Presenting the lil man..

I spent the day babysitting my cousin’s son. We decided to stay home for a bit since it was raining outside. It isn’t easy for a highly energetic kid to stay cooped up indoors. My room now resembles a cyclone struck site. I brought out the paints. Painting with a kid is so much fun. I watched him fill the colour in the boundaries, with such pride. After a while, he was more interested in painting his nails. He used his favourite blue colour on all his fingers. I know I should have stopped him, but I didnt. He gets to be a kid only once. Let him do as he pleases. My white bed sheet turned multicoloured with smears of blue, red and green. So we replaced it with some hideous floral print, the one you can see in the pics. We didn’t even bother changing the pillow covers 🙂

When the rain stopped, we went to the park. We watched the fountains, said hi to the duckies, sat on the slides, bought ballons, and had a great time. I really love kids.

Speaking of which, I’ve wanted babies of my own since I was 13. Thats what I really want in life. A happy family of my own. I wanna be there for them, every moment, and watch them grow. If I don’t get married, I’ll just adopt a couple of babies and bring them up with all the love in the world, and cherish them and all the small pleasures that come my way everyday. People my age have such different dreams, and here I am dreaming about happy families, and lil babies. I guess that makes me an outcast from the cool crowd.

The infamous Mumbai jams..

The snarling traffic jams in this city have been driving me (literally :D) insane. If the down pour of the rain is very heavy during high tide hours, all the water gets washed back in and the city starts flooding. It wrecks havoc on the roads. And, there is some kind of construction going on everywhere. Work in progress for the new flyovers being built. And, they’re digging all over the place for the Metro project. The combined outcome? ENDLESS JAMS. The implications?

I’ve learnt to exercise better self control. I don’t get delirious and ram into some random vehicle just for kicks. I *do* manage to retain my sanity, even under such circumstances.

I count numbers and deep breathe. A good way to pump up and oxygenate my nearly crippled lungs.

I’ve learnt how to drive while sleeping. Yes, its possible. Nope, I am not kidding. Spending nearly two hours in a car which is barely moving can make you very drowsy. You then learn to move on in that half asleep dopey state. You change gears without knowing it. You drive ahead without being fully conscious. And yet you’re alert enough. Do I sound like some maniac?

I genuinely appreciate friends who are willing to talk to me at that time.

The RJ from Radio City suddenly seems like my best friend.

The maddening jams make me ponder and think over things I avoid thinking about. The blocked road in fronta me leaves me with no escape route.

By the time I get home, I am too tired to argue with bengari, or anybody for that matter. I listen to whatever you say. Agree to whatever you say.

Not such a bad deal after all?

My papa bestest!

I am copy pasting something I wrote on Fathers Day last year, on my previous blog.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

I feel some surging pride when i think of my dad. Because I feel proud that this endearing man is MY father. He’s bald (almost) and looks old for his age. Maybe thats why I find old men cute? I always believed my father is better than other fathers. Why you ask? Well.. He drove me to school, all my school life, right upto my 10th grade.Just because I wanted those 10 minutes of extra sleep and I thought the school bus came too early. My dad, he runs after me every morning, with a spoon full of honey (which has soaked almonds) and stuffs it into my mouth, every single morning. My milk has to be made only by him..he comes and hands me the mug, and when I refuse he insists that I have it, and sits right beside me till I gulp it down. If he’s home in the evenings, he’s the one who makes my coffee..not just for me, for my friends too, much to their amazement. I’ve seen my friends fathers dont take a glass of water on their own, let alone making coffee for their daughters and their friends..Have I told you about the oil massages he gives me? Do you know of too many fathers who do all this? Ok, you do? Don’t tell me about them. I believe my papa is the bestest 🙂
Right from the time I was about 4 years old, he’s been calling me “Angel baby” and “Princess” and continues to do so. It makes me really smile. His PJ’s are so ho-hum at times, I just smile and say “okay dad, am bored”. He targets not just us, but everybody around him…the poor souls cant even tell him they’re bored…or do they? But a lot of times, he does crack me up..and I enjoy talking to him.. about anything and everything.
Sure, we have our share of arguments, but it always has a foolproof way of ending. When we’re both cool, dad comes up to me, extends his hand and says “friends?”.. and I know nothing can weaken the bond between us, its unparallel. Hugging him is like hugging a fuzzy bear and dad I want to tell you today, that I absolutely love you. Happy Fathers Day!

PS* Mama, you are an absolute darling and one of my best friends..writing so much about dad makes me want to dedicate a whole new post to you, but i’ll save that for another day. This blog isnt too used to such heavy sentiments with dollops of nostalgia and emotions. Let dad hog the limelight today, since its Fathers Day

__________________________________________________________________

Its been a year. Not much has changed. Just that, my morning milk has turned into coffee. I don’t have too much to say to you this year papa. Just a huge thank you. For having me, loving me, feeding me, educating me, fighting with me, splurging on me, giving in to me, yelling at me, being there for me, and tolerating all my nakhras. I’ve spent most of the day lying on your lap, as we both watched TV. Its hard to put my inner most feelings in words, but I hope you understand. All that I can say is, I love you.

Who am I?

I was filling some form and it asked for an ‘introduction’. Which made me really think. How am I supposed to introduce myself? My name? What I have studied? Whose daughter I am? Where I live? How old I am?
Who am I really?
A media graduate?
Someone’s daughter?
Someone who gets startled with any kinda sound?
Someone who squeals in delight on seeing a brownie with chocolate syrup?
Someone who cant work unless its the very last minute?
Someone who worries like hell about the people she loves and cares for?
Someone who is often in a fix cos she doesn’t know how to say no to anybody?
Someone who loves to read?
Someone who loves to listen to slow hindi songs?
Someone who loves Linkin Park, and Floyd, and Zeppelin?
Someone who gets mad a lot but doesn’t show it?
Someone who gets cranky without her mug of coffee?
Someone who gets petrified by the idea of cooking?
Someone who hopes to be able to cook someday?
Someone who can be happy alone and lonely in a crowd?
Someone who cant stop sneezing if exposed to a lot of dust?
Someone who is lazy to the core?
Someone who loves silver junk?
Someone who dreamt of Prince Charming? And found one
Someone who truly enjoys watching Mr. Bean and Tom and Jerry?
Someone who is a soppy romantic?
Someone who is terrified of lizards?
Someone who wants to own a house on a beach?
Someone who is capable of wearing her pajamas to a restaurant?
Someone who is forever confused?
Someone who misses her college life?
Someone who is constantly living with fears?
Someone who will go out of her way and do anything she can for the people she cares for?
Someone who really values the people around her?
Someone who is clueless about where she is heading in life?
Someone who hated physics?
Someone who loves a good bath?
Someone who can play on the swings and the slides for hours?
Someone who enjoys some kind of physical pain at times?
Someone who wants to be a good person?
WHO?

Bombay rains!

I woke up to the sound of a lil crash. It was my vase!! My beautiful crystal vase had been knocked down. The huge sliding glass doors had been left open, and the rain and the howling wind, managed to move the curtains with such force, it brought the vase down :(. And when I looked out, I was truly amazed. The crackling bolts of lightning had ripped the sky apart. The thunder boomed as the rain pelted away. I just watched, in complete awe.
Mumbai rains! They’re unlike rains in other cities, where it is a steady drizzle for an hour or two. In this city, the rains make you feel the vehement fury. 26th July 05, a day no Mumbaikar will ever forget, comes to my mind each time I think of the raw fury of the rain. A day in which hundreds of people drowned. A lot of people got injured. A lot lost their loved ones. A day when I walked in neck deep water, held on to the ropes people had tied, had a million cuts on my bare feet, saw corpses of buffaloes floating past me, and felt terrified and thankful for being alive.
In spite of the ugly memories, I love the rain. I love Marine drive, and love tasting the salty ocean spray on my lips. Love watching the waves crash on the boulders. Love the rainy songs that are played on all the radio stations. Romance lingers in the air. Band stand, Worli Seaface, Marine drive, Reclamation, there are couples cuddling everywhere. A lot of happy, smiling faces. 🙂

Joys of childhood..

Today was so much fun! Since two of my pals were home, we went out to the Aarey Jungle. Drove through the narrow road with the dense green cover on both sides. Went by the lake and hired a boat. The one where you paddle to move. The rain was so heavy! It was crazy to be out boating at such a time, but then crazy things are fun. The sudden current in the water kept rocking our boat and almost made it topple over at one point of time. Our combined shrieks at that time could have awoken the dead. And as we sat back giggling and getting soaked, I felt like a kid again.
I so wish I could go back to being a care free child. Is there anyway I can travel back in time? When I ran around in the building compound, climbed walls, played hide-n- seek with my little friends. When the only crucial discussions were, should we go to the terrace to fly a kite or should we play cricket on the backside of the building? When summer vacations meant playing in the staircase all day long. When monsoons meant finding earthworms in the mud, and holding them on leaves. When ‘a problem’ meant the shuttle cock landing on some unreachable ledge or a balcony. When excitement meant going out on the road on our bicycles, to have a glass of sugarcane juice. When I didn’t really understand the meaning of the word ‘worry’. Some life that was 🙂

Fill in the blanks?

I am: extremely crazy and stupid.

I think: I should be more brave, and break the walls I’ve built around myself.

I know: that nothing lasts forever.

I want: to know what I really want.

I have: the best family in the world.

I wish: I was intelligent and smart.

I hate: people who portray false feelings in a relationship.

I fear: death. Of my loved ones.

I feel: the happiest when I am with someone I love.

I hear: the patter of rain, voices in my head, somebody’s heart beat.

I smell: mostly fruity. Cos of the numerous fruity products I use.

I crave: for a holiday in the hills.

I search: for some answers that elude me.

I wonder: if I’ll ever get married.

I regret: letting some people walk all over me.

I love: intensely. With all my heart and all my soul.

I ache: when I see people I love suffering.

I care: a little too much at times.

I am not: good with numbers.

I believe: that everybody is good, nobody is really a bad person.

I dance: at home. On the bed and on the sofa/couch.

I sing: along, whenever I hear A R Rahman music

I cry: when no one’s looking.

I don’t always: try hard enough.

I fight: only with people I am close to.

I write: because I can’t do without it.

I win: when I really want to.

I lose: my senses at times.

I never: want to lose my loved ones

I always: keep family above everything

I confuse: people by talking too fast.

I listen: to my intuitions, and my mom.

I can usually be found: on my bed, either dreaming or day dreaming.

I am scared: of being lonely.

I need: to know that everyone around me is happy and content.

I am happy about: being the way I am.

I imagine: the worst. Which is why I always worry.