A Pause button for a peaceful world!

It's been a while since I wrote anything for my Blog's theme - a soulful post. Reason - Many.
But the end result is I AM BLANK. Yes, that's how I am these days. Why? Because, I am confused looking at the changes I am going through. And I realize these are the changes every human being goes through.

The City Beautiful - Chandigarh

There are few places where the times spent call you over and over again, to re-live the experiences. I spent 3 years in one such place, a place where I spread my wings and soared in the sky literally. The city is Chandigarh - the city beautiful as the welcome plaque says.

A drive of Freedom

When he was 4 all he would do was to sit at the window side and gaze at the number of trucks standing in line outside his home. He would sit there for hours looking through his childish gaze at the different shades and models of the giant vehicles that were waiting to get the gunny bags unloaded and transferred to the huge storage building right opposite his house. 

Are you scared of learning.. to drive a car?

Img courtesy here

Lots of people have congratulated me on my post "What I actually learned while learning to drive on Indian roads" and few have come forward to email me to share their personal fears towards driving.

दर्द-ए-दिल

Img courtesy here

A gentle goodbye!!

Once again the night has come

to haunt me of what they tell

There is no one who walk with you

Not to heaven and nowhere to hell

Let's admire the Wildlife

"Look at it's skin. Isn't that magical and beautiful?", said Navpreet as I stood looking with a gaping mouth at her desktop in disgust. It had a wallpaper of a creepy looking Chameleon at full zoom. "This is ugly. Please change it to something actually beautiful." She shrugged and gave me a bewildered look, "Try to appreciate the beauty of nature, Roohi!" as I wondered what kind of species was my friend?

Why Car Seats For Kids Should Be Mandatory In India

This post have been published in slightly different version on The Huffington Post.

Just like many Indian couples, till now my daughter, now 2.5 yrs, would sit in my lap, as my husband would drive the car. And so, it was unusual for her to see Momma driving and her restlessness was disturbing to me.

Constant Learning: Day 3 of 3 Day Quote Challenge

Source here

Inception day 2- 3 Day Quote Challenge

Tolkien's quote - Day 1 of 3 day Quote Challenge

Pic courtesy here

The chains of your love..- FPFS2

Chains of your love- Done in Oil pastels

I want to break free,

Sometimes our deluded minds.. - FPFS 1

Delusion (Oil Pastels)

Sometimes we err, not because of intentions

                                     but our lack of attention.

Dying with dignity

My blogger friend Ravish had few days back asked in Indispire 

If you could plan your death, how would you plan it?

A lullaby for my daughter about #MyFirstExpert

Img courtesy here

#AtoZChallenge - Reflecting on completing the challenge

I don't consider myself as a Blogger as I have seen the real Bloggers out there and how passionate they are about Blogging. Compared to them I am just an amateur. Posting only occasionally, networking not as frequently and commenting even less frequently. I am not even a writer for a writer needs to be disciplined about his work and I am one of the most in-disciplined character in this Universe.

Secret Potion Of Happiness

I remember when I sipped 'ek botal' Vodka for the first and unfortunately last time :), my reaction for the whole night was uncontrollable laughs!

A lesson taught by a Teacher - #1000speak

This post also appeared on The Huffington Post

The first day at a nearby day care for Pihu, now 2.5, was a disaster. The teacher could not handle her crying as my daughter missed me, my number was not reachable and by the time I came to check on her, the clueless, dumb teacher shouted at her.

IS God some external entity?

I am a chicken when it comes to something that can hurt the body, even a small prick. Even after becoming a mother, I need someone by my side whenever I have to undergo a blood test. So going through the labour was a mammoth task for me!

A Successful Community Effort

This article also got featured in The Better India and The Huffington PostThe Huffington Post

The ladies in the picture by the side, appear to be kitty partying but they are doing far more serious work, a work which all of us might ignore but which makes a huge difference to the world we live in.
These are passionate women who are making a difference to the world we live in by actively doing their bit. They are the definition of the new-age women who apart from managing their households, families and even jobs are taking pains to make everyone in their community realize the importance of each one's participation to maintain a clean, healthy & sustainable environment. 

Discovering Vivanta

Welcome to Vivanta, my realm. I am Ruhaan, just an ordinary guy here but that doesn't stop me in introducing you to the amazing society we have here.

I pray for your well-being

Strange even when we are angry with people we love, we wish all is well at their end...

O my heart, please don't be sad
I know you are hurt, times are bad
Just don't lose hope, hang on with me
Together we can change our destiny

I belong to you, you to me - Short story

"Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike, each has their sufferings." - Buddha

For years I have lived envying the happiness of others. For years I have lamented over my fate. For years I have complained life is unfair to me. For years I have blamed others for all the bad things happening all around.  For years I have wanted a chance when I can prove I am superior. And one fine day I woke up to realize I have finally proved. Now the game was reversed - now others lamented while I rejoiced. I relished having it all.

Forward this post to at least 10 people

Few months back I was surprised to find a familiar but unexpected face sending me friend's request on my Facebook account. I should confess that more than surprised I was actually pleased to find the presence of my cook on the famous social networking site. He is a hard working guy from different part of the country migrated to Bangalore for regular income. We often advise him to take proper rest as he works in too many houses. But he needs money to send home! Where was the scope of anything else until the advent of cheaper and affordable smart phones? He asked us to order one for him online. And few days later after he got his new gadget he was on Facebook.

In a densely populated country like India where Per Capita Income is calculated around Rs 7,378/Month, owning a laptop is a luxury that only few percentage can afford. On top of that operating a laptop requires a basic understanding of computers and most importantly a relaxed life. With elementary education taking backseat in below poverty line's life, the former is impossible. And the relaxed life factor - well, you gotta be kidding! In our country we work like donkeys to make the ends meet.

So, I would say the invention of cheap smart mobiles is nothing short than a miracle to us. But we have more than the general reasons to celebrate Mobile social networking. Though in recent years, it has helped Indians to express themselves more candidly, handle their social as well as personal issues more maturely, given them voices to fight against issues, given them international exposure that has  broadened their mindset and perspectives, and above all given everybody an alternate source of entertainment. Still, there is another far greater effect of mobile social networking.

You see we used to make everyone around us uneasy with our poking gaze and brazen manners. We

img courtesy www.oshoworld.com

have this birth right of trespassing into the personal life of others. I used to get irritated when while waiting for a train at station, or my turn at a bank or traveling in metro, people waiting idly would just scan me from top to bottom and stare at me unabashedly. Only few would engage in static activities like reading or listening music using headphones. The national past-time was gawking. Men would stare for obvious reasons but even women were not left behind. Staring and making a mental note and comments about others lifestyle, would make anyone uncomfortable. I am sure all of us have been in such situation and unknowingly all of us have been doing the exact same thing. Sprouting from this seed of boredom was our impatient attitude that would drive us in breaking queues, getting into ugly scenes for space in a packed bus or trains and letting our creative streaks erupt as ugly graffiti at improper places.

But recently these things have begun to change. No more people are sitting idle and gaping at each

img courtesy www.firstpost.com

other. With minds happily engaged in browsing through tweets, checking that little red icon in FB profile, or whatsapp an interesting PJ to old college friends, we have become tolerant while on move. We are no longer concerned if the lady sitting beside is wearing a saree or jeans, or if the swarm  outside passport office is swelling or if we are hanging on that pole in the overcrowded bus for more than an hour. We are no longer a nation of bored housewives who would sit before television cutting veggies or tired husbands whose world only revolves around work or family. We are no longer a nation of retired old men who sit idly counting hours in a day or MILs whose only goal is to exercise control on their DILs. Our ladies and men are now socialites, multi-talented, strong opinionated and confident lot. Because we are lot more connected anytime, anywhere. We take absolutely no worries and it looks like finally we are arriving to become a nation of cool people. 

After all, forwarding the forwarded message is the forward thing to do in these forward times.


P.S.: जल्दी फॉरवर्ड करो, मार्केट में नया आया है :D


"I am participating in the #SMWBangalore activity at BlogAdda in association with Social Media Week Bangalore"

To become a Lotus

Disagreements are part of life and anyone can end up in the middle of a heated conflict no matter how polite or political or understanding one is.

Of Feelings and Mankind - Short Story

- written by Piyush Bhatnagar

Once upon a time the earth 
really was a nice place. 

img courtesy http://www.kenlauher.com

Before the life forms we see today, it was occupied by energy forms, what we come to know now as feelings. So Happiness, Joy, Contentment, Wonder, Amazement - all the feelings we know of - used to occupy the realm of the ancient earth.