Its been 2 years....

Something about Dad...!!
He’s been a person who was style personified. He was a hero for us. As his sons, we were always wonderstuck by his indomitable spirit of helping others. I still remember the smile in his face when I was gifted with a word scramble game in my 5th class as I had sold the maximum number of tickets for charity. Dad was our back-up for such philanthropic activities. He had made us. He had moulded us. He had given us shape. But at the same time, he gave us space to grow. He respected our decisions whenever we took decisions.
He was very popular among kids. I still cherish those evening rides when the entire Omni was over-packed with all our relatives. I also remember once we had a Gup-chup eating competition at I.G. Park which was happily sponsored by my Dad. Once we grew, Dad became a friendly figure. He gets serious and angry too seldom. He was after our lives(Pinu and mine) to get our pass-port done in time. Whenever I need to produce my passport for any proof, I really feel so proud of him and miss him even more.
He loved animals. Silky was the best thing that could happen in our lives. He taught us to love animals and understand their silent language of selfless love and compassion. I still remember at one point of time, we had 2 dogs, 2 hens, 1 parrot, 1 rabbit and umpteen number of crows. The tradition of feeding the crows at 32-kvg still continues. He was an adept at gardening too. May be in his 30s, he had planted a multitude of roses in our garden, which comprised of a surprisingly black rose as well. This man was a trained violin player. He did took lessons in learning the nuances of this instrument. His open mind always encouraged us to focus on extra-curriculars. He was the happiest whenever I used to win in some inter-collegiate events & Raja bhai used to score beautifully in any cricket match.
He was always eager to get love and keen to give love.This man was very much grounded with his attitude. Every body in our locality looked upto him with reverence. He was like a Agony-Uncle who was an adept in solving problems of the common-man.
But now...........
Time has traveled two full circles burrowing the sad memories of the bereavement of our mentor, guiding light, friend and an honest critic. Truly, time heals but it cannot wipe away turbid memories of those months of pain and castigation that our mentor was subjected to face alone. At times, I question God's credibility. Does He give justice to all those good souls around and punish the devils or is it the other way around?
Dad's profession compelled him to project himself as a shrewd, witty and an intelligent entity. But to the core of his heart, he was just the opposite. His tender heart just knew to love others & help others in pain, no matter if that person does not think twice to back-stab him. My Dad always attracted rogues and rascals more than good souls because his loving heart did not understand the language of deception and trickery. After the Big Boss decided to put my Dad for a retirement from life, his callous buddies turned hostile & proved their wicked intentions. His soul must be crying from the top mansion viewing the vested interests of his so called acquiantances. I just can't stop smiling when life exposes these crypic creatures without any hitch.
One thing that life has perhaps taught us is not to believe in anything that seems to be too good. This is a make-believe world that is ruled by absolute deadly pretensions. There is a sea-change in life whenever you loose an agile leader of your team. The entire load of coming back to form depends on the other players of the team. Dad, you have emptied our lives as each day we miss the love of a loving companion who is ever willing to share his wordly wisdom & sheer grit. Believe us, no one can take your place. Who better than Mummy and Mama can acknowledge this irreparable loss?
Two long years have passed by..To be honest, both the years have been equally devastating and challenging particularly for Mummy and Raja Bhai. But I can proudly aver the fact that Raja Bhai has ceremoniously and single-handedly taken the baton from you. It is rather baffling to see him juggle with his offcial chores & house-hold responsibilities with equal comfort. To be honest , your daughter-in-law is leaving no stone unturned in involving Mummy in every activity of hers, probably the same way you had envisaged & told coyed Mum about.
Relationships have got entwined into more complex equations. The ones that was earlier draped with love and affection is now filled with hatred and animosity. These two years have really proved as the best viable testing crucible to judge the purity and sanctity of one’s feelings towards us and our family.
In these two years, we have also made new relationships & watched them grow. Friends have become an indispensable part of our family. Come what may, they do not have any second thoughts whenever it comes to helping us, mentally or financially.
A lot has transpired after you left for your heavenly voyage. Some obnoxious weeds that were happily thriving under your anchorage were identified and uprooted from their point of genesis. This has certainty provided some solace to our disturbed hearts.
But perhaps, this is the hard rule of life.. All good things come to an end. After Dad passed away, may be his physical self got annihilated but his legacy of loving and caring for the humanity in whole, shall continue to make his heavenly presence felt in every breathe of air we take.
May God create more of people like you so that life will be easy and no less than a fun-ride and in true sense, an absolute bed of roses.
On his second death anniversary, I bow my head to my Dad and thank him from all my heart for bestowing on me a meaningful life and for making me a worthy person. Bless & guide us Dad from the Heaven’s door.
Riju

"Tera Saath hain toh,mujhe kya kami hai..Andheron se bhi mil rahi roshni hai"

SHE- "Why don't you carry home-made food (biscuits,fruits included) in the new boxes to the office that I purchased for you, the way I do"
HE- Hmmm....
HE- Acha,why don't you gym daily for atleast sometime in office and make use of the gym bag that I purchased you from Kolkatta"
SHE- Actually there's lot of work in office..so as I am new to this technology so it takes me time to do it..I am learning..But I am trying...so I come back late from office..
@#@@ Chak De was awesome nah!!!
And when I come back late,I eat late..And when I eat.....
@#@@ Today,my friend was wearing a mast saree ...but its color was not good..
And when I eat late, I sleep late...And so i don't find time to gym....
By this time, HE would have repented for asking this bizzarre question to HER..
Getting a picture of the above scenario..what would one have guessed is wrong..They are not married to each other a couple of decades back...they are neither busy raising their children..
Meet the new couple in town who'll be soon celebrating their first Anniversary..Their madness does not overpower fathoms deep unspoilt love that they carry for each other..Both of them are disparately distinct..
One believes in the power of speech..the other shines with the strength of silence.
One is an open-book kinds...the other unabashedly conceals his thoughts, powerful enough to bring about a renaissance..
One is overtly ambitious, who is keen on breaking her own records..other enjoys to lull through life passing by and watching his love grow for her..
One blurts out secrets openly while the other veils his own feelings conscientiously..
One is a big-time foodie, other never hesitates to raise a brow, everytime our cook tries something new with "dangerous" veggies..
One is busy with eating, meeting friends, movies, relatives, dance competitions..other is also busy with "HER" assignments, brushing aside his own..
But hey after having completed one round on the ground of undisciplined love, undiluted trust and unadulterated passion, God's testimony suggests that both have delved into the others' method of living. There's been a noticeable shift in "HIS" conversing patterns which now seemed to be draped in unforced amicability.. She's also keen on mending her ways to win over his princely heart. It finally boils down to the fact that they are made for each other..I just wish that may the fragrance of romance never fizz out in their garden of love..
Here's Wishing "HE" & "SHE" a great Anniversary..

Take care of my devastated dynasty

I miss the cozy hug from you in the cold winters of my younger days
I miss the irritation in your head when our servants used to delay your morning tea
I miss the hoarse voice of your throat when Srikant,our servant used to run short of "Pan"
I miss the thumping noise of your foot-steps that acted as an alert while both your sons were breaking records in video games
I miss you getting us the fanciest of toys and dresses even without asking for it
I miss your "nod" always in way of a yes for anything your sons might have asked for
I miss our boxes overflowing with candies as an andidote to fight our examination-fever
I miss the pat on my shoulders when you try to overrate your son even when he has failed
miserably
I miss the anxiety in your eyes when you scan through the school report card
I miss the dissapointment in your voice when you found me scoring poorly in Mathematics
I miss the shiver in Silky, our pet when you pretended to be angry for her droppings
I miss the content in your heart whenever you have lent a helping hand to a person in despair
I miss your smile whenever our friends gather at our place at your special invitation
I miss the helplessness in your eyes whenever blood report suggested your sugar levels shooting up
I miss your skill of acting to be cool within whenever there's time for paying our exhorbitant fees
in time
I miss your stubborness in sticking to a point even the whole world is against you
I miss your level-headedness in approaching tricky and filthy situations
I miss you scolding Mom for sleeping entirely through any damn entertaining movie
I miss the content in your eyes when Raja Bhai started to earn a living
I miss the pride in your eyes when you wrote that letter to Raja Bhai when he was in U.S
I miss the tears in your eyes when I put my foot ahead to carve my identity in Mumbai

Dad, its been around an year that you have been sailing in the ocean of ecstacy, which must be calming and soothing.The reflection of the turbulent sea must be an eye-opener for you as it narrates our despair, loss, helplessness, dependence and loneliless..

Dad, I know that I cannot get you back in physical form but I have heard you whispering in my ears
"Riju,don't give up.When I was your age, even my Dad left me. Be strong and look after my devastated dynasty.Thank two most beautiful women in this earth whom I could'nt thank, one is your grand mother and other is your mother. Both of them were with me till my life's voyage was through.Though I could'nt enjoy furthur with my two daughter(in-laws) but I am with you till all of you are together."

THIS IS FOR YOU BRO

0 years old:
I found my brother standing by me near the cradle with a bemused expression on his pristine face..

1-5 years old:
I can sketch him just as a company..Reason being, we did not share the same space. He was bought up at my maternal uncle's place.

6-10 years old:
We were like the best of pals. Bunking our compulsory afternoon siesta on Sundays, yet not letting Mom have an iota of doubt that we have not slept. We enjoyed our innocence more than ever. He was always giving and stood tall on compromising petty matters.

11-15 years old:
Each of us had developed well-etched individualities of our own. Adrenalin pumping high in our blood paved way to brutal fights and ghastly black-mail scares.. It was Mom who used to be our all time favourite scape-goat who finally had the powers to make peace between the both of us.
Srikant used to be our judge who had powers to tell whose turn it was to sleep near Mom and whose turn it was to sleep on the other farther side of the bed where the silence and darkness of the night could be felt stronger!!!

16-20 years old:
Bro got a gang of buddies with whom he freaked out with. To be honest, it hurt me immensely because I really missed him. I also used to get irritated when he was keen on attacking my favourite clothes and wear them till they cry in agony "Please don't wear me any furthur"!!
Silence slipped in our relationship and strings of attachment started to wither..We hardly communicated!!This was perhaps the lull period in our years of bonding.

21-25 years old:
Strings of innocence got feeble. We then gradually traversed towards a phase of maturity and ripened into two seasoned entities each having a bunch of dreams to run after..Though we hardly spoke, but our tie got fortified with the knack of overlooking our follies and balancing the see-saw of brotherliness under the weight of unselfish love and praise for each other. Our friendship twinkles alike two distant stars in a silent sky, each illuminating the face of other by dispelling spells of darkness when the devilish fog strives to destroys the splendour of the night.

26-30 years old:
I am standing on the 26th step of the ladder of life. Well, I feel safe and assured as my brother is just 3 steps ahead of mine.
As the special day of my brother is heading, let me take this opportunity to earmark our relationship as divine and real, with no garbs of dishonesty and malicious pretensions. My association with him is ever-changing. A friend, a brother, a confidant and now a father..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER...
I JUST COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR MORE FROM GOD..

MY SUPER-HERO

The sweetness and melody in Murali's flute is irresistible,

it beckons me through periods of lull and drudgery..

The visage of Mohan can never be impaired or bypassed

it instills a stream of rustproof freshness not withering.

His dazzling eyes always smoothened my anxiety,

All my worries were caressed by his gaiety..

His composure and silence fought all odds,

People thought him to be otherwise mod.

He lent his thoughtfulness to my short-sighted thinking,

He spent his comfort giving a best-fit to the swings of my liking..

He borrowed funds to shape up my life,

He sacrificed his sleep to allay my fears of the night.

Then came a blizzard in his life,

He preferred to face it with the faintest ray of light..

There was no one who could hear his whimpers,

his urge to breathe and enjoy the glitters.

String of physicality got dishevelled,

Hope, faith, trust and love got crippled..

The flame of life flickered in the storm of resistance,

Forcing him to tread a journey that marks the end of sustenance.

Emerging from the vast sky of blues,

With a single-pointed mission to allay my blues..

My super-hero Dad transcends,

Crossing rifts of ethereal space and descends.

My mentor is back with me with new leasons,

Helping me sail through all major seasons..

Guiding our foot-steps in all directions,

Helping us reaffirm our convictions.

"Thank you" is all that my heart says,

As a loving and caring person in me still stays..

I owe my life to you in its entirety,

For gifting a lifetime of prosperity in my kitty.

18-oct-07>>>>>>Birthday special

Birthdays are joyous days of life that make you realise that you have been triumphant in fighting to live one year full. Birthdays are celebration of your identity and individuality. You are made to feel special the same way as a newly anointed King who has succeded a mighty predecessor. You would have guessed how important birthdays are for me...Coming from a close-knit family whose mother has captured the changing visages of his son every single year in a photo album that though has lost its lustre, yet still hold a characteristic charm with dollops of emotions and selfless love embalmed within...Coming from a family whose father never forgot to happily loosen his wallet and buy him the most expensive clothes from the most expensive shops and throwing a massive party at home with the number of invitees on a rapidly increasing mode & more importantly finding time for his son just to make him special...(I really miss you Dad)..

The reason for highlighting the feelings attached to my birthdays is not oblivious because my special day was nearing. I was terribly disturbed as I was all alone in Mumbai. I was sure I will have a tough time controlling my mind which would be tossing amidst plaintive sea of turbulence. Prasun(my team mate) is a mysteriously simple person who's always headed towards pulling your leg without giving you a slightest hint about it. He believes in living life "kingsize". Sona is a peron who's always keen on brushing away the blues off my shoulders either by telling things that I love to hear or expressing decent gestures of gratitude and love. But I did'nt had the faintest idea that when both of them are teamed up, they can fool anyone and everyone. I was their recent Bakra. Sona told that she wanted to speak to Prasun as he is one of my best friends I have. One afternoon post lunch, I was idly gosipping with her, and I asked whether she would like to speak to Prasun. She agreed. Their sweet conspiracy against me germinated then. On the eve of my birthday, Prasun told me that his astronomical powers were pointing towards some evil omen..so he warned me not to venture outside my home once I step in. Also he did not forget to remind me to leave office early. I did pay heed to his scares and did leave office early. I also made it a point to buy all the necessary things that need to be taken to office on my birthday. This is one side of the story. Sona, on the other hand, told me to leave early as Navratri had begun and traffic will be high.. I appreciated her and praised her about the concern that she had for me and also proudly told her that perhaps she knows Mumbai better than me as of now. I could'nt establish a link between these seemingly familiar advice. Few days back, Sona asked for my residential address telling that her father needed it. I was so happy that I thought that perhaps she wanted to post a sweet surprise in form of a birthday card or a letter. I obliged and forgot.

On the eve, I reached home early by 8' o clock paying heed to Prasun's warnings. I was feeling so low both emotionally and physically. I preferred taking a small sleep and kept thinking of all the last birthdays..Last October I was home. Sona gave such a sweet surprise by celebrating my birthday at her place. She gave me the idea to do the same at my place. Dad was unwell and was also saddened as my days were nearing to go back to Mumbai. I got the birthday cake myself and decorated the place and called everyone to that room..Wow...the experience was divine..(I am sorry Sona for divulging this secret as she thought that my parents might feel guilty of not celebrating my birthday, the way I did!!). I am sure Dad must be smiling away and blessing Sona from the door of Heaven..(Dad bless u..Sona)..

While I was busy recollecting these golden moments of my life, there was a knock at the door. My room-mate came hurling towards me and told me that some parcel has come and so he needs my signature. I was talking to Sona then. With great amaze and confusion, I reached to the door finding a huge splendid bouquet of red roses & white tulips beautifully draped with yellow ribbons. Sona was still on the phone. I told her that some bouquet has come and I will call you later. I was mad at that delivery guy..kept making wierd guesses..I thought it was Prasun, who stays at Malad. He told me that this bouquet was ordered from Vikhroli. My brains stopped functioning. I again called up Sona. I was excited and happy.

My diffused cells got reinvigorated and energised. It felt as if I was smoothly carried away from the dent of depression and was transformed into a world of happiness. I told Sona that I am not able to guess who's taken the pain to gift such an invaluable gift like this on my special day..She bluntly told me to look at the card pinned on the flowers...Now I could sense something was wrong..It read 'To my sweetheart (Rishi) Love Sonu'..I was sitting like a dumb fool and rings of tears covered my "drowsy" eyes and then I thanked God for bestowing me with such a special life partner like her. She then opened up the entire idea and told me that Prasun was the man who executed this "Bakra act"...Later, I came to know that Atul, another sweet friend of mine who is in my office was also involved in this prank..God I thank you from the pit of my heart for bestowing me with such wonderful friends..They really made my day so special..Now I had no doubts that my birthday will be a memorable one like all birthdays....And yes, my birthday went on great..Moral of the story: NEVER TRUST YOUR FRIENDS ENTIRELY ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR BIRTHDAY IS APPROACHING

Guys, one more thing, now you could have guessed why was I warned not to venture out from my home..coz if I was not there and the delivery guy would have left the bouquet outside, then perhaps it would have served as a flowery dinner for the hungry doggies of my apartment!!!!!(This was Prasun's point of view..No slangs please...Now stop...this is what he thought....His number is 09323059858......)

TRIP TO LONAVLA,MUMBAI (29-Sep-07)

After much uncertainty and unnecessary postponements, our voyage to paradise finally took off..Its hard to believe that our group is the only group in our company that is united from the roots. Prasun (originally from Assam) is the boss in case we plan any merry trips as he's the only one amongst all of us who has a car..Have to keep him obliged!!! There's Atul(Maharashtrian) who's barely visible because of his lean and thin body built. He's always on an enthusiastic mode whenever it comes to planning such trips as it takes him away from our boss who's keen on chewing away his brains..Gurmel alias Goldy is a rare species, beleive me..An intelligent Sardar.(I'm sure he'll forgive me for writing this!!) This time our trip begun from his home at Kalyan.We had a mini disco in his place wherein I got a chance to shake a leg with a Sardarji,who are considered as great dancers. Gurmel is no exception..We stuffed our bellies with Pohe and tea, which Aunt had prepared with love. Our original idea was to explore the beauty of Malshej Ghat, which is a place to watch out for in the rains..But that day, the sun was burning our heads..So our plan was revised to Lonavla. I was the happiest..

We started by 11:00 am and our car zoomed its way towards the Pune expressway..Wow..the journey was a cozy one as Goldy transformed himself into a car trainer and left no stone unturned to confuse Prasun(driver) at major crossings. What more can you expect from an intelligent Sardarji!!We took a room in a resort named Sahyadri, which comforted our valet. After enjoying a small siesta and lunch, we started off to explore the richness of the pristine glory of Lonavla. Bhushi Dam was our first destination. Most of the waterfalls were exhausted because of scanty rains but still we found one at Bhushi Dam. The calmness and tranquility of that place surmounted the fatigue in our muscles..Then we moved furthur to explore the best place in Lonavla, the Tiger Point. The aestheticity and suavity of this place cannot be ever forgotten. The memories will come back again and again to soothen your heart in times of woes and drudgery..What a painting!! God's imaginative prowess is powerful and imperative. This place took my heart away. Floating clouds drenching your face, clouds eating away the brightness of sun, glittering shine of the streams far below, a different green of the gorges deep down will always continue to stir my heart..I felt full and content. In no time, the weather changed. Suddenly, there was a uniform cover of fog that spread across the Tiger point and then rain followed. We could'nt see anything beyond our faces. One step of carelessness could land you down the valley. Prasun drove back conscientiously and we got back to our room after this adventurous journey safely.

We got freshened and ordered some sandwiches. Time was pointing at 9. We went out for a stroll and finally found a descent restaurant named "RAMA KRISHNA". Then Goldy and I, went for one round of ice cream eating. Prasun and Atul preferred chewing a pan instead. Lonavla is famous for Chikki, kokam, sherbet, jellies and jelly chocolates. So Prasun took a pack of them for his mother as she would be wild at him for taking the new car to a distant place without actually informing her about our trip. We preferred enjoying the cool breeze outside our resort and discuss important matters of life till 1 in the night, rather than sleeping. Guys when come in a mood to gossip, believe me they can outdo girls...

Next morning, we left Lonavla carrying fond and sweet memories of the place...Life is a full time journey and these pleasure trips symolises "breaks" that are vital as it will invigorate your tired soul and will prepare you to face the road ahead.....