A Small Message..!!

After a long time I am writing something, this gap was basically because of the annoying work load and the “other” problems circling around my life. Finally, there were crackers showering light in the dark, that is, I got a 10 day leave for Diwali. Going home after two months of job torture and weird experiences in this city, I can totally understand the importance of Diwali day to Lord Rama who was away from home for 14 freaking years, that too with twists and turns everywhere.

Anyways, so in this holiday mood and Diwali bonus excitement I had been for shopping yesterday. It was a bliss to use your own earned hard cash for your family. The money I earned working for 30 whole days, I did not think twice spending a lot of it in hardly 3 hours. I was on the streets of F.C., hunting down a few shops and then J.M was the next destination. With all the colored jewellery and shining clothes, I hardly realized my hunger craves. When they were impossible to avoid, I finally had to pause down and eat something. I ordered a chocolate sandwich; I was told the guy on F.C makes them very yummy. While waiting for my order I observed a strange thing there.

There were 3 kids nearby; one was around a 15 year old guy who was taking orders on the sandwich stall where I ordered mine. He had this “Happy Dent” smile on his face each time he took some order. His loud typical tone repeating the order to the cook inside and the way he managed the crowds was really impressive. The best part about him was his spiked hair and the music player he kept near his table. 

The second guy I saw was sitting a little farther with wood bangles. He was fat, short and not more than 12 years of age. He was seating there munching chips when a girl came there asking him the rate of a few bangles. The girl tried hard to bargain with the kid, but he convinced her with his sweet talks to buy the bangles without compromising for a rupee. This fella had a huge smile when the girl left after buying things from him.

The third guy was a mere 5 year old selling heart shaped balloons. He was so smart that he would deliberately go to couple standing and ask the girls if they wanted balloons. Rarely, couples especially the ones “newly committed” would refuse buying something as romantic as a heart shaped balloon. Plus, the guy was so cunning; he would make a sad and innocent face to people who would not buy anything from him. The sympathy trick worked well for him most of the times.

There were many such working kids there. It seems they work everyday, they have no festive vacations or no celebrations. In fact, festivals are always more hectic and busy to these little ones. At the age where Diwali is a source of fun and enjoyment, for them it is now a source of living. 

Even with little or almost no education these kids were very smart. I mean, think over it, we could hardly manage a tiny game booth in our school fair when 15 years old, let alone a whole food stall on one of the busiest streets of the city. And when 5 year old we could hardly go the neighbor’s house alone, roaming on the streets alone was something never even thought of. Aren’t these kids smart and tough? They can survive, good and bad times, with a smile on their face. This is something that we, the educated, principled and mature grownups cannot do most of the times.

This was a blog just to ask each of you reading it to do something good this Diwali. Something for those working kids – children working on food stalls, kids selling stuff on roads and so many. Maybe we could buy a kid a new dress, or light crackers with all kids who work even on Diwali selling Pooja stuff outside temples or serving people in restaurants, or maybe just roam around all over the city distributing sweets. I remember this coke add a few years back, a group of friends lighting diyas everywhere, we can get a little inspired from it and do something – anything actually. I hope I make somebody happy this Diwali and I wish each one who has read this does it too…

Let’s make this a “Happy Diwali” guys..!!

- By Anvi Mehta

Arranged with Love - Part 1

She was very restless and nervous. It was quite evident from the way she was strolling up and down the corridor and staring at her cell phone every now and then. Her heartbeats were rising as the clock got closer to 10 PM. She went in front of the mirror to check herself. She tidied her hair up and sprinkled some water on her face, forgetting the fact that she was going to talk over the phone where nobody would see her.

Her phone rang, and she looked at the flashing light. The number on the screen was the same that she was expecting a call from. She picked up the call.

“Hi”, the voice seemed more appealing and sweet today. She replied back in a calm tone, trying not to show her excitement.

“Hi”

“So what have you decided?”

She knew what she had to reply, but was hesitant. Her guts seemed to be twisted hard and she had tickling feelings in her stomach. She gathered all her courage and replied,

“I am ready”

“Ready for?” he asked this though he knew what she meant, but he wanted to tease her a little.

“You know what”

“No, I don’t”

"Okay. So I meant Yes. I will marry you”

This is how their new chapter had started. But the actual story began a few months back. It went something like this.

Tanvi Kulkarni was a 24 year old, Computer Engineer, who belonged to a typical Maharashtrian Brahmin family. Anybody could make it out from her features – tall, straight hair, fair complexion and light colored eyes. Her tone was also totally Brahmni – “shudh” as they say. 

Her family comprised of her mother, a housewife who spent most of her time training Tanvi to be a good house maker. Her father was a Professor teaching Geology, he was strict but could never even raise his voice on her. Her brother was also a Computer Engineer, played both the roles of a Bestfriend and a Brother in her life. Overall, Tanvi was a pampered daughter; she was never devoid of love, care and warmth in her life.

After finishing her Post Graduation, Tanvi went to Pune for a Job. She was very happy there, living an independent life in a flat with 3 of her friends. She was enjoying her life at the fullest. The always happy and smiling Tanvi though was annoyed that day. It was 13^th October, her brother’s birthday. She was very excited as she had sent a shirt for him with her own salary. 

She called him,

“Hi, Dada. Happy Birthday, did you get the gift?”

“Yes, I did”

“Such a lame response, did you like it?”

“Ofcourse I did. Listen Mom is asked me to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Do not panic. We have got a marriage proposal for you through Mom’s friend. The guy works in Mumbai in Accenture as a Software Engineer.”

“Dada, you know I do not want to get married so soon. Plus, I don’t want to marry like this, with some stranger. And not at all if the stranger is somebody related to Computers or Software”

“Atleast see him”

“No way”

“I have mailed you the photos. If you feel like, you can see them”

“Don’t call me again. I don’t want to marry. And tell Mom to find herself a sunbai, she will find a better timepass then to search stupid proposals for me. Bye.”

Tanvi shouted so loudly that even her neighbors must have understood what was going on. It was 8 in the evening, she was in her room.

Listening to her shout, one of her flat mates came rushing inside.

“What happened?”

“Shit happened”

“huh!”

“Nothing”

She remained silent all the time after that. She was pissed on the tradition of getting daughters married as soon as they finish their education. She wanted to roam around the world, meet new people, and to understand different cultures and much more. She had dreamed all of this only for herself, she did not imagine a stupid guy standing next to her when clicking a photo outside The Queen’s Palace in U.K. or somebody sharing with her a yummy handmade pizza in Italy.

Nevertheless, after some time she opened her laptop. Sub consciously she even logged in her mail account. She saw a mail from her brother. The subject read “Shree Deshmukh – Photos”

“Shree, such a weird name” Tanvi said it to herself. She ignored that mail and did some other work. After a while, she looked at the mail again.

“Why am I doing this?” She asked herself, she was curious to see the mail, but she also had her ego come in between.

“Anyways, I am not supposed to tell anybody that I saw the photo. And nobody would know” She tried to manipulate herself, and after a lot of self debate, she finally opened her brother’s mail. The mail had an attached copy of the photo, she downloaded it. But there was a confusion followed with frustration when she opened the photo which had two guys standing together outside some mall. Both of them were fair and handsome types, but she did not know who the hell Shree was amongst them.

Finally she called her brother and in a kid like tone asked him,

“Who is Shree out of the two?”

“HaHa, I was expecting your call. You tell me who do you expect your Shree to be?”

“Shut up Dada”

“Y shut up now, you did not want to talk with us right”

“Okay, I am sorry, and I am not serious about this guy. I was just going through the mails and thought of just seeing him once. That is it. I am still not interested”

“Okay, I see. The right hand side guy”

“Okay. See you then”

Tanvi saw the one at the right hand side, somehow she expected the left hand side guy to be Shree, but then she thought it doesn’t really matter who Shree was. She wasn’t going to meet anybody anyways. She turned her laptop off and was about to sleep, when she got a text from her brother.

“Tomorrow at 4 in the evening in Wadeshwar, your Shree would be waiting for you. Sweet dreams”

Tanvi grunted seeing the message, deciding that she was not going to meet any random guy. She kept her cell on silent and threw it as far as possible to avoid any further messages from her brother and went to sleep.

- By Anvi Mehta

my silli love life..!!

I was just going through my friends phone, to get some songs from him. A particular song that has made me fall in love with instantly is Ayushman's "O heeriye". I have been listening to it since an hour almost now. But it is still bringing a smile on my face. I mean it might sound stupid but the song is like the male and hindi version of taylor's love story.
Generally I categorise myself as the girl who hates make up and definately doesnt define Pink as her favorite color. So everybody around me thinks I am a little tom boyish with less feelings of like those of the normal chicks and I let them believe it. But there is something that flutters inside me too when I read Mills & Boons, there is a smile when I see actors singing songs and bringing flowers for actresses and there is my heart racing when I see him around me. And the best feelings are when I am with him. I have no gravity, its him who balances me.
This song definitely reminds me of us. The practical duo with a small tinge of romance to them. He is not exactly like a prince on a white horse nor I am any damsel in distress, but we are two crazy individuals who are now hooked up tight.
Not from the era of "love at first sight", we were just friends in the start. There were no love letters, thanks to cell phones and facebook. We werent actually supposed to fall in love. But somehow we fell hard. When? Where? How?...questions atleast I wouldnt be able to answer. But than as quoted by a friend of mine
"Things Happen".
He is not like the traditional romantic lovers, he is the one who believes in living with me rather than dieing for me. He thinks he does not do anything for me when I tell him about my other friends bfs doing all the.kuchi koo stuff for their gfs. I wont tell him that he is wrong ever, though I know am lucky to have him. Unknowingly, he is always been the Prince Charming. But bandi ko bhi to bhaav khana hai..!!
So today, thanks to Ayushmaan I would like to list down a few thinge of his that manage to make blush..!!
First, he doesnt ever realise how special it is to me when he holds my hands when crossing the roads, I know I am not a kid but it's lovely when he treats me like one.
He wont know this - but I blush each time he would call my mom as mom and ask me to call his mom as mom. I mean its kinna dumb but I love it.
The kiss on the forehead is always helped me feel secure and comfortable. Never stop that even after I grow old and have a  wrinkled forehead.
I never like Public Display of Affection, but I have no bounds of joy when he pecks me when saying good bye outside my house. I can just melt down there.
The best is when he talks of US in the future. And when he says he isnt romantic cos I am his wife and not girlfriend. How ironic, he just got hell lot of romantic when he said it!
I feel happy when he teaches me how to hold a fork. Ofcourse, I havent learnt it till date and hold my fork wrong each time. But the look when he is annoyed seeing me hold it wrong, is totally worth it.
I love it when he says he loves me with all his friends standing near him. It makes me feel special, very special.
There are a lot of things, a lot of moments that has made me fall for him all over again. Though I have fought with him over stupid reasons, but its his phone call after each fight that keeps me going.
Finally my version of Ayushman's song for him:
"o ranjhiya, menu le ja na, nai jeena tere bina, sanu de na saza"
Love ya

- By Anvi Mehta

Lovey - Dovey

We met, there was a spark..
You became my candle in the dark..
Mesmerised in the love quark..
Least bothered of anyone's remark..
We kissed, there was rain storming..
For our love story was forming..
The cold hearts around us were warming..
Oh you are so damn charming..
We love, and there is no stop..
Dancing and swaying on jazz and pop..
Together we can make the pressure drop..
Baby, we can live and love nonstop..
You say I am your princess..
Though I am a total mess..
With frizzy curls and stupid dress..
You the hero,me the damsel in distress..:-*

- By Anvi Mehta

Never always well begun - Part 4

“Are you following me?” the mysterious girl replied to Gaurav in quite a rude tone.
“No, why should I follow a stranger who wanted to kiss me a while ago.”
“Oh that was you, do not take me seriously, I was finishing a dare"
Pallika pretended as if she did not remember Gaurav, though in reality she was not able to forget him at all.
“How many times have you been doing such dares?”, Gaurav took her hand saying this and started dancing with her. Pallika did not resist him. She went with the flow. They talked as they moved. Their postures, their style and their movements were all in sync with each other. It was obvious they were happy to spend this time.
“That was my first, wonder how many times you have danced with strangers.”
“Gaurav – law student, living in this city for the past 3 years.” “Pallika – you don’t need to know more.”
They both were totally into each other. They danced for a long time, but none of them revealed any personal information than their name. After a considerable amount of time, Pallika realized that she had been with a stranger for a long time and had no idea where Prutha and the rest of them were. She left Gaurav and rushed to the private area Siddharth had booked. There was nobody there. Gaurav went behind Pallika and stood next to her. Pallika searched for her purse she had kept on the couch. It was not there. She searched for Prutha everywhere in the club, but neither Prutha nor Siddharth were not to be seen anywhere. She could not even find any of Siddharth’s friends.
“What happened?”Gaurav finally asked Pallika after following her everywhere.
“I am alone”
“What?”
“This is all because of you. I got involved dancing with you and all my friends left me.” Pallika was on the verge of crying. She felt like a small kid who got lost in the crowd. She looked angrily at Gaurav.
“It’s okay. I will drop you home.” Gaurav was happy to know his girl was left alone. He had more time with her now. Bonus – he also would know where she lived. “Give me your phone.” Pallika took his phone and dialed Prutha. After several rings, finally somebody picked up the phone.
“Hello, Prutha it's me" she was blank after that. Gaurav could see her face a little terrorised."Okay”, this was the only thing Pallika said and then handed the cell back to Gaurav and turned to leave. Gaurav caught hold of her hand.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“I have to leave.” She hugged Gaurav, pecked him on the cheeks, looked at him for a minute and then left. After she left, the drinks were getting on Gaurav. He felt like Prince Charming whose Cindrella just ran away. He called up Jeet and they left too, hoping to find Pallika outside the club. She was nowhere to be seen. Finally, they decided to go back home. He was lost and confused. The whole night turned out to be excitingly tiring and he slept off as soon as he reached home.
He got up the next day as if everything that occurred last night was a dream. His eyes were wide open trying to figure out where he was. There were no lights in the room and it was very dull. The place was lingering with smell of alcohol and cigarettes. Jeet was sleeping right next to Gaurav, with his back facing the ceiling. He could feel stress and pain all through his body. His head felt heavy and he wasn’t able to move. Somehow he got up and dragged himself out of the bedroom. He washed his face and saw himself in the mirror. His eyes were red and puffed. He looked sleep deprived and weak. He glanced over the watch on the wall opposite to the mirror. It read 3:30 PM, they were sleeping for 12 hours now. He couldnt understand anything around him, the world seemed to have slowed down and even though he was hungry he did not want to eat. The dizziness was taking away the leftover energy. He was in a real bad HANGOVER. He went inside the bedroom and lay down next to Jeet. He was in a semi-conscious state of mind. He could hear voices inside his head. He could see her talking to him, her beautiful eyes looking towards her. This was when suddenly he realized that the only girl who swept him off his feet was missing. He pushed his brains hard to think of everything that had happened last night. He wanted some clues that would lead him to her.
After brainstorming for a while, he realized that she had made a call from his cell. If only he could call on that number and track her. He started searching for his cell phone. It was nowhere. He looked in his pockets, under the bed, inside the pillow covers, in the kitchen and drawing room and every place possible. He called on his phone from Jeet’s, but it was not reachable. He rushed in the bedroom and woke Jeet up.
“Dude, where is my cell phone?”
Jeet woke up from deep sleep and lazily replied, “I don’t know”
“I need to find Pallika, I want the phone.”
“I don’t know Pallika and I don’t know the phone.”
Gaurav was still trying to find for his phone desperately. He was restless, if the phone is gone so is his girl. There were no other ways of finding her. He kept wondering where she went.
And she kept wondering why her life was so miserable all night. Pallika was afraid to feel good and happy, as it never ended well for her. This night was the only night she was herself, happy and flying high. Her days of independence were gone. That was obvious when she heard to Prutha on the phone when she called her from the club. Apparently, Prutha was also searching for Pallika. After the proposal from Siddharth, she was with him sitting in the garden area outside the club. They were holding hands and she was resting her head on his shoulders. They were disturbed by a phone ringing. It was Pallika’s phone. Her purse was with Prutha.
The phone displayed the name of Ajay. Prutha was panic struck; she did not know what to do. She went to the far end of the garden where it was quiet enough for her to talk.
“Hey”
“Where is my fiancé?
“She is sleeping Ajay. It is almost 2.30 in the night.”
“Really? I am outside your flat. I would love to come in and wake her from her sleep with my kiss, but alas, I cannot break open this lock.”
“Where are you?”
“Where is Pallika?” he shouted loudly, Prutha trying to console him said that they were at a friend’s place.
“I want her on the phone now” “Ajay, I will wake her up and call you back”
“No better I want her in the flat in the next 15 minutes. You know I can’t live without seeing her, don’t you?”
As soon as Ajay kept the phone, Prutha took Siddharth and went to search Pallika inside. Siddharth was asking Prutha of what exactly was happening.
“I just wanted her to enjoy for once in life – and now I screwed her life more.” This is all that Prutha told Siddhartha and they started searching for Pallika.
When Pallika called Prutha, she asked her to come in the parking as soon as possible. She mentioned Ajay waiting for them in the flat. Pallika rushed outside and they left. Ajay - the guy with whom her marriage was arranged by her parents. He was a bigot. An ugly, uneducated rich bastard her parents thought would keep her happy all life. As soon as Pallika had finished her graduation she was engaged. Ajay had been an ass since the very beginning. He had mentally and physically assaulted Pallika. But she knew she would have to live like this all life.
It was to live peacefully for some time before her marriage that she had come to this city. She had to convince her family and her future in laws a lot. Finally when they allowed her, she decided to move in with Prutha, her childhood friend and the only person who wanted Pallika to get away from Ajay - he surely did not deserve her.
Ajay had made her life hell. And now her life was going to be worse as she would no longer be allowed to live in her city of dreams and hopes. Even though she did not love him, she could not leave him. Being a modern generation girl with good education and modest thinking – she had to suffer.
On the way home, she wondered why she was not lucky enough to have somebody like Gaurav in her life. She knew she was going to suffer today – but she was happy for the times she had spent with a stranger who seemed to care more than her own parents and the so called fiancé. This was the dilemma of her LIFE. A tear rolled from the corner of her eye. 
Gaurav, unaware of everything was thinking of Pallika. Her voice was still enchanting him. That was when he remembered the Jacket, he had given it to her for some time in the club. He rushed to the parking area of his residence, opened his car and checked for his jacket. It was there, still smelling of her. He found the cell phone in the side pocket of the jacket. All the upsetting and sad feelings of loosing her just got turned into hope and happy.
Would he be able to contact Pallika? Will they ever meet again? Would Pallika sacrifice her life with Ajay? Why is she marrying Ajay?
Nobody knows what is going to happen ahead. But surely there it was - a beginning of a love story. A love story hoping a happy end but not well begun.
For a love story is never always well begun..!!

- By Anvi Mehta

Never always well begun...!! - PART 3

She could feel somebody staring at her as she was walking towards Prutha and Siddharth. The soft whisper she heard a few minutes back was like an alarm that woke her up from a mysteriously beautiful dream. She did fantasize meeting a stranger who would sway her away, but she never expected it would happen in this way. Pallika was lost in the moments that she had spent with a total stranger. She wanted to relive them. Something in that stranger was appealing. She could still listen to the soft yet attractive voice in her head.

Prutha and Siddharth noticed Pallika walking towards them. They were both shocked and surprised to see her play the dare so well. In fact, all of them were impressed by Pallika. None knew that she was actually into the guy whom she had seen for the first time.

“I did not know you had a Shakira in you.” Prutha teased Pallika as she came towards her.

“And I did not know you had the “Mills & Boons” romance in you.” Pallika said this looking towards Prutha’s hands tangled around Siddhartha’s. None of them had noticed, but Prutha and Siddhartha were holding hands all through the night. After some intervals, Siddhartha glanced over at Prutha looking straight in her eyes. Though Prutha was a total jhali, she blushed whenever he looked at her. Her cheeks got pink and her small nose fluffed up.

Even when Pallika was teasing her, she blushed. Siddharth instantly took his hands off; Prutha raising her thick brows gave Pallika a look which maybe meant “You are dead”. Her frown changed to the sweetest smile as soon as Siddharth put his arms around her. He was getting quite cozy with her.

“Prutha, come dance with me?”

Siddharth pulled her off the couch and took her on the floor. He led her to the center of the floor and asked her to wait there. Prutha was confused. Her brain had anyways stopped thinking long back, and after the hand holding and stuff, she was in blank in her excited and happy mode. She did not know how long she was standing there; all she could understand was that the loud and peppy music had changed to something much softer. It was a tone she knew, she had heard it somewhere. She was trying to guess the song.

“Would you dance if I asked you to dance, would you run and never look back, would you save my soul tonight… I can be your HERO baby... I know you love this song and so I requested it for you”, it was Siddharth; he had asked the DJ to play the song Hero by Enrique, one of Prutha’s favorites. He walked towards her and pulled her closer.

“I know this is very soon and spontaneous. But I like spontaneous, it always is from the heart. We have been talking for months now and you know me very well. I can be myself with you. I don’t know if it is right or wrong but I want to stay like this forever. I would love to be with you and see you smiling forever. And trust me when I say this, but I will never let this smile fade away, you may think I am trying to impress you, but your smile is a killer. And my dialogues are inspired from the bollywood romantic masala." Prutha laughed over his last sentence, but there were butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. She went cold as Siddharth came closer. 

He continued, "The main point is that I love you Prutha. I have fallen for you, head over heels.”, then without even listening to what Prutha had to say, he leaned forward and kissed her trembling lips. She did not get the chance to reply in words, but she definitely loved him as well. It was confirmed the minute she kissed him back. And there it was – her first kiss standing at the center of the dance floor, her favorite music playing in the background and the guy she loved holding her safely in his arms. She was living her dream.

Everybody in the disc had noticed this romantic scenario and applauded for the new couple. Pallika was standing at a corner admiring her best friend with her new boyfriend. She was very happy for Prutha and was about to go hug her tight when she was stopped by a similar voice again talking in whispers to her.

“I was searching for you”

- By Anvi Mehta