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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Graflections- September 2016

Time has come to look back to the month of September and cherish the good times and revise the learning’s from the not-so-good-times.

September was a busy month altogether. With the increase in the number of classes and the blogging challenge round the corner, the month was full of reading, writing, learning and relishing the joy of this buzz around.

Teacher’s Day: How can I forget to mention about this day when we’re talking about September? Of course, it was an evening worth remembering. No classes, celebrations, cake, snacks and yes, games as well! It sure feels great to spend time with my students apart from the classes I take.

Celebrating Birthdays: No it wasn’t my birthday. My birthday is this month, more details on it later. My parents’ birthday fall in September and though I wasn’t there with them to celebrate, but a bit of surprise from us made everything perfect. We had ordered cupcakes for them, that depicted their characteristics and they loved it!

Also, one of my cutest and sweetest friend’s birthday too falls in September and not to mention how much fun we girls had with her. Though time was short, but it was special... and fun too :D

Blogging challenges: I was a part of #MyfriendAlexa campaign by Blogchatter and it was such a learning experience altogether. I feel happy to be a part of such communities that helps you grow as a blogger and an individual at the same time. The month was all about writing new posts, reading and sharing others post and in this procedure, I came across some terrific bloggers on the blogosphere. People do so much to improve their blog, the content, the networks, improving on the statistics and I felt ecstatic to have known them and learn from them.

There was a huge drop in my Alexa rank, currently, with a Global rank of 4, 89,514 and Indian rank as 26,002 and I couldn’t be more happy about it!

Sure it got hectic, but it was totally worth it!

Before this month I took part in Blog-a-thon by BAR in August and July was occupied with Half Marathon, by Blogchatter!

As much as I love participating in these challenges, I’ve not signed up for the one going on in October. I want to write to keep that will alive and not write just for the heck of it. I want to stick to the quality posts and that is not possible if I have to forcefully on some days! And so I’m giving myself a break from the writing challenges as of now. Also, there are other things that have been lying in the corner from so long that are crying for my attention and now can’t be ignored further.

Published: No matter if you’ve been published before or not, the thrill of being published remains the same each time. One of my poems got published in Women’s Web, and it felt bliss. If you have missed reading it, you can click here and share the love :)

Dinners & Drives: Good times with friends and drives with them are what weekends all about and I’m not complaining! Random dinner plans, and my all time cravings which are duly taken care of by husband is something I am always thankful/grateful for! God bless the man! :P

I watched the movie #Pink as well and do I need to mention how much I loved the movie? I’m sure you too did! It sure was the movie not to be missed kinds!
A few things creep here and there, but that happens with all of us, don’t you think? And all we need to do is ignore it and move ahead. That’s the best way to keep your sanity alive!

More than 2 months and I still stare at the pile of books that are lying in front of me to be read! I’m still figuring out I don’t even know what!!

Anyway, this will keep on going, you tell me how did September treat you? And what are the things you are looking forward to in October? I am looking forward to all the celebrations and festivities this month!

Linking with Vidya’s Gratitude Circle Blog hop for September 2016.

Cheers

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10 Promises for Life

As we come towards the finishing line of this enthusiastic BarAThon, all I feel is sheer bliss. The bliss of completing it. The bliss of making connections. The bliss of knowing so many incredible bloggers. I have participated in other challenges as well and have duly fulfilled them in time, but there is something about BAR.

It holds people together, it’s like that magic glue that sticks together everybody and has now tied us all in one big family. Never ever had I thought of having this kind of impact on myself at the end of a challenge. 

And what better day it would be than today, Friendships Day, to write the last post of the challenge!

Thank you, BAR! Thank you for being you!

All you BAR-tenders are fabulous people and I're so so so glad to have connected with you... all of 

you!

And with this, I make a few promises to myself!

1. Promise to accept things and people the way they are, and not try to change them according to             myself.

2. Promise to deliver the best in every possible way when it comes to my work.

3. Promise to embrace the differences with open arms we both share and see every new thing in a           positive manner.

4. Promise to laugh off petty things and move ahead with time

5. Promise to love unconditionally and spread its magic.

6. Promise to love me before anyone else. I know it always gets hard and I put others before me and       get hurt, every time. Every single time. That’s why I’m making a promise.

7. Promise to not do anything that may harm or hurt people who’re close to me.

8. Promise to value what I have and acknowledge the people behind it

9. Promise to be with you every time you need me!

10. Promise to follow my heart and do things that it always has wanted to do!

Day 7 of the #BAR-a-Thon Blogging Challenge 

Prompt of the day: Promises

Completed the challenge with fabulous Team #CrimsonRush 

Cheers

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Wishful Thinking

Her day started with snoozing the alarm and yearning to sleep for 5 more minutes, followed by all the household chores. Siya then made breakfast and the preparations that came along for packing a lunchbox for herself and her husband.

Husband worked in the production house.

While Siya’s entire day went busily at work, handling clients, taking calls, making arrangements, entertaining new customers and the day passed in a jiffy.

Only to return home and make dinner, eat with husband and then open her laptop.

A laptop that unleashed the zillion possibilities, a laptop that made her dream... to fulfil all the unfulfilled dreams... a laptop that had umpteen tabs opened, showcasing all the tour packages to travel her country... to travel the world!

All unrealized.

It would all have been possible... if for once, the husband said yes!

Day 6 of the #BAR-a-Thon Blogging Challenge 

Prompt of the day: Wishful Thinking

Rocking the challenge with Team #CrimsonRush 

Cheers

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Tiny Shoes

Pink, black, red and blue

Cute Laces, straps, belts and beads 

Wholly fit in tiny shoes ! 

Day 5 of the #BAR-a-Thon Blogging Challenge 

Prompt of the day: Tiny Shoes

Rocking the challenge with Team #CrimsonRush 

Cheers

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Caught Red Handed

‘Not another bite dear. It’s not good for your health’

‘Last bite, promise’

That’s how my mom and dad argued over sweets. Dad has a sweet tooth and he doesn’t realize when he has to stop and that is where mother comes in the picture.

For the last few days, mother has been wary of something. When I ask her the reason, she tells me about dad’s indifferent reaction towards the sweets. 

But that is a good sign, I wonder. And that is what she’s always wanted!

‘Mom, good he’s conscious of his health’

‘You know nothing. Something is going on’

‘But he never eats outside. Even if he will, he’ll first tell you’

Days passed and her suspicion faded away.

Until one day when mother, she decided to organize dad’s wardrobe and discovered chunks of Sohan Halwa, hidden in the recluse corner!

Source

Day 4 of the #BAR-a-Thon Blogging Challenge 

Prompt of the day: Caught Red-handed

I am with Team #CrimsonRush 

                                             

 Cheers

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We're good people, aren't we?

Don’t we all the lead fragile lives at one point or the other? While walking on the streets, stop for a moment and look around. You will find gazillions of people struggling to make it large, fighting hard to achieve what they haven’t just as yet, and trying to make it work if it isn’t working!

While writing the above sentence, it struck me, aren’t we all living fragile lives ourselves? In a world that requires a quick fix, what keeps us going?

All of us are law abiding citizens, we make money, pay taxes, do not commit a crime, do not harm other living beings, co-operate in every possible way towards making a good society, we’re good people and yet we’re the ones who bear the maximum damage ! Don’t you think?

You will think in a while.

What is it that is ours? Nothing if you look deep! We’re ruled and governed by politicians, we choose them from the existing contenders, the ones who’re comparatively less corrupt. We can’t choose the most corrupt ones for sure, right? And the corrupt free government is yet to come into the picture!

Encircled with everything around us that cannot be trusted, we literally walk on the ashes of fire! The more we bear, the more are the sufferings and in the midst of all of it, those who couldn’t lose everything they once had!

But what can we do? We’re good people!

Bridges collapse, construction sites gets destroyed in the name of natural calamity, roads are filled with potholes, a meagre rain for 20 minutes fills the road with drain, traffic is at its best, while there we have our ministers, sitting on the pile of money that go out of our pockets, they do nothing but eat all of it, build their fancy homes, take umpteen trips abroad, give a life to their children that they never had.

And we? We can’t do anything about it! We continue to hone their money nobbling skills! We sit quiet coz as of now we’re safe, nothing has happened to us or our family members and the rest who’re suffering are the ‘other people’ who had it in their destiny to bear all the sufferings.

And we can’t do anything about it. And yet we’re good people.

Madaari, a recently released movie starring Irrfan Khan,  literally moved me. The helplessness of a common man who suffers for no reason is highlighted in the movie. Nobody cares and nothing can be done to fix things that are spiflicated around us. And that literally makes me believe how fragile our lives are!

Day 3 of the #BAR-a-Thon Blogging Challenge 

Prompt of the day: Fragile Lives

I am with Team #CrimsonRush 

 Cheers

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What you don't know

‘She loves me, right?’

‘I guess...’

‘Why guess? Should you know it? And if you don’t then ask her. You’re her best friend. She’ll share with you what’s in her heart’

‘Did she say she loves you?’

‘Not really! But when I say to her, she smiles and gives me a shy look with a twinkle in her eyes! I get the message’

‘Eyes deceive. Smile deceive’

‘Then ask her... Please!’

He continued to love her, and she decided to keep things the way they were. Keep him in the darkness like this and continue her affair with the other guy!

Day 2 of the #BAR-a-Thon Blogging Challenge 

Prompt of the day: What you don’t know

I am with Team #CrimsonRush 

Cheers

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Secret Santa on the door!

This post is dedicated to my Santa, who is at BAR, hiding his/her face and smiling secretly! What a pleasure it was to receive a token of love from my Secret Santa. All I have is a short poem dedicated to you below!

O Santa my Santa!
You've surprised me in a way
All I'm doing is jumping and dancing in the house
For you're the one who made my day!
I love you to the moon and back
Thank you so much for the wonderful gift
I'm delighted to receive it
Happiness punching in, feeling this beautiful drift!

Thank you so much!!

This is the first time I've participated in such kinda activity and I feel so great to be a part of it..!! All you BAR tenders, you are amazing!!

P.S: Of course I had to blog about it! How could I not?!

Day 28 of NoMo

Happy Reading

Cheers

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Life On-Line

Life Online.. an interesting and intriguing prompt I must say. I am an extrovert. I make conversations easily with other others without having the fear of being judged. Making new friends is always a cherry on the cake for me, for my over the top yapping nature. But when it comes to online, I take time.. to open up.. May be I’m introvert online! Am I sounding stupid here, eh?

I really need to feel that bond or some connection to make a conversation with anyone, and be friends later may be. Sometimes, what I really wonder is how is it really possible? I mean I know the other person through their pictures and posts and write-ups. And you know what a sham world this social media is. Say a sentence, write anything, upload a picture and people have their quirky eyes on you. They are ready to label you and meticulously judge you for everything single thing.

On the contrary, I find it difficult to randomly start a chat with someone I barely know.. It may be weird I guess, and may be people assume me of not being friendly enough with them, but that is how it is with me. I don’t know how to cajole someone I barely know. Yeah, if I like something of someone, I appreciate them and I think we should value things that are worthy of it. But beyond that, 

I really don’t know how to go about it.. Seriously! If you know, please teach me the art.. I am all ready to learn and listen..

How is it with you? Are you an introvert or extrovert? And how does it is when online?

I really want to know.

Day 13 of NoMo

Linking with Friday Reflections

Happy Reading

Cheers

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Why I blog?

Why do I blog?

To know why I blog, I think I should first analyze why I write?

I write simply because I feel contended after writing. I haven’t yet realized if it is my passion. I am still discovering.. my writing as well as myself. Writing gives me peace of mind. It started when I didn’t have any friends, not a single shoulder to cry on, not a single creature around me to hear my tale.. just my diary and my pen. I know, it's quite a cliché.. but there is a reason why they're called clichés.. don’t you think?

I am not very assertive.. in person,.. writing, I don’t really know yet and I’m not aggressive either.. I just want to give words to my soul, let the inner side come out and make space, and writing is the best way to do so.. I am verbose as well and express what I really feel in an instant, but writing makes it all so special..

A simple hand written note matters much more than pricey gifts.. Words mean so much to me.. and I love to write for others as well.

Gradually, when I came out of the aloofness, I realized I could write happy things.. special things.. and then I started expressing myself with my writing.. to friends of course.. And then these folks pushed me to write more and more.. I am not a writer yet, and I know my writing requires LOTS of improvement, and it will take time as well, but as long as I’m writing consistently, who knows where I might reach with this simple, not-so-good- collection of alphabets merged together to uncover something meaningful, to which even I am oblivious!

I write because there is no other way I have to make myself clear. When I have something on my mind, but not the right person to share, or may be the topic is something that I’d like to keep it to myself, writing takes over everything. And I am glad about that!

Writing is therapeutic.. it heals our crooked broken soul and soothes it by oozing out words, ready to be heard, or written!  

And that is where blog comes in. It’s like being the star.. the owner.. typing in your own name or the name you choose, is what thrilled me the most.. I mean come on, we search like a zillion pages online, enter umpteen website names of someone we don’t even know.. and now we have a way to let people enter the name we choose..! Along with being heard or read.. it seemed so exciting to me.

I wasn’t regular with my blog at all initially (you can check how meagrely I posted), I really had to push myself to write something on this space. And then A-to-Z challenge happened this year.. And I am so grateful I participated in it.. Until then, I barely knew anyone on Blogosphere.. I only used to read Soumya’s blog and follow her diligently.. and I really loved her writings.. and then she helped me out, with how I can do more with it on my blog and I cannot thank her enough for that.. And then I joined B-A-R.. or I should say, THE B-A-R.. and that is best thing that has happened with me this year, in the world of writing! Knowing so many proficient writers and reading their beautiful creations, interacting with them, learning from them, sharing with them, getting a push from them to write more and more.. I don’t know if I need anything else?! I just feel so happy.. that is it!

Blogging has become so very special to me right now, a part of my life I can’t probably imagine without!

What is blogging for you? How did you get started with this beautiful journey? I’m all ready to listen..

Linking with NoMo- Day 5

Happy Reading

Cheers

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