The explosion of freshness

There is a very famous saying –

Live like there’s no tomorrow,

Dance like no one’s watching!

In the daily rut of life, we often get into the auto mode. Life goes on but we just don’t feel the zing. Mornings signal the beginning of yet another round of routine activities and once we are back home, evenings remind us of yet another day spent just like that. Even if everything goes well without any deviation from the routine, gradually it takes away the freshness from our lives and dullness sets in.

Music has the power to heal the worst of the pains. It transforms us into a different world altogether, taking away the dullness and infusing freshness.

There are days on which I too get bogged down by the pendulum life between work and home. On such days music is my saviour. A good shower followed by a cup of cardamom tea and good music gets me into the grove. A couple of peppy numbers later, the elated me just lets myself free and I dance like no one’s watching; just like childhood when I would play my favourite tracks and dance for hours. After a good singing and dancing session, I am totally energized. The same boring day feels so beautiful, for music helps us listen to our inner voice and spend some quality “me” time.

I recently came across the “Taazgi Ka Dhamaka” video featuring Allu Arjun and Anushka Manchanda. Directed by the famous Pradeep Sarkar, the video truly is a dhamaka or explosion of freshness. The lovely Anushka brings a doze of freshness in an otherwise boring marriage. Good music is infectious. Soon, Allu too is forced to jump out of bed. After a quick doze of freshness with Colgate Max Fresh, Allu is all awake and ready to join the fun!

The choreography is natural, and watching the video I couldn’t help but appreciate these steps that so much relate to me when I too get in my groove...

While this step is not really what I would do, it reminds me of guys dancing uninhibited in weddings…when the sound of excitement in their hearts is more than a thousand musical instruments!

Now this is a must do step when you are dancing like no one’s watching. The bride sheds her inhibitions and joins in the celebrations.

The typical yo yo rapper step, I love the confidence and attitude Anushka displays here. Wear your attitude is the feel…

And sometimes, it’s good to break the rules and do a round of break dance! Just like Allu gets the whole crowd cheering with his cool moves!

And in true Rajani style, Allu flicks the taazgi ka dhamaka!

So, if you too are looking for a dose of freshness in your life, get your dancing shoes on!

The blog post should contain the mandatory code “I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity atBlogAdda in association with Colgate MaxFresh. Watch the Taazgi Ka Dhamaal video and enjoy the fresh moves!

Motherhood - the journey begins…

I am a fortnight old mom today. Yeah…few days back, I was blessed with a little prince charming (who is yet to be named) and life changed the very moment.  

The nine months seemed like a long, long time and transformed me into a test tube with various chemical and hormonal changes happening all the time. Towards the 9^th month, my irritation reached its heights and I often told Mr. Hubby, “It feels like I have been pregnant for years!” The calm and patient guy he is, he would be his pacifying best as he replied, “It’s a phase and a tapasya and this too shall pass.” I would roll my eyes and wonder that it’s easier said and done and secretly wished fathers should be made to carry the child atleast 2 out of the nine month gestation.

I also realised it wasn’t just Mr. Hubby, but many male colleagues at work as well, who needed to go through the experience. While some of them were pleasantly supportive, others just asked dumb questions which aggravated my already oscillating mood swings. For instance, one colleague, despite being married and having a kid would always ask me, which is the date when you GO, despite me explaining several times that there was a tentative date however, the stork could come calling anytime. Finally, when he paid no heed to my explanation, one day I had to ask him shamelessly whether his wife delivered on a pre decided date or whether it just happened. Seeing his reaction, I felt I should have asked that question much before. Then, there were others who would ask me how I felt. Now how was I supposed to feel and how could I make a guy understand that! Pat came my reply, “if you tie a 2kg stone around your tummy you will exactly feel the way I feel!”

Every sleepless night with the little one also makes me feel if there is something that can prepare you for motherhood, it’s just being open to change. Throughout my pregnancy I was reading articles on pregnancy and parenting. A prenatal camp also gave me insights into the pre and post childbirth life. Having armed myself with an arsenal of information, I was super confident about managing the baby as I marched into the hospital. However, the confident fizzed out the moment I saw the baby. Lying on the operation table, with half of my body subjected to anaesthesia and scissors, the moment they showed me the baby, the emotions were a mix of joy and responsibility. The baby was crying his lungs out, as if telling me, “Get out of Operation Theatre fast. You had to be on a 6 hour fasting for the operation, not me. I am hungry!!!”  The doctors were all sympathy for the baby as they told me the baby was hungry and need to be fed. But hullow! They were yet to complete the stitches. Moral of the story – service before self!

All the gyaan I had acquired from internet and pregnancy camp seemed useless when I was bed ridden for good day and a half after the delivery. The mother should hug and feed the baby the moment he is born, I was told. But leave apart holding the baby, the C section left me confined me in a position on the hospital bed and all I could do was helplessly stare at the little one as my mom in law fed him formula milk. Lesson learnt – nothing can prepare you for motherhood than motherhood itself.

And yes, there were some pleasant surprises too! Having spoken to many friends about their experiences, I knew delivering a baby and the hospitalization phase wouldn’t be a cakewalk. However, all the pain was forgotten as the little one made his presence felt. For a moment, the operation theatre no longer felt like a dreaded place and I had tears of joy in my eyes as I kissed the little one on his forehead.

The little one also proved to be a motivation like nothing else. The next day post surgery, when the docs came to mobilise me, the intolerable pain made me cry. But I did manage the walk from my bed to the baby, for I was dying to take my little one in my arms!

After school and college, motherhood is another school that’s teaching me valuable lessons about life and relationships. With the baby, I too am evolving each day as a mom and I count my blessings.

Welcome to my blog where I intend to share my experiences with motherhood. From my journey during pregnancy to my experiences with the little one, there is a lot I have to tell. Keep watching this space for more and feel free to share some of your tips and experiences!

How AmbiPur got back my smile

It has been a year since we moved in to Mumbai. While all my friends were excited for me, I was full of anxiety. The reason being, the met department had predicted arrival of monsoons a week after we landed.

Now we all have heard about the famous Mumbai monsoons that operate at their own whims and fancies. Since the predicted day was a week away, I was optimistic I would do the basic set up in the house by then. However, if everything goes as planned, we wouldn’t crib so much about games destiny plays. Monsoons decided to knock on the door before our Packers and movers and I was as frightened as a student who lands up at the exam hall without the admit card!

Nevertheless, we did the basic set up once the stuff arrived. Just when I thought things weren’t as bad as I thought, another ugly side of monsoons surprised me. There were strange smells in the house. My cupboard smelt of dampness with my black clothes decorated by white mildew; the trash in the dustbin made its presence felt each morning; the shoe rack shouted of Mr. Hubby’s smelly socks; the laundry bag too troubled me with the smell of damp clothes. Like all hubbies, Mr. Hubby too throws his damp towel on the bed and one day it got me so agitated that I rudely ask him to dump the towel on his side of the bed, for the bed too had that characteristic damp smell!

Since we were living away from our families, we looked forward to romantic evenings and lazy weekends. However, the olfactory torture was eating away our patience and spoiling our “Us” time. Instead of spending romantic moments, we woke up each day to the frustration of non stop rains and unpleasant smells floating into our house and often ended up venting out our frustration at each other.

Anger isn’t the solution to all problems, I soon realised and something had to be done to get rid of the smelly torture. And thus began my R&D – incense sticks, flowers, scented candles – I tried them all. However, they would give us temporary relief and the smells would return to haunt us. Frustrated I was almost losing my patience till I discovered AmbiPur at the local hypermarket one day. Expecting nothing more than another room freshener, I picked up a bottle however, the bottle read, “Ambi Pur Air Effects doesn’t just cover odours, it completely removes them!” Now here was the catch and I decided to give it a try.

Like a child with a new toy, I followed the instructions and used AmbiPur Air effects on all the affected areas. There was still time for Mr. Hubby to return from office. I thought the smell would return by then and proceeded to the kitchen thinking I would use AmbiPur again before Mr. Hubby arrived. However, I got engrossed in my cooking and by the time the doorbell rang, I had completely forgotten about another dose of Ambi Pur.

As Mr. Hubby entered the house, he was pleasantly surprised, “Wow! The house smells lovely today! Have you tried some new incense sticks?” He asked.

“No No incense wouldn’t have lasted that long…it’s the new AmbiPur Air effects.” And I explained to him how Ambi Pur Air Effects doesn’t just cover odours, it completely removes them. We both enjoyed a lovely romantic dinner at home that day. The smells were nowhere to play the spoilsport, thanks to AmbiPur.

AmbiPur has become a permanent feature of our house now. As I gear up for another round of Mumbai monsoons, I know there’s no need to worry about the smells, for thanks to AmbiPur…I am all smiles!

 I am blogging for #SmellyToSmiley activity atBlogAdda.com in association with Ambi Pur and BlogAdda

There are several ways of making your home odour free. Flowers, incense sticks etc. However, we all know all of these options just last for a short time until you and your guests can pick up that horrid scent again. Ambi Pur Air Effects versus Regular Aerosols does not just help by covering the odours it helps remove them completely!

The Magic of Yoga

This morning, there was a strange air of enthusiasm at my place. Mr. Hubby & my MIL, who usually are glued to the newspaper and tea were up quite early and switched on the TV to witness International Yoga Day celebrations live from Rajpath. India has long been famous as the land of yoga. However, an initiative by our country being accepted worldwide has given us Indians another reason to feel proud. As Rajpath became Yogpath, the whole world witnessed the magical qualities Yoga has to offer.

My association with Yoga goes back to childhood. Fortunately, my father has been practising Yoga actively years before I was born. As a small kid, I remember waking up to witness Papa practising Yoga asanas in the garden. I would stand behind him, with eyes wide open as if witnessing a miracle and hoping if I too could join in. As I grew up, Papa would often make me do light Yoga during my holidays and weekends. More than a fitness regime, Yoga would be time for me to bond over with Papa and he would patiently explain me each asana, correct me whenever I went wrong and tell me stories of his experiences with Yoga to inspire me.

However, despite papa’s attempts, I was never able to be as active as him with my Yoga. Summer, winters or monsoons, Papa would never miss his 30 minutes of Yoga. Even if he had a morning train to catch, he would ensure to wake up early and finish his round of asanas, a habit he follows till date. I, on the other hand have always been ready with my excuses – early morning school, winters, summers, rains, exams, late night studies, I would always have an excuse. Papa always tells me once you become regular with Yoga, the body itself demands the daily dose just like food and water and one just gets addicted to it.

The one asana that always had me impressed was Sirsana. I used to see Papa stand on his head in the perfect Sirsana and wonder how he did it. Later I realised it wasn’t just me who was impressed. See this scene from the movie “Coolie” where Amitabh Bachchan tries his hand at Sirsana. My elder sister, a big fan of Mr. Bachchan was so inspired after seeing that movie that she challenged herself to do the perfect Sirsana and managed to perfect it within 3 days! I too managed to do it but only with the support of a wall. While I always saw it as a cool asana, later I learnt it is highly beneficial for increasing blood flow to brain, improving memory etc.

I became genuinely serious about Yoga after we moved to Mumbai. With our Sunday walks at Lodi Garden gone, we were looking forward to some healthy option. It was then that we discovered weekend Yoga classes near our place. I felt like the happy child in a playschool every time we went for these classes. We would look forward to learning new asanas in each class and then practise them at home. There were however, 2 things for which I loved my Yoga classes – the laughter sessions and the Yoga Nidra. Initially hesitant with the laughter sessions, I soon discovered their magical power of de stressing. Similarly, Yoga Nidra took us to levels of relaxation like nothing else. I soon saw myself practising Yoga Nidra whenever I had trouble sleeping or carried office stress home.

Recently I discovered another facet of Yoga. As an expecting mother, I joined a prenatal Yoga Camp and was pleasantly surprised how Pranayams and asanas can relax us during the later phase of pregnancy. Each time my mind gets into the worrying mode, I follow the Pranayam and breathing techniques I have learnt at the classes and am de stressed within minutes.

Yoga has become an inseparable part of my life now. Like every expecting mother, I too wonder how I will get back in shape post delivery. But, having read the success stories of many Bollywood stars who got back in shape post delivery purely basis yoga, I am inspired and confident I too shall be able to make it back in shape. I am looking forward to my Yoga classes with Mr. Hubby again and hope someday I am able to inculcate the habit of Yoga into my children the way my father has…

Wish you all a very happy Yoga Day!

#InternationalDayofYoga

Book review – Mandate: Will Of The People

Author – Vir Sanghvi

Publisher – Westland Ltd

Genre – Non Fiction/Politics

Pages – 137

Price – Rs.195

Sneak from the cover

This is the first easy to read book about recent Indian political history. Pegged on the general elections that shaped today’s India, Mandate: Will Of The People tells the story of Indian politics in a gripping, page turning style.

The Cover

Simple, non nonsense cover shows a serious Vir in an expression that is synonymous with the title – The Will Of people. Having seen his umpteen discussions on TV, one wonders what Vir has to offer in a book that is beyond the panel discussions and shows we are so used to.

My View

I am a carefree reader who generally avoids books on politics; the primary reason being the biased approach most authors reflect. Every time a political/non political person writes about politics, it reflects his opinionated views on the topic rather than the true picture. The same goes for many news channels. Facts are often manoeuvred and tweaked. Hence, when I was offered to review a book which claims to be an easy read about the story of recent Indian history, I was kinda intrigued; how could someone claim to capture the saga of Indian politics from the 70s to millennium in just 137 pages? Since the mere 137 pages was a motivation enough to satiate my curiosity, I immediately got my reading glasses on the moment the book was delivered. When I read Vir talking about his irritation towards easy panel journalism, I got my first positive sign that this book is for me!

Often, things which we least expect from give us unexpectedly good returns. The same holds true for this book. What started off as a mere curiosity killing activity turned out to be an eye opener for me. During my formative years in the 90s, I had heard of many events that shaped the Indian political framework. However, as a kid back then, I could hardly understand their relevance. As the events unfolded year by year in the book, I could relate to the discussions I overheard as a kid between the elders back then. Am sure many of us who were under 30 in the 90s would echo the same sentiments once they read this book.

Mandate is simply a tale of Indian politics from 1970s to the early 2000s, sans views, opinions or unnecessary gyaan about its impact. And that’s the very beauty of this book. It’s a ready key to knowing the people, events and forces that contributed to the creation of the country we live in today.

Since the book isn’t verbose or boring, it’s served best when enjoyed at a leisurely pace. As one progresses chapter by chapter, one comes across some very surprising facts about Indian politics that most of our generation wouldn’t have much idea about. Be it the advent of Indira Gandhi into politics; the similarity between the sweeping victory of Indira Gandhi and the 2014 win of Arvind Kejriwal; how the emergency that we have heard so much from our parents toppled the then government; the 1984 chapter of Punjab, the bloody memory of which is still afresh in many Sikh families; the tussle between Wadias & Ambani; the saga of the cruel Mandal commission that saw many students sacrificing themselves to ashes; how VP Singh made things from bad to worse; the Vajpayee tenure that showed a new ray of hope to the citizens looking for a wave of change – the book captures it all.

A must read, for you wouldn’t find another crispier way to know about the people and events that painted the canvas of Indian politics, as we know it today!

What I loved about the book

·         Unbiased facts and just the facts

·         The events have been carefully worded chronologically, divided into chapters that make it easier to understand the story of Indian politics

·         Vir has often given references to his interviews with people which make the book an interesting read

·         I am honestly impressed how Vir has beautifully and effortlessly put together all the relevant instances in just 137 pages

What could have been better

·    Call it an editing error or some confusion, I was zapped when I reached page 87 which spoke about Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure. The page read, “The Rajiv Gandhi who toured India tirelessly during that campaign bore little resemblance to the haughty and embattled Prime Minister of 1998-99. This Rajiv was relaxed, unfussy, willing to mingle with crowds….” Now, we all know what happened that unfateful day in 1991 to Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur. Then who was being referred to in the reference to 1998-99?

My rating

4/5

About the Author

Vir Sanghvi is probably the best known Indian journalist of his generation. He became editor of Bombay magazine at 22, making him the youngest editor in the history of Indian journalism. His television career has included several award winning shows on Star TV network, NDTV and other channels. He has a parallel career as India’s leading food and travel writer and TV presenter. 

This is review for Writers Melon. The views expressed are my own and under no influence.

My mom, the Expert

Like a candle, for her loved ones she burns,

The light on happy faces she earns

For herself, she will settle for less,

But for her children, she will grab the best

As the newborn comes in her lap,

She gives the first lesson of affection

Holding her child’s finger, she teaches her to walk,

She will forego her much desired dress and buy the child her favorite frock

Child’s exams are her own, & she happily burns the midnight oil,

And when the moment of triumph comes, she knows it was worth the toil

With dreams of her happy children in eyes,

She gives in selflessly as time flies

No matter how many applauds celebrate your success,

The credit goes to that first expert who shaped your life to finesse.

As I prepare myself for motherhood, I am reminded of a famous saying, “With power comes responsibility.” With motherhood, God gifts a woman the power to bring a new life and shape it to face the world. As a mother, one aspires to do the best for her children, so the power to shape the little one’s life also brings the responsibility of doing it the right way.

“Will I be able to do even an inch of what mom did for me?” I often ask myself, as goose bumps make their presence felt.  She was and always will be my ultimate expert – the one and only who taught me the way my life should be.

Thinking of qualities of an ideal mom, the benchmark always will be my mom, who managed everything so perfectly; I am often reminded of the great values she inculcated almost effortlessly in us, values that go a long way in making us better human beings –

Compassion

To love our family is one thing, but compassion for society was something my mother devoted her life to. A doctor, she would treat poor patients for free, even sponsoring their medicines. As a kid, I would often be irritated with her penchant to embrace anybody anytime in trouble. But, if I feel my responsibilities as a citizen of this country, its due to the expert mentor-ship of my mom.

Me v/s my best

While most parents burden their children with unnecessary comparison with their peers, my mom was always clear in her definition of competition – it was always Me v/s My best; for it always ensured I raised the benchmark and strived for the best. It always helped me focus on my abilities and weed out unnecessary trivial rivalries.

Hope against hope

Life is not always a series of hits, but a winner is the one who carries the torch of optimism. The best value mom taught me, optimism always saved me from the whirlpool of frustration in tough times. No matter how big would be the disappointment, mom would always tell me, “To an optimist, the glass is always half full.”

Honesty

Mom would often say, “The one who is honest with self is the one who can be honest with others.” All my formative years, my struggle was never burdened with the pressure of doing something to please my parents; rather it was always about finding and following my own path and learning from my instincts. In tough times, when I felt it all crumbling down, her guiding light ensured I never deviated from the right path.

To every child, her mom is the fairy God Mother. But for me, my mom was my mentor, friend and savior who would read the unspoken me and always ensured perfection in whatever she gave me. The epitome of perfection, my mom will always inspire me to be an expert mother to my kids. Even if I am able to be an iota of a mom that she was, perhaps years later my kids would reflect the same perfection she passed on to me.

I am participating in the My First Expert contest by Godrej Expert & Indiblogger.

Book review – My Clingy Girlfriend

Author – Madhuri Banerjee

Publisher – Westland Ltd

Genre – Fiction

Pages – 249

Price – Rs.295

Sneak from the cover

Bestselling author Madhuri Banerjee brings to you an uproaringly howl-arious account of a simple Bengali boy in Mumbai who copes, mopes and hopes to find logic and reasoning with his clingy girlfriend. Its writing she’s never done before.

The Cover

The first sign of a clingy girlfriend finds its way on the cover – a mobile screen showing 43 missed calls. Even before I began to read the book, I was filled with sympathy for the poor boyfriend. How would a guy cope up with a girlfriend who pesters him all the time with her demands and tantrums?

A book penned by a lady from the view point of a guy? Now that’s not something usual that you spot on the bookshelves. I was all eager to know how effective was this portrayal…

My View

Someone has rightly said relationships are like butterflies, hold them tight and they suffocate to death; but give them space and see the beauty of their colours.

My Clingy girlfriend is a funny sad tale of a Bengali boy who is stuck between an over possessive girlfriend and his desires. Obrokranti Banerjee leaves the cocoon of his big family in Kolkata and come to Mumbai to make it large. He gets everything that a cool city dude has – a good job, friends to hang around with and even a girlfriend. But, soon he realizes that merely having them all doesn't guarantee happiness. There is dirty politics in the air in his so called promising job; his friends are mere hang out buddies and his girlfriend is just an albatross around his neck.

Few pages further, I realized Obro deserved what he got, for he wanted a girl in his life just to satisfy his physical needs. In a rush to send a triumphant message to his Casanova cousin back home, Obro hurriedly got involved with the first girl who came his way. Soon he figures out Radha is the biggest mistake of his life, for she hijacks every other aspect of Obro’s life. The next 100 odd pages had me in splits, reading about the cat and mouse relationship between Obro and his girlfriend. Obro makes his best attempt to escape the clutches of his clingy girlfriend however, the more he tries, the tighter the knot gets. After all, who would like a girlfriend who calls him 40 times a day, interferes in his decisions, forces herself into his boys’ night, doesn't let him visit his hometown? Ironically, Obro bears it all, for the pleasure of physical intimacy.

Soon, the feminist in me was all filled up with hatred for Obro due to his cheap approach. On one hand, he wanted to get rid of his clingy girlfriend and on the other hand, he leaves no chance to get close to her. I was even angry on Radha for being such a doormat. Perhaps, she too was one of those girls who love being a parasite on their men and choose to take it easy in life. Everytime Obro tells her she is a burden on him, she too gives it back citing all the household work she manages for him. Tit for tat, and what a perfect match of two imperfect, silly people, I wondered. But, then that’s the beauty of writing…Madhuri gets us involved in the story and I smiled in her appreciation as I realized it.

Something else too tickled my funny bones. While Mr. Obro himself has a hard time managing his girlfriend, he leaves no chance to drop in his silly pieces of advice – 5 ways to get your girlfriend to have sex, 5 ways to get out of discussing marriage, 5 tips to ask a woman out, Five ways to get out of work, 5 ways to win a woman over and make it look easy, ten facts about men that men don’t know (ahem!) You might wonder, if Obro has so many bright ideas, why is his own life in a total mess?

Does Obro finally manage to get rid of his clingy girlfriend? Well, yes he does and it was surprisingly easier than he thought. How? Well, go grab the book and find out. No matter how much you might hate Obro, you will definitely enjoy and laugh your way through the book!

What I loved about the book

·         The author knows how to strike the instant connection with readers.

·         The language is simple and no unnecessary drags

What could have been better

·         There are frequent references to how Bong boys are. One enjoys initially but after a while they get irritating

·         I was expecting more drama in the ending but then the author didn’t want to drag further without anything new to offer.

My rating

2.5/5

About the Author

Madhuri Banerjee is the bestselling author of five novels. She is also the writer of Bollywood film, Hate Story 2. She has a blog on CNN IBN called Chastity Belt. She has her own production house and is an ad film director. She was a columnist with the Asian Age for two years and currently has a column in Maxim magazine. She has also won a National Award for her documentary on women’s issues called Between Dualites. Curently she is the face of Revlon as their Relationship Expert.

This is review for Writers Melon. The views expressed are my own and under no influence.