0 Unconditional Love Triumphs

   Tick! Tick! Tick! I could hear clearly, Oh! It was the clock saying 4:30 am. I rose from the bed, picked my N72 phone and went on the roof. My eyes were fixed on the breathtaking ambience of the starry cover. I began thanking God for so many happy years and the life of bliss He has blessed me with.       

                                 Something in me knew, somebody miles away would be thinking of me.I was waiting with apprehension; silently hoping that he would call. TRINN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...................I picked as soon as it rung. A tear rolled down my cheek when I heard  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY my child” in an impeccable voice.

Sometimes I try to contemplate, how unpredictable, vacillating the life is. I can’t help myself from wondering when I feel its beauty, when I think of all it has given me in the past two decades. You never know what destiny has for you to unravel the very next second.                    

 In the course of life, people come and go and the cycle goes on and on…..But at certain heavenly moments, we meet some people who are a bit at odds, unlike the majority  who came before them and will come after them. You just like them, their presence fetches solace. I don’t know whether everybody is lucky to have such angels or not but yes, I am the LUCKY ONE. You just need a serene eye to recognize.

Like most of the humans on earth, I too have a family and love it like anything. I never had even a dimmest notion that someday I would admire and love somebody as one of my family members….but he deserves this. He, I know has always had a special place for me. They say, “The relations defined by blood are more intense than any other one”. But the unfeigned affection I see in his eyes for me has always challenged this quote. I just forget all worldly tensions and discomfort when his hand slowly revolves on my head, when he gently taps on my shoulder, touches my face and smiles back at me. Neither have I  ever addressed him as my father nor has he ever introduced me as his daughter to anybody but we both know what we are to each other.

Though an opinionated person on men and matters, he listens to others patiently who try to convince him but rarely concedes their points. People (who know us both) say, “Only Ashima can take up the challenge of convincing him”. He is brutally frank and outspoken, a quality very few understand and admire in him. The positive way of looking at it, I think, is total absence of hypocrisy in him. He believes in practicing what he often advises me-never compromise on ethics for money. The  other thing that I have learnt from him and which he himself practices is extending a helping hand when it is sought. He is brisk and efficient in whatever he does. Not everybody understands him. His frankness is sometimes misinterpreted as sourness, but such things can never dwindle my faith. He is strict disciplinarian and most of the times wears a stern expression but his stiff lips begin to widen into a smile when I come to his sight.

“Ashima, you will rise high and brighten my name”, has always been his refrain. I have never said to him but he knows I love him. I have my father, he has his children, still there is divine bond that binds us together. If I ever choose a guy, I will look for some qualities that I see in him. Something deep in me feels there is something that only I have and that others do not.

Flabbergasted I am, such are the surprises of life :)

0 NAMMA CHENNAI!!!!! (Our Chennai)

 VANAKAMM (NAMASTE!!!!!) to readers!!!!!

Today I complete two months of living in Chennai. Should I be glad at the milestone or sad that I have been separated from almost all loved ones. The day I left from Chandigarh Airport is still fresh in my memory, I had lived in hostel for four years, but when I heard last call for check in, my heart started beating faster.

Despite the chaos and noise at airport, I could hear my heart beat. The world around me became so silent for a moment. I was leaving for a far away land.

 I had already realised I would not meet my family for months. They could only be seen on web cam. My mother had not come to see off. I ran to hug my father. Reluctantly I let him go and said bye and started moving towards check in counter. I wanted to hug my sister but could not.  She stood still with her hand in air ,choked with emotions. I wanted to shout, "Apurva I will miss you". I had never known until then that I love her so much.

Finally I landed here in Chennai, my dreamland, my   karambhoomi (what my Mom calls it).Initially I felt as if I had landed on MARS, a place where people would stare at me, where I knew nobody, where I had no place to sit, no computer allocated, no place to sit(other than food court),nobody to talk to, and above all.....a tag of "ON BENCH"( Vehla).

So many worries would dance inside my head.I had got a job but I didn't know whether it was end of my troubles or was it a beginning.....While being here for two months, I have discovered something about myself. I have got closer to GOD. By God I mean the conversation I have with myself while sitting in front of image of Lord. I would sit and in an attempt to tell GOD my problems would talk to self and would find the solutions.....(amazing way to break your can of worms !!!!).

Blood curdling images would begin to rise from the depths of my imagination whenever I thought of staying in Chennai for months. I would inspirit myself that I was strong and resolute and could handle any situation.

Ok after enough of emotional ordeal, it was time to explore Chennai(meri jaan). One fine Sunday, I along with some new friends(people to whom I owe my survival here) went to Express Avenue, the biggest shopping mall in Chennai. It has couple of floors. I would get lost many a times not knowing where did I enter and where to exit. It was heavily crowded. People were coming in as if it was the most important monument.....Not to miss types.Two hours and I was all drained. Omg ! they charged us whole earth for a simple North Indian meal. Many a times I had to pay price for not knowing local language Tamil(Rs 200 for a single side drop). No wonder beach is beautiful. Just ten minutes walk along the beach.....and all fatigue had vanished into the beautiful surrounding. The waves lashing against the shore sent vibes of joy into me.

After much ado, I found a Gurudwara(I googled for it).On reaching the only Gurudwara in Chennai(Thyagaraja Nagar), I felt as if I had accomplished some eminent goal (like climbing mount Everest). I could feel the same divine ambiance that I used to feel at Gurudwara at Patiala. That was the best day in Chennai till now. Every evening when I reach my rented apartment, I thank heavens for placing me there. These MNCs just suck your blood. I have a small house where I live but at peace with my four friends. I never thought I would cut vegetables, mop.....all that domestic drudgery. By the time I leave Chennai, I will have enough of culinary experience. Every morning we wake up by a fixed alarm. Aunty who lives in the house below ours, shouts "Ashreya", "Ashreya", "Ashreya" around 7 in the morning. She calls out her daughter's name so loudly that it has become our daily alarm.What else.....huum I 'celebrated' dussehra here. Everywhere you would see broken watermelons. All nooks, corners, streets were red & green. Nobody burns Ravan's effigy here and some even consider him great scholar.

Huum.....about people they have exquisite manners, these south Indians. They remove footwear out before entering home. But I seldom hear anyone laughing here.Nobody even talks in bus or train. The most common suffix is 'a' (like 'curda' for 'curd').And when there is 't' at end of any name, they add 'h' to it (like 'Bharath' for 'Bharat', Preethi' for 'Preeti').Most of my neighbours follow 'early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise'. One day I was coming back from office. The street looked so desolate. It was only nine and felt like two in the morning in the quiet lane.

Huum if you ask me about weather, it is summer from october to feb and rest of the year it is deadly summer :)Only air conditioning and soothing music is respite from forty degree sun outside.

Huum for food I will say sambar rice, curd rice, spinach rice, pongal, vada, idli, dosa are their favourites. Food has good value in south. Initially I found that strange, vegetables are cut up and served in watery curries.

Good things about Chennai is it is a big city with small town attitude. Simple kurta will find same respect as apparels from French Connection. And a woman can stroll around even at midnight without the fear of prying lecherous eyes following her.

Being at Infosys Chennai DC, I have realised how diverse our country is, human beings of different ethnicities and religions, customs and costumes, cuisines and colors, languages and accents, are working together under the same roof, sharing same dreams. I have come to this wonderland for my career. I thought I would realise all my dreams. But then my dreams were simple, to have a home that is filled with books, CDs, my laptop, Sufi and folk punjabi music. And my loved ones to shower their love on me.

Well, Chennai has given me some of these. But my dreams have an icky habit of expanding their circumference time to time. Still I hope Chennai will treat me well!!!!!

GOD BE WITH ME !!!!!