Void.

Where no light shines,

People don’t surround,

Questions aren’t posed,

Peace lives,

I want to be. For only Hope now exists.

About Niagara et al.

It will be a crime if I do not blog about Canada when this was the place that inspired me to get back to blogging.

Canada.

I’ve been to a lot of places, in India and otherwise. But this place, in Spring, beats any other city I have visited HANDS DOWN! You’ve a variety of places to visit, loads of greenery around you or snow in some arbit northern city and it is a cosmopolitan country in the truest sense! The weather is almost perfect, with slight thundershowers every now and then, hailstorms and the like. It also happens to be a shopper’s paradise. Name the latest thing and it is right here, ON SALE. You can literally Shop till you Drop. The sight from the CN tower (the tallest in the world) is by itself a beauty. Breathtaking and you get a brilliant view of the city of Toronto. Coming from a place like Madras, it was queer to travel in a bus that was so comfortable as well as quiet at the same time or the local trains. Everything here is ON time, not even IN time. Mind you.

And yes, at this point I should mention the Niagara, also known ‘Thundering of Waters’. I went there with a different expectation but nevertheless it was an amazing sight. The volume of water that splashes is what makes you hold your breath. And it had just rained and there was a beautiful rainbow right across the falls. They say there is always a pot of Gold at the end of a rainbow and any one who dares to look for that pot here will never survive. Such is the depth and rage of the water here. ‘Journey behind the falls’ is definitely an unforgettable feature of this place.. one actually gets to looks at the falls through a man-made tunnel that takes you right behind the falls! I went right near it (one of the few to do so) and kept my uncle waiting near the entrance for nearly 15 minutes! I had no heart to leave. I could stand there for ages just looking at water fall down with all its might. I got drenched in spite of the raincoat I was wearing.(Psst.. I took off the hood! ) ‘Maid of the Mist’ is yet another beauty where they take you right near the falls in a boat! I missed it this time but I plan to visit Niagara again, just for this!

Ottawa,Montreal and Quebec city, here I come!

To be continued soon..(Yes! I can’t get enough of Canada!)

Music.

If there is something that saves you from a bad day, if there is a thing that can enamor you and trap you in beauty, if there is a thing that helps take your mind off other pressing issues, if there is something that you can lose yourself in, it is..

Music.

I began my journey when I was 6 years old. It was almost a sacred ritual to leave for the music class right after my afternoon siesta. It all started with the announcement of a music competition. A song was picked, a very famous composition in fact- Pullanguzhal Kudutha Moongilgale. I had just started on the Mayamalava Gowlai ragam but my guru (I don’t remember her name) was kind enough to coach me for the BIG DAY and thus I began to practice alone,after all kids left, with her. I remember singing even when the power blew off one day. With all that hard work and toil – bang,I landed with the Second Prize and Anjali, I think,landed on spot one. She sang the beautiful composition – Naan Oru Vilayatu Bomaiyya.

From then, the journey continued. I kept changing teachers though, which meant that I had to start from the Swaras over and over. In a couple of years, I grew tired of the whole deal and did my best to pretend sick, take the excuse of rain or tests to avoid these classes.

I repent ALL that NOW! If only I had paid more attention. I declare now that I am truly, madly and deeply in love with Carnatic Music, the various thaalams and swaras and everything else to do with it.

Listening to M.S. thaws you, encompasses you, in a world that is magical and blissful – her voice is divine.

And now, after 14 years have passed since I first learnt the notes of music, I decide to re-learn everything. Every bit and all that on my own.

In HN’s favourite words, Inshallah.

In every breath..

For those of you who have read my old blog, this might be repetitive but then this post will always find place in any blog I own. It’s updated now though, the same post, because times have changed and so have I!

“All right, look if you absolutely have to tell her the truth, at least wait until the timing’s right. And that’s what deathbeds are for.” – Chandler Bing, F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Now is the time,friends, NOW! To acknowledge all those who have been with me all through the nonsense I do. And yes, am thankful for all that!

DISCLAIMER : In no definite order.

Nirupama Putcha

Sunshine is what I’d call her if I were to give her a name! Reminds me of Betty Cooper.. Pretty as hell, vivacious, charming and bright.She is one person who will laugh even at the saddest jokes I crack! Apart from Shweta and Soumya on second thought. She is extremely shrewd and knows the right way out of anything though she too is a lil unpredictable like me. Gets loony at times, but we all have a right to,eh? Eternally surprised by the various sides of mine.Witty. Is the perfect image of a best friend, always through for me even though she lives “Bay of Bengal” far away in a lovely place called Singapore, she is always close enough to talk,scream or yap with whenever the need comes.We do not need to talk everyday or update each other every minute. Infact I do not know if she knows to spell my name correctly even. Something I love about her is the way she handles people and work.Both never get mixed up at any point. My bench-mate from class 6.Yes,that’s when I met her properly.Oh yes ! Can I forget that 100 watt smile of hers? We crib about life together,laugh together at times of Misery,our shushed up secrets ! ! and the list is endless.. As far as I can remember-every bit of the best moments I’ve had are with her.No matter what,where and how. I trust her..More than anything in my life.More than myself.Yes- So that’s her the solid block ! The one who knows me nearly well.

What I learnt from her?

Life.

Priorities.

Humour at the right time.

Commitment.

Honesty.

Vigour.

Zest.

Passion.

Wit.

…….. The list is endless. She’s too much a part of me to relieve it all.*cheesiness dripping* – My BEST FRIEND for Life !

Shweta Kalyanaraman

One heck of a lady to spend a day with[Once upon a time a tomboy].Both of us enjoy getting bored, crack the lamest jokes and laugh, plan to marry a billionaire and quit studies or work, share secrets, tell the world that love is crap and arranged marriages rock! She is Jughead right out of Archies! Hogs like crazy and still manages to stay like a stick. She complains about ‘how-fat-her-*censored*’ is, so I take full advantage and take her on my long and tiresome walks. She is patience personified, nervous at times and is someone who knows that she can count on me no matter what and at this point I revert to the time when she randomly woke me up one fine afternoon to announce her arrival at my modest home. She stayed over for two whole days,just to take a break and I would do the same too! Shweta has been my source of courage and has always encouraged my random escapades.She always has a smile on her face and is willing to do anything within her power for you, except calling you. Hmph. Did I mention? She used to have nearly hip-long hair and she keeps nagging me about how I should donate some to her since her hair lacks volume! Ha! Fat chance!

What I learnt from her…

Patience. [Have I learnt it yet? Oh,I am trying!]

Gentleness.

Humour.

Wit.

Ability to retain my calm even when I am about to die.

Love.

Friendship.

Maturity.

Even-temper.

Once again, I am proud to announce to the world that she is one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. I love you, Shweta!

Soumya Chitrapu

Soumya Chitrapu is one hellova sensitive, fun-loving, cheerful, smart girl who has played a vital role in my life as a bench-mate through classes 9 and 10. Nancy Woods from Archies is who she is. Loves shopping, appreciates art, music, books, numbers and even boys. Has the heart of a child, loves basking in sweet memories and who can forget her curly hair. Soumya is someone who can’t stand being made fun of at any point and will retaliate to burn through you. She is sporty, used to be the fastest in school, close to decent in badminton and cricket too. She is someone who will show you how to have a good time and is very flexible. Is innocent like a kid too.Soumya has been subjected to violent things as my bench-mate.. hehe. She has always been a whiz at Math and has saved me from all those times when I never did my homework/assignment. She has an excellent flair for Math,Physics, Chemistry, blah blah and SOCIAL SCIENCE! Man, how many tests she has helped me pass, I can’t count with just my hands and legs. Remember the time we flunked in KARADI’s (K.R. Dhanalakshmi) Math test? lol. Well, we made up for it with a 99 in the Annuals! Soumya has known all my deepest and darkest secrets and has safely guarded them with her life. She is indeed one person whom I shall never ever forget all through my life. And oh, remember those study sessions in the last bench? Making fun of teachers? Book Cricket? MAKING FUN OF ME!!! hmph. You rock,girl. Really.

From her I learnt..

Endurance.

Loyalty.

Affection.

Humour.

Care.

Sportiveness.

Ability to forgive.

Innocence.

She made my day almost every other day! To all those times in the backbench, to the friend I found in you, to all those days you hated me singing in the class, to all those times I have counted on you for sustenance… Cheers!! Again, world, I present to you, the fragile Miss.Soumya Chitrapu, one of my best friends for life. Thanks for being there,lady.

Harish Narayanan

They say some people enter your life with little pomp and grandeur but make all the differences and still make sure your life is still the same! Presenting to you, the Chandler Bing in my life. He loses no moment to make fun of me, the lady in the toilet or even his Australian colleague! Hogs like mad, writes beautifully, sings brilliantly, composes music, plays the guitar, plays with words, chess whiz, plays tennis/squash/badminton and when told he is actually a whiz ‘man’, refuses it politely and says that he does all of this for fun! Damn it, if I could manage not being lazy and do all of that for fun! Harish Narayanan can make even the meanest, nastiest and the most horrible person smile. Has the innate ability to do that and more.He can brighten up my day, sing a song for me when I want him to, listens patiently to all my cribbing,complaining and what not. Genuine to the core, always there for you anytime, honest to the point of being brutal and is a TOTAL NUT. A person who can explain things to you like he is talking to a child, knows about almost everything and can make you feel like an idiot. A simple chap (Ladies, note that he is a six-footer. Grab him if you can.) who can put anybody at ease in his company. I’ve spoken to him about most things under the sun and he gives me arbit advice for free!! Someone I always will look up to, who will remain a source of inspiration to keep my database updated and to whom I can talk to for hours without getting bored. Oh, I forgot, Sarcasm is his forte and this guy is someone who has become someone I will cherish for life in a very short span of time. Harish Narayanan, this is for you and all those time I’ve subjected you to my mood-swings.

From him I learnt

Patience.

Humility.

Humour.

The thirst to succeed.

To be the best at anything I set my eyes on.

Wit.

Sarcasm.

Friendship.

Genuineness.

Niceness.

Words.

And other things..

Harish Narayanan has been the epitome of fun. He knows to do the right things at the right time and will go out his way to help others. Which reminds me of how we surprised Niru on her birthday! Thanks, Harish, for being there!

P.S – He writes brilliantly. Trust me and do check his blog.

Amrutha

B-I-T-C-H. Is written all over her. I mean, in all the messages I send to her. We call each other that, I have no idea why though!

The Sabrina in my life. Ooops, the witch in my life! Yes,I suppose she has magical powers hidden up her sleeves and never tells us mortals anything about it. She has a witch-laugh for sure, cackles like the hyena. Shops like she’s never seen clothes in her life and has a horrible taste btw.

Has people wrapped around her finger and behaves like a hooligan in public. Ok, time to be nice to her. lol. (I never am, by the way!) The lady tops every frickin exam she writes and complains the day before the exam that she hasn’t studied ( reminds of how I used to behave in middle school!), she will always be there to talk to you, discuss your life and give her 19 years of wisdom to common souls, like me for instance. Oh, she yaps, yaps AND yaps. Nonstop nonsense, walking radio and what not. And yes, you have to see her argue with the auto guys, worth laughing over for ages! The poor petrified chap agrees to whatever rate she suggests

She is one person who will do anything to make the person she loves feel good, no matter what. Will go to any extent to achieve that effect. And oh – I can’t forget her random calls in the afternoon reading – ‘Hey BITCH, wake up and do a recharge for me..hehehhe’. That’s the way she begins any conversation with anybody, a BIG heheheehehehehehehehehe. (Read, horrible giggle) I just realised that I can’t stop being nasty to her. Anyway, I’ve said little about her because I have already written her a sappy testimonial (which even I refuse to read now). Hence, this will suffice. I love you anyway,Am!

From her I learnt

To be smart.

To bargain.

Laughter.

Life.

Love.

How-to-grow-thin-in-3-months.

How-to-irritate-people.

Wit.

Cheap shopping.

How-to-commit-a-crime-and-get-away-with-it.

Yes, she taught me all that.

Harish G

CHANDLER BING.Harish. Harish is someone I’v known all through my high school days,thanks to Sreenivas. Thanks to that fateful conference call in which I was introduced to this wonder boy. He can make anybody smile, laugh over his handpicked jokes. He quotes movie-lines, is always there for you when you need him the most. Both of us have misunderstood each other in the past year or so. But I do hope all that this is just a phase and that I do not ever lose the best friend I found in this man. Someone who has been of immense strength and support to me all through the days I’ve known. Someone who is strong enough to fight for you and fragile enough to be hurt easily. I cannot ever forget the Summer of 2006, the day we actually spent time together, before he left for Pune. Harish has and will forever be my prize best friend. I do miss him now but I am hoping against hope. I miss all that laughter, fun-filled conversations and absolutely entertaining talks in the nights. Harish can charm the hell out of anyone, my mom inclusive and is one of the smartest and most hard-working people I’ve ever known. Once he sets his mind on something, he has it accomplished, no matter WHAT! I will always admire him for that. And oh – he writes amazing poetry and is very good with words. All I can say now is that I am waiting for the day I can meet Harish again…

I learnt from him

Wit.

Sarcasm.

Determination.

Passion.

Friendship.

Love.

Selflessness.

Humility.

Zest.

and the list is endless.

I, repeat, he is my BESTEST buddy ever! I love him. Thanks for the birthday cards, Harish. They made my life, not just my day or year.

Lakshmi Shashikumar

lol..For a starter, she will clobber me to death for THAT picture! Sorry,Lak could find no other picture of Midge Klump from the Archies!! She reminds me of her because of the looks and the way Midge clobbers Reggie up at times! This is one woman who I know will pursue her dreams no matter WHAT! She can slap the guy who irritates her right across his face, paint beautiful things, write nice things, be nice to you, let you borrow books/cd’s from her account in the library, suggest new and fun things to do, come shopping with me and make it apparent as to how other tastes differ!, fly kites with me, shoot balloons in the beach,name anything and this girl will be game for it. We have spent hours in the streets of anna nagar on our so-called-walks when we used to land up eating bhel puri from Gangothree or treat ourselves to an ice cream or two! Lakshmi, ironically, was someone I hated in school. The feeling was mutual and I guess we got to know each other because of differentiation and integration and Padmaja!

Thanks to all of that, I have a friend for life. Love you, Laks!

From her I learnt:

Sarcasm.

Colours.

Perception.

How-to-remain-cool-when-gamboozles-are-attacking.

How-not-to-study-before-exams-and-score.

Passion.

Perfection.

Painting nails.

Books and more..

Note that this lady has exquisite taste and cannot be wooed easily.

Sreenivas Rathinasabapathy

YO, Ash. That’s the first thing I’ll hear when I call him.. always full of life and optimism. Those million conferences we have been on. All those hours of endless laughter and boy – this guy is a mine of knowledge and you must be wondering.. why Reggie Mantle!?! Well,this guy has the looks and the money and everything positive about Reggie minus the big ego and narcissism. Sreenivas and Harish have had their best times making fun of me!!!! This guy is humbleness personified.. very,very down-to-earth and approachable. Can charm the socks out of anyone, especially PARENTS! They fall in love with his guy and go on for ages about how responsible he is, how smart he is and how he has been the best at anything. This bespectacled character can blow your mind off! And here, I am not exaggerating! Sreenivas never has the time to call us,commoners, when he graces India with his presence. Sir is too busy catching flights to New York, London, Singapore, China, Japan, Malaysia and Kirghistan and when we complain…”Ash, I just landed.. jet lag,ya. So how’s so and so?” Grr. He is a diplomat and knows exactly how to swerve the topic and get you interested in something else. He knows about anything and everything.. reads like MAD, watches movies like crazy and knows his stuff. He spends half his pocket money on ‘quality books’ and the only person I know who reads Kafka! He, sure, is an interesting person to interact with!

From this guy I learnt:

There’s a lot to learn in life.

Priorities.

Diplomacy.

Humility.

To be extravagant and not care.

Style.

To be an extrovert.

Sreenivas, I know you will scale great heights. Just don’t forget us. Make that ME!

Sabika Mirza

She is as beautiful as her name, by heart and otherwise. I haven’t met her either. We happened to be in the lot of those ten thousand law aspirants and we hit off instantly. All it took Sabika was a conversation to get me to like her! Over the years, just two in fact, we have told each other our worries and discussed almost everything about ourselves. One of the few genuine people you will come across in life and she is also my bridesmaid-to-be. We like the same kinda people, games and books! People say it is rare to find your alter-ego in your lifetime but then, how wrong they are!! This woman is always chirpy, always vivacious, always with kind words and is someone I adore a lot.. Love a lot too! If I were a Shia Muslim dude, I would not miss out on you, doll! (Hint to others at this point! ) Catch her at any time and she will keep you entertained, barring a week before exams!

Muah, Hun!

From her, I can tell you one thing you can learn and that is -

How to lead life!

Sindhu Shankar

Aaaaattthhhaaa! Yes, Chuck Clayton in real life. She draws, sketches, paints, doodles BRILLIANTLY! The first person, I know in NLU, to paint her room and that too in black and white and give it a tagline – ‘I am not a lady, I am a lawyer.’!

This girl can take your case mercilessly,and I MEAN it when I say mercilessly! But she also happens to be one of the staunchest friends you can ask for in life. One person who will give competition in the number of hours I sleep a day or the number of classes I bunk in college. Is very street-smart and can get things done in a jiffy. Lives right beneath my room and is excellent company to go shopping with or to yap with in the middle of the night. She also happens to be very good with words and writes very well. Her blog happens to be a very good read. And yes, she can come up with the most practical solutions under the sun and beware – she is very, very judgmental about things. She can do something with perfection if she has her heart set on it. She also happens to be the person I count on to tie a saree or to borrow clothes/shoes/sunblock yadayada.. In short, a nice person to be with and has a beautiful heart.

Things one may learn from her:

Perfection.

Enthusiasm for life.

Humour.

Wit.

Mokkai.

Colours and their wonders.

How-to-bunk-classes-and-not-care.

How-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days.

lol.. Yes, she does hold a special place in life and sindhu, stop taking my case!!!

Chankya Shankar Hazarika

Garfield or even Jughead will be apt for this guy. All he will do when he has free-time in that laa school of ours is sleep..eat.. and sleep! And oh, eat! He has the patience of two ‘Iswarya’. Will listen to all I have to say or complain about and will give me a wise counsel at any point of time. All those long strolls in the nights post-dinner will always be remembered,Chakko! And I will also remember the way you pronounce my name ‘Ee-sh-var-yeah’ and also how funny you sound when you speak in Assamese on the phone to your mom!! And yes, like a dutiful sister, I shall find you a bride. Not to worry. Maybe that IS something you need to worry about. hehe. I shall also remember the teasing you with you-know-who sessions. Man, this guy actually blushes and flashes his 32 teeth and is also fond of irritating me by imitating me AND telling me HOW CUTE AMRUTHA IS!

Bleddy bugga.

From this chap one can learn:

Niceness.

To be Genuine.

To-be-a-bookworm.

To sleep all day.

Affection.

Love.

Laziness.

Sloppiness.

To conclude, this is one guy I will miss in law school in the forthcoming years. He is also the stud boy who has a job in A&M! Get me an internship,I say! Perks of being a sis!

Rishabh Chopra

Shocking, I know, to be a combination of Archie Andrews as well as Jughead Jones! I know not how he manages it but I know that he eats like a pig, sleeps like there is no tomorrow and bunks classes and still manages to get attendance marked. Thank God for little mercies like proxies! Dances very well and sings very well too. Maybe I should just quote a testimonial I wrote after I first got to know him!

Rishabh Chopra promises to write me a testimonial and it lands up to be a one-liner.

Rishabh Chopra promises to wake up every morning profusely every night and misses classes the next day. [Guess why!]

Rishabh Chopra over-uses the word ‘per se’ and deliberately gets on my nerves.

Rishabh Chopra loves acting and uses it as a garb to hide his actual state of mind.

Rishabh Chopra is easily misunderstood because he is always jumping about – singing/dancing/making fun of people[me]/asking people random things and eating.

Rishabh Chopra makes up weird nicknames and embarrasses you in front of others.

Rishabh Chopra is a chilled-out guy who lives like there is no tomorrow.

Rishabh Chopra gets random ideas to go to Osian/Jaisalmer/yadada though he is in short of attendance ALWAYS.

Rishabh Chopra gets high on Thumbs-up!

But then, he is also a big-time sweetheart and is vary vary chivalrous. One of the bestest friends one can ask for!

Yes,well, that sums him up. The person I know at least.

Satyam Thareja

Quiet, nice, introverted and not-too-sure of himself always sums up this chap.

He knows a lot of things and is quite firm about all his beliefs. Can be very stubborn at times and gets angry very fast! Still, he is one person whom you can count on and who will tell you what he thinks about you on your face and save you any kind of unpleasant feelings later! He can be quite sloppy at times and can pull gags on you by disappearing in the midst of dinner, making you pay the bill! He is nevertheless, very compassionate and loyal. Is always restless when there is no work. Is found in the library.ALWAYS. Researching on some thing or the other and fretting his head off on a moot problem. He also cracks a trillion sastas! And makes it a point to ask me after every exam if I will PASS!! (Hmph!) He is not someone I know completely. I don’t claim I know him properly at all. Still, he has been an amazing friend and we are yet to know each other properly. There is definitely lots of time for THAT. Four more years!!

Remain the way you are, Sats!

Deepika Kinhal

The very Monica in my life. That’s how I picture her, rather.

She is a perfectionist. Is always full of ideas, diplomacy.. like I once described her – she’s like a bottle of soda – all bubbly and whooshy! Introverted, yes. Full of life, yes. We have spent every morning of our law prep days together, waking each other at 5 in the morning and deciding to study, reading out ‘legal briefs’ on the phone, randomly quizzing each other and yes – VOCABULARY! She has an amazing vocab and a brilliant memory to remember the smallest things. I also remember her complaining about how a certain Academic head of LST went on and on about me when she’d called to speak about herself and ask for help! Lol. Deepika is now my partner in article-writing and she will remain to be someone very close to me in spite of the fact that we haven’t yet met!! Love you,Deeps. For everything! We’ve never had a conversation without giggles and I hope it remains that way throughout!

Parth Thakkar

Yes, I have a Joey in my life too!

My very personal cracker of PJ’s.. Seriously, listen to him crack them and you will have a smile on your face just looking at the enthusiasm with which he tells you his jokes! A very good friend to have around and someone who will give you his ears at any point of time! Parth takes it a pride to have named me ‘RING-3′ and calls me arbit things like a scarecrow and nonsense of the like! Parth is always on the go, enthusiastic, funny, nice company and I am waiting for January next year because that’s when he makes his annual trip to Jodhpur for the M.M.Singhvi Moot! And Parth, I still have your ‘green’ jacket! She makes fun of my eyes and gets away with it and yes, Parth is someone I knew for two days this Jan and this guy has remained in touch with me even now!! That explains a whole lot about him. Hope to meet you in Bombay soon,Parth! Cheers!!

Gargi Jha and Sindhu V Reddy

Gargi and her notes have helped me and a trillion other of my classmates pass in all our tests and exams. She is God’s gift to us. She happens to be the only soul who remains awake in any class and has the memory of an elephant! Gargi is mad and sleeps like crazy. She is always found on the phone with a special someone and will always be there to give me wise lines and listen to me fret about how I am going to flunk or how I might get the lowest in a moot! And then, of course, those things never happen! Thank Lord for that. Reddy is TRUCKLOADS of fun and is my personal astrologer. She is ever-smiling, and HARD-WORKING. It never rubs off on me,sad! She is one of the most genuine people law school will ever see. She is innocence personified. Simple and nice, that’s Sindhu in two words. She always encourages me, remains optimistic for me and helps me through shit. These two,beautiful souls,have backed me all through this one year in college and have tolerated me like no one else. THANK YOU! I love you both!!

Aparna Jayant

Always complains about how people get her surname wrong. Dude, look at my FIRST name Appu,like Pheobs, is eccentric..in her thoughts and otherwise. She was one of my bestest buddies at some point of time. Class XI to be precise but then, things changed. For the better or not, I do not know and do not dare to venture a guess. She,like a typical cancerian, saves things to be cherished later. Is one of the most outgoing and bold people I have known! Unpredictable too! We have CRAZY things together – right from imagining life in the future to getting DRENCHED in the rain. She is very flexible and will do anything for the people she loves and will lie through her way to get out of the trash she does not wish to get involved in, not giving a damn about the consequences! For good ol’times, girl, Cheers!

Charan Polumanhati

*This piece is from my old blog*

Charan – One hell of a sweet thing.My bro! A person who is always there to help you out no matter what time of the day or night it is.He’s all heart.Ask him for something and it’s done next minute.Very,very,very helpful.Am not exagerrating.An aspiring politician he is and he fits in perfectly.My vote is definitely for you,Charan! You are more than the best !..Wait did I forget?-He writes really really well.. He is Dilton Doiley himself, height included.

Super smart.Knows his stuff.I can go on and on.Maybe I should BLOG about you !!
Heartfelt Thanks to you,Charan.Really.

He has been my inspiration, chaperon and what not at all times!

Things one can learn from him:

Hardwork.

Determination.

Enthusiasm.

Love.

Niceness.

Sweetness.

Bitterness.

Humility.

Thanks a tonne,Charan. For understanding!

Anjali Ramamurti

My first friend.Right from Grade 1 or wait- Upper KG.Honest.Sincere.Patient.Stubborn.Diplomatic.Call her anything.She will be etched in my heart for years for the very fact of being the person to introduce me to the world of friendship.You rock baby!

Shruti Sekar/Sitara Menon/Ashwini Ashok Kumar

Fellow classmates – People who I am not really in touch with.But they made my life happen.Were there with me.Differences made maybe few,but their impact nevertheless Huge!! Thank you guys.

Nistha Soonee & Aditya Gupte

[Both will go ga-ga over this pic, for they are like kids!]For one I had to think for approximately more than a minute to get her spelling right..SHE HATES MY HINDI..!! ..Chatter-box.Fellow aspirant.Madness lover.Kid.We think alike.Too real to even think it’s true.For instance,we both hate garlic and raw onion.Only she likes Pani Puri and me Bhel Puri.Yes,yes-We are M.A.D. All the moments we have shared are filled with incessant giggles,laughter, General Knowldge, PRIVATE talks;),Mathematics,Vocabulary,PRIVATE talks,English,Mock scores,cribbing,crying,laughing,PRIVATE talks,useless conferences,Aditya’s PJ’s,our sad lives,happy lives,PRIVATE talks,about how we are pampered at home,PRIVATE talks and on and on and on.Almost the only person in the entire world who actually envies me for I do not know what reasons !
Amazing company.Cares too much for others.Gets tensed easily.Goes out of her way to help others.Is unendingly regressing and let’s negativity get to her.But perfect in every sense.One of the rare genuine people you come across. So she is the cranky kiddie.Who is the best! These two were my prep-buddies for laa. Adi remains the PJ Cracker.Flirt.Nut.Senti.Fun.Mad.Rocking.He’s way too good !! My Friend,Guide and Philosopher.He sure is !! AND – He too like dear Nishtha asks me to shut up everytime I attempt talking in Hindi ![Give me a chance people! !!]

Divya Srikanth & Anjana Palepu

My Partners in crime and fellow chocie-lower. Fellow aspirants and my benchmates in LST.Lovely people.Kind.Smart.Intelligent.Sweet.Soul mates.Funny!…Competition and so on!

Varad Deore

Varad Deore likes irritating. A lot. He also happens to be a nice boy. He goes to the extent of reminding you that he exists by dropping in random ‘I love you’ scraps and tries getting away from them. He loves observing people and writing. Blogging. He also happens to be a stud researcher. Varad Deore is a romantic by heart and also a big-time flirt (No matter how many times he tries denying it). Goes on random diets because he thinks he is fat. (I repeat-you’re fine!!) Talks a hell lot and btw he hated me in the beginning and thought I was an absolute time-waster. Well, he better think otherwise now. He promises to marry me twenty years hence and also confides me about his non-existent love life. Yes, He is always full of contradictions.. lol.. I promised him a testimonial LONG LONG back. And here it arrives, not in pomp and grandeur but with love and affection. Cheers, Varad!

Aditya Kutty/Baggie/Saranya/Parnika Malhotra/Ankita/Ayush Mohan/Guhan Balaji/Madhumita Varadarajan and so on - Were fellow Law Aspirants and sure did help me a lot.In that short period of my life.Thanks people !

Now, I may have missed out on a couple of people but I will get back to you all soon! To justify the title, I’ll remember you guys in every breath of mine… Thanks for being there and hopefully you guys WILL be there!

Cheers!

Note – I spent two days thinking up stuff about people and BLOGGING. I am technically-challenged and anybody making nasty comments will be eaten up alive!

Life after School.

Post all that trauma you undergo because you’re about to write the last school examination.

Boards.

The word disgusts you but then you gladly write them to get over with all the jabalulu. (that means nonsense! )

Just when you think it is time to take a ‘chill-pill’ and stretch those cramped muscles of yours from all those hours of cramming in your room, it is time to take up an entrance exam so that you make it to a decent college! Bah.

Life never is fair, I tell you. All that stress, all those hours away from coffee shops or a day to chill with your close friends are now forbidden!

Slog,slog,slog. Is supposed to be the mantra.

But coming to think of it, how does one decide between commerce, science and humanities when you are fifteen? For instance, look at me, I always loved science and all the puzzles it poses to mankind. All those diagrams, all those lab hours. They appeal to me, even now! Yet, I chose to take up something I was least interested in – COMMERCE. I think we are asked to make decisions too quickly.

Decisions,decisions AND decisions. That’s what life is made.. what you are is a reflection of what you decide on. Bah.

Coming back to entrance exams. I study ‘hard’ for it. Try and pass it and bang I am thrown in the middle of a desert to cope with rattlesnakes, cobras, camels, cacti and other reptile and animals (literally and figuratively). To top it all, books the size of two dictionaries put together to read. Zzzz.

Nobody told me reality is bad.

One year has passed. Four more to go.

At the this point I send a prayer to the one up there, watching me sniff over this post.

Inshallah.

Saynora,chaps. Laa eshcool beckons.

Madras.

I never ever dreamed that I would find myself torn if I left Madras at any point. I’ve always been someone who loves visiting new places, traveling, trying new cranky things and I’ve always liked the feeling of not having mom hover over me telling me what to do and what not to. For short periods, I later discovered.

Madras. Synonymous to home.. the wonderland of filter kaapi, idlis, sambhar that will put daal to shame, Mylapore maamis, temple outings, expansive beaches, carnatic music, t-nagar shopping and the list never ends.

Margazhi Utsavam

The place is always abuzz with activities, no matter what time of the year it is. The famous Margazhi utsavam holds the hearts of all the senior citizens in the city. Tickets are booked in advance, all mamis are dressed in pattu sarees and adorn the malligai poo, all set to attend concerts. One after the other. We, as children were dressed in pattu pavadai , while the elders sat back and relaxed and discussed the various raagams and thaalams, we sat fidgeting in our seats. Worried about who our new music teacher would be, who would make us start from the swaras again, because our previous teacher wasn’t competent enough!!

Navaratri

Nine, no, ten days of golu and visiting arbit houses to admire dolls decked in nine rows. Kolams to be drooled over and the best part of it all – free sundal ! But the worst bit is to hear aunties and uncles exhibit their childhood training in Carnatic music, something every child undergoes, or the moments when they pass the dias to you out of love and you squirmer and murmur telling them that you have cold or that you just had a tonsillitis operation, or perhaps begin to admire the gold chain she’s wearing to drive all the attention away from you.That indeed is in art. All this to save yourself from the embarrassment of croaking in public. Did I forget the part where you dress up in your flashiest salwaar-kameez / pattu-pavadai /pudavai along with big gold earrings (bigger,the better!) and tonnes of fresh flowers. The amount of exercise one gets in these ten days, falling at random feet, is also unbelievable!

The memories of these seasons would probably be etched in my mind forever. For, it’s these things that I relate my childhood to. Summer Vacations at my paatis place with cousins was something I always looked forward to, the bed-time stories in the terrace, marudaani-spree,laughter over a family dinner, deciding the menu for dinner, impressive marriages to attend. All these formed a part of Summer. As they say – Those were the best days of my life! I’d pay to re-live all of that.

The Innocence,

The Laughter.

The Bliss.

The Beach

We have a number of beaches to pick from.If you want to be by yourself-there’s always a resort on the ECR where you can relax for a day or two.If you love the buzz involved in going anywhere-there’s the Besant Nagar beach or even Marina!(except the bitter fact that..err…it’s not all that clean!!)

Spending the last part of the evening in the sandy stretches.Sitting not-so-far from the water at about 6 in the evening and watching the waves(they look amazing on a full moon night), the spectacular display of colours in the sky during sun-set, a loooonnng walk,eating mirchi bajji in the stalls, riding on a horse, balloon shootin!, the oh-i wish-i-could-still-ride-on-the-merry-go-round sighs,the catamaran ride for just Rs.50/-,a visit to the temple or the church nearby(at times even catching a christian wedding!), an ice cream before leaving, sand in your feet to carry away the memories.

A drive along the East Coast Road,loads of coconut water,a book in your hand,a peek of Mahabalipuram…or even Pondicherry!Some things are indeed irreplaceable!

School & associated memories

It’s a fact that I studied all my life in one fricking school. I loved it, hated it. It still taught me the good things in life. The people in it made my life and it slowly molded me into the person I am today. Shashi Ma’am in her crisp gorgeous sarees, Kannamal Ma’am who taught me the 1-2-3 of Math, Jyothi Ma’am who made History bliss, Nirmala Ma’am whose enthusiasm for Science was contagious after the sleepy classes of Leethiya Ma’am, Mangalam Ma’am a.k.a Mangu, Karadi ( I think her name was K.R.Dhanalakshmi), Nalini Ma’am to whom I dedicate the 97% I scored in Math in 10th, Sripriya Ma’am, Uma Devi Ma’am who was like a mother, Uma Devi Ma’am again who cried in class in front of students for the first time in guess-who’s class!, Ruth Ma’am and the list is again ad infinitum. The endless gossip hours in back-bench, the times when I never finished assignments and still got-off. (Thanks to Soumya and Niru and all!), listening to commentaries on Radio Mirchi, much-awaited Harry Potter release/ vacations/ Sports or Annual Day,playing book-cricket, badminton/throwball practice,music rehearsals for the culturals! The fight for the marks, ranks, et al. These are days I wouldn’t trade for anything in Life.

The place where it is almost imperative that at least one person in the family hails from the IIT or has done engineering/medicine. The place where thayir sadam and mavadu are worshiped, Paruppu saadam with Chinna Vengayam Sambhar is your staple diet in childhood, your uncles and aunts are from the U.S and you wait for their yearly visit to embezzle chocies! Madras and its beautiful memories are hard to live without. Even if I am far,far away in a place that is so totally different from the one I hail from, I cannot forget what the city taught me.

Forever in love with Madras,

I shall sign off now!

Untitled.

Very well. At LAST,I have actually decided to blog frequently. I can’t write to save my life but well everybody gets to try,right? I won’t be using fancy words, write about something spectacular or anything. I just like writing at times. However mundane or banal the topic maybe. It’s like flushing something out of your system. Rather sharing something with someone perfectly unknown. Therefore, you actually need not think twice before penning something down. No pretense. No nothing. Just an absolute waste of space and time!

An excellent way to kill time, I say!

Also – nitpicking will not be encouraged. If you find something not up to your highness’ taste, my apologies but go find other trillion pages to browse and stop trying to enlighten me with all your gyaan!

Nastiness. Hmm.

See you guys soon then!