My Morning 'Mitra'

It is not everyday that I wait for my friend. I call him 'mitra' as is the word used in Indian language. Most mornings, my mitra would be present waiting for me or pay a customary visit when I would be waiting. Our friendship blossomed over a couple of months. We enjoyed the silent communication between us; the twinkle in the eye would be enough to convey meaningful communication. His need for food preceded any discussion. The topics of discussion were never beyond recipes and food, the preferences and loud shrieking that followed whenever there was a delay.

I would always share tastiest of food with my friend and he in turn would wait for me to get the tasty treats. Slowly, he started to take food right from my hand and would immediately run away to eat in peace. Eagerly we waited for the other to show up near the kitchen window for our morning rendezvous. My friend - the squirrel brought cheer in my busy morning. He demanded attention whenever hungry and ensured that I waited for him to come to the window whenever I brought something tasty to eat.

My morning 'mitra' is like a sunshine in our family. My husband and daughter too have a place for him in their heart. We all feel happy to hear him shriek to draw our attention. His visits may be for getting food but for us he brings cheer and joy. Thank you my morning mitra.

My Identity

"Hello Doctor ! I am Myna's mother. Could you please ... " on goes Smita's telephonic conversation with their family doctor whenever somebody in the family is sick and the clinic is not open. She is more popular as Myna's mother with the neighborhood doctor, in the building that they stay in etc. The fact that Smita is working in a multi national company, has colleagues, has her own friend circle etc; in no way matches the contentment she feels when addressed as Myna's mother. 

Smita's identity as a mother is as old as her daughter, though her identity as a person is as old as her age. But still, like most mothers, her happiness knows no bounds whenever she is known as her daughter's mother. Maybe it is the identity of being a mother that a woman cherishes the most. Maybe a woman lives her life again as a girl through her daughter; whatever be the reason, a woman loves being identified with a 'life' (read child) that she holds in her heart.

The thought made her think about 'my identity'.

A baby has the best established identity in the family. All members welcome the baby and center their activities as per the baby's needs. Babies are used to be waited upon. Gradually though, this situation changes. Baby blossoms into a child and establishing an identity among friends takes precedence. A child loves being identified for individual behavior and being the teachers pet is like cherry on top.

As a teenager, a child becomes more rebellious and assertive and tries to find identity as a group. Getting known as one member of a group / gang, ensures the identity of all like-minded set of friends. Teenagers begin to shy away from teacher's attention. They take pride in shouldering tasks between their group but responsibilities at their home; is simply not their cup of tea. They enjoy basking in the glory or the shadow of the group. Parents' show of affection embarrasses them; contradictory to their behavior as a child.

An adult on the other hand has a different personality, maturity ! They gradually take on responsibility of self, family, career, their mistakes, etc. It is this adult phase that makes one think - for the self, family, friends, society and so on. And think they must. Think on political, social, professional, personal etc issues. They easily adapt to their roles as a working professional, relaxing son / daughter, enthusiastic friend, loving spouse, proud parent. Somewhere in all this socializing, the importance of self identity gets less and less as compared to that of a child. What began as being the 'center of attention', now transits to being the 'provider of center of attention'. The adult becomes more caring and aware of the needs of others.

This awareness on others' needs; is what defines and chisels our identity. No longer does an individual crave for attention, rather he / she gives attention by way of observation. The sense of identity is in relation to the environment.

At work, a person is more about defined duties in the professional capacity. A subordinate would love to be appreciated for his effort and work whereas it is expected from the superior to look after the subordinates, encourage them etc. Employee benefits, promotions, bonuses, etc are important but a pat on the back by a superior goes a long way in boosting one's confidence and esteem.

At home, a spouse or parent or individual has more to do about steering the life through uncharted territory. This uncharted territory brings about the true nature of self. Children look up to their parents for such guidance in life. Materialistic things do bring amusement and sense of prestige in a family but it is finally the emotional well being of a family that holds the members together and goes a long way in providing the necessary comfort to a child.

Smita represents the many individuals who know the value of emotional connect among-st humans and environment alike. Her husband, daughter, relatives, friends; all contributed in shaping her personality. Even the small animals helped her identify the joys of being in their company. Her small balcony garden provided the experience to watch plants grow and flowers bloom.

The squirrel shrieked on her kitchen window for food and brought Smita back to her surroundings in the morning rush. The cat meowed at the door for some milk and Smita was trying to do justice to all while packing three lunch boxes. At home, nobody addresses her as 'madam' like they do in her office, but strangely she feels more required here, at her home. Her identity sees fulfillment as a person, mother, wife, daughter, sister and so many relations that we cherish.

In pursuit of Quality

Quality is something that is very relative and contemplative. I find it more like a jalebi - the savory Indian sweet. The spiral shape ensures you to see the centre but never reach it. 

The Indian Education System is witnessing a tremendous change from outside as well as within its purview. The need for quality education, extricates the best of ideas from the most eminent people in the system. These people formulate, propose, implement and reflect upon the various policies and guidelines to strengthen the education system. 

With so many guidelines and policies, the education system gets structured and crispy clear to adhere to, but at the same time it gets strangulated and stifled. The statutory bodies and all, demand an independent and stringent implementation of policies along with reporting, that ensures the teachers are busy throughout the year to prove to them; the best of education and institution. 

When teachers are more worried about undertaking activities for compliance and report submission, then obviously, teaching remains just a formality. The discussion on 'Teaching is an art' or 'Teaching is science'; takes the turn for 'Teaching is a formality'. And why should it not be ? When children in current times have to be aware of inter and multi disciplinary courses, then undertaking various activities benefits all. The practical exposure ensures experiential learning too. 

This is what forms the paradox of the Indian Education System and defies the purpose of defining its quality. Stakeholders question the exorbitant fees to be paid with no assurance of employability in an already over populated nation where the system tries in the best way to assure quality there by comprising teaching and stakeholders who are disillusioned with the idea of pursuing education with no gains in sight. 

In trying to ensure quality, the teachers put in their efforts not in teaching but in its administration and management, so as to enlighten young minds who succeed in projecting 'know it all and dare it all' attitude for a situation that is more chaotic. But in chaos, symmetry rules. We, as citizens look up to the educational institutes to channelize young minds in the best customizable way. 

When two MILs met !

Anuja was relaxing on the sofa, watching the television; after a busy day at work. Her daughter, Ira and mother in law, Sumantai; both representatives of young and previous generation, started to share their views on the program on television. Anuja enjoyed the ongoing light discussion in their cozy home with a heavy downpour outside.

The doorbell rang and all three women in the house looked at each other, perplexed, each thought, "who could have come in such a heavy rain ?"

On opening the door, they found their elderly neighbor, Pravaratai; with something in her hand. Her big smile brought excitement into Anuja's relaxed drawing room. All the women started talking with the sound of rain in the background.

"I made chakalis this afternoon for my grand daughter, Nita, and brought for you all to relish too !" Pravaratai's chirpiness and generosity was known to all neighbors. The fresh chakalis and warm chatter, along with the dull television programme, the evening lit up. "My Nita likes only home made chakalis and especially the ones that I make". Pravaratai beamed with pride and chatted on various topics under the sun. "Even my maid mentioned the other day about the new hotel and how it was different in its food. She is such an efficient lady, manages her home and job along with taking care of me".

The abrupt mention of maid got me thinking. Both senior ladies and mothers in law had to keep their discussion to general topics; leaving the daughters in law from the conversation. Obviously, it would not be appropriate to discuss the daughters in law in the presence of one !

My thought process was broken when my mother in law started to praise our maid. Sumantai would not be left behind. She would not leave our maid from the discussion. "Our maid is such an industrious woman, she takes care of her brother's family, goes to the fields for rice plantation and palkhi......."

And so the discussion went on. Both the ladies made great efforts to outdo the other in terms of being lucky on the home affairs front. They enjoyed to keep each other company, but their predominant womanly nature also made them compete; be it their joys or their problems.

It made me happy to know that modern women have found different positive topics to keep them preoccupied rather than gossiping about mundane and usual things. 

Daddy and Dotty

Shyama watched in disbelief as her husband coolly asked her to see their only daughter off at the railway station. Their daughter, Meera was excited about travelling first time, alone from Pune to Baroda by a train; without being accompanied by her parents. Her excitement was as a result of feeling self dependent and being 'old' enough to take care of herself. Shyama could correlate with Meera's excitement but she was perplexed as to the detached attitude of her husband. Sanmit, being so caring and affectionate towards his daughter, was just not interested in coming to the station.

At the station, though, Shyama and Meera were too full of energy even in the hot summer morning to give and hear the last minute mother daughter instructions. Both waited for the train to arrive at the station, for it meant independance to Meera for her eight hour journey. Shyama, on the other hand found it difficult to not be with her daughter for the journey. She had made chinese rice for Meera and bought her cold drink too for savoring the experience.

A week later, Meera was coming back from her short trip. Her train was arriving in the morning. Sanmit, was up earlier than usual, constantly asking Shyama about the time. Shyama was quietly sipping her hot ginger tea assuming that Sanmit would go to the station to bring Meera on his two wheeler. 

"Oh, finish your tea fast, hurry up, we must leave by 7:00 o'clock. It will be a 30 minutes drive by car and another 10 minutes at the platform ticket counter. You need to hurry up and we must get to the station."

"Ok, I thought that you were going to bring her.", Shyama wondered at Sanmit's excitement and impatience. She could not understand his attitude when Meera was boarding train and now this. 

All the hurrying up and eagerness to see their daughter back, got the parents at the station- a good 40 minutes early. Husband and wife talked about so many things and nothing in particular. After some time, Sanmit voiced his doubts about Meera not waking up on time to embark from the train. 

"Dear, Pune is the last station; everybody will get down here. Don't worry"

At 8:10 am, the train chugged into the station and Meera and her family were all smiles and happy to be in each other's company. Meera's chatter and her experience, was all her parents wanted to listen. The rest of the day, all got busy with their schedule.

After a few weeks, Sanmit had to leave for an onsite project and accordingly all reservations were made. His cab arrived late in the evening and Meera & Shyama were at the foot of the building to see him board the cab. Instinctively, Meera hugged her dad and dad got all too emotional. Sanmit could not talk more and quickly got into the cab.

Shyama had been observing everything. She realized that  daddy loved to welcome or receive his loved ones but he disliked parting from them. His detached attitude when Meera was leaving Pune, was a result of his attachment with her.

Thilla and Jacky

The first house that my parents purchased after shifting to a new city, was on the outskirts of the developing city. It was one among a cluster of row houses as a part of housing colony. Beyond the boundary were paddy fields and mango orchards. Peacocks and cats were a part of the flora and fauna. These cats made their way to the comfort of the row houses and people like us who considered them Gods. And indeed one such beautiful fluffy black & white cat chose to move into our home.

The male cat was too beautiful and elegant to suit us. We named him Thilla - which does not mean anything in any Indian language but the name does create awe whenever called out aloud. Our family being a simple middle class family, showered him with attention and love and pampered him. He would visit us during the afternoon and early morning for a well deserved cozy nap. He was a very docile cat with an enviable fur and black & white color. Our home would  look fashionable and royal due to his very presence. 

One day Thilla brought home another small kitten. We suppose the kitten must have been lost and Thilla being very gentle and caring towards small animals, brought the kitten home. We named the kitten - Jacky. At first it was an elder brother and younger brother relationship which turned to friendship. They would live in our home, together; play together; eat together and stay together. For idling away their time, both the cats loved to occupy their favorite spot in the jasmine bushes in the garden during the warm summer days. The cool shade and wet earth near the plants, provided the much needed respite from heat and the boon of looking lazily at the tired though alert birds. We all loved to watch them watching the birds !

When the school would reopen, my friends got to hear of all the escapades my cats provided us with. Their funny antics, enthralled us all. My friends looked forward to our narration and I eagerly looked forward to getting up in the morning to the meowing sound of my two pets. After returning home from school, Thilla and Jacky, would have my undivided attention. After showering them with love and kitty talk, only then would I be allowed to carry on with my activities. During winters, these two would prefer to sleep cozily in our warm beds rather than roam the garden or sit night watch near the jasmine bushes.

Thilla and Jacky had a very unique bond. Each would look out for the other and if need arose, would not think twice before taking care of each other. Their loud meowing would scare any competitor. They would climb on windows, parapets, trees and sheds; all to mark their territory. And though Jacky was the younger of the two, he showed more courage in warding off any dangers. Thilla on the other hand, was large in size but soft in his heart. He would pick up a fight only as the last resort.

Once, Jacky strayed quite far into the wilderness beyond the housing colony and did not return. We missed him a lot but Thilla was completely heart broken. When Thilla was four years old, he started eating less, his appetite decreased. On the fourth day when me and my sister returned from school in the evening, we found him in the jasmine bushes. We went to talk him into coming inside, he just lifted his head, looked at us and kept his eyes fixated on us. After about 15 minutes, we realized that he was no more. He left us with his eyes gazing us and among the jasmine bushes. As it was getting dark, my mother decided to bury him in the early morning. We went to the nearby fields where we hoped Thilla would see Jacky and bade a good bye to Thilla.  

The Art Of Saying Goodbye

As a school girl, I would always wave a good bye to my mother; whenever I left home. The regularity turned to habit and the habit into compulsion; so much that I would insist on my mother standing near the garden gate when I was leaving for school, tuition classes, going out with friends etc. "Ta-ta !" is how I waved my hand for a good bye. I somehow connected it all to good luck, something that would make my day great and wonderful.

After I got married, me and my husband shifted to a different city. I would keep in regular touch with my parents through the telephone and now the mobile. But given any call, our conversation ends with  a "Ta-ta". It has now been more than eighteen years since my marriage, but even to this day, whenever I am visiting my parents, I still make it a point to follow my compulsion of waving a good bye to my mother. And the best thing is me continuing this habit with our daughter. As a result of which whenever she is to leave home, she expects me to come to the door and give her best wishes along with a good bye.

These two emotionally bonding and psychologically assuring situations in my life prompted me to delve further on goodbyes and farewells and accordingly I have put my thoughts on this blog organizing my discussion for different situations.

1. Person to person goodbye
An informal goodbye involves differences depending on the age, environment and mood ! Remember the days when your school friend would come visiting or vice versa and the longest conversations would take place after deciding to bid a goodbye ?! The most serious of discussion takes place when in your forties you meet one such friend and after the initial effervescent updates, you both end up reminiscing memories and enjoying the unspoken thoughts. Such a rendezvous does not necessarily involve a goodbye, but only the promise to meet again. For the senior citizens, the chance meeting is all about racking the memory and amazing at the divine intervention of bringing lost friends together and saying a quick goodbye; in case the memory permits.

2. Professional Goodbye
With a busy working schedule and hectic lifestyle, your office colleagues become a part of life. Little joys of sharing success or failure over a cup of tea, discussions involving projects over heated discussions, getting involved in social activities as a division, etc; all ensure good camaraderie and connectivity to make the professional environment a thing to look forward to. Goodbyes in such situations truly mean to meet each other the next working day for colleagues or next official meeting for the clients. The goodbyes are more to do with an eagerness to meet again in order to keep oneself updated and informed of all the professional interests or developments.  

3. Group Goodbye
The school reunions, alumni meets, professional groups, virtual groups, family groups, friends groups, hobby groups, parents groups; all are a part and parcel of our life. The 'get together' has been promptly replaced with 'chat together' by making communication easy and fast. Such groups have lots of messages on initial greetings but very few on goodbyes. In case all group members decide to meet for good old times sake, then the good byes are laden with lot of hope to keep in touch. At such times, real conversation

4. Retirement and Goodbye
This is a very difficult moment for any person who has been completely devoted to his career / job / company. Most of the times, it is difficult to 'un-follow' the office routine. Great effort has to be put in during the retirement phase with conscious detachment from people and delegation of duty. Subordinates who once followed professional protocol, become pals later on. Superiors who commanded and demanded respect opt for developing a camaraderie. In both cases, one has to pursue interests for keeping busy. Hence, the good bye to the company or career, becomes more of introspection for developing other interests and practicing them.

5. Worldly Goodbye
The Hindus believe in four age-based life stages as discussed in Indian texts of the ancient and medieval eras. These stages are Brahmacharya (student), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (retired) and Sanyasa (renunciation). Accordingly, a person is expected to shoulder responsibility or delegate responsibility or renounce the world and its pleasures as per the stage. This is the most difficult of all goodbyes; if at all one is aware of the last farewell. At such a time, thoughts wander to leaving the loved ones with a clear conscience and in the hope of attaining peace.

Easier said than done. It is not easy to say a last goodbye to oneself, to others or to a loved one. Peace lies in the fact that there was emotional and spiritual bond that was shared and which cannot be shredded just by bidding a farewell.

Electric Scooter

My daughter as a teenager, is a world in herself. A world that drives itself and a world that drives others ! Our entire family revolves as per her schedule. If its her vacation, we are relaxed; if its her busy day, we are kept busy. No wonder then that as soon as she mentioned about driving a two wheeler to her tuition class, friends, college; we grabbed our chance at our independence. The arrival of an eco-friendly electric scooter interested us. Even the rules for the low speed electric scooter are friendly for students under eighteen years of age.

The three of us, father, mother and daughter; went to the company shop and all of us took turns in riding the most popular vehicle. We were told of two prospective electric scooters that would be suitable. Mother daughter liked the 'Optima' model which was costly by Rs 8000/- compared to the other one. Father, on the other hand, had his own calculations and did not want to pay the additional amount for his daughter's fancies. At the same time, another set of parents had come with their daughter's electric scooter for its first service.

As with most women and especially mothers, the two of us got talking about the performance of the vehicle. Casually I mentioned that we were interested in buying the 'Optima' scooter but would settle for the cheaper one. "Oh no ! That scooter has some design flaw. We had also purchased the same model, but it is not good for the back, hence we purchased the 'Optima' model.", said the lady.

"Arey, listen to the lady's opinion", I called out to my husband. Immediately, my husband and daughter gathered. My daughter's ears were already pointed towards her mother, for she saw a ray of hope in getting her scooter model of preference. The lady briefed the three of us again and switched to the benefits of scooter model of our choice. Her enthusiasm, exuberance and electric personality; scooted away any doubts from our mind.

The next few minutes saw us complete the paperwork and in a week the scooter was delivered to our home. My daughter's bright smile befits her electric scooter; all because of 'The woman' who helped us make a decision.

Why Breaking News?

The News Channels, these days have metamorphosed into everything except news narration. They invite speakers who are prodded to get into futile arguments, improper accusations, irrelevant discussions etc. The news narration is exceptionally dramatic for increasing the TRPs and viewership. The diversification of types of news channel based on language and state has further provided so many versions of the actual truth. Even the usual soaps have started to drown in their own froth (read masala). No wonder, everybody these days have now started to focus on outdoor activities or fun filled indoor games. 

It is exactly this desire of doing activities that bring happiness and contentment to oneself, communication and bonding with others; which point to the fact that humans would rather be in a happy normal situation rather than a dramatized one. 

I am sure the social networking shares and youtube videos that are most watched are the ones that inspire you or make you happy. Who would like to watch videos depicting cruelty, bloodshed, killings, etc ? Even the existing ghastly videos come with a blurred spot or a statutory warning.

So then why do the news channel not follow suit ? Why do they make us watch 'Breaking News' instead of 'Binding News - News that Bind people' or 'Happy News - News that cheers'? Human brain tends to remember the good memories of ones life and that itself is enough to keep it on track for betterment and contentment, in general. I am sure that if people get to watch the good deeds and acts of others, they will tend to try out the same; instead of focusing on the bad deeds. It is as simple as saying 'Do this' instead of saying 'Don't Do This'.

Lets try to keep one channel dedicated to the concept of display of good deeds by citizens and then let us observe the difference that it makes. 

Old Vendor

Gunabai, a roadside old vendor was the perfect embodiment of age, happiness and contentment. She would sell vegetables and fruits such as berries, guavas, sweet corn, ginger, etc; sitting on a plastic stool and a wicker basket that would not have held more than four kgs of her ware. Her simple Maharashtrian sari with the pallu over her head would reveal her tanned and cracked skin that literally glowed with happiness on seeing known customers. I always made it a point some thing, just so that she could earn her living. 

One day, I saw big red raw dates in her basket. They were very tempting and I immediately enquired about their cost. "Very nice dates, dear; they are for Rs 40 for half a kilo", she said. 

I was surprised to know the cost of dates for the usual cost was around Rs 50 for the same quantity. I knew Gunabai and did not want her to be in any loss. I immediately told her, "why you are taking less amount ? Your fruit is much better than other vendors and still you are selling it cheap !"

"Oh ! what will I do by taking a higher cost ? I am happy that you like my dates."

Her response surprised me, knowing fully well that people fight tooth and nail to earn the extra buck. I gave her warm smile and purchased one kg of the fruit. Till this day, I am amazed by Gunabai's richness.

When Questions and Answers have Options ....

With the approaching examinations, the month of February and March, proved very taxing for Montu. The vastness of the syllabus and depth of the contents, were too much for him to feel confident for his common entrance test preparation for the Engineering degree. The mobile would provide him some solace but it would only make the cloud of study pressure, even more darker. Montu eventually called up his friend, his confidante, Abhi.

Abhi would be sure to help him out in sorting his doubts, his study schedule; everything.

"Hi Abhi, I am toh totally lost. This time I may not even clear the exam..." Montu's nervousness made him blurt out his tension before Abhi could even acknowledge the call.

"Oh, chill, oye. Me too in same deep water as you, but look I am enjoying. Just now reached my room after a game of hockey. Tell you my thumb hurts ." Abhi's casual approach and his mobile addiction for playing hockey, was not new to Montu.

"Tell me, should we join the Perfect Classes for the CET preparation ? My current class is way down the popularity charts", said Montu.

Abhi, being the more calm of the two, said very straight forward. "Oye, this class or that class, you need to sort out the junk in your glass. Try to understand the test pattern. First, there are sections in the test. Leave the difficult topic, either way, we don't stand a chance. Prepare the section that you like most. Second, try to work by elimination rather than calculation. Just look at the option answers every question has. Pick out the best that appeals to you. Didn't we work on eliminating questions based on our syllabus and later eliminating options based on our preference, till the 12th board examinations ? See where we are. We are preparing for the entrance test. I am sure we will get a decent score."

Montu tried to figure out the advice and more doubts cropped up. "Wait man, what about the time that I will take in the mathematical calculation. Do you even remember the formulas ? I sat the whole night trying to mug up everything."

"There you are, you dumb, I only think of some logical values, who is going to calculate the answers?" said Abhi.

The above conversation is quite common among the young generation. The examination may be any or at any level. But one thing is clear. The examination system has changed and incorporated the pattern of multiple choice questions, which is easy to evaluate through systems, in large quantity without any errors. Even school tests have objective and subjective answer pattern. The students try to select an answer from the given option, with guess work taking precedence and at times fetching good marks. Worst, our examination pattern forces a student to select questions that the student has to answer. When this scenario ie questions and answers having options comes to us, I have a few observations:

1. We cannot think out of the box as the habit of looking at options limits our thought process.
2. We do not prepare ourselves fully for the knowledge that we are supposed to have as there are options in questions themselves.
3. We do not focus on the process that goes into deriving that answer as the problem solving time is limited and a derivation would require more time
4. We do not give our 100% efforts in learning. We focus on getting marks or qualifying examinations not in learning.

Everybody dances to different music and  to different tunes and that too on different ground, but isn't it necessary to feel the music ? Same with education and examination.

The Hara Bhara Kabab

Visiting any restaurant, entails lots of planning, especially where kids are concerned. The ambiance has to be just perfect to keep the kid(s) engrossed in the food variety as well as the interior designs or props such as the commonly used fish tank. The amount of happiness of the parent is exactly proportional to child's engrossment in the dining area surroundings or the child's engagement with the food plate ! 

It was one such evening at one of The Kamat Hotel, that the three of us; my husband, our seven year old daughter and myself; that saw us looking at the menu card. The occasion was our eighth marriage anniversary and the choice of venue was unanimously decided. After answering umpteen questions posed by our daughter, related to the fishes kept in the fish tank, we were finally able to read the menu. One of the item was hara bhara kabab that my husband liked and ordered along with a few other items on the list. 

It was now a question of waiting for the waiter to bring our order. I was looking out towards the kitchen. At that instant, I saw a waiter carrying a plate of some unknown food with some glowing tomatoes. I was surprised at the nice, elegant and glowing tomatoes where a candle each had been placed in the carved out tomatoes. I was instinctively taken in by the dish and thought, "Wish we had ordered this dish ! It would have been perfect for our anniversary celebrations". I turned to face my family and could not resist speaking to my husband, "the lady is so lucky to have such a thoughtful husband". 

Lo and behold ! The waiter brought the dish with the brightly lit candles placed in the tomatoes and surrounded by the hara bhara kabab. I was speechless and my expression said it all. My husband had the biggest smile with his mouth full of his favorite, the 'Hara Bhara Kabab'.

Parle-G lock kar diya jaye !

Parle-G and biscuits are just as synonymous as Xerox is to photocopying. The need to satiate hunger with a packet of these popular and common biscuits is not uncommon. A get together at home followed by 'chai' and parle-g is very entertaining. And more so when we five friends were pursuing a degree in Physics during the early nineties when pocket money was minimal and the finest form of enjoyment meant the company of friends who would add on to the fun, discussion, comments etc with equal gusto. 

It was one such afternoon when we were done with our lectures and were waiting for the chemistry practical to begin; with two hours to spare. Some time was utilized in discussing our plans for the evening but then all vehemently agreed with Purvi for some biscuits. The canteen wala had run out of all biscuits and so we '5 star group' - that's what we called ourselves; decided to buy it from the shop across the street.

"Arey chalo, dhoop ho rahi hai" said Jalpa whose fair skin would have indeed lost the charm due to the tan. 

It is quite funny to see five head turning girls, cross the road; each having her pace and style of road crossing. Finally we all reached on the other side of the road and Sunayana quipped, "Hamein chemistry lab ke liye lock and key le jane hai, yaad hai?". "Mujhe toh nahi malum, meine suna nahi lagta hai",  I was always the absent minded types. "Chal oye, koi baat nahi", Appu was quick to get the group going. 

We asked a shopkeeper for the biscuits and he nodded his head negatively, we asked him for five locks and he gave only the two remaining ones. It suddenly dawned upon us that the whole class would have ransacked the market for so many locks. This was a panicky situation and called for desperate measures. We split in two groups and went in different directions to search for biscuits and three more locks. We found the required things and pooled in some money to buy them. There was a packet of biscuits for Rs 3 and locks for Rs 5 each. Now another problem arose, what if the other group also bought the same things in same quantity. (Mind you, there were no mobile phones to communicate !)

Purvi offered a solution, "toh kya hua, dukaanwale ko bole ke lock wapas kar denge !" Hurray, our job was done and off we went to look for the other group. I wondered if we had mentioned our common point of meeting each other, but I dared not speak. God laid my doubts to rest as I heard Jalpa say "woh rahe, wahan khade hai, chalo".

Within ten minutes we all were seated under the big ashoka tree of the garden at Faculty of Science, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. The extra packet of biscuits was no challenge for us and even to this day, I fondly remember the day when the parle-g biscuit was locked in our hearts, for life. 

When I was a ghost !

We moved to Pune from Hyderabad when our daughter was eighteen months old and luckily we found a rental apartment very near to a garden (Thorat Udyan). I was a full time mother and in the summer season, I would take my daughter to the garden which provided a play area, lawn, kittens and most of all the presence of so many children running and enjoying themselves.  

One particular hot day, I decided to go home by a rickshaw and so late in the evening, I stood holding my daughter's hand to hire a rick. My wait turned into quite a delay as none would oblige to take me home for such a short distance. I was losing my patience when suddenly a driver pulled up and I grabbed my opportunity. I first sat in the rick and then gave him directions. 

He started off slowly and within two minutes, I realized that the driver was totally drunk. I held my daughter close and asked him to stop. But poor me, the driver was too sloshed to hear me. He drove on slowly and I wondered whether we would reach home safely. 

The driver stopped at a signal and I had my opportunity. I mentioned that we were getting down at the signal and I kept a Rs 10 note ready in my hand. We both got down and I told the driver to take the money. But poor fellow was too drunk to hear anything and as soon as the signal turned green, he drove away. I heaved a sigh of relief and at the same time chuckled to myself that on stopping and remembering, the driver would obviously think that he had been hired by a ghost who disappeared some where. 

This incident happened fourteen years back and even to this day, I burst out laughing whenever it crosses my memory.

Dharamshala Triund Laka Glacier Trek

India is a beautiful country with variety in culture, people, geographical regions, travels and their modes, education, flora and fauna, foods, and so many things. My specific interest in traveling to a known location through a different way, fascinated me. My husband who has some experience of trekking to various locations in and around Mumbai; suggested the Dharamshala Triund Laka Glacier Trek. I had no experience in trekking as well as the fun and discipline that it involves. So with more of anticipation of the unknown, I confirmed my travel and together we made the reservations for the trek during the summer season. Preparations started as soon as the bookings were confirmed. Firstly, we both started going on practice walks on roads and hilly terrain. Secondly, we started planning our back pack and day pack which would have just the enough weight for us to carry and enough things to see us through the trek. This balance proved difficult to achieve and even more to carry.

The hot summer sun could not dim the gusto of the 12 trekkers and their leader. The two day train journey with fun and never ending rounds of eatables and cold water, finally saw all alight at the Nizamuddin railway station. A 5 minute walk on the melting asphalted Delhi road, saw us standing at the warm door of the AC volvo bus. All eagerly got in the bus and five minutes in the cool bus, rejuvenated everybody's sapped energy and after 30 minutes, we all arrived at the hotel for a refreshing bath and lunch that saw us off on our overnight journey from Delhi to Dharamshala. A quick 20 minute car ride in the cool fresh morning air, a contradiction of Delhi air; brought us to the Mac Leodganj Hotel, The Ashoka International Hotel.

Trek Day 1 : We had arrived at 2082 meters above sea level and our group was taken on a trial trek for acclimatization before noon. The short trip was enjoyed by all for it helped to stretch our legs, take in the beautiful view of valleys and mountains. It also made the entire group hungry and all finished the wonderful preparation in no time. In the evening, we all went to see the pagoda and the serenity of the place along with the contrasting temple decorations and offerings (biscuits and cold drinks included !), brought us to Dalai Lama's absolutely simple room. It dawned on us that beauty of nature combined with simple living, enriches the human mind beyond compare. The overcast sky; a result of approaching storm, was no dampener but it did induce sleep and all were snoring by 10 pm !

Trek Day 2 : Our instructions were quite clear and precise, 'Be ready by 7:00 am, take breakfast by 7:30 am, carry our days' supplies of water, poncho, a set of clothes, lunch bag that included a fruit, keep the main bag for the mules to carry'. Most important instruction "No bath for the next 4 days ??!!". At 8:00, we all started up the steep incline right after the hotel and I already began to wonder of my ability to go the entire trek. The cheering from us all, brightened me and off we all started step by step. My husband, perspired so much that his sweater got all wet and we wondered if there was a leak in the bottle of water ! We all were strictly instructed to keep moving and sip water from time to time and never to sit till the destination for the day had been reached ! By 11:30, we were too exhausted to be hungry, but thirsty ? - yes, all sipped on the fruit juice and ate the fruit with much relish. A short rest and we were off to our camp at Triund. In between, we were over taken by the mules carrying our belongings. They looked fresh after a distance exhausting to us ! Anyway, the trek does get difficult at times but the absence of vehicles and mobile networks, makes up for a life time experience. The Triund camp / cottage was situated high up at an altitude of 2850 m and we all sat in the sun for some time to catch our breath. Later we all enjoyed our lunch at 1:30 pm and were greeted by some drizzle. The drizzle turned into quite some rain and by night, after our dinner, it was decided to wait till the weather improved.

Trek Day 3 : The dark sky and incessant rain, made us stay put inside the cottage and we all bonded, a group of bubbling teenagers and effervesce-ting adults ! The hot cups of tea and hot food coupled with indoor games of cards and dumb charades, saw us through the day. At night, the rain fell on the cottage roof and its sound lulled us all to sleep.

Trek Day 4 : The morning brought sun rays and light and warmth and hope for we all trekkers. We all started at 9:00 in the morning to reach Laka Glacier. The previous days rest did us all good but it also meant extra miles for the day. The effort caused two groups, that of children and adults. My sister, though an adult, was among the children ! The trek to Laka Glacier tested our patience and strength, but one step at a time saw us overlooking the great Himalayan range. The beauty of nature is breathtaking. The greens, blues and whites with intermittent colors of reds, yellows, purple and pink; is a sight to behold. The clean environment, fresh air, ample sunlight and some fruit juice; were enough to walk us through a difficult incline spread with rocks. We were finally at Laka Glacier walking and climbing through the snow trying to beat the approaching dark clouds. (There was news that Delhi and parts of Rajasthan had witnessed a heavy dust storm followed by rains.) Our hastening steps on slippery ice and the drizzle of rain, both was a bad combination to move further. All of took shelter in a cave and waited for the rain to stop. A trekker even recollected stories of trekking expeditions in wild weather. Such is the impact of bad weather, that we all had to make an effort in staying calm inside the cave that was cold and dripping with water. We had no food supplies with us but could see them just 400 m away from us. After about 40 minutes, the rain slowed, the entire grass was covered in snow; it appeared that Laka Glacier came to meet us !! Our guide instructed us all to climb down and start for the tents camped a little away. The climb down was even more difficult cause the ground had become too slippery. Slowly we all reached our tents and were welcomed with some sunlight. That night, all had a snack of bread pakoda and hearty meal followed by a bonfire where all gathered to warm themselves up. Our chatting at the bonfire revealed Salil's birthday saw us all celebrating with a pancake that panditji (cook) prepared at a short notice. The star studded night sky added to the celebrations and all  and slept soundly in the teeth chattering cold.

Trek Day 5 : Our trek support was excellent, the food, camping services and route operator, were all experts and jovial. Even the mules carrying our luggage also felt our own in such a remote place. The morning felt fresh after a sound sleep and after having enjoyed the sun (remember, we had no bath since leaving MacLeod ganj), we all had a steep slope to climb down. The path down was scary and I was unsure of taking on the challenge. But as they say, 'birds of a feather flock together', we all trekkers, started one step at a time. The journey down from Laka Glacier to Triund and further down a different path, gave us a breathtaking view of all the landscape including the Dharamshala cricket stadium. Slowly and steadily we started for the village where our campsite had been planned. Along 2 hours into the walk, we were overtaken by the mules carrying our luggage. Their confidence and stability along with their coordination, surprised us, reassuring my belief that humans had a lot to learn from nature.

Along the way we met many French and Spanish citizens who were impressed with the terrain and beauty of our country. Few interactions with them brought us all together in our common objective and finally we all trekkers reached Mana village. The trek down had been exhausting compared to going up. My husband's shoes hurt his toes really bad; his nail probably got dislodged. At the campsite, all plopped down on the green grass unable to move or talk for a full 15 minutes. After some rest, we all drank 'electrol' water and regained our strength for some chit chat and games. All looked forward to sleeping at the hotel the next night, in a warm cozy bed after a refreshing bath.

Trek Day 6 : The morning brought with it an eagerness in our stride to reach the hotel after visiting a water fall - 'The Nag Falls'. The soreness of leg muscles and fatigue of the four days was overcome at the sight of clear cold gushing stream water. All trekkers joined in spraying water on each other. It was just not imaginable for me to get in the cold water as I sat on a rock soaking in the sun. An hour and a half and we started for our Ashoka International Hotel. We all were anticipating the road we had taken to visit the pagoda and I was trying to manage my energy for the road was quite long. But lo and behold ! we saw a market and there stood our hotel ! Just look at all the smiling faces ! All were so glad to know that the road was a different one and our destination had been reached with memories of hardships and fatigue all fading away and being replaced by hunger pangs and a warm bath. After a sumptuous lunch, we were horrified to look at our faces in the mirror, all had darkened beyond recognition. A hot bath and some rest was enough to rejuvenate us for exploring the local market and especially, the momos !

Trek Day 7 : A sight seeing trip to Dharamshala that included tea garden, botanical park, cricket stadium and in between stop overs at all street food joints. All enjoyed the local sight seeing.

Our return journey to Delhi and back to Pune was mostly spent in sleeping our weariness and tiredness off. The trekking experience provided an insight into our grit and determination. The serene and peaceful environment of Triund in the back drop of a heavy summer storm at Delhi, added to the contrasting adventure and it provided us all with life time memories.