Granny, stolen moments and reward for no sleep

1. Meeting Granny. She's tired, and doesn't keep all that well, but she won't let me go without eating something! It's good catching up.
2. The train's 4 hours late. The few extra hours at home are precious...
3. I'm not able to sleep soundly in the train, and happen to wake up at 6 in the morning. As I look out of the window, I realise that the sun is just rising, and I'm lucky enough to have a window that's facing eastward. A serene dawn greets me - there's a mist clinging to the ground and the delicate sun rays colour it a pretty pink at places. The air is sharp and cool.

Bride, Groom and photographer

1. The long awaited wedding finally takes place. Meenal is now married. She makes a pretty bride...
2. Anup's ever-ready smile, that's always lurking just below the surface, ready to pop out anytime a slight chance presents itself. He's got a great sense of humor too... one, that I hope will go a long way in making life a pleasant journey for the two of them...
3. Because I'm always taking photographs, and because of my camera, the official photographer notices me, and strikes a conversation. He's more than happy to give me tips, and when I recollect some of the great pictures he has taken at Manjiri's wedding, he obliges me with a few pics of me too! Needless to say, for once, my pictures have come out lovely! ALL it takes is a good photographer!

Maroon, yellow and black

1. My mehendi (and indeed, every one else's too) has coloured a beautiful maroon, rich and smooth. And now that the henna paste has dried and fallen off, it smells different - more earthy and heady, more a part of me. The way the mehendi's colour changes from a pale red to a rich dark red when the henna has been removed, is amazing...
2. The groom - Anup takes the haldi ceremony very sportingly, even though all of us go wild and literally smear him with the turmeric paste. I'm secretly thankful when I see that he has managed to get all the yellow colour off before the evening ceremony, or Meenal would've killed us!
3. I finally wear the black silk saree with the maroon n copper border I bought last year - it had been lying untouched all this while. Mom's garnet necklace goes with it perfectly... and as someone remarked just today - there's no pleasure like wearing your mom's jewellery!

Home-coming, henna and wedding

1. Looking through the train's window and catching a glimpse of Papa almost immediately, inspite of the crowd. He hasn't seen me though, and is still searching... and then when we reach home, getting out of the car to open the gate and looking up to see mum and Aaji waving from the window...
2. The smell of henna... and the way Meenal looks happy at being a bride...
3. The news of another wedding in the offing...

Cool n fresh, unexpected appreciation and misty weekend

1. After being cooped up inside the house all day, the clean, cold evening air feels good on my face and in my lungs...
2. Dharana tells me she likes my blog. I'm flattered - she usually never likes any reading I recommend!
3. Looking forward to the weekend at Mahabaleshwar. The resort looks promising... and the weather's just perfect for this kind of a trip - some leisure, some sight seeing... I'm so looking forward to the jacuzzi at the resort, and also to the legendary mist that's supposed to be so thick in this season that one can't look beyond one's nose (that would be good, I'm thinking. I know a lot of people who don't need a mist to do that, and they generally look pretty happy with themselves!)
   

Veil removed, callers in the night and camaraderie of sloth

1. Just as I turn to look out of the window, I see a wisp of cloud passing over an almost full moon. Its an enchanted moment.
2. Tanmoy and Pallu land up after dinner and we sit talking about various things late into the night.
3. Everyone in office seems to agree, that of all days, it was especially difficult to get out of bed today morning. Everyone's late to office and everyone seems lost and half asleep... Smiles are exchanged everytime someone yawns...

Quality viewing, borrowed beauty and returns

1. Discovering that Zee Cafe is airing all the old serials we used to love as kids - Wonder Years, Doogie Howser M.D. And of course, there's always the ever-green Full House!
2. Wearing Pallu's brown Bandhani suit... it's pretty... I have a good mind to not return it at all! he he...
3. Getting the first returns on my investment and efforts. Feels good!

New paths, open and stuck in the rain

I'm ranting at Rant Factory. Nothing like a good ol' bitchy rant to vent off some steam and get the load off your chest. Clears the way for the good things in life, I say...

Oh! and it's good to be back....

1. I take a different route to work today. Its slightly longer, but the road's in good condition, and quite safe in the rains too. It takes me the same amount of time to reach office by this route, as by the one I usually take, but I arrive in much better spirits, because the commute has not been tranformed into a battle today.
2. Talking to someone with an open and receptive mind. Its such a pleasure, when one doesn't run up against mental blocks.
3. Its raining quite heavily outside and I'm stuck in office. This is good because firstly, I take the time to just stand and watch the rain, and secondly because, after a long time, I can post to this blog (the internet connection at home hasn't been working for sometime now, which explains the lack of activity here...)

Unwell, surprise and Soho

1. I'm down with a bad cold. No, that's not good, but coming home after lunch and catching shut eye is. I wake up feeling much better... and I also get to put in a couple of hours of reading...
2. Very unexpectedly, Pinda calls up in the evening. He's in Pune and wants to meet up for dinner. After a very long time, we are spending time with each other, and dinner is a happy affair. There's lots to talk about...
3. Pinda takes me to a place called Soho. Its a very elegant restaurant-cum-lounge, tastefully decorated and lit. The food is supposed to be awesome too, but I'm in no state to eat... But its very near to home, so the next time we're going out to dinner, Soho its going to be!

Get pampered, long due and hidden treasure...

1. Getting a facial done. Its just so luxurious and so relaxing... All I have to do is lie with my eyes closed and shut down thought. Deft hands massage my face, neck and shoulders. It's pure pleasure...
2. Sharma brings the package that mom has sent. In it, arrives a saree which I'm to wear to Anish's wedding tomorrow... It's one of those I'd bought in prepartion for something else, months ago, but never had a chance to wear. I'm glad I can finally wear it.
3. Tanmoy and I go on a long drive, and he takes me to a quiet nd secluded place that he'd discovered while in college. We park the bike and walk a little and unexpectedly (for me) there's a peaceful little lake lying hidden there. For more than an hour, we sit there on rocks, sometimes talking, at other times watching the play of the clouds and the stars and the ever so gentle ripples on the water. The breeze is cool. There's something brilliant and exciting about suddenly going to a place that you never dreamed existed...

Licking fingers, no raincoat and hush hush...

1. Dutch Chocolate Truffle. Its sinfully rich and lip smackingly, heart meltingly yummy. I think the truffle I had today can easily be categorized as one of the best desserts I've had... The best part is that I discovered that the bakery which bakes it is near my house... :-)
2. It doesn't rain when I'm coming back from work. This is good because it means I do not have to wear a raincoat. I do not like raincoats.
3. Someone tells me a secret. Who? That's a secret too!

Guide, good roads and load off my mind...

Hey!! I'm back from Goa, after a marvelous, fun-filled and crazy four days and I have the most amazing tan to show for it! And everytime someone comments on my tan, I grab the opportunity to tell them Goa tales, and in turn relive Goa.... ahh!

1. At a point in time when I'm stuck and really don't know how to proceed, Kris shows up at my desk without me calling him, and shows me the way.
2. The road repairs on my way to office have gained momentum and it does seem like we will have good roads to drive to work this monsoon.
3. I think I've finally found the issue in the defect that I've been working on since before I went to Goa. I talk to Anna, and she thinks I'm right. There's still some stuff remaining to be done, but its a load off my mind!

Progress report, fantasy and snaps

1. Getting some totally unexpected appreciation for my progress in picking up my work, and that too in the weekly team meet. Personally I had been getting the feeling that I've been rather slow in the pst couple of months, so this little pat on the back is a definite boost!
2. Kris remembers to bring a book he's promised to get for me - The Amulet of Samarkand. Its the first of the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, and I look forward with some pleasure to many weeks of magic and fantasy...
3. Seeing some really happy pictures of a very dear friend, who wishes to remain unnamed. The smiles are genuine, the joy enviable...

And of course, running through the day, has been the irrepressible excitement and anticipation for the Goa vacation... 48 hrs from now, we'll be on our way! Yeah!

Alive, saved snack and planning

1. Feeling alive. My brain's working... and I'm not bored...
2. Remembering to save an apple for a late evening snack. Everyday, I get hungry, but there's nothing in the pantry when I stay at work a little late...
3. Sitting and making hypothetical plans... the brain suddenly starts making a lot of connections and while most of them are blind alleys, some actully make sense.

Donkey, just what I wanted and day justified

1. Donkey. Tanmoy gets a Happy Meal at MacDonalds, just so I can have the toy Donkey. Donkey creates a riot in office today (he now proudly occupies a place on my desk). with his 'Are we there yet?' when his tail is pulled! He's adorable...
2. In Mumbai, George goes all the way to Dharavi, after battling a huge traffic monster, and buys me a maroon (not red, he rues) wallet that I had requested him to get for me, since I was unable to find one I liked, here in Pune. He assures me, the notes won't get folded when I put them in it :-)... just like I wanted.. Thanks dude!
3. Sunsets. Just watching one makes a day worth living, and I want the next day to come fast, just so that it speeds by and it's time yet again for a sunset... I'm overwhelmed each day by the hither to unrevealed beauty that each evening's sky offers me...