Anyways, so it was about 10pm when I entered my flat to find my my cousin and 2 of my flat-mates already home. We had dinner as usual, and then sat down to plan the activites for the next two days. I usually am not much of a weeknd planner, but there were chores to be finished this time so we had to decide where to get the stuff we needed from, when to go blah blah!!

But for me the most exciting part was, I was finally going to give myself a nice fat treat. A new mobile phone!! My old one had been getting on to my nerves for quite some time now, with its damaged screen, faulty software and not-working messaging service. In short, my old phone had lived much beyond its life and it was finally time to lay it to rest. So me, my cousin and another friend of mine who I’ve converted to my brother (rakhi-bhai), Madhav, sat down to surf the net for interesting phone models. I and my bro and already spent some time in the office searching phone models and picking the best ones, but we sat again just for the fun of it…

Then, suddenly some of us started craving for a late night ice-cream. So me and madhav set out on his bike to get all of us our favorite ones. It was about 11pm but the roads of Pune were still crowded with young people returning or going to parties. The breeze was amazing and that ride to and fro the Naturals ice-cream parlour at Koregaon Park was simply amazing!! Later that night I catched another 3 or 4 odd downloaded episodes of Lost, the television series. Slept at around 5 am. You see, I don’t like sleeping early when I don’t have to wake up early the next day!!

Next morning, I woke up lazily and by the time I finished breakfast, it was already past 12.30pm. Me and my cousin had to take a trip to the super-market to buy some household stuff, so we left at about 3.30pm. After getting me a mobile, and catching a quick bite, we went to buy off the list of items which was pending for quite some time. At around 7.30 or so, I recieved a call from Madhav informing us that he and 3 other friends were in a mall near-by to shop for a friend’s birthday. So we joined them. By the time we came out of the mall we were tired out of our wits and really hungry. So we grabbed some more food and headed off home!! It was a nice day overall..

The next day I had to wake up early although it was a Sunday!! Never thought I’d do that actually but this sunday was different. TCS, the firm I work for, had organized a football league in Pune in which 20 teams comprising of people from different offices in Pune would play each other for fun. This sunday, yesterday, was the first match of our team. 8 guys from our project team had participated and all of them being really good friends of mine me and other friends from the project went along to cheer them up.

The match was good, and thankfully the weather was nice so we weren’t scorched by the heat. We won hands down!! 8 goals to 1. It was fun!! After the match, all of us went for breakfast to a joint called Good Luck cafe at FC road. Although I hadn’t slept too well, sitting there, chatting with friends, laughing, all of it was really refreshing!!!!!

Later, I called up my cousin to reach the same place so that we could finish off purchasing the rest of the stuff we needed. By the time she reached me, everyone else had left, so me and her took off for another day of scouting and searching and bargaining and buying. We reached home at about 3.30pm and then spent the rest of the day at home talking, cooking, surfing the net.

All in all, an event-full weekend for me!!

You can enchant the one you have your eye on. Whether this relates to business or pleasure, wanting to win this person over will help you get clear about who you are and the specific gifts you have to offer the world. You will have a much clearer view of where you are going.

Taurus

Doing things in the optimum moment requires you to be observant, intuitive and confident enough to make a move. The confidence comes from knowing that you have the goods. Tips that come from proven ones may turn out to be worthless this time.

Gemini

Your intelligence is indisputable. But having the right game plan will make the biggest difference in your ability to benefit from your keen mind. Keep honing your strategy. For some of you it may be the first time for ages that you have had the chance to get really close to loved ones.

Cancer

There are people currently employed as ant catchers, who capture live ants and transport them to plastic ant farms. If this job exists, then perhaps the thing you are thinking of doing for extra income is also absolutely plausible. It would be advisable to accept the entire official support and assistance you get.

Leo

You could explain, but it might be wiser not to. Saying less allows everyone to move on to more constructive things. Besides, it will benefit you to maintain your mysterious persona. This is a good day for furthering artistic endeavors.

Virgo

You see a void. Dare to dream up what belongs in that space. Then think about this for a while: The thing you dream never can or will be in the world unless you put it there. There are people who earn their living as travelling salesman.

Libra

Wherever you go, you bring a gift with you. Because you are prepared to contribute, you’ll have an advantage over those who have not thought so far ahead — which will be most people. The day is good for getting more rest and relaxation. 

Scorpio

A bit of memorabilia that has been valuable to you only for sentimental reasons may also have a monetary value now. This and other interesting developments will happen in your realm of finance. Perhaps you will be feeling a little depressed today. 

Sagittarius

There have been times when you were not as popular and you struggled for recognition. Now you are popular and others struggle for your attention — it’s a challenge to give it to so many. Pay some attention to your physical condition.

Capricorn

You’re feeling very generous, but should you really give huge gifts that you can barely afford? Only if they are absolutely the perfect thing. In that case, you won’t regret it. A very tricky day and you may fall short of your expected results. 

Aquarius

The world is ultimately just. Crimes are not always punished in the expected way, but eventually justice is served. And the same goes for rewards. You’ll spend the day getting points in your “good karma” ledger. It would be a good day for improving your relationship with all people to whom you have to answer in some way or the other. 

Pisces

In the interactions you have with those around you, life will be constantly renewed. That’s why as the day goes on the energy you expend will actually fuel you. You gather vitality as you go. Your in-law may be helpful in an unexpected way.

Meaning – Regarded as sacred and inviolable; very sacred or holy

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop.

The surgeon was there, waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike.

The mechanic shouted across the garage, “Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?”

The surgeon a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, “So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take valves out, fix ‘em, put ‘em back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?”

The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic…

“Try doing it with the engine running.”

Google said during a review, that it found it had “been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open networks”.

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Apple announces iPad tablet sale outside US on 28 May, and on 7 May the Nokia lawsuit come about patent infringement. Nokia has about 5 important technologies used for enhance speech to its credit, along with Data transmission and Antenna innovation for the compact devices, and Apple is using them in their iPad 3G and IPhone. The Cell Phone manufacturer also provided information about this case in their press release.

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These three words sum up the single, most evident and undeniable truth faced by human kind. Whatever you may do or say, whoever you may be, at the end of the day, the bottom line is, one day you are in this world.. and the next day you’re not; and that day, the lives of people connected to you may pause momentarily.. but before you know it, everything, and everyone goes back to normal. It has to.

You may have affected numerous lives, but in the end, when you leave this world, all that is left behind is your memory… a virtual concept. And I believe, the way people remember you, if they do, doesn’t depend upon the way you were related to them or the way you talked to them. It depends upon how you made them feel…..

When my maternal grandfather passed away about 9 years ago, (gosh.. has it really been that long??) I could see the pain in my mother’s heart, flowing through her eyes. I could see the devastation on my maternal grand-mother’s face. I know their lives are still affected by it, they’ll always be, yet today, they are living their lives, just like they were living them prior to the tragedy. Thats the way its supposed to be.

A few days ago, as I woke up and saw the time in my mobile, I also, obviously, happened to see the date. And I realised it had been a month since my paternal grandfather passed away….. it had been a month already!! And then, it hit me again, our lives had resumed their normal course yet again. A person, who was fit and healthy just a month ago, just 30 days ago, is now no longer with us in this world. We can’t see him or touch him ever again… and yet……. our lives are moving on… they always will. ‘Coz thats how its supposed to be.

Both my grandfathers were really thick friends since their childhood. That’s how my parents ended up getting married (the traditional Indian arranged marriage way). Earlier, whenever I used to bow infront of the almighty, I used to think of my maternal grandfather, ‘coz that’s where I imagined him to be. Now, I think of both my grandfathers sitting together and smiling down upon me, showering their blessings. It does prick me sometimes…  thinking of my grandpa up there, still can’t believe it sometimes, but I know its true…….

And I imagine them talking to me sometimes when I miss them a little too much… and with my maternal grandpa, I always talk like a grown-up…… but with my paternal grandpa…… I’m always the little girl… his little princess that I always was…….. and always will be…….

And that’s what makes my belief in this saying stronger…… “People may not remember what you said, or what you did…… but they will always remember how you made them feel…………..”

And thats how another day of my life passes by…………… life goes on….

The very first memory I have of you is… you carrying me in your arms trying to quite down my wailing as ma and papa weren’t at home. I was 3 or maybe 4 years old…..

You tried everything; from candy to some rhymes to dancing infront of me… everything you could possibly do to make me stop crying.. but nothing worked. At last, you made me sit on our home’s outer wall and made me see in the direction where ma papa were supposed to return from…… and I quieted down.. expecting to see them any minute………..

That was the first of the many lessons you taught me…….. you gave me hope…

All through me and bhaiya’s (elder brother’s) childhood, you treated us as precious little creatures… protecting us from every hardship. Giving us your unconditional… boundless love……. sometimes even to the point of spoiling us….. but we know you simply couldn’t stop showing the deep love you had for us…

Right from my nursery standard… to my first year of college… you were there……. dropping me off and picking me up….. every one at my school and at college had started recognizing you, and everyday after school or college, if I wasn’t already at the gate….. some kid would come running to inform me….. “Sukriti, tere dadaji aa gaye..” (Sukriti, you’re grandpa has come…)….. and I would rush outside, to find you standing in the burning sun……. with a huge smile on your face and a hug waiting for me…… waiting to take me home……

You remember the audio tape that has my voice with your, ma and papa’s voice in it?? I was about 5 years old at that time. You know what I remember most about that tape….. its our fight. The way you would just say something to make me shout and fight with you….. I remember each and every word of that little fun fight.. I’ll always do……….. and I’m thankful that there is something that I have through which I can hear you, anytime…..

Apart from that too….. you know what I hear everytime I look at your picture thats kept infront of me….. “Aye mera beta…….” (Oh, my child..) and I can see your smiling face… the same smile you used to have everytime you said those words…

You know.. after coming to Pune….. so far away from home.. I had promised myself that I’d be strong.. and I did succeed to some extent except a few occasions when I’d talk to ma or papa and get a little emotional…… but you know… everytime, I talked to you….. heard your voice and felt the love in it…… I just wouldn’t be able to control myself…… and all I would want would be to book the next flight and come home and feel your warm hug……… the ever loving… ever present… protective warm hug………

Just wish I could hug you one more time Daddy ji……

I pray to God, that wherever you are… you are healthier, happier, and at peace now….. I know you’ll always watch all of us….. watch garandma, papa, ma, bua, bhaiya and me….. I know you’re always with us……… I know everytime I look into that picture of yours, you look back at me with the same smile of yours…….

My grandpa… my daadu… my Daddy ji… I’ll always love you so much…….. and I’ll always miss you…….

Remember some time ago I reviewed a book by this author named – “A Place Called Here”.. ? I promised you that over time I’ll be reviewing other books by her. And here I am fulfilling my promise. “If You Could See Me Now” is another beuatiful book written by Cecelia Ahern and just like all her other books this one has a magical touch to it.

The two central characters of this book include a young lady in her late twenties, unmarried and successful interior designer and a guy also in his late twenties who’s job is to make people smile. Now you’d say, that isn’t really work is it. As a matter of fact, it is for this guy, because he is an imaginary friend – someone who becomes visible to you only if you believe in miracles, and need emotional help and support.

Yes I was a little taken aback by the theme too, and to be honest, I didn’t know that one of the central characters was imaginary, or else I’d never have ventured reading this one. It would just seemed a little too kiddish. Only after reading through about 3 chapters was it made clear that the guy was an imaginary friend. I contemplated for some time, and then decided to give it a shot. Well guess what… it worked!!

Elizabeth Egan is a successful interior designer living in a beautiful house on the Fuchsia lane in Baile na’ Crothe, somewhere in Ireland. She takes care of her younger sister’s son Luke, practically raising him on her own, since her sister is too busy partying and living an adventurous life ignoring her responsibilities.

Elizabeth’s father lives alone on his farm house, her mother having walked out on him, her and her then six-month old younger sister. Such bitterness having struck Elizabeth at such an early stage in life, she had taken on full responsiblity of her sister and raised her with minimal help from her father, who was simply too heart broken to raise two kids alone.

During the years that Elizabeth grew up, completed her studies and started working as an interior designer, she had some relationships, the most serious ones of them being with a guy named Mark, from New York. She was so happy with him that she even decided to leave her native place behind and move to New York with him and work there. But her sister’s actions always were the cause of her embarrasment and worry, and despite of Mark’s endless efforts in making her see how her sister was ruining both of their lives, Elizabeth just couldn’t leave her baby sister to suffer the consequences on her own. She had to protect her.

This eventually costed Elizabeth some very good opportunities in her career, and of course cost her Mark. She was back to Baile na’ Crothe, and before she knew, her sister was pregnant. What was worse, after giving birth, she resumed her old habits of taking off without leaving even a note leaving behind the wailing child. Guess she had inherited her mother’s qualities. It was time for Elizabeth to step up again and take responsibility. And now, Luke was six years old, and lived with her.

Things were going pretty much the same way until one day, Elizabeth noticed Luke taking and smiling to thin air. Strangely, he kept making gestures and talking to the air. Luke had also started speaking thing backwards. Like he would tell her that she was a gnirob. On asking what that meant, Luke said it was a word used for people who were boring and that Ivan had told him the word.

She thought this was wierd and when she asked Luke about it, he said he was playing with his friend Ivan. But she couldn’t see anyone around who fit the description that Luke was giving. When this continued for a few days, she looked up imaginary friends on the internet and found out that kids of the age of Luke made imaginary friends all the time and they lasted for a maximum period of 3 months. So Elizabeth decided to let Luke have his fun and play along.

Everything was finr, til one evening when she was really depressed, and was crying, she saw a strange man standing at her kitchen door. She assumed him to be Sam’s father. Sam was Luke’s friend who had come over to play, and Elizabeth thought this man has come to pick him up.

The guy continued to come to their place everyday, and Elizabeth would talk to him about things she never shared with anyone. He had such an effect on you that you just couldn’t hold anything inside. It had to flow out. Soon, they became very good friends. He had told Elizabeth that his name was Ivan and he was from a place called Ekam Eveileb. What Elizabeth didn’t know was that this Ivan was the same Ivan, Luke’s friend, Luke’s imaginary friend!!

Days went by, and somehow, Elizabeth started finding courage within her to face her fears and accept her disappointments. Before she knew it, she had fallen in love with Ivan and Ivan with her. It could be perfect for the two of them. But then Ivan’s supervisor and friend Opal showed him that they could never be together since she would keep growing old and Ivan would remain the same for ever. And a few years down the line, she would stop seeing him. And then it would be so painful for both of them, since Elizabeth wouldn’t be able to see him while he would be standing right infront of her, and he couldn’t possibly watch her wait for him endlessly.

That’s when Ivan disclosed to Elizabeth that he couldn’t stay with her and had to leave. He couldn’t do it directly, so he said it to her in her sleep. Elizabeth woke up feeling restless. When a few days had passed by and there was no sign of him, she began to get worried. On making inquiries, she was faced with the most bizarre truth of her life – she had fallen in love with a man that didn’t exist in the real world. On thinking hard about all that Ivan had ever said to her, she was left with just two words – Ekam Eveileb. On hearing them, Luke smiled and said, its the same backward language that Ivan taught him. Before long, Elizabeth firgured out what it meant – Make Believe.

But by now, Ivan had taught Elizabeth to face her fears and accept disappointments. She knew she would always love him and she also knew that she would never see him again, but somehow, inside, she was a contented, happy woman, who knew Ivan was around her somewhere, watching her.

I know, unusual story… but I like stories which describe the complex emotions of love, trust, and feeling the presence of someone you love. Nice read!!

For instance, if you wake up late on the 1st of Januray, you’re gonna wake up late the whole year around. Or maybe, if you spent a lot on the first day of the week, keep a check on your wallet ‘coz you’re gonna spend a lot the entire week. Silly… stupid even… I know, but we tease each other on this thought none-the-less. If nothing else, it brings around some smiles and fun.

So, this post is dedicated to the funniest month of the year – The Fool’s month! That’s April. Gosh… its April already, wasn’t new year just a week ago??!!………….. anyways,

When I was in college, everyone (meaning my friends) would pretend 1st of April was just another normal day, nothing special. It was actually..  but everyone would still be secretly thinking of ways of fooling any one of us in such a manner that we had enough material to laugh about and pull the victim’s leg for the entire year. Oh yeah, April Fool was serious business!

And, I’m not so proud to say this but at that time, my friends got away with fooling me real bad once or twice. I don’t remember how they did it, but I do remember being laughed at and me laughing along shyly too… But then as time passed, I learned quick to escape any of their attempts to pin me down again, and its been quite some time now that anyone’s managed to fool me.

But you know, this fool’s day, it happened again. One of my friends has this really subtle way of playing practical jokes on his friends, and he pretty much gets away with them almost everytime. Probably its because he uses everyday meagre situations just to have a good laugh and make everyone around him smile, but no-one who is being fooled, can guess its just a joke.

So this fool’s day he called me up and asked me if I had checked my mail. By chance I hadn’t done that since morning, so I asked him if he had sent me anything important. He just said he’d sent me something funny so I should check it out and tell him if I got it. I got curious, naturally, and opened up my mail account. I hadn’t received his mail yet so I told him I hadn’t received it. You know what he said, “Oh really, you didn’t receive it? Oh yeah, its probably ‘coz I didnt send you anything actually, and just made a fool out of you……. Happy Fool’s day!!”

You know in a long time, I just couldn’t come up with a witty remark to shut up him at this one. And I found myself feeling silly and smiling. That’s when it hit me – God, how much fun this day used to be back in college! Instead of yelling at him, I complimented him for getting away with it so easily.

And you kow what he told me. He said, the joke played on me was actually meagre as compared to what he did to another friend of his. He called his friend up and told him that he was visiting another branch of his office which was just next to his friend’s office. So they should meet up. The poor friend paused his work, came all the way down from his office and reached the gate of my friend’s office.

Not able to see him there, he called him up and asked him where he was. And this witty fellow replies, “In office, where else?”. On being asked which office, he said the “one in which I’ve been working since the past one year…” What followed was about two minutes of swearing from the victim accompanied by laughter from my friend.

Such incidents just help us to understand the importance of just taking a pause, and smiling once a while. Thanks to this friend of mine, who with his silly acts, brings laughter in his friends’ lives.

I love to smile.. don’t you?? No wonder I like all those non-sensical comedy movies, in which fools take away all the money, girls and beat up the intelligent bad guys. In my opinion, in today’s time, only a person who can have a good laugh at himself and make the others smile along with him is an actual winner.