Valentine's day gift

Whom do I love most in the world apart from the usual answer about family. Well, I admit shamelessly - it's me! I love myself. My love affair with the person in the mirror has undergone many ups and downs and has survived me not liking my reflection at all.
On every Valentine's day, I do something special for the people I love. This year, I did something for this special person 'me.' When life is sort of busy with two children, a 'missing-in-office' hubby, and not to mention the efforts of settling in a new country yet again, it is very easy to forget this most important person. So, this Valentine's day I gifted myself my very own blog - a blog that I plan to share with the world unlike this one.

Happy Valentine's Day, dear. Muah!

Conversation

Can India ever be a developed country if we don’t have any form of population control? “In a jungle, if the no. of animals exceed a set per sq km quota ... they usually perish” how come there is no such statistics for humans in the urban jungle.

A pickpocketeer is beaten up by the public, harassed by the police and thrown into jail for at least 6 months. His crime – stealing Rs. 50 or 100. How can a guy like Raja (of 2G scandal) get away with only resigning?

Does democracy need to be redefined? Should there be a minimum qualification to get voting rights. Do we need to rethink if an illiterate person who can be bought with a bottle of alcohol is able to make the ‘right’ choice?

Isn’t it important that every election candidate should have minimum college education?

Was Partition really necessary? Isn’t it a result of just power politics?

Should Nehru have taken the Kashmir issue to the UN? What did S Radhakrishnan think about this?

Before I knew it, I was at my destination.
Topics flowed easily as the road sped by. Sitting in an auto, this discussion was with my auto rickshaw driver about the issues plaguing modern India. Definitely one of the best conversations I have had in a while.

Why is it that …

People who want to be accepted at face value cannot accept others the same way.
People who crack jokes at others cannot take a joke cracked at them.
People who have a firm opinion on everything cannot accept that others can also have firm opinions.
People who are judgmental of others cannot accept that judgment being directed at them.
People who expect courtesy at all times cannot extend the same courtesy to others.

Durga Pujo

Pujo manei pujor kodin porashuno bondho
Pujo manei shat shokale shiuliphuler gondho
Pujo manei shondhyebela thakur dekhar bheer
Hoichoi aar utshobete chardeek awsthir

Pujo manei patshalate bajlo chhutir ghonta
Pujo elei chhelebelay paliye phere monta
Pujo manei ma duggar ahsur nidhon pala
Anjali aar proshad petam pujor dupurbela

Pujo manei notun jama notun notun shaaj
Alpona aar thakurdalan daaker shaajer kaaj
Pujo manei mahalaya kashphule math shada
Pujo manei aponjoner tane poruk badha

Pujo maei shagor pahar ekchhutetei paari
Shwapne kokhon pouchhe jetam meghbhashano baari
Pujo manei dhaker baddi,pujor bishorjon
Ahchhe bochhor abar esho monkharaper mon …

Aajke pujo onyorokom onnobhabe ashe
Bhorer bela shishir pore? shiuli gondho bhashe…?
Hoyto ashe... hoyto shobai bodle gechhi aaj
Bohumulya shomoy ekhon aamader shobar bheeshon kaaj …

Bhalo theko bondhura shob bondhu thakuk mone
Pujor dine chhelebela abar poruk mone ...

This is a fwd a friend sent me 2 days before pujo. I am sure all bengalis can relate to at least a part of this and I am no exception!
I wonder what nostalgia will the next generation have of these festivals ... will it only be about mad shopping sprees and some hectic socializing.

Tum Bin ...

Tum bin jiya jaye kaise…Kaise jiya jaaye tum bin

He is thousands of miles away and I feel his absence as I go about my daily routine. I think of posting something romantic and poignant about my longing but then I pause and catch my breath as I realize that I don't really miss him.

Yes, I miss not being able to reach out and touch him and I miss seeing his frown and smile, I miss the romping of my two men but that is where the overflow of emotions end.

I seem to communicate more with him now. Though we are miles apart, we make time for each other by mailing, chatting or just calling up every day. This time is completely ‘ours’. I sit in my room alone and talk to him and that is something that doesn’t happen often when he is here.

I remember a time when we waited for each others letters that were written late in the nights. Our feelings of love and longing would reach the other person at least a week later. Now, in this age of instant communication I can ask him anything… anytime, even an innocuous query about bill payments and investment papers.

In this connected wired world, where is the chance to pine for anyone!
Phone calls, Email, Chatting, Webcams, Skype … we are so ‘in touch’ all the time.

Am I just a jaded wife or has the world really become smaller ... I wonder.

Dancing Water

A starlit night … a beautiful musical fountain … hand in hand with someone … the world seems to fade away … as we sit watching the musical fountain at Brindavan Garden.

The entire family had gone to see the spectacle but for a moment it felt as if there was no one with us … he was the one who showed me the stars overhead as we sat mesmerized by the dancing water … a romantic and special moment shared with the love of my life, my 4-year-old son.

First Day at the 'Big' School

My baby ... my little boy stands tall
handsome and charming in a blue uniform

It is his first day at the 'big' school
We walk hand in hand to the bus stop
He walks with a smile
Oh but ...the butterflies in my tummy have been there awhile.

As he steps onto the school bus and waves goodbye...
I fight back my tears of pride.
“Mamma, I will come back”, he says with a final wave
I send up a little prayer and marvel …
when did my little one become so brave!

A rainy monsoon night …suddenly my heart overflowed with love, I became a ‘Ma’ thereof…
That moment …his baby breath against my chest ...I can still recall.
Someone rightly said ... the toughest job of being a mother is letting go…
My little one is spreading his wings and I have to make his wings so strong so that he can fly away…‘only to return’ ...as he tells me. That is true, at least for now - I tell my heart.