End Of 2012 ..!!

In some time, this year would come to an end and a new year will enter. 2012 has been so memorable and eventful in a number of ways. I saw some of the best moments of my life and some of the 'not-so-good' moments too, yet at the end... life is all good and all about making new memories!

The year which had a wonderful start from home with family came to a beautiful end with friends! My experiments with traveling was in its prime the whole year. I made a round-off tour in Bangalore with my friend, saw some really amazing places and had some real good food. Then I was off to the national capital, the historic city of New Delhi for my sister's wedding. That, according to me, was the best wedding of the season! I had a complete tour of Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan in addition to Delhi. All those places, having iconic monuments, have their own role to play in the making of the history. Quite content I was with my fabulous trip to the northern parts of India! Soon, it was time for Dussehra which means another visit to Odisha - my home. Trips to Odisha are never restricted to my home, Bhubaneswar. They spread their wings to cover the whole of my Village, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. After having a bash with family and friends, i thought I was done with my travelings for the year. But I always surprise myself! Soon I was planning for another memorable vacation during the Christmas eve - a journey from Bangalore to Bombay (now Mumbai). I had the time of my life!

'Beautiful moments with wonderful people' - best describes my travel diary of 2012!

The year witnessed some big changes of my personal as well professional life. We moved from Ness (the first company of my career) to Quintiles. All of a sudden, there were so many changes -  from office to location to home to everything. Though leaving the first company, first place and first of everything is way too emotional but then, the only thing constant ever is change! The change was all for the good! I have a different life now - a little more sensible and responsible one. I have achieved control over a few things in my life which I always wanted to handle the way I wish. Thankfully, by the end of this year that mission is accomplished. Also, I have added a few tasks on my plate which can help refine my creative skills. I am much into experimentation now. I am learning by doing! The experience is amazing so far and I look forward to continue the same for the days ahead.

2012 saw the best of our family moments! It had to since it started with an awesome family get-together (party of my cousin's success). After that, we all were looking forward for the big-fat wedding of another cousin of mine in Delhi. Almost the whole of the family was there except my sweet little sister who was busy scribbling for her exams. And of course, her absence was felt! Nevertheless, the wedding was grand and enjoyable and meeting most of the people after ages was the best part of the whole story! During my visit to Odisha and Mumbai, I met a few other members of my extended family. And now, staying in Bangalore for around 3 years, this feels home (not that cozy though). The whole credit for this goes to an important segment of my family - all my cousins, who are settled here! All I can say of this year is, it's been great!

When I mention of family, my friends are not be left behind! Let it be Bangalore or Delhi or Mumbai or Bhubaneswar or Puri... I have friends all around. Meeting them after ages is like an icing on the cake. They all made my year so enjoyable and memorable!

The year also saw many of the legends hitting the news headlines for various reasons. Some of the news which actually made me sad - the sudden demise of my all time favorites - Rajesh Khanna and Yash Chopra! I guess, I am left with just one reason to watch movies now - Shah Rukh Khan! There are a few things which I never wanted to happen in 2012 - some of which I don't want to recall yet I won't be able to forget too! Whatever it was, I still can't complain for what all it has given me in the form of the various people around me. All I can do is, hope for a better new year!

Happy New Year 2013 :-) 

Bangalore Diary ..!!

12th July, 2009 was the day I first landed in Bangalore. On one hand, there was this great city which was fast developing with a huge global niche of its own and other other hand, there was Me... a fresh graduate, in pursuit of her career... aiming at building her own niche!

My first day in the city was one of those moments when am crushed and grilled with mixed emotions. I was both sad and happy, excited and anxious, confident and nervous. I was sad, anxious nervous because I was away from home, away from my people, away from my place. I won't have my Mother with me to take care of me and my stuffs, I won't have my Father with me to support me and boost my morals, I won't have my Sister to cheer me up whenever I am upset. But above all that, I had this dream in my mind to make it large.. for myself, my family and for everyone! Besides, spaces and distances can never affect the bonding I share with my people. So in a way, they would always be with me... just a call away! Now that I was in Bangalore already, I could not have given up all that.

The first night in Bangalore was something I can never forget. Staring at the whole city from the balcony of my sister's apartment on the 7th floor almost gave me goosebumps. The skyscrapers standing high almost made me cry. It kept reminding me of my home. I felt left out, alone amidst a crowd full of unknown faces. People during the day were simply rushing... there was a look of urgency in their faces but at night, it was all calm, serene. The busy day soon converts into a beautiful night!

The next day was my interview at Ness which went fairly well and I was sure that I had made it. By that time I had slowly revived to my own state. Papa was there with me all the time till then but soon he was to go too. So it was important for me to be back to normalcy. And finally, he left for Odisha and I started a new life on my own as a professional in the corporate world.

First few months were great. It was more or less like college with various like-minded people. We studied, worked and had fun together in the training days. Exploring different places, trying out different restaurants, wandering for sweet stalls after dinner and posing before the shutterbugs were our main theme of fun. Life was great! Then there was serious work time after the training days were over. But work was fun with wonderful people all the way. Not that, I had all the good times but bad times also had their own chapters to be added to my life. And my life keeps changing... all for the good!

Coming to the city, Bangalore has its own tale to tell. One major part of the city is taken by the IT industry while a part of it is reserved for the Defence department of India. While a part of it is blocked for shopping malls, hotels and restaurants.. a fair part of it is taken by people settled here for work or studies (like me). Rest of the city is left for its own people. I personally have a liking for people in the southern part of India. They are gentle and helpful and may be that's the reason I am so comfortable traveling in train while going to Odisha.

Like many other growing cities, this city is also full of people, vehicle and has its own share of problems related to traffic, urbanization and pollution. Yet, we cannot complain about this when the city has so much to offer! Bangalore's climate is to die for... always pleasant, windy and breezy. Though it's not compatible with an asthmatic person like me.. yet it's the top attraction of the city. There's greenery all around. There are many beautiful places in and around Bangalore... most of which I have seen and rest, I am yet to see! Here, Ragigudda Temple, Nandi Hills, Bull Temple, Iskcon Temple, Cubbon Park, Sankey Tank, Lal Bagh, Wonderla are worth mentioning. Outside Bangalore, a trip to Mysore is a must. The majestic Palace of Mysore holds the topmost position in inviting visitors. Besides, there are places like Jamia Masjid, St.Philomena's Church, Manchanbele Dam, Savan Ganga, Shivasamudram and others. It's easy to cover most of the southern must-see places while being in Bangalore. Places like Coorg, Chikkamanglur, Mangalore, Udupi, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Munnar, Allepy are easily reachable. Other than these worth-seeing places, the city has a great taste to offer... from the traditional Kannada style preparations to foreign cuisines. I won't be doing justice, if I don't mention a few of my favorites... Dalma, Sahib Sind Sultan, Tandoor Hut, Esplanade, Bay Leaf, China Bowl and ofcourse Sukh Sagar! One is guaranteed to not be disappointed at these places :)

Bangalore has given me so much in so many ways. It helped me in creating a space for myself, reshaping my career, polishing my attitude and re-discovering myself altogether! It gave me wonderful people around and loads of memories to cherish throughout my life. Presence of family and old friends added the icing to the journey making it more enjoyable. I owe so much to this beautiful city! But in turn, I can just praise this city from the core of my heart... keeping it more lively and more blissful always!


When people believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success ..!!

It's My Day ..!!

In a month or so, I would be completing my 3rd year in Bangalore. The journey so far has been like a dream. I met people, saw places, made friends, cherished time and life's been really good. Among many of those wonderful moments, the special ones for me are my birthdays. And the whole credit goes to my friends who sometimes bang in my place as the clock strikes 00:00 hours... who would celebrate my birthday just a day before (out of my thoughts) and... who would keep pretending that they have forgotten my birthday and leave me guessing!!

Such was a birthday this time!! Unlike the past two years, this year I was in Marathahalli and that too Lala Bhai's place. I never blabbed out about my birthday but Bhabhi was knowing it somehow (we both being June babies). As I came downstairs on the very morning, I found a packet and a cute paper folded cake. Nicely written on it were the words, "Happy Birthday to Tinku Apa... From, Shweta and Smarak". That was so cute and touchy!! It reminded me of my Chuku who used to pass me notes on my birthdays with her wishes. I so so so miss her :( Then Bhabhi asked me to open the packet. It contained a nice kurti, a gift from Bhai and Bhabhi. It felt so good. I was happy that I was with people so loving and caring on my birthday!!

Happily, I set off for office. This was my first birthday in office (past years, it has always been a weekend). A cake cutting was definitely expected by me :) I was already aware that VJ was not coming that day. She somehow had her mind set to not to come to office that day! And then there was Sreemayee who wished me on FB of all things. She could have shouted from her place and I would have heard but she chosed FB :P Girls and their minds, I tell you... are just unpredictable (If you are thinking of me, then forget it... am exceptional)!!! Again I knew that Thejas and Vivek has forgotten for they did talk to me yet they could not wish me! No complaints... the credit goes to their sharp memory :P Then came Shirish and Ashish to wish me. Thanks guys for coming all the way that day :) And finally came the final cake cutting part. Thanks to the guys (Sreemayee, Vivek, Thejas, Shirish, Shipra, Ashish, Gopi, Sandesh, Shridhar, Nidhi, Krishna, Poonam) to get a yummy cake for that day!! I was busy with the phone calls, number messages and wishes but at the back of my mind I had a doubt. It was half day already and there was no call or message from Vipin and Yuvraj. Now, this is quite normal as long as Vip is concerned. He has a nature of forgetting dates. I was aware that Chinu (Vip's wife) knew it but then, there was chance she would have forgotten too :) But Yuvraj!! No ways and that too when he was in Bangalore only, it was something next to impossible. I was certain that he would have planned something surely, may be something even more shocking. But I didn't have a choice other than to wait and watch.

In the mid of the work, Ritesh called me yet again asking if we could meet for sometime in the evening in the Total Mall near his office and my house. I found it a bit fishy but I was all set to go. I discarded his terms and conditions of our meeting and convinced him with my conditions. Instead of meeting at the Total Mall at 6:30 PM, we were meeting at 5:45 PM near his office. After he came, he was so consistent on going to the mall. All the way, he got calls from various people whom he kept informing about his whereabouts. I was doing nothing but keenly following his moves! Then after we landed at Domino's, I kind of forced him to have the pizza ordered but could not. He badly wanted us to have cold drinks in that cold, windy, cloudy weather. I let it be. We were seated and I made him seat facing the road (basically the entrance) and as if to make my doubts clear, he was repeatedly looking out to the entrance and I was damn sure that the Gang is about to come. Deliberately I asked him about Yuvraj and Vipin and his reactions were awesome!! But I was glad, he was trying all his might to keep his secret a surprise and I decided not to spoil it. Finally, Vipin, Chinu and Yuvraj came with a yum yum chocolate cake. The celebration and the pizza party was nice and so was my birthday. And in case, you are wondering, why I mentioned about those suspicious calls about Ritesh's whereabouts, let me clear you it was from Vipin and Yuvraj and I could make that out already from the expressions on his face :)

Though I missed my home, Chinki and Reshma on my birthday but the celebration with two wonder kids Smarak and Shweta and my amazing friends is also special in a way. The paper cake the kids gifted me is probably the cutest gift I have ever received on my birthday!!

Thank you and love you all :) With such wonderful people like you all around, I feel blessed!!

Office, Rain And Me ..!!

After shifting to our new office in Marathahalli, daily up and down has become a pain.What adds to it the sorrow is when my fellow car-poolers (Vivek, Keerthi and Sreemayee) feel lazy and bunk the office (and they do it at least once a week :P ). Then I have to commute either by auto-rickshaw or bus. It gets worse when it rains!

Yesterday was one such day. I was waiting for KD to come and pick me up but he was late and finally he didn't come only. So I hired a rick to start for office and I was pretty late.After day's work, it was time to leave from office. We could not start on our usual time of 4:00-5:30 PM since we had a meeting and again, it was raining pretty hard. I had earlier thought of going with VJ but got to know that she got her scooter. But thankfully Krishna was there and he agreed to drop me off at my place. But this stupid rain... was not pausing!

Around 6 PM, we heard that it's just drizzling and we thought of leaving as soon as possible. We got Ashish with us too.. who was already confused of whether he should join his call or not :P Finally, we dragged Krishna out of a call he joined already and got ready to go. As per the plan, Ashish would be there with VJ till Total Mall but from there, she had to come with us. We all started and in no time, Ashish and Vj were out of our sight! We were anyway fine with that and still less worried since they must be together!

We were stuck in traffic and Krishna was getting frustrated. I must say, horrible traffic it was! To add to it, there was construction work in progress on the road sides which added to the jam. Somehow the way cleared and Krishna accelerated his bike and soon it was flying in air! I literally could not open my eyes (all thanks to his bike. Krishna, please get me a ladder next time :P). But I felt it was better to move on since VJ was already missing out of sight.

We reached Total Mall but those two were nowhere. I called her, she didn't receive. I called him, he was busy (hopefully, he was on that meeting :)). Again I called both of them to find the same results. We were still waiting and it was still drizzling. Then Krishna saw Dominnos and suggested that we can go and have pizza. Good that he did! I already wanted to have but because of the rain and already missing VJ, I dared not to say :) We went inside and ordered. Krishna was still hopeful that those two missing people would come and was about to order for more but good that we didn't. Ashish messaged me that VJ left already. So we finished our pizza and started. This time Krishna was comparatively slower. We were again stuck at the Domlur flyover. We were moving as and when possible. A stupid fellow from nowhere came and overtook us from the left... splashing all the logged water on us. And for that, I was blamed :O Krishna's argument was, because of me... he was riding slow and hence that guy could cross us and do this :O (Seriously people I tell you, there's no value of goodness now! :P) Finally, the most awaited call came from VJ and she confirmed that she reached safely despite the heavy traffic, drizzling rain, water logged roads and defective scooter :P

Soon I reached home and thankfully, I was safe too! But yesterday's experience was something to be remembered... fear, terror, enjoyment, excitement... all clubbed!



A goal is a dream with a deadline!!

Wedding Of The Season ..!!

Finally it was the day - the day for the most awaited wedding of the season, the marriage of my cousin Lally Apa. Since we come from a large family (our Khandaan), it becomes really hard to meet all the family members. In situations like this, we generally wait for some grand celebrations like marriage. Lally Apa's wedding was one such occasion for us!

Considering the way of life we have... always busy with works and all, the wedding in Delhi was more or less a good break for us. Moreover, it was one of those times when we could see others after a long gap, some in years! So everyone was gearing up for the break and the grand reunion. That was the big fat Odia wedding of the season!

Plans were ready... we kept in touch with each other to know the respective arrivals. It was the most exciting time for us and especially me, since I was going to meet many people, including the bride after a long long gap. I decided to go a little earlier so that I could have some time with my parents too. Chinki was missing in the list due to her exams. She still regrets what all she missed!

The moment I landed in Delhi, Bapa was there to receive me at the airport. From there itself started the events of meeting and greeting everyone. Almost all the elderly members of our family were there along with a few cousins (brothers, brothers-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law). Soon we were busy preparing for the evening which was the engagement ceremony. As we reached the temple, Jiju and his family was already there. But we were waiting for the bride to come. After making us wait for an hour, finally she came! She was simple yet sunning and wore the most beautiful smile ever! The rituals of the evening started. However, we were so busy talking and posing for the shutterbugs. The event ended with a wonderful Mahaprasad dinner.

Next day was the 'sangeet' but since all the people with whom I wanted to be with were busy and some others were unavailable, I thought of joining Ma with the trip they had planned to Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan. The journey was tiring considering the amount of travel we had yet the places were wonderful, especially the Taj. It is always a delight to see it! The magnificent architecture kept surprising me. Although the guide  we had was not the best one but he somewhat managed to introduce us to the most salient features of the historic monument, one of the seven wonders of the world! The trip to Mathura was enjoyable. I was happy to be in the land of my Lord! By the time we reached Vrindavan, it was evening and the weather was kind of windy all of a sudden. To add to it was the chaos caused by the visitors and monkeys there. They made the whole visit a little scarier for me at least! We somehow made it for the dinner and left for Delhi, to the venue where a 'jagraata' was scheduled. Though we were the last entrants, but it was still okay. I realized, I would have been hell bored if I would have stayed back. By the end of the second day, I had already met Lally Apa, Kuku Apa, Reet and Putul Apa. These are some of the people with whom I only keep in touch but can hardly meet due to our own engagements. So meeting them was the best part of the whole trip.

The next day was the D-day. Almost all the people who were supposed to attend the wedding had gathered. We talked, we laughed and we cherished loads of old memories. After breakfast, most of them left for some other works they had on plates. Since I was kind of free, I thought of going out to see the historic city of New Delhi. The whole city actually surprised me. It was so beautifully planned. I did see some of the landmark places - India Gate, Red Fort, The Parliament, Chandni Chowk and many more. I was so content with the wonderful city!

Soon after lunch, we started preparing for the evening. It was the last wedding to be solemnized before mine's. It was going to be a memorable evening after all! Everyone came in their best.. however, the lady of the evening for whom the whole ceremony was organized actually stole the show. She looked extremely pretty and gorgeous even though everything was so simple about her! Once she was out there, everybody was distracted from what they were doing and attracted towards her. Finally came the groom and his entire party. The about-to-wed couples were led to the stage where the guests can personally meet and greet them. Seeing the bride and groom together on the stage was quite a view! They both complemented each other so well -  one of the best pairs ever! The shutterbugs were glued to their cameras which kept clicking the beautiful couple! Then came the guest of the evening- the Home Minister himself. It was good to see Mr. Chidambaram in real, especially when I have heard so many things about him! He was in his usual self but that moment was truly special! As he left, we thought it was better to leave the handsome couple for the rest of the invitees and enjoy the delicious food - which we do the best :-) We ended up talking, talking and talking. Finally the marriage ceremony started and it was a delight to see the mixture of Odia-Punjabi wedding! By early morning, it was done and the bride went off to her new home to start a new life and we retired to our rooms to get a power nap and energize ourselves. It was time for me to leave. I was sad because in just three days I had made memories which would last till the end of life. Meeting everyone was just awesome. Seeing Bapa and Ma after a long time felt just as nice as it sounds to be! We so much felt the absence of Chinki! 

I particularly like the culture that is now in our family - a mini India in the whole family. I love the liberal attitude of the parents, the freedom they have given to their children and the way the children take it. Everyone has the fair chance of pursuing what they want. I hope, this culture goes better with time and the love and respect we have for each other stays forever!

Now back to Bangalore, back to work - all hale and hearty spirits! The whole credit goes to the girl who made it so so wonderful for all of us. Her wedding was indeed the wedding of the season which ended up with a great get-together!

Love you lots, Lally Apa. Wish you a great married life and hope you have loads of beautiful days ahead!

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. 

Moving To The Q-Family ..!!

Past few days have been exciting. As soon as we got the news of moving into Quintiles, things have moved a bit faster. Our work stuffs were almost freezed, we were busy taking the back ups, the systems were being cleaned and laptops being configured. We were very calculative in the pros n cons... the major disadvantage being the relocation of office!

Ness office has the advantage that it was in Koramangla, one of the finest places in the Garden City. Calm, serene and a place with a wide range of choices for almost everything. Again, leaving Ness was not easy either. I guess, it always happens with something 'first'.. Ness being my first company. I spent two wonderful years as a part of my professional career kick-off. Those years can be rephrased as my fundamental days and I liked almost everything about it. However, nothing in this world is permanent except change! Finally it was time to move on and give new directions to life. Moving to Quintiles was not a bad choice for me. In fact, I always wanted to be there but somehow I had an emotional connection with my first company.

Time moved on, we moved to Quintiles. The start was great! We had our induction sessions and all formalities done. Next day we were in office. The ambiance was so different than that of Ness. We got separate cubicles each having a monitor, a phone and all the space to our name! That was indeed exciting and we immediately liked the place. In fact, the first day at office was spent praising the workplace, wondering on how to decorate it and of course clicking photos.

After this wonderful start, hopefully the days ahead will be equally great! 2012, so far, has been good!

A Ride Of A Lifetime ..!!

I had my first outing of the year 2012 today - 19th February! A day which I would cherish always. It would always remain special for me. I was on a trip which can be named as "Bangalore Darshan". The whole trip was planned by a dear friend of mine. And now, as the day is over... I really don't know how to thank Him for giving me such a wonderful day!

We started early in the morning (yeah, 7 o'clock in the morning is too early for me these days :P) and now I know, what I have been missing all these days. Bangalore is beautiful in the morning... the sun slowly rising... cool wind blowing... calm and peaceful environment... less traffic and less pollution... absolutely a serene atmosphere! For the people who have never liked Bangalore for various reasons, an early morning ride would give them ample reasons to love the beautiful green city!

The whole idea was to cover some places in the city and we started with a temple. I was told that it's a small temple but a nice place to visit. But I tell you, it was a great temple and a beautiful one too. I have always been interested in art and architecture and here the temples in the southern part of India are too different as there are in the rest of India. Here temples would have a fully decorated and sculptured entrance with veranda and a great open place. Not moving into the design of the place, I can just say that it was the most peaceful place to be at in the morning. It had a beautiful rock which one can climb to have a soothing topmost view of the area but I missed it :( We were too early for that. Yet, I loved the place and would like to be there again!

We had a happy-breakfast from an old food joint in Bangalore and started our expedition. I had already seen some of the must-visit places in the city, so my friend was left with showing me the rest. We went to Cubbon Park (Bangalore is very much influenced by the English, hence the name after Sir Mark Cubbon). It was one of its kind. At least I saw that kind of park for the first time ever. People were allowed to take their vehicles (which is so unusual in parks) and I felt, that was a necessity since the Park was way too big for someone to walk around. The landscape around was beautiful. At one end, there was the lifted tower of the UB City while at the other end, there was the huge building of the Vidhan Soudh. To add to that, there were numerous trees n plants with radiant colored flowers.

From there we went to the other end of the city but were stopped by a dazzling beauty. It was the huge Sankey Tank. Before that actually I had never seen a tank so big! The clear water... the chirping birds... the swimming ducks were adding to the beauty of the place. The rising sun had its refelction on the water giving it a shiny effect. The tank was surrounded by a beautiful park where people of various age group would be seen... all in a fresh n jolly mood. We spent quite some time there. The place was comparatively calm and quiet and I was enjoying the silence. The only noise was that of the chipry birds. I wish it was somewhere near to my place so that I could have had a chance to sneak out there for a quiet-time!

Now we had the doubt of where to go! We had ample time in our hands but most of the places were covered. My friend thought, we could just start our ride and see where we end and hence we started moving. We crossed the city and took the Mysore road, hardly knowing where were we headed to. On the way, we came across a road guide plate. It showed us way to two places Manchanbele Dam and Savan Durga. Since my friend had already visited the latter, he thought of showing me that. It was a good idea to see what all comes in between. From the highway, we entered through ghats. Traversing the ghats on bullet and that too, when it's literally flying is an incredible experience! We located a place from the top which was a beauty! Neither the sky nor the water was that blue ever... even the mountains were not that beautiful ever... and the greenery around was never that soothing! The place was truly blessed with nature and the view from the top was a real treat for the eyes. That was the place with a striking beauty... the most beautiful place I had ever seen in Bangalore! All the way, I had the thought that the city is beautiful with greenery all around but after seeing that place, I forgot everything and its beauty captivated me. We soon found that it was the same Manchanbele dam. We went almost near to that lake but the sign of danger all around was a bit terrifying, so we made our way back.

By now it was getting hotter but we were still excited. The unplanned biking was somehow getting interesting. We started for Savan Durga. I was told that, it was a rocky mountain with a temple on the top. Having no idea of the height of the mountains, I thought I could climb that easily. However, my confidence started shaking as I saw the mountains from a distance. Too high they were ( at least for an asthmatic person like me). But I kept that out of the knowledge of my friend... still hoping that I can do it! We reached there. After a short break, we made our way to the mountain. I remember, I had covered some 10-15 steps when I felt a bit uneasy and a little ahead of that would have been complete breath-taking for me. Somehow I felt, going further would not be a good idea. But I really wanted my friend to go. A good friend that he is... he did not go leaving me alone :) That was the last spot of our ride of which I could only take photographs!

Then, it was time to return to The Garden City. We took the other way of coming back hoping to get some more places on the way. But it was a bit more hot by then and my friend was hungry. So we halted for some 5 minutes for a small break and then rushed to Bangalore without any stops. We made our passing through the Bangalore University and I was amazed by its campus. A huge, huge one really! It hardly gave me an impression of an University for it was full of public transportation and other vehicles. The roads were not properly maintained too. But on both sides, the names of various departments would just let you believe that it was actually a University.

By that time, even I was hungry which was showing up on my face too. Without waiting for the time to reach Koramangala, we had our lunch somewhere on our way. The food was heavenly... mostly because I was too hungry by then. We started for the ultimate destination, my place as soon as we finished our lunch. An ice-cream after lunch was like an icing on the cake! Thus our day ended... and most of the time we were on the bike!

All said and done, the trip would not have been that enjoyable without a proper company. I am glad I had one! It was so nice of him to plan out everything. I had told him to show me the most strikingly beautiful place and he actually did. He must have known by now that I talk a lot... on anything and everything. That might have bored him too (but he's too good to accept that :)). He surely kept me busy with talks all the way. And without forgetting, the star of the day was his new bullet... which was literally flying! I had my first ever ride on a bullet and I never knew it would turn out to be such an amazing experience! I guess, this is the best gift of time ever gifted to me and I am going to cherish it all throughout my life. It was the time of my life and all thanks to my friend for making my day so so wonderful and memorable!

Thank you so much :)



Some people always enjoy the best that life offers.. not because, all good things come their way but because, they find good in all the things that come their way!!

It's All About Family ..!!

Finally the vacation is over. 15 long days came to an end! But it was pretty fast. I guess, it's always like that. When you are with your loved ones.. or when you are having the time of your life... that period would always be short-lived. So was mine!

I started on 23rd of December and reached at Bhubaneswar on 24th night. The weather was awesome there... chilly, wintery and soothing! And I was at home.. the best place on earth ever! I had a wonderful time at Puri, Cuttack and my village too. It was fun to meet so many people at the same time. I met most of my cousins (older and younger). It was great to see them after a long time.

Soon we reached at the end of the year. All these while, I was busy roaming here and there, hardly having any time alone. But that was still not enough. I had a set of friends to meet too. I soon planned for a meeting. On 31st of December, Me, Reshma, Shiv and Lisha had a small get-together over lunch. This was surely not the first time I was meeting them after college. But then, they were meeting each other probably for the first-second time. That's how time matters! Work and career have taken a toll over everything these days. We hardly have time for family and friends. We are so much restricted to a circle and sometimes, it becomes tough to come out of it. But, it's only tough... not impossible! Like we did, we successfully came out of that circle to meet each other and re-live the good old times. It was really an awesome time and probably the best of the ways to bid adieu to 2011, which was so instrumental!

After a long tiring day on 31st... we were all gearing up for the the next day... that is, the 1st of January in a brand new year, 2012. A party was being thrown by my Uncle for my cousin's success in the Civils exam. It was more or less a family get-together for us. Most of my family members were joining and I was pretty excited for that. And true to what I thought, it was wonderful. Meeting many people whom I did not see for a long time was great. What could have been better than this beautiful welcome to the New Year! I feel, I have made the new year special for many too. No matter what, my Chuku won't deny to this fact :)

The 15 days I spent in Odisha left me with memories for ages! In these 15 days, I covered the whole of Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and my village... met each and every member residing at these places and even some more! It was truly a time of my life! It was all about my family.. they made my vacation special!


Sometimes what you want is not what you get. But, at the end what you get is so much better than what you wanted!!