I Bid Adieu

A year I lived

A year I hoped

A year I loved

A year I cried

A year I hurt

A year I learnt

A year of friends

A year of laughter

A year of courage

A year of sacrifice

A year of loneliness

A year of smiles

A year it was 

It gave me some

It took away lots

A year I'm glad to say goodbye!

Happy New Year everyone, hope the year 2014 is happier, more prosperous, and brings you contentment in whatever you do! Let's ring in the new year with some fun, good food and some wine, with friends and family, near or far, lets welcome 2014 with all our love and hopes!

(image src: hdwallmages.com)

Ek Galat Fehmi

Vo humein samajhte hain, ye galat fehmi thi humein

apni hi khushgawar duniya mein ji rahe the hum.

Apno ke liye to bahut ladte rahe vo humse

aaj gairon ko bhi humse zyada samajhte hain wo.

Kehte hain ki samajhte hain humein,

bus hum hi nahin bayan karte apne dil ka  haal.

Aur jab spasht lafzon se dil ka haal zahir kiya humne,

kehte kuch nahin kehne ko hai unke paas.

Ab isko unka guroor samjhe hum,

ya samjhe isko gairon ke liye unke dil ka dard.

Par kaise samjhein isko hum

ki vo samjhte hain humare dil ka haal?

Vo humein samjhenge kabhi na kabhi,

shayad humare chale jaane ke baad.

Issi galat fehmi ke saath aaj bhi ji rahe hain hum, 

ek ummeed ek bekarari ke saath.

(PS: the image is not owned by me, in case you own it and wish to take it down please drop me a mail)

Chaand

Raat bhar chaand se batein ki humnein.

Kuch uski suni kuch apni bayaan ki humnein

Hazaaron taron ke beech tanha tha chaand.

Zindagi ki raah par,

kuch humari hi tarah, akela tha chaand.

Sardi ki raat mein apne dilon ka haal bataya,

humari halat dekh, bahut roya tha chaand.

Chaand ne kaha saath dega humara, 

din bhar na sahi,

raat ko gale lagakar, dard humara kum karega chaand.

Iraade to nek the chaand ke, apne dil ka raazgar banana 

chahta tha chaand.

Par kismat kahan thi humari ki uska saath milta,

Kabhi poonam sa poora, kabhi aadha adhoora,

Grehan lag gaya, chhipp gaya tha chaand.

Hum baithe rahe sardi ki ek aur raat mein, 

dhoondne khoye un lamhon ko phir ek baar.

Hum bhi chhipp jayenge yun hi,

Baithega humari umeed liye phir chaand.



PS: I do not own this image. If this belongs to you and you would like me to take it down please contact me via email.

A Reason To Pray

My tiny hands were folded thus

My head bowed down at His feet

My little heart was thanking Him

For my family, friends and the new doll

My father had just gifted me

A few years past and He was still there

From my idol he had become a friend

I would talk to Him and fight with Him

Question Him on a lot of things

Yet every night before I slept

My heart was in prayer still

From daily chants to festive delights

He was there with me through all the tough nights

From exam blues and relationship stress

He guided me as he held my hand.

My hands were folded thus

My head bowed down at His feet

My heart now tough was thanking Him

For the strength to carry on

Everyday I have a reason to pray

To thank him for being with me

Everyday I celebrate

His presence, His love for me

He is my Lord, my angel

My guiding light and my only friend

He is my reason to pray!

Let your prayer be pure, you don't need big reasons to pray, just pray for His presence and His guidance. This Diwali you can perform the Lakshmi Pooja on your own with your family using the Sampoorna Lakshmi Pooja Pack which contains all the essentials you need along with a CD to guide you through the Pooja. I will be using the Lakshmi Pooja pack this Diwali so that I don't have to run from shop to shop to find out all the essentials I need - in fact all basic materials required for the pooja match the requirements as mentioned in the Skanda Purana. There is a booklet (with script written in 6 languages) and audio CD containing the necessary shlokas and Shree Vinayak Ashtottarashata Naamaavali for performing the pooja. 

image src 1, 2

I Am Explorer - I Storme Ahead!

As I set out in my Storme

A set of wheels I was sure to trust

I ventured off to unknown lands

On a mission handed off to me

By none other than our mother earth

It was a journey where my Tata Safari was put to test!

The night was dark and the roads were stony

But the beast with me had no reason to worry

It urged me to move on, for no task was difficult

For the Varicor engine the Storme boasted off!

image source: http://blog.sanguinebio.com/

Soon clouds appeared and the stillness was gone

Thunderous clapping was heard, a challenge by the mighty Lord!

My Storme was being welcomed to a game of wet rocks

But we zipped ahead through lightening, we feared none!

Book Launch: Dada by Vibhor Tikiya

PRAHLAD KAKAR & HUMA QURESHI LAUNCH ‘DADA’ A BOOK BY VIBHOR TIKIYA

~Premier Institute Beware!!! I Have Arrived… ~

Dada - The Journey Of A Friend, A Fighter, A Believer

Mumbai, August 13, 2013: DADA is a book written by a debutante author Vibhor Tikiya that highlights the significance of relationships. It’s the documented journey of a persona that evolves at every turning page. When a rebel makes it big, it makes for interesting story telling. Set in Premiere College, the US and in the Eastern part of India, DADA is bound to take you back to your college days while taking you through the life of that maverick you always wanted to be.

Vibhor Tikiya unveiled DADA in the presence of Ad Guru Prahlad Kakar and Bollywood Actress Huma Qureshi & Vibhor Tikiya in Mumbai at Title Waves Book Store, Bandra.

During the event Prahlad Kakar read the excerpts from the book, garnering the interest of not only the audience but also actress Huma Qureshi who was interested to know further about the book. This led to a rationally thought provoking and interactive session between the crowd and the author Vibhor Tikiya. At the launch Vibhor Tikiya said, "DADA is not my story and yet in many ways it is. Everyone who has read the book has come back with one comment "This is my story". I guess everyone has a DADA in them - The rebel who needs a bit of guidance from a guide who understands him. Dada is the man one would talk about on a random dinner conversation, the boy who made it purely by his street-smartness and negotiation skills. A boy who starts off a street-smart ruffian and traverses a path that takes him to a place he never imagined possible because of the people he meets and is influenced by along the way. There is one central theme running through the story 'Relationships Transform Lives'"

Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar said, “It’s the journey of a survivor trying to find his idiom. It’s a little bit of our lives and you will definitely find yourself in this book.”

Huma Qureshi, Vibhor, Prahlad Kakkar at the Launch of Dada

And last but not the least, dazzling Huma Qureshi expressed, “It’s always great to see young Indian authors making their mark in the literary world. Vibhor Tikiya’s book is a reflection of urban sociology evolved with a thought, and is in sync with today’s generation. DADA drew me closer to my old college days and reminded me of my experiences, friendships and learning’s. The story of Dada grabs you with each turning page and somewhere along the way; I started empathizing with the character. DADA could be the story of you or me or anyone you might even know.”

Dada is an attempt to highlight relationships and their importance, the deviation albeit however small that they may bring about in your life so that you tend towards a path that may be more fulfilling than any dream you thought for yourself.. It is The Journey of a Friend, a Fighter..a Believer.

Price: Rs.149/-

No. of pages: 301

Publishing House: Indra Publishing House

Available at: Flipkart, Crossword, Landmark and Home Shop 18

Website:www.dadathebook.com

Facebook Page:www.facebook.com/DadaByVibhor

YouTube Page: http://bit.ly/Dadateaser1

About the Author

Vibhor Tikiya is the author and has authored 14 research publications in top notch IEEE journals/conferences and has also authored a patent in Signal Processing. He is mentioned in the Who’s Who of Telecommunications. He has worked with the prestigious Monitor Group in the past in strategy consulting. Among other projects, he was involved in designing a cluster of Microelectronics and Telecom for the Moroccan Government. He has also in the past worked with Merrill Lynch in Asset Liability Management and Aricent. He is now one of the partners of a large textile conglomerate, The Gee Cee Group. A Bachelor of Engineering from the Mumbai University, Masters of Engineering in Telecom from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, he is currently pursuing LLB to understand the intricacies of the Indian Legal System.He has a stellar academic record. He was ranked 2^nd in the Electrical Communication Department at the prestigious IISc, Bangalore and was Ranked 9^th out of 250 at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He was conferred the Institute Scholarship for outstanding academic performance at the IIM-A. He was also among the top 13 shortlisted for the Aditya Vikram Birla scholarship based on his overall performance in the CAT (99.95 percentile + GD/PI).

About the Book:

This was the first thought in my mind when I set foot at the prestigious Premiere Institute of Technology. There was enough reason for me to think that way. I was an out and out rebel. I never followed rules. I never respected the system. I cheated, manipulated and was headed to no-man’s land. They were probably worried I would take a few more with me. And then, I met my friends and things started to change. I started believing in dreams and became who I am today. I guess I was destined to become John, Divya and Vivek’s DADA. Maybe, relationships do transform lives. In my case, they did. I’ve had my share of ups and downs in life. I have experienced the joy of gaining new friends and the loss of people who held me close. I’ve seen concrete foundations reduced to ruins and experienced the joy in making dreams out of rubble.

But through everything, I’ve loved my life. I am DADA and this is my story....

(Press Release)

Have You Ever Hauled Any Water?

"If Newton never told anybody about the law of gravity, if Edison would have only lit his own house, the world would have remained untouched by their brilliant ideas and minds. Powerful ideas of today are the true investments for a better tomorrow. Last December, we had partnered with the TEDxGateway Mumbai with this very belief."

When I read this on indiblogger.in I knew I had to watch the videos and the first one that I saw was so amazing I finally thought about writing it.

I watched a video by Cynthiya Koenig where she talks about a problem faced by many rural women in India - water hauling. Yes, something we as urban dwellers don't think about much but a problem Indian women across the country face when they have to provide for a basic necessity - water!

1 out of every 6 women have to haul litres of water on their head which leads to chronic ailments and what amazed me was that these women were spending a huge amount of their precious time doing just that - hauling water so that their family could have water to drink, cook, bathe, and even wash hands with.

According to the officials "The time spent fulfilling this basic need keeps many children out of school and prevents women from carrying out all the domestic and income generating work for which they are responsible. In much of the developing world, it is often necessary to walk five miles (8km) or more every day to fetch water. In the dry season, it is not uncommon to walk twice this distance. Collecting water can be dangerous too. The traditional method of carrying water – carrying a 5 gallon (20 liter) water bucket on the head – can severely damage the spine, causing severe pain and even leading to complications during childbirth. In some countries, walking to find water exposes people to the dangers of land mines."

Random Ramblings - Sama

Sama was sitting alone in the balcony. She was sad and upset. Tanay had once again reminded her of her loss and she couldn't stand being there to be reminded again and again of what she was trying to forget.

She watched around as people came out for their evening stroll. There was a couple playing badminton. There was no net and the boundaries were not clear. Whenever the shuttle dropped on the ground the guy would pick it up. Once,twice, even when it fell quite close to the girl, she wouldn't pick it up. Sama thought to herself, how much one can learn about a couples equation through a simple game of badminton. She knew who ruled the roost in their family. Sama knew how the tables would turn if she were playing with Tanay.

She sat back and tried to control her tears,but in vain. Seconds, minutes, an hour passed but her eyes would not stop pouring her sorrow out. The well of sadness was too deep to empty so soon

बैठे हुए इस शोर में

बैठे हुए इस शोर  में  कुछ अकेलापन है ।  मुस्कुराते इन चेहरों में  आंसुओं को छुपाता मेरा मन है ।  आज फिर लव्ज़ों का  तूफ़ान सा उमड़ रहा है ।  बहते हुए इन लम्हों में  मेरा मन  ज़िंदा मर रहा है !

Sitting in this noise, I am alone
Smiling face all around me as I hide my tears
Words inside me are stirring up a storm
My heart dies as the time ticks away!

My Braid Story

My lovely long tresses

Always oiled into two braids

Thin with wiggly ends

My two oily braids

image source: fiverr.com

A visit to the parlor

Sad state of split ended hair

Snip-snap-snip went the scissors

Finally and end to my split hair

A short bob on my poor head

Slowly grew back in length

Challenging me once again

Ready to split as I let it grew in length

A small gift from mom

A bottle of milky white Dove

Promising strength to my hair

My milky white Dove

A month of regular devotion

image source: dove.co.in

Shampoo followed by the creamy conditioner

Dove on my hair

As the tresses grew back

Finally the time had come

Time for the final test

The long tresses were tied up

But this time in a healthy single braid

The ends looked so much better

But they had to pass the test

Gently the braid was held

Its ends caressed my face

No unruly pieces sticking out

The braid felt soft against by face

My hair had passed the test

Almost after a decade!

And finally Dove had given me

My much sought after, long and healthy braid.

Finally a healthy braid (image source: ourexternalworld.blogspot.in)

This poem is written as part of the contest on Indiblogger.in for the Dove Split End Rescue System challene

Chanakya's New Manifesto - Book Review

Chanakya's New Manifesto - To resolve the crisis within India

When I first got hold of this book, the beauty blogger inside me noticed an eye catching cover and loved the inner maroon colored paper. I had truly forgotten that what I had in my hands was no work of fiction.

I started reading the Prologue and found it interesting. For a person like me who has forgotten my history lessons, it was a reminder of Chanakya and the way he had overthrown an entire kingdom  with his clear and sharp mind. I was reminded off the great intellect that “Bharatvarsh” once had. In the prologue I met Chanakya through the words of Pavan K. Varma.

As I stepped into the book I soon realized this was not a mere reading that I had in my hands, but a thought provoking book that had to be grasped page by page. Pavan K. Varma makes you take a hard hitting look at our present. He does not shy away from pointing out exact issues that face the country today and the reasons why we are at such cross roads today. His uninhibited fact presentation, points out the political mishap that is facing our economy. He presents the five main culprits that we need to tackle if we really want to grow as a nation.

Pavan K Varma presents through each section of the book a solution, from Chanakya's teachings in the Arthashastra, to improve Governance, Democracy, tackle Corruption, and provide security in order to create an inclusive society - a society that is undeterred, honest and capable of spotting and growing true talent.

For people living in oblivion this book presents all the main issues that have been faced by our country since Independence and also those that persist even in today’s day and age. Chanakya's New Manifesto is a book I would recommend all people in power to read at-least once. Maybe we should mandate this as a prerequisite to any position in power.

For those who keep track of the daily news and follow closely what all corrupt dealings are poisoning our country this book might come only as a recap of what they already know. But each one of us can take back one important learning and that is that the responsibility of a ‘golden’ nation lies in our own hands. Through Chanakya’s New Manifesto: To resolve the Crisis within India, Pavan K. Varma opens our eyes to a world we have been taking for granted for over 65 years after Independence. He provokes you to sit up and think, think and take charge of things that are happening around us.

About the author: Pavan K. Varma

Pavan K. Varma, is a well read person himself. He is diplomat turned writer and has published 17 books in the past. They mostly revolve around India and its people. "Ghalib: The Man, The Times", "Krishna: The Playful Divine", "The Great Indian Middle Class", "Being Indian: The Truth About Why the 21st Century Will be India's", "Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution and Culture and Identity" and "When Loss is Gain" are all part of his writing legacy. Pavan K.Varma’s writing style shows his knowledge of the subject he is talking about.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

फिर वही शाम

फिर वही  शाम  है
फिर वही प्रश्नों का समुन्दर
फिर उसी भवर में ज़िन्दगी

फिर वही जाम है
फिर वही अनचाहा सा जश्न
फिर उसी सन्नाटे में ज़िन्दगी

फिर वही चाँद है
फिर वही रात का बंजारापन
फिर उसी लम्हे को थामे ज़िन्दगी

image source: liberatingchoices.com

Phir vahi shaam hai

Phir vahi prashno ke samundar

Phir ussi bhavar mein zindagi

Phir vahi jaam hai

Phir vahi unchaha sa jashn

Phir ussi sannate mein zindagi

Phir vahi chaand hai

Phir vahi raat ka banjarapan

Phir ussi lamhe ko thaame zindagi

बिखरी हुई ज़िन्दगी

बिखरी  हुई ज़िन्दगी को समेटूं कैसे 
अपने ही हाथों से छूटे अपनों को ढूँढूं कैसे 
प्यार की खोज में जिस ज़िन्दगी को अपनाया था 
नफरत भरे लम्हों में उसी को भिगो दूँ कैसे 

जिस राह पर विश्वास की चाह थी 
धोके भरे क़दमों को उस्सी राह पर चलते हुए सहूँ कैसे 
दिल को भरोसे से किया था जिसके हवाले 
उसी के आक्रोश से अपने दिल को टूटने से बचाऊं कैसे 

बिखरी हुई इस ज़िन्दगी को अब जियूं कैसे !

image src: freehdphotogallery.blogspot.com 

Beauty in Despair

Dressed up all pretty and nice She went off to an island with Mr Brice The air was fresh and their hearts upbeat Hand in hand As they lay footprints on sand They walked together Looking lovingly at each other His hand around her waist Her heart aflutter The sun grew stronger The ocean so warm T'was time to take a dip Swim like two fish in merriment do flip They changed into swimsuits He looked chiseled She - even more stunning

The little Unwanted went completely unnoticed

They entered the water blue and serene
She was aghast at the sight, she had just seen!

The tiny hair on her arms got magnified
Sprouted out like little thorns on a rose
What could she do now
There was no place to go and hide

He hadn't yet noticed and neither he cared
His love for her was ever so rare

But her mind lost its rest
Her heart gave its disapproval
Only one thing did it say

I wish I had opted for my hair removal!

The warmth of the sun
The beauty that lay ahead
The love in his eyes, the care in his touch
T'was all lost for her
As she mulled over her despair
Vowing to herself, a promise she made
Never ever to miss her hair removal date!

This post is a part of the Gillette Satin Care contest in association with BlogAdda.com
PS: images have been taken from Google - if you are the owner and would like them removed please let me know

Goodness of Coconut

Goodness of Coconut

A hard nut with a tender heart
Coconut sir is truly very smart

Inside the husky solid exterior
Lies a bed of white ever so superior

Three small  holes on the outer shell
Makes Mr Coconut cast a smiling spell

Drink its water all cool and fresh
Summers will no longer be a scorching mesh

Eat it raw while all tender and soft
Let the artist convert the shell into your loft

Let it dry and harden a bit
Shred it into pieces, add to food for a treat

Fiber, Manganese, Potassium and Copper
All its goodness make it a food show stopper!

Oil it in your hair for tresses dark and strong
Add it to your makeup for beauty that stays for long.

Coconut sir is a versatile friend
Goodness of coconut is vast and has no end!

Parachute Advanced Body Lotion Deep Nourish brings you the goodness of coconut milk. In a cute bottle it holds the secret to healthy nourished skin all year long. Specially for use in winters to keep the dryness away, Parachute Deep Nourish enhances your skin with coconut milk making it soft and supple.

PS: the image has been taken from 123rf.com
the post is a part of a contest for Parachute http://goodnessofcoconut.com/