First Love

   There are things which you never forget in life - your first car, your first home theatre but above all, your first Love!!!

   I guess I was in class 5 when I saw her for the first time and I knew she was the one.She had the eyes of a naughty kid and the smile...god what do I say...she had the prettiest smile in the world with that small dimple which i just loved to watch.I could spend all day just gazing at her.A few of my friend came to know about it and they started teasing me but who cared.I was in love.

   Ours was a different kind of a love story.We never talked or even met each other.She probably didnt even know about my existence and still I had given away my heart to this princess .I had also written a poem about her which I have no clue as to which corner of my room it lies in today.Her name was Preity Zinta !!!

   She ruled my heart for years to come and I made sure I never missed any of her movies even if they were not commercially successful.With every passing day my love and devotion just grew towards her as I collected every picture and article in the newspapers and every wallpaper available on the internet.I treated my friends on her birthday - 31st of Jan.

   As i entered my college life, her movie ' Salaam Namaste' was released which contained quite a few sleazy scenes and had a bold theme.But she was my favourite for playing out those unconventional roles.I just loved the movie although most of my friends didnt find it worth a second watch.

   Time passed by and I got introduced to the first real girl in life for whom I felt something special.There were bells ringing inside me everyday which Preity could never bring about.This girl was special- too special for me and thats when I realized myself drifting away from celluloid to real-time love.With her I have spent the most precious and best years of my college life and the memories still linger on coz like all good things this too came to an end.But not before I thought I was totally over Preity and had probably moved on to the latest hotties like kareena and kats.Yet as I was watching Koi Mil Gaya today, I realized that I still adored her beauty, her smile, her dimple...I may not be the kid, all head over heels in love with this eternal goddess, but I respected her for the lady she was.The feelings had probably matured.That is what happens with true first love - no matter how much you move away, no matter how much you move on- you can never forget her.She has and will always be the special one in your life.Her position of being the numero uno is irreplaceable.And sometimes you feel the damage caused by her loss in your life is irrepairable.But I guess it is the voice of the universe which cant bare to see this wounded bird, and hence urges it to just move on...

The Parents' Diary

   There are certain moments in life which are worth preserving in life.Like how I wish I had someone with a handy cam filming the moment when I was born.As I was passed on from my mom to dad to grandparents-maternal and paternal.How I wish I could get a look at those joy-filled faces as they got a look at their prized possession in that small over-crowded hospital room.From that day on, life has never been the same for my parents.

   Till that day, they were content living a slow and quiet life in a small peaceful yet beautiful city and being content with whatever they had.But now with friends and relatives pouring in from all parts of the country and abroad, they had to make room for everyone and look after every individual's comfort in that small 2-bedroom company provided house they called Home.In short, life has been a breeze for them.Sometimes it took the form of a tornado which left a lot of destruction as it passed over us but they were too strong individuals to be shaken up by a mere wind.And thus we lived on to see so many happy and memorable moments in our lives.

   My parents were more than content tending to one kid in the house but I needed a sibling and I can be really pushy when I want to.My sister was born six years after my birth on a very auspicious day - the 25th of December- and I can safely conclude that 'She is the best thing that's ever been mine.' Fair as an angel with the looks of a princess, she taught me the pleasures in sharing and caring, the joy of gifting with the last penny you save and the magic of love even when you are at your wrestling best.Of course my parents had one hell of a time taking care of two nut-cases in a house of sane individuals, also sighted by them as the main reason why we could not keep a pet dog- they already had two Great Danes to take care of .

   These 24 odd years of my life on this planet has been an amazing experience thanks to my wonderful family.My sister has always been there to watch my back when I was in a spot of trouble.I was always there to take care of her minimal needs that she ever has had (compared to my needs in life, her's is a trifling).We never knew or realized that time was passing by so fast and now I have a job which forces me to stay away from home most times of the year.but every time I left home and saw my mom's stifled tears all ready to burst out on the railway station, I just couldn't  bring myself to look at it.I am a strong boy and I dont have so many emotions boiling inside me.But the truth was that I knew once she got home, my forever bubbly sister would be there to cheer her up.But now she too has gone to college and as I was leaving the station today and I looked at those tear laden eyes, I knew they had no place to go back to.No quantum of solace...Just a lonely house with memories of her two kids who have grown up so fast and now live in different cities far far away from the love and care of a mother's paradise.

The stumbling blocks

   Life is a constant learning process - an unending educational hub.The more you learn from it, the better you are placed in this big bad world.But like most other things in life, learning too comes at a cost.you learn from your mistakes.As one of my senior colleagues in office once told me 'If any of your bosses ever tells you he has never made a mistake in his life then there can be only two conclusions :

        1.He has never ever worked in life

        2.He is a great liar

there cannot be a third conclusion.Period!!! '

   Every mistake you commit in life, you feel sad, dejected, depressed and embarrassed for making a fool out of yourself.But it is not until you actually repeat the same mistake that people can term you as fools.It is almost our birthright to commit mistakes and learn from them for a better tomorrow.

   Enough with mistakes and errors.I have always wondered why we fall sick in life.What does that experience teach us? Not to eat that ice-cream in the sun or not gorge on excessive fast food? But I got the answer only a couple of weeks back.As I lay helplessly in my bed at my workplace with no one to take care of me,no one to nurse me back to health, I realized the true value of our parents.I could have given a lifetime to be at home at that hour of sickness.Of course I had to hold on for five days before I could go home but when I did, I couldn't have been happier.  Coz  no matter how many friends you have, how many servants you have, it is only the love and care of your mother that can nurse you back to health.No wonder they say that a mother is His angel sent down upon this earth to take care of us at all times in our lives.take a moment out of your busy lives people and appreciate the wonderful gift you have got in life.Dear Mom, 'I love You' !!!!

The sands of time

   With each step we take in life, we make giant strides towards achieving our ultimate goals in life - reaching our destiny.For some becoming a doctor or an engineer is their destiny,for some going abroad to study or work while for some others,death is their destiny.These last category people are the one's who adopt a life of solitude and selfless service and devotion of their lives to the Almighty.Leading the lives of monks and nuns.But do you think god gave you this life to just wait for a quiet peaceful shadow of death to come over and take your soul one day to Him? Is that what you think is the Destiny planned by the Almighty for you.I would fail to agree

   God gave us this life to go out and see the world,to admire his creations, to add to the existing miracles in the world, to make an indelible mark for yourself in this world.The footsteps maybe small but the impression should be deep enough for your future generations to admire and adore.A few wrinkles on your hand, formed as a part of your creation in the womb of an angel, cannot determine your destiny in life.You are the greatest creation of the greatest architect of the universe and you need to prove His belief in creating you correct.It is only when you aim for the stars that you at least land on the moon (moon supports life which the stars dont).

   It is never too late to make a fresh start, never have your feet grown too big or too old to leave that print in the sand of life.You just need to make a move and have your faith in Him.Coz its never that He has abandoned you in your times of need and desperation.His prints cannot be seen beside yours because He is carrying you...

The Journey of Life: The Callings in Life

The Journey of Life: The Callings in Life: " As a kid, we are made to do many things-some against our wishes.One of them being forced to study.That is where the actual journey begins..."

The Callings in Life

   As a kid, we are made to do many things-some against our wishes.One of them being forced to study.That is where the actual journey begins.The journey of life.We are too small to realize how important a Nursery interview can be.For us its just an occasion to memorize and vomit.But its a moment of great achievement for our parents who look at us with such proud eyes as we come out of that room.They probably expected us to be wailing or having had wet our pants.But we emerge unfazed and unscathed from the battlefield to be greeted by nervous moms and dads.We are asked about the sequence of events that took place in the torture chamber.As we unravel the proceedings of the battle like true bravehearts,we notice our parents swell up in pride to have given birth to such fine creations of the Almighty.And that is the moment we realize why we had to take all the pain to memorize, not cry inside, answer each question carefully and without hesitation- it is for that one moment of pride on our parents face.

   As we grow older and start maturing from mere kids into more responsible children, we do realize that whatever we do in life, its our parent's reputation which is at stake and we need to uphold it at all costs.At times it gets tedious to not commit that naughty little prank on your teacher or not land a blow on the face of that kid who has been constantly trying to bully you.But you know its for a cause...for a good cause.And just like that, you are a kid no more...From that day on, you are a mature guy who is ready to bear the responsibilities of life on his tiny shoulders.

Whats your Rashee

   With your birth you also get another free gift - Your SUN SIGN or rashee as its called in Hindi. I am an October guy and fall under the sun sign Libra...My friends believe I am a true libran in most senses.I am a womanizer, I am pretty lost out and daydreaming at times, I am compassionate but I am a total extrovert.

   But what I fail to understand is that does your birth date really manage to determine so much about what you are gonna be for the rest of your life?How can the position of the stars and god knows what not help determine your personality!!! I dont believe in fortune telling and all that shit too much but recently my female companion went to an astrologer to relieve my worries regarding my immediate professional future and I was surprised by the amount of details presented by him regarding my past - personal and professional.That day I really started wondering - 'Maybe there is some other guy born at the same time,same day as I and probably having the same fate as I do'

   Do you think that could be a possibility?? Like my doppleganger except he may not look like me but still be having an identical same life as I do!!! Wow...Life can be creepy..

Whats in a NAME

    Lets just say I was born with a name.A name I would not want to tell anyone.A name which has stuck as far as my feeble memory can recall.Actually its only after your birth that people suggest names for you.We Hindus also have this naming ceremony for the child where officially he receives his name- a name which will stick to him for the rest of his life.As we grow older we realize the true meaning of our names and the circumstances that lead to it.Some were suggested by the elders of the family,some parents do a lot of headbanging and come up with the most promising names that they feel is unique and represents the qualitities their child must possess.(My name means 'someone who forgives his enemy' although I am quite the contrary).And then there are some parents who choose the easy way out by calling their children Rahul or Pooja-no offense.
      A great man once pointed out to a great falacy of world history. "Whats in a name" was the famous quote by the great playwright William Shakespeare but unlike its essence, Shakespeare did not forget to mention his name at the end.