it's Complicated!

A friend called this morning, simply wanting to know if it was worth all the pain, the ‘it’ implying love. This was the same someone who’d called three days earlier to tell me she was on top of the world, thanks to a certain someone. And then another friend tells me that she’s done being alone, that she’d give anything to meet her special someone now.

So what do I tell her? Do I give her the assurance she yearns for, and say that in time, things will be alright? Or do I tell her, rather heartlessly, that fairy tales and happily ever afters are quite simply that - make-believe stories. And do I tell the other, the same thing?

From the time we were little, we’ve heard and read fairy tales, with the same saccharine ending to them all, and nursed dreams of a prince charming sweeping us off our feet and carrying us off into the land of eternal happiness. And then one day, ‘life’ happens…and we grow up.

So what happens to those fairy tales and the happy endings we’ve always carried in our minds? The love we’ve secretly, desperately craved for in our hearts? Do they die a natural death or have their life beaten out of them? Or, is it hard to let go of that dream because there’s this tiny ray of hope that keeps it alive?

Maybe we really need to mark, learn and inwardly digest the fact that being alone doesn’t necessarily translate to being lonely, but at the same time realize that personal spaces, though closely guarded, need to be invaded every once in a while, for our own good.

Maybe at the end of the day, it’s simply enough to know that love turns up in the most unexpected places, and looking for it will only make the wait more cumbersome, and the heart more restless. That the fairy tale may not follow the same storyboard as in the classics, and that the knight in shining armour may need to be traded for an ordinary looking guy in ratty tees and scruffy jeans. And that the happily ever after ceases to be important in the light of happiness now, in this moment.

And whether love is worth the pain…maybe every story is a fairy tale in its own right, and whether it ends well, or doesn’t, is simply a matter of perspective.

The real question however, is this. When we have found the person we are seeking, how do we know for sure, before it’s too late? Maybe we don’t. Maybe we never will. And therein lies the tragedy of it all.

Remembrance

Ever experienced that perfect moment when time seemed to stop just for you? When you wished you could somehow capture the essence of that moment and bottle it so you could lift the lid off and breathe in the fragrance every time you needed to feel that magic again?

It’s that slack tide moment, when the tide is neither coming in nor going out; when everything’s simply calm, still…perfect.

The flip side is that it passes so quickly. And as much as you may want to hold onto it for just that little bit longer, it slips out of reach and loses itself in time’s ever-rolling stream and becomes a memory.

I remember, once again.

That perfect moment.

And you.

the storyteller and his chronicle

We are all stories, unfolding day by day…

Is yours worth telling?

Friendship

It is indeed a universal truth that like poles repel while unlike poles attract each other. Three people from three different corners of the country were put together because of that one beautiful place called home. It felt like this friendship was just meant to be.

I met Priya and Purvi in the summer of 2008. It’s funny and bizarre how the three of us gelled well immediately. We had nothing much in common. Our religion, native place, personal interests, taste in guys, even ages are different. Purvi and I are both Gemini and Priya, a Scorpio, balances us.

In spite of conspicuously contrasting tastes we get along like a house on fire. Between the three of us, we don’t know what embarrassment is. We believe in enjoying ourselves and very selfishly do only that. With Priya and Purvi I can never worry about what the world shall think about me. It feels like we were just put together in the same place and accidentally, we bonded well. Maybe we were just meant to be friends.

I have never opened up to anyone until I met them. Whenever I pause for a second and look back at the past the very first thought that comes to my mind is of Priya and Purvi.

I don’t remember most of my experiences before 2008. Maybe I learnt how to enjoy the journey called life after I met these fantastic people.

In times high and low they’ve been there for me ALWAYS!!!

We’re like three differently shaped and colored fridge magnets sticking to a common surface called ‘The Woods’. Try as you might we just cannot be separated. We may be miles apart but we’re still tied together by a strong bond.

 

After all, isn’t this what a great friendship is all about?

_________________

Vianca Damani

कभी सोचा है...

कभी सोचा है...

हमारे रिश्ते का नाम क्या है

मोहब्बत? ज़रूरत? ख़वाहिश? जनून? इश्क?

या वोह रिश्ता जो...

आसमान का ज़मीन से है

बारिश का सेहरा से है

हकीक़त का खवाबों से है

दिन का रात से है

यह कभी एक दुसरे से...
मिल नहीं पाते
लकिन एक दुसरे के बगैर अधूरे भी है

शायद ऐसा ही कुछ रिश्ता...
मेरा और तुम्हारा भी है
 
  ________
 
Shoumik De
http://shoumikde.blogspot.com/

Aamchi Mumbai...

Where despite everything, there will always be room for dreams...

Doing My Bit for World Peace...

So here's your social message for the day:

ok...so I'm off to munch on lunch now!

And you...spread the love! Go cook!

bye-bye!

No Strings Attached

Choices...

We're making them every day. We choose our friends, the situations we want to be a part of, the things we want to do, and the places we want to go to. Some small choices, and some big ones...some easy to make, others difficult. But we believe that our choices are what make us who we are and take us where we want to eventually be. We make them with the unspoken belief that they will ultimately make us happy. Time rolls on and we realise that though we've hit the jackpot with some of the choices we've made, others couldn't have been worse! But ah, well...that's life. They were our choices anyways. And we're responsible for them.

And then, there's Destiny.

So how d'you explain that?

I've grown up with the faith that God has plans for each of us. That He has scripted our lives, and everything that happens in it, was meant to happen precisely that way. There are no coincidences. Everything that takes place, no matter how insignificant, is how the universe has willed it. And yes, everything happens for a reason...blah blah.

So I ask...where's my choice in all this? Did I even have one? ever? And free will...does it exist? Or does destiny/ fate/ chance/ divine intervention - whatever you call it - rule?

Are we all, simply being played?

Look What's Cookin'!

Those who know me also know the kind of resistance I put up when it comes to the kitchen. Don't get me wrong. I'm quite the foodie person. But talk about cooking, and you'll see me run. (Though I'll admit I'm really, really good at cooking up excuses to...ahem...not cook!)

This is why I have people around me, who make up for my lack of enthusiasm in the culinary department, and keep me happy with their skills. (Focus! We're talking culinary skills here!)

God bless them all!

Here's a recipe my friend Brian cooked up. He claims it's amazing. Easy too. Hmm...worth a try, no?

Calamari stuffed with Rice and Drizzled with White Wine and Cream

• Get a wide pan and drizzle some olive oil into it
• Clean up some calamaris (Remove the outer skin and the heads, and the ink of course) and stuff some cooked pulav rice into the cavities
• Place the stuffed calamari on the pan and sprinkle some chopped onions around it
• Drizzle some more olive oil over the calamaris and onions
• Add some white wine to top that
• Add some cream over all these wonderful things and sprinkle on some oregano and thyme
• Stuff the pan into the oven for 20 minutes to cook at 180°C. Bring it out and the pan should be empty in no time!

Recipe courtesy of Brian Moses from DreamCatcher - http://www.dreamcatcher.co.in/

Apparently, a Swedish lady cooked the dish on a boat, during one of Brian's travels! The sky, the sea, the wine and some calamaris. What more can you ask for?! (Hmm...I'll admit i have some ideas there...!)

So guys, try this...and call me over for dinner! I'll bring my appetite along for company! ;)