Ages in Marriage

Evening walks, though I go for one very rarely, are a delight. In the busy parks, you get to see children playing and shouting there sweats out, old aged people having a slow walk with serious discussions, and youngsters jogging hard to keep themselves fit. I prefer walking slowly, observing the strangers in the pleasant weather. On one such evening I encountered a couple.

He brought an ice-cream for her as she sat on the bench in the park. She took it with a big toothless smile. The smile reached her spectacled eyes.. :) He looked at her lovingly as if saying to her "Did you see happiness in my eyes??, It is nothing but reflection of your happiness, my dear!" I boomed with an unknown happiness as I framed out this sentence from their expressions. "O-How-sweet-of-them" feeling inside me reminded me of the video below...

Remember when I was young and so were you
and time stood still and love was all we knew
You were the first, so was I
We made love and then you cried
Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows
and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when

Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other's hearts
Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet
was the music
We danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give it up
Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are,
Where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when
Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad
For all the life we've had
And we'll remember when....

It could have been a love marriage or...an arranged marriage.. That is not important today. What remains important is, at one point of time in their lives, they were strangers.. And, today they are most important for each other... 

I was still looking at them, "ice-creams in their hands, enjoying before it melts, looking at the reflection of happiness in each other's eyes"...They are loving, they are living.... 

While coming out of the park, a few Q&A within me...
Was their journey comfortable or tiresome and frustrating?? - Well, it can be both. It could have been both... The more important question is, is the journey taking them to the destination?
"What does love mean?" Love doesn't mean anything. Love is. It is the state of existence. 
"Is love sweet or sour?"  Love is neither sweet, nor sour. When you expect it to be sweet, it turns sour and when you are willing to accept the sour love, it becomes sweet. But it is neither. 
They say with ages in marriage, love grows... because as they grow old, the desires fall off, the expectations too... they just need each other for each other... 


A life lived with love for and with your close ones is a Love story in itself...

The Tale of Bird and its Nest

There is an old tree, on the highest branch of which lays a nest. That nest was built with a lot of hard work and dedication by a bird couple, so that their two eggs can grow up comfortably. Mother bird with a heart full of love hatched its two new eggs. The Father bird guarded the nest. When the two nestlings came out, father bird used to go far in search of food and the parents fed the baby birds with their beaks. Parent birds were the only vision, only hope, only guidance for the babies.The ways of world were beyond the sight of the baby birds. 

Soon the babies had their feathers growing. They turned into fledglings now. Even though they could not fly, they hopped here and there near the nest. The mother bird watched them from behind, taking care that they are not hurt. She made loud noises, to warn the babies of the danger. Parent birds taught the baby birds how to find food and what to eat. They taught how to fly.

The baby birds are young now. They now know how to eat, and how to fly.  They were eager to move to new world, try their flight and be free now.  Parents hesitated to let them free, but knowing that they need freedom and exposure to a new world, they let the birds leave them. The first little baby bird was extremely eager to fly, It had the thoughts of the new world and was beaming with joy... It jumped from the nest and flew into the air. It was not worried about the consequence of flying so fast. It just flew by, happy and content with its freedom. The next little bird was so shy and timid. It slowly stepped out of the nest, flew to the next branch and looked at parents. They smiled and encouraged with claps of flaps. It flew away after sometime as parents showed a way to its new nest.                       

The parents looked at both of them as they flew by. They are proud of the choices that are made by their babies. But, the nest is empty now. They miss the noise in and around the nest. Only question in their minds is "Will the nest be visited often with the same love and care???"

Copy - Paste "Anyway"

Just happened to read this poem by Mother Teresa while surfing. Felt the need to share it... :)  

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.



My readers may say that it is not an "Original post",  "Copy-paste" anyway... ;) 

My Magical Mom

She waited for us to come back from school at around 2.30 PM every day. She was ready with a plate full of rice mixed with some curry, as we got fresh up. My mom would then feed us morsel by morsel in each of widely opened mouths with a loving heart- with just a story along with food. This is one of the earliest memories of my childhood. And I wonder that it is same till date. There is some magic in my mother’s fingers that makes the food tastier.Whenever I have sleepless nights, I sleep near her silently. She raps on my head gently with her hand. There is some magic in my mom’s hands, which absorb all my worries and just within a few seconds, I fall asleep.

My mother has a virtual x-ray machine fit in her eyes, which reads exactly what’s going on in my mind. There is some magic in my mom’s eyes. This is one of the reasons that I have never been able to tell a lie to my mom. Whenever tried, I failed miserably. She would see sternly with a raised eye-brow, and then with a big smile says “JHOOT!”. “God! Pakdi gayi”, I think and then GRIN... She gets angry very soon but melts soon too. So, I decided not to do this again in my life... Being truthful is easier than to face the shame after this GRIN!!

Remember the ‘Jadu ki Jhappi’ of ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’? My mom’s Jhappi has the same Jadu... The warmth of her hug wraps me with all the nice things and care for me.There is some magic in my mom’s hug.

My Magical Mom’s love is something that I could never explain fully; it is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain. It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns. 

Mother's love is far beyond defining, yet it defies all explanation and it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation. Many people no matter how hard they try cannot understand the great evidence of God's tender guiding hand in Mother's Love.

Mr and Mrs Iyer

One of the movies I love to watch again and again is Mr & Mrs Iyer. I watched it again with my roomies yesterday. It is very nicely written and directed

.

This lovely little movie called Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, involves a bus journey from the hills to the plains and a continuing train journey up to Calcutta, where a little young Tamil mother, Mrs. Iyer, with her son Santaanam is taken care of by a Muslim. Their bus is halted on the way because some Hindu has been killed in an accident, and the Hindus are up against the Muslims. They drag out everybody who is suspected of being a Muslim from the bus. A very old, gentle Muslim couple are slaughtered. But Mrs. Iyer saves this Muslim who is with her by saying, "He is my husband." At the start of the movie, she won't even touch the water that he gives, and in Tamil curses freely. But later on she asks for the bottle which he has put to his lips and drunk from and drinks it. Then, one particular moment, very tenderly photographed, they are almost about to kiss when somebody says, "Excuse me," and passes on. That moment of romance was broken. But it shows, what a little love, what a little care can do, because within this scope of a bus journey lasting perhaps ten hours, expanded into three days by much violence on the way, a young married girl with a baby could fall in love with a Muslim bachelor just because he took care of her, looked after the baby, put it to sleep; when she spilled milk, he brushed it off the floor, things like that.

Love is something we all speak about all the time, or most of the time, but about which we know nothing. Generally, Love among human beings is friendship, dependence, need and, at the most, affection. And affection is what we have between all of us—I mean whether it is brother and brother, sister and sister, husband and wife. And to call it love, and to expect what you cannot expect from affection is the most, shall we say, shattering experience in life, because we expect so much without knowing what to expect. And thereby resulting in break-ups. We have only affection; we have only need-based relationships. Everybody knows this; it is nothing new. And when we read about love, especially through poetry, and see it in the movies, we think we are missing something. You can ask any couple in the world whether they are happy. Very often, nobody will be able to answer, "Yes, we are." Unless they are very old, and have lived together fifty years, and all their desires, their needs have fallen off, and then "nothing but he and I remain".

Hyderabad - New begginings

To post my first blog over here, I had to give much thought. After so much of thinking, I thought; why not begin with the first diary I wrote, after I came to Hyderabad, that is some three years back. It was indeed a new chapter of my life - an independent life with full support of family and friends... sounds quite contrary??? Yes, An independent life with full support of family and friends!!

Here's how the chapter started.

7th oct 2006: I was about to leave home, Mom, Siri, Friends and Delhi.. My heart was heavy. But no single drop of tear in my eyes. Everyone’s eyes were moist as they saw me leaving Delhi. We booked a taxi and went to airport.. On the way, no one spoke a word... Everyone was silent... Everyone smiling now and then.. Nothing else.. When we were about to enter the airport, everyone cried, except me... I thought what a heartless person am I... I was feeling sad.. but I was not crying.. May be I was more excited to travel by air than having the feeling that I'm leaving my home My First Flight As I entered the flight a very smart looking airhostess greeted us with a beautiful smile.. I didn’t get the window seat in my first travel by flight :( But outside scene was visible. As the plane was about to start, the airhostess showed some tips that we shd follow during the flight. The flight started and it was like as if i sat in a giant wheel... “that gurgling in the stomach"...slowly it went up and i could see the whole of Delhi.. Yamuna river looking like a non-linear thin line (as its shown in the physical map of India..).. We went up and up.. Out of the low pressure UP, I felt as if my ears are closed.. Then came the Himalayan mountains...Made of clouds(hehe).. I was on cloud nine (Satve aasmaan me rehna shayad ise hi kehte hain).. Within Just two hrs we had reached Hyderabad- The Hi-tech city as they say...Dad's office person came to receive us and help us go to Satyam Technology Centre... While moving along the roads of Hyd I actually felt no much difference in Delhi and Hyd as regards traffic and climate.. The only visible difference was that there were big Telugu movie postures... Anyhow we went to STC and found that there is no accommodation... We went to my uncle's House and from there we went to almost every relative’s house...

9th oct: This is one of the remarkable days of my life... I went to STC by a Satyam bus. Dad was not allowed to enter the office campus... Such a big office... Not even in my dreams I thought that it would be such big.. There were so many buildings, so many blocks... A long walk inside the campus... I was not getting anything... Where to go? Where’s my block?? Where’s my manager? I called my manager. He said “I'll be coming after 1.30p.m. Wait till then in ----- block"... beeep.. beeep ( He disconnected the call). “Which Block???”, I could not even ask this question.. There were so many blocks... As I stood alone there with fear, Siri's message peeped in my cell phone "Start ur day with new zeal, new hope, no tears, no fears.. Best of luck"... Tears rolled down my face and my new suits duppatta was almost wet- due to tears and some of which was also due to sweat... I didn’t know what to do... Dad called me up from the reception... He wanted to go back... I asked him to wait; I wanted to go with him... A long walk to reception... I did not know the path back to reception. With tears in my eyes, I asked some associates about the path to reception. They looked at me like an alien... Memories rushed like anything and I was feeling very alone.... Dad said that till 1.30 we shall take up a hostel... We went to "Navayuga Ladies hostel" .. its near market place.. Luks much like my own Dilshad Colony in Delhi... with so many shops in a row... (only difference as I said before was Telugu postures, and it was not a problem, as i know how to read and write Telugu).. After registering me in this hostel, we went back to STC. It’s too far.. One cant travel by corporation Bus... We booked an auto. I met my manager, finally... He looked full of attitude (Not his fault... the kind of work they do, I guess...) He didn’t let me speak... “Yes Sowjanya... So u are now in Hyd" He gave some forms to fill up... and asked me to leave his cabin... I didn’t spoke a single word except " Good afternoon sir".. But some other guys out there were kind enough and helped me in filling the forms... My hands print was taken (it was a formality)... I felt as if I’m a criminal and my finger prints along with hand prints are being taken.. I came back home (uncle's home)... It was the time I should leave for the hostel... The thought itself was bringing tears in my eyes. We went there... I arranged my luggage... There were some other Satyam trainees over there.. They were friendly... But as Dad was leaving the hostel... I can’t express what I was feeling!!!!!

My Father's elder brother - my "Peddanana garu" called me and said “Don’t cry. It’s a new journey. There is a lot of exposure to develop your personality and your SELF. God has given you a beautiful opportunity to expand yourself to the highest limit possible. And Family is always there for you. Science has made it so easy. A small device, can make you closer to your family... You are independent and you have full support."