Hello's to all !
I know I'm charged guilty of letting this place rot for long now. I really can't give any excuses to explain my stand, rather, I have too many of them to list ! None of them qualify as reasons to have stayed away from blogging. Anyways, I was going through some of my old posts and I realized, there was nothing but fiction all over here. I felt like some grandma narrating tales to her grandchildren after dinner by the fireside!! For the much missing vent, here it goes -
2007 has made me a more confused soul, kicked me out of my teens, made me an aunt on the same day, nudged me to do some impulsive things, put me through some dire straits and blah blahs ! This happened yesterday and left my mother totally baffled and a few friends in splits -

Woke up after an afternoon nap - in a semi-conscious state - walk to mom's room and find her reading some magazine !
Me: Maaa...
Ma: *looking at the mag still* "What ?"
Me: Maaaaaaaa.......
Ma: *looks at me now and says* "Whaaat?"
Me: Ammmmaaaaaaa.......
Ma: *snaps back - "Stop mooing like a cow and tell me WHAT, will you ?"
Me: I'm hungry
Ma: You're always hungry Ramya
Me: I'm hungry ma..
Ma: Seri, what do you want ?
Me: I'm hungry maaaa..... hunger hungry
Ma: Adhaan di, what do you want ?
Me: I want to cut my hair maa !!

Amma gives the - OMG-what-happened-to-this-woman kind of look and throws me out of the room and no food or haircut either !

Happy New Year people ! Have all the prosperity, happity, giggity stuff !

Ps: Oh yes, shoot away your resolutions in the comment box! My resolution is to make a resolution and stick by it !

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Jaideep was the name. He was everything that you wanted him to be. He had a normal childhood, middle class parents, a caring mother, a supportive father, one younger brother, Montessori schooling, an under graduation degree of his choice. Life was like a bunch of roses without any thorns. But then due to the strange quirk of fate, things went drastically wrong.
His father passed away before his completion of his degree, thus forcing him to support his family and the education of his younger brother. His mother; emotionally distraught at the loss; stopped talking to anyone else. Mentally disturbed by all this, Jai was forced to plunge his feet into the dirty business. The job that required him to be ruthless and nonchalant. It demanded him to defy the fundamental ethics that were taught to him. His new profession asked of him to kill - plain brutal murder.

Soon after his life took a hairpin bend, Jai started to get a little nauseated with his work. Who wouldn't? When you had assumed living a life of eternal peace and suddenly, one fine morning you had rob someone of their lives. His first assignment was the house where lived a small family of 4. They reminded him of his own family. The task, however, was quietly completed. More assignments came and his modus operandi became noteworthy amongst his colleagues. He basked in the glory of appreciation. He started to develop an inclination towards his work. He felt if this was what he was destined to do.

Today, after 5 long years, Jaideep was given a status that he truly deserved. All the hard work had paid off at last - he was made the Head of the Pest Control Division.

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Thin rays of golden yellow sunlight peeped in from between the tightly pulled blinds. Abstract patterns danced on the bed as the curtains swayed in the autumn breeze. He turned over in his slumber trying to evade the sunlight and groped for his wife with one hand. On encountering a bunch of linen instead of his newly-wed, he propped himself on one elbow and glanced around the room. The digital clock blinked 7.40 am on the bedside table. Finding no signs of her presence, he craned his neck to check for lights from the gap beneath the washroom door. It took him a whole minute to acknowledge the aroma of coffee drifting through the bedroom door and the low notes of instrumental music emanating from the living room.

She pulled aside the curtains and let the bright sunlight caress her face. Taking in the warmth for a while, she switched on the radio and plopped herself on the overstuffed sofa. The mug of freshly brewed coffee was placed next to her on the table. And beside the mug, a very ornate frame held the photo of two people grinning broadly at the camera. She picked up the frame and smiled to herself. It was hard for her to believe that she was now living with the man whom she had loved all her life! She pinched herself hard to confirm reality. Hearing a muffled chuckle, she looked up to see the man in the photograph leaning casually against the frame of the bedroom door, smiling at her.

He knew that she was happy. The radiant look on her face, deep dimples on her cheeks and the way her eyes sparkled conveyed more to him than words could express. His protective arms around her said millions about how much he cared for her. Taking her mehndi adorned hands in his and looking straight into her deep dark eyes, he said in the most honest of tones, what she had felt shy to utter all her life - "I love you".

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To Priyya, Mahesh and their 21 day old angel, Nanditha !

When he first saw her, he couldn't take his eyes off her. His voice was caught in his throat. He was sure, one blink, and his watery eyes wouldn't hold their joyful tears for long.
Her head was jutting out of a white cloth that tightly secured her arms and legs leaving her completely immobile. Bluish green veins were visible on her flushed rosy cheeks. He touched her soft hair that reached the nape of her neck already and gingerly brushed them away from her forehead with his fingers. Carefully, he traced his finger down her tender cheek. She responded reflexively by craning her neck towards the finger, enjoying the tingly warmth of her father's touch.
Merely due to the loss of words and the inability to utter something sensible at that moment, he said in a hushed baritone - "Hello". She merely blinked at him. He found himself staring at another pair of the same black doe shaped eyes which had attracted him to his wife.
He gently picked her up. With one hand firmly supporting her neck and head, he ensconced her meanwhile adjusting her wrap. After cradling her in his arms for a while, he carefully placed her on his shoulders and patted her back. She gave a burp and rubbed her cheeks on his freshly laundered white Giordano t shirt. A few paces and some out-of-tune humming later, his first born was asleep. Very unwillingly he placed her in the cradle and sat beside it looking at his daughter sleep for the first time. A few minutes later, her tiny grayish pink lips curved lopsidedly, which he assumed to be a grin. Her first dream, he thought. He wondered as to what could be amusing her so much on her very first night in the world. He whispered -"I'm going to make every dream of yours come true, my love."
"So, will you change your opinion at least now?" asked his wife, stirring from her semi-conscious state.
He grinned sheepishly and held the hand of his first love who had brought about this little angel into their lives and changed both their lives forever.
"If you had to give me such an example to prove that Love at first sight does happen, then, I bow, you win !"

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It was just another day in June. But the heat was not showing any signs of abatement. Dressed casually in a comfortable t shirt and a pair of jeans that badly needed washing, a pair of running shoes that had seen better days and a completely worn out Ferrari cap, Nimesh looked nothing more pompous than the boy next door.

The traffic was not improving things either. He braked, accelerated, braked again, changed lanes only to find the one he left to be less congested. After driving at snail's pace for what seemed like eons, the signal came. He adjusted the cap on his head as if pulling it further down his forehead would shield him from the blazing sun. Popping his knuckles, he gave a furtive glance at the rear view mirror.

Niranjana was a girl who didn't know much about the outside world. Her world comprised only of Nimesh and sitting on the pillion behind him today, made her feel as if there was nothing more she could want from life. She just wished, he would keep going and the ride never stop. She didn't care about the sun that was tanning her fair unblemished skin. She didn't care about the traffic, the end of which would in result her early separation from him. He was her guardian angel and she wanted him to be around forever.

The signal blinked to green, and Nimesh sped towards their destination for the day. Exactly 3 minutes later, he parked his bike in front of the building and she gingerly disembarked from the pillion. With tears brimming in her eyes, he half-carried her till the gate and saw his baby sister walk in to her first primary school. Now he had to go and hunt for a present to give her later in the evening when his arm would be wound with the sacred thread of Rakhi. He was a proud brother !

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Alright, I really couldn't bring myself to face my cobwebbed blog. So I'm using the handy vacuum cleaner a.k.a tag to propel myself to dust it. Tagged eons back by Bumblee, I couldn't have been happier to return. I'm back for good !

1. Books that Changed Your Life
The textbooks my college provided in my first year. Made me realize that nothing more in the world could be more absurd and move on.
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tried to awaken me, but in vain !

2.A Book that I have read more than once
Definitely Enid Blyton, the Sweet Valleys, The Potter Series, The Da Vinci Code, Abridged version of Shakespeare's masterpieces and The Library of World Poetry.

3. A Book You'd Take onto a Desert Island
Undoubtedly Aesop's Fables.
This is the only book that keeps reminding me that innocence in the world is still nascent and unwilling to grow up.

4. Books That Made You Laugh
The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adams ! Proof that humor can be teamed with sci-fi.
And no second thoughts about Dilbert !!!

5. Books That Made You Cry
Potter 5 & 6 for Sirius & DD respectively.
Remember some wet pillows for mush books ! ;)

6.A Book You Wish Had Been Written
Errrmm ? I've read only stuff that have been published ! But I second the notion about Anbe Sivam on print !

7. Books You Wish Had Never Been Written
I wish I'd never started reading Lord of the Rings, for I have never crossed page 64 !
But it would do no justice, for every book is creative in its own right. (Textbooks excluded)

8. Books You're Currently Reading
a) Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
b) The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

9. Books You've Been Meaning To Read
a)Life of Pi
b) Marley & Me
Bless me Hamakka!!!!! :D
c) High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Bookmarking in turn :
Pree, Sujith, Priya and Bhargavi

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I would probably need one of Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill to belt out some juicy 1500 word review of the book. But then, it would make no difference to you, because the true magic of the book lies within the reader, who have made their way patiently and stuck around Harry & his friends till the end.
J.K Rowling couldn't have given us a better ending to the series. Deathly Hallows surpasses all its 6 predecessors with its perfect and nearly-flawless narration. And that's saying the least about it. The plot is so incredibly taut minus all the teenage romances, Christmas chatter, Quidditch frenzy and Hogwarts prowling. For all the people who were wasting their time finding loopholes left in the previous books that might suggest a possible ending with their own theories, Hallows gives them all a whack with a huge club on the head. The omnipresent state of fear is almost palpable throughout the book. Fast junglish beats drum through your head as the author makes you live the sinister trail that Harry Ron & Hermione trod upon in search of the Horcruxes in order to put an end to the mortal peril that the wizarding world is facing in the hands of Voldemort.
The insecurities of a teenager, their courage, the loyalty,their struggle, the desperateness, their bonding, the thirst for love seeping in their veins and overcoming their fears of the ultimate. All these bring a tear to one's eye and it does shock to know a few blatant truths. For however long you read the book, the time doesn't matter, for every time you flip the pages, you are transported to the magical lands that Rowling has so realistically woven with simple yet powerful words.
The end doesn't always signify the finality of things. The magic of the Harry Potter books won't cease with the Deathly Hallows; for they'll always remain immortal in our hearts !
Psst : And all of you who dismissed the Potter books for a bunch of magical stories with happy fluffy bunnies to be read as bedtime stories to babies, JKR is merciless in sparing you all.

Joanne Kathleen Rowling, I bow to thee !

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Past tense - "So much to do;so less time"
Present tense - "Nothing to do;so much time to spend"

I feel like I'm living a life of extremes. Maybe I'm just not striking the balance well ? Anyways, just to keep myself a little occupied and beat boredom, I created this and it is proving to be something more than a time pass. Being a music crazy person especially Bollywood music justifies song & lyrics that happened like a reality in disguise.
When I posted the translation of Lukka Chupi as a dedication to someone, sons living abroad, sent the post to their mothers back home as a sign of their unexpressed shy love. I had such mothers commenting how this had rekindled the love even while living in 2 different worlds. I was touched ! Period.
Tere bina from Guru was translated for the pure joy the song gave me; as it happens to rank high amongst my favourites. But honestly with so many websites devoted to lyrics, I didn't expect it to be noticed at all.
I've transferred both the posts mentioned here along with a few other songs.
Do continue to give your unparalleled support, suggestions,linkbacks & requests to this second baby of mine too!
Folks of the blogsville, I give you Songs & Lyrics !
*Applause*

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When I joined college 2 years back, I loathed the place more than anyone could ever imagine. The moment I sat in my class and looked around at all the dejected faces, I asked myself- What the heck am I doing here? Despite so many people being nice to me, I had my mind closed and didn't even make an attempt to adapt myself to the place. I was simply refusing to change and accustom myself to a new environment. I started falling into the bottomless pit of self-pity and started believing that it was fate that brought me here by mistake and I'd have to serve in this penitentiary for the next 4 years.
Ironically I kept chanting "Change is good" at the same time.
The truth struck me hard in the face soon and when I really opened my eyes to face reality, things didn't seem as bad as I had "seen". Not that I'm in love with the place overnight, but then I'm not really unhappy either. It definitely is all in the attic that you carry on your shoulders.
If happiness is what you want to see, that's what you will see.
I'm glad I learnt it now at least. Better late than never !
Maybe, somewhere down memory lane, I might actually miss college, its people, the sad white buildings, the food, the long bus rides.....
I can't believe that I actually said it ! :O

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Update : I saw it ! I saw it ! I was armed with whistles too! At one point of time, I was whistling so much that I had to stop it to hear the punch dialogs. I enjoyed the movie and yes thalaivar rocks ! :D

The current buzzword in Chennai is Sivaji ! Why Chennai?, the hype has created waves all over the world and even on blogsville. Every third blog carries a review of Sivaji ! Where ever you go people are all praises about the movie and how "Cool" thalaivar looks or how sexy Shriya's clothes are or how brilliant the music by ARR is or how fab Thotta Tharani's sets look & of course Shankar, the skipper of the movie. Now that's a bonanza combination !

Despite exorbitant ticket rates, messy pumpkin strewn floors , showering flowers and milk dripping hoardings, nothing is holding the people all over the world to watch The boss in action.
Even if the distributors decided to screen "Sorgam" during the interval, people might not walk out of the cinema hall !! Sivaji will stand out amongst all Baasha's & Padayappa's just because of the way in which Shankar has portrayed thalaivar ! The charismatic screen presence of Rajinikanth overshadows the illogical story line & a few other weak technicalities that most reviews have mentioned about! As long as the Super Star is on screen with his punch dialogs and whip sounding stunts, the crowd would remain on the edge of their seats !

Alright, I'll stop fibbing now, I haven't watched the movie because I can't whistle and yes yes I can't get the tickets either ! Maybe next time I must use my drama skills in the ticket queue ! And oh! remind me to strangle the guy who was selling the tickets at a grand each ! ! !

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Arjun looked out of the little window on his left. He could see only clouds. He shifted restlessly in his seat and reclined back as he closed his eyes. He was returning home after almost 3 years and was looking forward to meet all his loved ones. He was no homesick person, but the 3 year gap had left him feeling totally disconnected with everyone back home. He thought of his mother and her lip-smacking rasam, the early morning jogging with his dad, the back-slapping moments with his mates, the aimless bike rides, the night-outs at the beach... He looked out again and saw the familiar blue of the Marina. A smile crossed his face. It was about time. The slim air hostesses prepared the cabin crew for landing. The aircraft dropped a few feet and met heavy turbulence. They circled for a few minutes until the plane got clearance for landing. Those minutes seemed longer than the 3 years. As the flight touched ground and sped along the runway, Arjun already had his seat belt off and was urging to grab his backpack and scoot out. He was met with a huge queue for immigration. He kept counting heads and when his turn came, he was too glad to thrust out his passport to the immigration officer. Baggage claiming tested his patience more than anything else. Every third suitcase seemed like his and when he finally spotted his, the rickety conveyor belt seemed to take ages to transport it to him. He couldn't hold his feet once he had his luggage on the trolley. He searched the sea of faces until his eyes settled on his parents standing amidst the crowd. When he made his way out and reached where they were standing, his father pulled him into a rib cracking hug. And suddenly he felt all the years melting into nothingness. This is where he belonged. He was home at last !

Author's Note : I'm back home and the heat in Chennai seems to be showing no signs of abatement !

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..anorexic girls with petite waists dressed in skimpy black outfits haphazardly swayed to the booming meaningless music. Most of the girls on the floor with their heavy make-up and straightened hair ended up looking like clones. The vivacious lights danced on the women, trying to cover them up. Mindless chatter hummed in the background where gossip tossed with seasoned back biting provided enough entertainment in the smoky atmosphere. Jealousy was almost tangible. While the women accused each other of sleeping her way through, the macho sex with their gelled hair would be huddled together boisterously betting against each other about their pick-ups for the night, exchanging back slaps or fiddling a swanky new gadget. Boys & their toys !!! Some secluded themselves to the overly stuffed cushions with partners attached to their lips. Talk about being private in public !
The plates lay piled in a corner. Besides, when did food ever have a higher priority while alcohol was around? Guys to their beers and weirdly named Vodkas, while the ladies twiddled umbrellas in cocktails and sipped their Cokes.
Plastic smiles, customary kisses, heartless hugs, obligatory socializing. At the end of day or rather the beginning of the day, none would leave with whom they arrived and all they are left over with is a hangover and a vague recollection of hallucinating memories.

Psst: The author isn't trying to sound like a conservative critic, for she isn't one. This post is merely a narration. Do drink to her glory for this is her 150th post ! Cheers ! :D

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I had heard a lot about Orchard Road here. All I knew before I visited the place was that, Orchard was Mecca for Shopaholics in Singapore. How could I miss the place then ? The place is the central entertainment and luxury shopping belt in Singapore. Lined and bathed beautifully in a sea of colors, Orchard definitely is a delight to the ones with a hefty wallet. Coz, one look at the malls, and I realized that the place is ideal only for window shopping and some power walking. Most of the malls here carry the concept of "Everything under one roof". Right from Cosmetics, Crystals, China, Clothing and even a shop for condoms!! - Orchard has it all.
The malls that line this road boast of the top notch international designer labels like Armani, DKNY, Dior, Gucci, Prada, D&G, Yves Saint Laurent and many more. I was really tempted to buy this Gucci bag that looked really sleek and suave, but the moment I saw the price tag and had calculated the equivalent in Indian Rupees, I was confident that if it had been my mother, she'd have had a mini cardiac arrest on seeing it. Apart from all this, there are several souvenir stalls, food courts, juice bars and many performing artists outside the malls who keep up the spirits of the tired shoppers. This one particular college's percussion band had most shoppers halt and tap their feet to their peppy rhythms. There are a few spas where you can pamper yourself and a few other major hotels too but, ultimately, its difficult to find anything strenuous to do at Orchard than shop, shop and shop till you drop !
Oh lord! My blog is turning into a Singapore Tourism Board advertisement !!!

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I'm definitely not a home sick person. I love to be away from home, explore new places, meet new people, socialize, learn about new cultures (rather than reading about them), take lots of pictures, collect souvenirs, and most importantly shop. This outdoor nature of mine brought me to Singapore this vacation.I'm sure the one month which I am going to be spending here is a little too much to explore this small Island, but then what means more to me on this trip is, to spend some quality time with my aunt, uncle and cute little 2 year old cousin.
What I noticed instantly about Singapore is that people prefer to use the public transport like the rail or the buses, both of which connect every nook of the city and is pretty much convenient & affordable too. All this doesn't seem to hamper the number of sleek and cheezy private cars plying on the road. Despite all this, the place is least polluted. Another thing am astonished about is that, how these small eyed, straight-haired people eat so much and still manage to stay in shape. To this question I found the answer when I saw most of them jogging and working out vigorously in the early hours of the day. The last and most obvious problem would be food if you happen to be a vegetarian. The city has several food courts and eat outs, but then sea foods dominate the platter. Otherwise, Singapore is a very beautiful and clean place to live in. But then, at some point of time, life gets way to mechanical.

More later, till then, be good and spread the cheer !

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After quoting the Blogger's Exam Rule in almost every post, I stayed away from blogging during my exams and now I figured out that things would have been pretty much the same otherwise too ! Well, this year has instilled a lot of changes in me. Change is good and actually fun !
If you ask me what color I like the most, and pat the reply would come- Black ! But now, I've found new fantasy in the color green! I actually went out to buy some clothes, and ironically, this time to my mother's surprise I didn't pick any black or stuff remotely close to black either. And no prizes for guessing it, all the gear happened to be green !! Oooohh, my template is green too ! ;) (But not for long) I'm starting to see the world through green tinted glasses !!
Fantasy number 2- Old Hindi songs. I dug up my dad's Rafi, Asha, Lata, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Manna Dey collection and what a stress-buster it has been. Its sheer joy to listen to music with great vocal quality and by using basic instruments like the tabla, sitar and dholak, the virgin nature of music was left to rest in peace. The traditional patronage is almost dying out now despite fatal attempts to revive it with the remix technology.
Fantasy number 3- I've been scribbling using the anti-technology writing device- the lovely pencil. I've love to write lyrics of my favorite songs.I'm notorious for pressing down the tip of my pencil so hard that you can see the impression on the next 3 pages or more. Its absolutely bliss to scribble away on a plain white page. Drag in an arrow from the middle of a line to the last of another, no formatting, no spacing, no font trouble, do caps or go cursive, use shorthand ! And do it the way you like it, the elementary, primitive way!

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Before you started wondering if you landed up elsewhere, Stop !
I got too bored with that sombre and garish white board template so I decided to go green for the summer !

Its going to take a while before you see an update here. Moreover I suppose more than half the bloggers on my list are busy with deadlines, record work, pending assignments and a lot more valid excuses. And with the sun beating down on this side of the world, lethargy creeps in and upturns all the well scheduled plans.

"Sip that coconut water,
Bite into the succulent water melon,
Don those sunglasses and go generous on the sunscreen
Wrap a bandanna, eat some ice-cream !
Wear some bright and colorful clothes,
Spread the cheer and do miss me too!"

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Some of the tortures my mother put me through in the tender years of my life were dance and music classes. But it was music that I loathed learning the most.
My folks took me to this carnatic singer during one of my visits to Madras; from whom it was considered most auspicious and fortunate to start a musical lesson. And so began my encounters with the 7 swaras at a tender age of 3 ! There I sat in my tiny frock, cross-legged before this man who seemed hippy-like compared to my 2.5 feet height ! Unshaven, shoulder length oil dripping hair, a red beetle nut coated tongue and wearing a filthy white shirt, he resembled a gardener more than a guru. Before I could make more assessments regarding his appearance, he made a huge slap to his thigh and crooned "Saaa, paaa, sollu paakalam"
And the smart-ass that I was,asked, pointing to his thigh - "Apdi adikanuma ?" (Well come on at 3, I was ignore of the existance of the concept of taalam!) He let out a guffaw and said - "Aama kozhandai" ! I looked back at my mother who gave me a Do-what-he-asks-you-to look. And so I slapped his thigh with my little fingers and said saa paa in my pinju kural. :D Once I heard a huge intake of breath from behind me, I realized that the slapping is going to interchange once we get home. Slowly I turned waiting for the repercussion of my act of bravery and gratefully I escaped with a smile ! Thanks to my cute-appavi looks !
Every class from then onwards, I was taken dutifully by my mother coaxed and cajoled in the false hope that, it would be my last class. But then God knows, what they saw (heard) in me, the last class never came and before I realized I had actually begun to like the routine and was looking forward to them.
Today, I'm so grateful to those days, for instilling such a deeply rooted love for music.

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"Every time you look at me, a part of me dies,
I know there's something else, I can see it in your eyes."
As for this post, the above lines say it all ! Some people in the world try to hide their inner feelings in their heart, but then, they forget that their eyes talk a lot more than they actually do.
Brown, Green, Hazel, Blue, Amber. Dark or light be it, eyes definitely reflect the true spirit of the inner soul. Lighting up with a sparkle on an affectionate touch, wrinkling at the corners with grace, coyly winking at a cute face, glaring with hatred, pelting a cold stare, brimming with tears or just blinking away every day ! The first of each emotion churning out of you is first seen in the eyes. You could have a control on your tongue, but you can never stop an eye from talking. If you have a dream in your heart, it most certainly shows in your eyes. Why? Even the most complex of all emotions - Love is associated with the eyes - "Love at first sight" ! We've never heard of a love at first smell !!
In an eye, you the see the beauty of a simple person, the majesty, the sophistication, the ruthlessness and the power !
As for me, I like dark, mysterious yet playful eyes. Thick lashes and dark curvy eyebrows would be a bonus! Absolutely smoky and sweltering !
No matter how many words you have, the eyes say it all !

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Are you someone who initializes a conversation ? Are you someone who takes an initiative and leads a bandwagon ? Are you someone who never (infrequently) answers in the negative ? If you answered the previous questions in affirmative, then congratulations- you're the never-say-no attitude possessor ! Kudos to you !
Well, you might think what big deal does it make really ? But then, these are the little insignificant things in life that can turn you into a significant person for someone else. Of course, we all don't have to be Mother Teresa's !
How would you feel if a person kept answering - "No", "I don't know" or began every retort contradicting your view ? A normal human definitely wouldn't feel like pursuing the conversation further, would they ?

Flip side : The pessimist could always return with an argument stating his right to talk whatever he wishes to and meanwhile expressing his dislike towards you. Point taken, but then if there were no such differences of opinions, there would be no poles, no opposites, no good, no bad ! You wouldn't have lost anything, but life is counted with what you gain, and I consider people as the biggest assets one could possess.
In case you (irrespective of where you are classified) understood, you would have done something to better yourself. If you just didn't give a damn about this post, feel free to click that little red X on the top right, well if you have something to add/contradict, the comment box is all yours!

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In the tag initiated by RS, I am required to - "Randomly select a blogger and describe about his/her blog in general and write a review on a particular post of him/her that impressed u a lot. The rules say that you aren't permitted to select the blogger who gave this tag to u."


Randomly selecting Sujith, one of the first to read my blog and comment. Sunny Days later christened I Ching, is definitely not a frequently updated / widely read blog, but then I really like the subtle and rhetoric use of words there. He's one person who picks out the unknown in the known and striking a chord with the opposites or grabbing things that people conveniently ignore has been his forte. His disagreements in the comment box always keep me at wit's end to think of a better retort. I still remember one of my first comments on his post describing some chronicles in his college, and till date I've always found I Ching that way- "Entertaining!" His post on blog-hopping and of course Goo have been one of my favorites. Variations of posts in different genres ranging from music to loud musings through which he keeps reinventing himself. The few fiction that he posts are some rare pieces. It totally changes one's idea that something good needn't be over-done. Very simple and straight. No bombastic phrases, but I accept he throws some really nice jargons.
And quoting him from one of his posts, I find his blog as a guy's orgasm of emotions. I wish you update more often !

And now comes the part I love, I tag the videshi's - Kay Kay, S0ul & Priya

For all those people who had concluded that I shall be posting only tags from now on, a proper post would follow soon !

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Bhargavi takes revenge by asking me to list out 10 things I hate about my college !

1) I've never seen the sunrise ever in my life. Commuting by the college bus has made me rise before the sun of lately!
2) The bus rides every morning and evening make me think if I would return home in one piece or return ever at all !
3) The mess food, the unclean plates and glasses have infestations that could give a creative mind lots of food for thought. And ya, we have no canteen !!
4) The barren campus, with absolutely no greenery !! Even the fauna is scared to flourish there !
5) The staff, whose vocabulary comprises only of "what" "y" "right" and "test on tomorrow" !
6) The students, who think they have the biggest attitudes in the world, but are nothing less than a bunch of snobbish dud-heads who steal stationary and money even after paying heavy donations to get a seat!
7) The rules, that deny basic human rights itself !
8) The sudden appearances of a bunch of maniacs who simply slip their hands into your bag to check for mobile phones and other censored property amongst the many forbidden within the campus!

I don't really need any more reasons to hate my college ! I've gotten used to the monotonous & moribund schedule for the last 2 years, another 2 will not make much of a difference to me ! :D

I tag Kausik , VBK & Ramanujam !

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After having recycled old post, I was totally left clueless as to what to post next, and that's when this tag comes to my rescue ! Small-wall thalaivare, thankoo ! :D

1. One thing I'm very much afraid of
Well, its not nice to publicly admit your fears, especially me, coz people are just waiting for an opportunity to pull my leg ! I don't know what it is with girls and reptiles, but yes I am scared of lizards. I just can't bear the company of being in a room with a lizard ! :D

2. Two incidents I can never forget in my life
Well if I count it as embarrassing moments, there are countless, but then if I take it as happy moments, they add up to more in number than the embarrassing ones.

3. Three books I'd love reading again and again
a) I swear by Linda Goodman
b) The Library of World Poetry
c) This list would be endless.

4) Four women who are most beautiful
Well, I believe that any woman can be beautiful if she considers herself to be so. And I have this whole idea that all models look alike with make-up ! :D

5) Five of my favorite food items
My mum and grandmum are the world's best cooks !
Anything vegetarian and spicy/tangy would qualify as a favorite cuisine ! I'm an ice-tea freak !

6) Six words you use very often
a) Enna da/di
b) Oh !
c) Bledddy ! :D
d) Damn !
e) *Beep*
f) *long beeeeeeeeeep* :D :D

7) Seven things I like about myself
The person who commented first on this post seems to know so much more than I ever knew about myself !!!!

8) Eight film personalities who are your all-time favorites
a) A.R.Rahman
b) Mani Ratnam
c) John Stamos ("Have Mercy") :D
d) Revathy
e) Kamal Hassan
f) The Big B
g) Matt LeBlanc ("How 'u doin ?") :D
i) Madhuri Dixit

9) Nine movies you don't mind watching again n again
Any Crazy-Kamal combination movies
Everything by Mani Ratnam (better when coupled with ARR)

10) Ten songs you would listen to everyday
This is real hard considering the fact that my daily play list constitutes of more than 50-70 songs.
Anything sung by ARR - Lukka Chuppi, Tere Bina

I tag Hamsini, Bhargavi, Sandhya ("alright girls, its payback time, except Bhargavi ofc! )

Oh, btw, search for "Tere Bina Lyrics" on Google and guess what tops the charts ! :D

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Gayathri woke up with a heavy head at 7.30 am overshooting her normal quota of sleep by over an hour. She cursed the alarm that didn't go off and breezed through her morning rituals. The moment she was about to slam the door, she realized that she had left the keys inside. Damn ! She dropped the apple she was about to eat on her way and let it skid its way down the stairs. That's when her mobile decided to ring its fancy ringtone. She ignored the call, grabbed the keys and finally dragged her way out of the tiny one bedroom apartment. She jabbed her finger at the button several times to summon the lift, but the lift didn't seem to respond at all. A few seconds later she noticed the minuscule "Out of Order" sign and scooted her way down the steps. She found the apple downstairs and kicked it with all her might, as if that would alleviate her of her anger. That's when the watchman stopped her and asked her to pay the maintainance bill right away. After several negotiations and explanations Gayathri obliged unwillingly, scraping the last of her hard-earned money meanwhile holding back enough change to commute. Didn't anyone have sympathy these days? After bargaining with several passing auto's she summoned an empty one that agreed to her budget. She was thankful that the auto driver was considerate enough of not to strike a conversation and she spent those few minutes clearing her head and bracing herself for yet another strenuous day at work.

Gayathri was skeptical about joining the rat race. But the voluptuous pay lured her into it. At her workplace, she stared into the eerie glow of the monitor trying to figure out what those bunch of lines implied. At lunch,she ate a solitary meal consisting of a bland salad from the canteen and continued with her programming.

Suddenly at around 7 in the evening a wave of nausea swept over her. She felt bovine and decided to call it a day and she somehow found herself walking past the gate and across the pavement. It was the breeze that stirred the wistful emotion within her. Slowly tears started rolling down her cheeks, the mascara trailing a black path on her rosy cheeks. She felt sick. She looked heavenwards and screamed - "Why? Why me? Why?"
The heavens decided to take pity and cry along with her. A lightning streaked across the sky, momentarily lighting her teary face. She let the raindrops wash her face; the tears along with the raindrops softly caressing her tear stained face. Gayathri reached home totally drenched with her wet blue cotton salwar clinging to her 7 month swollen abdomen. She fumbled her way to the mantel and looked at the photograph surrounded by a withered garland. She scooped up the photograph of her husband and clung to it like a child as she wept.

P.S : A slightly tweaked version of the one I posted exactly an year back ! Your comments go down in the process.

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The time had arrived. She was there too among the huge gathering of people. The friends surrounding him were more in number than his family for he was a popular & lovable person amongst them. But for her, he meant something more than that. Everybody knew who she was, but not as much as he did. They had been together only for a month, but still it seemed as if they had spent their entire life together. But all that was insignificant now. What was more important was that, he was leaving her, why only her, he was leaving a whole bunch of his loved ones.
There were tears welling up in her eyes, but then he didn't want to see tears, not now. Mustering up the last of the resolute courage that was left within her, she put up a good battle against her own self. But then his eyes kept going back to her. She simply wanted to hug him tight and say that she would always be there for him. No! She couldn't do that. She got her answer from him soon. A smile and a bat of the eyelid, that said things more than words could have explained. That was all that he could manage and that was all she needed.
The moment had passed, the time had finally arrived........ the electronic voice on the loudspeaker cried out>>>
"All the passengers to the flight ***** are requested to proceed to the security check"
Final handshakes, hi-fives, pats on the back, hugs and soppy teary kisses and a final look at his sweetheart, he pushed his trolley and moved towards his new destination. A place totally new to him, a place void of his family, friends and of course his lovely sweetheart. Last minute handshakes were exchanged and she kept looking till he reached the point of no visibility.
Some wise soul once said - Time, tide and International flights wait for none. How true !

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When someone asked me if I was an evangelist, my pathetic vocabulary skills proudly returned a null. I stared back with a quizzical look on my face. An evangelist is a person who passionately pursues what he likes the most, or simply a person who spreads joy.
There I stood, with the world spinning around me, introspecting whether my presence made any significant changes or was I just another girl who meant nothing to the ones around her ? I've always believed and sworn to the fact that the world will show you its beautiful backside if you are the snobbish, moody, every-sighing soul.
Are you the types who lead a mundane, moribund, mechanical life doing things that you wished you could change/alter ? Do you go to your workplace/college/school every morning wondering -"Why the hell am I here?" But then have you ever thought of it this way ? People who see that ugly constipated contorted look on your face every morning, tend to lose their little spark of enthusiasm that they had preciously obtained after an introspection like mine? ;) Negative aura spreads quickly, but positive thoughts are more infectious.
Go back to that point of time in your life when we wanted to become astronauts, pilots, soldiers, superheroes, painters and even poets!! Where did all that enthusiasm go ? Are we afraid of people who snicker at our dreams ? Disappointments and fear flourish in our heart & minds.
Yes, I am an evangelist! Of course I do have my mood-swings, hard days and downfalls, but then who doesn't?
Go enroll for those salsa classes, eat those extra pieces of chocolate, find time to talk, enjoy the sunshine, listen to some soul-enriching music, read a good word, feel good about yourself!
And please burn your to-do lists. :D
Am I more special than you ? Yes, because I've found my cause !

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Rekha sat in front of the huge mirror bordered with bright 100 watt bulbs and gazed back at her reflection. Time had passed and she never realized how it swept away all that she possessed. Today was the day that would give her a new start, a new push, a new beginning... a new life. She looked at her kajal lined eyes, they seemed to blink all her dreams and aspirations, but the tears dissolved them all away. She looked at her cherubic cheeks which used to blush on their own triggered merely by a smile. Ah! That curvy smile of hers, the one that would brighten everyone's day, now appeared firmly pursed together.
She asked herself - "Why do I have to do this? I have a life of my own, which is very dear to me. Why should I go out there and bury all my hopes to the grave?"
That's when the door opened and someone said - "Rekha, its time. Come"



Dressed in a maroon silk saree and laden with jewels that weighed more than her, Rekha walked out of the bride's room to the chamber where her wedding with the man twice her age was to take place. She looked at the expression on her brother's face and stopped in front of him. Wrinkling her eyebrows together, she said- "Why me ?" With a comforting glance and the reassuring squeeze of the palm, Ravi walked his 19 year old sister to the end of the life she'd dreamt of.

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I have,

Battles to brave,
Hurdles to cross,
Challenges to face,
Distances to merge,
Promises to keep,
Goals to achieve,
Wishes to fulfill,
Moments to cherish,

I have a life to live !

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She gently held the cup of strong coffee with her fingers and sat on the chair beside the window and looked out. A gentle zephyr blew the hair out of fair and she rattled a little feeling the chillness creep down her body. She drew her knees close to her body in response and took a sip of the bitter coffee enjoying its ubiquitous aroma.
She saw kids playing with a stray pup that tried to yelp and wriggle out of the plump boy's fingers, but he seemed to be having a tight grip. She empathized with the pup. She looked beyond, an old couple were holding hands and trying to cross the road. She saw love in their grasp. A smile escaped her lips and a sip of the coffee spread warmth into her system. She gazed leftwards and spotted the vegetable vendor pushing his cart. She saw desperation in his eyes to sell the last of his tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages and capsicums. She saw watchmen with scarves and monkey caps around their heads strutting about the apartments chasing the annoying salesmen away from the gates. Another sip burnt her insides. She saw young lads on bicycles being weighed down by the weight of their backpacks. The sweat of perseverance and tiredness. The cup was empty atlast.
She imagined the vehicles honk and roll past, the birds chirp, the kids screaming in delight, the vegetable vendor's voice, the rhythmic sound of the rustic cycle chains, the quarrel between the watchman and the sales rep and a lot more of the unheard voices in the moribund city life.
Life is so different when you have to imagine the sounds of life and don't possess the hearing perception.

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2006 doesn't really seem to get off my back. I'm still writing '06 in the date column everywhere and am consulting the 2006 calendar still. Seems like the *** Gold Palace forgot to send us a new one this year. Getting back to college after a month has created some ripples in the system, the first being waking up before sunrise ! Its pretty hard to accept the change when you've been nocturnal since your birth.
Blogging took a backseat too this year. Since the beginning of the new year, I've posted just once that too a tag which I took up out of compulsion or call it desperation to post something ! I'm talking as if its September 2007 already !
Confusions.Commotions.Contradictions.Emotions.Evaluations.Explanations.Assumptions.Realizations and so much more shuns out all the abilities and possibilities to think clearly. It definitely is a tough call to make when the heart and the mind start working independently on different lines and refuse to work in coordination.
Distress always follows happiness, but there is always a silver lining in the clouds. Reality sure does bite. Somethings are so hard to accept. Time they say brings about change for the better. Hopes hopes and more hopes are only what I am holding on to, however false and mundane they may seem.

P.s : If this post seems like utter crap to you, please put up with it like the darlings that you have been as always. The damsel is in distress.

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I've been given this tag by WA who doesn't seem to have spared anyone on her blogroll and also by Sandhya who seems to have no other chance but to tag the same ppl all over again !
The tag requires me to disclose 5 things about myself that people don't know. But don't expect me to list down 10 coz I got tagged twice coz listing down 5 itself is going to make this tedious and also coz most of you know me too well but also coz I've got to finish the tag and also coz I've got to put an end to this line which by the way is getting too long :D

1) I jumped onto this tag, coz I love to talk about myself. I'm no narcissist but still, who wouldn't want to talk about themselves ? Oh come on, stop pretending to be all modest, each one of us would have a zillion things to tell about ourselves. It only matters whom you want to broadcast all that to.

2) I've learnt classical music and dance professionally for 8 and 4 years respectively.

3) I'm majorly sentimental & sympathetic over little things.I might sound passive, but then it doesn't take me long to form a puddle around myself.

4) I don't really like chocolates and ice-creams. Not that I hate them, nor am I particularly crazy about them. (OK, eyebrows down and pupils back into your sockets please! )

5) I've been blogging for 2 years and not 1.7 years as most of you think. I run another (dormant) anonymous blog whose url I obviously do not intend to disclose. Questions pertaining to this will be blatantly ignored.

And the nice soul that I possess asks me not to tag anyone and leave it to the reader's discretion whether to take this up or not !

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I'm sure all of you have read everyone posting on how eventful/uneventful 2006 has been for them, and it would be unfair on my part if I don't come up with my ramblings.

2006 saw most of my cousins getting hooked. It was a year I looked forward to the most when it began. Filled completely with activities as it started; the glitter gradually started to fade as the months flipped bringing the series of jolts. The ride wasn't very smooth and it ended with zilch. During the fair end, there was so much gloom that I saw a totally new side to myself. I'm so glad to turn 19 in 2006 ! :D
I definitely have to mention about the people I met and made friends with in '06. These people were one of the few best things that happened to me last year and their existence has definitely changed my perspective of life completely. So if you have known me personally only since '06, give yourselves a pat on the back. I am so glad to know you all.
Well, I've decided to include a few changes here and there, which all of you might find evident from the posts that follow later.

I wish all of you have a year filled with serenity and joy !

P.s Yes, the bold statements continue to thrash you.

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