Basant Panchmi & School Memories

Like all new moms, I too have lost track of how days become weeks, and weeks months. When a festival is around the corner, my elder sister or my MIL act as reminders, suggesting the bare minimum rituals I should follow.

This morning, as sonny boy and I went to the park for our daily dose of Vitamin D, I was delighted to see a burst of yellow. Women dressed in yellow, yellow flowers shouting to be picked up at flowers, the familiar freshness in the air and Pandal with Ma Saraswati idol in the colony school – I didn’t take a moment to realize Basant Panchmi – Saraswati Puja is here!

While my family doesn’t practice any ritual as such, apart from wearing yellow and preparing sweet yellow pulav, Basant Panchmi occupies a very special place in my heart. Having spent 12 years in a Bengali dominated school; the festival has been a special occasion each year. After all, this was the only day in the year when we could wear the dress of our choice to school instead of the boring uniform! Unlike most kids who save the best dress for birthdays, girls in my school dressed their best on Basant Panchmi. The three day long celebrations provided us the much awaited break from classes, freedom to dress up as we liked, lot of fun, amazing Bengali sweets and bhog, and much needed blessings from Ma Saraswati before the final exams would haunt us!

A Day Before

A day before the festival, all eyes would be trained towards the school gate as we waited for Ma Saraswati idol to arrive. The moment we saw the tempo, we would leave everything and rush to the foyer. The entire school echoed with “Bolo bolo Saraswati Mai ki Jai” as we welcomed the goddess with flowers, songs and impromptu dance!

The festival

For us, this was the day of freedom, fun and festivities! Our usually over protective parents gave us the luxury of giving the school bus a miss. Instead, we girls took our sweet time to dress up our best and arrived at the school on our own, in groups. The security situation wasn’t as sorry as present, so the authorities let open the gates of the senior wings and one could enter and leave school premises at our own wish. For teenagers of a girl’s school, this was nothing short of living the college dream once a year! The senior girls would seize the opportunity to flaunt the best sarees and imitation jewellery, even as the eyes of senior teachers scrutinized the depth of their blouses! Best part would be the Pushpanjali time, when each one of us would pray to Ma for good marks and a bright career! Sounds of “Bolo bolo Saraswati Mai ki Jai” would fill the ramparts as those who waited for their turn took to dancing and singing! Wish we had mobile phones with cameras back then! The alumni also took this occasion to take blessings from Ma and thank teachers for shaping up their careers so well.

Morning gave way to the noon in no time and the aroma from the makeshift kitchen in the classroom signalled that the Bhog was ready. Our teachers displayed their culinary skills as they pampered us with the most delicious Bhog – the traditional Khichuri! After Bhog, we would dash to grab our boxes of Prasad which contained an assortment of the best Bengali sweets one could think of! 

Awwww! I miss my school!

As we progressed to senior classes, the later part of the noon became hangout time with friends at Connaught Place before we returned home.

Visarjan

This was a moment that came heavy on our hearts as the thoughts of Ma parting left us teary eyed. Moments after the tempo left the school premises, taking Ma away, we would keep looking at the gate with gloom. Then the teachers would lovingly ask us to return to our classes and be good students till Ma returned next year.

More than a decade after leaving school and more than a thousand kilometres away from school now, I still feel the fragrance of flowers and incense sticks afresh in my mind. As I recall those wonder years, I pray Ma Saraswati for blessing my little one with knowledge and creativity the way she has been generous to me.

To, the Goddess, the mother, and the power – Bolo bolo Saraswati mai ki Jai !!!

Sharing few pics of my visit to the Alma mater few years ago 

My Alma Mater

The Decor

Ma Saraswati

The lovely rangoli

Flowers in full bloom

Friends

Friends

The funny case of the LOVE-ly email

Ours was an arranged marriage. Unlike majority of my friends who boasted of love marriages, their “I Do” stories and lot of PDA (Public display of affection), mine was a rather shy affair. The only aspect I could boast of was that unlike poles attract, for we were poles apart yet we felt the sparks enough to say yes after just half an hour of meeting! Like most arranged Big Fat Indian weddings of our times, our “I Do” was a rather shy moment in front of our families. As for PDA, well before we could even break the ice, we were married, almost like a miracle!

So here we were, a newly married couple, trying our level best to know each other and bridge the gap between those unlike poles. As a new bride, I was in the “impress your hubby” mode, whether by whipping up lip smacking meals, dressing to kill, or charming him by my creative attributes.

One morning, sitting on my desk and sipping on my morning cuppa, my mind threw an amazing idea of impressing my cute, lovely and shy hubby. I used to send a Good Morning mail with an inspiring thought to my team, few friends, boss and super boss every morning. As I was drafting the Good morning mail that day, I thought, “Why not add HIM to the mailing list?” I knew he was the intellectual types. So, with all good intentions of impressing my hubby and starting his day on a beautiful note, I marked him too in the mail and hit the “Send” button.

Within seconds, I started receiving the usual replies of appreciation and Good morning wishes from my colleagues. But my eyes were desperately looking for this one name in my inbox, while my fingers promptly kept hitting the refresh button. “Would he have liked it, or thought it as yet another forward mail in his inbox?” I was curious to know the reaction.

My wait was short lived, for after few minutes, my eyes finally spotted what they had been looking for. It was a reply from him. He had loved the mail and replied, “Loved it baby, just like your cozy cuddle this morning!”

But, before I could even recover from recalling that morning “moment” we had, I was disturbed by a “Hmmm…cozy cuddle” from the next workstation! I was awakened with a start. Was someone peeping into my PC? No.

A moment later, my eyes went wide with shock looking at the mail, as if they had witnessed the sun rising from the west!

My loving hubby, impressed by my gesture didn’t waste much time in seizing this moment of praising his wife. However, it so happened that in a hurry to shower his love, he selected “Reply All” option instead of “Reply”

The rest, as you can all guess is indeed a memorable moment of my life!

His debut attempt at PDA was read by my friends, team, my boss and to my horror, even my super boss! As I saw my friends share naughty smiles and girls say “Aww, so romantic”, I felt like forcing my tomato red face into the PC screen. A moment later, my mobile flashed with his number. The poor thing had realized his mistake and apparently tried to recall the mail. But the arrow had already left the bow!

After a moment of silence on both the sides, suddenly both of us shared a laugh!

He - It just happened, I swear!

Me -Yeah, I could make that out

He – They must be teasing you na!

Me – Hmmmm (Going super conscious with all eyes on me)…they find it too romantic (almost whispering)!

He – But I loved it!

Me – What? (Whispering, with my face going cherry red by now)

He – Your morning cuddle, and oh, uh, the morning thought as well!

Me – Well, what was the thought by the way?

He – Ummmmmm

And we both burst out laughing!

The ice was melting faster than we had expected. A true soulmate is the one with whom we can share a good laugh, I had heard. This funny PDA moment proved it as well!

“This post is a part of #LoveAndLaughter activity at BlogAdda in association with Caratlane.”

Movie – Albela (1951)

Genre – Musical, Comdey

Director – Bhagwan Dada

Duration – 158 minutes

Cast – Geeta Bali, Bhagwan Dada

Music – C. Ramchandra

Written By – Bhagwan Dada

My View

As I write this review, Mr. Hubby gives me a mocking smile. Often my liking for old forgotten Hindi movies earn me the title of an alien from the old generation. But I really wanted to write about this one, and by the end of this post you shall know why.

I discovered this movie few days ago as I was discussing the good old times with Papa when mom used to sing me this lullaby.

Papa was quick to insight me that the same movie also has many famous songs including one of my favourites, Shola Jo Bhadke

This was enough enticement for the movie buff in me and so I decided to watch this movie the same night.

Like all old movies, this one too talks of dreams and aspirations among poverty. Pyarelal (Bhagwan Dada) who lives in a small rented house with his family, eats, sleeps and drinks theatre. So much is his passion for theatre that he even daydreams in his office and gets sacked for lack of seriousness at work. Those were the times when acting and creative pursuits weren’t looked high upon. As expected, he gets thrashed by his father for being a burden on his family. His only pillar of support is his younger sister Bimla who believes in his dreams and encourages him to follow his instinct. But have dreams ever helped counter poverty and hunger? 

Circumstances force Pyarelal to leave the house, leaving a crying mother blessing him success.

The big bad world of showbiz treats Pyarelal like any other struggler is treated – with rejection and disrespect. However, destiny takes him on a different track upon his chance meeting with Asha (Geeta Bali). The simple and clean hearted Pyarelal is able to make his way in Asha’s heart and is soon seen fulfilling his dream of a successful actor.

Amidst all the glitz and glamour, he is reminded one day of his promise to his mother, that he would return home one day when he becomes a successful actor. However, destiny again plays a cruel game. While on one hand, Pyarelal’s family faces a storm of troubles, the theatre company finds it best to keep him away from his poor relatives, else he might not drift away from the world of theatre. Whether Pyare is able to keep his promise to his family and maintain his stardom is for the viewer to watch and find out, but the movie touches you for its sheer simplicity and pain of a common man.

It was also a treat to discover that many songs of this movie are still afresh in our minds as the golden classics.

Trivia

Did you know this movie was the 3^rd highest grosser of 1951? You might also wanna read about Bhagwan Dada who once had a 25 room sea facing bunglow in Juhu and a fleet of 7 luxury cars, one for each day of the week, but died amidst poverty in a Dadar chawl. Albela is the movie he is best known for.

Republic Day – Just a Hashtag?

It’s that time of the year again when Rajpath looks as fresh as a new bride and Rashtrapati Bhawan resplendent with the lights of glorious 67 years of a proud republic. India celebrates its 67^th Republic Day!

For many, it’s #thattimeoftheyear again, when the tricolour ensemble in their wardrobes sees light of the day; when VIP passes for the parade are more sought after than #OnePlusOne invites; when expensive Silks and Pashminas get ready to be flaunted by Mrs. Who’s Who at VIP pavilions of India Gate; when patriotic songs are remembered to be placed as caller tunes, when the boy on the traffic signal selling flags is finally granted his wish; when Selfie sticks get ready to give a perfect #SelfieWithTricolour & when our social media profiles get buzzing with #ILoveMyIndia!

Phew!

For few, #ItsAllAboutLovingADayOff!

When I was still in school, my sister who was pursuing her journalism got an interesting assignment. They had to visit Republic Day Parade and informally ask spectators the reasons that drew them to Rajpath – was it patriotism or just a nice way of celebrating a day off? Republic day celebrations at school for me meant composing and reciting poems and speeches, which I couldn’t have done unless I felt it in me. So, I told my sister my predictions of the survey outcome. However, the results were a far cry from my expectations, for most people in general pavilions said they were there for the lovely tableau and flypast! Of Course, they were able to express themselves honestly in the absence of cameras and in the cover of anonymity. Well, this was years before mobile phones and social media were even born! It was a shock for me, the simple school kid, for we celebrated Independence Day, Republic Day, Freedom Fighter Birthdays etc with much enthusiasm in the innocent confines of our school!

Ah! The good old #AgeOfInnocence!

While last year saw us all swelling with pride at India’s #ObamaMoment, this year has been very different. Many words have been added to the common man’s vocabulary - #Intolerance, #Tolerance, #AwardWapsi, #GharWapsi, #Bigotry, #Casteism etc.

I am a common man woman with limited vocabulary, so I only understand one word - #Insensitivity; towards each other, for only then could have people been so selfish to ignore welfare of others for their vested interests. From “Man is a social animal”, the social has been brutally eaten. Mind It! This isn’t something that has happened this year, we have witnessed enough of this before too and I have blogged about few instances of #Shamelessness that irked me (The Guest Who wasn't spared, Wake Up, One evening in an auto, Letter to Santa from a Delhi Girl, Love Thy Neighbour, Delhi Nautanki, Musings of an old Dilliwala)   . For starters, insensitivity begins with people ignoring a dead man on Gurgaon Expressway and stopping only to capture his pics for their Facebook shares…#Shameless. Then there are people I have met during my weekend trips to Vrindavan who wouldn’t even care to donate had Section 80G of Income Tax Act not existed. Of course, good Samaritans walk this earth too, but the #SelfishnessAboveEverything still trends.

Meanwhile, the #SelfieWithTriColour witnesses a new high score, as does visitors to India Gate & Central Park.

As I sing this song from my childhood to my little one

I wonder where we are going wrong, for we are the lights that light up the nation.

Big words are for big people. Confused between welfare of state and welfare of their vested interests, they are busy scoring points in the publicity match. Biting more than they can chew and then chewing their words hurriedly like a gum is their past time, which most commoners are too common to make sense of.

For We, The people, it is as simple about #BeingSensitive; The Big people towards us and us towards each other. We are shouting to making ourselves heard amidst noise of their #TugOfWar.

Still waiting to find your voice? Go, take a #SelfieWithTricolour and think about a genuine caption #Straightfromtheheart.

#HappyRepublicDay

Common Cold & A Paranoid Mom

Till about 3 pm the day before, All Was Well in my house. The little one was playfully engrossed in his toys; as was the newbie mom in her laptop. Then suddenly, one sneeze changed all dynamics!

Acchooooo!

The little one sneezed with such a force that I left whatever I was doing. This wasn’t a normal sporadic sneeze; this one came with dirty souvenir for my little one that his newbie mom rushed to wipe. “Now how on earth did this happen?”, I pushed myself to think. 3 layer cloth – check, Cap  - Check, Socks – Check, Cozy Room – check. We hadn’t even gone out in the garden that day! Then from where did this uninvited guest come?

I immediately made a SOS call to my MIL and made notes so quick I had never made even during my college days! I have often heard elders criticize modern moms, who rush to the doctor at a sneeze of their little one. Not wanting to become one of them, I decided to try MIL’s advice, but it was just too much to possibly execute! 

By the time Mr. Hubby returned home (which was coincidentally early that day), little S and I looked like troubled passengers of a stranded flight. We both dashed to him for comfort. A sleepless night later, the next morning, we were sitting among many other coughing, sneezing little souls at the Paed’s clinic.

Had someone from my parents or in-laws called, I would have sounded like a failure, for I had indeed rushed to the doctor at what was regarded technically as just few sneezes. Mr. Hubby however, convinced me that as educated, modern parents, we were indeed being proactive to take professional advice before the situation worsened.

But, the words “Weak, Failure, Modern” echoed loud enough to be ignored in my mind. So, the moment our turn came, I took total charge of the conversation. Before the doctor could ask us her usual questions, my monologue had already begun; giving a detailed account of what we did, what we ate, baby poo, pee, precautions we took and home remedies tried in a jiffy. After I was done, I gave a little relaxed, triumphant smile; the way we do after we give our best shot during campus interviews! It was now the moment to be recognized as a caring, good, wise and efficient mother who had tried her best (add to this synonyms and more related adjectives and you know my feelings so well!)

Instead, I heard something like “R-E-L-A-X” (Oh I looked relaxed, didn’t I?). “You –Are-A-Mom-Now. First-Learn-To-Stop-Being-paranoid”. “You can’t keep your baby in a Kavach & Kundals” Lesson learnt – No matter how much you tried, it was impossible to get 10/10 from a teacher, doctor and an experienced mom (my paed is also a granny!)

My triumphant smile died in the wake of this new addition to the to do’s. So I have to learn to get less paranoid. But C’mon, this is my baby & I am Mother India. Can you imagine Nirupa Roy, Durga Khote, Nargis, Achla Sachdev, Kirron Kher, Kamini Kaushal or any onscreen mom looking calm and composed when her Aankhon Ka Taara (Apple Of her Eyes) gets nebulized?

But doctors only know the language of medicine, so it was futile to argue. We collected our medicines, paid the fee (for something which as per my dad, common sense and homeopathy would have cured) and came home as a happy and hopeful trio.

A typical Mother India is ready to barter her child’s trouble for his happiness and well being. However, some wishes get granted too quickly, with the mother getting the trouble even before the child is fit and fine. By the next evening, another big “Acchhooooo” roared in the house, this time by the mother! Yes, my wish had been granted, but now both of us were the victims of cold, thanks to something called virus!

Am I a melodramatic mom? Yes, in bold italics. But, somewhere behind layers of tension, concern and love lies just a simple compassionate new mom who wants to be somewhat as good as her own mom was.  After all, every girl idolizes her mom for they stand like a rock between us and troubles even when we see tears of concern rolling down their cheeks.

Leaving you with pics of these amazing onscreen moms we have grown up watching. 

Nirupa Roy

Durga Khote

Nargis

Achla Sachdev

Kirron Kher

Kamini Kaushal

5 lessons only motherhood could have taught me

(This was published in Parentous )

The inspiration for this post came few days ago after a telephonic conversation with my mom in law. As I was discussing my daily challenges faced while managing the baby and the hacks I have developed, she chuckled and said, “I am very impressed with you and your little one. I am glad he has been able to teach you overnight, what I had been trying for 6 years!”

My initial reaction was a mix of shock, anger and confusion, for I didn’t know whether to take it as a mere compliment or a backhanded compliment. Since I have a great rapport with her, I dismissed the latter option however, it was too thought provoking a remark to be forgotten.

And so, I began to think what is it that motherhood teaches us, that nobody else can –

Priorities and altruism

Being the youngest of four children in my family, altruism was always a distant concept. My wishes would literally get fulfilled before I even completed the sentence and the whole family doted on me. Since I was the first daughter in law of the family, the trend continued after wedding as well, as everyone showered me with gifts and attention. There are things I could never have compromised on – sleep, my blogging time, that favourite TV show and even my favourite dish. Many people close to me have been victims of my ire the few times they mistakenly disturbed me in the middle of writing a post.

However, the baby changed it all overnight!...Continue Reading

How to make a simple Good Morning, A Gold Morning

Mornings have something magical about them. No matter how low you might have felt the day before, morning is bound to bring freshness and positivity. They have the power to connect self with the inner self; the perfect time for meditation. No wonder you will find students waking up early mornings and study topics they find otherwise tough to comprehend. Fitness enthusiasts too find mornings the perfect time to rejuvenate the body and mind.

Until recently, I wasn’t a morning person. I loved staying late till nights and enjoying my solace. Subsequently, mornings were limited to waking up with a start and managing to get ready for school or college just in time.

I discovered the power of mornings few years ago when I went for a residential MBA. While our schedule was super hectic with us racing against submission deadlines, there were few who managed to keep their cool. There is more to life than just a good CGPA, and these people very well knew this. They spent early mornings to think about themselves, count their blessings, plan for the day ahead and take a step a day towards a healthy body and mind. It is always good to imbibe good things observed and that’s exactly what I did. The view of rising sun in the hills from my window just acted as a motivator.

With time and changing circumstances, I too developed my own way of utilizing the morning time effectively. Here’s how I learnt to turn a simple morning into a gold morning

1.   An early start with warm water

Waking up early and having a glass of warm water with lemon juice and honey is an excellent way to save the body of the toxin abuse throughout the day. It also ensures a good bowel movement and everyone knows the good it does to your skin!

2.   Half an hour tete a tete with fitness

We might be full of excuses to escape the fitness routine, but half an hour is something each one of us can take out for a healthier us. Go out in nature and look at the rising sun. Listening to the message of nature can give such a feel good factor!

Just looking at the sunrays brightening the sky and birds chirping bring such positivity! Don’t walk with weight loss in mind. Walk at a comfortable pace and take each step as a step towards positivity. Trust me, you will be able to walk a lot more than you do otherwise and enjoy each step

3.   The tea time is an excellent Me time

We often rush into tea time or club it with newspaper. The next time, brew a nice aromatic tea and sit in peace, savouring each sip. Focus on the aroma and the freshness it infuses. Make the tea time a Me time, when you can plan things for the day and make small note.

4.   Brush off the negativity

For most of us, brushing teeth is something often done in a hurry. The next time, you brush your teeth, think of it as cleansing time. With each stroke, you ward off the germs, negativity and lethargy and you will enjoy the brushing experience! The final cleanse takes away all germs and brings about a sense of freshness, just like the fresh morning. Use a good toothbrush that gives soft but thorough cleaning. 

The new Colgate 360⁰ Charcoal Gold Toothbrush is an excellent choice to begin your mornings with, for it effectively cleans teeth, tongue, cheeks and gums. 100% antigerm bristles fight germ growth on your brush for upto 90 days. The Charcoal infused slim tip bristles clean and remove stains. With 17 times slimmer tip bristles, Colgate3600 CharcoalGold Toothbrush reaches deeper in between teeth and along the gumline.

So, tomorrow morning, don’t just wake up. Wake up to a Gold Morning! with #Colgate360GoldMornings.