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Friendship - then, now, forever.

It's International Friendship Day tomorrow and although I'm not big on celebrating such 'days', here's a special post written for a BlogAdda contest, details of which can be found here. And check out the sponsors - Pringoo.com - they have a great variety of personalized goodies you can order online!

At first I thought, what can I possibly say about friendship that's not been said before, but when I pondered, I realized everyone has something unique to say about this special relationship that is one of the most important in life. So here's my take:

Friendship is simple. Not like love.
It is not blind; it sees everything: builds on the strengths, improves and even eliminates the weaknesses.
Friendship is independent of superficial things like looks and status. Not like love.
Friendship heals broken hearts.
Friendship is that adorable toothless grin that babies exchange with each other; a grin so similar to the one they'll have when they're old and toothless again.
It is that first precarious attempt of a toddler to interract with another on the first day of school.
It is the comfort that a child discovers outside of his home.
Friendship is the shared bar of chocolate that tastes twice as sweet.
It is the lunchtimes spent digging into each others' plates, chattering away, joking, teasing, laughing.
It is the conspiring look that passes between eternal partners in crime.
It is the quick help delivered when one is in trouble; and it is the assurance of having someone by your side even when the whole world is against you.
Friendship is the long phone call made right upon reaching home after an entire day at school/college together. It is the long-distance phone call made later in life when you're apart, but still keep in touch, expensive billing rates be damned.
It is the private joke that evokes raucous laughter even years afterward; it is the non-veg text messages and email forwards shared years before you're officially adults.
Friendship is farewell scribbles on the insides of school and college yearbooks; and it is an endless stream of Facebook wall posts.
Friendship is getting high on life. And doing crazy things together that you'll never forget.
Friendship is the peaceful silence that is just as amicable as an animated conversation.
Friendship is arguing and falling out and getting mad at each other freely, 'coz you know that none of it will actually affect your bond. If anything, it will pull you closer still.
Friendship is speaking your mind and trusting that the other will appreciate it.
Friendship is lying to save each other's butts; and it is taking the blame even when you didn't do anything at all.
Friendship is receiving punishment together for talking too much and disrupting the class; it is laughing uncontrollably later on when you're let off.
Friendship is shared pairs of clothes, and stationery and make-up; it is poring over magazines together, trying to figure out what the hell is going on with your body during teenage.
Friendship is singing and dancing together without any inhibition; and it is talking about periods and boobs and penises and vaginas without a trace of embarassement.
Friendship is giggling over crushes and love letters; and cussing and haranguing about that bitch/asshole who broke your heart.
Friendship is laughing outrageously when someone gets a pimple just before a date, then promptly proceeding to convince and assure them that it isn't really that noticeable.
Friendship is the road trip taken together, singing yourselves hoarse on the way. It is knowing what the other wants to say without any exchange of words.
Friendship is impromptu little gifts, given for no reason at all; and surprise visits and calls even when you're very busy with your own life.
Friendship is plates of junk food, bought in bulk and gulped down while cutting class at college. It is the doodles and written conversations that adorn the back pages of your notebooks.
Friendship is grainy old photographs, frozen in time, and snazzy new ones, all cherished just the same. Friendship is sharing in embarrassments and keeping secrets from the world.
Friendship is video chats that last for hours and IM conversations about nothing at all. 'Hey wassup? Nothing. You say. Nothing. I'm bored, yaar. Me too. So wassup?'
Friendship is showing each other the right way; and it is being honest even when it hurts.
It may last an eon or a season, but it is always cherished. It is like a steaming cup of your favorite beverage - always just as good as ever.
Friendship is knowing someone a little or a lot, but loving them just the same. Friendship is talking now and then or every day but caring just the same.
Friendship is not meeting for days or weeks or even years, yet being able to pick up exactly where you left off.
Friendship is being miles apart yet still safe in each other's hearts.
Friendship is your anchor in times of trouble or need; it is what you turn to at 2.a.m. when you can't sleep, for whatever reason.
Friendship is what you get when you multiply love and care, and divide problems and stress. It is what you get when you add happiness and subtract sorrow from the complex equation of life. It is the covalent bond that does not split easily, it is the force that pulls even the most different or the most similar people together.
Friendship is being there even when you're not needed; it is resisting the urge to say 'I told you so'. It is giving hope and courage and faith and love and compassion, unconditionally, selflessly. It is putting your ego aside and mending things when repairs are needed. Friendship is a shoulder to lean on, and an ear to listen; friendship is sticking together despite the differences.
Friendship is life; it must be respected, cherished, protected, and most importantly -enjoyed.
It may hurt sometimes, but it is also the balm to its own pain.
It must evolve, yet stay the same. It must adjust, but not snap.
It trespasses age and gender and creed and lingo. It is the universal language, understood by all, explained by none.
Friendship is all we really have in this world when family let us down.

To my friends, old and new; to those I've met and those I know only through the internet, even to those I've fallen out of touch with, Happy Friendship Day. You're all my most precious blessings from God.

Touch wood.

Quick cach-up and a question

Well, I've been cut off from blogging for several days now thanks to a really moody internet connection at home. TIP: Do NOT ever take a Tata Indicom broadband connection because their service, quite simply put, just plain sucks. They will tell you faults are corrected within 6 hours but this is a lie and there is a good chance it will take more like 6 days. I even gave up on registering complaints at the (hell)p center because I mean, after all, what can the poor customer service execs do if the fault is purely technical?
First off, thanks guys for commenting on my posts - it's always nice to login after a while and find lots of comments waiting to make me smile! You guys rock my world, seriously. And I'm sorry I haven't been reading your blogs because of the internet issue of course but I promise to catch up soon.
Anyways, I started a new job yesterday after a long hiatus of staying at home and though I am happy, I'm in a bit of confusion over whether I did the right thing. See, this job is great but it doesn't pay as well as another job which I could have joined later in September. But that higher-paying one was pretty stressful (I know coz I have held the same job before too) and it required me to work from home where as I've been wanting to get out of the house a bit for a change of scene. Also, this job that I just seized without pondering much leaves me more time to focus on my writing simultaneously. So I think it's worth it, even if the remuneration is a bit less. Money is important, but it's not everything right? What do you think? Plus, it's a short term thing - just for six months - yet I feel guilty for letting go of something that would have made my parents happier and made me worry less about monetary issues.
But, in the words of Shakespeare, "what's done is done," so I'm looking forward to this new experience and I hope I can learn new things and meet new people.

More interesting, proper post coming up soon but if you happen to read this, do leave a comment addressing the question I asked about money being important but not everything.

So long!

Is It Any Surprise?

The rain brings out the poetess in me;
Is it any surprise?
It makes me think of you and times gone by;
Is it any surprise?
I sit on the swing in my balcony and stare
At the endless sheets of water pouring down hard.
Why does it remind me of you?
When surely, it reminds you of her, not me.
Is it any surprise?
We have no memories in the rain, you and I;
Is it any surprise?
Yet the rippling puddles of water that gather atmy feet
Reflect up at me, your face.
I see your face everywhere;
Is it any surprise?
And the rumbling of the thunder makes me long for you;
Is it any surprise?
How I wish to be held in your arms, close to your heart.
How I yearn to hear your voice, more beautiful
Than any sonnet ever composed;
Is it any surprise?
I walk into the downpour and shiver,
As the gusty cold wind blows.
The torrents of water plaster my hair onto my head,
And rivulets run down my body, ticklish.
Is it any surprise?
I soak up the glorious rain, feeling joyous inside
Even as I miss you dear and pray you were here,
With me,
Is it any surprise?
I feel like this blessed earth that is forever thirsty
And can never have enough of this heavenly water;
This water that she laps up with gusto,
Emitting a fragrance unique, that spreads far and wide.
Is it any surprise?
Informing one and all that the mighty rain is here at last,
To do the earth a favor, and ripen all she has to offer,
Is it any surprise?
Oh yes, I’m just like this jubilant earth,
And you are my rain
Who comes just once in a while,
Yet still loves to play truant
And hide and seek and other games.
Is it any surprise?
You tease me, make fun, and try me no end,
Yet please me so much, abundantly, unknowingly.
The only difference is such
- is it any surprise?
That the rain flirts with the earth,
And I can only wish you’d do the same;
Fill me with mirth – you won’t.
Is it any surprise?

77 "Fiction" #3: "The Greatest Writer"

He writes innumerable stories, with countless characters, all interconnected, forming a thick, complex web, and constantly stuck in conflict of varying degrees. No fun without conflict, now, is there? He has great fun playing around with them.

His work is a masterpiece stuck in constant creation, alteration, evolution.

The title of this magnum opus?

Life.

The characters?

Us.

The author?

He is known by many different names. He is elusive.

He is God.




*In the title, "fiction" is in quotes because in some way, I guess this isn't fiction at all.

Blast from the Past

I used to write a lot of crap on this blog when I first started it. I never deny that nor have I deleted the rubbishy posts though they make me cringe. And today, after a long time I suppose, I'm going to write one more cheesy poem for someone who gets way too much print space on my blog than he deserves. Just need to get this off my mind so here goes:

Our paths crossed innumerable times,
for months. Yet we never noticed.
You were simply 'that tall guy' to me
until one day, life happened.
Fate happened,
Love happened.
One proper look at you,
and I was hooked.
Addicted.
I NEEDED to know you
and so began my quest
to be a friend to you,
a friend like you'd never had before.
I guess that in itself was an indication,
of the ruination I was stepping into.
You already had enough people;
and I was never much more
than 'just another one' of them.
Except for the fact that I loved you,
more than you can imagine
or will ever comprehend.
More than even I'd imagined.
And unrequited love is like disease
it only causes pain and problems galore.
Yet, we remained friends, good friends.
But I wonder why
I still cry over you
even when the feelings are gone,
more or less.
Why does a song or a movie or a place
automatically remind me of you?
Why do I hang onto your memories
when they trigger nothing but regret?
Why does it pain me
when you befriend pretty girls?
And treat them like princesses
when really, they're utter bitches out to hurt you
and everyone else.
Why do I feel upset
that you never compliment me, ever?
that you don't think I'm as close a friend as I think you are,
that you can notice the smallest niceties in other girls,
but can always find something to make fun of about me.
Why does it surprise you
when I prove I'm smarter than you think.
Why are you so ignorant,
to every quality I possess?
But observant of every fault?
Why aren't you ever keen to meet me
-the way you always meet your other friends?
Why don't you ever call?
Or say that you miss the good old days
when we would talk every single day?
Why don't I matter to you?
Why oh why oh why?
Sigh.
I pray someday you'll realize
the depth of the hurt you caused me
by your indifference and detachment
when my only mistake was to love you
love you deep, love you true.
I hope someday you'll see,
that I ain't as bad,
as you've always perceived me to be.

Chicken (or Vegetable) Soup for your poor, pained soul

Writing well is so difficult. Just like life. Why do things always have to be difficult?
Why do I constantly feel like I've been hit by a mack truck, almost? Why does it feel that there's a big hollow space inside me, that periodically fills up with frothing emotion, that then seeps out in the form of tears? Bitter, uncontrollable, inexplicable tears?
Why do I feel tired of life, defeated by it almost, when I'm 'only' in my early twenties? Why do I think bad things? And feel hostile towards people I love?
Why am I so less-motivated? And so not confident and so on-the-edge?
Why can't he love me back? Why did I meet him? Why does he love his ex? Why am I his friend?
Where the hell am I headed? Why don't I have money? Or success? Why are my dreams so out of reach?

Do questions such as these bother you? Even if they don't, I'm sure at some time or the other you can feel yourself fretting over life's complications and your soul loses a bit of it's spirit, like it's dying a slow, painful death with every new disappointment/obstacle that comes your way.

Well then, here's something to make it all a tad bit better, to soothe (if not heal) your wounds (and mine) a little:

Sometimes, the one person who brings us teeming happiness and bliss ends up leaving us in the bitterest of tears. But they make us stronger, and leave room for even better people to come along, eventually.
Sometimes, just when we think that things are FINALLY falling into place, it all goes terribly wrong. But remember that the night is always darkest just before the dawn; things have to get worse to get better, eventually.
Sometimes, we cry ourselves to sleep for our life is just so not the way we want it. But tears are like holy water to the seeds of our hopes and they will make fresh new blossoms sprout, eventually.
Sometimes, we long to return to the days of yore - when we were children and our parents would protect us from their problems rather than share them with us; when stress simply meant exams or tiffs with friends, when we didn't have to worry about money and careers and the future - but time cannot be reversed so buck up and move forward and you will find the peace you crave, eventually.
Sometimes, tragedies happen - young people die, evil people triumph, the innocent get trampled, the malicious succeed, love loses to hatred and spite, but remember that what goes around, does come around, eventually.
Sometimes we feel all alone and unloved in this proverbial big, bad world, but no matter where we go, a higher power is always with us, sharing in our plight and nudging us onto the path of our destiny which will lead us to a nirvana of sorts, eventually.
Sometimes we think life and faith and words of comfort such as these you're reading right now are all utter bullshit, but negativity never gets anyone anywhere so might as well hope for the best and it will materialize, eventually.


"Red CARD" - Something to think about.

This is going to be quick.
Here's a short film made by a college friend of mine in conjunction with his other friends. It's their entry to a competition in Baroda, Gujarat. I love the concept and the message, so please do watch it -it's barely five minutes long!
You can give your feedback to them on YouTube or comment here and I'll pass the word. :)



Thanks!

(See? I told you this post would be quick. For a change. :P)

...

I am extremely bored. I wish I could take a holiday. Somewhere near a beach would be nice, where I can just sit in solitude and watch the sun set. And listen to the 'Sadka Kiya' song of I hate luv storys. On repeat. I am obsessed. With that song. At the moment. Surprisingly, it's a happy song. I usually get obsessed with sad ones.
I need something to do. Other than work on my novel. Which is just so overwhelming to work on. Because it forces me to think back to and write about a time when I was truly SO happy. But that time has gone, and thinking about it makes me sad and uncomfortable. I have this dream. That writing and publishing my novel will somehow make that time or something like it come back again. And fill my life with joy and satisfaction. Again. This time to last.
Have you ever felt useless? Like everything you do is a waste? Do you wish you could just sleep? Sleep till this phase passes and you wake up somewhere else, where you can just be. Whatever you want to be.
I wonder why my friend is fighting with me over something that I have nothing to do with. I wonder where I'm headed and why I feel so adolescent when I'm almost a whole twenty three years old. Why does twenty three feel so heavy, so old? "Hi, I'm twenty three years old" - It takes a whole five seconds to say. What the hell have I done in freaking 23 years?? Nothing much of consequence, I suppose. What the hell will I do in the next 23? Something that won't make me feel so pathetic, I hope. So many hopes. So many dreams. Will they be fulfilled?

I like this song too a lot, from Lamhaa - it's soulful:

Hai dil ko teri aarzoo
Par main tujhe naa paa sakun
Hai dil ko teri justaju
Par main tujhe naa paa sakun
Main hoon shab tu subah
Dono jud ke judaa
Main hoon labh tu dua
Dono jud ke judaa
Saajnaa, saajnaa, mahiya, saajnaa ve



Bipasha looks beautiful in this avatar, don't you think? I want to look like her. Sigh.

I hate 'luv storys' but I love 'love stories'

Over the past week, I've watched two romantic movies and here's my combined opinion of both:

I hate luv storys is a lot like the misspelled title itself suggests: lame and corny. Please, if you're like me and love love stories, don't bother watching it except maybe for the songs and the beautiful New Zealand locales that appear in the second half. It's like an insult to all romantic comedies and has gone so far as to make extremely childish digs at Bollywood classics you're sure to have loved - DDLJ, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, among others. Yes, "all love stories are more or less the same", as Jai (Imran Khan) claims in the movie, but the BIG difference is that SOME work at the box office because they actually make sense and are light and inspiring, whereas IHLS is just BORING. Seriously, I never thought my favorite Dharma Productions could let me down so bad.

Sigh.

Anyways, the movie I watched today - the much awaited, much coveted Milenge Milenge - nicely made up for last week's disappointment. I felt that after a long time, Bollywood's offered a simple, sweet, straight forward love story that's sure to make you go 'aww' even if some parts - but naturally - do not quite add up. Shahid and Kareena look great together. It makes me feel all sentimental about their breakup again.

At first, I, like a lot of other people, used to think they don't look good together, but that changed after Jab We Met. But of course, they ironically parted ways just then. I wonder what kind of emotions (if any) watching this movie will stir up in both of them... Sigh... By the way, I love the whole concept of destiny that the movie reinforces. I strongly believe in it and feel sure that everything happens for a reason. Nothing is coincidence.


Oh, and the fun bit is that Shahid looks like how he used to in his Ishq Vishk days - all chocolaty cuteness and all. :P Kareena is of course stunning. And the songs have this oldish feel to them which I quite like. You know, like emerging from nowhere within the story and transporting you to foreign lands and all. It's like a blast from the past. That should have been the movie's promotional line: 'a blast from the past'. But I guess the existing line isn't bad either: 'Watch them together for the last time'.

And take my word for it, you're not going to regret it!*

*Provided that you like classic 'love stories.' (not 'luv storys'! :P)

P.S. By the way, "it's a time to love, a time to live, a time to forgive..."

So go on and do it!

I did. :)

Until next time, "milenge milenge...aap se yakeenan milenge milenge" :)

Unladylike Me!

I've been tagged to write this post on 'My Sins Against Gender Stereotypes' by BlabberBlah, so here goes:

The sins I plead guilty for, committed against gender stereotypes (that continue to affect our otherwise 'modern' existence) are:

1. I hate to cook. I really wonder how I played with cookery sets when I was little, because today, I see cooking vessels at best as handy objects to fling around when you're mad, or to hurl at someone in self-defense. The best food I can make for you is a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of tea. For anything else, there's MasterCard and an endless list of all kinds of eateries. :P

2. I do not, and I mean seriously do NOT like babies. Even if they are incredibly "cute." No offense but babies are irritating to the max. In the words of Shrek: 'all they do is poop and cry and cry and poop and poop when they cry and cry when they poop.' Toddlers are no better. All they do is chatter and whine and whine and chatter and run around all over the place driving me insane.
I hate it when my mother or anyone else gets me to hold or puts me in charge of my little cousins or nieces/nephews. It is grossly pissing off. Even the kids usually sense my mood because they invariably start bawling the minute I take over. Ha!

3. I hate soft toys. They are a colossal waste of money and pathetic to look at. Like seriously, what am I, two years old?

4. I do not like to shop, especially window shop. My idea of shopping involves jotting down a list of things I need, going to the one-stop mall, rushing in and out of the appropriate shops and picking up what I want along the way. No loitering, no fuss, no delays, no time pass.

5. I laugh out loud. I do not giggle. I do not KNOW how to giggle. I also can't play silent mind games that a lot of girls are so apt at. If I have a problem with you, I'll tell you to the face, replete with the choicest of expletives to suit the situation. I will not sulk and expect you to come after me asking me what the f**k is wrong.

6. Too much of pink makes me feel pukish. I like my blues and black and red.

7. I hate having to wear a dupatta. Seriously, it has to be the most irritating garment ever invented! It flies around, it slips, it slithers, it threatens to strangle me. I do think it's quite useful for mopping at wounds though, like they show in typical Bollywood flicks. :P

8. I don't go 'awww' when I see a cute baby or animal or anything. I go 'awww' at completely different moments. Like when a guy friend is looking good and I want to irritate him by putting on a fake girly voice and complementing him. 'awwwww, (name of friend), you looking sho shweeet.' LOL

9. I refuse to wear make-up. Why would I want to look like someone I'm not? Isn't that like some form of deception? In fact, I hate to dress up. If I ever get married, I would like to do it wearing jeans and standing on the beach with my hair flying in the wind. I'm serious, really. All that gold and jewels and henna and haldi I see at Indian weddings make me squirm.

10. I love science and computers and gadgets and cars and (to some extent) Math too! As a kid, I loved playing with my brother's remote control cars. (Though I won't be all hypocritical and deny that I loved my Barbie too) I would build fighter planes out of Lego blocks and (with some instruction from my brother) guns too! To date, you can't quite separate me from my favorite PC games. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Midtiwn Madness, Tekken, and Hitman are what constitute entertainment at it's best, baby!

*The above sins don't mean that I don't have my feminine side too, which swoons for romance movies and designer perfumes and the occasional pampering session and all that. I am female, just not the average female the world expects me to be, thankyouverymuch. :)

As for tagging, go ahead and tag yourself if you wish!

Six Whole Months of What?

The end of June signifies the halfway mark of the year. Well, what do you know - time flies and waits for no one. Maybe that's why I always feel somewhat stressed out, worrying whether I'm doing something meaningful with my life or just wasting it away in constant complaints of boredom. So I thought I'd take a moment to evaluate what exactly I've been up to in the past six months, just to reassure myself that indeed, I'm on the right track. Maybe not to nirvana but someplace good at least.

So, in the first half of 2010, I:

1. Completed my Comprehensive Creative Writing Course from the Writers' Bureau.

This, by the way, was not an easy feat to achieve. The assignments were tough, but I learned a lot and I'm happy that I made it to the end because a lot of people get stuck somewhere in the middle.

2. Wrote a lot.

I got more serious about my writing - whether it be here on this blog or just in general. I almost ALWAYS write every single day now, like proper writers do, and I have a clear goal about what my novel will be like and all. I still tend to procrastinate a lot but I'm working on it.

3. Let go.

Those of you who have been following this blog for a long time must know that I used to write a lot about rejection in love and several posts were specifically centered around this one person that I used to love. (still love?) Well, you'll be happy to know that FINALLY, after years literally, I've learned how to let go. I'm not even half as attached to HIM as I used to be; I'm not bitter or hurt or angry; and he is still a friend to me. Not a special friend like I earlier liked to consider him, but just another regular friend. In some ways, I feel like I've kind of lost him completely, but it doesn't seem to matter as much as it once would have, because I've:

4. Made some great new friends and got back in touch with special old friends.

A whole friendship phenomenon has taken my life by storm the past six months. It all started in January, when I met my first ever online friend in real life. We hadn't talked much before he suddenly had to come to my city for some work, and I'd been quite skeptical about the whole thing, to be honest, but we ended up getting along so well that now I wish he didn't live so far away. The experience really transformed my whole negative perception of virtual friendships into a more positive one.
After that, I made a lot of friends through this little haven of mine known as Sempiternal Scribbles, and the most remarkable of the lot is someone whom I email every single day and who's turned into one of the best friends I've ever had. We discovered that the maximum number of emails that Gmail accepts in a single chain is 100. After that, a new chain automatically starts, and we are about to complete the third such chain very soon! 300 emails back and forth, and many more to come I hope.
Life also got me back in touch with a few of my old friends from Kenya, which is great.

Basically, the year so far has been a year of friendship. I hope that the remaining half can bring love, just like the astrological forecast that I've put up in my room promises. Somehow, the romance part of my horoscope never, ever comes true. Everything else, ironically, does. :P

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