Slice of Life

The exhausting traffic snarls take the wind out of you due to which I rarely visit the far flung southern part of the city anymore. It was a random occasion for my journey out there and as my car sped from Victoria Terminus towards Crawford market, my heart skipped a beat as I was passing by the iconic art college where I had studied. It stirred a whole lot of emotions and memories which leaped out of oblivion. As I peered through the windshield, my eyes fell on the wide gates thru which the distinct promenade and majestic architecture of the prestigious college came into full view. If one wanted to study art then this was the best college to go to. You had students from all strata of society, right from the elite to the underprivileged.I enjoyed the best of both worlds being in the golden middle. That shaped me into being very comfortable in my own skin and made me believe that it is okay to be or not to be class or brand conscious and go by the adage " to each his own"...

We were back from a gruelling stint at the hospital. It was so comforting to step into the house; almost like a " grihapravesh " as if we were starting life once again. The familiar warm comforting space which engulfed all of me. Every nook & corner of  the house beckoned to me as if to say it missed our presence & likewise. There was a lump in my throat as I stood grateful to get a new lease to life. Home is truly where the heart is. Not a single visitor was allowed coupled with a stack of hardcore restrictions....this deal was much better than the roller coaster ride of emotions at the hospital. Coming home was treading  on familiar territory and that was half battle won. The strategy was to take one day at a time to tick mark all the to do's on the list in order to smoothen out all the rough edges of the given situation. After everyone was fast asleep I did the unthinkable. Ordered a tiny cake for myself before the clock struck twelve, almost like Cindrell...

I am a self confessed diehard foodie, a female Jughead of sorts. Part of my happiness, wellbeing and spirit comes from food. I love eating out, be it in dhabas, restaurants; one star, two star, whatever star, the gourmet meals, the rustic roadside stop overs, my taste buds are easy to please. I look forward to every meal, never mind the fact that nowadays I feel like " Alice in wonderland ". I want to reach out for my boiled egg sandwich but am cautioned against eating the yolks. Imagine not having the whole egg!  Just when you settle down to grudgingly cultivate the taste of solo egg whites, pat comes the analysis that it's ok to have the entire egg, or for that matter take the coconut....every time I want to guzzle the sol kadhi or dunk into the Burmese  khowsuey, I agonise over its merits and demerits. Newspapers are full of contradictory reports, two columns, should eat versus should not eat. I feel like a yoyo swinging between decisions to suit my palate....lik...

Your cell phone better not be on the silent mode coz there are going to be non stop reminders popping up at regular intervals for the forthcoming kitty , the much awaited mother of eve' s event; not that one needs reminders. The monthly precision planning that goes into it in terms of time management will give the corporates a run for their money. Women are done with showcasing their culinary skills at home  and want to make a beeline to whichever venue suggested by the host. It is a welcoming escape to sanity in case you are tearing your hair in despair with day to day problems getting the better of you. A lot has been said about kitty parties.... superficial, frivolous; but believe me there's more to it than meets the eye. An occasion where you get to meet women from all age groups, like minded or otherwise, who have something unique to bring to the table. A date to remember, where right from the attire to attitude is on an all time high. A lot of girlie fun, unwindi...

For me the month of May is a mixed bag of emotions. It is my birthday month & I particularly rejoice on the occasion, feeling special as if I was born to make a difference to the world however ridiculously far fetched & hilarious that may sound. It is also the time the king of fruits..the mango makes its grand entry making my delight complete. Much to my alarm, the honeymoon period soon gets over as the sweltering heat makes it's presence felt & adding to the woes begins the dismal saga of absconding maids. Most of them go on their annual holidays; can't grudge them that & the measly few who remain suddenly come up with relatives crawling out of the woodwork who seem to need them more than me. Forget the newspapers & the weather reports who most often miss the targets, the weather at home certainly depends on the appearance of the maid. The kitchen sink & the washing machine vie for the top spot in screaming for your attention & when the maid ...

As I was about to drift blissfully into a nap...the o haseena zulfowali number was being played & nap be damned..I grabbed the phone & watched the picturisation on U-tube....it jogged a lot of memories of my tryst with movies. My love for Hindi movies dates back to my early childhood..for me the whole process was enthralling to say the least..the entire build-up for the movie outing. The excitement used to start two days in advance..the chores..the homework..all  seemed worthwhile when movie watching was round the corner...As the day dawned..right from deciding what to wear from the humble wardrobe to oh God please please let us get the tickets.all that was a part of the entire package deal. Going personally & booking the tickets in advance was a luxury as there were no volunteers to do the job...we used to reach the theatre in anticipation, eyeing dismally at the serpentine queus, keeping fingers crossed that the ticket window does not rudely shut with a housefull...

Hospitals are strange bedfellows.. Here you have all the time in the world to sit back, ponder, introspect your life..to decide wether you want to count your blessings or bemoan the inadequacies.. The perfect time to realise how uncertain life really is & how much we tend to waste it by our very own actions & reactions.. The perfect time to realise that there are always people more unfortunate or in need than us.. Most importantly time stands still.. to have endless conversations with family, huddled close together over a cup of coffee..hearts pounding when summoned to the ICU..the relief when it was just routine...a gamut of feelings & emotions..like waves lashing at the back of the mind..the power of strength, resilience, agony & ecstacy..the entire package which resonates within you..before you go back to the routine to drown in the fast pace of chores & deadlines. Tomorrow is truly another day. Scarlet o' hara's epic words ringing in my ears.