Friend or Colleague?

It was few months back; or rather few days after I reached Bangalore that my friends cracked a joke or rather described an instance on the difference between a friend and a colleague.


I have this problem of doing head on collision with problem. Not that this was a serious problem. I asked the person who had brought in this difference of a friend and a colleague “so what am I?” to which he replied “hhmm…”well there was one more “hhmm…. A friend”. I believe it was said to make me happy for that moment. Never mind i was actually happy.I didn’t happen to write anything about it then. But today as I just finished my book by Sheila O’ Flangan, I again came across these two phrases “friend and colleague” that there is a difference between a friend and a colleague and I couldn’t resist writing about it.

It was just yesterday, after 8 months that I finally broke and I called my mom just to say “I want to cry”. After talking for some time, my mom gave the phone to my sis. My sis giggled “You have come to your senses and I am glad about it”. For last eight months, I never cried, I never missed home, or I did, but I didn’t express it. I was scared to go home as I knew I would be far more home sick once I come back. I cried to my mom “I want to talk my heart out”. I always used to ask my mom “how can people be so attached to their friends?”, to which she would “had you not had a twin sister, you would have known that”. And my mom always used to say “don’t expect anything from the strangers”.

I learnt hard lessons from own life that colleague are not supposed to be the friends and I don’t know about vice versa because I never came across that situation although my organization does support referring your friends to be a part of the same organization. I pretty well have faced situations where my problems and weakness served as an advantage to others. And the book talked about that too.

I have come across two set of people here in Bangalore. One who are friends or more than that and other set who are nothing but can be called a colleague. I might now be interchangeably using colleague and acquaintance because it’s more to do with people outside my organization, whom I just know. So I am not sure if I can call them friends.


I have been really lucky to get some lovely little angels (real time devils) around me in office that I may never be able to call “colleagues”, as they are much more to me than friends. Although they are far too close, but I hold back my own self from talking my heart out, I don’t know why. They humiliate me, we fight like we are school kids beating and slapping each other. We scream at each other and they make limitless fun of me. Every word I utter is a joke or they can convert it to a joke. I make a pledge every day “all Wipro-ites and ex wipro-ites are my brothers”, but still they show me the worst of the guys and ask “acha laga?”. They are one set of people who even if say some serious truth, I would be laughing madly at, because I know they never can. May be I hold myself back because they would think I am cracking a joke, even if I cry my heart out and it wouldn’t make any sense wasting my time. According to them all “doing an MBA means losing your common sense, and MBA are the people who don’t do any work”. One of those crazy angels/devils says he can write a book “10000 reasons not to do an MBA and all that I tell him is “we can target to complete in less than an year or two, provided you give me the credits”. My sisters reaction after meeting all my friends was “god you all rag people in office”. Well we don’t, but all I pray that no one should happen to get into the lift when this gang of crazy people is there with me. But at the end of the day,i know they would be there when i need them!

I also have come across people here who are all so self-centered that they give a shit to others and to their feelings”. They can talk and relate well to the characters in the TV serials but not in real life. Well I am not sure if they have two faces like villains in those serials, they may have. But I don’t want to be the heroine to face all that.lol. I am ohk being a real life character or probably lost in my world of books. They talk over the phone to their friends and boyfriends all through the night and the only option I have is to curse the person who launched the free night calling schemes, wondering why didn’t he launch day calling schemes? I at times used to think would they talk to me, if I call in their mobiles. My roommate was offered a project in Delhi where her parents also live, and she was extremely unhappy at the thought of it and refused to take up that project. My reaction to that was “why?”… I expected some answer like ‘role was not good, I wouldn’t get to learn anything’. But NOOO. I got an answer “nahi wooh yahan hain na”. I was a little too shocked. I do understand that boyfriends oops I mean boyfriend(one at a time ;)) is more important than friends, but I wondered are they more important than parents also? Well I am getting introduced to a new set of people, whom I can’t call friends but only acquaintance. For someone whom their own parents mean nothing, then I think I can equate myself to just ‘A stranger’.

In the end all that wondered is unless a person is given the space to become a colleague or an acquaintance, how can they become a friend as that is the first step to reach the second step of friendship!

Time to change!

As a kid, every year we would travel to my grandparents place in Coimbatore for summer vacations. It was always the train journey which would fascinate me. 2 days when I and my sister would jump across from one seat to another and I can say that’s the only time, when my parents never scolded us for being naughty. Then I didn’t know the reason, but today living away from family, I can say their excitement to meet their families, used to make them happy too. There were many instances, when some people who were Muslims would travel in the train and they would do prayers few times in a day. I don’t know why I was scared, but I would sit beside my parents scared, watching them pray. So as a kid I was always scared of Muslims.




Few days back I happen to attend a Muslim wedding.
I got an invite from a Muslim friend to attend his elder brother’s wedding. From the time I had seen “band baja barat” movie, I had been very excited to hear “kubul hai”.I asked my friend “kubul hai bolenege bhaiya?”, to which he said “he will say, but you girls can’t see because that event happens in mosque”. I was a little disappointed, but I was more concerned about the food, which is one of the major reasons why we go to weddings, at least I do. I asked him “vegetarian khana hoga na?”. He laughed at my naïve behavior and said “haan hoga ,nahi to tere liye special banwa dunga, aaja”. And that’s when I finally had agreed to go for the wedding.



As I observed the wedding, it was completely similar yet there were some dissimilarities. But certain good things, which do not happen in the Hindu weddings made me wonder. I wondered when we adopt western culture, why don’t we adopt something which is good in other Indian culture itself, from the Muslim culture.



There was simplicity in their way of living. Their wedding was equally simple as they were. In the end uncle (my friend’s father) asked us “Beta you all got bored because in our weddings, we don’t have dance music and all, unlike yours?” all I could say was “I admired the simple way in which the wedding was carried out”. It was more of a get together of the families and friends. It was then I realized simplicity has no boundaries of caste,custom and religion.



Their wedding was not a show off affair like our Hindu weddings. The point which proved that was there wasn’t any photographer. I was amused comparing the fact that my cousin brother asks me to wash my hands, to ensure his wedding album is not spoilt when I tell him to show that. I do make fun of him “ Bhai , I know tujhe tere bachon ko dikhana hai, par it is laminated, it won’t get dirty”. I completely admired the fact that in their culture they didn’t want a photo album to show to their generations. They set example by living and created new memories for them. Memories don’t have the boundaries of caste, customs or religions.



In Hindu culture we say “mehmaan bhagwan samaan hota hai”, but in the wedding they actually lived by that. The hospitality which we were provided cannot be put in words. I wondered if I had ever been so comfortable at any my closest relative place also. They ensured that we were comfortable and enjoyed, because we were their guest.



In hindu’s we often talk about “Vasudhaiv kutumbakam” which means the entire world is one family. I have heard this phrase many times in my life, but in reality got to see it for the very first time in my life in this wedding. The entire flat was celebrating the wedding. We could almost enter in any of their neighbor’s home to take rest or spend time. And we entered someone’s home, friend said “haan haan , apna ghar hai, you all can take rest”. Sometime later the actual owner of the house came and that’s when we realized it was their neighbor’s home and aunty started to make snacks for us. When we said “No, we don’t want”, she said “aise kaise? You are all our guest today”.



Contended were they all. In the evening Bhaiya who got married came in his casuals to the neighbor aunty’s home, asking “you guys not going out to see the place”. To which aunty said “aaj to kam se kam ghar ke kapde pehen ke mat reh, dulha kaun hai hi samajh nahi aayega”. Bhaiya only smiled at that and didn’t say anything. Their happiness was reflected in their contended nature unlike the Hindu culture where the wedding ceremonies itself goes on for days and days and that the bride and groom would get so tired that they would praying “When would all the drama get over?”.



The neighbor aunty made tea and we were all deciding where to go out when I got a call from a Punjabi friend saying “I am getting married in May, make sure you book your tickets and be here for all ceremonies.” I once had a fight with this same friend when I asked him why we all do such a show off wedding, to which he had just one answer “my parents have seen only one dream since I was a child, to see their son sitting on horse dressed up like a groom”. After asking him the details about the girl, I teased “Finally tu ghode pe chad ke lane ja raha apni dulhan ko?” and we both laughed.



The customs which had some relevance in olden days are meaningless today because of the development of the technology. Yet the dreams are the same, and people struggle to fulfill them. No one is ready to take the challenge to bring the change. But as it is said ‘change is the only constant’, things would change and when it would happen is something no one can answer. There is lot of good things that we need to adopt from other cultures.



In the evening, we went out to see the place. We were driving parallel to a railway track and a train went by. I remembered my days as a kid travelling in train, when I was scared of Muslim fellow passengers and I smiled wondering I was scared of people who were the angels of god!

Courage-o-meter!

When impossible becomes possible, we never can let it go. And I feel it requires a lot of courage to let something go, once achieved because there may be a chance that we regret for the decision taken which could have otherwise changed the life for better. Often are the times when mothers sacrifice their career to look after the kids, which requires a lot of courage. If you have achieved something impossible and left it for any reason it may be you get +3

I always used to take up the work given to me in my old team. And my team mates would scold me “Say you can’t, it’s not a part your work”. But my thought process was different at that point of time as every small thing would help me learn something. They would shout at me “learn to say no, else you would suffer badly”. And lately I realized it takes lot of courage to say a “no” than agreeing to do what I have been asked to do. Ever said a no? +2

It is far easier to fight against the parents for your love. And even easier it is to elope. But I feel it takes in lot of courage to sacrifice ones love, for respect and feelings of others, especially your parents. It requires lot of courage to leave apart the person you love, knowing that he or she loves you equally. If done , you get a +5

We all talk about people fighting and guarding the borders. But it is the family of those who are courageous, who get to sleep peacefully knowing that any day may bring the news that their sons have become the martyrs. Have you slept peacefully when your family fought the enemies , you get a +7

We are brought up in a world which is full of corruption and injustices happening all around. Fortunately or unfortunately we were brought up so bold that we could never tolerate injustice and fought for the right. Me and sis fought for one marks, if given less or extra. Well it wasn’t about one mark, it’s about the right that we learnt to fight for. There have been people who react “jo hota hai hone do”. Finally when we would fail to fight for right, my parents would say “ dusron ko to badal nahi sakte, khud ko hi badalna padega”. But all I know is one needs lot of courage to stand up against injustice however small or big the injustice may be. Fought for the right ever? Take a +3, assuming it to be the smallest injustice you have fought for. If you have never done one you get a 0

We have rose day , chocolate day , propose day but never is a day for confession where we actually go and confess to people what we want to do. It takes huge courage to go and confess truly what someone feels. Have your ever confessed? +5 please.

One of the most difficult times is to see your loved one suffering from some terminating illness. Someone whom we counted upon, someone with whom we saw dreams and when we know all those were momentary and soon there would be time, when we would have to see the dreams alone. We try to save the life of the dear one for every minute that we can. It may be very easy to put it in words but requires huge courage to face such moments in reality. Not measurable as one required huge courage!

I don’t know how far this is applicable in today generation for whom “love” is just another word. But I always felt it takes a huge courage to go and say “I love you”. And I remember the dialogue from a recent movie, ‘ladki ko nahi badal paaye to , ladki ko hi badal do’. Try it and your get a +2.


Recently in a conversation from some unknown person, he asked me “how do you differentiate between your career and job”. It was a completely informal discussion at a family function. To which I said “I may be wrong, but what my perception is ….” And said what I felt about the same. He smiled “you will go places”. I argued “how do you say that? Just because my definition matched your thoughts doesn’t mean that I am right”, to which he replied “it’s not your definition , but the line which you said “I may be wrong, because it takes lot of courage to accept ones mistakes, and I have seen people who don’t admit even after they commit a mistake”. I hate to boast about myself and so here I say “I lied all this and it was just an imaginary situation” lol. I just wanted to give a description where people claim I am “right” and all I say is “yes you are right, and I am wrong” +3 for saying I am wrong and you are right.

As I almost completed jotting down my random thoughts , my roommate entered with malpua and rabdi, and I jumped from my bed to eat and I realized it takes a lot of will power, courage and commitment to not to eat something you love when it is kept right in front of your eyes. +10 if you can ever do this.



What’s your courage-o-meter in the scale of 40?

Expression of Love

As we all sat in the restaurant to enjoy the birthday treat of a dear friend, I loved the way he expressed his love for his to be wife and so was her way of expressing love for her to be husband (my dear friend). Although they are Girlfriend- Boyfriend, but I think defining them with those words would be quite a weak thing for the extreme love they are in with each other. We are all awaiting for the wedding bells to ring for them. Being the youngest of the lot, they have something huge to teach us all –The commitment with loyalty and trust! Commitment a word which is a reason of fear for the bravest of the brave, the strongest of the strong.


I may use the words girlfriend boyfriend for those who don’t know if they would actually get married, but at the moment it feels like they are made for each other. When two people know they like each other, but they still don’t know their own priorities in life. Ohk not diverting from the topic, as I see them, I realized there is not just one way to express love, but thousands of them.

Listing down few ways of expressing love which came to my mind:

Mutual respect: You respect your partner and their decision or suggestion plays a key role in decisions you take, however small or big they are.

Adoration: you love the way they are. You may adore their perfection or their imperfection. You may adore their command for respect or their love for nature. There may be no reason, but you still adore them.

Leg pulling love or Frustrating love: To constantly do something which you partner hate. And to ensure that your partner is watching you doing that. You constantly make fun of them, but nothing offends either of them, as it’s a way of expressing your love.

Giving up love: As one continuously frustrates other, either of them gives up. Giving up is not a sign of weakness, but a way of expressing your love.

Fighting Love: I hate to see you with another girl or you can’t tolerate to see me other guy. Well call it possessiveness or jealously or envy, the root cause of the problem is just the one, you love them. So to express it, all you do is to fight. Well that increases your love and never decreases.

Assertive love: you support each other to grow up the ladder in life, whether personal or professional. You motivate each other at the worst and best of the times. You wish to celebrate your success and failures with just them. And that’s assertive love.

Dignified love: You are proud to introduce them to your set of friends. You let her speak and allow her or him to grace the event, however small or big it may be. You honor them, for completing your life.

Hidden love: No one ever express it, neither to each other, nor to the world. A contended feeling in both the partners is nothing but love.

Freedom love: Giving each other the space they require, the freedom to live their life the way they want. The love should be the binding force for the commitment and not a reason to bind someone.

Public displayal of affection: Last but not the least, the public displayal of affection which I believe is the toughest way of expressing ones love as it takes lot of courage to project the love in the right way. And I believe it what proves that I don’t care about the world as you are world for me.




The one who was in your mind while reading all is the one whom you truly love, don’t hesitate to go and commit your love, who knows they may already like you too, but may be their way of expressing it was different from how you wanted them to do! As far as my dear friend and his love is concerned, it’s not one way , but they expressed their love in all possible ways and finally my friend’s to be wife declared “Didi, he never expresses his love”, to which we all laughed and said “because he likes someone else” to create a jealously feeling.

Connecting the learning’s of life to life!

Recently I met someone, who didn’t know me. After having some brief interactions I got a response from the person “God!! You are an extrovert”.

Mathematics

Formula number 1:

(+)  * (+)=(+)

(-)  * (-)=(+)

(-) * (+)=(-)



And I don’t know if people can remember, in theorems we would write

• Assumptions

• To be proved

• Proof

And after completing the proof, the last line would be Hence proved

Well I have tried to bluff in my exam answer sheets when I would forget couple of steps in the proof and write hence proved in the end, but my bluff never worked and marks were deducted. Hence I got the theorem for my life “Bluff would never work”

Although I did study mathematics in my graduation, but eventually I started hating formulas because life can’t be lived with a formula. But I did like few of them which I could connect to my real life.

Connecting to the statement “God, you are an extrovert”. A positive word in a negative situation which makes things negative as per the formula. Well it would be difficult to explain the situation, so please assume, although I wouldn’t bluff in the proof.


Civics

One of the 6 fundamental rights recognized by constitution of India is right to freedom which includes speech and expression. (Ohk honestly, I just remembered the right to speech, rest of the words I Googled to specifically define here what I meant to express!)

Connecting to the statement “God, you are an extrovert”. I love to express my emotions and yes I don’t think before I speak. I love to use this fundamental right to the fullest. Unless it’s going to offend or hurt someone, I don’t think I need to think.


Biology

Darwin theory of survival of the fittest. Well I don’t think any explanation is required on this.

Connecting to the statement “God, you are an extrovert”. I believe every individual has something special, some unique attitude and that’s what makes them special and they survive in this world full of competition. I had always thought my extrovert nature was my way to be the survival of the fittest. But then the reaction did make me think, is that what make me survive, or I need to think of something other attitude which is unique about me.


Physics

Newton’s law of every action has equal and opposite reaction.

Connecting to the statement “God, you are an extrovert”. You call me an extrovert, and I realize you are an introvert. But I have learnt recently that we have no rights to judge anyone. In such a brief conversation, I get to hear being an extrovert is a negative thing. At first, my mind didn’t want to really accept it, because that was what my friends, close friends and also not so close friends liked about me. But then I realized by not accepting I would be depriving the individual of their freedom to express. And I suddenly remembered one bad advertisement of Govinda in which he says“ maana maine dhakka diya, par tune kyun liya”.


Chemistry

I hated this subject; I hate to implement it in my life too. Only thing I had loved was in chemistry lab, when I would mix two transparent liquids in one tube, suddenly the colors would change to bright red or pink. And throughout my life, I mixed things to see if I can generate laughing gas in the lab to make my serious and strict chemistry teacher laugh, but that never happened. Although I was never disappointed, as I would imagine my chemistry laughing madly, which would make me laugh.

So I am not connecting to the statement “God, you are an extrovert”. But the laboratory experiments, I still apply in real life as I feel when right things fall in place, life becomes amazingly colorful. I believe one can create laughing gas around without actually using any chemicals. I am still in the learning phase of this experiment, but I know I would learn someday.



Marketing

I feel being more educated makes the person stop using his common sense. As I do the MBA in marketing, I forgot what I learnt as a kid in all these subjects of physics chemistry and mathematics. My life runs based on the 4P’s of marketing.

• Product: as I focus on the materialist things I have in life

• Price: I would rephrase this as value. Whenever I do something , I think of how people would value it, whether good or bad

• Place: By adopting the policy of be a roman in Rome, I often look for my lost identity as I change according the place or circumstances

• Promotion: it was the only P out of 4 that I thought I had applied positively in my life by being an extrovert

Now that I connect promotions to the statement “God, you are an extrovert”, and that too in a negative sense, I wondered did I apply that also wrongly?

An appointment with my life!

As ever the solution to problems of all my life laid in Cecelia Ahern books. It was ironical that the book I read always reflected my current state of life, or if not, at least provided the answer to my current question in life. I just started with “The time of life”, where the author gets an appointment letter from her life. Well that’s just few pages (Around 20) that I have read, but that was enough to trigger my imagination to write something.

I went back to think when did I meet my life? I wondered if I had ever met my life or not? As I kept thinking, I realized I did meet my life. Not once but twice and both time my life made me a better person than what I already was. And when I met them they came in two contrasting forms.



My life before I met my life for the first time

During my school days, although I was a good student but “shabby” could be a word I can describe myself as. I hated to polish my shoes because I knew at the end of the day when I am going to return back home, it would again be dirty. I used to wonder why at all I need to polish my shoes. The same was applicable while ironing my uniform. I felt that was an absolute wastage of time to do that. My sis would spend few hours of time polishing shoes and ironing her uniform. At times I would bribe her saying I would do her homework or give my lunch to her if she would polish my shoes and press my uniform as well. Sometimes she did, and sometimes she didn’t.

When we would stand for prayer, my sis being taller than me, would stand behind me and properly fold my collar and put my tag below the collar in right manner. I never believed in putting the books and notebooks in order in my bag. They would just be there. I never had any pencil box, but for sure all my pencils erasers would be inside my bag and I would put my hands in bag, rotate my hands and take it out. The sense of happiness I felt was like Aladdin’s genie had done some magic. I felt myself to be the genie! Lol

Ohh how did I forget my Almirah? Well almost similar to how my bag was. Early in the morning, I would put my hands in the shelf, rotate my hands, and would get what I wanted. My uniform blazer was never hung on a hanger as that irritated. I always folded it and kept in shelf, which eventually would get lost while searching for other things, and then I would search my blazer as well.

As I joined DU, my life became shabbier. My table was never cleaned. Since me and my sis were in different subjects, I had threatened her not to clean it, else I would lose my notes. All her books would be so much in order that I used to wonder “padhti bhi hai ki sirf saja ke rakhti hai”. My table would have not just books but also tea cups, a pen stand filled with pens, none of which would write. My night lamp, but I never studied at night as I was scared to sit alone and study and few of novels and my mobiles (please note it’s not mobile, but mobiles) in between my books and notes.



For all my 8.30 am classes I would reach on time –FOR ATTENDANCE, which was taken at the end of the class. Professor would call my name and I would be at the door, screaming “yes mam”. But with my innocence, cute smile and sincerity to be always on time for attendance, made my professors love me. Yes they actually did and would ask me what’s the excuse of the day, and I would sometimes give one, if I genuinely had, else I would just smile “kal I studied whole night" and  I would continue with my tantrum “I would never be late from next time, I promise, aaj de dijiye attendance please” and she would smile at that. My reaction would be “hassi to fassi” and I would go to first seat and push people inside and sit for next five minutes till she would finish taking the attendance.



Well that was when I met my life for the first time

He came in a form shabbier than me. I felt “eeewwwkkk”. How sick could a person be. He hardly wore shoes, but came to class in shabby floaters or chappals. His jeans were hardly washed. And shirts never ironed. His bag would be stinking and I would ask “dust bin se utha ke laya ki this itself is dustbin?” .He would have some chewing gums in his bags, luckily not the chewed ones, else I would have thrown him along with them. And after the release of Rang de Basanti, he said “I am going to have long hair, like kunal kapoor”. And I warned him that I would disown you from being my friend. He thought I was kidding but I did mean it seriously. He used to hardly attend the classes and would take my notes, to get them photo copied.





So finally I completed my graduation. Soon we all parted our ways and my life improved after I met my life. I didn’t want people to give “eeeewwwkkk” reaction after seeing me.I don’t know where he got lost, but I got what I had to-MY LIFE. I realized I have to change my habits.



My life before I met my life for the second time

After I completed my graduation, I had decided to clean my table and from my table draw I collected recharge coupons worth Rs 5000 as each of them valued Rs 10 or Rs 20. You can do the mathematical calculations to see the number of coupons I got. My mom was standing right behind me. I looked up at her with a dirty looking smile, without knowing what to say. Finally I said “poore 3 saal ke hain na mumma”.So my table would be clean, but my bed became the replacement for my table for my post-graduation. But I wouldn’t keep my tea cups, and night lamps, for that I got a side table near my bed. Improvement after meeting life!lol



I also improved on my punctuality. I always struggled to reach on time for next two years, but I had to. At times when I was late the college gate was closed in front of me asking me to go back home. No excuses, no smiles worked, only I worked harder to be on time. I got habituated to be punctual.

We were provided buffet lunch and breakfasts in college. Our plates used to be filled with food, although there were cameras in cafeterias. We wanted to avoid the inconvenience of going back and getting food again and again. Once the professor came to the class and said “you all were watched for your etiquettes for eating and I bet you all would fail, if we had to give you marks on that”. After the class got over, we all giggled “we have paid money, koi phokat ka shadi ka khana nahi kha rahe hain hum log”. Well that was funny at that point of life, as we didn’t understand that professor wanted to focus of etiquette and not quantity.

When we would go out, I used men’s wallet in which notes would always be folded, and it would take me some five- ten minutes to figure out what rupee note is that. By the time I would give the shopkeeper the money, he would have lost the patience or if anyone was with me, they would pay it off for me.

Soon I became a manager; I joined the “corporate world”. Some habits changed, others were yet to be changed.

Well that was when I met my life for the second time

There were moments when I would think “is he a machine or human?” But I never had the courage to ask, so I choose to assume he was a machine. He wasn’t just punctual to come to office, but also for the time to eat and sleep. I used to smile wondering “log alarm laga ke uthte hain, yeh alarm laga ke, time se soote honge”. There was an agenda for every day in his life. In his plate, rice wouldn’t get mixed dal, and he would eat in just the perfect manner. A perfectly calm life. At times I would envy his life and used to say “kaash meri life bhi aise hoti”.



Soon we parted our ways and my life improved after I met my life. I don’t know where he got lost, but I got what I had to-MY LIFE. I realized I have to change my habits.



My life today after meeting my lives

• Thank god I don’t use recharge coupons any more, I recharge my phone online.

• I had been for a team outing and a senior who didn’t know me, came to ask “have you studied or worked in US?” I replied “No, but why?” to which he said “the way you ate with fork and spoon”. Well I just smiled, I didn’t know if that was a compliment or I should give credit to my professor who screamed at us about etiquette or to my life, who taught me to eat food with love and in a humanely manner. Or was that in a machine form, I still don’t know! Anyways!

• I wear ironed clothes, I press the clothes required for tomorrow today itself, just in case I find there wasn’t current when I get up in the morning to rush for office. I carry my small iron machine when I travel, as the ironed clothes lose the crease when taken in suitcase.

• I polish my shoes every day and I keep things in bag, in the partition allotted for things where it has to be. At times when in hurry, it does become messier, but I ensure it’s put back in the right manner the same day.

• My formal coat hangs on a hanger, wrapped inside the coat cover.

• Recently as I stood in cafeteria payment counter, my friend laughed “Do you press the cash before keeping them in your wallet?” and I was taken aback to that men’s black wallet which I was using , and struggled to make the payment.



After being completely changed from the way I was to the way I am, I now feel, I forgotten how to live my life!

Mind is like a parachute, it flies when open!

We all have our own ways of dealing with things whether good or bad. There are those who are completely happy at good times, totally shattered at bad times. There are those whom remain the same in all times without expressions. But one thing that is common is we all express emotions in some or the other way. I have off late realized my way of expressing my emotions is to write. I wrote when I was happy, I wrote when I was in worst times, now I have learnt to express no emotions in any times, I am still writing. So I am just writing down the random thoughts and observations of mine.


We all often ask questions to others. During work we ask our seniors or juniors for suggestions, ‘you think it’s possible? It’s not that difficult, is it?’ Or even the time when we just decide to go out for dinner, we ask others “where shall we go?” but if we have ever thought deeply about it, these may not be the questions that we want to ask others but our own selves. By asking other, we are evaluating and analyzing the same in our minds.


Without knowing what the other person thinks, we still feel we have all the rights to throw tantrums, to shout and to fight with them. We also say what we have to, without thinking how they may interpret what we are saying. Unconscious mind does what it feels and all this happens when the conscious mind is switched off or sleeping. I felt it was good to be honest and express what you feel. But now I realized it’s good not to be honest than to lose the precious gift of friends and family that we have from god.


I laugh and I see people smiling around. I cry and the world seems gloomy. I hated people, other hated me. I try to be a good human being and I saw the people around were similar. Finally I realized the change is not in the world but in me. The world was my own reflection.


I have often heard people saying “Envy” is a bad quality. But I feel we envy people because they have what we don’t have or rather what we ever wanted to be. Can’t envy be taken in a positive sense to learn how they achieved what they are and is what we want to be? Wondering wondering!


My parents and my close friends always said “Go ahead, you can do it”. I at times succeeded and at times failed to prove them right. When others trust you more than you trust your own self, there are only two outcomes- we either succeed or we fail. There is no mid-way to that. We feel more confident or we fear that we may let them down. All that is to be thought is even if we fail; those who trust us would know we would learn from the failure and succeed the next time so “Go Ahead”!


You think I have given a great start to the week? Well the answer to my question which my mind says is “yes”. Have liberated my mind from the thoughts and it is often said “Mind is like a parachute, it flies when open”. My mind is ready to fly, what about yours? Smiles Smiles!