I want to write something funny

Funny, Like how certain I am now, that my husband is blind or selectively blind as he always leaves his worn clothes on the floor for days without picking them up. He left his shorts, on the floor next to the bedroom door, where there is every possibility that people walking through the door would kick it. He walks through that door multiple times a day but he doesn’t see it. It is under an invisibility cloak.

Either that or he thinks there is a genie in the house that picks up his litter. Husband breed couldn’t grow past the wedding day.

I want to write fun.

Instead, what I notice is, there is a millisecond pause between two rings of a phone call. And when I need to reach my husband on the other end of the line, with each ring-pause-ring, I imagine a hundred ways that something has gone wrong with him. Each pause feels like, there, he picked up, all good but then the ring continues.

It’s unstable to have these thoughts, my mind says. But the heart is just nervous. Remain nervous till I hear his voice.

I can pick up his litters all my life. I cannot have a life without him.

What’s bothering me?

The Invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Russia’s war on Ukraine. And I hate to see these online sources going along with Putin’s narrative of “Special Military Operation” – Who are you kidding? How are you sleeping at night? It’s an invasion. Russia is killing Ukrainian civilians.

Every morning, I wake up and check Google News or Reddit News for any catastrophic news. Any nuclear disaster- The shelling on nuclear plant – Are they blind? I cannot think of any other reason anyone should shell a nuclear power plant. They certainly have to be blind.

Why is this fight bothering me so much? Why didn’t Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan?

Don’t ask that question, One war doesn’t make another war any less horrible. Just because the world has let down Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, doesn’t mean it is okay to let down Ukrainians.

I don’t understand geopolitics. I don’t even want to get into who is right or wrong. There are enough trash bytes written in the world for this. What I understand is, there is shelling, bombardment going on, perhaps very right now. Civilians are dying, children hospital targetted, woman raped, family separated, millions fleeing own country. There are people dying on both sides.

And there are people who are supporting this. Literally. What kind of world are we building for our children, where we turn blind eye to children dying, families destroyed.

India technically abstained. I wish, we would have stopped that diplomacy at the government level. It embarrassing to see Indians speaking for Putin. Are you living under a rock? It’s also heartening to see support for Ukraine from Indians.

War is bad. Invading another country un-provoked is bad. Killing people, especially people with whom you share religion, culture, brotherhood is bad. There cannot be any justification for this. I don’t think it is that difficult to understand. What is baffling is, this is happening for the past one week and no end in sight. Clearly Animal traits, the Human breed didn’t evolve.

I have read Afghanistan only from Khaled Hosseini’s narrative and I cannot re-read his books. It is too painfully true. It is sad. He took one human emotion in each of his stories and then bind it in words until your heart bleeds. I don’t remember the words verbatim, but I clearly remember how I felt when I read about Afghanistan before the Soviets, before the Taliban in the pages of The Kite Runner. How much I longed to be transported to Kabul’s market.

It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime…”

The Kite Runner.

And these days, I cannot think of what is going through Ukrainian’s minds when they wake up. Am on another continent and war sickens me. What is it for people living through it? For the husbands and sons and fathers who are separated from the family to protect the family.

Please, Hug your Child, Kiss your Spouse. Respect your neighbor. Leave them alone.

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Ahoy Captain! 10 questions answered

Captain Paul asked 10 questions, anyone can answer and I have been answering them since morning, since I read his questions.

Floating in my head all day ,I thought, why not blog it. Been lazy with this blog anyways. Here is an inspiration to write and here is the blog.

Paul – Totally ire-relevant, Do you know you have the most handsome Prime Minister in recent time ? But probably, you already know that and it doesn’t matter 🙂

Now, that I have said that to a Canadian, lets begin, answering 10 questions . Like I said, anyone can attempt this quiz, go ahead and tell your secrets out there in blogosphere. Link it back to his post, like am doing here.

What is the best hiding spot in your current place of residence?
I live in an apartment , it will take anyone about 5 minutes to reach every nook of this apartment However, this shouldn’t stop anyone from trying to hide here, a special mention of my 8-year-old boy, who thinks, hiding or rather standing next to the refrigerator, covering his face with both his palms or hands, will make him invisible. Gives a new meaning to hiding in plain sight. Ain’t it?

The person walking in front of you drops $20 on the ground and doesn’t notice. What do you do?
First, that person got to be a visiting guest from other country. We can drop 20 Indian Rupees here, not $. Any dollar present in anyone’s wallet here , must be placed in that special compartment of wallet which is reserved for foreign currencies, occasionally taken out to show off to friends or kids. ( PS: I have AUS Dollars, Did you know Aussies make their money water-proof , how cool is that ! ). Second, such a person carrying such a currency will have presence of mind to notice its fall as soon as the bank note begin its fall !

So really, I needn’t do anything because the second part of your question Paul, “Doesn’t notice.”.. hmm. fat-chance. However, its your quiz, I could hear you say “Let’s assume, it does happen , the guy doesn’t notice, his mind is elsewhere, on that pani-puri stall that just opened after lockdown”

I will call out and hand him his money, actually, I may just call out and show him where his money dropped. Not wise to touch notes, these days – don’t you think?. This also begs question, what was the person doing carrying 20$ in India, just instruct him to install one of those payment apps and carry mobile everywhere and he will be fine. Keep your shiny waterproof money home!

In elementary school, I read a book called, Lost in the Barrens. What is a book you read in school and what do you remember about it?
I don’t remember reading books in my school time. We had a book with short stories called “Read for Pleasure”, but unlike schools these days here, I don’t recall being asked to read a whole literature book . Sad. I know.

I remember reading The Gift of the Magi. Great Story, although , thinking about it now, I see the wife was smart, her hair will grow back and she can use the comb her husband got. Can’t say the same about her husband though. Women were always smarter.

I remember reading about Venice, the city of canals. And I fell in love with the thought of it. Ever since then, I desire to visit the city some day. See the picture above? It isn’t Venice, but beautiful anyhow, Eh? It’s our very own Shikara ride on Dal lake.

In Eminem’s song, “Lose Yourself,” he says: “There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti.” Describe, in detail, your ideal pasta meal.
Does it have to be a pasta meal? I mean, it isn’t staple here. Okay, now I can hear you saying – you can describe in detail, any of your favorite meal and this is how this question was lingering in my mind since morning , My mind may have read it the way it wanna answer.

So my favorite meal is any meal made by my mother aka Ma. You will hear most of us, Indians saying that. Not because we are emotional children but literally , that is how it is. Mother’s make the best food here , albeit , best and favorite of her child. Not that my son can say the same about his mother’s cooking.

Anyhow, to continue with the answer, I have tried to re-create my mother’s recipe and it just doesn’t have the same taste. Can’t get the same pleasing aroma, the same crisp and curry and the right amount of masala! I miss all her fish curry and that effortlessly fried-vegetable-dish made with veggies that she picked out of her kitchen garden, tossed it in the Kadai with mustard oil and salt. Its definitely magic that you can make such a delicious food with just those 3 simple ingredients – mustard oil , salt and vegetable.

The other lady who makes best meal is my mother-in-law. She is jack of all, can create a masterpiece out a very banal , undistinguished veggie like bitter-gourd. Yes, Bitter-gourd, you heard it right! And she just doesn’t stop at that, her sweet treats are straight out of heaven’s kitchen. She can transform the humble bread into royal shahi-tukda and give a new meaning to roti(Indian bread) layered with sweet-jaggery-mixed-coconut, (my mouth is watering, just thinking about it right now) I can’t even name it, because she literally discover recipes .. nameless , heavenly food.

Am missing food, and moms of-course!

By the way, We can’t put vomit and mom’s spaghetti in the same sentence.

If you and a partner went on The Amazing Race, would you be the driver, or the navigator in the backseat with a map? Explain your choice.
Let me dig into one of my old blog for this, yup, here is the detail explanation as you asked to explain.

TL:DR – Am not a person who can be associated with driving or navigating. Am devoted to either enjoying the view passing by or dozing off. Or commenting on my husband “hey – why don’t you place both of your feet on the car seat, just like me, relax, this is our car and that is our road ” , If you didn’t laugh at that line, let me explain, it sounds very sarcastic when said in Hindi, to a husband who is trying to be both navigator and driver at the time when google map wasn’t popular while his wife sits on passenger seat napping.

These days, I still doze off or enjoy view outside while google aunty is telling my husband to take the next right. Amazing Race must be amazing, can’t pass that view. But this isn’t answering your question ..right?

I will be navigator, lesser of the two devil and I cant drive.

In Home Alone 2, Kevin (a 10-year-old boy) ended up in New York by himself, while his entire family was in Florida. What is something you did when you were 10-years-old, that “kids these days” wouldn’t understand?
Cassettes? Do you know what it is?And what do we do with it?

Is Tic-Tac-Toe a fair game?
Yes, ask my husband, he bought a game of Tic-Tac-Toe and now has many tricks up his sleeve , including for one when he is handling O’s and not X’s.

It wasn’t a fair game before he bought that.

Velma, from the Scooby-Doo series, is known for losing her glasses. If you were a character in a TV show, what would you be known for?
Either I will be known for freezing or laughing, I took part in a play when I was 12 and this was the revelation. If I see those blinding lights, I will freeze.

Or I will be laughing hard at the straight face actor trying to do his job. I will be known for the one who was laughing during a mourning scene or standing straight face during a really emotional scene.

What causes you to lose your temper?
When people are blocking the panel that shows the floor the elevator is now, while am waiting for it to arrive. Most of the elevator has that panel above , so everyone can see where the hell it is , but I have been through few, that has it on the side and people stand in front of it, knowing very well that they aren’t see-through. I get impatience as I don’t know how long I will have to wait, 2 minutes or 2 sec? , Is it arriving soon or stuck at 2 floors above? Can I reach faster by taking the stairs….. and so on. I hope you get the gist !

When am calling out to my son who is right here, right here as in right here sitting in front of me but won’t acknowledge me back when I yell his name. I think it is every mother’s problem here, kids just go deaf when you want them to listen. Just reply “Yes Mummy” and I will know my words of wisdom has passed through that skull of yours!

How many contacts in your phone have you not communicated with in the last three years?
This was an embarrassing question in the morning with a deep philosophical meaning, or maybe still is. But now, middle of the night, I think it is not.

I mean, I have contact number of the guy who fixed my chimney 4 years ago , at least 3 contacts who supply daily grocery to home and I may have dropped one of them, but the number is fed already. So the answer to this question is “loads” and no deeper meaning than this.

THE BONUS QUESTIONS

Think about items you might find in a Lost & Found. Now, draw as many of those items as you can in 60 seconds. Share your picture.

Lost & Found of where? I never had a lost and found at my school. My son has it. They just display every item in the lobby of the school. I have never been to Lost & Found of Mall or Airports…

I think , I will pass. No answer or rather no picture.

Text someone, “I can’t find my phone.” What is their reply?

Let me see who can I torture. I texted two of my friends.

After 30 minutes: They didn’t notice yet. I suppose Friday is a busy day here.

Finally, I texted my husband, he looked up and asked “Why are you messaging me this?”
Again, What was the purpose of this question Captain?

You are alone in a city you’ve never been to, and have $500 to spend. What city are you in? What places do you go to? What do you spend your money on?

Venice ! I will definitely spend money on that Gondola ride. And food, nothing Indian. And visit the local théâtre, a stand-up comedy, a play, nothing musical. And then go to the local vegetable market and pick up a basket of fruit.

Am not big fan of big hotels , so my accommodation will be AirBnB home with a tiny balcony that opens up to canal. Where I can sit and watch Gondola rides and the busy canal traffic and be amazed that people live here, all life and take boats to school, market, friend place.. It never gets boring.

So that’s it folks! Those were the questions, I will know my score at the end of this month? Isn’t it Paul? Captain? knock-knock, you there? I hope you lived through all of that blabbing 😀

This was fun!

When you feel what you read.

Sometimes, I want a different ending. A different narration. The book that I am reading, becomes my book. I become the author and I do not like where the narration is going,  I do not want to go to the place, I do not want to feel this any longer. I can not live this any longer. I cannot watch it happen.

I am an ostrich with head in a pile of sand.

Are you still with me? Does it happen to you? Do you live the story?

There are a few books I could not finish. Various reasons and the stupidest of all was the font is too small, the big is too thick aka The Lord of the ring, actually, I say,  something jinxed about it, I could not even stand the movie.

Then there is  “All the lights you cannot see”. It is such a poetic book. Wonderful. I just stopped reading it. I could not live the life of a blind girl anymore. A smart blind girl. Blind, never mind that. She could see all the lights, more than me. I was tired of waiting, waiting for when the author will interweave the lives of the blind girl and the German boy. I needed a happy ending soon. It felt like a trap. I had to leave it midway.

Actually, those were the easy ones. The next one is so hard.

I want to see where it goes.  where Laleh Khadivi is taking me, rather taking Rez. And with each chapter, I am feeling the nudge. I am at the edge of the cliff along with Rez . He is almost Reza now. I haven’t touched the book since morning.

A Good Country. The book I picked up read about Iran and also Goodread had thumbs up reviews

 

A Good Country is a book about 14-year-old Rez, an America-born son of upper-middle-class Iranian immigrants. He is growing up as an all American teenager, with the complete surf, sex, weed, and chemistry deal.  The words are real. So real. I loved the writing style.

One incident distances him from his all American boy- gang, polarizes him and he becomes friendly with The others. The one who shares his background.  Arash is equally cool with lot of better manners and Fatima is lot more beautiful than Sophia. It took one bombing, one cheating case, one expulsion from school to nudge Arash over the fence. I think this was very weak. Very convenient .. Is it for real?

But I read on, for Rez. He is living his American life but now wants to know how to be a good man. How to be a good person. He believes what his father says “America is a good country“.

It looks good. So far. I can live this. One human to another.

Rez is still rez. But there is a series of bombing, the influence of Arash, and an airport incident where is he taken for questioning because of his name. He finds himself in a mosque and then another and then is mesmerized by brother-hood. He is now distanced from his all-white American friends, almost. His girl-friend is wearing Hijab.

And I know what the next chapter could be. and I cannot read any further. I want a different narration. A different ending. Rez is searching for his identity and how can Syria give him that?

I feel sorry for Rez. Now Reza. I do not want him to jump off the fence. To be brain-washed. I sure hope, he doesn’t take his girl-friend to Syria. To a good country. This is a scary subject.

I asked my Muslim husband if anyone can brain-wash him to go for a cause. He laughs at me. He can turn the preacher around to renounce his religion 🙂 I believe he can do that 😀 , To him, religion is crowd control and he is not scared one bit of it.

So then, why can’t Rez be like my husband? Doesn’t it feel like a bad choice of decision from an extremely bright intelligent Muslim teen? Maybe that is the point.

This is what an author does to you. This is what a good book does to you. I don’t have many chapters left to read, but I cannot read it further. I am an ostrich now, refuse to believe that Reza is perhaps going to cross borders in the next chapter. My head in the sand, I just cannot see this through. As if Reza is real. Maybe, he is.

Kudos to Laleh Khadivi. She is scaring the hell out of me. She is making me feel sad. I am gonna read her narration. But right now, I need a break. Because the story narration, the writing style is so vivid, Rez has come alive.

When you feel, what you read….

 

 

Tonight is gonna be a long night….and why am I tip-toeing since morning..

My office moved to a new building a few months back. Bright and shiny, it’s awesome.

It has a library. How cool is that!

Being in India, the last time I walked into a library was ……Meh, I can’t even recall. We have very few libraries here, But then, this is India. It has a thousand others way to tell stories.

Back to today, to my new bright and shiny office.

I was curious, On the first day, when I had visited the space defined as the library, it was bare-shelf, cartons lying around oozing books! Today books were on the shelf.

And I peeked. I looked. I turned pages. I scrolled through. I smelled 😍

And there it was, a tad bit old with rough edges and a dark cover, petite, surrounded by thick IT books, a name, a familiar name.
Jhumpa Lahiri.

What? Are you kidding me? My eyes were out of my socket.

You mean, all this time, Jhumpa Lahiri and I were on the same floor, separated by few steps. And, not just any book, her PULITZER PRIZE WINNER Interpreter of Maladies

I was floored, muttered- “Tonight baby after Adi goes to sleep, I will have the soft light and you!”. Jhumpa is waiting to speak her words. She wants to start a conversation with me. Tonight!

I had just finished reading Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. Sapiens is about the evolution of human-kind, of how we evolved from being hunter-gatherer-forgerer who roamed-traveled- moved every season, lived off berry, fruit, honey, and occasionally small animals, worked 3 days a week, 5-6 hours a day, polytheist-polygamous to being God.

Is there anything more dangerous than dissatisfied and irresponsible gods who don’t know what they want?

I know a few things now.

1. Yuval Noah Harari hates humans 😉
2. I wanna be a hunter-gatherer. And they work fewer hours than me has got nothing to do with this decision.
3. I wanna read more of Yuval Noah Harari.

Guess what else was on the shelf?

Tada!

Home Deus; A History of Tomorrow. By Yuval Noah Harari!

By this time, my eyes were out and I was drooling. My head vibrating “Am booking tickets to Israel and then a hop to Italy”. I was tip-toeing , jumping in excitement. What is the chance that I will find two of my dream books, free of cost!

I love this library. Am so glad I joined here.

It has Books. Old, new, bounded, paperback, hardcover, faded , bright, red/black white and dark. The place is all white. The ink will probably fade but the conversations, the life in the book will remain even after centuries have passed. And that is what draws me to reading.

I was in a chocolate factory ❤

I could not get the book issued, but tomorrow is gonna be my day.

Tonight am gonna sleep with a smile and thoughts of Lahiri and Harari.

Whoa, that rhymes! How cool is that !

Happy Reading!

Click on one of these and receive a plate full of fish fry. I promise.

Music and dance. Did you know human learned music before language.

Well. Now you definately know.

I miss you Ma.

and I never told you this and I needn’t tell you this ever because you already know this.

She is a Super-Woman or an analogy closer home – The Durga Mata. I guess every mother is, mine isn’t any different.

And it hugely annoys me that she can’t leave that stupid home of hers and come live with me for an infinite time.

That she is not here with me when I come back home with a refreshing glass of Nimbo Pani/cold drink on hot days.

Or listen to how my day had been.

Or waiting to have a meal with all of us.

That she isn’t here to mend my dress or fix my cold.

Just like she was during my school days.
I left home when I was 17 or 18esh.. for further studies. Meh! And then I wasn’t back living with her ever…. I completed my studies, met my husband, got married, visited home once or twice a year. And that’s how it has been since.

So literally, I have been missing her since I was 17.

I tell my husband, I was just bored with living out of the hostel, being a paying-guest, being with room-mates, the nomadic life of living away from home, that I agreed to marry him. I needed a home of my own. If I were living with my Ma, my story would probably have been different. His reply “kidnap kar leta tujhko 😉”

That is utterly romantic ❤ . So I know I was destine to marry him, to have a life that I have now. I married the right guy.

But that doesn’t stop me from imagining.

I imagine a different course of my existence. A parallel universe. One where I never left home, where am married closer home, where am with Ma for every festival, every small occasion, every birthday and anniversary. Where I don’t have to plan my vacation months in advance, book flight tickets. I imagine just booking a cab/ or driving to her home. I imagine picking up my bag and heading home, I imagine exchanging Meklahe Sadar with her, gossiping, cooking meals together.

None of which I can ever do in this lifetime.

All of which my sister is lucky to get with her.

Damn! That makes me jealous some days….

But why don’t I ?

I remember a conversation with Papa when he said, why can’t I do all that and more? Why can’t I just pick up my bag, book a flight and come home? Isn’t that the reason why I left home in the first place? So I could be independent and follow what I really desire.

Am blabbing. No one will probably get this. I don’t get this. Why can’t I do that? Why am I pissed on the days that remind me of her? (Am pretty sure this is as my sis is visiting her for a month long vacation and am sweating out here).

Everyone leaves home for a better life. I have a better life. Am not the first person to do so. I have no reason for not just booking up the flight and reaching Ma. I don’t know why can’t I manage that now?

Today is Mother’s day and am surrounded by the content this day has generated on every feed, chat, every social media. Do we need a special day for Mother?

No, A Mother is special every-day.

Yes, because I never told her how awesome she has been, how much she had worked all her prime and how much she needs to think about herself now.

Even so, I don’t want her to think of herself. I want her to be my side. Living in the same city that I am. Not this far.

Now, We They , my parents have a wonderful house at Assam. It is my parent’s blood and sweat. Their dream home and they moved into that place after my father’s retirement, which was much later after my wedding.

I live so far from her, that I no more dump my sob story on her, I feel a bit protective of her. Shielding her from my downs. I guess living on my own since 17 has made me as independent as my parents wanted.

Now that am a mother, I know I will always be there for my son. I don’t believe in long distance love 😉 he will have a hard time moving away from my nest.

But then he is a boy. A girl pines for her parent and a boy, well just don’t care. Sorry Boys 😉

I called Ma today and she was utterly busy with my sister and her twins. She was worried about my brother and she was going to cook dinner, fixing yard with Pa as a storm is approaching.

Day as usual for her.

Happy Mother’s Day Ma. I miss you.

Here is a Mother’s Day special from my 6-year-old boy. Aah.. he will never know the joy of leaving home. Literally 😉

Son: “Ma, What does comes first..the wedding or the kid?”

And my toughened Indian middle-class upbringing screams:
“Wedding son, definitely wedding! “

#HappyMothersDay

When you see a lady sitting on a table, with a book..

LEAVE HER ALONE.

Do not small talk. Do not “Hey, How are you?”.

And never-ever-ever join her on the table. Period.

She might be your best buddy, but you are definitely not hers, not at that moment.

Total stranger.

And if that lady happens to be me, with my crush, I might bite, meow, roar or just chuff! It goes south from here, so if your headaches, you will know whom to blame.

You may be the King of the North out to save the world from white walkers, Night King and Zombies, but I am the Queen of Seven Kingdoms, I have two full-grown Dragons, an army of Un-sullied, an army of savages Dortharaki’s……….

And a BLOODY HELL GOOD BOOK to read!

Oh My! Why so much ranting? Whatever happened to the sweet girl?

I told you, I hate reading…

I reach my office early, not that I want to. But for brevity sake, let’s just know that I get there a good half-an-hour before I should. And I find solace in the cafeteria. I look forward to reading what is happening next in Saleem Sinai life. Add to that, the reading done while commuting to the office, has already transported me to the pre-independence India, somewhere in Delhi, where Saleem Sinai’s mother has just made a public announcement of his existence.

Get this picture straight – Am deep down in the world of words.

You can only find me physically walking to the cafeteria, picking up a cup of coffee and settling down on a table with a book in hand, but in my mind, am not present in cafeteria. Am in Delhi.

Here is a visual, just so you get it straight.

She doesn’t want your company buddy. She isn’t smiling for you. Get your own book.                  Photo by Zun Zun on Pexels.com

 

But the universe is full of people who have a head that talks. (rolling eyes) does not read. The cafeteria is mostly empty at this time but has few from this breed. They have their head full of thoughts that ought to be spoken out loud in the presence of another head.

And they join me on my table, the table where I already have a company. Of my book. I could almost bark- Can’t you see, I have a company?

This one here and it’s a bloody good company.

But I didn’t bark. Or even Meow!

And so, I was interrupted by their life’s rumble about travel, office, kids, life ..blablabla. I was lending my ear but inside, I was cursing. You.

Sorry. Apology.  Forgive me, please.

It was supposed to be me-reading time. You are at the wrong table! Clearly.

When it happened the second time. I even gave a cue. Out-loud Or maybe I just murmured.

Me picked up my tea, headed to a table. *Spot* a “Hey! Person”, Ignore, ignore and grand Ignore ..

“Hey! Person”: Hey, Are you alone? .. I will bring my cup.

Me: Am not alone… (watching him go to coffee machine) (murmuring) I really don’t need a company. 

I hated him. With all my Heart, Kidney, Lung. Cumulative.

And then it all poured out of his mouth….

Forcing me to ask about his life. His commute. His work. But my mind was on the bookmark peeping out of my book placed neatly on the table. It will be only until the end of the day, a good ten hours before I could pick up my story 😦  

See, How can I not hate that “Hey! Person?”

Moral of the story. 

I have a book. I don’t need your company.

I have a book. I shouldn’t sit in the cafeteria, find a better place ( Heading to my desk, I realised we have a small pantry, crammed behind reception, on my floor, one down the cafeteria)

I have a book, sit in the pantry, hidden from all Hey! people.

Get the cue 😉 I don’t care!

 

 

 

 

 

Am having a goosebump moment..

The feeling, that very soon I am gonna finally fulfill my long awaited desire. That next time, when  I come across this title, I will be able to raise my hand and dig into my memory of today.

I finally have a copy of Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie!

MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN.

Am gonna read it. It’s stupid. I have a crush on a few titles. This is one of them.

In fact, I had to bribe my dear friend/hoarder-of-books/voracious-reader/sorry-cant-part-with-my-book with another of my favorite-yet-unfinished crush of mine. I will give you my “An Era in Darkness..” in exchange for Midnight Children? She paused just for a sec before saying yes. She has her crushes too 😉 I was feeling devilish exploiting her, but heart pounding for Midnight Children!

Some titles are the legend. The authors are the greatest artist in the world. They have created a masterpiece that will live in the memory of millions of peoples, that will outlive them and their readers. That will inspire millions of minds. Will make a person completely stranger to the author smile, or cry or just connect in the deepest level of the heart without even knowing of the existence. That is the power the authors have. The magician of words, the creators of history.

So then, How can I not have a crush? 

I have to admit. I just don’t go out and buy all my favorites. They come to me. Each one is an episode. Like it is a conspiracy to slowly unravel to me instead of just heading to my bookshelf.

Here is the conspiracy.

Gone with the Wind – From a college friend, who just wanted to offload book. Was at awe at the courage of Scarlet-O-Hara then and even today.

The Kite Runner – I don’t possess a copy. I got it from my colleague. I loved Afganistan and I could see a boy running under a blue sky covered with colorful paper wings even thinking about it.

The God of Small Thing– Has its own post 🙂

The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Story of Love in the most difficult of time.

On a side note- Why couldn’t I finish “An Era in Darkness…”? because two chapters into the book, I couldn’t look at anything British..ily without resenting them. I just hated them. Plain Hate. And I wasn’t feeling good about the hate. And I know, I love Hugh Grant and Harry Potter! So, it was a tussle and the best thing to do at the time was to abandon the book and pick it up after I could stabilize the raging hormones within me.

So, what am I doing here instead of delving into the story of children born on the stroke of midnight of 15th Aug, 1947?

Am just sitting and admiring the book. Literally. Am just happy that I can start reading it. I have it. The words, the story will come alive soon and I will die knowing I have read a masterpiece, that one day my son, his child and generation of Sayed clan to come have a chance to read this masterpiece and at that moment will be connected to my soul.

Too much? I should just stop now..Am having goosebumps!

Now, tell me about your crush ❤

 

A cheesy post for a non-cheesy man..

This post is gonna be really really cheesy. The sort that I don’t do often. In fact, I may never hit Publish.

But Since you are reading this and you are not me, so I must have hit “Publish”.

Lame, I know 😉

So, what makes this cheesy? Am gonna talk about Love, the goody-cuddly love and it is gonna sound like the love declarations from FB feed that I find so cheesy! I mean, You love your husband, tell him, don’t declare to whole wide FB world.

So this is how it goes.

Today ( This post is way too late, but let’s assume today is the day when) marks the 11th year of us being married. And we decided to lunch together since I couldn’t take time off office. We aren’t a couple to go out often. So going out is special. Luckily, I have switched job to a place very near to his office. So meeting for lunchtime was easy.

Now, this is important- I switched job recently, as recent as a month. and am adjusting to the new place. It is not a struggle, but living in past is my struggle.

It doesn’t help, that sometimes I miss my old colleagues. Life was much simpler and somehow happy. Life here is fantastic, but let’s say isn’t simple. You know the feeling when you are among loads of people, yet feel lonely sometimes even though you are so chatty in the head?

Like everything is just noise and you can hear the voice inside and outside your head. Or actually no voice, coz you are just bored and don’t want to think or listen.

I have this feeling during lunch time.

Of course, today wasn’t gonna be any different.

But hey it is different! I was going out with hubby.

We decided on a fancy restaurant just two blocks from my office. As I left office and walked toward the venue, I noticed everything is so much better here than the previous job-… the work, the garden, the office. Everything here is perfect.. but not familiar, not mine. It isn’t known. And with that feeling, I was spiraling down into the same silence 😦

And then I saw him, not where I expected. He had walked a couple of blocks more to reach me. To walk a distance little with me. In the mid of all unknown, I saw him with a cheesy smile.

And I was in love again. In a heartbeat. ♥ With him of course 😀

The feeling of familiarity was back. Am home and I can drop my shield and feel what I wanna feel. I could tell him what I miss. It felt good to be me, no pretentious.

We walked hand-in-hand like lovers, like first-timers who cant get hands off each other Awwww. lovely- cuddly told you 😉

And I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the comfort. He doesn’t even have to listen to me. It is just his presence that is a comfort. And tells me that I will go past this feeling, this chatty head.

I guess I really needed to see him.

And now to the blogosphere, perhaps to FB world too, Am gonna profess my love for my really really lazy-weekend-only-on-sofa husband of 11 years! Am glad you are here with me.

So this is really cheesy? Isn’t it?

I mean, what the hell – You love your husband, go tell him not write a post on blog 😉 next you will be sharing it on FB !

PS: The image is from our wedding, 11 years ago. Since then together we must have gained 200 Kgs. Isn’t that a #relationshipgoal!

Click on one of these and receive a plate full of fish fry. I promise.

Me: Adi, Don’t talk on the table. Nadi ho jao (Quite like a river)

He is my insane little chatterer and sometimes I wanna cap it! Just shut up boy!

Adi : Okay.

Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack!

Me: What now?

Adi : Mummy river has ducks!
And I give up!