Expressions

Random thoughts that ought to be added to my mental library of "Life is full of surprises".... without sounding preachy- Faith, in any form, is a humbling and profoundly enriching experience. Everyone should consider believing in something—anything—whether it’s an unknown higher power or a concept that transcends our understanding. It’s about discovering what resonates with you and learning how to tune into that frequency once you crack the code! I am still learning what that code is though :D Watching a sunset can help slow down the racing thoughts in your constantly hustling mind. However, it also opens a Pandora's box of life's difficult questions—what and why. Despite this, I would still recommend it 100%! :) The courage to do something boldly reckless—something that quickens your heartbeat—is one of the most life-altering experiences you can have! Somewhere, someone always appears out of nowhere when you least expect it, and it's rarely a pleasant surprise! :...

Wondering what to write about is a great source to experience blank space and void. I have been finding no inspirations, no shower ideas or eureka moments since the longest time. Probably because I have stopped writing. I have read several articles about how one should write everyday for at least half an hour to keep the creative juices flowing and so here I am trying to do that from precisely 2 days. This is my second day and I feel I am just blabbering around. lets see where it takes me. Life in quarantine is not hard at all, especially if you are staying at a friends' place and the onus of the household chores is divided among 4 people. Its just a little boredom seeping in here and there from time to time and melancholy trying to make room every now and then. They are looking for fine cracks in a flimsily built wall of excitement and enthusiasm , always creeping in the background; waiting patiently for one moment where it can take a peek first and then slowly spread across th...

There is lot of struggle getting myself up from bed. Most of the time I lie back down and stare at the many jingling and colorful 'stuff' hanging from above.... its not always the case , the hanging things are only at one or two places. It is usually a white colored ceiling with circles and hexagons cut out. Other times I am rolled over facing down to the bed . This is a relief from seeing the jingling objects and the empty ceiling. Nonetheless, the starting down at the bed is not too exciting either. Unless there is a very colorful bed sheet spread across. I like to find and trace small patterns in that case.  I practice trying to get up from bed on my own but there is a lot of effort and I give up after a few moments. I am pulled into people's laps ever since I remember my existence. The enthusiasm and excitement on people's faces whenever they come close to me is remarkable. I feel I am the center of the house.  People make faces at me and I try to score them base...

I dont know who needs to read this but there is a distinct discomfort in putting up fan at a very high speed in summers ! Don't get me wrong, I do feel adequately hot when the sun is scorching. Its just the compensation of the dryness with excessive man made generated wind literally is abrasive to my skin. It is pleasant, I agree, but also has a certain degree of non-comfort to the skin. The soft fine hair on the skin feels like a wheat crop caught up in a tornado and struggling to stand ground. I especially feel cold in my feet at night; no matter which season and have to wear a light cover to protect my sensitive pores. Fan speed at 3 or even 4 are usually ambivalent - giving out pleasant breeze suitable for a perfect nap or slumber.   I have a friend who starts sweating at the mere mention of summers and sits up at night with fan speed 4 sweating profusely. Ironically she is from the heart of India where the temperatures sores upto 45 degrees or more without batting ...

Happiness seems like a myth...or more like a unicorn.... a moment its there and in the next poof!! You are sitting with your family content and feeling extremely grateful... glimpse of happiness and a couple of uniform tirades later, you are chasing the past through nostalgia or the future with wishful thinking. How does one end with this vicious circle always... you always think that happiness is a state of mind that WAS ...or will be...for me it mostly was. So I hear people saying to live in the moment, cherish every moment as it truly is and there lies eternal happiness. Haven't we heard, read this in thousands of books... a variation may be but with similar meaning? And yet unable to achieve such a simple phenomena for more than a couple of times. It is hard , extremely hard to be in that meditative state of mind that attracts only the bliss, sees and feels only the goods. You understand this but yet unable to live it through. Yeah, some of you may mark me as a cynic... w...

It was a busy working evening on the streets of Mumbai. Just outside the Ghatkopar metro station,  a line of people were waiting eagerly to get home after tiring hours of work. And there were some others who might just be getting ready to get started to toil hours for the night. The Bus stand was filled with exhausted feet, hopeful eyes waiting for their sawari to come get them. And buses were obliging in their capacity, taking steep turns just along the corner and stopping right in front of the bus stand but in the middle of the road; blocking off the traffic for just a few minutes and jostling off with equal energy and larger burden of weight upon them tilting heavily to the left side. Then there were shared rickshaws and autowallahs swooping in and buzzing by doing their duties of transporting people from places to places. Shivram was one among the side of the pavement just outside the gate 2B of the metro station, observing this daily hullabaloo eating his share of frie...

The First It was a warm sunny day. The sun had almost risen up until the helm of the building and the light streamed through the grilled French windows and on to the tiled floor. Zee lay rested on the carpet enjoying the Indian suntan of a lazy weekend afternoon, his eyes closed and face tranquil like disciples of Buddha. The sudden chatter of Ami broke this reverie. He looked up, eyes half closed, and found her clearing the creases of the cushions. This was arguably her favorite pastime – cleaning up here and there, setting things straight so that the house looks out freshly delivered every moment like a hotel room. He gave a resigned look, well aware of the obsession. “Don’t you think life has become boring; too monotonous!” Ami said glumly, raising her eyebrows to signal Zee to comfort her of random musings. Zee rolled his eyes as usual and sank back to oblivion. “Isn’t always so? After every change, life does become stagnant. That’s what stability means”. “No, it isn’t s...

Life teaches you a lot of things in retrospect..... your daily commute by bus, train, taxi or drive, your evening strolls in the neighborhood, stories from your house helps, your lunch time conversations with colleagues and just generally observing a person long enough gives you insights.  Okay so I am not encouraging you to stalk ... may be a slight tinted suggestion..but it does give a perspective on life...especially if its diametrically opposite from yours! One of these regular post lunch walks inside the office parking lot opened up a whole new level of discussion. I happened to peel another layer of life privy to select few and understand the hardships and tribulations people have gone through while living in this city of dreams. One of my friends gave a visual description of the 1 RK she, her immediate and extended family of 15 lived for most part of her childhood. Eventually the family moved out to a separate 1 bhk government quarters and children got educated just fi...

This morning I had a revelation ...again... ( I don't know how or why this frequency of wonder and gratitude has increased drastically in the past few months...probably my guardian angel has finally woken up from sleep :) ) I get coaxed a lot to meditate before going to bed...concentrate on breathing...focus on a singular thought...imagine a reverie... all this to reduce stress...get peace of mind ...blah blah and things like that....and me reacting like when you are forced to drink turmeric milk on sick days ! But this fine morning, my senses got better of me and I groggily agreed to do some deep breathing and just how beautifully this act turned out for me! I got up, opened my window pane wide and braced the early day breeze. So basically, I wake up to a view like this every day - which is not bad at all of course and the amount and intensity of air I get is paramount...I wish I could wake up early and store all the fresh unadulterated oxygen in a tank and use it in ...

Do you recall the times when you sat peacefully after completing all the household chores on a Sunday and suddenly the rain starts pouring in the eastward wind direction and you realize you forgot to close the windows of the bedroom and water has already started seeping on the bed and the side table and the floor! Or the times when the maid is off duty and you have cleaned the floor and you get up and realize your child has urinated near the low seated mattress and the book shelf from which she is conveniently throwing books into the puddle! or the times when you are rushing to the kitchen to get something off the shelf and in a hurry you drop a glass bowl ...bravo! You have successfully mastered the art of adding unnecessary work to life...endless chores! zero productivity! no satisfaction! And this incessant feeling mounting up your throats which when released is an under-exaggerated shriek. Welcome to the world of highly volcanic obsessive freaks....or more conveniently called ni...

I had a revelation this afternoon...While I was rocking my 2 month old baby to sleep in my arms, I had this sudden rush of joy ..... feeling what I was feeling at the moment, bearing down the 5 kg weight of my child and immeasurable weight of my aspirations. My mind drifted back to 15-16 years ago, when in my adolescence I used to wonder what life had in store for me? How was it going to turn out? Back in those days, I used to imagine details about my future life and tried to create vivid scenes in my mind about the specifics...How will I look? What kind of job would I do? The kind of people I would befriend. Where and how will I travel ? Of course, you would have guessed, all these details will come with a certain level of smugness and audacity ...I am a so called introvert and therefore I did like to believe that I evolved as a very outgoing, extrovert and super friendly kind of person in the coming future (early and mid 20s)...one whose popularity tops the chart in social circles...

Life takes a splendid turn An angel for which we yearned Innocence has found a new face Mischief is about to grace Little nose like buttery bun Eyes like 2 dollops of sun Tiny hands tiny feet You will make our family complete Strange are the ways of the world attached to the unborn curled Fill our lives with joy and light Your smile will be our delight I wonder which came first The body, soul or innocuous heart since you are a part of me that grows How much of me you already know? Just like your primitive cell A fragment of my soul also dwells? However you come about to us You be the darling, sweetheart our precious Kindle us with warmth and love And gratitude to the supreme above!

When you are in one of the best lush green landscapes amidst monsoons our country has to offer - you must realise you have to explore all four corners of the state and sometimes along the boundaries as well. One such memorable trip happened in September 2016 where we covered the Konkan coastline and satisfied our craving of sea and long drives. The Itinerary So there was no specific itinerary for the trip and we travelled from south to north along the coast where the road took us - Murud Beach in Dapoli, Harnai , Anjarle, Kelshi and Harihareshwar - all in a 3 day trip! So we had the pleasant weather of mid September and a long weekend ahead, giving us an opportunity to plan a long drive all the down way south to Ganapatipule. We started off from Mumbai just fine in the early morning. Being a photography enthusiast and a beginner, I didn't miss any opportunity to click as we sped by the highways or small towns of Maharashtra. Our one such stop was a village near Mahad where...

There some tourist places in India and specifically hill stations which are quite famous and popular among tourists mainly because these never fail to delight us. Mahabaleshwar is one of them. Nestled in the western ghats forests of Maharashtra, the place is ideal for an extended weekend getaway from Pune/Mumbai both. How to reach: For road junkies, this 5 hour trip is a pleasure drive on good smooth roads and ghats.  Your own vehicle will also provide you the ease of travelling and stopping at any picturesque points you encounter....and there are quite a few! If not, buses are always an alternative. The train service is only available from Mumbai to Pune, ahead of which a bus or taxi is the most recommended mode of transport. The journey is enjoyable and you will encounter many local stall set ups along the road with home made pickles and Spices.  These are definitely worth a try and a to do in your what to buy in Mahabaleshwar. Panchgani - is quaint littl...

If you are in India and are looking for a good vacation alternative with no visa hassles and cheaper currency, your next destination should be Bali, Indonesia.                               Archipelago of  islands - Indonesia, is famous for beaches, volcanoes, thick beautiful forests and this makes it a perfect destination to for travelers looking for varied experiences. And most sought after island of all is Bali.                                   Bali is a beautiful island with beaches, mountains  and waterfalls to explore. Here is my 3 day itinerary for Bali in the month of April last year. Notable Places to see in Bali- Below are the top highlighted places in Bali which can help you plan your itinerary. 1. Ubud - handicraft villages, Tegenungan waterfalls, Tegalalang rice terraces, Kintamani active v...