The picture

This post is part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

This picture evokes memories of our family trip to Goa. This was about three years back.My daughter was at an age, where she would be able to fondly recall about her family outing & we decided on this trip.It helped, that my brother & family had recently concluded a similar trip to Goa.

 It was a package tour.Breakfast was on the house & even dinner.Every morning ,there was an outing to a place nearby for exploring.Evenings were free for us to shop & stroll. It was the first morning after we had landed in the resort the evening before.We hurried up with our breakfast.We gobbled up all that was there.Because ,lunch was on our cost !

The bus was waiting to take us on our first local trip. We went & sat down in the bus after having got comfortable seats.It was a pleasant morning.There was a cool breeze.It was October.The bus started after all guests had occupied their seats. The first stop was to be the Aguada Fort.

We reached the fort.We got down.The guide who had accompanied us in the bus gathered us all & started speaking about the fort.He said that a part of it was Central jail where many prisoners were kept.He showed us around & then told us that after fifteen minutes,all were expected back in the bus to move on to the next destination.

 We were all on our own now.We explored the vast spaces of the Fort.The space fascinated us all, as many of us ,were from cities where space crunch is the only reality.My husband & kid were walking around.I had the camera.I started clicking pictures randomly. Then I saw an opening of a door- without the door.I felt, that this was a good photo opportunity.I started to click & at that moment,a foreign national- a teenage girl ,with a scarf wrapped on her head just walked into my picture frame !

 I had seen her with her dad & brother - this is my guess.She was not Indian.Maybe, from the Gulf.She was fully covered.She was fiddling with her camera as well.I don't know, when she walked into my picture.I was spellbound ! There was no time for another click of the camera.We could hear the guide, calling us all back into the bus for our onward journey. I gathered my kid & hurried up to the bus with hubby, in tow.

I was wondering about the photograph.I was just an amateur.I felt awesome, having clicked that snap.I would have to wait till we reached home after our trip.Then, only, would I be fully able to comprehend the photograph in its entirety. I clicked many snaps on our Goa trip.We did go on many trips after that.Still, that snap, is one of the best clicked by me.Moreover ,that girl with the head scarf holding camera in her hands in the photograph, has given a new perspective to it !

 The door opening with the girl, looks like a photo frame.I simply love that photo ! Though the girl is framed in the snap,I feel it is my talent, that has been framed, vide that picture ! And that too, for posterity !

Jeevan Yatra.

Life is an incredible journey.We all go through it . The moment ,we are born ,our journey has already begun.Some may, even say, that it begins when a life is conceived in the womb.So ,we all go on this yatra from birth till our demise.

Our school,the games we play , marriage or bachelorhood,job ,business,work, leisure all play a part in this journey.In other words ,the journey is itself fantastic, with so many views & milestones en route.We may not always agree, as we seem to give more importance to the job,promotion,educational achievements et al rather than our jeevan yatra.We all experience failures, disappointments,successes,elation,etc.All these experiences teach us, though, we may not be, always willing, to learn & absorb it.

Sometimes we travel for meeting others,for family functions,for school reunions,for an emergency ,for fun ,for exploring etc.Some trips are planned, while others just happen.Some trips are with family ,some with friends & some are trips, on which, we travel alone.

Our life trip begins with our birth.Next, is our schooling, followed by college,a job maybe ,marraige,then our generation next-their hopes,aspiration which includes educating them & their marriage.By this time ,we are tired & want to retire.In all these years of our journey ,we lose many loved ones whose trips have ended.We  are full of hope, for the newborns, whose journey has just begun.

We learn a lot by our journeys.We learn, that we must love, not hate.Hatred has no limits & it causes pain.Love is limitless & brings us closer to the Almighty.Hence,even if ,one is an atheist & loves all ,then he is a devotee after all.

I have also had my share of joys & sorrows.I still whine over my sorrows forgetting too often the many joys I have been blessed with.Sometimes,I feel ,I am in a hurry, to complete this journey of life.Thankfully ,God has other plans.

I have a good family life.I am healthy .I have taken up new tasks like writing ,baking ,etc.I am an avid reader.I have developed a sense of humour & try to be cheerful.I have many negative traits as well namely that , I am a pessimist.I am impatient.I scream & talk loudly as if the world is deaf.I listen to the radio  loudly so that all my neighbours are forced to hear it.I keep thinking about the  future, instead of living in the present.I have to overcome these traits to become better.

For this,I have to learn to accept, that I am human & can fail many times & in many ways in varying fields.Failure just means that I can try & do better next time.As one of my friend says, that all experiences -teach us .All are for learning.

I must be mentally as also physically fit to learn as I continue this jeevan yatra.I must eat healthy & stop worrying.I must just do, what is to be done, in the best way,that  I can & watch the miracles unfold !I must learn something new, each day, to stimulate myself  to enlighten myself.Life's journey would then  become wonderfully incredible !

Meri Padosan : Continues.

I had to write this post - my friend told me that my acidity is due to stress .She also revealed that my padosan is the cause of all my stress !

My padosan will come & ask for my landline phone.Once handed ,she will fumble with it .She has to be told to press the "Talk" button & so on.Still,nothing works,& I am forced to transform into a telephone operator & dial the number & hand it over to her ! And mind you ,this is not the first time ! I have lost count of the numbers now ! Good -otherwise ,I would be expected to dial from memory !

When we were to go on our trip abroad,she was happy.There was a reason behind it.They had booked tickets for a tour which included Thailand.There was a civil unrest there.Hence, they cancelled their visit.The tour operators said that they will postpone it.Since we were travelling to that side of the world where Thailand is located,my neighbour was happy that we will be travelling & returning before they embark on their trip ! This in spite of the fact, that our tour package never included Thailand ! I used to be under the impression that only the lady of the house was eccentric & soon realised I was wrong ! Her hubby  asked us, if all was safe during our tour as Japan had recently witnessed Tsunami & there had been civil unrest in Thailand ! We never visited Japan & neither their package tour included Japan ! After all this fius,they shopped like mad & got diamonds,shoes ,tees etc from their trip !


Last week, she rang my bell at eight in the night to borrow elaichi sorry  to get elaichi.It is not borrowing as she never had an  intention to return it ! She told me that as it was pitru paksh,all elaichis had been used up & her son ( who is an adult & employed ) wanted a sweet at that time ! I just gave in.I don't want people lying through their teeth .After all ,because she needed elaichis from me ,she lied.Sab paap mere sar par aa jayeega !

My padosi family is all of a kind - the borrowing variety.I had gone to the local pharmaccy store.My padosan's daughter in law  who stays with her in laws was also at the shop.I brought some medicines at the shop & paid.My neighbour's  bahu brought some shampoo ,cream,face wash etc.Then she enquired if the pharmacy store accepted credit cards.When that was refused ,she said that she will pay later & walked off ! I understood this as sangat ka asar- when a person stays in the  company of another, even for some time, ,some habits,do creep in our subconscious mind .They , then manifest themselves into the conscious world ! This borrowing was handed over to her, by her saas.Her saas is  notorious in our society for having  borrowed money & things from almost all the residents !

Recently ,I made an egg less  banana cake.I distributed to all my neighbours.My padosan came & praised my cake.I fell for it & told her the ingredients & that, I made it in the microwave.She  asked me the vessel in which I had made it.I showed the  branded glass ware which I had used.She hinted, that she might borrow it . When I mentioned this to a friend ,she quipped that even if the glassware breaks ,what are a few glass pieces, if peace can be brought with the padosan ? ! My neighbour is a non -vegetarian.She wanted to pass on the cake to her daughter's sasur ( father in law ) who is recovering at a clinic after surgey as he is a
vegetarian !

Next day ,my neighbour declared, that, she had brought all the ingredients for the banana cake & she wanted me to make it in my microwave & hand it over to her ! I informed her, that I had attempted it for the first time & by fluke ,it had come out well .She replied, that even if it gets spoilt,she will not mind.I tried to wriggle out of the situation by telling that bananns need to be over ripe for the recipe.Next day ,she said that she has pureed the banannas & she wanted to give it to me for baking the cake.I told her that  the microwave has konked out .She told me that all her purreed banans were getting wasted.I told her to make sooji ka halwa ( rava kesri )& add pureed bananas to it ! That would  be more yummy than the cake & does not need the microwave !

Now all my baking has to stop -lest my padosan learns, that the microwave is fit enough to make  the banana cake !