October, the 22nd!

Sometimes you just can't stop smiling. Not because you've conquered the world, but because things have gone according to your 'plan', if at all there exists one! Sometimes the feeling doesn't sink in till you actually pinch yourself. 'Is it for real?' 'Nah!'... 'Yah?!'

*smiles, again*

I guess god has been very kind. Wishes have helped and prayers have been answered.

So what does a Son do when he starts the 'responsible' phase in his life? He takes out his mother for a date.

Thanks Ma! It's been all because of you.

L

Life is all about milestones. The places you cross, to the places you reach. And at every milestone you leave behind an indelible mark. A mark that says you've been here, and moved ahead. Some milestones are worth remembering, some easily forgotten. However, there are those which lie in the twilight zone- those that are not 'universally' significant, but you tend to remember them for a particular reason. For one, I remember my first 'F' in Hindi. And the time when I had kicked a dog. Milestones, they were!

For most of us, as we like to call ourselves 'simple', the milestones can be easily translated as a mark of success. Then there are those occasions which have a profound effect on you, a major check point of sorts, but we don't like to bring them under the purview of the milestones. They remind us of loss, of failure and of everything NOT nice. They do make you learn, though. And for that very reason, they are a check point for me!

Looking back, it's been a good time on Blogosphere for me. More than anything, writing has been therapeutic. It has made me more expressive and learned- I do read the masters' blogs, I do! A good 50 posts in a span of 16 months have made the journey worthwhile. A milestone, again, for yours truly.

I hope to look back at my 99 posts when I reach the next milestone with utmost content and satisfaction. Insh'allah! like the journey hitherto, the sojourn ahead proves to be an exciting ride.

Let's get rolling then, shall we?

The fireflies shone bright. The hum was a dulcet.
They came, they went. They saw, might I add?

The stage is set, and determination sores.
The pride shall not be hurt.

Shampati has risen to make its mark!

Visibililty? Check!

The rains have given way to the scalding sun for the past few days. Well at least we don't have flood threats in Roorkee anymore. On the flipside, it would have been fun to see a flooded IIT. Imagine the country's pride going down the drain, figuratively and literally.

Today's Sunday morning was a li'l off beat. First off, the realisation that I am left with less than 2 years before I push off to a different platform. It may sound as if I am saying it with a sense of originality to it, which of course there is none, but the feeling was very unnerving. And exciting, if I may add.

It's quite strange how life at college moves towards it's culmination even before you are able to fit in completely. Wasn't getting here supposed to take care of my 'future plans'? Or so I was told. But today, I experience the same uncertainty that was blaring at me some years back. Where to after this sojourn comes to a close? It's time to break the slumber spell, and as is the case with change, no one particularly likes it.

Although I have a vague idea, I need to start putting my show together. There is a lot to do, and unfortunately, a tad bit crunch of time. I see the status messages of people on Facebook and Gtalk as 'I wish life had an undo button' or 'What if there was a way to go back', and what surprises me the most is that they have so much in front of them to do. How can one delve in the past when a bright future awaits?

Move ahead, will you? Rather forge ahead!

Of Thunder and Clouds

It's been pouring cats, dogs and a whole bunch of other pets lately. Global Warming, you say? Surprisingly, no one's complaining. Sure we have potholes to steer clear of and mosquitoes to flinch from, but that's the characteristic feature of every rainy season. What's the fun of enjoying your annual Barsaat without reading news of roads caving in and people admitted to the hospital because of a 'mutated form of dengue'.

Roorkee is no exception, nor is Delhi. The modern vitriolic form of 'i'Flu, capable of causing immense pain to anyone in the apple network, has spared but only a few in the campus. And yours truly happens to be one of the fortunate ones... hitherto. The initial power cuts which caused many a change in the sleep pattern of R denizens has fortunately retracted into oblivion. Department of Electrical Engineering to the rescue. *Proud*

So what's so different about the rains? Why does on feel drawn towards the falling droplets? Why do you feel enticed by the dark clouds, the gentle gale?

Nostalgia. The rains are the major causing factor. You reminisce about the past, look ahead to the future. The present is subliminally forgotten. Maybe it takes you to a place that is as alluring and satiating as the monsoons itself.

As it rains outside the window and I comfortably perch myself on the diwan with Masala Chai and Matar Parathas, I feel revitalised. Home does that you, innit? Aided by the rains. And the khana, of course.

Off to the kitchen for another cuppa chai, if you please.

Plus 1!

She was there when I uttered my first gibberish.
She was there when I had my first fall.
She taught me words, and the beauty of letters.
She made me touch sounds, and how to articulate every syllable.
She instilled in me emotions, and to express myself.
She taught me how to value people, and how to let go if that's the best option.

As you turn another year in life, here's wishing you love and joy unbound.

Happy Birthday, Ma!

Gimme 5!

It takes a 100 folks to make you feel alive.
It takes a few people to make you feel warm.
It takes a handful to make you believe you're not far from home.