Me and iMac

Guess this Saturday night was a night of smiles. I got flooded with memories that were way too back of my mind. I am happy. Thanks to the movie "Steve Jobs"! The genius Mr.Jobs, whose idea for easy to use devices, has made most of the world accessible just by the touch on the screen. But back then in 1998, little did I know or admire this genius man. Today after seeing the movie, I now know what I missed that time.

I got my first job in 1998 (thanks to DC) at a computer store that had just opened a branch office in Pune. The name of the store was weird and confusing - "Rahul Commerce". People always had the question of why it was named so and why not give it a regular computer store name. The owner didn't bother about the questions, for he knew exactly what it stood for. There were 2 computers in the store when I first joined. One was a regular PC and the other a Macintosh. I got the job because I knew MS Excel and Word. The boss used the Mac. It was weird looking and always made me think why would he use that old computer. I was just out of college and had hardly ever, almost never, heard of a Mac. When asked, I was told it was almost a 10-year-old computer and has been working without any problems since then. I also was told that the store was the first in India to have imported a Mac and started selling it. They had sold a few, but not many bought it. Though I didn't know then, but now I feel privileged to have put my hands on that Mac! Thanks to Mr. DS!! I remember my Compaq PC crashed almost every month. But the Mac stood tall, I mean small, and never surrendered to the voltage fluctuations.

Then maybe a few months later the boss started talking about the iMac. What on earth! Now, what would that be about? There was no Google, so I couldn't (never thought) search about it on the internet. We just waited for it to be delivered. And it arrived... the first ever iMac, in Pune, in front of my eyes! What a beauty it was! Aqua color. "So the CPU is in this?", "that mouse is so small!", "those are the speakers?", "this keyboard is light as a 100 pages notebook!" For heaven's sake! What on earth and how and why and who??  Steve Jobs my dear, Steve Jobs! And that's when I fell in love with the genius. Who would have thought? The compact design, different color options, simply wow! It was difficult to explain the design at home. People came from everywhere to see the iMac. It was an unbelievable device for us regular Indians. "Where is the god damn CPU?" was the most commonly asked question. People doubted its reliability. Then the price was outrageous too. Who would buy that thing, and why? But DS never bothered about the questions. He knew there was a market for it. We did manage to sell a few around the country.

When I saw the iBook - the small colorful laptop, I once again fell in love. I vowed to myself to buy the iBook someday, the orange colored one was always on my mind. But then, times changed. I got married to someone, who was just like the people who walked into my office to see the iMac and never trusted it. But now he swears by the genius design.

My eyes welled up while seeing the iMac and its launch in the movie today. Now with the "i" revolution taking over the world, I feel privileged to have got to use the old Macintosh devices. Thanks to RC and Mr.DS, I am forever indebted to you to introduce me to Mac. Ever since the iMac, I have been a devout admirer of the pioneer and genius, Mr.Jobs. Perhaps that is why my child was born on the same date as his birth date. (Yes, yes! Right now there is this huge smile on my face!) Who knew!

I salute and bow to you, Steve. Thanks for making the world a better place by your designs.

I love my ear muffs :)

Early spring, I bought new ear muffs. It was a difficult find, but I really needed one. I love it for so many reasons – it makes me look cute, it’s purple and fluffy and soft, it blocks the cold wind entering my ears, thus helping me not getting sick. Also, it prevents me from tying my scarf around my head-ears-neck and avoid a few scary stares. No, I’m not scared but people are scared of my scarf and brown skin color these days. I never imagined that a humble scarf around my neck would scare people and label me as a Muslim.

Nothing wrong in calling me a Muslim, as people have always liked guessing my religious profile. But that was in India, as I was always a darker shade of brown. In India everyone is profiling you by your shade of brown and in US, everyone calls any shade of brown – a Muslim or as long back Priyanka Chopra had said, “Arab”. Say whaat??

With the recent happenings across the world and the US elections, every brown person is looked at suspiciously. I get stares for even opening my purse in the train or bus. I had never traveled frequently by public transport before in the US. The overall experience is new and less chaotic as compared to the desi commute. It happened first time when I felt that I was looked (stared) at even while I opened my purse. A lady stared at me continuously – which was pretty odd – till I stopped fidgeting with my bag and scarf. I smiled slightly, but she looked away. I should have ignored the incident, but could not, as such small but irritating reactions happened a few more times.
From where I come in India, I am used to covering my head, face and hands with a scarf or a dupatta to protect the skin and hair from the scorching sun or the cold wind and drive around like a terrorist – openly! Then again, some Americans hardly know India and for them to know the Indian weather for that matter, is out of their world (American) knowledge.

I always wondered why Bella from office didn’t ever smile at me, while talking and laughing with everyone around me. Until, last month when she “dared” to ask me (with a forced smile), “So, are you fasting for Ramadan?” Ting! The bulb above my head shone so bright, so bright that it reflected on my teeth with a not-at-all forced smile and I replied, “I’m not.” I have the complete right to keep my religious identity in wraps. I ate a piece of doughnut right before her eyes and walked away, while she “tried” to smile back.

Yesterday at the office party, a guy literally tried to force me to eat barbeque pork and also trying to convince me it was chicken. Little did he notice that it was clearly written on the food tray as “pulled pork”! Nice try, dude! With the amount of food in your plate, it was clear you were hungry, but what you really need is to pull that pork out of your brain – and take in the food of knowledge which you have in abundance on the interwebs.

To my surprise, these reactions and responses to my skin color were not as common as it has become now. I have met so many Americans who have appreciated my country, my culture and I respect the US culture and the freedom of expression it allows me (which is also there in India, that is why we desis quickly adopt US as “home”). Many dream of coming to this great county to live the American dream and freedom. Winds of change are affecting many countries, mostly in a negative way. The negativity that has been flowing rapidly in the country for the past few months, reached the UK at a lightning speed.

In elementary school years, there was always an essay topic to write about – “My favorite festival” and most of the kids always ended up writing about Holi. There was a common sentence in everyone’s paper – “Holi is the festival that brings people of all religions together”. I feel there should be more cultural festivals throughout the world to celebrate various cultures. Let people know who your neighbor is, what kind of food he eats, what customs he follows in his country. Less of religious symbols and more of happy, smiling faces. No one should judge you by your attire or your skin color or your scarf or your hat or the food you eat.

The world needs more of love and understanding. I fear for my fellow women commuters from other cultures who have to wear a scarf for religious reasons and who bravely accept the stares and conclusions from the person sitting across them in a bus.

For me, ear muffs are the way to go! It’s purple and warm and fluffy.

Call the midwife

Call the midwife

British series have always been fascinating. The accent, the mannerism. Remember the series on DD, "Great Expectations"? Currently, I am binge watching a series on Netflix called “Call the Midwife”. It is a BBC production and right now in my mind, I’m typing with a British accent in my head. Though I was a bit reluctant to watch this, I was totally hooked by the sisters/nuns, nurses and midwives and their chemistry among themselves. What actually caught my attention was the nuns that reminded me of my school days. Now if you have studied in a convent school, you can relate to the nuns so very easily. Also, now I know how much of an influence the have British on some part of our culture.

The series is about a town in East End of London called Poplar. Its a poor dockside city, where there is an abundance of children. The story is set at the Nonnatus House, a nursing convent which is an old building that resides nuns, who are trained nurses and they also are accompanied by trained midwives. Most of the midwives are young, who have got their calling of helping people without any monetary expectations. They ride bicycles and have to attend emergency calls from pregnant women, which are often many in number. They make house calls and give prenatal care. If required, they also have to assist doctors in emergency cases.

There are so many instances in the series that relate to India and school days. Having attended a convent school with strict nuns around, we were often involved in Christian plays and songs. We were often reminded about pronunciations, punctuations, pauses while reciting our poems. The nurse sister Nirmala, who dressed our wounds with “magic” white powder, also taught us knitting and sewing. The nuns in Nonnatus house are often shown knitting, praying and helping people without asking questions was their duty. That explains my automatic inclination towards social service!

“Can I make you a cup’o tea?”, asks the host whenever a midwife comes in her house.

“Oh, that would be delightful!” is the reply.

“Would you like some biscuits?”

“Sure.”
Right now I'm totally thinking in British accent!!

That makes me go back to India, where its a common practice to ask our guests if they would like tea and most of them “delightfully” agree, accept and enjoy it. Now was it the British Raaj influence on us or the other way round? We will always argue that its us Indians who believe in “Atithi devo bhava”, and thus it may be us who may have given a lesson or two on hospitality to them. But then this shows us that we have so many common cultural and traditional following in the world. Tea is served in a cup and saucer and not mugs! There are biscuits that look like Parle-G and also some mention of Bourbon biscuits, that we even now enjoy so very much.

Riding the bicycle in India was always fun. We have so many songs in our Hindi movies where the heroine’s ride the cycle in skirts or salwar kameezes and the scarf or dupatta, respectively, fluttering along with the wind. The midwives attend the calls on their bicycle. They’ve shown teaching a new nurse how to ride it. Gosh, I remember how many times I’ve hurt myself learning to ride a bicycle!

When the nurses examine the pregnant women, the men are often told to step outside. They gladly do as told. Pregnancy is not much discussed with the husband and nor is he present during the delivery, which is most often done at home. That cultural respect (?) is so common as in India. While staying in US, we are so happy that the husband accompanies us to doctors visits, he’s present at the baby’s birth in the delivery room or else he would be looked down upon in friendly social gatherings for not being there for his wife. I remember my mother being shyly devastated by the idea of my husband being in the delivery room.

Then there is a strict nun, that reminds me of all the sisters at school. No questions to be asked when you are told to do something. Nuns are tough and ready to work under any work conditions. Mother Teresa is an excellent example of working without expectations. There are a couple of mentions of her in the series. One of the midwives character was said to have raised in India and when she gets her own baby, she tries to remember the nursery rhymes, but she can’t, as she knows only Hindi lullabies. I waited for her say a few lines, but that didn’t happen.

Another happy reminder was the hospital scene. Yes, happy and hospital together in a sentence! I sometimes accompanied my maternal aunt, who was a nurse, to the hospital. It was exciting, in a way, for a little girl like me. The vivid smells of benzene, dettol, phenol and milk.  I also got to talk to some patients, doctors and nurses. The scene in which Nurse Jenny meets the matron, brought a smile on my face. I remember matron seated in her very own small office room and being a big, strict, commanding, authoritative lady asking questions about school and family.

The setting is old London. The architecture is like Sasoon or K.E.M. hospitals in Pune. Even the hospital atmosphere is droopy. It also is like most government offices with papers stacked on shelves, the black dial telephone, despair.

Britain in late 1950’s was so different as compared to the US portrayed in Mad Men around the same time. Respect for elders, trying to protect the culture and no physical intimacy scenes are just a few points that made me do the comparison. But then, that doesn’t mean there were any less pregnancies.

Very often you are reminded of the past. The joyful and sad moments. Though I don’t like to remember school as the most happening period of my life, I am glad that the nuns were a part of my upbringing, that also taught me to believe in God, or else, I would not have been able to relate to the lifestyles of the sisters. “Call the midwife” brought back so many memories.

If the nuns have been a part of your life, you will have some deja vu moments that will automatically get a smile on your face. And if not, do watch it for the sheer joy of cultural similarities or just for joy of it.

PS.: Its a bit difficult for me to understand British accent, so I had to on the subtitles :)

An American wedding

I always wished to attend a wedding in America. Having seen weddings in so many movies, I wanted to see it myself, is it really like that, thevows, "you may kiss the bride", daughter- father dance... Yes, yes, yes. It is all that!

I never expected to see N's mail in my mailbox asking me to assist her for a wedding shoot on Friday. Just couple of hours before her mail, I mailed my friends regarding a potluck grill lunch. As Navratri was supposed to start on Saturday, most of my friends had plans of fasting or being vegetarians for the nine days ahead. But seeing N's mail, I almost jumped in my seat. I couldn't miss this opportunity! Potlucks keep happening girls, I thought. But a wedding happens just once!

I called U immediately and he too readily agreed. My son looks at me and asks, what's happening mom? I am called to assist a wedding shoot, I said. Can I come, was his expected reply. No I said. He agreed and told me take a lot of pictures. Aww....

So I replied to N that I would join her and wrote to my friends, the grill-lunch was cancelled! Instead I met my friends on Thursday for a chaat and chat party :)

I met N on Thursday evening for the first time. She is such a lovely lady and good to talk too. We talked about how to go about with the next days shoot.

I was too excited to sleep well Thursday night, but I slept and woke early. Only to sleep back for an hour late morning. But it was totally rejuvenating!

The wedding venue was sort of a vineyard, a very cosy place. We went to the brides room and she
was getting ready to wear her bridal gown. OMG! It was such a pretty gown! I'm sure at the store she may have gone, "I'm saying yes to the dress", with all tears rolling down her cheeks and all huggy-huggy to the everyone who helped her select the dress.

Without wasting a minute, N was ready with her gear and had already started clicking pictures. I was still admiring the gown :) Unlike desi weddings, the bride was so relaxed, having a drink, joking
around and posing happily for the photographer. She wasn't shy at all! And I was happy seeing her.
Yes, I did help N with the photos. Then the outdoor shoot started and everyone was so outgoing while taking pictures. The best man, maid of honor, all that I had seen in movies was right in front of me.

The wedding planner managed the wedding so well. All was happening at the proper time as planned. The guests arrived on time and everyone got to enjoy the vows.

The vows part was so emotional. "Something, something and till death do us apart..." My heart almost sank, with the flash in my hand held up. And then "you may now kiss the bride" part. Oh God! It was magical. The bride blushed and her cheeks were so rosy. The father of the bride shed a tear and so did many of the guests. N was totally doing her job and I was totally enjoying looking at everyone, along with doing my part of helping the photographer.

The number of guests were limited, which was really good. Most of the arrangements in American weddings are done by the bride and groom themselves, so they really are on a budget. Inviting the closest acquaintances is anytime good.

After dinner, there was dance on the stage. At first the bride and groom danced. They looked so good together. Talking casually and kissing while dancing. All eyes on them. Wow! Then the father of the bride danced with her. This was the best part. The dad was such a sport. He danced so awesomely and so did the bride. Oh...What a wonderful world... My heart was still to come back to its normal beat.  After that most guests joined the dance floor and it was total masti and fun! Everyone was in an enjoying mood. May god bless the couple with lots of happiness.

And just like that it was time to leave for home. We packed our gear and left the venue. But the wedding was still there going on in my mind.

I can't thank N enough for taking me along with her. The pictures turned out lovely. N shared a few
on her page. They truly are beautiful, especially the magical father-daughter dance one.

I had to write down this experience, so that down the way I don't forget it and fight with U saying you never took me to an American wedding! Yes, I am capable of doing that!

So thanks a lot N and wish you all the very best for your future shoots.And my friends, what all you see in the movie weddings, it really happens!

Yashoda - Krishna

 

 

Any kind of art is kind of a stress buster. I just wanted to draw something since a long time. So just searched for a cute picture that I had seen in a song. Though my sketch is no close to the original one, I thought of posting it here.

Yashoda & Krishna

 

Men will be men - a short story

Men will be men


Today as always Kushal came to office and started his work. He had moved from Chicago to Bentonville just a couple of days back. He was getting to know the place and new colleagues. He was well aware of the huge amount of work that was going to be there in the project.
Like most of the times, even today he had a tiny tiff with his wife Jui. Though a little tense after reaching office, he emerged himself in his work and thought of trying to forget home issues till evening.

After lunch while he was sitting by his desk, he heard a familiar and very peculiar laughter from a distance. At first he ignored, but when again he heard it, he casually got up and started looking around trying to find from which side the laugh was coming. He walked a bit further and there were two women sitting. The one with the peculiar laughter sat with his back towards him. But she suddenly turned around.

Kushal could not believe his eyes. It was...it was Shonali!
“Yes, it is Shonali”, he thought excitingly.

“Hey Kushal!” said a equally surprised Shonali.

“H..Hi Shonali!” stammered Kushal. Words were not coming from his mouth. But he tried to speak. It was the same Shonali he had a crush on when they worked together back in India. Oh, those were the days. But he just couldn’t talk to her then and now too. How he wished he was bold enough to ask her out some day!

“How have you been?” asked Shonali.

“I’m good,” he replied. “In fact better...after seeing you”, he thought.

“When did you come here?”

“I just moved for Chicago last week.”

“Oh thats why I’d never seen you around.”

“How about you?”

“Well, I’ve been here for the past 3 years.”

“Now its my chance to say wow”.

Both laugh and so does the lady standing next to Shonali.

There is an awkward silence for a few seconds.

“Its been a long time since we met,” Shonali started the conversation again. “After I quit Infotek, I joined Digital Informations in Bangalore and they sent me here on a project.”

“Thats good. I’m still working for Infotek.”

“Kushal...can you tell me where’s your desk? I just have to take some backup and I’ll be out and running.”

“Oh sure, of course. Thats my cubicle there,” said Kushal pointing towards his desk. “Do stop by.”

“I’ll be there in sometime.”

“Okay” said Kushal and started walking to his desk. “Be sure to stop by,” he said turning around.

Shonali showed him a thumbs up.

As Kushal walked towards his desk, emotions, memories poured in his head.
He thought, “Shonali is here! I can’t believe it!! I was so much in love with her back then. She’s still the same beautiful, simple lady. Now after so many years she and I will be in the same office. Yippee!!” He starts dancing in his thoughts. As he thinks, animated clouds of various thoughts form in his mind. He stares at his computer screen.
“I will not let her out of my life now. Its destined that we come back together. Did she have a mangalsutra in her neck? I didn’t notice anything in her neck. Maybe she’s still single. Should I tell her I’m married? Yes, I will tell her. No, no orelse she will distance me from her. But if she has the same feelings like I do, I will tell Jui I no longer want to stay with her.” In his thoughts, Jui breaks his head with a rolling pin. Kushal shudders. “Whatever may come. I will be with Shonali. Yes this is destiny. God knew my love for Shonali was true, so he sent me here. I will marry her and make my life happy.” The thought clouds floated in his mind, Shonali coming running in his arms, he putting a wedding garland around her neck. He smiled at the thought.

Just then Shonali tapped on his shoulder and Kushal came back to his senses. He first viewed her neck. “Yes!! no mangalsutra, no thaali! She’s not yet married,” he thought happily.
He smiled at her. A sense of victory smile.

“How long have you been in US?” Shonali asked.

“Its more than a year now. You know Infotek. They really make us desperate to seek an onsite project.”

“Yes. That was one of the reasons why I quit.”

“Good move.”

“You know what, I have to leave now.”

“Oh, so soon?”

“Yes. We are meeting late actually.”

There was a question mark on Kushal’s face.

“I quit my job and am out of this project now. Todays my last day at work.”

The happy thought cloud burst in pieces in Kushals mind. His smile vanished.

“Really?” he asked unbelievingly.

“Hmm. I’m moving to Tampa tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“Mind if you walk me to the door?”

“Sure,” replied Kushal, not being so sure.

“I was quite bored with this project and was looking for a change, when Suraj searched this new project for me.”

“S-Suraj?”

“My fiance`. I just forgot to tell you about him! I’m getting married next month in India.”

“Co-Congratulations.” The next marriage thought cloud popped in his mind and then he noticed the engagement ring in her finger.

“Thank you.”

Shonali opened the door with her badge. “There he is!” she said pointing out at the blue car that was waiting for her. “He’s from Mumbai and now settled in Tampa. We met online through a friend. I’m so happy to be with him. Yay!”

“Wow. Thats nice,” said Kushal with a slight smile.

“It was nice catching up with you again. I’ll be touch with you. I’ll get your email id from my friend and send you the wedding invitation.”

“Sure... sure thing.”

“See you then. Take care,” said Shonali, as she shook her hand with Kushal.
He half-heartedly shook her hand. She then sat in the car next to Suraj and they both waved at him and drove into the sunset.

Kushal looked as their car went and from his thought cloud he got another bang on his head by Jui. “Come home for garam rotis and sabji,” Jui said in his mind. He came back to his senses and smiled back into the office, imagining all his thought clouds vanishing in thin air.

THE END.

Nirbhaya

Right now how I wish the world should have ended on 12-21-2012. What the hell is going in this world?
The tragic Newtown, Connecticut incident shook the world. Like me, I'm sure many moms could not sleep well. I cried on Monday while leaving my son to school. I pray for the parents of the children who lost their lives on that fateful day. Let them find peace.
And then came the news of the horrifying rape incident in New Delhi, the capital of my own country. Oh what a shame! What a sad end to a life of a girl. I pray for her parents too. God alone knows what may be going through their minds right now. Sad that their daughter had to die such a tragic death. Proud that because of her death the country is trying hard to awaken a sleeping system? And what else can I pray for? Lets see -
1) Lord, please help the Government to take proper judgement in this rape case.
2) Lord, let the rapists be given the most severe punishment. Something so severe that they and people like them dare not think of doing such a heinous crime ever in their 10 lives to come. If they are hanged till death, their life will finish in moments. They will not even feel one unit of pain that Nirbhaya went through.
3) Lord, can you really listen to the above 2 prayers? Please take some action.

When I was in India a year ago, I was watching some news on some channel about female fetocide. I was literally in tears. I said this is so sad. how does anyone do such things? The elderly lady sitting next to me said she thinks this is right. This should be done. I asked do you know what are you talking about. A sudden wave of rage started gushing in my body. How can you say that I asked her. She asked me don't you read the news papers? So many news about rapes - somewhere an elderly lady is raped, despite her age factor, a 3 year old girl is raped by her father or a neighbor, a young girl is raped just because she was alone in house. She asked me is any female safe? Then why take the risk to give birth to a girl child when no one respects her?
My blood was boiling and kept thinking how can she talk like that? Kitni ghatiya soch hai, etc. But today, I feel was that the truth? I know, now I'm being a saddist. No woman is safe in India. Its the plain truth! But again, that doesn't mean I'm for female fetocide. Never ever will I be for it. Daughters are killed in the womb in India for other reasons like dowry. But none wants their daughter to die a tragic death like Nirbhayas and no one kills their daughter in the womb of a reason like rape. But no one knows the future.

2 days back when I was talking on the phone to another woman in India, Nirbhayas topic did come forward. She told me in some mythological serial thats going on on Indian television now a days. The story goes like this:
A rishi went to take a dip in the river, leaving his beautiful wife at home. Some god who always had eyes for her, took this opportunity and came down to earth in the disguise of her husband and made love to her. The original husband comes home to find his wife in bed with another man. Then he curses his wife that she turns into a rock and the god that he no one will pray to him.
After this story, she told me that look, these things are happening since ages. No one ever has had respect for women. So if some god himself did this to the lady, people still feel its okay to do it even now. But I feel, in the wake of such horrific incident in Delhi, this particular episode should not have been aired. It promotes disrespect to women and Indian men just DO NOT understand the positive or negative impact of such stories in the real world. Mostly the impact is negative. I firmly disagree with the channel who aired this episode on TV. Whatever the history, such stories should never be retold. Its a disgrace!

The other day, with lot of hype and recommendations from 2 girl friends, I saw The Dirty Picture movie. Yes! And I will not, never suggest anyone to see it, even if it is sad and the truth. The dialogues were disgustingly vulgar and there was NOTHING to learn from the movie. Its a story of a selfish woman who wanted to be famous. No need to feel sorry for her she ended her life. If you have not seen it, you are not missing anything in your life, how much ever movie freak you are. There are better movies to watch.

Also when I was in India, after reading the news of a less than 3 year old girl being raped and killed by a man, gave me some sleepless nights. Oh lord, what pain! At that time, Pratibha Patil was the President of India. Having a woman president is such proud feeling and a safe feeling for the woman. Someone who will understand what it is like to being a woman in India. I wrote a letter to her through the Government of India's website, to take severe action against rapists. Hoping that she will have some feeling for the Indian woman. What a fool I was! I now hear and read stories, that while she was the President, Pratibha Patil pardoned the punishements of 5 rapists, who had also murdered their victims. They were given second chance at life. Such disgrace, such disgust! Whatever was she thinking?? And now the present Presidents son is giving a mouthful on how women are dressing! What a failed Government and what a failed country!

My last prayer to the almighty is give some required proper thinking to the authorities to take immediate action in Nirbhayas case. Let not the voices of the people protesting go unheard.
Lastly, all women in India are Nirbhaya, they face the lust filled, disgusting eyes of men every second, everyday. Even then they stand tall and brave. Be safe women and fight against the disgraceful acts in the country. May God bless us with infinite courage, safety and happy lives.

SRK Fans


I'm a total Shahruk Khan fan like many others. I love his attitude and the way he likes to praise himself all the time. That sure makes him different than the other stars of Bollywood.

A couple of days back, my friend A, shared a link of an Indonesian security guy dancing on the famous "Chaiyya Chaiyya" SRK song, while on duty. I laughed and remembered an old incident that I would love to share with all. (Though I've boasted about it many times :))

We lived in Malaysia for less than a year sometime in 2003-04. And what a lovely country it is! When you are in the Kaulalumpur area where most of the South-Indian shops are located, make sure to visit the Indian grocery stores and browse through their gift article and greeting cards section. You get to see pictures of most south Indian actor and actresses pictures on the cards. Its fun to watch that. That time, I didn't know many of them, except for Rajnikanth (Who doesn't know him? And know everyone knows his son-in law Kolavari di too...btw, his name is Dhanush :). Yes, now I know quite a few Tollywood stars - Vikram, Ajith...just to name a few or two.. :D Thanks to rediff!

And when we go to other Malaysian stores like Electronic shops, etc, you are sure to get a glimpse of a SRK or Hritik Roshan poster. Somewhere in the corner of your heart feel proud and that does feel so good. And may I tell you, not Amir, not Salman, not Amitabh, but SRK most of the times. 

Ok, I was talking about me experiencing the SRK fever. We were packing up for India and had to close our bank account. While I was waiting for U in the lobby, a pretty Malaysian girl came to me. She was wearing the scarf around her head and traditional Malay dress.

"May I help you?" she asked in a typical Malaysian accent.

"No thanks. I'm waiting for my husband", I replied.

"You want to start new account la?"

"No, no. We are closing the account."

"Oh! why?"

"We are moving back to India."

"Ok. That is good."

I smiled back. I thought that was the end of the conversation.

"Where in India you live?" she asked. I was pretty surprised as I didn't expect that coming.

"Mumbai. Bombay."

"MUMBAI?!" she almost shouted excitedly.

I smiled back. "You know it?" was my stupid question.

"Mumbai! You know Shahruk Khan, la?"

Wow! that was totally unexpected!

"Y-Yes.." everyone knows Shahruk in India.

"You seen Shahruk?" she asked me.

Oh! only if I was lucky. She really thought it was that easy.

"No." I smiled again. For a split second I thought she was saddened. "But I've seen SRK's house...", I replied immediately.

"Oh, really?" she again asked me with a lot more enthusiasm.

I nodded happily. Yes, someone appreciates that I've seen SRK's house. "But not seen SRK."

I didn't know, me just seeing Shahruks house, made the girl so happy. She immediately took a piece of paper from somewhere and scribbled something on it. She handed it to me.

"This is my address, la. You send me photo. Thank you very much."

Now, I didn't know SRK's photo or his house's photo. But I smiled back and did nod. She was so glad and happy. She shook hands with me and said "Thank you. You need any help (with the bank account), you ask me, la." And she left.

But she was so so happy. It was as if - so what I've not met Shahruk, but I met someone who has seen his house! She waved at me joyfully when I was leaving the bank.

That day, I was thrilled that I was from Bollywood land.

Sadly, after that I never went to that side of Bandra and also misplaced her address. But I'm still happy that I made one of SRK fans happy.

People in Malaysia, Indonesia and many more countries are fans of Bollywood filmstars. I've heard of many such experiences. In USA, in a coffee shop, an Afghan girl once told me how her family adored Hindi films and especially SRK.

I haven't seen RaOne yet. But I'm waiting to see Don 2. SRK looked so stylish in Don1. And if you don't like him, please watch Chak de India and Swades. He's adorable!!

I'm so glad to share this little expeience with you all. Hope you enjoyed it too. Happy to be an Indian from Mumbai (partly).

(Happy to be writing on my blog after more than a year :)

The Stoning of Soraya M.

This week, the news of an Iranian boy pleading to the world to help him stop the stoning of his mother flashed everywhere. Iran is denying the news. But to tell the truth, we really don't know what is happening or has been happening there or in any other Islamic nations where adultery is punishable to the extreme. A few years back, I would have not even imagined how cruel the punishment maybe. The news of the stoning reminded me of a film I saw a few months back and I got back the shivers and sleepless nights. The name of the film is "The stoning of Soraya M."

The film is set in 1986 Iran. It starts with a group of burkha clad women trying to shoo away a dog whose trying to eat something buried near the stream. Simultaneously a French-Iranian journalist is shown around the area getting his car repaired. A lady named Zahra tries to talk to him, but the men who see that ask the journalist to ignore her as a crazy woman. Zahra tries a few times and succeeds in throwing a note at him saying that she wants to talk to him about a terrible incident that took place there yesterday.

The Frenchman meets Zahra in her house. She is there with 2 small girls who seemed pretty scared on the arrival of an unknown person in the house. The man knowing the Iranian customs, asks Zahra to talk her mind soon. She offers him tea and pleads him to record whatever she will be saying. After denying the request a few times, he finally agrees.

Zahra starts with "the devil himself came her last evening", and she started telling the story of her niece Soraya who was stoned to death the previous day.

Soraya was a woman who lived with her husband, 2 daughters and 2 sons. Her husband was working in the jail. He disliked his wife and daughters and taught his sons the same. He was beginning to get bored of his wife, as he had eyes on a 14-year old girl of a prisoner whom he wished to marry. Tortured by the husbands cruel talks and beatings, Soraya leaves her house with her daughters and goes to live with her aunt Zahra. Zahra is a respectable woman in the area and is often called upon by the villagers to help them out whenever in need.

One day a neighbors ill wife dies and Zahra and Soraya help the man, who is a mechanic, and his retarded son get through with the rituals. Meanwhile Soraya had been deciding on divorcing her husband. But she didn't have enough money to support herself and her daughters. So Zahra requests the village mayor if Soraya could cook and look after the mechanic's son. This way Soraya could earn a living and the mechanic's son would also be taken care of.

Soraya's husband didn't like the thought of his wife divorcing him and making a living. So he started thinking of ways to get rid of her. He kept a keen watch on her. A slightest sign of Soraya being not loyal to her work would be enough of a reason to complain her to the authorities.

Soraya was an honorable woman and her only aim in life now was a good life for herzself and her daughters. But her husband along with the village priest plotted a plan to permanently get rid of her by charging her with false allegations of infidelity and adultery. The punishment will be death.

It was Soraya's hard luck that day. She was accused of having a relationship with the mechanic, though she was a married woman. This was totally false, as Soraya was just doing her job. Somehow the allegations were ruled true and only one punishment was considered - stoning her to death by the end of the day. Soraya and Zahra's pleads went unheard.

After a couple of hours, she was handcuffed and told to kneel down in waist-deep dug hole. She was then covered with mud waist down. The stoning started and among the stoners were he own sons and husband, who took joy in doing the job. (I forwarded the whole sequence. I couldn't continue watching.)

Next day after the torturous incident, does the mayor comes to know the facts and the false allegations. But it was too late.

Zahra was now telling the journalist that the story needs to be told to the whole world and she needs his help in doing so. The French journalist already shaken with Zahra's story does help her and thus we get to know how it happened.

To watch the film, you need tons of courage. It is not for the weak at heart. I was completely aware of what I was going to get to see, but still I saw it with continuously wiping off my tears. My brain became numb and I couldn't stop thinking about Soraya. For the next few days, I couldn't drive nor cook properly. I was getting cramps in my head, as if thousands of ants trying to chew off my brain. I didn't sleep well the next few days.

But then I prayed for the countless innocent souls like Soraya and also prayed that I was happy to be born in a great country where I am anytime able to speak for myself. Whenever we feel low, always remember the less fortunate and thank God for giving us a chance to live our life to the fullest.

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freidoune_Sahebjam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stoning_of_Soraya_M.

Crushed....

When I came to the place where I'm currently living, two years ago, I felt like I'm staying in a true country side part of US. Though I wasn't fond of the place in the beginning, as you start staying longer, you automatically generate a liking for the place. More greenery, lots of cattle, barns, horse farms. This is the sight while the airplane is landing at the local airport and while driving towards the main city.

But in the past 2 years I'm seeing more and more changes around. Increasing number of housing projects, apartment complexes, housing complexes. And all of this on the sides of a two-way road. When you think of other big cities in US, you can at least think of a 2 lane road on each direction, of a road that connects the airport. This is surely not a big city, but it has one of the worlds largest companies situated here. Did the Government never ever think the city would start growing someday and for that we need good, spacious roads? Maybe not.

Everyday while driving to school or office, you have to come across some small animal or reptile or bird crushed under a vehicle. When all cars, trucks are on a speedlimit of 45 mph and more, no one will stop for a small animal who is trying to go across the road. The other day while I was driving, a turtle was crossing the road. I did avoid it. While driving back, I was thinking and praying that I don't get to see the turtle again. But instead I had to drive over the crushed corpse of it. :(

We are in so much hurry of reaching or destination that we don't bother about the small living creatures around us. They too are a part of our world. Armadillos, robins, snakes, turtles, rabbits, opossums, badgers, raccoons are the few whose fate are destined on this road. Just like us they too may have a feeling "a safe life on other side of the road". Out of curiosity also some animals maybe wanting to cross the road.

The Government is allowing new businesses to start on this road. Now even a few new roads are being constructed connecting the main (2 way) road. Because of this, the small animals are forced to move out of their homes, where they have lived peacefully for years and now they have no where to go, but in search of a new place where they can "live".

Here I'm not suggesting to provide the animals with shelter, but to atleast plan a developing city properly. Its very sad to drive over the dead bodies of the animals. At least build a small wall near the shoulder, on each side of the road. This may prevent atleast a few number of animals to avoid getting killed.

The city should develop, no doubt. But a little consideration for the little creatures for whom we don't have much time to stop and let them cross the road. We'll get to see less bloodshed on the road.

Sakura

The Cherry Blossom in Japan has always fascinated me. Though I don't know when will I get to go to Japan to see the "original, real" Sakura, but I did get to see a part of the blossoms here in US. Thanks to the Japanese Government who gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations' then-growing friendship. These trees were planted in "Sakura Park" in Manhattan and famously line the shore of "Tidal Basin" in Washington D C. The gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1965. (more info)
There are a few cherry trees around the place where I now live. Here are some of the wonderful cherry blossom pictures, along with some more spring relief flowers.

Sketches

Some sketches:

A Lion
















An Egret:

Interview of Guru Thakur - Lyricist

Interview of Guru Thakur, the Lyricist of "Natarang" and many more marathi films, taken by me:

http://maayboli.com/node/14137

Hope you enjoy it!

3 Idiots

Though the film has received loads of accolades (no issues), but I feel some points should have been taken care of.
Maybe I'm too nosey, but some technological issues really bothered me. By technological issues, i don't mean technical as in the films editing, direction, lighting, etc. This is what really bothered me and to be frank, right from the first few minutes:

- Farhan was born in 1978. And then I guess so where Rancho, Raju and all other 1st year students. During the 1st year of engineering (that should be somewhere in the mid-90's and after), when Joy tries to talk to Virus about date extension, Virus hands him a cell phone and calls his dad on the cellphone, which I presume were not very popular then. And did I mention the cellphones where sleek and not bulky as it should have been during the early cellphone days.

- Taking dates into consideration, Youtube was founded in 2005! During the "delivery" at the end, Pia shows video on Youtube. Just hows it possible?
So which leads to my question, is the film Futuristic??

- Pia rides the latest bike. Here I feel, she should have rode a Kinetic Honda or something more popular in the mid and late-90's.

- Popularity of webcams and laptops - out of question!

- The only period items were Farhan's camera in the 1st year and Virus's opera playing player.

Now moving on to dressing:

- Amir's Tee's, bag, Kareena's glasses, spaghetti tops, bike - all so very hep and 2000.

Probably the director, producer and technicians didn't even think of all these issues as cellphones, laptops, wireless devices are so very much a part of our life for the last couple of years (only). I perhaps noticed this because I was born in 1977 and started thinking about the time during my college days and the technology then in 90's.

Some other issues with the story:
- Joy dies toooooo soon.
- Is there anything like Airport security? For the fun part its totally fine to ignore it. But can't just ignore it in 2009-2010. What about his baggage? Dear Camera?
- Online, 'vacuum' delivery!!

I know I've pointed out so many mistakes, what will I do when I make a movie? It will be so perfect that no one will be able to criticize it, point out mistakes and no one will be able to relate to it! Viewers in India (including me) still want the masala. To hell with the technicalities and technology!

Good points of the film:
- Chatur's character.
- Millimeter
- Some scenes like mixing up the answer papers.
- Potrayal of Raju Rastogi's family.

At the end of the day, I was happy on having got to see "3 Idiots" in a movie theatre, rather than everyday google-ing and waiting for a "3 Idiots good DVD print online" version or waiting for a Netflix DVD.

At last, thanks to Raju Hirani and the team for thinking about making a movie about the pathetic rat race in the country.

ROAD

"Walk with me for the last time till the end of this road," said Jui with tears in her eyes.

"Alright", saying so Mohan caught Jui's hand and they started walking.

"But we'll still be friends, right?" asked Jui.

Mohan just smiled and they kept walking, but both knew it was not going to be the same again. A couple of hours back, both had come to a mutual decision of parting their ways. Though they had tried their best to keep their relationship going, something was just not right.

As they walked, Jui tried to remember all the good times the two have had. They had met at a common friends wedding 2 years back and had come to be known as a couple for the last 1 year. They lunched together, went shopping after office hours, had dinners together, cuddled up while watching movies. They did everything that couples do when they are in love. But when it was time to take the relationship to a next level, fear of commitment took over love. They had to take a drastic step.

"But people would talk," Jui had said.

"Let them! It is our life. We don't owe anyone."

Like most mature people, they agreed. But they also knew that memories could not be erased easily. Some moments live for a lifetime, happy or sad.

They reached the end of the short road. They looked in each others eyes. Jui decided to control her tears. She shook hands with Mohan and looked away from him. She called for an Auto and went off.

On reaching her apartment, Jui threw herself in her bed crying. Her mind was full of thoughts. She pulled out her diary from her tote and browsed through each page of it. There were special notes of right from the day Mohan proposed to her, to even the silliest moments she had spent with him. She started tearing of each page after reading. Tears rolling from her eyes thinking of every special moment in her life for the past year, she lay in her bed.

------------------------------------------

"Hi!"

Jui looked up from her desk. Unknowingly, she got up from her chair, clasping both her hands as if in a prayer mode, damp eyes and a slight smile, she looked at Mohan, who was standing in front of her smiling.

"Hi!" she murmured.

"Surprised?" asked Mohan

"Of course!" Jui replied. Suddenly realising she was at the reception of her office, she wiped off her tears.

"I got to know you work here, so thought of surprising you. And i see that you are surprised."

"Sure. This is like....wow! A pleasant surprise! How are you? Long time! You should have called."

"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Why? Can't I come to see you?"

"But after almost a year, its really......", she paused. "Is this some kind of a joke?" Jui looked around. Everyone was busy working and yes, Mohan was actually in front of her! She had never taken Mohan off her mind. And now he's right here. It was like a prayer come true!

"C'mon Jui! Its really me. Just few days back I got to know you work here. So as I was around, I thought of visiting you."

Jui was very happy to see Mohan. She kept smiling.

"How are you?"

"Fine...fine. You?

"All good. Are you busy?"

"A bit. But you sit, I'll finish off this job, and be right with you."

"OK!" saying so, Mohan sat waiting for Jui.

After a while, he got up and asked, " Its almost lunch time. Is it possible to have lunch together today?"

"Oh yeah! What are your plans for the rest of the day?" replied Jui, almost done with her work.

"Nothing much. Its Friday, so I'll anyway be going home early today. You know it."

"Wait here. I'll be right back," said Jui rushing to a colleague.

After 5-10 minutes she was back to the reception. She picked up her purse and logged out from her computer. "Come, lets go."

"Wow! Never thought you would agree so soon."

"Why? Don't you have money in your pocket?" Mohan was taken aback by Jui's typical sarcastic joke. She hadn't changed a bit, though he had doubts before coming to meet her.

"Hope you've got some, just in case you eat too much and I won't be able to pay!" replied Mohan quickly. "Anyways, that was quick. Can you leave the office during working hours?"

"Oh yeah, I did take permission and I also got the day off."

"Surprising!"

"Are you the only one who own the "surprise" rights?"

Mohan laughed and the two walked down the stairs. Soon they reached a nearby restaurant and made themselves comfortable.

"Long time Mohan. I never thought you would come," said Jui starting the conversation.

"Me too," said Mohan nodding his head.

"You haven't changed at all."

"I don't know that, but I can say the same about you."

Though they had started their meeting with sarcasm and jokes, the atmosphere changed when they sat down at the restaurant table facing each other.

"How are you doing Jui?" asked Mohan after a long pause.

"Doing good. My job keeps me on my toes. Then the traveling, shopping, all in all a little hectic life. But I am happy."

"Nice to hear that."

"How bout you?"

"Oh! Same job, but just a little more work than before."

"Hows everyone in your part of the world?"

"All good."

Just then the waiter comes with their order and there is a pause in their just-started-getting-comfortable conversation.

"Why didn't you stop me from going?" asked Jui as soon as the waiter moved away from their table. Though she tried to show she was calm, she was not.

"That was our decision, right?"

"Then why have you come now Mohan? Why didn't you call me earlier?"

Mohan realised that Jui had many more questions on her mind. But he too had similar questions.

"You could have called."

"After what all happened, I just didn't feel like. But you could have tried."

There was a long pause.

"Have you been thinking about me Jui?" asked Mohan.

"I've always been thinking about "us". Us talking again, us being together again. Why did we part ways? Why couldn't we find some solution to solve the issues we were facing then."

"It does look easy now. But we had taken a mutual decision then."

"So what now?"

"What now?"

"Have you come to meet me as a friend? Are we still friends?"

"I don't know."

"Your coming back to see me has created a wave of confusion in my mind."

"I can understand your feelings. But I wanted to see how you were doing. Do you think it was easy for me to forget you? I did wish to stop you at that time. But we are grown-ups. We can't behave immaturely."

Jui was looking at Mohan with various feelings in her eyes.

"Do you think we can still solve our problems and get back together?" Mohan pushed the envelope a bit further.

"Back together?" asked a confused Jui.

"Yes Jui. I have never stopped thinking about you since the last we walked together."

"But..."

"I'm planning on taking up a new job out of town. We can shift base. New city, new life. Lets start over again." Mohan took Jui's hand in his hand. "Will you give me a second chance Jui?"

Jui's heart started beating fast.

"Will you marry me Jui? Would you come with me?"

The question she had been waiting for had come up at last. Though they were apart physically, their hearts and minds were always together, bound by an unknown knot which could not be untied anyway.

Jui was overwhelmed. She couldn't stop smiling. And now tears rolled down her cheeks. Tears for her long awaited love.

"Yes Mohan..." replied an overjoyed Jui. "I will c..."

Suddenly a baby started crying. The cry was so loud that Jui couldn't complete her sentence. She struggled hard to speak, but in vain. The crying became louder and louder and a Jui tried even hard and suddenly she was back to her senses. Her 6 months old baby was crying next to her.

Jui was woken from dream. She got up from her bed and took her baby in her arms. She rocked her and the baby was again fast asleep.

Jui could not sleep now. She had been woken up from a dream she had always wanted to become true. But that dream remained a dream. Mohan never came back to her.It was more than 4 years now. He didn't even call her after they walked that short road together.

She kept her baby down and walked to the other room. She logged into her Facebook account.

The friend request from Mohan was pending for more than a week now. After a lot of thinking, she opened the request and clicked on the "Ignore" button and she logged out of her account.

After a while, there was knock on the door. Jui opened the door and it was Mihir, her husband of 2 years. He smiled at her and gave her a big hug. She hugged him tight. She had made her correct choice this time. She knew that she was now on lifes never-ending road with Mihir.

THE END.

The Bride - Part 8

The Bride - Part 8

Yogita continued, "that night crying when I fell asleep, I dreamt of Kusum. She was telling me that she still wants to be a bride. She loves the smell of mehendi. She loves getting flowers. But what was the use if she was going to die next day? I was there and she told me to help her. She blamed me for her death. Only if she hadn't seen me, she would have been alive now. I woke up crying. I didn't know how to help her. 4 days later, I heard of an accident in which a new bride had died. That night again Kusum came in my dreams and she seemed happy that she had got to be a bride for 2 days. I was shocked. Since then, this has happened 8 times to various brides. Your family's tragedy would have been the 9th one. But now you are safe."

"How is that? And how do you know all this?"

"She talks to me after she has done taking a life. She travels with the flowers she sells to the ladies and enjoys being a bride herself along with them. She feels if she couldn't enjoy her marriage, no one should."

"But that's wrong."

"I know that! But what can I do? Whom can I tell that? She still blames me for her death. So yesterday she cried for my help."

"How did you reach our house?"

"I could hear her. Yesterday late night she was felt chocked and she told me you were going to cremate those flowers next morning. She cried out loud for my help. I tried to ignore. But as someone in your house was continuously chanting some mantras, she felt suffocated. I could hear her suffocation. I didn't want to see or rather hear her die again! Her voice led me towards your house and so I could pick up those flowers."

"So what did you do with the flowers?"

"I threw them in the river."

"Is there a way that can stop all this?"

"There is. But I don't know if it would be possible for you."

"Whats that?"

"Only the newly wed bride will have to come within hours of the wedding and do a ritual at the cemetery for her soul to rest in peace."

"But if the bride involved will not be alive, how can she do the ritual?" asked Priya.

"That is the catch and so Kusum's soul is still around. But now that your sister has survived, you can help out. Is it possible for you'll to do that?"

"I don't know. I'm doubtful."

Jyoti and Priya look at each other. "Will we be able to help?" they thought.

"Why doubt?" asked Yogita. "I have some hope from you. You have come a long way to reach me. I've already done you a favor by saving your sisters life. You owe me." Yogita's eyes filled with tears.

"But you were the one who came to save your sister yesterday! Everything would have come to an end today. Your suffering too!"

"I had to! Her voice wouldn't let me do anything. I can no longer be involved in the deaths of the brides."

There was a pause.

"I can't say anything right now," said Jyoti.

"Everybody sees their own good. No one cares for others. People are selfish," cried Yogita.

Jyoti and Priya didn't know what to tell her. They felt sad for her. She had to go through a lot of emotional stress in a young age. They were a ray of hope for Yogita.

Just then Priya's cellphone rang. It was Nalini Kaku.

"Hello Kaku!"

"Jyoti! Where are you girls?"

"We are just here near..."

"Come home now. Anu has been asking for you." Anu snatches the phone from her mother and continues, "Didi, where are you?"

"Anu! We are on our way."

"How long are you going to shop?"

"Shop? Oh, yes. We are coming home soon," replied Jyoti quickly thinking Nalini Kaku may have told Anu that they had gone shopping.

"I just put mehendi on my feet. Its looking fabulous. Come soon."

"Yes. Can you give the phone to Kaku?"

"Oh! She just left the room. Someone called her out."

"Oh. OK!"

"I'm hanging up now. Come soon. Bye."

"Bye," and Jyoti ended the call. She tried to hide her disappointment.

"So didi, can you help me?" asked Yogita.

"We have to go now. But we will try our best to be back," assured Jyoti.

Jyoti patted Yogita's back and she left from there. Priya followed. Yogita's swollen eyes were hard to forget.

The two sisters couldn't speak to each other on their way home. They were unable to give an answer to Yogita whether they could help her. They hoped Nalini Kaku allows Anu do the ritual after the wedding.

Soon they reached home. The wedding arrangements were on in full swing. Jyoti was delighted to see her husband, who had come from Bangalore to attend the wedding. Whenever she got a chance, Jyoti tried to talk to Nalini about Yogita.

"I'll talk to you later. I'm just so happy that Anu is fine now! God bless her!" exclaimed Nalini.

But she was so busy that the topic somehow took a backseat for a while. Everyone just prayed for a happy marriage.

In the evening, a car stopped in front of the house and out came Aaji! Everyone was happy to see her and started inquiring about her health. Jyoti and Priya instantly looked at each other. They suddenly remembered that they had forgotten to ask Yogita about what may have been the reason for Aaji's hospitalization.

"Wow! The aroma of the ladoos is so good!" exclaimed Aaji while entering the house.

"No, not now. You take some rest," said Nalini. "Did you easily forget what the doctors said?"

"I know! But there is no harm in eating just one?" said Aaji.

"You have to keep a check on your weight, that is what caused your high BP. You kept on eating the wadas and namkeens, praising the aroma that filled the house."

"I was also sad that my Anu will be going so far away from me," sobbed Aaji. Anu gave her a big hug.

So that was the reason for Aaji's collapse! thought Jyoti and Priya and they gave a sigh of relief. They thought, we totally forgot about Aaji's eating habits and thought the flowers were responsible for it. When couple of bad thing happens, we always try to link the incidents to one another. Well, the cellphone rang after Anu had purchased the flowers. That is, Aaji's collapse had nothing to do with Kusum.

"Kusum! We still have to talk to Nalini Kaku about the ritual!" exclaimed Priya.

"Yes, I know. But I'm not finding a chance to talk to her!" replied Jyoti.

"The wedding is tomorrow and we have to do the ritual soon."

Jyoti and Priya involved themselves in all the wedding celebrations, but at the back of their mind they were unable to forget Yogita's pale face.

Late evening, after the Sangeet and other celebrations, seeing Nalini sitting quiet and tired in a corner, Jyoti approached her and tried to tell her about Yogita and Kusum. Nalini was shocked to hear the story. She said a small prayer that the family was saved from a disaster. She felt sad and a tear did manage to make way through the corner of her eye. Jyoti thought this was the right time to ask her about the ritual.

"Do you think we can send Anu for the ritual?" asked Jyoti.

"No way! I don't want the new bride to go and do a 'soul resting' ritual!"

"Please Kaku! It will be helpful for others too."

"Not possible Jyoti! What if the ritual back-fires and some other evil things happen? Who is to blame then?"

"Lets take it positively and do it."

"OK, even if its fine with me, do you think Anu's in-laws are going to allow their new daughter-in-law to go to a cemetery right after marriage? I don't want to hear a thing now!"

"But Kaku the incidents will continue with other brides."

"I have got nothing to do with that. I'm really thankful for you and Priya who tired to get to the root of the cause for Anu's behavior, but I'm sorry. Please try to understand. I'm Anu's mother. I want a happy life for her. I won't allow her to do the ritual." Nalini gets up. "Don't think much about it now, beta. Just go to bed." She patted on Jyoti's head and walked to her room.

Jyoti didn't say a word. She was very well aware of her family's beliefs. She couldn't argue and convince. Perhaps her mother would have also thought the same way for her.

Jyoti walked towards her husband who was waiting to talk to her since he had arrived. She took her son close to her. She had almost ignored him for last 2 days. She cried in her husbands arms that she was unable to do anything for Yogita.

Priya felt the same. But she was a strong girl and thought it would be good to forget everything.

The wedding was a lovely event for all the family. Anu and Prithvi made a wonderful couple. It was a fabulous day. In the evening, the bride was given a tearful goodbye. Anu still remained unaware of the last 2 days events. Her parents and Aaji were delighted and prayed for her happy married life.

Jyoti and Priya were thinking about what Yogita had said, Everybody sees their own good. People are selfish. So true!

The marriage was success. The evil shadow was no longer lurking on the family.

Life continued. All were back to their regular routines. In a few days, Anu and Prithvi reached safely to the US. Priya was back to her work in Mumbai. Jyoti was back in Bangalore with her family. Aaji continued with her eating, TV, spiritual and superstitious beliefs. The flower-vendors continued selling flowers and so did one flower-vendor, selling crimson red roses to brides.

THE END.