As the years roll by...

Its been more than a year since college now.. And trust me all the memories of the sentimental goodbyes and the fun in college is refreshed by the posts, pics and the messages that are sent out by the junior batch. Thts when u feel that its actually been a full year since you were in the same position and crying over leaving college. Actually here are soo many small things that remind u that its been a long tym since you left college. Some of these things are when:

• Ur juniors from college start putting up farewell pictures, goodbye messages and “will miss college” posts on fb.
• On visiting the college campus, u find strange new faces hanging out in your “hangout place”.
• U start feeling “out of place” in ur own college campus.
• The “new faces” in college start looking at u like aliens if u dare to visit college straight 4m office in formals and with the company tag.
• U do not have the college I Card and have to pay for the college bus services.
• There is new paint on the hostel walls which washes out the existence of “so not disturb” posters U had once put.
• U start getting calls from the college placecom or juniors inquiring about vacancies in your company.
• When juniors start calling u up t ask about “ur company, work and policies” when it goes to ur campus.
• When u start getting ALUMINI mails from the college.
• The frequency of mails in the “common mail group” starts reducing from weekly to monthly (or even less).
• The participants in the mail chains start getting limited to the “people with internet access in office”.
• U start apologizing to ur friends saying “sorry yaar.. office main bahut kaam tha..” for not calling up since such a long tym.
• U stop having HOURLY UPDATES of activities from the 24*7 friends.
• The frequency of GET TOGETHERS starts getting directly proportional to the number of marriages happening in the group.
• Everyday when u log into Fb, someone or the other from ur batch is getting married.
• The topics of discussion shift from gossip about college chit chat to corporate strategies, taxes, investments and company policies.
• Also, one of the MUST ASK questions in every get together is “aur phir.. Tum kab shadi kar rahe ho?? “
• The get together plans are limited to just meeting up on the weekends (or less), even if u stay in the same city.
• U tend to have moist eyes on finding some long lost random picture in the COLLEGE FOLDER.
• Its when U realize tht its not the college campus u miss but the people u had and the memories of the time spent.. :) :)

Rediscovering ourselves..

We all spend all our lives trying to do things we like and making note of the things that we don’t.. Life thus is a vicious circle of discovery and re-discovery.. And its not just limited to the things around but involves emotions and the people as well.. Its also about discovering different facets of our own self In one way or the other..

N novel “eat,pray,love” which has a movie by the same name is about a woman who had the perfect life that just fell apart.. Divorce, broken relationships, bad experiences and all that could go wrong, went wrong.. And then when she reaches a final point, she decides that she needs to re-discover herself.. And so she undertakes a journey that spans across continents and does the things that she always wanted to do all her life but didn’t.. Not that she couldn’t do them, but coz there was always something “more important”.. But she had the guts to leave it all behind and go out, face her fears and that too alone.. The whole thought and the journey is very moving and inspiring... but somehow it made me think, do we all need to take a year off from our regular life to look into what we are and go on this path of re-discovering ourselves.. Have we all lost all track of time and of who we really are that we have become more like machines without even knowing what we actually want from life??

My mom says that - Life now has become way more simple in terms of managing work and our daily chores but way complicated for managing ourselves and the people around.. And it is soo true.. Now we have the latest gadgets, the gizmos, the cars and all that man couldn’t even think of a century ago but still we don’t find the “inner peace”.. we now have the finest beds but no sleep.. The fastest cars but no one to go to.. Technology (along with the ever rising population.. ;P) has made the world a smaller place to live in but the distances between people are far more than they ever were. Are we soo busy putting up with the daily routines that our life has become nothing more than just a never ending triumph of “wish-fulfilment” for all the worldly things that we want to achieve. Not just our own wish-list, there is also the wish list that society and the people around us make out for the things that “we all should do”.. and its not just a wish list.. it’s a time bomb.. and people around, including ur friends, family and others make sure to constantly remind U that time is running out.. the clock is always ticking.. there is always an age of everything that SHOULD be done according to the social norms.. complete ur education, get a job, get married, have kids, get a house.. and the list is endless.. And without even realizing it, we tend to become mere puppets to the whole timeline game.. to further complicate our already knotty life, we tend to forget what we really want and become the machines that run out after a while and cry out for a break.. our lives haven’t always been so chaotic. It's just the world around and the only real trap is getting attached to any of it.. there is a constant need for feeling loved by someone else to prove that we loves ourselves and our lives..

But are we really happy being the perfect people that we are expected to be?? Don’t we all want to run away from all that’s happening around.. and that break from everybody.. not to be alone, but to be with OURSELVES.. to find ourselves and to re evaluate ourselves… and it doesn’t have to be the annual journey to the Himalayas.. J.. it can be the simple 10 minute walk you take with yourself in the evening.. or the painting that you make..the song that U sing aloud to yourself.. or even the cup of coffee with the book you love.. its not about what you do but how you do it that really matters in the end.. J.. re discovery is an eventual process that involves understanding what you want and what makes you happy.. a journey that makes life worthwhile.. its not the sitting in an ashram and controlling your thoughts, it’s the sitting with yourself and understanding your heart.. getting to know yourself and the self discovery of the things that you want and the ones that are reallyyy important.. guess that’s when you make out that your life is as simple as “eat, pray and love”.. J

The phase...

Life is never smooth but a series of small hills and big mountains.. Sometimes the phase is as pleasant as walking on the beach in the moonlight with sea waves touching ur feet.. and sometimes it is like being stuck in a storm.. the phase I am talking abt is definitely has many of the former than latter.. it’s the time I have spent here in college.. trust me, before coming here, I thought that I had gained everything in life, didn’t think what else life could bring.. But like many other times, I was sooo wrong.. (Thankfully)

This place clings on to U like anything and then grows on U.. U wont even realize it, until some1 just wakes U up and tells U tht its time to go.. time 2 move on boss.. bahut chill maar liya tum ne life main abi chalo.. kaam karo.. : (....Its then that U feel like holding time and making each second count backwards.. but alas, its like holding an ice cube in ur hand.. the tightly U hold it, the faster it melts..the more U try to stop time, U realize that unlike the stupid tough exam, the time is just flying past U..

Today sitting alone in the place we all should have been regular visitors to..(No.. nt Balaz or sweety...Its the library Dumbo.. :P).. I cant help but think of the first memories I have of everything flowing around.. coming to the campus, talking to my friends for the 1^st time.. (Yes yes all the other ten of the Tarras individually.. : )).. the first movie.. the first PSB.. The first arguments..The first flat meet.. the first story sessions.. the first bdays (Hey I never had a bday in campus.. : () the first gossip sessions.. all of it, the maggi at wipro.. today I went around the campus and tried to picture all the firsts in their places.. and trust me they all seemed like yesterday.. it was just yesterday that we all met and became friends forever.. : ).. The time and the memories will always resound in our minds and souls.. the time spent in the useless and totally illogical talks is what has made the bonds between all of us soo strong..

They say the friends we make in college last for a lifetime.. The people who U meet there are among the very few in ur life U share ur dreams and fears with.. We all have found a lot in this campus.. friends, foes, family and soul mates :P.. I wish there was any way we could stay here much long coz we all will sure miss this place- all in r body and soul.. the mere mention of leaving gives me goose bumps n tears.. (Yeah yeah.. I am the cry baby like many others here.. :P)

And now we all stand here at the last month of our COLLEGE LIFE thinking about all the moments gone by and how all this has made us the person that we are today.. not that the world will fall apart after leaving the campus but sure there will be a totally new world engulfing us all..It feels like a million feelings are erupting and taking over now..

Every1 of us was really excited for the next phase in life.. the jobs and the marriages..(the only two topics I hear and think of now a days.. ) : ).. but as the time approaches, it feels like we are leaving a part of our souls here with each other..So many things we wanted to say and do and didn’t.. so many people we want to thank and say sorry to.. there are soo many things I wanna tell but just don’t find the words to..

Where else will we find such friends who ll shout n laugh their guts out while pullin our leg.. when will we find such ppl who ll give their lives for each other but will sneak away when thr is time to pay the 50Rs cafeteria bill.. who ll tease U for studing more in exams and tell U to “believe in the CGPA system”.. who ll support U and make U do something and laugh behind ur back saying “ sala aaj to maar khayega”.. who ll encourage us wen we are totally low but pull us down to the earth just the moment wen we start “hawa main udna”.. the sleeping in the afternoon classes on the last benches..the sudden long conversations on stupid topics that erupt only the night before exams.. the movie marathons and the group study..(trust me they multiply the time U take to study).. the “didi aaj ke liye bahut ho gaya.. time ho gaya chalo hostel..”.. the people shouting at the bad marking system and the tough exams.. : ). The asking for money from parents saying” ab aur kitna time maangna hai maine aap se..” (thts my fav senti line after “mere daheej se kaat lena paise”.. :P)

Later in life U ll have all the money in the world at ur beck and call but not the friends to maaro chill with.. the small samosa plates will change into pizzas and expensive dinners but we wont have such people to share it with.. the balas café will change into marriots but these people will be missing..

But like many other times, life moves on.. and we have to go thinking that the next phase will be better and rosier than this one.. that life will, yet again unfold like the layers of an onion.. making us happy and sometimes making us cry.. we leave this campus with the thoughts of all the gr8 moments spent together, all the memories made and all the wonderful people we had a chance to meet.. guess that’s the beauty of being in college.. and now with the ticket to a better life in our hands, we all venture into the big bad world with the tons of confidence, opening new windows of opportunities.. : ) all the best guys.. : ).. will sure miss each one of U.. : )

The great Indian wedding.... :)

“AND YOU ARE COORDIALLY INVITED TO THE WEDDING OF……”


With the wedding season just round the corner and soo many of my frnds , distant cousins and knowns getting married, looking at the wedding pics of “ ME AND HUBBY, US and HAPPINESS” just makes me wonder the extravagant affair that the marriages and the whole Celebration has become.. Its not just the two families that celebrate,the extended family ( the people u have just seen in pictures and once-twice seen them at the FAMILY weddings) the neighbours, distant friends (friends ke friends ), the not-so-friendly colleagues and the gossip mongers (esp the aunties who are just there to find faults and discuss them later over tea.. ), all are a part of the GREAT INDIAN WEDDING..
The part of the country I come from (Sadda Punjab :P), marriages have nw become a full Gurinder chaddha or a Karan Johar movie with all the colour and the grandeur.. The sheer magnanimousness of the MARRIAGE INDUSTRY (I’d like to call it tht.. Seriously dude, its competing wit IT in revenue..:)) can make eyes pop out and pockets shrink.. The “pyaar se lena dena” has reached its upper limits in the weddings.. Sure the normal families now a days r nt asking for dowry or any kind of PYAAR, but the show off and the DUNIYA ka dikhawa as its known as, needs to be done. And trust me that could be anything from the “BACCHO K LIYE MITHAI” to the “DADDY JI ke liye car and MUMMY JI ke liye haar”.. If you are lucky , u might even witness a wedding with sparkling diamonds for the aunties, uncles and the spa coupons for the attendees (yeah yeah.. will give references later if u wanna check and crap I missed it.... )..
Marriage is a big decision in itself.. spending ur whole life with a single person and that too 24 * 7 with him/ her.. the adjustments , the lifestyle change.. its all big and probably needs to be celebrated but does it all need to be done at the cost of the poor parents.. Looking at all this has made me a little more NON REPULSIVE to the families who go into deep thoughts with the worries of BETION KI SHAADI.. its like a huge financial investment that actually requires a lifetime of saving man… .. I might be wrong and the scene is definitely changing but still the GRAND INDIAN WEDDING is here to stay and is increasing in magnitude with each year.. The wedding season fashion shows and bridal exhibitions are not limited to the upper class now but even the middle class is eyeing the best goodies in the market.
The whole marriage season not only revolves around the wedding in ur house, but its like Christmas and new year week in the US.. the months of nov- jan are booked for the wedding season(auspicious time for marriage acc to the pandit jeez) and everyone in Punjab starts getting ready for making rounds at the numerous weddings..” wo Mr Chadda ki beti, wo Mr Khanna ka pota” and the nvitation list goes on and on… Its fun though to be just an attendee and gobble on the goodie and endless snacks and cuisines served at the shaadi.. ( Punjabi wedding at least should be given awards for the variety of food and the khana).. M so sure there must be many like me who gain pounds due to the yummyyy food there.. Its actually a gr8 motivating factor to brave the cold winters to attend the “TAARO KI CHAAV” main weddings.. :P
Marriages were supposed to be the celebration of the union of two people who promise to stay with each other thru thick and thin… its the declaration of a couple to the world that they are committed and will be loyal to each other.. To me (and I believe same for most of the people around me), Marriage is a pious promise of togetherness that is celebrated with the people you care about.. Ur friends and family.. But whatever maybe anyonez reason or thinking might be, It ll always be a celebration no matter how simple or extravagant…. .. I may say anything and everything about the weddings and the money spent.. actually money burnt in the weddings but the truth is that everyone wants a perfect start to the new phase in their life and wants to celebrate t with the world no matter how big or small.. So herez to the upcoming wedding season Guys…. Happy celebrating and god bless.. :)

Friends.. :)

Hey.. This one is for all my SINGLE friends(apologies inplicit.. :D)

“Sometimes u get so close 2 ur friends tht u get jealous if any1 else starts getting 2 come 2 close..”

This general remark made me think if its really a generic thought or totally personalized. Being possessive about the SPECIAL person in ur life is a worldwide accepted phenomenon bt havnt v just crossed the line by reacting in the same way for our friends? Is it tht v get 2 possessive abt them n get jealous of the 3rd person entering their life? Do we start thinking tht the new relationship might get between us n bring a rift in the strong bond of friendship??
If I talk abt myself, I m flexible n non possessive (Hey hey.. Don’t start smiling..OK.. This is my blog n I m writin so I win… :D).. So technically I would love 2 c my NON COMITTED friends getting romantically along with any OTHER girl/guy.. J But facts depict otherwise.. As soon as I get 2 know abt any girl/guy being remotely connected wit any 1 of my friends, my mind automatically starts sending distress signals and it starts finding faults in the female/male(no offense girlies/guys)..
Lets start collecting data (excuse the MBA jargons) from the latest first.. The tarras r a well knit GANG of girls n guys.. Surprisingly, the existing GOOD FRIENDS are no threat.. :P.. they r well respected and loved equally by every1 in the gang.. However, any new entries have a real tough time..Truthfully speakin,so tough that there have been no additions in the gang since its inception.. L.. as soon as v get hints of any TARRAs interest in any girl around, we UNINTENTIONALLY start finding faults in them.. n trust me ts nothing personal or deliberate.. Just an involuntary action.. L..The ANALYSIS at times is in the form of observed behaviour which can crudely be termed as FAULT FINDING...N sometimes the faults r as stupid as the colour of her hair is too dark or too light. N even tht she moves her head 2 much while talking....Yeah yeah I accept tht most of the times they r just senseless comments made generally n nothing personal at all. J..N trust me, at least I didn’t c the harm its causing 2 my friends till sometym ago..
Looking at the history, I dnt think my girls gang 4m coll has had any problems accepting this fact. V have never really liked each other GOOD FRIENDS..:P.. n I thought tht best friends were ur CRY CUSHION after an argument or fight so u didn’t mind them having an OPINION abt them.. J.. n so if they took ur side n gave u the age old “he is a jerk” line, it just meant tht they r being supportive.. J. Hence while the same friends would appreciate the SPECIAL person if he was being nice n made u happy, the loyalties would just take a 180 degrees turn if u shed a tear.. J..
Guess it’s a universal phenomenon tht once ur friends get 2 know abt ur crush, even their eyes tease u wen he/she walks into the room or talks 2 u.. J.. How many times have v tried 2 hide r crushes 4m r friends coz they would make sure he/she noticed u, even though u would be blushing red on even lookin at them.. JBut thts wat makes friends gr8.. v know each other inside out n so tend think we r in a position 2 decide wats gud n wats bad 4 them.. :). But in doing so, we might just loose prospective n behave like dominating mothers/fathers who get a little jerky. Guess v don’t want them 2 stumble on a stone so v scare them tht it’s a mountain they r heading. V love them soo much tht nobody is too gud 4 them anymore.. J.. the tests (unintentionally) get tougher and hence every move matters.. but trust me, if u tell ur friend tht u r head over heels for some1, they ll b the first ones 2 give u all the tips n tricks.. J.. n even though we might seem 2 b overly possessive about r friends, it’s the love that wants us 2 look out 4 them and make sure tht HE/ SHE IS THE RIGHT ONE.. :D

three months - a lifetime..

We all like glass images trying to be all sparkly and perfect to everybody who looks at us. All poised and calm. Shoving things and deeds under the carpet so that the PERFECT IMAGE is not tarred. Have never been able to understand why people think that others around them have no ears, eyes or brains at all.  Funny though. Have been bought up in this world with the same set of values like almost all kids are. But 1 most important thing I have learnt is tht its important to be humble and grounded than concentrating on being perfect to the world. Have never wanted to be perfect. Loved being the tomboy and the imperfect mortal that I am. Still get happy on seeing the drops of rain falling on the ground, getting drenched in the fountain in a posh mall.. (trust me I was the 1st one but many followed ).. and its not just me, it’s the family and friends that have helped me understand that its so important to understand and accept who u are and be happy with it. . The last 3 months have been a gr8 learning time. When I came 2 Bangalore, I thought it was going to be over so soon that I wouldn’t even notice wats happening all around. N like many other times, was soo wrong. These 3 months have taught me so much that probably even a year wouldn’t have.
Have never been the hardcore studious types and so hav never looked at tasks as marks waiting to be put in the pocket. 1 big advantage of doin so is that I am able to decide what I like and what I don’t irrespective of the marks or result-value of it. But surprisingly liked my work so much that don’t mind spending loonng hours in office or the weekends.  guess this made things easier for me. So after a long time, really liked the office, the ppl, the work.. hope it turns out well. 
Also have learnt the importance of friends and family like never before. Have been lucky 2 have 2 gr8 frnds here who have helped me throughout my stay here n coz of those JUNKIES, have been able to njoy my stay in here.. .. guess saying thanks is a sheer formality for u ppl. The fun, leg pulling, weekend movies, sitting for hours at the stairs and lake.. OMG, I m soo gonna miss the tym we three spent together. God really wanted me to have a gud tym here so he sent these 2.. 
Had the time of my life with these ppl but trust me not a day went by without us sitting tog n not mentioning the TARRAS. .. have missed u ppl soooo much tht I cant even put it in words now. All of us r soo different from each other but still so similar.. so loveable.so cute.. we might not be complete alone but tog we are definitely a gang… love u guys n del. Some1 whoz believed in me throughout and helped me survive in the toughest tyms when I was away from home. Muaaahhhhh 
Didn’t anticipate that these 3 months would teach me lessons tht we take a lifetime to understand and learn. Will have mixed feelings when I leave the city, happy coz m goin back to friends I have missed so much and sad coz the city and the time spent here will be missed. The time almost flew by but will cherish it forever in my heart.. thanks Bangalore…

Chances..

Life gives u chances.. then its up to u to take them or let them pass by silently..Guess i took mine..So here I m now in the city of bangalore. guess wat, even in the month of may(well almost may..:)), the city is cool.. for some1 like me whoz lived in the scroaching summers in the north, its a SHOCKING RELIEF..:)
Anyways just joind this new place for my interns n its amazing.. guess love the new change.. :).. miss my frnds here a lot though(miss u TARRAS....:)).it would b soo much fun if u all and udi wer also here.. :D
Hey btw was just sittin n wrote this up.. here it goes. :)


Looking around in the new place,
Everybody is happy with a smiling face.
A smile makes the world go round,
N here nobody even moves without a sound.
some run, some giggle, even some1 who sings,
It feels they all can fly, they all hav wings.
Responsibilities , I heard, take a toll,
Bt here everybody seems 2 be on a roll.
And trust me its nt like they r not workin,
They do it all, and definitely not jerking..
Away from home,. Away from my land,
They r always ready with a helping hand..
Miss my loved ones and the gr8 friends,
They r always there, not like the temp trends..
Thought I would be on the run,
Always working in the sun..
But here its an altogether different story,
It’s the work plus all the glory..
This a place I love to come to,
In the mornings I yearn to run to.
Might just be like another trend,
But it really works, my dear friend.
IT jobs are also fun,
Not just GEEKS on the run..
Good I found a place like this,
Now I know life gives u chances u should never miss.