Peek Sneak to Half-Girlfriend!

Sorry for neglecting this blog so much. Just been really tied up with a lot of things lately and exams in 12 days!!! But I promise you all after the 11th of October, you will see a lot more of me. Till then, miss me loads!

Okay then! Now this is very amusing. One of the lead characters in the book has the same name as me. Ironic indeed or what?

But I'm a bit confused.…What is this whole concept of a half-girlfriend? Is it one who you hold hands with but cannot go beyond that or one you keep showering with gifts?!
I'm sure there are a whole list of do's and dont's just like every other couple follows.

My idea of a half-girlfriend would be as close to an imaginary girlfriend =D
Because, you wouldn't like all your extremely sophisticated peeps know that you are going out with someone below your "standards".

But I still don't get what the real deal is over here?
I'm sure we will all be able to find out next month when Chetan Bhagat's next new book releases "Half Girlfriend"

It is said to revolve around a well-educated Delhi bitch, Riya and a low-class Bihari boy named Madhav. He is trying his very best to get her to like him but she is being that total rich babe.

The video teaser of the book was something that really caught my attention:
"Madhav didn't speak English well. Riya did. Madhav wanted a relationship. Riya didn't. Riya wanted friendship. Madhav didn't. Riya suggested a compromise. She agreed to be his half-girlfriend."

I am usually not the first one to even bother to read up any article about this author but then, there was the title of this very particular book that really got me thinking. This is exactly how we perceive things to be in our own societies today. If one does not know English, does that mean it's end of the world?!

Hopefully through this book, we will get to know more about our various caste systems.
So what if one does not know English? As a matter of fact, I am not very fluent at all with our country's language but I am still making an effort to learn now and it's never too late to do so.
I have quite a lot of expectations from this book. So Mr Chetan Bhagat, its a request... Pretty Please with a cherry on top, do not disappoint me!!!

Chick lits have always been my thing but after faithfully stalking his twitter profile everyday for the latest updates, yes… I am very excited!!!

Check this blog for more updates on the same… The book review will be up very soon and it should be a positive one!

These trends for god's sake!

Whether its a #IceBucketChallenge, #RiceBucketChallenge or #FrenchfryBucketChallenge, does it really make a difference?!

The last few weeks have been quite engaging for many who feel they can do their little bit too in saving the world.
But really think about it again?!
It may help a few people but definitely not the entire bunch.

When there was an issue with the #IceBucketChallenge being a taboo to Indian Culture as we are literally crying for water everyday, the #RiceBucketChallenge came along and I have to say that at least that made some sense. Feeding our poor nation. And now the biggest discussion among well known foodies is the #FrenchfryBucketChallenge.

There is nothing about all of this that fancies my interests.
It is all for publicity. I don't want to disrespect the very few people who I can actually count on my finger tips, but do we actually think of the reason behind it before we throw that bucket of water over our heads.
I think we need to go beyond all this. Search for a cure by actually saving someone.

ALS is not a joke. It is something so horrible that any person can suffer from.
People are so concerned about how many likes and comments those videos of theirs will get .
I bet most of these people don't know what ALS stands for leave alone knowing what it means.

Even if I had to risk my life, I would never lose it to this. There are so many more mature ways to help these people out.

If you actually want to help people, it will come straight from the heart. You wont feel any kind of compulsion to do so. The thought is not the issue, it is how people take to it that worries me.

So I would just like to say that if you feel there's something good coming out of this, that's great. But you know you can do way better. Show the world!

A Day in the Life of Niral

 

A Day in the Life of Niral

This is a fictional piece on a young boy who had great aspirations in life but then it all came to a halt that day when something dreadful happened to his father….

 

It was 4 am in the morning. A Sunday morning to be more precise. My alarm started ringing so loud to my favourite tune  “Walk Of Life” but the rain was pouring so hard, it was still quite dark when I looked outside and all I wanted to do was sleep for a few more minutes. I managed to doze off for a while and then got up all startled with the loud bang of my window due to a huge thunderstorm. 

“Oh jeez, another day!”  I thought to myself.

I wished I could sleep a little longer but then it dawned on me that the whole world was counting on me for their daily consumption of milk and so I put on some clothes and freshened up.

Six years ago, I was going to the neighbouring government school, acquiring knowledge and at the same time having my bit of fun. I had this great ambition to become a cardiologist and really save the world ever since the day I was born but it all ended on that very fateful day, my father was diagnosed with brain cancer.  I had to start supporting my family as his expenses kept increasing with every passing day.

So without a second thought, I grabbed all the milk packets, put them into a big bag and went from house to house on my little blue cycle gifted by my dear old aunt. This chore of mine would take around four hours after which I come back home, lie down on my bed for exactly 10 minutes and head back onto the road again.

This is a different kind of job which pays me a little more than the one I do in the morning and I also seem to enjoy it a little more. I am employed as the butcher of Imbiss, a local restaurant which is not too far away from where I stay.

They look after me very well and in return I get free food for my entire family. I work there till around ten in the night or some days when there isn’t much work, my boss lets me off early. On days like these, I have a cup of tea with my good friend or we go to the park for a smoke and talk for hours. On other regular days, I am so tired by the time I get back home that I just hit the sack. But I also make sure I spend a lot of time with my family.

Everyday is the same for me. I don’t have much colour in my life but that doesn’t bother me at all. I have accepted everything that has happened and I know I will have better days ahead of me.

Never that easy!

 

Had to write a short story within 200 words. And I see I’ve crossed that limit but hope you enjoy it =)

 

Never that easy!

It was the eighth of July. The whole house was a complete mess. Glass pieces scattered all over, bags packed near our door and then I could hear mum yelling from the next room “I’ve had enough. You cannot keep treating me like shit. I have taken your nonsense for the last ten years but just lost all my patience now.”

At first, I thought it was just another mood swing of hers but then the next thing I knew was she came running out of the door, picked up the bags, one in each hand and pulled me along with her towards the door.

Just then, my handsome dad, with tears in his eyes, never did I see him like that before came next to me and started holding me so tight.  “You left me, that’s alright! But you cannot take away the one thing that means the most to me too.” He looked so closely into her eyes that she also burst into tears. “You do know all this is not easy for me too? Right now, I have to do what is best for the one thing that means the most to me too. She cannot see you throw bottles of whiskey down your throat, get so violent and live this sort of life. She is still young and has so much ahead of her.”

Rain!!!!

This was something I wrote in our Creative Writing class last week. The teacher gave us a few words and we were supposed to come up with a narrative.
Here it goes....

Rain!!!

It was a dark, gloomy night. The wind was blowing hard into my room. The windows started banging and the children had still not come back home. The rain had become worse and now that started to worry me.

“Did the storm pull them away? Did they slip and fall into the puddles? Was death coming their way?”  I thought to myself and all these questions started leaving me anxious.
I tried calling my husband who was also on his way back home but the rain was beating so hard that I could barely hear him on the phone. All I could hear were the sirens and honking of cars.

“Traffic in Mumbai has become mad”, my friend would keep telling me but that was not comforting enough at this point of time. I am a  person who worries for the littlest of things. I was still thinking inside my head where my children could be and just then everything became silent. The doorbell rang and it was the person I least expected at that moment.

My neighbour.

She was standing at my doorstep, puffing and panting trying to explain to me that they had all gone to the river to enjoy the sunset and thought I was not back home as yet so she gave them a cup of hot chocolate at her place and all the kids were snuggled under blankets watching Home Alone III.

That was indeed a relief!

Health is Wealth- Damn the rains!

The monsoons will soon be on their way here and that seems like the ultimate excuse for all you big hulks who are literally thrown out of your doorstep, as soon the sun goes down every evening to get some fresh air and hopefully burn some calories in the process too.

But if you are a fitness freak like me, then all of that simply just doesn't work. It actually shouldn't work because at the end of the day it is your health which is at stake.

The more active you are when you are young, the more fitter you become even at your old age.
Many psychologists also believe that most cases of depression and other mental disorders are caused due to being lazy and sitting around wasting their precious time way too much.

Just because it is raining does not mean the world is going to end. You will not melt and go away with it.
One just has to keep in mind certain safety measures and you're good to go!

What you wear makes a huge difference likewise when you're off to a club or a Sunday brunch.
Wear nice protective rain clothing to keep yourself warm. We may not realize the chill while working out as we sweat buckets of water but that will cause us to fall ill later on.
Also a big NO to waterproof shoes. We may think it is the best thing to have on but it traps all the heat which can be harmful to our bodies.
The lightning and thunderstorms can also be a big pain in the ass when we have to get out so learn to be cautious and even during heavy floods you can substitute your daily workouts with some home-friendly exercises.
But remember always never to over do it. See how much your body can handle it.
Running and brisk walking seems to be the favourite among most people today and is the most healthiest activity too.
There is no age limit for it too. Everyday, when I go for my daily run I just get even more motivated seeing people double my age doing the workouts I do.
That's will power and it's something we all ought to have.

So the next time when you look out of the window and see a few drops of water falling from the sky and think twice about going out, stop being so casual about it.

After all- Health is Wealth!

A tribute to the hero all little people adore

This appeared in last Monday's DNA   Happy 80, Rusty

As one of India’s favourite author, Ruskin Bond, celebrates his birthday today, dna talks to two children’s book writers on his enduring popularity

Bangalore: If there was anyone who can lend credence to the statement ‘Age is just a number’, Ruskin Bond would be it. The prolific writer, whose pen refuses to slow down yet, turns 80 today but who’d know that judging by the books he continues to unspool. Starting off his career in 1951, at the sprightly age of 17, Bond’s impressive cache short stories collections and novels continue to spark the imaginations of kids and adults alike. An avowed fan of the author, children’s writer Asha Nehemiah says, “I am a huge fan of Ruskin Bond. His stories bring out a lot of interest as they reveal simple everyday experiences. They are also told with a lot of humour. I feel children are still very engrossed in his books even today as they have exciting stories on the hills, nature and people. He is one of the most popular children book authors and his books are widely used in various school all across the world. There have been many children who often tell me how they thoroughly enjoy his works and it is true that he is such a well-known author as he is one of the very few names they know. My favourite book of his would be his recent one, Tigers For Dinner. It is well produced and I have bought innumerable copies to give as gifts.” Roopa Pai, writer of the Taranauts adventure series, says, “I just absolutely love him. I grew up reading his books and found them very engaging. The first book I read was the ICSE text, Room On The Roof. I was 17 at that time and so was the protagonist of the story, so it created a huge impression on me. His writing is classic and he uses good language without showing off his diction. Everyone can understand what he writes. He is very indulgent to people and the world and he never judges any characters in his book. He looks at the world with gentle eyes showing no aggression and is very witty. He is not an old stick in the mud. That’s what makes him different. He has a big advantage as his books are now being turned into text books so children are more exposed to his works these days. He cannot be disliked by anyone. He has taught me the power of writing. It is not easy at all but he makes it seem so simple. I was lucky enough to interview him a few years back and that was such an amazing experience. I had met him the previous day just to get to know him a little and during the interview he had told the entire crowd how he was impressed with my books. He was fascinated with all the words I had made up and said if they weren’t in the dictionary they should be included someday. What touched me was that he actually took the trouble to read them. I will always be grateful to him and can never forget him.” mybangalore@dnaindia.net