College ke famous lines...

College life is awesome, as we all very well know. College life in Delhi University is particularly great, owing to the great diversity in the class. Here's a list of some very famous, very maro-ed lines. :D

LATE HONE PE

Aaj bunk nahin tha?

Attendance ho gayi kya?

Agar pata hota ki iska lecture hai to main aati hi nahin!

Proxy maari thi kya?

LECTURE MEIN

Uski T-Shirt pe kya likha hai dekh!

Saala, apni class mein ek bhi tota nahin hai.

Ek middle page de, abey pen bhi toh de, kam se kam haath mein kuch toh ho!

Iska assignment bana liya kya?

Tujhe bhook nahin lag rahi kya?

Kya yaar, paka raha hai yeh toh, kisne kaha tha lecture lene ko!

Free messages hain tere paas?

Abey balance hoga toh missed call lagega na!

CANTEEN MEIN

Bhaiya ji namaste!

Oye teri party ka kya hua?

Aaj kuch khila diyo, paise nahin hai mere paas. Tangi chal rahi hai.

Hadd hai yaar, jab bhi aate hain samose khatam ho jaate hain!

AFTER EXAMS

Jo chhoda tha wahi aa gaya, arey ab chhod na, ghoomne chalte hain!

Koi nahin, next time nikaal liyo!

Abey main toh pel ke aa gayi, check karne wala bhi teacher hi hai na, khud samajh lega!

ASSIGNMENT COPY KARTE TIME

Yeh kya likha hai?

Jo word samajh aaata hai woh likh na, jo nahin aa raha uska aise hi design bana de!

Really, college life rocks! :D

I owe it to you.

I owe you laughs

on those silly jokes.

I owe you your lucky pen

that I once stole.

I owe you that chocolate

you seemingly forgot about that day.

I owe you those sorries

I never cared to say.

I owe you those pats

that you'd so encouragingly give.

I owe you those pep talks

on how marks should never be the motive.

I owe you those unspoken issues

you so easily seemed to guess.

I owe you that love

I never bothred to express.

I owe it to you brother.

I really do.

- 24th August, 2010

Being the only child of my parents, I have always felt the need of a sibling, an elder brother at that. That protectiveness, that guidance, that love and those fights are something I truly miss. So this post is dedicated to the brother I never had.

Also, I have decided that I am not going to let this place die. It's too precious for me to let it wither away, just like that. A lot has happened in the meanwhile, life has changed a hell lot. Many people walked in, many people left, and many people stayed, and have grown to become very dear friends. Thanks AC for bringing me back on my feet here, I needed that push. :)

Hopefully, I shall be regular from now on, but as usual, exams going on. I started this blog when I was done with my 12th Standard, and now, in a couple of weeks, hopefully, I shall be done with my graduation. Time flies, did someone say? :)

And I hope all of you are doing well too. Love. :) And I hope you haven't forgotten me. :) Rest in next, now am off to study for tomorrow's exam. Cheerios. Take care, God bless. :)

I know what it is like...

I know what it is like...

• to think you have a pathetic life, that nothing goes right ever.

• to think he wrongly debited all the bad things into your account and that he terribly needs to pass a rectification entry.

• to listen to sad, philosophical songs and somehow, feel better. My current favourite Main zindagi ka saath from the 1961 movie Hum Dono.

• to sit patiently and see to what extent he can push you.

• to think your friend has an amazing life, everything is perfect in her life.
  

• to yearn for that little drop of happiness, you see it at a distance, and it turns out to be a mirage.

• to taste a teardrop. Salty. Bitter.

• to wish someone else could play your part.
  

• to hand out philosophies and long lectures to others, but when you get a taste of your own medicine, trust me, it doesn't taste all that great.
  

• to listen to a song and think you are the protaganist. Courtesy- Woh toh hai albela from Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa.

• when you want to run away to an unknown land, away from people, away from situations.

• when your best friend calls you a coward.

• when you are scared to dream, and feel your wings have become weak.
  

• when a two digit number seems to change your life forever.

• to not know how to strike out. I still don't know it. Really.

• when he seems to be teasing you

• when you are dubbed a cry-baby when you aren't one.

• when you want to blog but the PC doesn't work.

• when surprise surprise the PC works, but you don't want to blog.

• to start questioning relationships.

• to remain insanely still sane.

• to count stars, knowing how futile the activity is.

• to get wet in the rain, with a background score playing. It was appa shouting in the background, but that's not the point.

• to appear strong, when the internal chemical reactions say a different story.
  

• to float in the state of thoughtlessness.

• to taste rejection.
  

• to think how stupidly you are reacting to the whole situation and starting to believe others when they say you are a cry-baby.

• to think it's a completely random un-Tara-ish post, but you need a change. And you may think the author has gone mad.

• to agree with someone. I agree with you on the previous point. Five!
  

• to wait in the darkness for the miracle of sunrise.

• to know a lot of things you never wanted to know.
  

• to apologize. I say sorry for wasting your time.
  

Be good. Be happy. : )

When life gives you lemons...and umm...you are allergic to lemonade...

It's strange, how sometimes you lose control over you own life and watch it pass by from the spectator's seat, and well, trust me, the view isn't all that great. It's been a trying time, to say the least, and the climax is nowhere in sight, as yet. It feels helplessly funny sometimes, and funnily helpless during other moments. Such is life, I guess. Sigh.

I wouldn't really like to get into the details because it's a long, long tale, but once I know where it ends, I'll share it. : ) So for now, yup, Tara is back with an ailing B2 (who is extremely happy to be breathing again) and she hopes you haven't forgotten her. : )

Till then, ciao, take care, keep that :D on your face and God bless : )

Photos and randomness!

Picture this: Enjoying a cup of cold butter scotch ice cream while getting wet in the pouring rain! Sounds heavenly doesn't it? And the after effects of this heavenly experience? A terribly sore throat and painful dry cough! But well, who cares? :D

A lot of burden is off my head now! Quite literally in fact for I have left behind all my long locks! Shorter hair is much easier to manage especially in the scorching summers. : )

Surprisingly, haven't written too many poems during the exams. Even more surprisingly, I didn't have time to think of any poems during those three hours and was actually busy writing my paper! Imagine! Everything happens for good I guess, just this time good for you! :P

During those exam days, my creative juices were at their best. And strangely, now when I am utterly vella, I have nothing to do or think about. Back then I used to think "Oh! I so want to blog about this! Oh! I so want to blog about that!" And now, suddenly I find myself at a lack of topics to write about! : (

Here are some photos, I couldn't cover all the occasions, what with missing chargers and all. : ( Try to enjoy the few photos there are. : )

Pooja

Akka with her elder brother (anna)

Akka and jijaji

Akka with periamma and periappa (My sister with her parents)

Pooja again

Pooja once more

Candid eh? My cousin's handiwork! :D

The little devils, my cousins!

This was the first time all my half-a-dozen real athais (aunts)
came together for an occasion. You can find all of them in this photo. : )

Some rest after a hard day's work! : )

A Broken Window

I looked outside

the shut window

through the tinted glass

"What a view!"

I thought.

A beautiful dream.

The window shattered

and the pieces

pricked my heart

as I sat, scared.

Dreamless,

with those pieces

of tinted glass

I slowly walked upto

that broken window.

Hesitantly crawling

with my bleeding heart.

I looked outside

once again.

No more of

the tinted glass.

I gasped.

"What a view!"

and that curve

returned.

The view of the new

world through

the same window.

That broken window.

I looked at those pieces

one last time

and thanked them

silently.

-Tara

25/03/2009

In memory of that date 23/05/2008, a date that would be difficult to forget, but a date that perhaps, made me whatever little I am today. A day when life seemed to be of little value.

In the eyes of the world, I may not have won. But I know, I haven't lost either.

---

Feels good to be back in blogville! And B2 is feeling better now, touch wood! Please give me a little time, there's so much to catch up on! The wedding was great, had loads of fun with my newly discovered cousins! Rest in next, need to catch up on some sleep. : )

Of vacations, monkeys and the IPL!

He says he wants a break. I don't think he needs one considering he has been jobless for the past one month or so. He insists that he needs a vacation and when he wants something, he knows how to get it. And right now, he is letting his hair down (or wires is it?) at the computer wale bhaiya's fully airconditioned place. Ah! What a life! Who is he? He is B2 or Buddhe Baba or my antique PC. And who am I? Ok...strain your memory a little...you might have faint memories of this blabbering 18 year old whose name I think is Tara. Ah! There! You got it! Good. : )

And yes, a cyber cafe isn't one of the best places in the world.

The other day, I was studying in my room with the music on at full volume. And somehow, the balcony door was left open. Mr. Monkey jumps from the pipe and enters our house. He grabs a few almonds, munches on two bananas, plans to research on a masoor dal ka packet, and with a bright red tomato in hand, marches towards my room. He opens the door and breaks into a little dance. I can see he loves the music. Okay, not exactly a dance but a little exaggeration always helps! Then he slowly walks out and on the way grabs a few more almonds. And I shut the balcony door.

The IPL has entered its final phase and it's getting pretty exciting although it's not as good as the previous edition. Anyway, I have been playing in an IPL of my own. It is more exciting than the original IPL. It's called the Intelligent People's League (IPL).

There were 8 matches in all and between the same two teams. And surprisingly, all the matches were played in our college premises.

The two teams? The Screwed Students and the Super Paper Makers.

There are no onfield umpires but there are a couple of Third Umpires and they are called the Ecstatic Examiners. Their decision is pending for a few months, thankfully.

Our team doesn't have cheerleaders. As it is, the owners are incurring losses due to our poor performance and blame the recession too. Basically, no one to cheer for us.

The other team has cheerleaders, their owners are a very happy bunch. Their cheerleaders have a really cool name, they are called the Irritating Invigilators. They start cheering like after two minutes. And they really love to discourage us. When we have 2 hours and 58 minutes left, they'd say we have a little more than two hours left and start dancing! And when do they cheer the loudest? When the match is over and they snatch the paper from our team, while we try to squeeze in the cheeky single (word).

The audience? Our parents. And they come armed with everything - tomatoes, stones, and the latest, shoes, but they have to wait till the decision of the Third Umpires.

Sadly, there is no strategic time out here. And thankfully, it is not telecast on prime time television!

So yes, that is the story of my life so far. What have you been upto? We leave tomorrow for my sister's wedding and am back on the 23rd. Lots of photos coming up! No shopping, planning and packing done yet and am super busy! So all you guys have an extended break from me. : )

Hopefully, by the time I come back, B2 would be back, rejuvenated and raring to go. And throwing less tantrums. : )

PS: The formatting doesn't seem to be working. : (

Happy Birthday baby!

Today is my bloggie baby's first birthday! Has a year passed already? Really, time flies!

I never thought I'd last this long, seriously. I thought this was just another of my fast changing hobbies but one year already! A big thank you to each one of you for having made this journey such an enriching, enjoyable and memorable experience! My warmest thanks! : )

Happy birthday baby! Hopefully I could do something special for your second birthday! Sorry for this time! : ) May you keep growing and keep irritating many many more patient souls! ; )

PS-A scheduled post. Finally, learnt how to do it. : )

Sorry Richa!

I went to her city
And left without a word.
Annoyed she is
and fairly so.

"How could you?"
she asks.
The anger is
evident. Justified.

"I'm really sorry Richa"
is all I can say
"I know I am at fault
but please forgive me today"

But next time around
I promise to tell.
Now please smile
and be well.
: )

PS - I am sorry Richa. I never meant to hurt you. [: (]

Just worked up something extremely extremely random...thank you so much for your patience! : )

I Recommend - Amritsar, the land of God, History and Food

This post is a little long, so please bear with me. : )

Sitting on the suitcase at the Railway Station, I wondered if it was the right time for the trip. All I could think about was the date sheet and whether I'd be able to complete my syllabus before the 8th of next month. I was happy too that my exams would finish on the 11th of May, well in time for my sister's wedding. I pushed aside the thought of exams. If life had this to offer, I'd better take it as a blessing. After all, how many people get a chance to visit Amritsar, I thought and smiled.

Finally, the train came, three and a half hours later, panting its way onto the platform. Commotion. After much negotiations regarding exchange of seats, we made ourselves comfortable, me on the window seat in the Chair car of the 'Express' train.

As soon as the train pulled out of the station, amma and appa dozed off and I sat wondering what to wonder about. I looked outside the window, the rows of commercial enterprises slowly gave way to lush green farmlands, with the sunset forming a beautiful background. Some little kids ran behind the train, waving. I waved back only to realize they couldn't see me from the outside. I waved nevertheless.

Soon it was time for the cutles, saandeech and cheeps vendors to get into action. I bought myself a packet of chips (or cheeps, is it?) and looked out of the window again, staring at the darkness, observing those little blinking lights far away.

It was almost midnight when we reached Amritsar. As we drove to the guest house, a gentle cool breeze gave us company and I knew I would like this city. On reaching, we had a very light dinner and then, just crashed!

Durgiana Temple, Amritsar

After a good night's sleep and a heavy breakfast of aloo paranthas, we started our journey and the first stop was the Durgiana temple. On entering the gateway, we realized that it was almost a partial replica of the Golden Temple. The golden exterior shimmered in the sunlight as the blue waters of the surrounding lake formed gentle ripples. We were told by the priests that it was a very old temple, almost dating back to the 16th century and is believed to have great powers. A warm place, I thought.

The Holi atmosphere was evident with colours strewn across the floor and multi hued people praying!

After taking Godji's blessings, we drove to our next destination which was a short drive from the temple. As I got off from the car, I could feel something in the air. I knew what it was yet it was new to me. Jallianwala Bagh, the silver alphabets shone.

Jallianwala Bagh

It all came rushing back. Now, it was no longer a chapter in History that I had to learn, it was a reality, there in front of my eyes. That history survives to tell the world its tale.


As we walked in, a narrow pathway leading to the memorial, there was a board on the wall that read:

"Brigadier General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer entered through this pathway"

I felt numb. To think I was walking on the same path as that man. That man who ruthlessly opened fire on unarmed people without warning. Those thirty minutes and 1650 rounds of 0.303 Mark VI Ammunition killed hundreds of people, wounding many many more. Now that name meant a lot more.

At the end of that path, there was another notice:

"This place is hallowed by the mingled blood of about two thousand Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims who were shot at by British bullets on 13th April, 1919.....Jallianwala Bagh is thus an everlasting symbol of non-violent and peaceful struggle for freedom of Indian people."

That feeling is something I cannot really put in words. It's something that has to be experienced by oneself. We paid a very heavy price for this freedom, and I wonder if we are careless about it now. Are we really doing justice to the sacrifice of those thousands? I don't know.

Martyrs' Well, Jallianwala Bagh

We walked further down towards the Martyrs' Well, the same well into which those helpless people jumped on that fateful day and from which many many bodies were recovered later.

In the silence of that well, you could hear the shrieks and loud cries of men, women and innocent children who must have jumped in the well praying for security.

The Well

Next we walked towards the Bullet Marks section, retained in their original form. Walls full of bullet marks, each mark outlined with white paint.

The Bullet Marks section, Jallianwala Bagh

A closer view

The wounds are fresh. Not just on the walls.

Jallianwala Bagh Memorial

May their souls rest in peace.

We came out of Jallianwala Bagh, remembering those heroes and headed towards The Harmandar Sahib or the Golden Temple as it is known. Peace was what I needed. And no better place, I thought.

The delicious smell of the kada prashad filled the air.

Golden Temple, built between 1589 and 1601 is the spiritual centre of the Sikh community. The Islamic and Hindu styles of architecture are combined beautifully.

The Harmandar Sahib is at a walking distance from Jallianwala Bagh. Being Holi, the gurdwara attracted huge crowds. We left our shoes in the car, and were warned by the driver to be careful with our bags.

I took my chunni (dupatta) and covered my head. All people entering a gurdwara must have their heads covered. It felt good somehow.

When you enter a gurdwara, you first wash your feet in a little pool of water at the gateway [people who know, please help, I am unable to frame it properly : ( ] I think that is so beautiful, everyone washes their feet in the same water, irrespective of religion, nationality, caste or any other so called 'differences'. It's almost like cleansing yourself off your sins before entering, leaving the differences behind.

On walking towards the gurdwara, I gasped at the sight in front of me.

The ornately decorated gateway welcomed us. With two splendid silver doors, and sacred verses carved on its marble walls, it was definitely a sight to behold. A real beauty, it provided us the first glimpse of the holy shrine.

The main gateway

There stood the Hari Mandir (the holiest site), majestically looking over the pilgrims, a royalty that's hard to miss. The calm Amrit Sarovar around the main shrine only adds to its beauty. The reflection of the golden shrine on the clear waters of the Sarovar is a breathtaking view.

There is a certain serenity in that royalty, something that makes one calm, and at ease with oneself. Something that makes you feel God resides there.

The Hari Mandir

Another view

We bought the kada prashad and stood in the long line of devotees on the causeway. It is a 60m long causeway that leads to the temple across the Amrit Sarovar. As I stood there, with the chants going on in the background, surrounded by the pure waters of the Amrit Sarovar, and the beautiful glistening temple in front, it was magical. It was hot at 11 in the morning, it felt like God was looking over us and smiling, divinity seeping in slowly with the heat.

It was humbling to say the least. Overpowering. An experience beyond words, really.

The Causeway

Turn by turn, they let a group of devotees in and we reached the main shrine. Inside the temple, it was magnificent. Not just how lavishly it was decorated, it was almost like a splash of cold water on your face on a hot summer afternoon, that sort of a refreshing feeling. There's definitely something about that place that makes you fall in love with it instantly.

The main shrine is a three-storeyed temple.

The ground floor houses the Guru Granth Sahib covered by a jeweled canopy, the Holy Book that lies in the Durbar Sahib.

The view of the Guru Granth Sahib from the first floor.

What a magnificent sight! Photography is prohibited

inside the Holy Shrine but I could not help
not click a picture! Sorry babaji! : )

The first floor is something straight out of a fairytale. There are very intricate decorations on the marble walls, beautifully done and it is a place where devotees can sit and pray. The golden windows overlook the Sarovar.

The second floor, also called the Sheesh Mahal is the hall of mirrors designed marvellously. Its floors are swept with a special broom made of peacock feathers!

After taking babaji's blessings, we moved outside towards the Amrit Sarovar and dipped our feet in its holy water. I thought of all the people who may have touched the sacred waters of this pool and felt happy. So many films have been shot here, Rang de Basanti for instance. (You know what I mean, don't you? : )

Another devotee

One of the many sights you get to see at the Temple.
It just reinforces my belief in the power of the spirit.

Beautiful.

Then, we moved towards the Dukh Bhanjani Ber, a tree shrine. It is believed to have great miraculous powers for healing diseases.

On the way, we met an old Sikh couple who spoke to us at length about their culture and the significance of different shrines. When you go to such a religious place, it's important to go with an open mind, ready to learn. And people are more than willing to help you out and let you know more about their religion.

No visit is considered truly complete without a meal at the Guru ka Langar, a free kitchen where all the visitors are fed a simple meal. It is a beautiful concept, a symbol of a caste-free egalitarian society the Sikh gurus envisioned. Everyone sits together and eats the same simple food. They say you need luck to have langar at a gurdwara. And we sure, were lucky.

Run by volunteers, this kitchen can feed 10,000 people a day.Its vast hall can seat up to 3,000 people at one time.

The notion of kar seva (voluntary manual labour for a cause) is an important part of the Sikh order. Tasks such as sweeping the temple premises, looking after pilgrims' shoes, cooking at the langar or washing the dishes are enthusiastically performed by the volunteers.

Enthusiastic volunteers washing dishes,

doing kar seva

After the simple meal, we headed back towards the Guest House. On the way, we stopped at Ahuja Lassi. Having seen it on a travel show on TV, we were really keen to check it out. And what a lassi! Ecstasy malai maarke! Frothy, creamy and buttery, it melts in your mouth and no wonder it was spoken about so highly on the show! A must try!

Two hours of rest later, we hit the road again, this time to the Wagah Border. The drive to Wagah is a beautiful one, lined with green farms on both sides (although the road is bumpy in places).

Wagah is the last check post on the Indian border, about 28 km from Amritsar. Each evening as buglers sound the last post, two splendidly uniformed guards on either side of the border goose step across to the flagpoles to lower their respective national flags.

Their steps are matched so perfectly that it is like watching a mirror image of the same exercise. It is a poignant reminder of the Partition of 1947.

The ceremony, called 'The Beating Retreat' or 'Lowering of the National Flag' attracts huge crowds on both sides. There are two huge gateways, one of them being the Indian one. Half an hour of gushing patriotic hormones really! : )

The Indian gate

The perfect symmetry

Guarding

Lowering the National Flag

In process

Strong arms guarding

The National Flag goes back

Protecting the country

The Ashoka emblem

We, the Indians.

Vande Mataram! (at the Jallianwala Bagh)

A visit to the Wagah Border is a MUST! To remind ourselves we are Indian. To remind ourselves we are human.

On the way back from the Wagah Border, we also stopped at the Attari station, which lies on the rail route of the Samjhauta Express.


By the time we returned to Amritsar, it was late evening and we were hungry. We stopped at the very famous Bharawan da Dhaba (literally translates to "the dhaba of brothers") for dinner. Ask anyone in Amritsar and they'd guide you to this place. It has been making delicious food and feeding hungry people since 1912! I rarely recommend an eating joint, I am very critical about food. That too recommending just after one visit is nearly impossible.

But I highly recommend this place, it's the place to be. The food's great, the ambience is nice, and place is neat. Affordable and delicious are two words that don't often go together, but this dhaba is an exception. And I don't say this because they have paid me anything! ; )

A great meal later, it was time to board our train back home. And I fell in love with the city, not wanting to leave.

A visit to Amritsar is a must. Discover the city and rediscover yourself.

Really, life offers only good things. All we have to do, is look for the goodness.

What our driver said summed up the spirit of the city
"Yahaan pe har tyohaar ko do baar manaate hain ji!" (Here, each festival is celebrated twice)

Tara's rating-Highly Recommended! Must try!

PS- All photos courtesy appa's 2 MP beauty! : )

Daddy's Girl

I looked at you.

You looked at me.
I gently pushed the
gift wrapped box
towards you.

"For you Pa"
I said.

You opened it.
"Oh! That gel!
Now when I have no hair!"
I could see your smile
move stealthily
from the lips
to those eyes.

"First salary"
I added.
You looked up, awed.
I could see those tears
you chose to hide.

You smiled again.
That same familiar smile.
And I smiled too.

March 05, 2009
(Yes, another one conceptualized during that exam : )

64 squares

I am the Knight
on the chess board
jumping around
to your moves
With blinkers on
thinking you'd know
I hope you do
I know you do.

Jumping the squares
from black to white
the journey is long, tiring
I am ready for the fight.

I look around to see
the more powerful players

The Rook that moves
royally straight

That Bishop that stings
with its diagonal tail

And the little Pawns
a mighty step each time.

And the greatest of 'em all
the Queen.
Scripting her own path
charting her own course.

I wonder where I stand
In that mighty order
Yet I know
You love me the same
I am needed too.

And now, here I am
with the Queen.
Two and a half steps away
From the King.

Checkmated.

Just the three of us
On those 64 squares.

And I know we have won.

March 05, 2009

PS- I had an exam today, and this one was conceptualized then. Wonder what's with exams and poems! At 2 in the night, this idea struck me and I jotted down that thought. And in the Exam hall, I had nothing much to do (as usual! :D), and this happened. Just another scribble. Thanks for your patience! : )

Also, sorry for any fault in Chess rules, I am a beginner still. : )

Randomly yours!

Arjun and Richa tagged me with this.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

I have tried to do this tag as well as I can, although I wonder how much justice I have done to it.

1. I have had this habit since childhood. If A has met B, and B has met C, and if I have met A, means I have met C, indirectly. Talk about taking the theory of transitivity to greater heights!

2. It is my dream to make a Tanjore painting. I feel it tests the patience and talent of the artist, and the outcome is just wow!

3. Rarely will you find me cribbing, and I don't like people who crib non-stop.

4. I love great voices, it's such an integral part of one's personality. Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Narayan (!), Mita Vasisht, Farhan Akhtar, Raghuvaran (the late Tamil actor) are some of the people who possess enviable voices.

5. I don't like the colour orange. As a child, I always thought that orange came between red and yellow and spoilt their wonderful friendship. I still don't like orange.

6. I love listening to shlokas and vedic chants. There's something about them that makes the air so beautiful, the heart so light, and the mind is at peace.

7. I really want Rahman sir and Kailash Kher sir to collaborate for a song. Yun hi chala and Arziyan were teasers, I want a solo song. What better than two of my favourites coming together!

8. The first thing in the morning, I thank my pillow, my bed, my quilt and the ground for having given me good sleep and taking care of me through the night. And even through the day, I thank everything. This is now a family joke!

9. I have always wanted to write Hindi poetry. I have tried a couple of times but nothing worth mentioning. Something philosophical ends up becoming comical! It's a beautiful language, and I wish I can string together something beautiful someday.

10. My desktop background is my own photo. In it, I am posing with Appa's classy sunglasses. Quite despo. When Appa saw me for the first time, me the new born, he was wearing those sunglasses. And since then, I believe in love at first sight! :D

11. If someone asks me my favourite colour combination, I'd say white and gold. One, calm and subtle, the other, flamboyant and exquisite, they make the perfect pair.

12. I have got a celebrity comment! Ram Kapoor, the famous TV actor (who hasn't updated his blog since ages) gave me a comment on one of my earliest articles! Needless to say, I was ecstatic!

13. I don't know how to make a French plait.

14. I love gazing at the stars and talking to them, often wondering if someone may be listening to me.

15. I can make excellent chai, although I am not too fond of the drink myself, unless it's winter. My periappa (uncle) comes all the way just for my tea! *self praise*

16. It is a dream to host my own travel show, a show that would explore all the undiscovered gems in India waiting to be explored, unravel the mysteries and compel the viewers to at least think of visiting the place.

17. There's just once that I have spoken to any 'celebrity' over the phone. Amma was speaking to him, and all of a sudden she passed on the phone to me and all I could say was "I love you. Keep going". And he changed his phone number. He being Karan Wahi, the TV actor (Ranveer Sisodia of the an old sitcom Remix).

18. I am quite superstitious. I usually use a certain brand of pen to write my exams, but that's about it.

19. I love playing pranks. My pranks are well planned and well executed, ones that can be still laughed at when reminisced about in the future.

20. I adapt myself according to the other person. For most of my friends, I am a patient listener, an agony aunt and an excellent secret keeper. My friend S, who is otherwise an introvert, is one blabbermouth with me. In college, I am the talkative girl. Ask J, she'd tell you she hasn't seen a more irritating person than me! Thanks J! : )

21. I want to make a photo autobiography, work in progress!

22. I want to have two dogs. I have decided their names too, Zeba and Cookie.

23. I want to resume French. After 10th grade, I lost touch and would have comfortably forgotten it too, had it not been for that one comment. Thank you Kartz for making me pick up that French dictionary again and bringing me back in touch with me. : )

24. What would you do if you got a dark surface and a correction pen? Well this is what I did.

Now you know why I love this template so much!

25. What is the best invention according to me? The smile. : )

Ah! Finally the tag's done and I have bored you enough. I must admit, that initially I was a little scared, 25 things about myself seemed like a lot, but now that it's done, it was a lot of fun! Thanks yaar! : )

Now I don't know whom to tag because most of the people I know have already done this tag or are doing it. I want to tag Kartz, Sakshi and Sashu. You can take it up if you wish to.

A day to Remember

"The next station is Vishwavidyalaya. Doors will open on the left. Please mind the gap" the recorded voice announced. She said the same thing every day, with every Metro, but today it sounded different, I thought.

My friend S invited me to her college Annual Day. It was the 83rd Annual Day of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC). Dr.E.Sreedharan, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was the Chief Guest while Mr.Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Film maker and an eminent alumnus of the college was the Guest of Honour.



The event started sharp at 10:00 A.M.

After the welcome address and the presentation of the College Annual Report, Sreedharan sir took stage. And blew us over.

The Delhi Metro is his brainchild and he is the man who is solely responsible for changing the way this bustling city travels. It caters to 8 lakh passengers everyday, has one of the lowest fares in the world (second lowest, Kolkata Metro fares are the lowest), and is the first in the world to introduce the coin system to promote one trip travels. It uses the most advanced and expensive technology available, and yet manages to make an operating profit.



He spoke to us at length about the Delhi Metro, and the reasons behind its success. There are four principles that govern the working of all DMRC officials, he said. These are:

1. Punctuality
2. Integrity
3. Professional Competence and
4. Social Responsibility and Accountability

He stressed on the importance of time, honesty and sincerity, and the role they played in the success of a project. A motivating and inspiring speaker, through those examples, he had taught us lessons for life. Thank you sir. : )

Towards the end of Sreedharan sir's speech, Rakeysh sir joined us, looking smart in a black shirt and jeans. He then took stage, and apologized for the delay, as his flight had got delayed because of the fog, and jokingly requested Sreedharan sir to make a Metro between Mumbai and New Delhi. The crowd loved him! He also said that the college was still the same, just as he had left it.

He also added that he respected Sreedharan sir a lot, and to him, he dedicated two lines from a poem by the great poet Dushyant Kumar.

"Kaun kehta hai aasmaan pe chhed nahin ho sakta
Ek paththar toh tabeeyat se uchchalo yaaron"

And with that beautiful quote, he wrapped up his short and crisp speech, and wished us luck.

As the event got over, I ran ahead to get their autographs. Sreedharan sir disappeared before I could get to him, not wasting a moment. I somehow made my way through the crowd, to Rakeysh sir and this time I was lucky! He took the chit of paper, looked at me, and signed his name on it! Ah! I felt so blessed!


It felt divine to have met the creators of two masterpieces. One, the man with a vision, the man who created the wonder train, a great gift that all Delhiites are proud of, and a visit to the city is considered incomplete without a ride on it. Another, the man who made the cult classic, that Rang De Basanti that connected with the youth, the way no other film had, that masterpiece that woke up the citizen in each of us, and made us more Indian than ever before.

Thank you God and thank you S! : )