Dance it out!!!

"Put me on a podium to say something and my voice will dry up, but put me on stage, and i'll be flying." - Mallika Sarabhai (Indian Classical Dancer)

I read this line in one of her interviews published in the recent edition of a popular women's magazine- FEMINA and I could very well relate to it. This was exactly me, few years ago. As a child, I used to try my best to avoid addressing a huge audience whether it be reading the news in the morning assembly or a JAM (Just a Minute) session (blame it on my introvert nature to some extent! ). But, I never felt shy to dance and perform on stage and have not disappointed the audience with my performance, ever. 

In general, music and dance are very essential part of Bengali culture. Be it music, art, literature, theatre, we are amazing at everything! ;) It's like, mostly the Bengalis are born singers. I do not fall in that category and have not been gifted with a melodious kind of voice. But, I do have a knack for dancing.

Dance is like my first love. 

I have always jumped at opportunities to dance and my parents have encouraged me throughout. Although, I have not learnt any particular form of dance but I am a quick learner and I like to choreograph the dance steps on my own. When it comes to classical dance forms,I am fond of Oddisi. And among the new ones, I like contemporary very much.

I believe dance is a way of expressing yourself, your emotions. You can tell your story through your dance. It gives you freedom. You traverse into a different world - a world full of positive energy. Dance makes me feel alive, makes me feel confident. Whenever I feel low or am going through one of those days when I feel like I-don't-know-what-I-am-doing-with-my-life; the only thing which makes me feel better is some good music , the mirror and my dance. I dance it out!! I can't express how good I feel after watching myself in that mirror, smiling, full of energy, alive!

Over the years, whatever confidence I was lacking as a child (as I mentioned earlier), I have overcome it. I think, the kind of exposure I got in my  UG & PG colleges, that has helped me a lot, but the major reason would be, confidently performing on stage, always. It turned my shyness into my strength. Now I don't feel terrified inside when I have to address a large number of people. I can do that now by just snapping my fingers! ;) 

I believe one should always pursue one such hobby, which makes one happy. Whatever you like, you should just go for it. It is officially good for you! :)

"The singing, the dancing, doing cartwheels, and making myself look ugly on the stage, finally set me free. Theatre taught me that nothing could stop me from speaking my mind, singing from my heart, shouting my own truths out loud. What people see in me today is a confident, assured, plain seeking and sometimes abrasive woman." 

It has been 5 years since........

How time flies!

Hi friends, how have you all been? It's been 5 years since I posted something on my blog. The last post was dated April 4 (2010) and in few days, the date will again be April 4 (2015)! Phew!! Now, what brings me back here? Well, it's only because of my friend, Shweta Pal, who recently started her new fashion blog which is really awesome and as I read her posts, it reminded me of my blog & also the time when I used to share my random thoughts here. I must say, I really admire Shweta, because she has a knack for all this. She is really good at it and I appreciate her for devoting her time in reading and writing such interesting stuffs, which is pretty cool!

My mother & my sister also have good articulation skills. They have a flair for writing. You can say, it kind of comes naturally to them. I, on the other hand, am not so expressive. I am neither quite fond of writing per se but I very much like this concept of blogging, as you can share your thoughts about just any random thing with the whole wide world. So, here I am with another attempt to share my thoughts and I hope I do a decent job!

When I look back at the journey of the last few years, it brings back a smile on my face. There have been a lot of changes and I have grown as a person (at least I feel so :P ). I say this also because, as I look at my older posts, I realize they are quite childish.
So, now let me share the 5 important events of my life, in these 5 years!

1. My Mom completing her B.Ed-  If I have to give an example of a Super Woman, then the very first name that comes to my mind, is of my Mom! Yes, my mom has super powers I believe because she can handle multiple tasks and finish them in a snap of fingers. Or I would say, she is just like a Fairy Godmother who by waving her magic wand, makes everything seem all right. She is my guide, my teacher, my friend. At the age of 50, she decided to study and pursue B.Ed. At first, she had several apprehensions but as she has inculcated in us that determination and efforts can always make you achieve whatever you want, in the same way, with all her efforts she also achieved her goals. She finally cleared her B.Ed with all A grades and 90% marks. We all were so proud of her  :)

2. Graduation- Doing B.com was not my first choice. I had different plans but I was very much confused. I had secured good marks in my class 12th exams and just like many of my classmates, I too aspired to join a college under Delhi University (DU). But, at home, DU was a strict no no! Then I decided to appear for CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) , but luck did not favor & I could not appear for the paper that year. Finally, when all other options were closed, I decided to do B.COM and joined my College. After all these years, I  seriously feel that whatever happens, happens for good. I got a lot of exposure at my college. I grew at an individual level. It was indeed a great experience and even academically I performed very well there. So, ultimately, its up to you how you make use of the given opportunity and in the end, the college does not matter but only the learning does!

3. Sister's Wedding- Having an elder sister, is like the greatest gift of God! My sister's attitude and spirit is something which I have always admired. She is my role model and  I always wanted a perfect match for her. I, as a younger sibling, was most excited about her wedding and of course, about the new addition into the family. Talking about my family, we are a small nuclear family of 4 members and I have the best parents in the world who always support us and love us unconditionally.My sister's wedding was a very big event for all of us.We now have a new member in our family and I'm  thankful to God that I have such a nice brother -in-law. They both are like my new set of parents, taking care of me as their own  baby. How lucky I am :)

4. NIBM-  This is one of the most important milestones in my life. Getting admission into this college was like a dream come true. This was the first time when I was coming far away from my hometown to stay in a new world. But, I seriously fell in love with this new world of mine. Ofcourse I missed mamma-papa and my home. But, NIBM is like home away from home. Also, I'm so lucky that my family, cousins and relatives (all my dadas and boudis) are here in the same city, to take care of me. They have supported me, helped me always, and made my journey  smooth sailing. Love you all!! The NIBM campus and of course, this city- Pune is really awesome. I love the weather. I love the people. I love the culture. I have grown accustomed to it. And, just this feeling that I have to part my ways with it, makes me feel very sad. Just writing a few lines about my NIBM journey would not be enough. I guess, it requires another post.

5. First Job- One out of all the wonderful things which NIBM has given me, is my very first job in a Private Bank. When you get placed on the very first day of the campus recruitment process, the feeling is very different. I'm very much excited to enter into the corporate world. It is now again a change, a very drastic change in my life. But, I hope this new chapter in my life would be an interesting and fulfilling one.

Cheers to New Life, New Beginnings!!

Why god created EVE...

[ This you might have read, just wanted to add a fun post in my blog, so sharing it here for all my Eves ;) ]

God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because he knew men would never ask directions.

 God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote because men are actually so lazy.

God knew that Adam would never make a doctors appointment for himself.

God knew that Adam would never remember the important dates.

God knew that if the world was to be populated there would have to be someone to bear children, because men would never be able to handle it.

 As "Keeper of the Garden" Adam would never remember where he put his tools.

 The scripture account of creation indicates that Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.

As the Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone." He only ends up getting himself in trouble.

AND the no. one REASON WHY GOD CREATED EVE is ...


When God had finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched his head and said, "I know I can do better than THIS!!" ;)

Put The Glass Down...!!

[About a short story I read]

A Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.He held it up for all to see and asked the students,"How much do you think this glass weighs?"
"500 gms!"...."100 gms!"..."125 gms".... the students answered.
"I really don't know unless I weigh it.",said the professor,"but,my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?" "Nothing,sir!", the students said.
"Ok! Now,what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?",prof. asked.
"Your arm would begin to ache.",said one of the students.
"You're right.And,what would happen if I held it up like this for a day?"
"Your arm could go numb,you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to hospital for sure!" ventured another student;and all the students laughed.
"Very good.But,during all this;did the weight of the glass change?" ,asked the prof.
"No",students replied.
"Then what caused the arm ache and muscle stress?"
Students were puzzled!
"Put the glass down",said a student.
"Exactly!!" said the prof.
"Life's problems are something like this.Hold it for a few minutes in your head and they seem okay.Think for them for a long time and they begin to ache.Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you.You will not be able to do anything!"


It's important to think of the problems in your life, but Even More Important is to have trust in God and to 'Put them Down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep.That way,you are not stressed,you wake up every day fresh & strong and can handle any issue,any challenge that comes your way!


So,remember friend. Put The Glass Down Today and have tranquility by putting trust in Almighty!

Few things about Rock On..!! ;)

'Rock On ye hai waqt ka ishara'...honestly speaking, when I first saw the trailer of this movie, I couldn't recognize Farhan Akhtar & thought that its a trailer of another flop movie!! 

One day, someone asked me...'Have you seen Farhan Akhtar in the trailer of Rock On?' Only then I discovered that it was him...& then eventually I started liking the songs & trailers of this movie!! 

Finally,the movie released and my sister saw the movie. That was the First review I got about the movie. She was super excited after watching it & told me that its really good.

Then daily in the newspapers n t.v., I could see everyone talking about this movie. So,I decided to watch it & believe me, it was a good decision. I must say the movie is really awesome! I really liked it...the music, songs,actors n basically,the concept of the movie is great! It's always been said that to attain something, people sometimes have to compromise. Sometimes these compromises make the journey to the desired future enjoyable and sometimes, people have nothing but to repent for whatever they had done in the name of compromise.The film, Rock On, rocks on that basic thought only.

Now certain things which are worth noticing about this movie... :-

~the Caption - 'Live your dreams' - very true, people should never stop dreaming. Dream big &  try to achieve your goals. Live your dreams..fulfill them!

~the Music - The music of this movie is its USP!! All the tracks are beautiful, whether the fast numbers like Pichle saat dino me,title track,sindbad the sailor,socha hai...Or the slow ones like..ye tumhari meri baatein, Tum ho toh,phir dekhiye. One exception is there..Zehreeley...I hate it like anyting!! :P Even the background music is good! I even liked that fun song in one scene.."Joe ne glass toda...Debby ne kaan marora" :D

~ the All-rounder 'Farhan Akhtar' - His debut movie & he has done a fabulous job. And what a singer!! His hidden talent has now been discovered...

~ the Friendship- The bond of friendship b/w the four...the Magik..really created 'magic'.Lil bit like 'dil chahta hai'...but still makes us realize that friends are always important in life. We should never let our egos come in between our friendships.

~Fulfillment of  dreams- How the four of them reunite & at last perform on stage...the performance was rocking..!!

~ Prachi Desai n Shahana - The sweet girl prachi desai is  looking beautiful, n has  played a wonderful role of a caring wife! &  the bong girl..Shahana has also done a good job..!!

Last but not the least-

~Arjun Rampal -Extremely good...he is looking very handsome!! ;) n I bet no one in Bollywood can look as Hot as him in such long hair! :D

Altogether,a really nice movie..After a long time, a film has been made to touch all the generations.!!

So if u haven't seen the movie yet...go n check it out..!! n Rock On..!! ;)

Durga Puja..!!

Durga Puja- The most happening festival of the Bengalis!! 

Durga Puja epitomises the victory of Good over Evil.The puja is traditionally viewed as the coming of married daughter, Durga to her father's home. Bengalis all over the world during the days of Durga Puja, rejoice to their heart's content reconnecting with friends and relatives. It is an occasion when the familiar sound of Dhaak, Dhunuchi nachh, the mild fragrance of Shiuli, gives a familiar tug to every Bengali heart. 

For me, Durga puja,is & will always remain a very special occasion! I know that in Kolkata,it is celebrated in a very grand & magnificent way. So, may be its not exactly the same way that we celebrate it in Lucknow, but still we enjoy,have fun & celebrate it in our own special way!! 

The name of our committee which organizes Durga Puja is "Milon Shongho", which comprises of 40+ bengali families. Every year my sister & I eagerly wait for this festival to come. Durga Puja mood starts off with "Mahishashur Mardini"which is a radio programme which has been popular with the community since 1950s. Bengalis usually wake up at 4 am on Mahalaya day to listen to this programme.

Excitement starts much before the festival mainly because of the new clothes that we buy & the gifts which we receive from our relatives! And, sometimes its due to the rehearsals of our dance programmes which we perform during durga puja.

There is a park just in front of our house and the pandal is set up there. I can see from my room's window, when the grass in the park is cleared and the bamboo sticks are brought, in order to create the basic structure of the pandal.  I feel super excited when I see that!! And then my countdown begins.I keep counting in my mind "ok, just 3 more days left..2 more days left"....

Pandals are the temporary temples created for the Puja. Padals are of diverse kinds. And,in Kolkata, some pandals are made of simple yet attractive cloths while some are made up of kullads, cococut shells, diyas, toffee wrappers, straws, cold drink bottles etc.results of great imagination and hard work.

The days of fun and festivity start off with Shoshti, the day when goddess Durga arrives. Followed by, Shoptumi, Oshtumi, Nobomi, and the day of farewell, Doshumi. On the day of Chaturthi, the 'protima'(idol) of goddess Durga is brought by the Uncles(kakus n jethus) of our colony! Then the decoration of the pandal is done by all the youngsters!I remember,once we had soo much fun decorating that place..till late night!

The very next day,Panchami, in the morning we have art competition for the kids, Even I participated in many & won lots of prizes. I still have one drawing sheet in which I had sketched Goddess Durga. The end result was very nice & I received the 2nd prize for it! :) Then in the evening,we have 'Anand Mela'. Now that's when all the member families of the committee put stalls of yummy and mouth watering eatables . My mom & dad always put 'KABAB PARATHA' stall. Actually I shoud say "THE FAMOUS KABAB PARATHA STALL'. My parents make really very delicious mutton keema kababs. Both of them are such awesome cooks.The dish is quite famous & in demand every year! :) 

The next day,Shoshti,at around 5:30 in the morning we go for "Prabath Pheri"...which is like an early morning mini-procession.In all the six happy days,we get up early,wear our new clothes and go to the park to give 'pushpanjali'. 

My post would be incomplete if I do not mention about the BHOG which we have during puja days. If u ever give me 'khichdi n chorchori (a bengali dish) at home, I wont like it that much.But the same thing when I have it there in the pandal as bhog, it tastes very different & delicious. After having the bhog, we stay in the pandal only & chat chat & chat! We dont feel like going back home! 

The evening time is wonderful, specially the Aarti time! When the aarti is going on..the kakus(uncles) & dadas start the "dhunuchi nachh" (meaning a dance holding hot earthen bowls emanating sweet smelling camphor and incense smoke) & we sit in the side,clapping & hooting! After some time the dhunuchi dance is over & our "Pagalpanti Dance" begins. All the youngsters get inside & become mad,literally,on the beats of DHAAK! 

After the Aarti, everyday we have some cultural programmes..orchestra,drama,dance performances,magic show,etc etc etc. We all enjoy watching these shows & have our dinner in the pandal only as all the moms do not want to enter the kitchen during those 6 days of festivity.We stay in the park till late night, sit & chat, what we call  "adda mara"...in bengali!! ;) Second last day,on Navami...we all, the 'bacha' group go out to see the other pandals in the city. The entire city springs to life and the streets are full of people. At night, I start feeling sad. The mere thought that the next day it is  Dashmi..it will all be over, makes me upset!! :(

The Last day..Dashmi,in the morning,all the married women start their "shidur khela"...which means married women smear one another with sindur and pray for long and happy married lives n sometimes they put that red thing on our face also...:P  After the lunch,its "bishorjon" (visarjan) time..!! The idol is taken for immersion. We all go to the banks of Gomti. We dance like mad people and enjoy to the fullest. We scream on the top of our voices- 

"Aamra kara..Milon shongho..ashche bochor aabaar hobe..hobe hobe aabaar hobe".(meaning..we are Milon Shongho..next year we'll again have durga puja, all this fun and again Maa Durga will visit us and shower her blessings on us).

Then finally we reach the Ghat n bid goodbye to the goddess...When we come back,the 'pronaam' session begins..n we wish everyone.."shubho bijoya"..(happy dushera).... These special 6 days remain glowing in people's mind like a glittering diamond whose shine can never fade.

Durga Puja every year is a fun time for me..!! It leaves behind wonderful memories to cherish...& I feel so lucky that I'm able to experience this amazing festival..as I'm a Bengali.. Proud to be one..!! :)

You are my SONIaaa :)

Sonu was her name, but I loved to call her SONI. I have never ever seen such a cute and innocent dog in my life! 

Ya, Sonu was my pet dog...not exactly mine..actually, my cousin's pet, but somehow she was mine.

She was a Pomeranian- twinkling eyes, small demeanor, fragile and a face quite different from other dogs of her breed, so innocent..so lovable! I loved spending time with that little creature - play with her, talk to her, hug her- such a cutie pie she was!

She was my little friend! I used to talk to her and she would quietly listen..giving such expressions that she really understands. I dont know whether she actually understood or not, but I felt very nice after our conversations.She was very quiet in nature and I usually like such kind of dogs who are not ferocious. When I used to call her..Sonii..the way she used to wag her tail & come to me..I just can't ever forget that!  She had a cute basket in which she used to sleep.Whenever I used to go to my Uncle's place  I used to pull the basket,which was placed under the bed & wake her up from her sleep...hug her..n she may not like it all the time..but she never showed her anger or rage. She loved me..just the way i loved her.

Mangoes were her favourite..she used to go crazzzy after seeing them..and we cant forget her cute activities in order to get just one little piece of it! :D 

During Diwalis,she used to get terrified(every dog feels the same bcz of the crackers), & I used to hold her tight and pacify her. I used to treat her like a small baby..

I think I got very much attached to her because I spent a lot of time with that little one. I am very much fond of dogs and always wanted to have a dog at my place but my mother made me understand that its very important to take good care of a dog otherwise we should not bring one home. We went to school and my parents were working, so all day long the dog would have been locked inside the house. I understood her point & agreed. But sometime in my lifetime, I'll definitely keep a dog one day, and take very good care of it. That's one of my wishes!

I believe that dogs are very much like humans..they are sensible & very emotional...that is why they are Man's best friend. They are your true companions...just like Sonu was mine.

I read these lines somewhere, which I believe are very much true. The lines are:
"A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me...I must be a god. A dog thinks: Hey, those people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me.....They must be gods!"
Sonii is no more with us! It has been 3 yrs now,that she left us..left me!

It was a tragic death! but she has given me really wonderful memories to cherish...

Even today when I go to my uncle's place..I feel like sonu is sitting in her basket under the bed..& waiting for me to wake her up..!!

Wherever you are... be happy always!

I'll always remember you my sweety pie.. :)

I miss you..!! ♥

Kids do love me...n I love them too..!!

If you ever feel sad, low or you are not in a good mood,then just see a baby smiling..n you'll forget all your worries! :) This happens in my case at least. People say..' Kids are God's greatest gifts'..&  I agree with it, they really are..!! 

They are like little "Angels"..

It happens quite often with me that wherever I go -whether a shopping mall,doctor's clinic,bus stop - when babies look at me,they start smiling. I don't know the reason, but I really feel delighted. There is some sort of connection,may be!! And,what I found  is that Kids do love me...n I love them too... Their one caring/cute gesture can make your day.

I know many girls who hate it when someone calls them masi or bua..."dnt call me that"..n say stuffs like that. But I on the contrary, I feel so happy when some kid calls me.. didi, mashi, pishi etc. :D Strange na?? Well, can't help it...I'm like that only..!!I want to mention the names of few of the "bachas" who are an important part of my life- Trisha, Khushi, Ahaan and Enaya. There is a special corner for each one of them in my heart, especially for my cute baby doll Enaya!  I LOVE YOU all a lot..!! I love spending time with her. When you interact with the little ones today, you realize they know so many things which you as a child were not even aware at that tender age. :D

Kids are innocent souls and therefore, it is very important to nurture them in a right way.They are free from the daily hassles . They  question, they learn and they enjoy to the fullest. They are like clay and need to be molded perfectly. 
They learn everything from their parents, family and their surroundings. I've seen many parents who in their busy lives, neglect their children and try to compensate the time they can't spend with them, with material things. That is not fair. There are the others, who manage their work and personal life very well. They take out time for the kids from their busy schedules, which is very much essential. The work-life balance is required.

Childhood is the golden period of everyone's life. I so wish that I could roll back the Wheel of Time, and become a kid once again.... "Give me another chance....I wanna grow up once again...."