s trip at least once in year ;)

Now, this is something that I plan every year and I have to tick it off year-on-year. The fad started when I began reading more articles on solo traveling and stuff. While, I’m still not comfortable taking a trip all alone (I don’t fear it but I feel a company would make the trip much better), taking a trip with my girls has done so much more to my soul than I ever thought it would do.

This is something I always look forward to. Sometimes, because of work, A (husband) gets stuck and we’re not able to go around together, but the travel bite in me keeps pestering to take the trip even if it means going without him. I don’t know why, but the idea of going out from the city entices me a lot.

Last year, I took a trip to Kasol with my sister revelation. We learned a lot of things on the trip, which I barely think about when I go with the husband.

Then there was another trip to Calcutta with the ladies in the house (it was my MIL and SIL). More than me, it was them who were more than happy to go without their husbands. It was the first time for them in so many years of their marriage and that trip kind of opened their courage for more trips without their husbands: P

This year, after being stuck in the regular routine along with battling a lot of on stress, I finally gave in to the idea of taking a break from everything and just have some time to myself without giving second thoughts to it.

I’m happy that I have that kind of friends who’re there for you when you really want to be with them and would travel miles just to have each other’s company. This trip was to Bombay and Pune! It was nostalgic and rejuvenating! At least for me. And them, of course… I guess.

Peek-a-Boo

It mended certain irreparable things and this came as a total surprise! Everything went well and left us to look forward to more such trips.

Wherever you are, whatever is happening in your life, try to find a way and take a trip with your girls… it will heal your soul in ways you never knew ever existed. And if you have already taken one, then don’t stop… keep this ritual alive and see wonders happening to yourself.

Cheers

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Barathon Day 1- Theme reveal and more...

After pushing and dragging myself endlessly to write for this challenge, I am finally trying to place some words here. Some days, writing just doesn’t come to you and yet you are compelled to write. I feel this is one wonderful role that challenges play and this is why I always look up to them.

They push you beyond your limits and force you to write when every single bone of your body prefers to give up.

When I heard of Barathon (organised by Blog-A-Rhythm), I happily signed up for it. What I didn’t see coming was the fact that it would take so much of pain to come up with a theme and write a post on all 7 days. Even now, writing an entire blog post seems like a task.

Enough of ranting, let’s come to the theme now. Did I tell you what is the theme going to be all about? Obviously not! If only, I’m done with the ranting (*rolling eyes*)

My theme for this year’s Barathon will be:

‘7 Things on my Bucket list and why’

While writing only 7 is a task, I’ll to cover big things or may be important things that I really want in life. But that doesn’t mean there are only 7! It only means that I have less number to put here: P

Travel the World:

This one goes without saying for I guess, all of us! But one place that is there on my mind for quite some time is Ecuador. Do you know why? Because it’s the edge of the world! Okay, there’s nothing like a flat surface there, where you can reach the edge, but it has a swing at the end of the world!

This swing is without the harness, without any safety equipment, without any net! It’s nothing more than a wooden plank suspended by two ropes and it arcs the riders out in the air over the canyon. I think this is one place that will take a real test of everyone who calls themselves adventurous souls!

While Ecuador has been on my mind for quite some time, there are other places as well which I fancy all the time.

Source
Sharing the picture only for this one... getting how excited I am to try this?!

I want to try a hash brownie in Amsterdam and get high and probably sit on the road just for fun! I don’t know why I think like this, but I do have this image in my head!

I want to kiss my husband under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Hey! It’s my wish list… I can think whatever I want!

I want to go to New York and stay there for some time! New York always fascinates me and ever since I’ve seen Sex and the City (am talking about the series here and NOT the movie), this urge has become stronger.

I want to go to Switzerland and feel the beauty on Earth, climb those snow-clad mountains and play in the snow with my favorite people, reach the top of the world and have wine in those chilly winds!

Then I have Egypt on my mind… to see the pyramids and the Mummies. Ever since I’ve studied about it History books in school, I’ve fascinated the place like none other!

I want to go Australia and New Zealand… Australia is beautiful and New Zealand has the world’s best skydiving thing and I just want to do it before I die!

While there are other places as well on my mind, but the ones mentioned above obviously tops the list!

What places are there on your mind you’d like to go before dying? I’m sure there must be many… why not write them here and share the list?

Cheers

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30 Odd Answers

It’s been over a month, I’ve written anything on my blog and what better way could it be for breaking the writer’s block by taking up this fun exercise. I found this on Parul’s blog and immediately decided to take it up.

Also, what better way could it be to become all chatty and post it here on the blog ;) :P

Read on to find out more!

1.  What did you want to be when you were a kid? A software engineer, though I had no idea what it was. I just liked the word. I also wanted to be a teacher I guess.
2. Which “Friends” character do you relate to the most? Why? None but if we talk about couples, I can relate a bit with Monica and Chandler.
3. Do you like your name? Why? Yes. I love my name. There is a sort of connection I build with people I meet and I guess that’s because of my name.
4. Are you messy or neat? Both. I am really neat at times and beyond messy other times! :P
5. How tall are you? Tall enough to get down those containers or stuff placed at heightened corners of the house.
6. How tall were you when you were 10? I’m not sure I remember that!
7. What is your guilty pleasure? Café Latte with a Chocolate brownie.
8. What are you saving money for right now? I’m saving so that I can give my dream gifts to people I love the most! And on travel as well!
9. How many Pringles can you eat at once? None. I’m not a Pringles fan but I do love Lays (the Blue one), I can have two packets if I’m starving.
10.  Tea or coffee? Without a doubt, Coffee it is!
11. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I am an extrovert as a person but when it comes to social media and virtual world, I am a big-time introvert!
12. What will be your Halloween costume this year? Never really gave it a thought. I haven’t celebrated it ever but would love to try some scary things sometime.
13. Sweet or salty? Sweet! Always.
14. Favorite social media? Twitter. Actually, I’m not too much fond of any social media. I keep unplugging from time to time.
15. Who is the last person you kissed? If dreams count, it’s Chandler Bing (about last night and it still feels fresh ;))
16. What is your favorite breakfast? A bowl of sprouts, a glass of milk and two bread toast with butter.
17. When is your birthday? October 18
18. When did you start your blog? Back in 2011 but it became an active one in 2015.
19. What is your opinion on the Kardashians? None. It’s indifferent to me.
20. How would you describe your style? Elegant and Classy
21. What color is your hair? Black. With a lot of white strands now (*rolling eyes*)
22. What color socks are you wearing? None. It’s pretty hot here in Agra.
23. What is your dream job? A job that pays me to explore places and do adventures and travel the world.
24. Dogs or cats? Anytime, Dogs!
25. What makes you weird? This eccentric need to do almost everything in life and travel without putting a stop.
26. Celebrity crush? Nikolaj Coster- Waldau a.k.a Jamie Lannister (Game of Thrones)
27. Opinion on cigarettes? They’re bad and I hate them.
28. Do you want/have children? How many? Yes, I want to have them some day.
29. Three favorite boy names? Daanish, Nirvaan, Aadvik
30. Three favorite girl names? Kaira… umm.. not able to think any!

Aren't we all weird in some ways or the other?

It was a fun exercise and you should try it too. Just copy-paste the questions and answer them on your blog and do let me know so that I can give it a read!

Cheers

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Website Review: Rateral.com

Hello, my fellow shopaholics! The relentless battle to find your befitting product and item amongst all the innumerable products and varieties that are on a showcase on websites and platforms is only becoming more bewildering and tiresome day-by-day.

So, take a moment to rejoice, for now, with the launch of rateral.com, you’ve been gifted with a common platform where all your questions and doubts will be answered.

A common answer to all your shopping queries: Rateral.com

rateral.com is a question-answer based website aimed to bring the shopping community closer and to lend a helping hand to all those wanderers looking up online with amusement and confused about what shall be the best buy for them and where are they going to find it?

You can start your amazing experience on this website by creating a personalized profile. Since guest users are given the liberty to put up a limited number of questions (three to be factual), so for a hassle-free experience I suggest you be a member by signing up. You can sign-up with your email-id or login using your Facebook and Google Accounts.

You can get connected to other members by sending invites or by sharing profile links! (http://www.rateral.com/users/1026/- this is me!)

Once you are ready with your profile, describing your interest and preferences, you’ll be able to browse better.

So, start with putting up the question that has been tormenting you since you’ve heard about the launch of that product or saw this alluring advertisement in the magazine.'

I’ve asked Are genuine cosmetic products available online? If yes, then what are those sites which offer authentic products from MAC, Dior, Estee Lauder, etc?

 If you happen to have any idea, please feel free to answer.

Once you put up your question, you’ll be earnestly answered by other users who’ve either used that product or have ample knowledge and information to guide you to make an informed decision.

In today’s era where market competition is surging to crazy heights and new products and brands and websites are getting launched on a regular basis, making an informed decision considering all the pros and cons, shall not only fetch you a label of a wise and thoughtful consumer but also will not leave you with a big hole in your pocket that you may lament over afterwards!

Also, by answering to other people’s questions, you shall be contributing in building a global community emanating feelings of mutual trust, and helpfulness.

And just when you can’t stop thinking about what shall be your first question, I’m glad to inform you that you can ask an endless number of questions once you sign-up as a member!

So, whether it is the new watch you’re thinking of gifting to your husband or the new mobile phone you have waited for so long to buy, it’s all up there. Put your worries to rest. You have a whole lot of other shopaholics and customers to enable you in choosing the best.

The shopping experience is going to be easier, wiser, more exciting, less dubious and troublesome, thanks to rateral.com!

Cheers

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This is a Sponsored post and the views above are totally mine without the influence of anyone.

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The Month that went by... #AtoZReflections

I sense relief within me with a little bit of heavy heart at the same time. The blog hopping, commenting, replying, sharing... it was a phase full of utter madness and it paid off! It always does! And it always leaves you with a sense of pride.

The month was all about managing my time better, the discipline that is required to carry it off and the lessons learned.

As the AtoZ fever was in the air when the year started by, I had made up my mind on participating for the third consecutive year. Though, I did not think anything beyond that.

As February went by, a dear friend was getting all paranoid about the theme and asked me about it at the same time and I was like, dude... it’s Feb! I have a whole month to think and plan and write...

What I did not realize was this month wouldn’t just pass but would run like an Olympic athlete!

Coming up with the theme:

As always, I was confused and finally went with my heart. There was a reason behind choosing the theme I chose.

It often happens when there are certain things that happen around me and I don’t really feel comfortable about it. I am not that articulate when it comes to keeping my perspective in a group (especially family) and that is when I feel the urge to put it somewhere, to show the other side, to think from another angle different from the way everyone has been seeing all their lives, that there is so much more beyond the stereotypes, that whatever everybody does is always for a reason and explaining all of that to a bunch of people who will never come to the point of agreement, it is kind of futile.

It was all these thoughts that inspired me to come up with this theme, where I thought of writing down everything that I think, follow and believe.

I often hear, what I talk is impractical (for example, my stand on divorced women or looking beyond looks for any marriage or having a baby or not is completely one’s choice and the likes), that all of it happens in books, television series or movies. In reality, it is much more complicated. I completely vouch for it being complicated but I also vouch for the fact that it exists, that things are changing around us and that we need to change ourselves if we want the change in our society.

A to Z feelings:

Expressing my thoughts this A to Z Challenge was beyond gratifying. It made me happy because I realized I wasn’t the only one who thinks this way. With like-minded bloggers, I got an immense support and motivation, not to mention wings to my thoughts and confidence to express them loud out there.

The Discipline that came with A to Z:

Initially, I had close to 18 posts scheduled (which is so not me!) and I was doing fine but as they were coming to an end, I was panicking because I was falling out of stories but eventually every day in the evening, I sat down and wrote the post for the next day and scheduled it and started with my blog hopping.

It was the first time I had scheduled these many posts and I was happy that I did. Writing every day became kind of a ritual that I would want to continue with. April is now over and this is just the second blog post this month but I am writing every day without fail. I hope to continue this way.

Lessons Learned:

What I understood this month is when we have a deadline coming up or a challenge that we take up, we make our minds continuously think and ponder over things; we push ourselves (beyond our limits) to the extent that we never do otherwise and feel surprised for the way we perform. I, for one, have countless thoughts in my mind which I feel like writing but I don’t. I just postpone (which I am expert at) and make an excuse to myself. I assume on my own that the topic is not worthy of being written or desirable enough to form a blog post.

But this time, even the slightest or tiniest of the idea took the shape of a complete blog post. It was kind of an eye-opener for me and I’d like to keep my eyes open now.

Contented with the numbers:

I’m not a number person. Yes, I do feel happy when I reach a certain benchmark but I don’t get finicky if I don’t have them. This year, during the A to Z, my blog entered the 6-digit figure and it felt contended and worthy of everything, worthy of investing time in my blog and the peace of mind that comes with it.

Readers Choice:

‘Arranged Marriage’ was one post that caught maximum attention with the highest number of views. Other posts that intrigued the readers and compelled them to think over were Beautiful Bride, Extra Marital Affair, Identity, Quit and Understand.

You can read all the posts here.

Verdict:

All in all, it was fun writing all month and I am happy that I survived!

A big Thank you to everyone who stopped by and encouraged me with their beautiful comments and thank you to the ones who did not stop by (it only pushed me more to improve my content).

So tell me, did you participate this year? How was it? What did you learn? Where did you struggle the most?

Cheers

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