Soul Mate...

I saw him in class during my first year in college.. I was the first girl he spoke to.. We soon became friends and shared everything that came to our minds and hearts.. Our friends started pairing us as is the ritual with all friends who find a girl and guy sitting together!! We started distancing.. When I found out that friends still teased him in my absence, I stopped talking to him completely... I was just happy to know he'd be there whenever I needed him.

College got over, we went our ways.. A birthday wish was the rare occasion for us to exchange a few dialogs. Everyone got busy with work and higher studies.. Friends started getting married, invitations were circulated and during one such occasion we encountered each other after a span of 3 years...

We were in touch after that and I told him about the prospects I was seeing and he told me he was seeing prospects for wedding too.. Deep inside we wished to be engaged to someone we knew. It was one wish we never conveyed to each other and just then, it would have been a Magic wand waved somewhere that wiped out all other possibilities and we were brought together again... This time to be tied forever!!

I've been through feelings of infatuation, attraction and affection during different phases of life. What I feel for him now is Attachment... He feels it too...

This feeling for each other prevails in everything we do.. He never makes me feel lone.. He listens when I talk, never lets me be upset and makes sure I smile. He understands my fears and worries but never sympathizes with me, he gives me strength. He says when he thinks about something, I know it even before he tells me about it. We take each others families to be ours and do everything possible to keep everyone happy!

Our relationship is now embellished with Respect, Care, Love, Honesty and Glee.. May be that's why they call the special someones Soul Mates... Soul Mates as We... 



Cheers!!
God Bless!!!


Chandra Daga

Miss - Take

How many of have not made any mistakes in life??
I guess none!!!

In my opinion, we should all understand mistake as a "Miss - take". Just like there are a number of takes in a  movie where you can rectify defects and blunders, so is the case with our life.. Those with a good years of experience would agree with me when I say this. There's no question that has no answer, no problem that has no solution and absolutely nothing that can not be set right after a goof - up.

Off late have seen the best and worst sides of life.. The pretty and ugly facets showed themselves together and I took it as a challenge.. This can be credited to a few lessons that I've learnt during my school and college.

My first lesson was from school where an eraser was used to rectify errors. When pen replaced a pencil, whitener replaced the eraser but there still was something that could correct the answers.

Second lesson was completed when I realized that our teachers take exams at the end of every year, grade us accordingly as to how much we've learnt and promote us to the next class. Exact mechanism works with life - we have new hurdles and our abilities help us get to the next level.

The nicest lesson came with an adventurous rafting experience. The instructor gave us necessary cautions and tips after which we started off. A little ahead he told us to jump in the water and float. We were caught by surprise when he told us that the water was 80 feet deep. Once we'd all jumped into the deep waters, he told us that a crocodile may be wandering around. After getting on the rafts, we enthusiastically moved further. The journey was rocky at times and a smooth sail at other times but that journey was fun!! All of us came out drenched in the cold waters with an experience of our lives!!

We have parents and family to guide us, advise us, but we have to make it to move on our own tracks. Fears, worries and impediments will come but they will only increase our zest to reach the destination. Life is indeed not a smooth sail but however events turn out, at the end of it all, it is an experience!

So Laugh, cry, play, fight, lose, win, dance, sing, be sane, go mad... Do whatever keeps you going. Make choices without regret, never lose confidence in self and remember we succeed even after we fail, make Miss- takes but make sure the next take helps you move ahead!!!

Cheers!!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga!

At the Bottom...

Indian villages have an image of being places which are far from technological, educational and social advances. Places with open drains, unavailability of transport, lack of facilities. Places where children play gilli danda and swing on tires tied to tree branches, where men are superior and women meant to take care of family. A few facts that follow changed my outlook of the rural India and are about to change yours.

Punsari, a secluded village in Gujarat, talks about wi-fi and optical fiber broadband network, its children spend best of their times in air-conditioned classrooms with CCTV cameras. The village also brags of its own mini-bus transport system and there are 25-odd CCTVs located on important junctions to spot litterbugs.


Not a single rupee for all these has come from across the seven seas, instead the village managed its funds over the last five years that it received from central and state sponsored developmental schemes. The village panchayat had a capital of Rs 25,000 five years ago. Today, the deposits have soared to Rs 75 lakh. Their schools have no dropouts and CCTV cameras help to keep watch on teachers. Their reverse osmosis plant supplies 20-litre cans to houses for a token cost of Rs 4.

People of Nawanshahar, a remote village in Punjab are proud of its sex ratio. There are 1000 females for every 1000 males. Girls are not only accepted, they have the same facilities and rights as boys, be it education, sports or occupation. This in true sense is the meaning of Equality that our constitution talks about.


Bhiwandi, near Mumbai has endless happiness scattered during the wedding season. People get their kids married in a very simple way exluding pretentious arrangements and  and Dowry is a big no-no. Tanzeem Khuddam-e-Millat (Organisation of the Community’s Servants), an initiative my the muslim natives discards unnecessary expenditure and emphasizes on the union of the bride and the groom. Feeding the baraatis is indeed the most pricey affair involved in a wedding which is taken care of here with servings of ice cream bars, dates and juice. Tanzeem urges parents to give a part of their property to the bride as mehar (gift of marriage).


Imagine such marriages, social reforms and technological advances being a part of every village, town, city and state of the country. A lot of families would be spared from being ruined, a lot of girls would stand head high and the generations to follow would be nothing but gratifying for the foundation we laid for their dazzling and hassle free future.

Many such ideas and reforms may be waiting for us to act. It's time we take one step forward, be it small, make effort towards the gigantic tasks that lie ahead. The initiatives may have started At The Bottom and we are in charge of taking it not only to the top but to all the directions possible!!!

Courtesy: Time of India, Satyamevjayate


Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Loyalty...

A friend of mine doesn't tell his best friend that he loves her because he fears losing her. Another friend does not tell his spouse everything about his life.. I've noticed that keeping secrets is universal in lifestyles today. This triggered my contemplation regarding the meaning and importance of loyalty in our times. I looked up Google to find the definition but nothing seemed convincing.

After watching a movie yesterday, "Loyalty" and its meaning started wandering my mind again. In the simplest language, it would mean transparency, honesty and truthfulness. I have the same view but just in case one had refrained from telling one the truth, does that mean the former is disloyal or a cheat?

Things commonly kept concealed may include a past love, an unaccepted career, a gloomy family background, a traumatic experience, continuity of friendship with the one you once loved, a painful event, the list just does not end.

In the journey we call life, there are many instances when things are out of our control or as we say not in our hands. No events introduce themselves to us before happening and there are a few things a person might not want to share at the initial stages of an affiliation . Fear of losing a person or failure of the relationship may be the very reason to keep the secret. In any of these cases, the truth is given less importance than the acquaintance because more often than not, the awkward reality is capable of disappointing and depressing the ones involved.

Of course I'm not saying that its fine to hide things but if at all one had to do it, there definitely has to be a cause. We all have secrets, we don't share everything with everyone and only we know the reason behind it.

All I can say now is that Loyalty can not be confined to what a person says or does in front of others. The emotions within are the only thing that define loyalty. Things that have passed do not matter, how we handle the present matters. In case you are to come across any such revelations, be supportive than being appalled and the trouble would be taken care of.

Why risk the bright future for a murky past?



Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Genius..

I've heard a lot of people saying they are just ordinary and do nothing great. In this fast paced life where everyone is set to take their careers to higher levels, people who do not pursue serious professions are taken very lightly. Does being successful only mean having flourishing careers, big bank balances, being appreciated or winning awards?

I am of the opinion that success is for everyone but has various implications. Talent is the most important ingredient to be successful and that can be anything from talking to listening, from doing things to getting things done or even convincing people to manipulating minds. God has sent us down with our share of talent and the appropriate use of that is nothing less than an achievement.

The greatest scientists, inventors and revolutionaries of this world have also faced failures and criticism but determination kept them going. While they were known as fools during their times, they are remembered as great personalities, idols and trend setters in ours and will be for generations to come.

The same applies to all of us because as long as our brains our working, we can never stop exploring, evolving or achieving. Triumph may mean fulfilling our dream, performing our duties or as simple as living life peacefully. All of us have our paths and to keep walking alongside using our ability is ingenuity.

In short, Our abilities are assorted and hence our success is diverse!

So be the Genius you are and do what you are good at because "Everyone is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it'll spend its whole life believing that its stupid!"


Cheers!!
God Bless!!



Chandra Daga

Colors Of Life...

On the way to and back from temple, a few kids running around in clothes marinated in color took me back many years...  A few things I experienced and few I noticed back then dint seem to be so profound later on in life...
Holi, festival of colors alone has varied connotations at different stages of life...

The play with pichkaris (water guns) in childhood simply meant having fun. The purity and innocence of hearts turned all foes into friends and the day was purely made to have the best time of our lives...

During teenage, the colors show signs of growing up through the crushes and budding friendships alongside the tighter restrictions. We walk from home to home gathering friends, coloring them, dancing on the roads and getting back home before evening.

As we enter adulthood, water mixed with color makes the impact higher just like the strong bonds of friendships we develop. The color is called permanent but wares off in a couple of days but the relationships stay for life..

Colors of love fill the air when we find the special someone's in our life. We color them with care and warmth and the color speaks on our behalves. No person should be left uncolored just as we don't want a sad soul around. Value of family and relationships increase..

Maturity is displayed when only dry, organic colors are used and wastage of water is avoided. It is not because we do not like wet Holi, its just because we know the significance of resources and realize that saving them is essential for future generations.

At old age, powder colors take a backseat. Witnessing the sweet smiles, happy faces and delighted people soak us in colors of happiness.

One festival demonstrating diverse shades. From the naive childhoods to the philosophical old age, they not only take us through nuances of relationships but also reveal the facets of our inner self that we might not see otherwise...

Rejoice the assorted colors of life and make merry out of every bit...


Cheers!!
God Bless!




Chandra Daga

Patience...

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna, ab humare dil mein hai. Dekhna hai zor kitna, baazuye kaatil mein hai!

Reminds me of the legendary Bhagat Singh but more than him, it reminds me of his valour and endurance.
I recall the scenes from the Ajay Devgan movie where he waited for his sentence in jail. While others tried hard to stay by his side, he was indeed the only one effortlessly portraying the maximum level of  fortitude.

Off late, there have been a couple of incidents where I found myself and my dear ones go through testing times. I've seen them cry, seen them have sleepless nights, seen them sitting mum while others have fun, seen them getting appallingly furious for nothings, seen them dreamily wandering around, seen them looking for answers when asked questions and the worst is when you try to cheer them up and they don't even try to smile...

I've been through such situations and I'm sure you would have experienced it or seen your dear ones do. We'd all agree that its like hell to have patience during such times. Its said that "Time heals all wounds" - Easy to preach, difficult to practice! But do we have a choice?

All of us are looking for the same elements in life, may be our definitions vary but all we want is Peace, Happiness, Love, Success and all these contribute to our Health. Just as the additions render joy, the negations cause sorrow - the two ever prevalent phases of life. We don't need much to enjoy happiness and  require plenty to overcome grief.

Here's the recipe...
A Mass of Positive Attitude mixed with an Undying Determination and a Ceaseless Smile. The dish of life would be full of flavor when we Top it up with Oodles of Patience.

We don't need to wait for others to applaud for us, as long as we let our persistence portray our power!!
The only way to keep us from going backward is to keep moving forward!


Cheers!!
God Bless!!



Chandra Daga

Bro - Sis...

I sat at a doctor's clinic waiting for my turn listening to music. I looked around the place to see how many people to go before me when my eyes halted on two kids. There was a girl and her younger brother sitting next to their mother. The girl sat quietly while her little brother pushed her. My attention then shifted to another little girl who sat near the door with her footwear. She was trying to wear them but she'd put the footwear in the wrong foot. She unbuckled it but was unable to buckle it up so angrily punched the sandal and waited for her mother to finish paying the bill and come and help her. Her innocence made my heart leap...

In front of me, the kid continued pushing his sister and she finally broke her silence. She complained to her mom about the younger brother and the mother started her lesson on behavior. At the door, the little girl looked up as her elder brother walked towards her, sat down and patiently helped her wear the sandal. While the two of them smiled at each other, the other two in front of me continued shouting, trying to get their mother's attention. While the elder sister tried to speak, the little one took away all the limelight shouting and menacing around. Four different people sharing a relationship that is given the same name but means different to everyone.

He pulls her hair, she kicks him. He snatches her chocolate, she screams in his ear. He reads her personal diary, she reveals his girlfriends. Both try their best to prove to each other that mommy loves him or her more than the other. The most unique relation ever is the one between Bro and Sis...

I have  a younger brother and he has three older sisters. While he's Tom, the eldest one is Jerry. They keep punching and kicking each other. He's the troubleshooter to the second one and she's the listener. He's the biggest bug around me, he annoys me and throws tantrums all day and all I do is rebel. He pulls our leg, brings us gifts, teases us, supports us, makes us cry, makes us laugh, eyes our wardrobes to seize them and keep them for himself, spends more on us than on himself, loves to fight with us but can't see us low, will run away when we try to teach him something but will be the first one to be there when we'r lone.

Brothers and sisters share bitter sweet memories. They quietly cherish being with each other and out rightly deny loving each other. They do everything possible for one another and never show it on their faces. Their rapport with each other is inimitable irrespective of who's elder or younger and the age gap between them.

My brother has done lots for the three of us. He's been our pillar, counselor, critic, motivator, protector, competitor and problem creator. All these are the very things that keep us attached in an inexplicable bond.


P.S: An Exclusive presentation as a special dedication to Jijs, Di and Bro...
Love you loads always....


Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Share & Care...

We all must have encountered good and bad things in life.. Off late, I too have seen a lot of changes in relationships and people behavior. I could not help but find the reason for the unexpected circumstances that follow...

A prudent contemplation answered my question with just two words - Sharing and Caring...

I've observed that a lot of things in life turn to becoming problems as a result of lack of communication. Parent child relationships, matrimonial alliances, friendships... Tensions occur in all the spheres and they can be solved at the least levels by sharing. If people know we are hurt or have difficulty with few things they do, our side of tension has been taken care of. It's up to the other person to act next and its best for us to stay away from that space.. Some wise person had once said that crying lightens one's heart. I'm of the opinion that sharing unchains our hearts...

The other thing that can solve most of the hitches is Caring... When we really care for someone, we'd never want that person to be harmed, whatever we'd do for him or her is with all our will. Do whatever you can to show your care and make the person happy but never acclaim deeds done out of care. The only way we can be rewarded for them is with a smile from that person and when it comes from within, there's nothing like it.

Two simple and profound words but hold a lot of importance and when balanced well, the most difficult times pass with the wind like dry leaves..

So Share and Care and let troubles not Dare!


Cheers!
God Bless!!!



Chandra Daga

Our Treasure....

I'd been to my friend's place to surprise her but I was surprised when I din't find her at home.
Her grandmom was alone and she told me that my friend had been out for some work. She looked at me with teary eyes and said, "Beta, you keep coming here. Your friend's parents are not here and i'm all alone. I have no one to talk to"
I smilingly nodded.
She continued "Where's your mom?"
"She's at home"
"Get her along the next time you come. Come on Sunday, at least I'll have company, else time is so difficult to pass. I can't sleep all night. I'm so scared in this big house that I can't go from one room to another alone. Keep coming, after her parents return, I'll send her to your place also" and she continued weeping.
I wished I could help her in some way, may be talk to her or try to make her smile but I thought listening to her was the best at that time.

She reminded me of my grand mother. I was one and a half years old when we lost her. My mom tells me stories about her, about how I'd hold her ghaghra and walk slowly behind her. How I used to scare my mom saying, "Work properly, else I'll tell daadi"

Many of us would be living with our grandparents and many of us would have lost them. All we have are memories of the days when they poured all their love on us ignoring their children. This is not just with regards to our grandparents but our parents as well. They do everything possible for our happiness and a lot of us try to return happiness to them. Parents to us, mean a lot more than words could ever express. Their prominence in our lives is profound. When I tried to put that into words, this is the best way I could frame it in...

Our Wealth is to see them Smile.
It fills us with Pride when we Touch Their Feet.
The Everlasting Happiness is when we Hug Them.
Our Timeless Peace is when we rest our Heads in Their Laps....
They are Our Treasure!!

To all the Parents and Grandparents.
May god bless them all!



Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Its Ticking...

Someone had once said, "Time is money".

All of us agree.. But a hollywood movie 'In Time' explains it in the true sense where time literally means money.
The movie shows the actors with a timer on their arms and time is going backwards. They need to submit a minute to make a call, a week to buy something, a month to pass a toll gate, years are deposited and withdrawn from banks.

Imagine if we'd have to do it. How much would we have to spend to get a chance to our dear ones?
How'd we valuate time spent with family and friends?
How much would we give to do something for our kids?
What would we give to buy a laugh or some peace or good health?

The movie was no doubt a work of fiction but what we are living is real, with real people and real experiences. Money of course, means a lot but time and life are priceless! I know its easy to say but difficult to maintain an equilibrium between our work and happiness, between our brains and hearts, between rules and rights in the speedy life that we all lead. Well, it's difficult, not impossible. After all, a little effort is needed for something extra.

I'm sure we all have plans for future and all of us have also seen how uncertainty tumbles plans upside down. We've seen achievements, failures, births and demises. We are here for a lifetime but it's nothing more than just a while. Before we get to know, years just fly. More often than not, whether we feel like or not, we transfer things to tomorrow but how can we be so certain of getting a chance tomorrow or even seeing a tomorrow?

So don't think before doing things to make yourself or others happy, because life becomes worthwhile by living it to the fullest. But beware, the clock is ticking.
                     Tick Tock...
                                     Tick Tock..
                                                      Tick Tock!!



Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga