Eternal Journey

From Mother Nature

Oh my dear child,

As you tread upon me day after day,

Let me remind you of the journey of life

The paths you make, will create the way on the land,

So will it make, a mark in the lives of the future.

Let your heart be as vast as the sky,

Let there be space for every being to co-exist.

Let your confused mind be calm like the still water,

But when surrounded by insecurities let it gush and flow with all energies.

When darkness clouds your mind,

Let there be light that brings hope out of despair.

Oh dear child,

I’m here for you with all my love at all times

At times of happiness and joy...

At times of agony and pain...

At times of melancholy and gloom...

At times of friendship and love...

I’m there for you ... Just look around.

My inspiration for World Environment Day!
All pics courtesy, my dear hubby Kannan Narayanan.

Positive Negative ... Negative Positive

What is the first thing that came to your mind after you read the title!???
Was it about blood type .. O+ ..B- ..AB+ .... ??
Was it about Batteries ... magnets ... physics .. ??
Well .. Google predictions asked me if it is pregnancy test ... ohh please not you too Google !!

I am giving no science lessons here, but I wonder if it could be really a part of science. If you had already seen the image below, obviously you would guessed in the first place that this is about the THOUGHTs in your mind.

What is a thought? By definition, we know that it is the outcome of the process or act of thinking. It is what happens as a result of appropriate functioning of the neural network inside your brain, i.e. it literally is the brainchild. Hence, obviously by its nature a thought cannot have an attribute of being positive or negative. The emotions or the results that these so called thoughts create in our lives is what gives them this aspect. This is very true because, a thought about something could be positive for one and negative for the other, as the way it affects each one of us is different. For example, the thought of me having an independent carefree life away from my parents would be a positive one for me, but a worrying one for them.

So if thoughts are mere signals from the electric impulses, how do they derive power. I am not sure if anyone has a proven answer to that. But I feel that they do have some element of cosmic energy to it. We are able to harness the energy out of a thought to motivate ourselves, and that translates into action. We derive satisfaction from that, even if the results are not favorable to us.

I am a 'better safe than be sorry' kind of a person to an extreme extent, almost to the extent of being paranoid about it. So in every situation I face in life, I imagine a hundred things that could go wrong and always be prepared for it. That means, I am surrounded by negative thoughts a lot of times, but my strong belief of being prepared for it means, I know it will not happen as well. My negative thoughts are countered by more strong positive beliefs. But what happens when the same logic works in reverse; it is a disaster. The positive thoughts that should drive me towards new things I want in life are stopped by my fear of change.

Have you read or heard about the book 'The Secret' (After having sold millions of copies, it is not actually a secret any longer though). It talks of the same fundamental philosophy that, your thoughts are what make your life. Even though there are a lot of critics who are against this, I do believe majorly in this ideology. Always be aware and conscious of your thoughts. Don't let anything in this world shake your positive energies.

Together .. through the waters

Like a rocking boat our journey began,

stuck at the shore afraid of the seas.

Sailing through the highs and lows on the waves,

seeking the rhythm of life.

Wandering about from one island to another,

trying to anchor amidst different terrains;

We found our peace in the flutter of the seas,

rather than the calm of the coast.

The eternal truth has dawned on me;

the joy lies in the journey not the destination.

What is your thought of the year

I read this question on Quora, and kept thinking for a while what would be the answer if i were to write one for it...

Empathy beats Ego…

This thought has come on and off in my head through the year. And I am trying to reinforce it in my life especially when I am at the end of the year, when I am having to go through difficult situations in life.

When you think of what the words actually mean; the problem of ego is a by product of being selfish by nature. Yes, we all are selfish all the time. I believe that the word selfless doesn't really mean anything and is kind of an oxymoron. Mostl people of the society think of only themselves and their family within the ambit of the 'self', whereas some extraordinary souls thought of the entire society within their self. They were able to see one of their own in the other person who is suffering in life. Hence, they had no second thoughts to help others in need. (I have written already on this and again reinforcing to myself - read here)

That exactly is what the word empathy means, you put yourself in others’ shoes and try to feel the pain. Well, I am neither trying to become Mother Teresa nor advising you to become one. But just think through it, you could avoid so many tiffs with may be a friend of yours or your partner, your mother in law or your colleague; maybe anyone only if you could realise that more than half of the problems in life exists only in our minds. The words that you speak in anger can cause irreversible change of the perception of you in the other person’s mind.

So always apply this thumb rule before you could react in adverse situations; why is the other person doing what they have done? how would you have reacted if you were to go through the same?

A little Empathy can beat the Ego in you to save most relationships.

Travel.. Traverse..Transcend

When i decided to resume writing my blog after an almost 5 year hiatus, i had promised myself that i must write at least once in a month. Well i already missed two months, but i am maintaining the photo blog as well in tandem. So i kind of console myself that I am not out of touch completely. "https://slate.adobe.com/cp/16VMy/" here is the proof !!

It takes much lesser effort in these because the major work i.e. capturing the beautiful images is taken care of by my husband. I do only the part of glorifying them in the easy to make templates of Adobe Slate (if you haven’t tried them I suggest you should, it is a wonderful medium to showcase your stories and easy at that too!). It started once when we were joking amongst ourselves that there should be a way where we can combine my love for writing and his passion for photography. And Voila! Thus was discovered Adobe slate. Guess I have promoted enough of Adobe on a Google product. This was not the intention when I began writing today.

There is a 3rd dimension to this thing which holds the key – the love for travel of my husband!

Because of which all this has been possible. We haven’t explored a lot of places but the ones that we have been together have been very memorable so far. We have had our fair share of adventures and misadventures; joys and troubles and still managed to have fun all through it. He has been my travel buddy in every true sense. I wasn’t so much an outdoor person, but from when he has come into my life, I have seen, lived and experienced six different cities in India and also made our first trip abroad together.

I have grown up all my life in my hometown Chennai! It’s not that I haven’t been to places outside my home. I have been to a lot of places in South India, mostly with family on religious endeavors and a few times with friends. But I have merely gone there but not explored the place or culture or food. This has changed so much now. At the outset of every journey he would make thorough research about the various places to visit and all the different cuisines we shouldn’t miss (of course the food has the priority :P) "https://slate.adobe.com/cp/o7DJB/".

I have had the good fortune to enjoy all this with him everywhere (he has no choice now anyway ;)) we have been to. Thanks to all his efforts, I get to have all the fun (Ha ha :D). But on a serious note it has opened a new perspective in me truly. Differences in people, languages, cultures, cuisines have ceased to exist. They are merely various manifestations of the humanity at large. You get this amazing feeling of transcending the boundaries of the states and countries and still feel at home (but yeah the national and international roaming hurts a little... I work in the telecom sector now :P). I am beginning to realize how much I have missed these things in life and how blessed I am to enjoy all this forever in my life now!!

On this day, a year ago!! The day that changed our lives …

As I start to write on this day I wish to go as far as my memory can afford to recollect... to record and put down the run up to the events of the biggest turning point of my life. Feb 20th if I remember correctly … actually it goes a little before that too...maybe a week or so … the first time I hear of the name ‘Kannan’ … (little do I know then that it is going to be a part of my name soon !!) the first time I look at the picture …the obvious comments about his looks.. did it bother me so much..? no not at all.. I have myself never been a person who cares so much about external appearances. I frantically tried to search about him on social networks … seeking friend’s help to find mutual contacts. But unfortunately there was absolutely no information I could find..the fear of the unknown, it always drives me crazy. With the limited inputs my dad gave I agreed to for the official “sightseeing :P” … Yeah that was the fateful Feb20th .. the day that was about to change my life... forever!!

The first meeting: - yea I was anxious obviously, all the more because the descriptions that my dad gave didn’t particularly interest me…. ‘He is a very “good” guy, very quiet and no bad habits.’ I agreed to this session partly because they are coming all the way from Mumbai, the entire family. Even though I so hate this coffee giving bajji sojji eating thing happening at home, I at least thought the embarrassment would be restricted to my home. However they insisted on meeting outside, and the venue had to be a common place, hence was decided to meet in a temple. So there I was all dressed up in a saree with lots of jewellery, feeling like a bride already. The temple was fairly empty thankfully. We were waiting and here they come.

Oh the first look... as my eyes frantically searched among the crew of people that had landed, there he was my prince to be, in a pure white shirt and jeans (always!!). He was wearing glasses so I was not sure if our eyes actually met for that split second but I would like to assume that way... so filmy it sounds, I know :P yea totally like 2 states! Bollywood meets Kollywood... Vadapav meets Idli (to say it in my foodie husband’s style :P). After initial introductions finally we get our time and the first thing he says is we actually have a mutual friend. What!! he knows all about my social network... my likes and dislikes but I didn’t know a thing. I just proved to myself yet again I am such a moron when it comes to the virtual world. So then he starts speaking about himself. Loves to travel.. recently went to ladakh and all that… he knows that I love to read.. as always I am like I want to go to Sydney :P. After random talks for a few minutes and going around the temple we separated to go back to our families. And then came the moment … and we said YES!! I do remember it quite well, I looked at him one time sideways as my parents were anxiously waiting for my response. I smiled and thought to myself, yes this is it …and it was done. I didn’t speak to his parents so much, but his sister... omg she was so talkative nonstop asking me so many things. I was taken aback a little, didn’t know how to handle this. But I knew it was way too early and I should not be judgmental. Later I realized it really paid me off well for me being open and welcoming. Now I am part a wonderful new family with this awesome person as a partner for my life and I feel blessed!!

Whispers of the soul

Silvery streaks of light

from the waning moon,

cast upon the hazy night;

Causing my head to swoon.

Waves lapping at the gravel

with the chilling breeze,

Thoughts in my mind unravel;

in the moment I freeze.

Silence of the seas defines its charm,

whispering lullabies of love and peace;

As the eyes soak in the calm,

all apprehensions begin to cease.

Deeper than the mighty water

seems the love in your heart;

Even if not a word you utter

our souls can never be apart.

Reborn … to die

Drowned; Intoxicated; Fallen; Breathless;
I’ve died every possible death
drowned in those dark eyes,
intoxicated by tender words of romance,
fell from height; to be in your arms,
breathless cause of the deep kiss…
Reborn every time; but can’t escape;
The memories still kill me … every minute!!
Causing pain that was pleasure before;
This time let death consume me to the fullest,
And leave not behind even trace of ash,
Cause the gentle breeze that blows
Will bring me back to life … to you …..

AutocraZic

All of us at some point in time definitely have an attraction for an object. We have a special liking for it because of a lot of reasons; may be merely for its utility value, for its aesthetic appeal or some sentimental attachment. Especially in the last category, females are generally supposed to be the ones who have that, being the more emotional of the sexes!!(?). But there is something that connects a man too to some of these objects. And if I would ask someone to take a guess I am sure they will get it right…. Yes, it’s the impeccable world of machines!!
There are so many things through which this connection is established like right from their toys, gadgets etc. But these are pretty common and there is nothing special about it. There is one thing more important than that…. that which all boys will definitely have at some time or the other. (I actually don’t know if it lasts forever??); it’s the love for their “automobile”.
My dad doesn’t own any vehicle so my first encounter where I got to know of this “bonding” was through a tamil movie called ‘Pollavathan’; in which the hero goes crazy when he realizes that his bike is lost cause he loses his job and his girl as well. And the entire story revolves around how he retrieves his bike back from the villains. The movie was a resounding success; to honestly give my opinion I hated it completely. But I should appreciate the novel idea of those corporate giants because the whole movie was like an extended commercial to promote the bike.
Later on I got to explore more on this relationship when I moved into the hostel for my PG. I was amazed to see the kind of connect that was present. The guys did not see them as mere machines but like their favorite pet or something. I have seen so many of them cleaning their bike/car ardently with so much care and ‘love’ (I am sure their girlfriends would get jealous if they would have seen that :-P) But there is more to it. They would feel so heartbroken at the slightest scratch on the body of the vehicle. In case of an accident they would spend much more on the repairs for the bike than on their own wounds. They keep names for their bikes and even celebrate birthdays too!! I don’t know how much of a surprise all this is to you (for girls) but it definitely was for me.
And the more time I spent roaming around with many guys on their bikes I got to share these feelings too. But the maximum I got to spend was on my brother’s Thunderbird, not just while riding along but even just sitting on it and chatting for hours together. After college was over i dint quite miss anything much except for those wonder rides may be. Whenever I go out on the roads now and I hear its unique sound I turn around quickly to spot the bird flying away royally. The mere sight of it brings a smile on my face always. I felt the emotional connect too and I have realized it now. Ahhh the man and his love for machines ….. its incredible!!

Laksh:)

PS – @Bhayya – if you ever read it, this is dedicated to bhabhi ;)

A Fortnight of Flight

Spreading wings like the albatross,
soaring up in the sky;
Not heeding the words of the cross,
I had began to fly.

Boundaries had ceased to exist,
speeding up as i flew;
Clearing the spaces covered in mist,
aided by the strong winds that blew.

Singing aloud a merry song,
despite trouble brewing ahead;
What if this doesn't last long,
just like what few had said.

Dark clouds came looming around me
lightning struck in the night;
As i feared, so it was to be
the end was nearing in sight.

Number of days that I could last,
count was not that i cared:
merely 14! to be exact,
bitter sweet memories remains to be shared.

laksh:(

Pursuit of Happ'Y'ness

As you might have guessed reading the title it is definitely related to the movie. But this is not a review but i might say, may be it inspired me to think about it and write this one ...
I saw the movie only a month ago (ya of course its such a big blunder i hadn't seen it before)and it moved me to tears. Truly it is one of the best movies i have ever seen. I loved the movie because they did not tell exactly what was that made one happy but they just showed you everything about life and let one draw their own interpretations. It raised some fundamental questions in my mind. If you are in pursuit of something you must know what it is that you are looking for exactly!! and why are you searching that ... did you lose it? did you ever have it to lose it??

Happiness is merely a state of mind, i am sure all of us know this, but how do you define it? What exactly are the characteristics of it? what are you supposed to do to get all of it? Is it a thing by itself or is it just an absence of nothing that worries you? One may be tempted to answer NO to that last question but think again.
Try to remember one moment in your life when you thought you were really happy. Just for a common example let me take a birthday party i had with my friends(the only one i ever had and so it was really special). So if i try to recreate that moment with all the elements that made it special and just add one tiny negative aspect to it... suppose on that day my mom or dad was sick or they had an argument so severe that i was really upset (i am delebrately adding a thing that isn't affecting me directly), so obviously i wouldn't have been able to enjoy much. So despite all the positive things which were present on that day which made me happy, i think it may be the absence of the negative things that actually mattered most!

So what is this pursuit leading us to?? Without even knowing what really makes us happy how are we going to succeed?? .......

laksh:)

PS :- I may be wrong to conclude like this. But i have reason to believe this is definitely true atleast with the way things are going on in my life right now!!

LOST ..

Grazing through the sea of faces
my eyes don't stop the search
until they rest upon yours.

Drowning in your dark pupils
blissful warmth surrounds
for the split second that our eyes meet.

Tingling sensations in every part
as i sway with the breeze
that ruffles through your hair.

Oh! my dearest love ...
I am wandering about aimlessly
looking out for myself
'cause i am lost .. lost in you !!

Full stop.

To know that you don't know is great knowledge - Unknown

Through life we meet so many people, see many places, go through so many different situations, and each of this leaves some mark on us. These experiences teach us so many new things and we keep evolving as we grow. You must be thinking that is how it is for everyone, and so what is new when i am saying it now!!??

Though like all of you i knew it too.. but i just paused to think about it and i was overwhelmed really. All of us learn from these so called experiences of our life... so many things about life like positive thinking, being in control of your emotions, looking at things in different perspective... but how many of us actually do it?? we really want to do it and we might be thinking we are doing it till realty hits us and we fall apart. But life has to move on and so you sit back and think!! But not to brood over mishaps in life, but to learn not to do them again. But this never seems to work out in my life.. i end up doing the same thing all over again, making wrong decisions all the time and regretting it later. It is high time i put a BIG full stop to all this and move on. I thought this is not some conscious thing that one can do. You just can't change yourself overnight but that's actually not true.
Truly if with all your heart you desire and believe the change it takes just a second actually to do it. But of course a lifetime for implementing it. And through that time you keep making improvements to it as your bag of experiences grow larger!!
But it shouldn't be a heavy baggage to carry around.. it must be something you enjoy taking it with you as it is there to help you in times of trouble.

Everything is just a thought away!!

laksh:)

Flipping through...

Ah … finally I successfully completed one year in blogging!!

And I am back after quite a long break. Through this period of about 2 months I have gone through myriad of emotions. Each time I was tempted to post something on it but I restricted myself. Many of my friends wanted me to try something new… to explore new topics. So here it is!!
Recently I spent some time in a book store just browsing (actually whiling away time to rather wait ina boring place) and I happened to chance upon this lovely book, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. I chanced upon the book because it had a very attractive cover and the pages were in tarnished brown giving it a very nice feel. As I glanced through the pages I understood that it is some kind of a self-help book that tries to develop your personality. Oh please… the market is flooded with such kind of books and I was sick of it. Just as I was about to dismiss it off with a similar dislike, I turned over to a page that focuses on improving one’s relationships. The author has written such amazing stuff that makes sense perfectly in a way that blends philosophy, science and emotions. And the language was so simple that it made me start flipping pages so quickly before I knew it was almost time for me to leave. I so wanted to buy the book desperately but couldn’t as I was short of money. Later when I came back to my room I googled about it and came to know that it was a bestseller. I know it doesn’t make sense for me to write a book review even before I have read it, but I have never been so overwhelmed by reading just a few pages!!

PS – you never know... some secret admirer of mine will gift me this after reading the post !! :-P
Will be back soon!
laksh:)

Tears untraced

My life is going crashing down,
Falling into a bottomless pit.
All I can do is sit and frown…
How did I get into this load of shit??

For some I’m just either too slow
Not able to catch up,
For some I’m just too fast
Not easy to patch up.

Thoughts engulf upon my mind
Of hard times of deep troubles.
Drowning in them, I unwind;
May be I shouldn’t have burst the bubble

So here I am- left alone,
Anyone care to hear
Brooding myself to bemoan;
Someone please - wipe away my tear….

laksh:(

Where is my half??!!

There is supposedly a belief that every one of us are a part of one complete soul, and all through our life we are in a search for that soul mate of ours… the so called better (/bitter??!!) half . I have always believed in this concept. That was till one day one of my friend said “I ‘m better off alone” ….. hmmmm may be that was true. Is it… how could it be ?? I sat thinking and I have never really liked being alone at any time. In fact it’s kind of a phobia for me… does it have a name yet … I googled and yes it does… ‘Monophobia’. But obviously I was not in the extreme cases, because in acute conditions it seems the patient can’t even go to the loo without a companion!!! (huh disgusting .. not me plz) … k k now back to the topic … So I tried to ask myself again. Whenever I happened to spend time alone (sometimes forced upon me or I force it on myself) I get very depressed … it feels strange and helpless. I end up thinking of all the sad moments of life, the people I miss so much and end up crying. And sometimes I get too philosophical and trying to make myself feel better I say that ‘Solitude is bliss’ and more such crap. Beyond a point it gets unbearable for me and I rush back to being in the company of the people and the maddening world. And sometimes even the company of strangers is fine for me!! So I just can’t be alone… and I thought that if I had my found my ‘soul mate’ by now I wouldn’t have even had to face all this. That doesn’t mean that I would expect him to be around me all the time. I would be satisfied by the mere presence somewhere far away. Filling my mind with his thought and feel happy that you are there in his thoughts too!! All these simple pleasures of life are so beautiful. Every one of us definitely needs it and I don’t want anyone to miss all this in life… by fearing about something that may have happened in the past. Each of us are blessed with abundance of love only to share it with your ‘the ONE’. Only then the life is complete!!
So for all those who are lucky enough to have found that special person already… am really happy for you!! And others like me… have hope and keep looking. You never know when you are going to meet them!! Happy searching !!

laksh:)

For me ... for ONLY me

About 6 months back i remember talking with my friend over phone on a particularly emotional day. I had fought with someone and made myself all disappointed and depressed. ( Now when i think there was actually no big problem!! ) I felt very down and lonely all day, not even having anyone to share my feelings with. And i asked him, my voice choking with tears, ... " Can i ever have someone just for me?? .. who will be there with me .. with ONLY me always .. Is it wrong to to even wish for someone like that in my life ??.... "

My friend who was just so helplessly trying to console me said that there will definitely be such a person in my life and it is just that i need to wait. From that time until now there has been countless times that the same question keeps coming back to my mind... every time i am emotionally disturbed i quickly kind of go into a shell and feel very depressed about it. And i keep longing for that ONE who will be there with me always. I don't really mean that this person necessarily has to be one's life partner; it could be anyone - your friend, brother, sister or anyone who will be there for you ... for ONLY you!!

But is this ever possible at all;each of has have our own lives to lead and whether we will have the time to genuinely be with that someone when its needed the most....To all these questions i found the answer in the words of Swami Vivekananda, which my friend told me.

" Unconditional love is like a drop of water in the palm. The longer you hold the palm open and let the drop float free, the longer it stays. The moment you try to cover it up and possess it, its lost. "

So that was the answer - unconditional love!! every time i was looking to be dependent on one person i was being so possessive about them. Did i stop loving them just because they weren't there for me at sometimes... NO definitely not !!
I was so narrow minded and looking for only person when i failed to see that how many people filled that role and cared equally for me as i would have wanted. The love and care of each of these persons is like that precious drop of water in my hands. Every time i had that drop i got too excited and the fear of losing it took over me, so i would try to close my hands to make it mine .. ONLY mine!! But i realised that leaving my hands open has let so many drops collect in my hands increasing my happiness.

Let it remain open ... not just your hands but your heart too... and those tiny drops will come looking for you to fill you with limitless joy !!!

laksh:)

Priceless ... but worth it truly

It happens often that we don't realise the worth of things when they are readily available for us. We are not able to truly value it and understand how precious it might be. It could be for as basic and abstract things like land, water or air. For a transatlantic swimmer who is swimming against the strong currents battling the forceful waves for hours together, the first sight of land gives him the first hint of success. Imagine in the case of a person who is travelling through the desert, where all he can see is miles and miles of stretch of the golden sand; the last drop of water remaining with him that is going to help him survive is priceless !!!

Only in such cases one is able to gauge the worth of the thing which we take for granted. Similarly we need to realise the worth of people around us; without whom our lives would have been very difficult and may be unimaginable too. But we might not give them their due or treat them the way they should have been. And when they are no longer a part of our lives, we suddenly feel the void in our lives. And a feeling or regret engulfs us which makes us feel guilty - "if only i could have told them atleast once how much they meant to me."

i am sure all of us have someone of this kind in our lives... and if you haven't yet told them about how important they are to you, i would sincerely request you to do soon..... before it is too late !!

MUMBAI - The true metro !!

You must have obviously guessed that this post is about the time I spent in that lovely city. But why should I say it as the “true” metro…. Having myself grown up in Chennai my entire life?? Though I haven’t visited the other so called metros of this country…Friends trust me, this wonderful city is the only one which fits the definition of a metropolis – a large city with an urbanized culture.

Though I spent just 2 months in this beautiful place, I had one experience of a lifetime. Hmmm…did I just say beautiful?? that too Mumbai !! As soon as one mentions the name of this place, the images that come to the mind of many are the ever-expanding filthy slums (Especially after the resounding success of Slumdog millionaire). Yes I did see parts of that too … just a glimpse may be. But I don’t wish to associate this city with just that. After all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder!! The first view of this city, as I was proceeding from the station to the hotel, left me in awe… the broad clean roads (of course minus the traffic), huge flyovers… and the ride across the Thane creek as the sun was just rising above the mountains was so special. One thing I thought was absolutely true; the Mother Nature has blessed every place with her abundance, if only you care to look.

Moving onto the actual city life… there is only word to describe it best – SPEED!! Some might say that’s how life is in every city, but here it is in its most superlative form. OMG, I can’t say how restless people are moving around here, always running after something. I actually kinda like it because even on a day when you are feeling a bit low, the city’s vibes fill you with so much energy and enthusiasm. The malls here are the biggest I have ever seen. What you find in Chennai are some micro-mini attempts to re-create something of that sort. You can find every international brand that exists on earth in those malls. Speaking of brands, if you are the person who is not so brand-conscious (like me, not because it’s a philosophy I follow but because I don’t know any brands to really follow :-P) …. For such people also Mumbai is the place to be. You can spend endless hours doing street shopping. But I couldn’t because of the rains. Oh, speaking of the monsoons… so many people told me it’s the best time of the year in this city. I too just had a glimpse of it. It’s amazing to see how this city prepares itself for the rains. They give a totally new look and feel to the whole place, making one fall in love with it.

It would be completely unfair if I fail to say about the suburban train transport, which is the lifeline holding this huge city in place. It is a nice experience to travel in those crowded trains, dodging your way through. When you have to get down you just have stand near the doors and the crowd will carry you out (that was no exaggeration please) !!! I really loved every place I went around in this city. It still carries the reminiscences of the colonial rule in some parts but vibrates with the modern trends in other places. The perfect co-existence of such contrasts is what makes this city so exciting. That’s Mumbai for you – an enlivening experience.
Yeh hai MUMBAI meri jaan!!!

PS – I might have missed out a lot of vital things which the localities will know better. But I am no expert in writing a travelogue. Besides 2 months is hardly a time to know about this wonderful city.

laksh:)

Love of your loved ones

Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek & find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it

The first line probably doesn't make much sense now, but i am sure it will when you have finished reading this post.

In any of the relationships i have had till now, its never been that the other person has been expressive about their love and care. I am generally a very frank and expressive person and so initially it was really difficult for me to understand people around me - my parents, my friends and everyone else... i would never be able to feel the other person's affection for me and i would be upset about it. I always used to feel very bad that when i could show my love and care for someone, why am not it getting it back from anyone??? I used to doubt whether they truly like me or not... why is it that i was left to feel so lonely all the time???

I used to console myself that may be i was just meant to brood over it this way and i could not come out of it. Sometimes i got very angry but that did not help. It just made things worse and i was almost going to lose one of my dear friends. Even after that i never realised what is the mistake. But later on the truth dawned upon me .... since i was always on the look out for the visible signs of care i failed to see those invisible ones which always existed. In every small thing that the other person does for you the affection is there. Every moment in which you just exist in their thoughts, it means they LOVE you. Each and every person's emotional feelings and the way they express it is very different. We have to accept this and once this sinks in, you can feel the love the person has for you even when they don't say it.The immense joy and happiness this feeling will bring you is truly indescribable. I have felt it and i hope each of you will feel it definitely one day if you haven't already!!

laksh:)