“Mumbai Meri Jaan”

I miss Mumbai and Mumbai Rains !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A blog site from Manali Desai

          “Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan…….Zara hath ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan”

I am definitely among one of the Proud Citizens of Mumbai – A true ‘Mumbaikar’. Mumbai is certainly “A city of Dreams.”

It’s a city that has people coming in from all sides of India for trade, cinema, amusement, employment and so on…..

The Local trains are the major & much preferred mode of transportation in Mumbai. Most of the city dwellers depend on Mumbai Rail to travel.

Recently I met a friend in Bangalore, while we were having a normal chat; she told me she had to choose between any 2 colleges for her MBA – either at Mumbai or Pune.  And the next thing she said was, ” Don’t even expect me to come to Mumbai and travel by the local trains where you get pushed into the train and thrown out at…

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Surprises – Happiness Guaranteed :-)

More than thousands of thoughts in my mind today. Millions of reason to smile alone in the flight …Oh ya !! Did I mention FLIGHT ???

YES , I am in the flight, on my way to INDIA and its a BIG BIG SURPRISE for my family & friends. Its been a crazy feeling!! All I feel right now is happiness,excitement and nervousness 🙂 I have butterflies in my stomach, OMG its making me go mad !!! This entire episode started on 28th September 2014. It was a nice Sunday morning and the 4th day of Navratri . I woke up to hear the much awaited speech by our dear PM Shri Narendra Modi at Madison Square. It was such an inspirational speech,I so wanted to be there in India after listening to it. And then my friends from India were sending me voice notes & videos of Navratri everyday. I could hear the madness & the see their happiness celebrating this much awaited festival together … and I was sitting 8000 miles away, all alone, missing everything and everyone … I had tears in my eyes…almost everyday 😦

My hubby saw me crying and said to me , “Stop crying !! Go enjoy your life – just book your tickets to INDIA – Just Go !!! { Jaaa , jee le apni zindagi } – U don’t know when you would get an opportunity like this” In my heart I thought, I had nothing to stop me now that my hubby also wanted me to really go on and do what my heart was really really shouting out loud to to me :-p

And then after a lot of thinking, ifs and the big buts – I booked my flight to India on Sunday evening. I now had just 8 hours to rush for my damn flight … OMG !!! What do I pack, what do I leave behind, do I even need to pack … hahahaha I was going nuts, I dint wanna do anything out of excitement !!! Well well … finally I boarded my flight to India on Monday early morning. Since then its been the longest day ever for me. I haven’t slept for more than 24 hours now.  I just can’t stop thinking about the moment I enter my building, reach my floor and ring the door bell – My heart is beating at the highest pace ever right now ! Even while I write this, my hands and feet are cold. I’m really really nervous.There are happy tears rolling down my cheeks. I can’t believe I am actually on the flight – on my way to India. I am watching a movie but my brain can’t focus .There is food served in front of me, but I am not hungry!!!

OMG my flight status now says “Landing in Mumbai – Meri Jaan in 1 hour” This is the best feeling everrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And guess what the pilot just announced ?? He says there are thunderstorms in Mumbai . I mean common,what better way to be welcomed home hahaahah……..Yaaaaaaay !!! I am loving every bit of this craziest, fastest decision of my LIFE !!

I am now in the cab with a friend (the only one who could have managed to keep his mouth shut and help me with my surprise … LOL) All I can think and convey to you is – This is the best-est surprise that I can give my family & friends! And I am sure I am gonna get the most priceless & unbelievable reactions ever.

I believe, each one of us should plan a surprise for their loved ones at least once in this lifetime.The happiness that you would feel within you would be such that cannot be express in words (I will try to express mine though ..hehe) .

Be rest assured – Happy tears & smiling faces is guaranteed !!!

A blessing called Skype !!

My recent blog , “ Away from Home” (https://mysticalmana.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/away-from-home/ ) was all about my journey from India to US , and my transformation from a daughter to a wife .

 The journey is still on for me since 4 months, the reason being … 8000 miles of distance now between my family & me!!!

But thank god for the person who invented something called “Video calls”, the journey is going smooth so far  🙂

Frankly I have no clue who got this brilliant idea of a video call , but whoever it was , I must say hats off to this idea …. Life would have been so damn difficult for people who stay away from their family & friends… I mean can you imagine not seeing a person for months together?

And before this invention it has been the worst thing for lots and lots of people who have gone there ages back, who had to merely survive on communication through a handwritten letter, 1 phone call on Saturdays or more recently email. We then evolved to chatting on various messengers, social networking sites along with the blessing of “Video Calls”

Before coming to US , I was in a long distance relationship with my hubby for 5 long years. Trust me its a true test of patience, love, trust and a lot of other things. Video calling helped us remain connected through every moment of life, it helped us give each other the assurance that no matter what, we are always there for each other through ups and downs and above all nothing will ever change between us. Its was a real blessing for us to maintain our relationship.

Now that I am here in the USA with my hubby , its difficult to stay away from my family.I wonder what would I do if there was no Video Calling. My family speaks to me at least 2 hrs a day daily on Skype… Its that easy and its been like a routine now !!

 Beautiful and special moments like our Parent’s Wedding Anniversary, our dad’s birthday have been celebrated on this wonder tool called Skype.

It felt like we were very much among them. Even they feel the celebration is incomplete without us and this tool just helps make every celebration complete.Its so much of fun when we get to see our grandparents & celebrate something with them, especially when they are living 8000 miles away. The joy on their faces is priceless when they see their grandchildren … Its truly worth every effort !

When do we Indians miss our families the most? Definitely your answer has to be “Festivals”. This is the time, we look forward to being at home with our parents and near and dear ones. Being in US the 1st festival I truly missed was HOLI. Every year on Holi I would make sure I drenched my sister with water when she would come back from work. But this year she was alone. She was not ready to celebrate it without me.  But guess what – we celebrated our favorite festival Holi together. I decided to get some gulal ( color ) from an Indian Store here and called them on Skype and celebrated it together.It was really amazing. The feeling of happiness & joy was all over the place.

Recently , my mom was admitted to the hospital for something minor.You know it feels at that moment, you just want to be there holding her hands and making sure you are with her !!! But in my case I was feeling totally helpless sitting here in US, regretting that I came here, leaving them behind in India. I didn’t know what to do. Even my mom wasn’t ready to stay in the hospital for more than a day because she couldn’t talk to me on Skype. Then my sister decided to take the laptop to the hospital and finally I could have a video call with mom on Skype… It felt so good that I could at least be with her indirectly if not there personally.

Such is the power of technology and inventions. We call it a nuisance sometimes, but most of the times it turns out to be a blessing.

Tons of blessings to the person who invented it ……….. And this comes from the bottom of my heart !!

Away From Home

I will never forget the day I left my country India … It was a day filled with mixed emotions, Sad because I was going to leave my loved ones back there and happy because I was going to come to US and be with my hubby after 5 years of long distance relationship…

I knew I was going to get married and leave home soon and was mentally prepared also,  but still when the day arrived to say the final goodbye to my family & friends , I cried and cried ..

I don’t know why I cried so much but the main thing being that I was leaving behind my parents and sister , my sweet home & the comfort provided to me by my family. And the fact that I am not going to see them personally for a year more was making me feel even more worse .. It was tough for me because I never really stayed without them even for a single day…

It was time for the final good bye …. My mom began to cry , the moment I saw her crying I couldn’t stop myself… and then the tears just couldn’t stop rolling down … I knew I was going to miss my family the most – My parents being my lifeline and my sister being my crime partner …

I finally entered the Mumbai airport with a heavy heart and was totally choked, headed towards the counter and completed the formalities … At that time , my dad called me saying that they found a small window from which I could wave at them one last time… I was like , ” awww ” and ran to that spot immediately ..

 My mom was still crying but I then made it a point to smile for them and make them feel good … Finally I rushed towards the gate with my hubby… I tried not to cry but still kept crying with all the people looking at me 🙂 I was choked , didn’t want to take the flight but I had no choice and then took my seat..Still couldn’t believe I was leaving Mumbai , India 😥

 Finally I left India…And the journey to USA  began 🙂

 USA it is ….

As soon as I landed on San Francisco airport , I was so happy , can’t even describe…

Everything looked so damn beautiful and new to me. . My hubby was equally excited that he finally got me here …. We got into our new house.. Although , I was still getting used to the fact that I am away from my family , time passed by really soon as I was busy setting up my new house and exploring new places..

However , as soon as everything was set , the gloomy feeling was back… I keep missing my family & friends .. Memories is all that I have with me over here in this city…Every Time , I would hear a plane passing by , I would run out to the patio (balcony) , thinking I could just catch that plane and go back or thinking that  may be one of my loved one is coming here…

I cried for sometime , thought of calling my mom and speaking to her but then with this time difference , I thought she would be sleeping and would get worried if I call her in the middle of the night .. The next day I spoke to my sister and felt a little relaxed…

I started keeping myself busy , learning new things and started enjoying every bit of my stay here with my hubby … Its been almost 4 months here now , and I must say that apart from missing my loved ones , it’s been an amazing experience till now… Not everyone gets such time to explore and learn new things !!

Bollywood themed Cake

A birthday cake for a bollywood fan 🙂

And the GOD proves himself once again !!

Salute to our Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar on achieving his 100^th 100.

The 1^st Man to score 100 tons. I really feel proud and lucky to see Sachin Create History.

He is such a motivation for all. He chased his dreams and finally they have come true today on 16-03-2012 @ 4.36pm, i.e.; 16+03+20+12+43+6=100 – which means this moment was truly meant to be!!!

The journey to his goal came with a package of esteem and tons of criticism, but he always knew his Aim. Today, when he was scoring his runs in the count of 80’s and 90’s , the anxiety had built up all over again like every match of his where he was inching towards scoring his most anticipated  “100^th 100 “.  

People were updating their BBM and Facebook statuses saying “Go Sachin Go “. Fingers Crossed, a hope in their mind said, “U will make it Sachin”

The words that he said after his Greatest Achievement will always remain engraved in our Minds – “Chase your dreams and they shall come true!! “

Truly and profoundly privileged to see Sachin win our “World Cup in 2011 “ and the “International 100^th 100“ in 2012 !!

God’s Best Creation – KIDS !

Being a weekend, I decided to go meet my cousins who are just 2.5 years and 11months old.

 As I reached their house…Ting Tong … Rings the bell and I can hear my little cousin all excited screaming my name…….

 As  the door opens , the happiness that I saw on her face made me feel like I was in heaven.

 All I knew at that point of time was that I am going to be lucky enough to spend my time with such wonderful kids…

As my cousin Shania (2.5yr old) started dancing to the tunes of Bollywood music, I just couldn’t stop smiling….. Not because it was funny but because she was dancing on it so confidently with those pretty expressions on her face… Her steps were exactly the same as its shown in the movies.

The way my 11month old cousin Zeus was staring at me while I was playing with his sister Shania was so innocent !

Then as I started with dinner, my cousin Shania came running to me, sweetly calling out my name. Her parents tried hard to feed her but instead she came and sat beside me and made me feed her .

Finally arrived the time to bid goodbye and I could see it in Shania’s eyes that she is sad… She wasn’t letting me leave her house and wanted to come along……. She held on to me and gave me a tight hug!!

As I was back home , I realized that kids are GOD’s most wonderful and magical creations on Planet Earth. For those few hours of having spent my time with them, I had forgotten all my worries, my pain and all the other things of this world.

Definitely only kids can be so adorable, loving and cute… I just love  kids and their innocence and the unconditional love that they have for others. …… They are genuinely the best form of Mankind 🙂

Change is constant…Memories are not!

Being a lazy weekend today, I was just exploring some pictures on my PC this afternoon… I happened to enter into a wonderful flashback of some remarkable times that I had spent with my loved ones.

Every image that I saw had an emotion attached with it. The pictures them self had a story in it. It reminded me of the situation when it was clicked and the happiness that I felt at that point of time with my near and dear ones.

Memories are so special because I never knew that looking back at good old times would get some happy tears in my eyes 🙂 They are a reason for me to smile and understand that every moment that we spend today with our family and friends will be a part and parcel of this lifetime as “Memories”!!!

I can say that it’s a Package Deal where memories can make u smile and cry… It can be a happy event that can come across your mind suddenly or may be a tragic one that will make u dull …!!!

I just wonder that if we did not have something called, “Memories “we would never have remembered the good and bad times of our life!

It would just be a simple normal life with no learning & no yearning.

As time passes by, everything in our busy lives keeps changing. Change too is accepted, but Memories indeed are much more beautiful because it’s the only thing that doesn’t change with Time!!!

The BB World Black Out

72 hours of black out for all the bb users! BB services all over the world were disrupted for 3 days this week. And the BB users faced a lot of problems sending emails, chatting and surfing the net; especially the corporate customers went through a bad phase when the services were hit.

BB users were all upset, aggravated and disappointed as never before did something like this happen and that too for 72 hours. Personally as a BB user for a year and half, I did get bothered for the 1st 24 hours as I am addicted to it. And to rub it in, I had just got a new BB Bold 3 as a gift a day before the black out. So I was even more annoyed that I am unable to use the services on my new phone.

A day passed by without the addictive BB service, but I felt a little peace of mind. The time that I use to initially use surfing the net through BB when @ home, I utilized it by spending quality time with my family and resting peacefully without any “Pings or Beeps”.

An added advantage of no internet services – I got a chance to explore my new BB Bold 3 🙂

And then finally, the services were restored…. And it was a new and fresh morning for all the BB users filled with updates & pings & broadcast messages.

An eye opener to this BB blackout: We shouldn’t let our personal life get so affected just because of a Phone. Definitely, technology is good but becoming its slave not so good.

So let’s hope that the red light on our BB’s keep blinking all the time 🙂

” The Story of a Rickshaw Driver “

Few days back, while i was waiting for a rickshaw outside my office…I asked many rickshaw wala’s but they all refused to ply as usual giving their weird reasons of avoiding short distance journey, no enough gas, closing time, etc, etc.

Then, suddenly this rickshaw comes and stops right near my feet and asks me, “Madam, kaha jaana hai?”

I told him the place and he agreed. I was wondering that how come he approached me and even agreed to take me to my destination. Shocking and extremely rare I must say! Aren’t we the ones always begging and convincing them to take us to our destination?

Suddenly he starts talking with me. He says,” Mujhe aaj ke din mein kaise bi karke 1000 rupaiyye kamaane hai. Meri behen ki shaadi ke liye daheej jamaa karna hai” he continued “Ladke walo ne 1 lakh maange the jab sagai hui thi. Mein unko aaj tak 50 hazaar de paaya hu aur 50 hazaar dene baaki hai” His words were still sinking into me as he continued saying “Mere maa baap bi nai hai isiliye mujhe meri behen ki shaadi aur bhi acche se karvani hai. Bus yehi wajah hai ki mein din raat rickshaw chalata hu aur paise jama karta hu, varna ladke wale shaadi tod denge……..”

Mein meri behen ko dukhi nai dekhna chahata” and then he was like, “aap please meri behen ki shaadi k liye dua karna”

As he was sharing all this with me, I reached my destination!!!

All i knew when i got off was that firstly dowry is a crime and secondly i was feeling so happy to see a lower middle class brother working so hard, driving his rickshaw day and night just to get his sister married in a respectable way!!

“The First Man in a Daughter’s Life – Father of the Bride”

From the day a daughter is born, the parents start dreaming of their daughter’s wedding… And this is a fact – The parents wouldn’t say it but their daughter’s wedding is a thought @ the back of their mind.

The mother will be at home the whole day, taking care of the child. And the father would take up the entire struggle to give his daughter all the happiness and comfort. After all, the father is the first man in his little daughter’s life. He is the man who protects his daughter and makes her feel secure and happy. He is a guiding light for her.

He will sacrifice his bit of happiness to fulfill his daughter’s daily requirements and wishes. He would work over time and work for hours together, come home late, work on weekends, even work on festivals … Just to earn a good amount of money, so that in some way he can secure it for his daughter’s future. He knows it that there will come a day when his daughter will get married. And now a days, the word” Marriage” simply means floral decor, expensive clothes, best quality food and the wedding hall, and the list can go on … ”

But who is going to understand that behind all this grand celebration is the blood and sweat of the Parents. With the soaring prices of gold, clothes, food, a simple traditional Hindu wedding can amount to lakhs. In such a situation, the middle class father would take all efforts to host a grand wedding which is more a matter of status now!!

He will spend all his hard-earned money and savings for his daughter’s wedding. He might take a loan also but will never ever show or say that he is worried. He will arrange for the best of the things. He will definitely share the work with his wife and daughter but in the end if anything goes wrong, the father is blamed for it….If you observe the father of the bride – more than happiness on his face, u will find him nervous….

After all the struggle and taking all the efforts, the parents have to finally bid goodbye to their daughter. Every one thinks that the mother will turn out to be alone and cry a lot… But nobody thinks of that father who has to give farewell to his Little Princess!!!

Love your father and understand him. Because you will never know the extent to which he has sacrificed his happiness and loved you.

Salute to each and every Father in this world 🙂

Breath taking Experience at The Burj Khalifa !!

The Burj khalifa a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at present the tallest structure in the world, at 828 m.

Here I share my experience at The Burj Khalifa.

When I saw it for the 1st time, I was completely astonished. At the back of my mind, I was wondering what it would be like when I reach the top as I have a phobia of heights and this one was like going to the tallest structure in the world.

I kept telling my mom and dad that this building is so gigantic. How will Dubai look from the top? Will our ears get blocked? Will the oxygen level go down? So many questions in my mind….

Finally, it was the time to go to the top of the world at around 7.30pm. As I was nearing the elevator, I observed that there was complete security.

Once I got into the elevator, the journey had begun to reach the 124^th floor.

There was a monitor in the elevator that showed the floors we were crossing and the music in the elevator added to the countdown. The lift was so smooth and the countdown went so fast – it looked like a timer!!!

The moment the elevator came to a halt, we were awestruck – 47 seconds and I reached the 124th floor….. Oh gosh…..We didn’t even realize that we have reached the top without any blockage of ears or any jerks!!!

We entered the open area for visitors which had see through glass walls all over. The view was breathtaking and a very exceptional experience. The buildings looked so tiny. I never ever imagined that Dubai is so attractive even from the top. Entire Dubai was lit up with such awesome roads.

My feet became unsteady when I realized there was nothing but just clear skies above me!

The intelligent people behind the designing have cleverly made little spacing in the glass walls so that you can put your hands out with your camera to click pictures. I was so nervous about my camera while clicking pictures, what if had to fall from the 124^th floor! Ha-ha…

There is a fountain show that starts every half an hour or so, where the water dances to the music. Watching this from the top is another experience. You would be lucky to hear an Arabic rhythm and see the water moving to its tunes … the water from the fountains gets thrown up to the 60^th floor … it is outstanding harmonization.

While we were admiring Dubai from the engineering wonder like The Khalifa, suddenly, my dad and I felt some smoke around us. Along with us the people who had come there for the 1st time were all a bit alarmed as to what was this smoke about. On enquiring one of the locals told us, not to worry – it’s just the clouds that are passing by us!!!

And, we were like …” Oh Wowwwww” You feel like the luckiest person to be there on top and experience this man-made and nature’s beauty together!

Photographers were all around clicking pictures of the view; with their families … I was feeling so lucky to witness such a superb view and to be with my mom and dad on the tallest structure of the world. I definitely missed my sister the most at that point of time as she was unable to join us on this trip.

Finally, my mom said we should leave as she was still nervous being at the top. As we came down the elevator, we were walking through a passage which had the best thing that I ever noticed. It had pictures of all the workers, technicians, constructors with their names below it…Just loved the way they respect the entire team that made it possible to build such a marvelous structure – The Burj Khalifa. Wow … I couldn’t think of anything else other than The Burj Khalifa for some days and some night…

It was a splendid and a never before experience for me!

“In Good Times & In Bad …”

Each one of us wish to have a life without the bad times and just have a life filled with satisfaction , happiness , love and good times.

But then it’s not possible to have a life without bad times… However hard we try to run away from it, one fine day we are going to get struck by it.

And on that very day, we shall come across all the possible trials, tribulations, challenges, misery, depression and so on….

 During times like these we simply look up and ask God:  “Why…………………Why me?”

 There are times when we get to know somebody is jealous of us. That’s the time we should be happy because it simply means they do not have something that we have, which they desire.

Same goes when somebody tries to copy us, this is the best possible thing that could happen to us because deep down they are inspired by us!!!

When we are going through bad times, faced by misfortune and hardships, what good can we gain by becoming sad, negative and discontented? Of course we must allow ourselves to react to the situation in a natural manner. But, not for too long. Why let circumstances and situations affect our moods and state of mind?

By being positive these circumstances will not vanish, but with a positive attitude we can improve the situation and be more in control of our state of mind, our reactions and our behavior.

Certainly at times we have a valid reason to be upset about things. Indeed there will be times when someone will do wrong or when someone will cheat us. Someone may do something against us or someone may lie about us. These things keep happening.  By thinking about these situations, we are just straining our self emotionally.

We should be happy when we are struck with bad times because these bad times make way for the good times to arrive.

If we had to not face these bad times, we would never know the value for the good times in our life and also we would never worship god.

It’s only when bad times knock our door, we knock god’s door.

It’s the right time to seek self-knowledge, identify your true friends, and value the important things in our life. That’s why the journey through bad times is also often called Soul Searching .

So now when bad times arrive, be happy and worship god instead of asking god “Why me?” just say “Try ME” … because God gives tough times only when he knows you can handle it.

“Gods favorite God – Ganpati Bappa – Our God !!!”

The countdown to the most awaited and favorite of all Hindu Festivals – Ganesha Chaturthi has begun!!!

Lord Ganesha is all set to knock the doors and shower his blessing on each and every one who believe in him and wait for him so eagerly throughout the year.

The financial hub of India- Mumbai is ready to commemorate the festival with full enthusiasm and belief.

Preparations have begun since 3 to 4 months, with sculptures making idols of clay in small and big shapes and in different designs and forms.

It’s the busiest time of the year for the sculptures as they have to meet the increasing demands of Ganpati idols.

They work day and night along with their families to complete the work on time.

Houses are cleaned before getting Lord Ganesha home. Band and chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” add to the excitement…

Huge pandals are made at every corner of the city with decorations in full swing. Teenagers are running around to get the final detailing in place.

This is the festival of 11 days filled with enthusiasm, faith and love. It binds together people of any caste, creed and status.

Every one happily gets involved in the festive occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi. People who get the Ganesha idol home take care and treat it as the loveliest guest. Ganesha festival in Mumbai is witnessed by Hindus and Muslims together which bridges the gap and helps people interact with each other.

Lord Ganesha has always been welcomed with utmost devotion, celebrations, and band processions with people from all age groups dancing.

For these 11 days, the city has its own charm with more than 10000 idols. Mumbai is definitely the best place to visit during this festival.

Let’s welcome our dearest friend Lord Ganesha with more love and excitement.  I am eagerly waiting for Ganpati to come and bless people with wisdom, happiness and peace of mind.

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!!

“The Indian Touch”

My dad witnessed something really interesting and sweet today when he was at Surat station waiting to board his train to Mumbai.

He happened to see 3 girls with “the aarti thali and sweets in their hand“. He started wondering what were they up to. Those girls were all decked up and waiting for the train to arrive. They were waiting outside the S2 coach. Finally the train arrived and he saw some boys rushing out of the train. As they stepped out of their compartment, those girls went towards them to door of the coach. They happened to be their sisters!!!

What happened next was really touching ………. The girls quickly did the aarti, tied the Rakhi to their brothers, and gave sweets to each other with the hugs and blessings to be followed… In the meanwhile, the motor man had blown the horn, and the engine had to begin again….. The brothers waved good-bye to their sisters who had tears in their eyes!!!

This incident has left me with a feeling of pride that such things happen only in India.

This love and affection means so much to Indians.

It’s the bond of respect, happiness, love and blessings between siblings that’s spread all over!!!

A moment to cherish for every brother and sister.

 Happy Raksha Bandhan!!!

“A Hug that Tugs your Heart”

 Very few of us, really know how important can a Hug be?

A hug is something so beautiful that can’t be given without getting one…..

It can speak for your words….. Many a times, a person gets a reason to live with just a simple embrace…A hug can mean that you care for the opposite person… A hug can make u feel good when u low… A hug is something that can be given to our parents, relatives, friends and also our life partner…..

Each one of us goes through sad moments, when life seems even more challenging. And at that time a hug can make u feel so much better and relieved…

A hug from a family member makes us feel so contented. A hug from a friend makes us feel so bright and fresh. And a hug from our life partner makes us feel so secure…

So, let’s not forget to embrace the ones that we love because a “Jadoo ki Jappi” really works wonders….

Jobless Wanderer

Unemployment is one of those things you can’t possibly understand until it happens to you.

If you are unemployed you have to face so many struggles and pass through a lot of obstacles to get the right job.

It’s so tough to find a job these days, because of fierce competition. Often, unemployment brings out a lot of insecurities and unwanted tensions.

An unemployed person keeps applying for jobs in all the possible job portals but doesn’t get a job.

People with a job feel that those without jobs are lazy .But for the unemployed, it’s a long, hard, silent struggle, and every day is a pain to live through. The worst part is not every one understands the pain and feelings of an jobless person and often tag him/her as a looser.

On the other side for an jobless person ,every day feels like yet another day of a long vacation. Understanding a jobless person is really very important.

You cannot ask a jobless person , “How was your day ?” isn’t it the most irritating question?  How do you expect their day to be??

Normally, people tend to ignore a jobless person because they aren’t able to help him/her out with their problem.

But running away is not the solution , spend time with them and see to it that they don’t  get into depression.

Stop offending them and making fun of them by saying , “What work do you have , you are anyways sitting free @ home “

Just because they are jobless , it doesn’t mean they are not intelligent and lack skills.

Instead , if they are jobless at the moment , please understand that they are utilizing their time by following their passion and learning new things.

Very few people are fortunate enough to get love and support from their family and friends in those painful moments of being a Jobless Wanderer.

 Respect and be kind to a jobless person . God doesn’t announce before turning the tables around !!!

“Brother from another Mother”

This blog is especially dedicated to a very important and special person in my life – My brother Jay.

Before , I go any further , I would like to thank my sister Khyati for bringing “A brother Called Jay ” in my life, who was once upon a time her best friend @ Mithibai College….

I wonder how it all started… May be I can just say that god answered my prayers !!!

When I was in School, I used to get a holiday for “Raksha Bandhan”…. at that time, Me and my school friends used to talk about how we are going to celebrate the day… All my friends would have special plans for the day, As I didn’t have a brother then I would have no plans…… I used to cry so much after coming home… On rakhi day, like a small kid, I used to keep crying the whole day saying , ” I want a brother and used to sleep in anger without eating anything ”

May be that was the moment when god fell pity on me  … Before the next year’s Raksha Bandhan, My sister Khyati decided to make Jay her brother…And since then, even I started tying Rakhi to him.

It’s been 12 years now….. And this bond has grown stronger and this relation is filled with so much of love and affection and respect.

I feel so proud and happy to have such a loving, caring and handsome brother. I can say – “JAY”, you are an angel in disguise for me.

U have always given me so much of love and have always stood by my side in my good and bad times…Bhai, you are my strongest pillar and I can always rely on you and look up to you for support, love and motivation…

You are an inspiration for me and many others… I have always seen people look up to you for any important decisions in life. And there are those who wouldn’t move a step ahead without your advice.

Bhai, you have always followed your decisions to completion. If you think of doing something, I know you are going to achieve it anyhow with hard work.

You are a person with determination and I am definitely am among those who see you as a role model.

I am even more happier that god has blessed a wonderful person like you with a beautiful and understanding Wife and an adorable son….

I would just pray to God to always keep you safe and in good health, may he grant all your wishes and may success always be with you and your family….

Thank you for everything and sorry if I ever hurted you 🙂

Love u so much Jay Bhai – My Brother from another Mother.

“Your little Master”

“Mumbai Meri Jaan”

          “Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan…….Zara hath ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan”

I am definitely among one of the Proud Citizens of Mumbai – A true ‘Mumbaikar’. Mumbai is certainly “A city of Dreams.”

It’s a city that has people coming in from all sides of India for trade, cinema, amusement, employment and so on…..

The Local trains are the major & much preferred mode of transportation in Mumbai. Most of the city dwellers depend on Mumbai Rail to travel.

Recently I met a friend in Bangalore, while we were having a normal chat; she told me she had to choose between any 2 colleges for her MBA – either at Mumbai or Pune.  And the next thing she said was, ” Don’t even expect me to come to Mumbai and travel by the local trains where you get pushed into the train and thrown out at your destination but then she was sweet enough to say that the people in Mumbai can adjust with the crazy train travelling but people coming to Mumbai for the 1st time shall definitely be scared ‘” The sparkling & full of life nature of this city specially during the weekends … It looks like there is a vacation every weekend with people roaming out with their kids and friends even at 1 am or 2 am in the night…Mumbai is a place that can serve you something to munch & sip on anytime anywhere… Like on Saturdays we friends meet up at 10.30- 11 pm and if somebody from the group is hungry, we just go to some Idli  stall and then sip on a cycle coffee.

It’s so much of fun…. Wow!!

MUMBAI – The city of festivals, where every festival is celebrated with so much zest and excitement like Ganesha Chaturthi,

Eid, Diwali, Navratri, Holi, Christmas and all the other possible festivals.

If you are in Mumbai but not a resident of Mumbai ; on a Monday night , you will definitely wonder, why are these groups of kids and middle age people walking towards town and that too bare feet !!! Yes, exactly… They are going to the Siddhivinayak Temple @ Dadar to attend the 1st aarti of the day as Tuesday is believed to be the day of Lord Ganesha.

AND how can I overlook the” Dabba walas ” who are the biggest strength of Mumbai and the icons of Hard work … A Grand Salute to them for always being able to offer food to people ‘ On Time ‘…If you look at the way they deal with it, you will wonder if any person could compete with their management skills… What about Marine Drive, Juhu Chowpatty??  They are the most crowded places in Mumbai and most popular among people of all age groups. And the hawkers are spread all over the place to keep your stomach full with chana chaat, corn and bhel puri, etc…. And now, The Sea Link has added to the beauty of Mumbai.

When it comes to language, there is an entire list but what I really love is the Mumbaiya Hindi – the language of Mumbaikar s. It’s a city which does not rest for a moment even after being hit by worst disasters like riots, bomb-blasts, floods, strikes, accidents, terror-attacks … The spirit of Mumbaikars is simply remarkable !!

I can go on and on talking about Aamchi Mumbai. It’s absolutely a “City that never sleeps but still has a lot of dreams !!! “

Money, is it really so Important??

Since I came into my senses, I have always heard people talking about Money … It’s always been a subject of importance and also at times a subject that can let down many people!!

According to me, Money isn’t everything… Are people with lots of money really happy and safe? Money can definitely make your life comfortable and luxurious but not give you happiness… Happiness comes from within!!!

The happiness that a person gets on doing something that he was longing to do is not the same like when you get your salary in hand ………. Why ? Because money doesn’t guarantee you all kinds of happiness…

Does a Relationship work on Money??

Many of my friends and relatives keep telling me that money is the reason for many people to get into a relationship and for it to survive .My friends keep saying , “ Honey, Money Talks “…………….but then I personally feel money is also a reason for a relationship to break.

Like in a marriage, if the husband is unable to provide the basic necessities to his family then that would become the main reason for a conflict. There would be no peace in their life and slowly their married life, that was once filled with love and affection will now be ruined because of Money.

It is hard to imagine that money becomes a major consideration in the success or failure of marriage.

It is also possible that the chances of a conflict might be minimal in some families going through a financial crisis, but in such a case there are high chances that the head of the family would think that he is a looser and would straight away attempt suicide.

Does Friendship need Money??

Money can’t buy friendship at all. Money can buy you nice things but it can never buy you time with a friend who makes you laugh and smile.  A friendship doesn’t survive on money. If your friendship is true and genuine, your friend doesn’t need to be employed or unemployed; rich or poor. He / she just needs to be caring and loving. If a friend of mine needs money, I shall definitely help him with the same.

But if that same friend isn’t able to return my money , I shouldn’t start feeling that this dude never returns back the money and I better be away from him !!

When we go out with friends and if some friend doesn’t remove money for anything then we start feeling , better not take this person out next time rather than thinking that why he/she doesn’t remove money ……… it can be because his financially down or may be because he is unemployed. But then if his stingy, then make him understand nicely and don’t keep him away from the group…

After all, “A friend in need is a friend indeed “

I am not blaming Money…It’s just a piece of paper but it’s we human beings who have given so much importance to Money in our lives.

Rich Child … Poor Child !!!

Children’s are god’s gift to us. I can say they are the most innocent of all….They are so pure and caring…

All children’s are angels sent on earth by god but with different plans and a different destiny altogether.

“A Rich Child’s Life “

 A rich child will always be given special preference and all sort of importance… A rich child will have a bunch lot of friends in school, college and wherever he goes….Just because he has money to spend, he can have a rocking childhood and teenage life!!

A rich child will get admission in one of the best schools and best colleges ever… He / she will get the highest degree possible and fulfill all their dreams by traveling across the globe… Their rich dad will buy them Sports car and gadgets and video games to spend their time ….They shall wear the most expensive pair of clothes.

………But then they will involve themselves in some really bad things like smoking, drinking and drugs and so on…..

“ Rich Dreams by Rich Kids “

     A rich child will dream of buying a Sports Car for himself at a very small age and luckily they would manage to get the Driving License also without any tests with the mere use of their dad’s Rich Contacts!! A rich child will dream of having the best and the most expensive electronic stuff, will want some more and more clothes.

And then all they have to do is Clubbing, Partying with friends most of the time, house parties, and the bar will be their favorite hangout.

 Thus leading a life full of fun, happiness and no struggles at all….

“A Poor Child’s Life “

Does a poor child lead his life the same way????? NO, not really…

They don’t get a chance to do anything as such.  They would be a living a life far below the normal life, just because they are below the poverty line. They lack the most basic needs (Food, Clothing & Shelter) that they require to survive.

Very often you will notice these kids at the signals begging or may be selling some stuff.  These poor kids are subject to malnutrition,hunger, lack of education, harassment by authorities, as well as physical and sexual abuse. They are also being forced to do the most illegal thing, i.e.; Child Labor.

According to a survey, 6 million children die of hunger every year – 17,000 every day …………

Isn’t that just too much?? These poor children are most likely to suffer from all types of health problems like infections, cold, fever, asthma, etc.

And then what about the clothes that they wear?? They can’t afford to buy clothes for them ever. They wear torn and old clothes and 99.99% of the times, they wear clothes given to them by others.

These poor kids as compared to rich kids don’t have video games and remote control cars to play with, but instead they would have different things to amuse themselves like selling some stuff on the streets, playing with the mud on the road, jumping in the dirty water, and if they stay near the railway tracks, then they shall be happy looking at the trains passing by.

“ Do poor children have DREAMS?? “

Yes, they definitely do have dreams.

They want to stay under a proper solid roof which doesn’t fall off in the gusty winds or thunder showers. They would want to have their own pair of clothes. When they see other children going to school or when they see a school bus passing by, all they have in their mind is,” Will we ever go to School?”

These poor kids will never know what a printer looks like or its functions, nor do they understand why all the hype about Blackberry or a touch screen but surprisingly a Rich Kid takes an iPhone to college !!!!

When they are begging on the streets and they see you munching on your Sandwich and sipping on your cold drink in your AC car, they are obviously dreaming to have them at least once in their life… They dream to see a movie, they don’t know what a Multiplex looks like. They dream to taste the burgers @ McDonald’s or a piece of cake may be…. A poor girl child would dream of wearing those fancy cute dresses with those butterfly clips and a lot more of things……

All they DREAM of is a well secured happy life with the most basic needs that any Human Being deserves “ Food, Clothing, Shelter & above all Education….“

                           “ Treat children with love and affection, be it rich or poor – After all they are another form of God Himself “

What if “Tomorrow never comes”

I am sure your loved one would never tell or express this fear of going away but yeah every person goes through this fear.. Every person fears death.. The word goodbye has nothing good in it… It’s a sad fact that someone is going AWAY forever..

But why don’t we learn something good from this fear ? Something that can help us get rid of this fear ? Why can’t we stop being political ? Why does everything need money ? Can Happiness and loved’s one’s  be bought with money ? For instance , Kerala govt has declared AI to pay Rs. 75 lakhs to families of Mangalore crash that happened in May 2010..

But my question is what’s the use ?? Are those families going to get the lost loved one’s back … NO NEVER

So to conclude ,

Love your family , respect your friends and value the one’s who care for you.. Coz remember , people once gone will never come back ……Express your feeling before they are hit by some bomb blast or waterfall or tree…

I’m writing this because what if tomorrow never comes?
What if I never get to say good-bye or give my loved one’s a BIG hug?
What if i never get to say I’m sorry or I love you?
Because what if tomorrow never comes?
I LOVE YOU my family and my near and dear one’s 🙂