Stories

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Hashtag Lockdown

My world has shrunk, it’s gone so small

How less i need confined in the four walls

Nothing is compromised be it taste or lifestyle

The house chores look seemingly worthwhile

The creative spirit keeps calling all day long

There is time to play, sit and hear a song

Fitness goals stay the same with altered means

I  love the golden sunshine, the sparkling sheen

I think, live and feel as simple as i can

Surprisingly i have caught up with the new plan

All the time spent is with family and self

How far i have come this way, sometimes I dwell

It also comes to me, is this how we were meant to be?

It also comes to me, that soon I may meet a new me

We all want it to end, even I feel like all of you

But the lock down has definitely changed my world view

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Nature’s Agenda


Nature’s original idea was to keep us in a flow
Routine, simple, pleasant but slow

Gradually we all started a race
We chased, we ran, we increased the pace

Objects were invented to facilitate the flow
We adapted, we changed, always on the go

No pause to wander, no moment to exclaim
No time to interpret, why keep each day same?

We hustled, we stressed in our quest to grow
Always rushing to the next task in the row

But all this time we spent in a foolish propaganda
Because this was not Nature’s original agenda

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The Soul String

There is this thing in the Universe which calls upon you

It tells you to not tear apart, rather mend and sew

It pushes you to not give up, keep going you will find

At the end of it you will get it, it would be a worthy grind

It asks you to let loose, take each moment one by one

It shouts out saying that serving others can also be fun

It reminds you of the goodness that surrounds you all the time

Staying in gratitude, appreciating – will not cost you a dime

It requests to seek the higher purpose for which we all exist

It pleads to open the palms, why keep a closed fist

What is this ‘It’ that calls upon us every single time?

It’s the soul string that connects you to another soul sublime..

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Trip to Auli

Trip to Auli

Majestic mountains and untouched scenic beauty defines Auli. At a height of around 2500 meters from sea level Auli spells magic especially for people like us who hail from an illusionary busy city like Mumbai.  It brings you face to face with what survival is, because everything there just lies as it is, no tampering and slow development. You are surrounded by mountain ranges and golden sunshine spreading over the high peaks. Mt Nanda Devi is the magnificent of all, at a height of 7800 meters; the peak reminds you of how small you are in the scheme of things. People there are petite and hardworking used to the rough terrains. Joshimath is the closest town where you can get essentials from.

The silence draws you inwards, evening sets in as early as 6 pm, making you retreat to your rooms. You inevitably end up spending time with family or friends or self as the itinery is low key – not too much to do but lots to converse with.

We did a one day trip to Badrinath – the divine shrine which is a part of the Char Dham Yatra – considered auspicious by every Hindu. There were natural hot water (temperature is 40 degrees) Kunds where visitors take a bath before going inside the temple. The air was light, the skies were clear and a religious thread bonded all the devotees together.

We did a small trek too – the Gorson Bugyal trek, which is located at an altitude of 3000 meters. The kids were on mules while I and my better half tread along. The best thing about such treks is you walk at your own pace. The forests were quiet reminding me of the eternal truth that God created this Universe keeping poise in his heart.

There is a natural tuning with which He made birds, leaves, slopes, flowers, breeze – they appear to be different elements but in reality they are all one and we belong there too. Yes, we are just one of the elements. It is only in places like Auli that we get a chance to reconnect to our co elements.

We stayed at a friend’s hotel cum homestay – Mountain Rover. It had warm rooms all facing the mountains. The stay ins there are spread over the mountains – all have steps to move upwards and downwards where the rooms, dining and reception are located. The chair car and cable car are tourist attractions and a delightful experience for kids.

As I enjoyed the view from the cable car glass, I suddenly spotted a tree with pastel pink leaves – it stood out amidst the otherwise green foliage that covered the mountains. It was worthy of meditation. What was the best part about the place was its rawness.

No words are enough to sum up what I felt – it’s abstract and will stay with me forever.

Visited the mountains, taking a part of it with me
A changed soul and mind, a new lens to see
Mountains are majestic, so small I feel
The hustle is rested, took to nature to heal
Spent some time with God’s spectacular creation
The mountains of Auli, indeed a memorable vacation

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Trip to Rishikesh

As a child whenever my drawing teacher asked me to draw scenery, I drew a standard one – Mountain range with half Sun showing from between, a river that begins from the mountains, flowing downwards with villages on the banks of the river. I did not know then, that I was actually creating and re -creating Rishikesh. Rishikesh is set by the banks of the river Ganga, the holy river that keeps Rishikesh thriving. It is a land of sadhus and foreigners seeking spiritual solace. It boasts of beautifully carved temples and over 100 centers that preach meditation of every possible form. Rishikesh has an air of peace and tranquility. I had visited with my husband and two kids and what we enjoyed the most were

Ganga Aarti

Though I am not a person who believes in rituals – Ganga Aarti was a serene experience. Over 10-15 Pandits perform the Aarti at the Triveni Ghat in complete sync almost like some ensemble. The light breeze and the Jyot (flame) of the Diyas involve you in the running moment.

Visit to Ashrams

We stayed at hotel Divine with all the rooms facing Ganga. The property does justice to its name. We were interested in visiting some popular ashrams though, on the other side of the city – where we had heard of people staying for month’s altogether. We went to Parmarth and Geeta Bhavan – huge areas with affordable rooms and all the essentials that one needs. In fact, Parmarth also has a tint of luxury. The walls all around are full of verses from Hindu scriptures, which coincidentally apply to your life situations. There are statues depicting the important events of Hindu Ramayana and Mahabharata. Clean temples where some chants or some prayer goes on almost the entire day. It looked so basic that it awakened my inner calling of going back to the simplicity of my childhood – where a paper boat in the rain puddle was all I needed to stay happy the entire evening.

Ramjhula and Laxmanjhula

Unlike Mumbai, that has the best of flyovers – these are humble bridges that let you cross over the river Ganga to the other side of the place. I found them to be the busiest parts of the city and they are also regarded as landmarks. At night the view is mesmerizing with dimly lit houses, hotels on both the sides of the Jhula and their reflection in the Ganga. The local markets selling cheap goodies along the road to the Jhula keeps the area lively.

River rafting

After all the soft experiences comes the one that was adventurous and thrilling. Rishikesh is famous for river rafting all over India. I did the 26km rafting with Red Chilli adventure – and the feeling will forever be etched in my memories. I am a non- swimmer, yet the idea of getting closer to the flow was very attractive. The rafts were of good quality and apart from your guide on the raft you have another one on a Kayak who stays with your raft – spelling high standards of safety.  The raft rifted through the river giving us an illusion that we were the ones carrying the raft with our oars but in reality the river was carrying us. They let you keep your legs out in the water as if you are relaxing poolside – it felt like the water has healing powers sending peace waves throughout your body. They also made me plunge in the river – yes, it was cold initially but after sometime you feel absorbed. When instructing us about how to raft, our guide Dev unknowingly taught us a life lesson – when in water do not resist the current, go with the flow. I realized yes, it is so easy to just go with the flow.

Food at Nirvana

An isolated offbeat Café that we reached (courtesy Zomato and TripAdvisor) nestled in one quiet corner of the city with wooden interiors and a pebbled outdoor area. It served the finest of Pasta, Mexican rolls and pizza – we were delighted to indulge in the same as we were on proper Indian food otherwise. What was special about the space was that no person out there was judging the other – all were in a state of individualistic Nirvana (not all were high on weed)

A walk through the city is engaging as you see a stark contrast when you see a conservative Gujarati lady in her 80’s is accompanied by a French lady in her 30’s at a stall selling sugarcane juice. River Ganga, which I cannot stop mentioning about, urges you to keep going day and night. To me the true essence of Rishikesh is where people from different countries, religions, castes come together – with a common purpose – ‘To learn how to live simple and stay humble!!’

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Bhaidooj – Time for sibling love

Bhaidooj is made up of two words namely- “Bhai” meaning brother and “Dooj” meaning the second day after the new moon which is a day of its celebration.

Bhaidooj is an auspicious occasion for the Hindus where brothers pay visit to their sisters and sisters in turn make special arrangements – treating them with delicious food and gifts too. An important part of the ritual is the tilak which the sister puts on the brother’s forehead wishing him prosperity in life.

There are few Hindu mythological based stories related to the origin of this auspicious day. According to one legend, Lord Krishna visited his sister, Subhadra after killing demon Narkasur. Her sister gave a warm welcome to him and made the occasion really special through flowers and sweets. Subhadra also applied the ceremonial “tilak” on the forehead of her brother, Krishna and hence the festival of “Bhai Dooj” was born from there. Another legend revolves around the story of Yama, the God of Death and his sister Yamuna. It is believed that he met his beloved sister on Dwitheya, the second day after the new moon.

I am blessed with two beautiful children, a girl and a boy. They are young and tender minded, sharing a special bond with each other. Once I was upset over my son for misbehaving and playing mischief all day. I and my husband reprimanded him, by not speaking to him for a while. I encouraged my daughter too to not converse. Her reply was, “No, I will not stop talking to him, we have explained him and he will not repeat.” Though she was not on our side, inside my heart I felt very peaceful that she did not give up on her brother. That is all that mattered…

Another incident was when we were at Jaisalmer at a desert camp. My daughter suddenly went out of sight. It was a spread out property and she wandered away. I and my husband were both worried and angry. The moment we found her I just bashed her for how she just slipped away on her own. Even my husband carried a firm face and intoned, that she should have been responsible. But my little son, simply said, “We were searching for you. I was sure though that you will not have any fun without me and you will soon be back. Now you stay together…” and just held her hand. My heart melted because he did not give up on her…

Siblings are special and worthy of the connect, so do revisit your innocent childhood memories and choose to bond better this Bhaidooj…

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My mind my garden

My mind my garden – Robin Sharma, a revered author had mentioned this elaborately in his book – The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari. And the thought has stayed with me since then. A beautiful garden with roses and lilacs, with lush green trees and water fountains, with pebbled pathways and chirping birds – would anyone want to escape from such a magnificent space? Rather we would want it to be a part of our life – easily accessible so that we can regularly frequent it.

Similarly our mind if cultivated into a cleaner space decorated with thoughts of nourishment and nurturing can evolve into our favorite place. If we sow seeds of goodness and humility and water them, they will bloom into kind thoughtful actions. It is so simple to keep our minds beautiful- which can thus, be our space to rejuvenate. We will be able to design creative ways to work better and enhance our being.

An equally important part is to protect it. Protect it from what? If the metaphorical garden with flowers and trees is dirtied with trash – what will happen? It will stink and lose its charm. Similarly if we allow negative thoughts gain ground in our mind we will end up acting upon those thoughts wrenching our otherwise good life. So we better take care that no bad enters our mind – our beautiful garden – which is our source of peace and fulfillment.

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My child is average

My child is no genius, he is simply average

Are marks and degrees the only means to gauge?

He draws so well, he can paint his mind

He is virtuous, noble and very kind

He is updated about the current affairs

Through his telescope at the stars he stares

He is a great chef, he makes lovely tea

He teaches orphans after office, for free

He follows football, and is a basketball player

He just made a sketch of the city mayor

He wants to learn dance, yet to decide which form

He is learning languages, you know ‘Madre’ means mom

When he acts on the stage, you can’t help but applause

He pens articles, poems, seldom with flaws

On weekends he participates in social initiatives

The list goes on, he is energetically creative

Your doubt is right, how can my son be so talented?

But these are the voices of all the moms who relented

All the moms who accept, “Yes my child is average.”

Coz marks and degrees are no means to gauge

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Diwali – The festival of inner light

Like each day, I sat reading the newspaper. What surprised me today was that Bombay Times the attached newsletter to Times of India which is usually an 8-10 pager supplement was a bulky 24 pager. Flipped through it and found it is disproportionately filled with promotion material. The paper is propagating Diwali as ‘the time’ to buy it all – from appliances to cars to jewelry to apparels to vehicles…Woof!!! I was left wondering that is Diwali all about shopping?

Tradition says Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of the goodness; as felt by the kingdom of Ayodhya when Lord Rama came back from a 14 year exile. They lit the entire place with diyas, they decorated every corner with torans and rangoli. The fragrance of fresh flowers filled the air; the sky was lit up too with crackers… Above all this all of them came together to celebrate the special day with a broad grin on the faces and a renewed spring in the steps.

See, we come from somewhere so simple. Festivities should be more about meeting and greeting. Diwali should be more about illuminating our souls. Today, there is so much darkness inside us – due to social media statuses, competitive environment, and pressure to be the best at everything. Diwali is indeed a good time to do away with these negative emotions. A large section of Hindu community also celebrates the following day as New Year. Which means it is an appropriate time to resolve!!

Kindness, humility, forgiveness and acceptance are the four key things that lead you to a better life. We forget about them in the everyday humdrum, and festivals are the best time to check on these virtues. So gift your house help, downplay your achievements, forgive your friends/relatives, and accept the difference in the opinions of family members.

Yes Diwali is very much about new clothes, good food and a refreshed household/office with new items that make our lives more comfortable. But all this is squandered without a bright soul.
So let us clean up our minds and let our being shine this Diwali!! Happy Diwali to all my readers 

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Animation is real!!!

Animation movies are popular these days and enjoyed as much by adults as by kids. In fact I have observed that these movies challenge ideologies and inspire the lighter way. The small and big animated characters bring the screen alive and teach us life lessons. Below are 10 such movies and what I could learn from them – my hidden takeaways

Kung Fu Panda
This is a story of a Panda learning Kung Fu. For me this is one movie that powerfully exhibits that your structure or weight does not define your abilities and skills. The secret message is “Nothing” – you believe in yourself and you create magic. Our light hearted Po – The Panda in the movie, is able to learn the methods of Kung Fu only after he drops all self- inhibitions and believes that he can. There he goes!! On to become one of the ferocious and tactful Kung Fu warriors.

Jungle Book
One of my favorite movies, Jungle Book stands for ‘facing the fear in its face’. Throughout the flick Mowgli escapes, dodges, hides from Sher Khan, his enemy since birth. This endless running comes to a standstill when Mowgli decides to fight back. What led him to this point? I think self -realization and preparedness to accept the worst.

Up
The old man in the movie, a little irritable and fussy wants to build his dream house at the tip of the mountain and fulfill the dream of his deceased wife. The track is super fictitious but the message is clear – age is no bar for life goals. Many a times we hear people saying that now the time has passed or there are a set of people who mock at an elderly person trying to bring a change in their life style. The movie puts forth the thought – One should live till one meets death.

Ratatouille
The world that we live in has unstated parameters of judging a person. A saree clad simple lady, she does not look the party types; a man with a tilak, he seems strictly traditional. The little rat chef in the movie is symbolic of the less privileged in the society. He has numerous weak moments in the movie where he feels worthless and used. Nevertheless his passion – cooking keeps calling on to him, and one fine day the world recognizes. So no matter what the failures are, one should chase his dreams.

Smurfs
Smurfs is a movie that shows the power of togetherness. A fine detail of the movie – that the audience may skip noticing is how the Smurfs keep singing along as they work. Through hardships and happiness they sing “La, la, la, la, la, la, sing a happy song La, la, la, la, la, la, Smurf the whole day long.” We think while one is working one should only work, why keep humming. But we miss on the small joys that lie in singing along as you lead your day. 

How to train your dragon
The plot in this movie is that a teenager named Hiccup is tossed into a dragon fighting school  but his basic nature is that of non-enmity. So he befriends an injured dragon, Toothless. Defies the social norms of ‘survival of the strongest’ and in the end the dragon turns influential in rescuing the entire com of Hiccup. Fresh thought –  Trust and play by each other’s strengths.

Inside out
Riley Anderson, the central character in the movie lives by 5 basic emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. When she shifts to a new city – San Francisco, she takes every change very heavily erasing all her happy memories, and filling her with remorse. What i took from the movie? Do not overthink at the time of life changing events – be it shifting or marriage or baby or a new job, that is the time when we should feel open and enthusiastic.

Lion King
Lion King, an epic creation of vigor and valor. A prominent character Sarabi, the wife of Mufasa, the King and mother to Simba, the cub. Throughout I was impressed by the way Sarabi emerges as the true lioness after the plotted murder of her husband. Rooted single parenting and self empowerment at its best. So womanhood itself is about core courage – no other way out.

Finding Nemo
I may sound cliché’ but somehow the experience and wisdom of the elderly is always underrated by the younger generation. I do not want to challenge the plot, but Nemo’s father Marlin constantly warned him about the dangers of the ocean, still Nemo followed his fancy idea of exploring and got lost. Marlin was not a possessive father, he was waiting for Nemo to attain the ideal age, to spend some time learning the tricks of the ocean. In the garb of being rebellious, youngsters get themselves into difficult situations and poor parents have no option but to save them.

Ballerina
This is a dance movie, where Felicie, a poor orphan girl wants to learn ball dance, a privileged form of dance usually for the rich. She gets help from Odette, a mysterious cleaning woman and a former prime ballerina. Amidst the pressure to perform Odette helps Felicie learn the dance form right and trains her secretly. A person’s standard or designation does not decide how well he can train, the ruling factor is knowledge. Knowledge.


So here you go ten movies to catch up with in your free time… Do watch all of them….