Sunday, August 27, 2006

Misfit

He knew he was different from them. He was only 4 when Aai and Baba had had the talk with him. They told him how he was different from his
year old sibling Shrawan. But it hadn't really sunk in then. But slowly as Shrawan and he grew up he could see how he was diffrent from his family.

Shrawan would understand Aai, Baba much better. He would know when they were angry with him, when they were pleased with him. Aai, Baba were not much of talkers, they were stingy with words. You had to learn to understand their expressions. their actions. It took him some time but Sachin understood them. Or at least he thought so! But how he and Shrawan reacted back is what made all the difference. Mostly it was ok. But Aai,Baba really didn't know that he needed to be hugged and kissed, reassured of their affections.

Shrawan took Aai Baba's love for granted, whereas Sachin was afraid of loosing it to the extent that sometimes he wondered if they really loved him at all. Whether he was just a big mistake.

Aai Baba were really very nice people, it was hard to complain. But Sachin grew up a bitter boy.
It was the bitterness with world in general.

Aai Baba thought Sachin was just different. They gave him as much space as they could. Even Shrawan knew when to let Sachin be.

Sachin didn't really want to be left alone. Thats how Aai, Baba and Shrawan dealt with situations; not him! He liked people to come and talk to him about his problems.

THe Joshi's were a family bound by love and yet full of bitterness.
It wasn't meant to be like this. Amruta and Milind had never expected it turn this way! It seemed perfect, two idealistic like minded people, very much in love finally bound by marraige. Two years down the line they adopted Sachin. They didn't really mean to have another child. But Shrawan was born three years later.

The Joshi's promised to love their children equally,never to differentiate between them.
Perhaps they forgot that their two children were different people and they were to be nutured differently. Perhaps!

Friday, August 25, 2006

The dream

Sakshi woke up blushing. The feeling of standing close to him and holding his hand still felt real.
She just had to close her eyes and she could imagine standing by him, holding his hand and walking.

Except who was he? She was most certain he wasn't Praveen. Wouldn't Praveen find this amusing, her holding a stranger's hand in her dream? It was embarrassing that she had such wierd dreams. She decided against telling Praveen about it. He would just make fun of her and it was only a dream.

She actually did end up telling him about the dream later that day. Again, it wouldn't have happened if she had not felt the brush of his sleeve in the bus on her way back home. She was trying to get toward the front of the bus (her stop being a few minutes ahead) when she got the feeling again. She turned to look who this chap was, but it was hard to tell in the crowded bus.

Praveen thought it amusing that she had a dream man who wasn't him. Sakshi could not quite tell whether he felt hurt or was just amused. In any case it was a harmless dream.

A few days later she had the same dream again. It just felt good to walk with him. She felt secure, unlike other guys. Apparently she loved walking with this stranger in her dreams.

She met him again on the bus a couple of days later. This time she saw his face, even though it was turned away from her. His dark glasses covered his expression. He was handsome. "Tall and skinny, nice clothes" thought Sakshi blushingly.

Today the bus wasn't so crowded. When she got off at her stop, she felt him behind her. It was too tempting. After walking a few steps away from the bus stop she turned to look. He was facing away from her, toward the traffic, trying to cross the road.

When the white stick came out, it all made sense! She was there beside him, holding his hand, crossing the road, just like in her dream.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The Runaway Plane..never coming back.. What are the chances?

Well..first half of the title is explained in
here
.

I have spent the last week fretting about what A would write on his blog about the trip. The moving, lack of sleep, lack of DSL connection just made me miserable. The only consolation was that A doesn't have internet yet either:)

Here I am in the coffeshop finally, connected to the NET world..and feeling much better now that I have read BAL's blog. He was done me no injustice..(for I feared that I would be featured as the main culprit in the drama even before our trip to Yosemite started!)

Anyway, I promised to write about my trip to Yosemite. Unfortunately, my camera refused to give me saath, the shutter got stuck 12 hrs after I had retrieved it from the security at ORD! The pictures hence will be gotten only after much begging and borrowing..:)
*cough*
continued a few days later...

Still jostling with Ameritech over my dsl line. They blame faulty wiring, I blame faulty customer
service.

What are the chances that A still hasn't updated his blog by now? Apparently 100 %.
Following is courtesy A, V and N's narration. Featuring S,N, A, SS, V and me all introduced in

here
. Special Appearence : Strange(r) Desi. Name Unknown. Possibly from Silicon Valley. Accompanied by wife and two kids (dont feature in the scene!)

Scene: Six, very grumpy desis, the gender equality in numbers is baffling.

I::
Three of them have spent the last half hour walking in the dark collecting firewood ( at some point equating themselves to hyenas, since we were picking up wood from abandoned campsites!). After reaching camp, they realize the size of wood needs to be reduced without the aid of an axe. Various ideas

* like putting log between two stones and jumping on it...
* one person holding log, other jumping on it...
* plain hitting the log in frustration ensues...

Eventually, some log is retrived, pretensious fire ensues.

II
Lonely woman has to do all the cooking. Her friends have abandoned her for other work. Her spirits never die. A good meal is being concocted in the dark!

III::
Two of them have spent last half hour trying to figure out how to get the latern working in dark!
The irony of the situation does strike them! Then they keep their spirits up and set up the tent.
Even join in helping in cooking and fire starting!


Enter our hero (villan? comedian?)

A huge SUV pulls up.. a head pokes into our camp from the dark.

"HEy" he says..

Another look at us
" What are the chances?"
Baffles audiences (at least some of them!)
" Can you guys tell me where ## campsite is ? "
Answers given..SUV moves ahead.

Grumpy desis look at each other...what are the chances??

Irritating Desi back in the vicinity.

" Where did you get the firewood..?"

A answers.." WE went looking around for them!"

" Did you go in the dark?"

N explains .. " WE came after it got dark..only half hr ago!"

" So you found firewood in the dark"

Someone nods...

" What are the chances I will get firewood if I go looking for it now?"

Everyone is thinking, why doesnt he just go looking instead of asking us questions!

" Maybe you will find some "

Intruding Desi leaves...

Some explainations on his remarks are sought

N says.. " This guy lives in California and is surprised to find desis in Yosemite."

Poor Desi was at the wrong end of our jokes rest of hte trip.

What are the chances he is reading this?? (*running for shelter from brickbats!*)

Thursday, August 03, 2006

All that in a pack of biscuits?

I just discovered a new brand of biscuits with a chocolate layer..etc by PiM's. So the pack claims its France's No. 1 Biscuit Brand, but its made in Belgium. (no contradiction there really!)

Anyway, managed to finish the whole pack of biscuits..and I have to tell you they are really good..
What amused me however is the stuff written to advertise this !

"PIMs varieties are a unique selection of extremely indulgent biscuits, made with the finest ingredients to creat your own moment of sensual pleasure every day.

Be seduced by PIM's Orange, a combination of three luscious taste sensations : delicate soft biscuit, natural tangy orange fruit filling and rich chocolate, for an intense taste experience. "


Are they talking about biscuits? Scary part is ..its all true :)
(I added the italics to decorate the text btw :) )