dreamland

Meena got up from the bed and looked at herself. She saw a stranger staring back at her. For a past few days she had been feeling like this. Things were not the same now. Her life had been sort of perfect. A lovely childhood filled with happiness, cool teen years and now the time when she earns and can live like a Queen - she had no regrets. She was always surrounded by her friends, her colleagues at work place liked her, her family adored her. She was the apple of everyone's eye. But then when she thought her life was perfect, everything went wrong.A fight with 2 of her friends left her upset. A small setback in the work place was creating tension. Her family was expecting her to spend more time with them. She couldn't stand this. Her life was not perfect. The ever bubbly girl who could make anyone laugh at the drop of a hat was shying away to meet anyone. She feared this getting worse. This made her depressed more. She felt very lonely.There would be a smile on her face every...

Continuation from Part 1 ,Part 2 and Part 3. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Considering what had happened in the last one year, her wedding day could also become her death day only if… Closing her eyes she remembered how she ended up in this situation now. Flashback! Archana’s father knew enough contacts and he ensured his son didn’t get mixed up in police case after Preethi’s incident. Her death was termed as suicide with the reason being given – she was not happy with the wedding. Her image was tarnished in public even after her death and Arjun’s name never got surfaced. Archana knew that her life would never be the same after this, but still she had to live. Her parents stopped her also from going to college after what had happened. Her brother went away for a few months but again came back. This time he was the same Arjun she had known since childhood. Even though she spoke to him as she used to, she knew that she could never forgiv...

Continuation from Part 1 and Part 2 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Both of them looked at each other scared knowing anything like this will hamper her life… She knew that just the word “love” in her house itself a taboo. And she was not at all interested in Arjun. She respected him as he was Archana’s brother. The next few days were nightmare for Preethi as Arjun started following her everywhere. She ignored him completely but still he would try to talk to her after the college in the evening. She tried to talk to him once to leave her alone but he didn’t heed her. He kept giving her small gifts and telling her he loved her. Soon the words reached her parents that she was seeing a guy. All hell broke loose in her house and her parents questioned her a lot. They stopped her from going to college despite her plea of innocence. Archana knowing the whole truth tried to convince Preethi’s parents but she was asked to leave Preethi...

Continuation from Part - 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She knew that tomorrow could be her death day too if... If what happened to Preethi one year ago, happened tomorrow!! Preethi...she shuddered as she remember her face, corpse, And what happened to her, thanks to her brother! Flashback - 3 years back! Preethi was getting ready to go to college! Her 1 st day in college. She was happy! Her parents had finally agreed to let her study tillthey get a suitable match for her. That was the deal she could from them - Study till her wedding is fixed. She sincerely hoped that the guy they chose for her should let her complete her graduation. She knew that was the max she could wish for in this life. She was born to become a dutiful daughter,dutiful wife, dutiful daughter-in-law and dutiful Mother in her lifetime. She could not expect to achieve anything else! She started for college with the intent to enjoy her life for herself as much as po...

She looked at herself in the mirror. She was scared but didn't know what to do. Tomorrow is her wedding. Wedding she was not at all interested in, but knew she had no other choice. After everything that had happened. It was the only way to escape from the "hell" she was living in but she knew she won't be happy. She turned and sat in the chair. She looked around the room and saw the album kept on the table - one of her prized possessions. All those people in her life were captured in photos and were in that album. She took the album and opened it. Her parents were smiling and looking back at her from the photo. She wondered what would be going in their mind concerning tomorrow. For them she had always been a "burden" just like any other family thought a girl child to be burden in their society! They just wanted to see her married and their duty would be over. She wanted to study more. She had completed her Graduation recently. It was a custom in her family t...

Attending and blogging about the session(In my company) of Dr.Pawan on The Mumbai Dabbawala's reminded me of our very own Dabbawala back in Bhilai and the extended family. Yep, you read right - Extended Family ! Starting with Dabbawala, am sure most of you would have been impressed by the way the Mumbai Dabbawala's are functioning. Awed by the details of their routine etc and how they work it out as an organization and equally wondering why they don't expand their service beyond Mumbai! From the day I have been in Chennai, I never saw a Dabbawala here. Somehow I had always assumed that there would be Dabbawala's in every city just like we had in Bhilai. I came to Chennai and made this observation even before Prince Charles visited India and the Mumbai Dabbawala's and they became famous! So the general talks about Dr.Pawan about the Dabbawala's didn't surprise me as I have seen many like them in action. The only difference would be that in Mumbai, its an or...

"Ma, What is a festival?" - asked a eleven year old boy to his mother as she finished puting rangoli. She looked at him with warm eyes and said - "Festival means Celebration" . Son looked at his mother and asked - "What is celebrated?" She smiles at him and says "Different things" He asks her - "What different things?" She makes him sit next to her and asks him - "Pongal,Diwali,Holi etc" He immediately asks - "Christmas?" She looks at him bewildered. Then immediately smiles and nods her head saying - "Yes, Christmas too". He again asks - "Then Eid?Why don't we celebrate it? Anwar celebrates!" She looks at him lovingly and tells - "We celebrate Eid too by wishing Anwar and his family and many others" But he is not convinced - "Why doesn't Anwar celebrate diwali?" She replies - "Anwar also celebrates holi by playing wth colors and diwali by bursting crackers al...

A Typical Iyer Wedding would be inside a mandapam and range from 3 to god knows how many days. But with the changing times, The number of days range from 1 to 3 days. When I say 1 day - it will be for whole 1 day with the main ceremony at a time and different religious ceremonies surrounding it!! Receptions are also equally a grand and monotonous affair, with a queue standing near the stage to meet Groom-Bride and to mark their attendance by posing for the photo.But Exceptions are everywhere!! And that was what witnessed in JeyaMahal Palace in Bangalore on 12th September!!! Muhurtham - 10.30 am to 12 pm Venue - Open Ground in Jeyamahal palac So starting off with a small religious ceremony from Bride's side kick started the marriage ceremony!!! Kasi Yatra Malai Matral Oonjal Mangalya Dharanam Saptapadi And the Reception - An evening with them - No stage, they went around meeting everyone :) And what's a wedding without feast?? A mix and match of food items o...

She kept switching the channels - various News channels showcasing India's achievements on all the events that were held for past 13 days in commonwealth Games 2010. India beat England in the medals tally and finished 2nd overall! She saw all the smiling faces being shown, those who had won the medals for India and made our country proud. She was both happy and sad. Happy with the achievements but sad for the winners! 8 years back she had been beaming and smiling. People surrounded her and wished her. Camera-persons came behind her to take her video, Photographers to capture her photo with medal. She felt happy for getting recognized, after all she had won Gold Medal for her country. She felt proud. As she gave interviews and posed for photographs, she sincerely hoped that now things should be smoother. With her achievement, Sports Ministry should try and help more aspiring athletes by providing good facilities and training and fund them for coaches. She felt her Achievement would ...

There were 5 Wanderers, who accidentally or coincidentally, met at one of the greatest Wanderer's house on a saturday morning The 6 Wanderers(NP2KMCRS) decided to hang around for the weekend with nothing much to do! They are - Mr.P, Mr.M,Ms.R,Ms.S,Mr.C and Mr.NPK So the 6 Wanderers decided to go out in car to a place called Valparai. No concrete idea was made. They simply started from R's house without taking any eatables or anything. Camera's in hand and smiles in their face, they decided to explore not just the nature of Mother Earth but also themselves!! Mr. NPK - Prasanna - He wandered in the tea states in Pollachi and Valparai and found a new passion - plucking tea leaves ;) Mr. C - Chiranjib - He wandered and got awed by the Nature's beauty and got out his passion for photography!! Ms.R - went into the stream of journalism and scared a few people near Valparai Police Station ;) Ms.S - The MAD Scientist felt herself completely lost looking here and there!! Mr.P - ...