Time Travel...

As time flies, and we grow up, people come and go .... But why is it that some people leave behind a lot more than memories...?

They maybe friends, relatives, lovers! The minute you think about them a strange feeling descends upon you... You feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy that you spent such lovely times with them and sad because they left you... No matter how hard you try to console yourself or claim that you can live without them, your armour is bound to have holes!

People I know have all gone through this phase time and again, when out of the blue, they missed a loved one sorely! It comes and goes... Like a friend says, it's human to have feelings and getting carried away with them once in a while...:) (While another one is still trying to locate her own emotions!)

I'd heard Abhishek Bachchan once say in an interview, "Don't cry that it is over, smile that it happened!"

Next time you feel down, recall this line. It helps :)

To be honest, I was feeling the same way some time ago, which explains why I wrote this! But now I'm fine :)

See...

The feeling comes and goes but the memories stay on forever... :)

Clicks!

 Every cloud does have a silver lining! :)

 Who would have thought that shaking hands can lead to such a picture! ;)

Old is, indeed, gold!

Yesterday, while travelling to college by bus, with lots of stuff in my hands, I had the least bit of support to help me balance myself while the driver swerved the bus through the lanes of Calcutta. My mind suddenly reeled back to the times when my friends and I used to play a game called 'Balance' in our school bus on the way back. The rules were simple. The girl who managed to stand in the moving bus for the longest period of time, without touching the seats or supporting herself in any other manner, would win!

Little did we know it would help us so much later on, while travelling through public transport!!! What fun those days were...

Over the past year, so many things changed in the lives of so many I know. School ended. College started. We made new friends. Tried to keep up the promises of old friends. We became busy. Priorities changed. People changed.

Still, whenever I come across a school friend, the innocent days of school life takes over for the moment! It's instantaneous. More so for me. Because I spent fourteen beautiful years of my life in the same school, among the same set of friends. Believe it or not, but we have seen each other grow. Literally! Some we might remember, some we might not. Some we love, some we hate! But it's all a part of our lives!

Those were days when the whole class knew you, and you knew the whole class. But in college! I don't think apart from examination days I've even seen all of them in one room at the same time!

To all my school friends, I still love you all! Even though we might not talk, we might not meet, we might not even think about each other, but I'll always cherish you!

And to all the new friends I've made on the way... I hope to see you turn into gold :)

'Crackling' ads!

Two ad jingles which have created waves among the Indian audience in the past few days are the Airtel 'Har ek friend' and HeroMotocorp's 'Hum mein hai hero'...

In recent times, the ads being dished out to the masses are going up the creativity ladder! Take for example Vodafone zoozoo or the Tata Steel ads saying 'This is not advertising, It's life at Tata Steel. Values stronger than Steel.'

There are lots of other ads which have caught people's attention...

Which ad has caught your attention recently?...

Thrown back in the past!

There are times when I feel life was so much simpler and sweeter 50 years ago...

I had one of those moments a few days ago.A general chit-chat among friends got steered towards the topic of crushes. Excitement and giggles reigned for the next half hour! However what struck me was, even a smile or two towards a girl or  small talk  between a boy and girl gets pronounced as crush by many! And it's nearly compulsory for every girl to have a crush on someone. How beautiful were those times when a girl used to blush demurely on seeing the guy who liked her!

Today if a girl turns you down whatever may be the reason, many guys don't tend to accept it gracefully. What else can explain the rising killings by ex-flames and stalkers? What happened to giving your all for the girl you love? So what if she doesn't love you back? She has the right to say no!...

Have you had any such moments?... Ever missed the innocence of the yesteryears?

Man's best friend! :)

A rare moment captured on the streets of Calcutta!

Beautiful, isn't it?...

Tihar Jail to Ramlila Maidan!

As I stare at the television, following the release of Anna Hazare, my heart swells with pride on seeing Dr. Kiran Bedi, encouraging people with slogans and patriotic songs, urging them to chant for a JanLokpal Bill, on the Ramlila grounds. For me it's like an Independence Day celebration continuing forever! Because frankly, as far as I can remember, the only days I've seen people feeling patriotic or heard songs like 'Ae mere watan ke logo' and 'Vande Mataram' being played in public is on 26th January and 15th August! Sad, but true.

 Once Anna's protest had been given a green light yesterday, I thought the crowds would now decrease and the support movement built up all across the country would fade away. How wrong had I been! It's gathering pace rather than slowing down!

This morning, the famed dabbawallas of Mumbai announced a strike in support of Anna! What further proof does one need of the nation-wide unity? The dabbawallas who braved the massive floods of 26/7 or who fed the city while mourning for a 26/11, and have never stopped working since they started in 1880, decided to call a day off!

As Anna moves from Tihar to Ramlila, people are coming out in hundreds to follow him and move with him to Ramlila. According to the estimate of a leading news channel, the crowd stretches to almost 2 kilometer! I'm glad I was wrong...

Meanwhile the Government is still trying to figure out how to save themselves from their imminent doom! The Congress says they want to remove corruption from India too and are working towards it. Can they please enlighten us on why do we have A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi in Tihar Jail? Who had thought that the party who has in its history seen leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Indira Gandhi would try to curb public demand in such a way? While figuring out how to control the damage done, they're further going deep into the mess by trying to break the civil society along communal lines and by dropping hints about Anna being supported by USA and RSS!

When will they realize that the only thing we Indians care about right now is an Act, which will help India curb corruption?

Are you with Anna Hazare?

And the battle continues!

From the minute I've woken up today, the only thing I remember doing most is following the news of Anna Hazare! Before leaving for college, Anna, after returning, Anna! And it has been everything but boring!

Though the proceedings were slow, the battle in the Parliament where the Opposition literally tore into the Government was a common man's delight! The processions, rallies and candle light marches all over India kept me glued to the screens, while my mind kept thinking what it must have been like during the pre-Independence era when there was no live coverage of the movements. The media has to be praised and thanked for the constant support they're providing to Team Anna.

The police also have been standing  by looking at the crowds ahout slogans. It leads one to think that 'Does having Kiran Bedi on their side, help Team Anna so much?'

A lot has been said,  heard and written about the Government's clampdown which backfired horribly. But the one line which sums up the Government's miscalculated steps was said by Arun Jaitely in the Parliament today — This is what happens when so many lawyers advise the Prime Minister!

Very-well phrased, indeed!

With the support for Anna rising with every passing second, let's join in and do our bit for the nation...

Heart-breaking or heart-warming?

As I sit back and go over the shocking proceedings of the day, a thought crosses my mind... Does the Anna Hazare movement and the Government's reaction to it, create a heart-breaking scene or a heart-warming one?

Any person who's following the movement will definitely have an opinion!

It saddens one to see the Government, whom we had elected, misuse their powers greatly. All laws and promises of being democratic were defied when Anna was arrested from his home at eight in the morning! Little had the Government thought that India would react in such a manner! Protests and courting arrests became the way of the day. As the day progressed, our 'honourable' ministers started coming forward to say that Anna and the Government are both against corruption and that they are willing to talk to Team Anna! Mind you, all through the day, not one quote from the Prime Minister! One of the ministers even dared to say that peaceful protests  are allowed. If only he could give one instance where the Anna - led movement had turned violent! Had they even allowed the movement to start?

As the day nears its ending, things turn worse for the UPA! The police is ready to release Anna and his team as well as supporters. Even though it's too early to tell, but the Government seems to be buckling under pressure, pressure from the 1.2 billion citizens!

What will follow only time can tell, but at present seeing India unite and rise, does light a ray of hope in our bleak future!

The Beginning...

Finally after hours of thinking, speculating and oscillating between yes and no, I created my own blog!

Now I can write about anything I want and reach out to people who love to read!

Feel free to appreciate, criticise, support or expand my opinions.

Welcome to the 'Writer's Loft'!

Cheers to a new beginning!