He shares and shows his care…

We had an arranged marriage, and like all arranged marriages, life is a lot about adjusting with the stranger who suddenly becomes your world, his parents, his house, relatives etc. Once I moved to my in law’s house, my daily life revolved a lot around my mom in law. She was my mentor, ring master and agony aunt. Being the pampered tail of my family, I had never taken interest in family chores before marriage and my mom in law realized it soon…when the first time my mom in law hinted I help her with laundry; my first reaction was “what about my manicured hands and long nails?”

But I soon realized there was no escape from household chores. I could not live with the guilt of enjoying a sitcom while mom in law did the laundry alone. After all, with power came responsibility.  I could no longer trade household responsibilities for my manicured hands if I had to land up in the good books of my mom in law! And thus began my internship; I helped mom in law in the daily chores and being the wise and sweet mum, she too never rushed me into things.

However, there was one thing that hit me often. In a typical Indian male dominated society, household chores are a woman’s baby. Men turn a blind eye and limit their responsibilities to managing the finances. But hey, I was a working woman! Though I never discussed this with Mr. Hubby before marriage, I expected a hubby who would share the load in the house if I played the role of a housewife and a working woman. It irritated me when on a lazy Sunday, Mr. Hubby and Mr. father in law enjoyed the extended newspaper time while mom in law and I rushed to be with our washing machine and get over with the laundry, as other chores awaited us.

Last year, Mr. Hubby announced we were moving to Mumbai. Now, most wives jump at the thought of moving away from their in laws. However, I was in tears. I had always lived under the umbrellas of the moms – first my mom and then my mom in law. So, the thought of managing a house all by myself in a new city along with a new job got me into a panic mode!

Sadly, I had no other option. Within a month, we were in a city far away from my home. I joined work soon after, and weekends saw us mall hopping to shop for our new abode. I saw the laundry piling up, but the hectic schedule left me no time to take stock of the situation. Being his mom’s pampered son, Mr. Hubby wasn't considered as an option, till one morning, I was taken for a surprise.

It had been a real busy week at work for me. Every non urgent chore had been procrastinated for weekend, laundry being no exception. On Sunday morning, when Mr. Hubby woke me up with a cup of tea, I was taken for a surprise. My eyes quickly went from his smiling face to the wall clock. It was 9am! The water supply timing for the morning was till 9:30am and I had a bag full of laundry to be taken care of! Instead of complimenting his loving gesture, I jumped out of my bed and rushed towards the washing machine to make the best of the last 30 minutes. However, to my surprise, the laundry in the bag had already found its place in the machine and was almost done!

“Why did you do the laundry? I would have done it” I told Mr. Hubby. I was even more surprised when he replied, “When you can take extra load of responsibilities for me, why can’t I share your load? After all, house is our mutual responsibility! And with a fully automatic machine and the new Ariel, laundry is actually a child’s play!” I wanted someone to pinch me. Was I day dreaming? No I was not. Mr. Hubby had understood my agony and had decided to make it easier for me by sharing my load.

Happiness seems no bounds when our better half understands our silence and goes an extra mile to make us happy. Whether laundry or any other chore, each responsibility is ours, together. And in this togetherness resides true love and mutual understanding!

My happy heart now sings –

I know he loves me and cares

Each joy and sorrow he shares

We may not need words to explain

The hearts understand the joy and pain

It’s when we decide to share each other’s load

That the house becomes our happy abode!

I am writing for the #ShareTheLoad activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel.

Ariel is endeavouring to reduce the inequality in households when it comes to household chores by asking people to #ShareTheLoad proudly after highlighting the imbalance that exists in Indian families when it comes to housework.

Portfolio 2015 – The Future of Design, Fashion & Business

The last two decades have seen a sea change in the way India’s fashion industry operates. Earlier, fashion to us meant replicating the latest fads in the international market. However, over the years, India has not only developed its own industry but has also developed a strong foot front in the global fashion arena.

The credit for this transformation goes to various institutions which provided wings to the Indian dreams, and brought the best in global expertise to its students.

A pioneer in this field is Pearl Academy, India’s largest private institution in design, fashion and creative business.

Founded in 1993, the institute was earlier known as Pearl Academy of Fashion. PearlAcademy provides over 30 under graduate, post graduate and professional programs via four campuses in Delhi, Noida, Jaipur and Mumbai. Keeping in mind the need to be abreast with international trends, the institution has collaborations with global network of renowned institutions such as London College of Fashion, Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Domus Academy (Italy), and NABA (Milan).

The courses are broadly categorized under four schools –

• School of Fashion, Styling & Textiles
• School of Design
• School of Communication, Media & Film
• School of Creative Business

A few interesting facts about Pearl Academy –

•  Offers a unique combination of face to face and online learning
• Who’s Next – a full Scholarship for any BA (H) program that also offers an all-expense paid-trip to US to the 10 best upcoming talents in the creative field
• What’s next – a platform that brings together global masters in the design space to discuss the way ahead for the industry
• Famous designer Manish Malhotra is associated as a mentor for School of Fashion, Styling and Textiles (SFST)
• New courses are offered to keep in sync with the dynamic requirements of the industry. Some of the new courses are Fashion & Lifestyle E-Commerce (FLE), Indian Couture (IC), and Global Luxury Brands Management

Over the years, Pearl Academy has been the Alma Mater of many renowned names in the fashion industry, such as Manav Gangwani, Nikhil Mehra, Mandira Wirk, Abdul Halder, Vineet Bahl, Arpan Vohra, Priyanka Modi, Manish Gupta, Vaishalli Shadangule, Gaurang Shah, Sanya Dhir, Divyam Mehta etc.

Continuing its tradition of bringing together the best from industry and upcoming talent, Pearl Academy organises Portfolio, the annual graduating event. Students of graduating batches get a platform to prove their industry readiness.

Portfolio 2015, this year’s event too, will see graduating students showcasing their work in the form of exhibitions, presentations and fashion shows. 

Few highlights of Portfolio 2015 –

•  Manish Malhotra will be the chief guest for an exclusive fashion show on May 9^th. He will award the winners and interact with the alumni
• Launch of new courses - Jewellery Design and Product Design
• Design Immersion Workshops on Product Design, Jewellery Design, Communication Media & Film, Styling, Fashion Media Make-up, Textiles etc
• Panel discussion by School of Creative Business with industry representatives

Details of the event -

New Delhi:
Date: May 8-10, 2015
Venue:NSIC Exhibition Ground
Gate no. 4
Okhla, New Delhi

Jaipur:
Date: May 16,2015
Venue: Hotel Clarks, 
Jawaharlal Nehru Marg

So, whether you are a design professional, or a student aspiring to make a career in the fashion industry, Portfolio 2015 is the event for you. Come, and witness the future of design, fashion and business!

Do checkout the offical facebook page of the event at Pearl Academy Official. You can also follow them on twitter @PearlAcademyInd  

The cow that gorges on Cauliflower

On a trip to a Rajasthan village last year, I was surprised to see this cow happily munching Cauliflower! While we complain of veggie prices soaring high, this generosity by the farmer for his pet clearly shows how much things change between farms and retail shops.

And I always thought that fodder is a cow’s favourite meal!

Is weekend really all that fun?

Friday evening witnessed me in super excited mode…I looked elated like a kid whose parents are about to take her to Disneyland. But I am a simple girl with simple wishes; after a week of slogging at work, the idea of 2 days off to my lazy self was enough to bring a smile on my face. Hey, everybody feels that way, then why am I saying this on my blog?

Because fact is, weekend life too, like a coin has 2 sides…

Wanting to laze in my bed till 10 on a Saturday morning, I was engrossed in my dreams when the alarm spoiled my plans. “Uff, what’s this?” I grumbled in my sleep, when Mr. Hubby reminded me he had to go for a meeting today. Being a typical Indian wife, I wouldn’t have liked the idea of being in bed till 10 while Mr. Hubby got ready and moved about his own business. “Once I send him to work, I will catch up on my sleep!” I consoled myself and proceeded towards bed tea and newspaper.

Newspaper is always a cut short business on weekdays however; even today my eyes were on the wall clock. Soon, newspaper too, was added to the “do it later” list and I was off to the kitchen.

Once, Mr. Hubby had left for work, I realized sleep had vanished. Just when I held my beloved newspaper in my arms, mom in law rattled off her wish list, “Today we are free, let’s do x, y, z….” and gave me a long list from laundry to grocery shopping, dusting, etc. “But I am not free, I am busy! It’s my hard earned off and I need to laze around, chill, blog and just pamper myself!” Now, any mom in law would have frowned at this, but not mine. She simply smiled and reminded me of a word called “responsibility”. “Why can’t we live in a service apartment?” I rebelled like a cranky kid.

I wondered, was life all cool before marriage and responsibilities? Perhaps no, weekends were all about pedicures, manicures, hair spa, changing nail paint, planning wardrobe for the upcoming week etc etc.

Every weekend, we try to fight the pile of “to do” list for the “me time” and before we are nowhere close to satisfaction, the weekend winks and bids adieu, leaving us at the mercy of merciless weekdays. As if that’s not enough, there is a section of people, whose favourite habit is asking people on Monday mornings, “so what special did you do this weekend?” Now, one doesn’t go mall hopping, shopping or movie watching every weekend. I have seen people under such pressure to avoid being termed uncool that even if they have spent a quiet and relaxing weekend at home, they save themselves by saying, “we went out for family dinner to XYZ yoyo restaurant” even if I spotted them getting Dosa packed from the neighbourhood Dosa kiosk!

What then is the idea of a perfect weekend?

Perhaps it’s all about taking the day it comes. One may plan a bit in advance for more fulfillment however, if things take a different route, just sit back and enjoy the beauty of serendipity!

What say you?

 

Image Source - Google Images

The pretty girl in the short skirt…

Ram was the perfect Casanova. In a span of five years, he had changed seven jobs, all for his habit of falling prey to good looking women. He just couldn't resist getting into flings and things got worse every time when his multiple affairs affected his professional life. Monday morning was another interview at a multinational company for the post of marketing manager.

Ram was hoping to make it big here…not in terms of work but for some sparks to fly, for his friends had told him the office was full of pretty girls. Ram was hoping to get lucky!

Dressed his best, topped with a dash of the perfume that made his ex girlfriends drool, Ram reached the company headquarters. As he entered the elevator, he saw the only companion in his ride to the 21st floor – a pretty girl! Her short skirt and long hair immediately shortlisted her to Ram’s to do list and he took it as a good omen. Not wasting any time, he threw his pick up line, “you too here for the marketing manager interview?” She gave him one top to down look, gave a sweet smile and said, “I work here…you will see me more when you join our department…” Ram quickly bragged about his premier B school degree and the last premier organization he worked with, not leaving any chance to strike the perfect first impression.

The elevator doors opened, and as she was about to get out she stopped, turned back and said, “turn right from the reception and the first conference room is your destination. All the best! We shall meet again!” Ram’s heart went racing and within a span of 30 seconds, his imagination took him to great lengths. He quickly raced past the reception and landed himself at the Waiting room near the conference room as told by the girl.

Ram was pleasantly surprised by the crowd waiting with him, for they all seemed less experienced than him. He couldn't find one face more charming and confident than himself, and he was all set to make the killing. For the next 30 minutes in the Waiting room, he was lost in dreams of the pretty girl. He imagined how he could ask her out for dinner and charm her with his ways once he got the job. Just then, a voice interrupted his dreams, “fill this form”, the fat HR lady said. As Ram took the form, he sensed something was not right, the form mentioned the question, “Why do you feel you are suitable to work as sales executive with us”. Shocked, he immediately questioned the HR lady, only to be told this was the interview for the post of sales executive.

Ram’s heart skipped a beat. He realized that this time, he had fallen prey to false charms. He should have inquired at the reception before blindly following the girl’s instructions. As he rushed towards the reception, he saw the same pretty lady talking to the receptionist and leaving before he could reach and question her. He asked the receptionist, “where is the interview for the position of marketing manager?” The receptionist said, “Conference room no. 5 but the interview is already over.” Ram was irritated now, “How can the interview be over?” The receptionist said, “Sir, there were just two candidates called for the interview. The first one didn't arrive and so the second one was shortlisted. You saw that lady who just left? She was just selected.”

Ram could feel his heart beating fast. All his plans of making it happen were foiled by the same pretty face he had been dreaming about. The ugly side of beauty had taken him for a ride…

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

How ma found her Dil Ki Deal…

Life isn’t always about profit and loss

Sometimes mind listens & heart becomes the boss

Its when one thinks beyond self and cares for how others feel

That they truly strike the “Dil Ki Deal”

It is often believed that one who has money and power only can make a difference in someone else’s life. But an incident from my mom in law’s life taught me how a simple housewife decided to follow her heart and strike the perfect Dil ki deal.

In the old times when salaries never matched the mouths to be fed, monthly rent from a small house in West Delhi was a big help to Ma’s monthly budget. My father in law’s job demanded him to stay out of town, so it was ma’s responsibility to collect the monthly rent and manage the household budget.

It was Diwali time. Sweets, clothes, crackers, customary gifts…there was so much to be bought and ma knew all this went beyond her budget. Banking on the 10^th of the month when she was to receive the monthly rent, she decided to visit the tenants.

As ma rang the doorbell, the feeble frame of the tenant’s wife appeared at the door to usher her in. The tenants were a humble family of 5, a couple and their 3 kids. Ma knew of their not so good financial condition, but as she entered the house, she knew there was something wrong. Although it was Diwali time, the festivity was nowhere to be seen. The family wore a sad look on their faces. When ma inquired about the well being, the tenant’s wife told her that their youngest daughter had taken ill. All their savings had gone in the treatment and the treatment still required them to pump in more cash. “This Diwali has no meaning for us, for we can’t light up our own child’s life”, the tenant’s wife said, controlling her tears. Despite the turmoil in their lives, the tenants were an honest couple. “Behanji, that we are facing this crisis doesn’t mean we would hide away from our duty. Here’s the rent for this month”, the lady said as she handed over the 800 bucks to ma.

Speechless at their sincerity and the cruel game destiny was playing; ma left the house with a heavy heart.The neighbourhood kids were bursting crackers however; a thousand crackers burst inside ma’s heart and created the noise she couldn’t ignore. She could not erase the image of the family’s faces from her mind. For a humble housewife, the monthly rent meant a big help, yet her heart felt heavier with each step. Something in ma forced her to return…

The surprise was evident on the face of tenant’s wife as she opened the door. “What happened behanji, I counted the money and it’s the right amount. Hope all well….” The lady went speechless as ma held her hand and handed over the money back and said “The child needs the money more. Take the money and use it for her treatment. Its Diwali time, hope this small contribution does something to brighten up your child’s life.”The lady tried to offer the money back, but ma assured her she could repay when the child recovered.

As ma walked out, her heart was filled with satisfaction from the deal she had struck. She might not have been able to pamper her kids the way she wanted that Diwali, but she had listened to her heart and had struck the #DilKiDeal

 I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdealactivity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.

From separation to jubilation

The last few days saw a very irritable and dead side of me. As if life had become a boring pendulum that oscillated between office and home. The mind went on an auto mode with this mundane routine. I didnt feel any zing when I woke up in the morning and the day didn’t offer anything to look forward to. Evenings too, became a routine affair. While my colleagues would be happy, calling a day off and discussing their evening plans, I would simply sit back and immerse myself in work.

Perhaps, all this was to escape the horror of staying away from my passion – blogging. Once a blogger, nothing gives you more joy than sharing your views with others and nothing gives more pain than an inactive blog and dipping page views.

My laptop, which was my window to the world of blogging, gave in to senile decay. Often, in the middle of blogs, the laptop would heat up and black out, making me pull my hair in frustration. I tried to blog through the tab, but old habits die hard and my fingers yearned for the keyboard. Every day, I would read blogs by fellow bloggers and wish when I would strike back. I almost stopped looking at blogging contests and book review offers, for better to make commitments when one can fulfill them. Movies and outings no longer seemed enticing, for I could no longer blog about my experiences.  After few days, the helpless mind too, stopped buzzing with ideas.

While I didn’t cry or crib, for I knew our busy schedules, Mr. Hubby noticed the frustration in my silence and this weekend, decided to take things in his own stride. He took the laptop to the service center and the technician gave it a fresh lease of life. When he surprised me in the evening with the news, I was all elated like a lover reunited with his lost love!

This morning became so special…

I woke up to a hyperactive mind, buzzing with ideas. It didn’t even wait for me to finish the bed tea or catch up with newspaper. Finally, I had to jot down the ideas which would fuel my blog for the days to come. When I saw my blog after so many days, it welcomed me with open arms and surprisingly, there was increase in page views too. They say it is separation that makes us realize the value of something, and this separation has been tough for me. But, it feels so good to be back since I can share my feelings, views and experiences once again on my blog, and connect with the awesome friends blogging has gifted me!