Anek... Part 2...

Continued from part 1...

DIMPLE says she enjoys snacking and chatting with me. Now this here is not gossip, we don't talk about anyone as such but we talk about things.. Like our habits, our likes, dislikes, behaviours, parenting, entertainment, education, hobbies, baking..... We can go on and on whether its 6 in the morning or 2 in the night.

Also, whenever I am hungry, I go to her and ask if she'd eat something and she asks Didi bhookh lagi hai? Mujhe bhi.. So we are definitely BINGE and GUPSHUP partners.

BHAVNA DI replied saying she enjoys my jokes and mimicry. She does go mute when I ask her some bizzarre questions but she says that's because she likes to listen more than talk. We do have some stomach hurting and eye tearing laughs when we are in form. So according to her, I am her LAUGHTER partner.

REEMZ says for her, I am someone she shares all her negative and positive thoughts. We dint do school or college together. She is my college friend's wife and we met ocassionally a couple of times. When I shared news of my pregnancy, she was expecting too. Sharing our experiences was the start of our relationship. Our unborn children were the reason we bonded and hence we are the MOTHERHOOD partners.

JAY JIJU could not really come up with anything much so he said I should spend more time there so we can have more partnerships. We somehow developed this love for cafe caremel ice cream from corner house and everytime he eats it, he misses me. I am his COFFEE and ICE CREAM partner.

CHETAN took 2 days to reply... He clearly missed my question so when reminded he answered that I am his HUMOUR and FAMILY PROBLEM SOLVING partner. Matter of factly, both of us are the troubleshooters and go to each other first when hit with a crisis situation. We two wisecracks are proud to be PRANK BUDDIES too. 

SWEETZ told me that I remind her of her adolescence. That’s where her memory lane is connected with our friendship. When she asked me the same question, I told her I always go back to the first day we met.

Something just clicked and we were almost inseparable during college. We studied, chatted, argued, laughed, cried, ate and enjoyed birdwatching all without being judgmental.. I did not know then that it would lead to a lifelong friendship and now, I am truly grateful for her presence in my life. We are, in every way possible, each other's FOREVER ADOLESCENCE partners.. 

Lastly, I did not ask this to PAPA but whenever I go home, He gets these variety of sweets. Different ones everyday saying chinku aayi hai. He loves sweets too but I'm sure he relishes food and mithai more when he has company. So I call myself his MITHAI partner...

These are all people I know and I am in constant touch with. I too have few such relationships that strengthen me, motivate me and sometimes just take me through a tidal situation.

HUM EK, HUMARE ROOP ANEK... 

We play different roles in lives of different people. Mostly we do not convey the importance of such people and yet they silently continue to support, care, love, entertain, inspire and influence us in more than one ways.

So as dear Jug rightly said, it is unfair to put the responsibility of so many relationships on just one. It is completely alright to have various people to play different parts.. 

We can have someone to listen to, talk to, dance with, read books with, enjoy music with, travel with, gossip with, watch movies with, enjoy theatre with, laugh with and talk nonsense with and each of these can be different. 

Go ahead and find your match for varied activities, I am sure this will uncomplicated life. Perhaps, we shall enjoy our lives the way they should be, without unnecessary disruption.

CHEERS!!

GOD BLESS!!

CHS

Anek... Part 1...

I came across this wonderful video excerpt from Dear Zindagi where Kaira talks to Jug about how she is sure of not finding anyone in her life. She then asks "Tell me something, is there anything like a perfect relationship?" To which our beloved Jug explains how we can have different relationships with different people. 

Like someone just to have coffee with, someone who you gossip with, someone who shares your love for books... So I asked some special people what kind of a partner I am to them.

Read on to find out what they had to say.. In the same order I received replies...

Darling PRIYANKA said Clothes, food and gossip partner and more... As little girls, we enjoyed playing kitchen set during our vacations and now we enjoy all genres of gossips and thus I am her CHITCHAT partner.

HUBBY said I am his life partner, support partner, mind partner. To which I was like hmmmmm... please kuch toh sochke boliye.. So he gave me an answer that melted my heart.

He said I am his impromptu travel partner. He'd love to travel to unexplored places with me. Enjoy unplanned trips, do whatever we like, no adjustments, no sacrifices. We also like cracking meaningless jokes, dance, talk our hearts out. In short, I am his HAPPINESS partner. 

SANY was next to give me her inputs. We share a million things, but she enjoys shopping the most with me. I admit its not easy to go shopping with her, it takes jigra. She  would pick something she likes and send me to the trial room and while I try the 2 or 3 things, there comes more. She likes this and that and then one more and more.... In the end I am under a debris of tagged clothing unsure of what to buy and what to let go. But such shopping sprees have become great memories too, so I am her SHOPPING partner.

MITZ said he loved to watch movies with me. Well we did watch a lot of movies, also enjoyed a few drives during college but haaye ye zindagi, never really get a chance to catch up these days. We do chat once in a while and know whats going on. So if we do get to meet it will be a theatre since I am his MOVIE partner.

BHABHI, my co sis says I am a friend. We do share an understanding. We trust each other and find comfort sharing our joys and sorrows. We do a little gossip too but I guess its more about the light feeling we have after venting our frustrations out so I'd like to say I am her CALMING partner... 

SANJU says my company is like a choti sister with whom he can share his feelings and worries. I am also a friend who is there for him through thick and thin. My support gives him confidence.. So let's say I am his SISTER and CONFIDANT.

Let's stop here..

Wait you want to read more.. Then I guess you will have to do that in the next one because this is going longer than I thought..

Guess the other titles I would have got and find out what role you play in other people's lives.. It's going to be fun, instrospecting and one happy exercise for mind, heart and soul.. 

To be continued... 

CHEERS!

GOD BLESS!! 

CHS

Three phased...

Life gives us different experiences.. We all go through so many rides at various ages. While we did not know what to call them, I have noticed the newer generation term episodes of life as phases..

As in when you start liking someone, it's a phase. When you have a break up, it is another phase. When you feel sad, lonely or low, it is yet another phase and the list goes on... 

While self introspection a few days ago, I revisited some of such phases of my life.. 

The first was when I started liking someone I had known for a very long time.. We were in school together but we were never on talking terms. High school was the start of our distant conversation and we got to know each other during college. We were just learning how to be together when something somewhere shattered my delicate teenage heart and we fell apart.

A few months later when I was not looking for any relationship, life startled me by presenting me with someone who was totally new to me. A complete stranger seemed to be all smiles whenever I was around.

We met more often on campus, spoke, started going out and just when I had thought I knew that was the special one for me, fate struck a stronger bolt of lightening and threw us distances apart.

Years later, I had a chance to reconnect with an old college friend. That was someone who listened to me when I needed an ear, spoke to me normally. As in, he was one of the rare boys who never gave me a vibe of liking, was most respectful and I always saw a person who was too shy to talk to girls. He had been a dear dear friend throughout.

So when I was getting prepped for arrange marriage, this friend of mine came into picture out of nowhere and I grabbed the opportunity of choosing him over a stranger. 

I knew the true situation will not be understood by anyone including my parents but I strongly believed that "A known devil is better than an unknown one" and voila, he turned out to be my soul mate. My companion, my spouse, my friend for life....

The Phase 1 was kind of immature. There was a lot of influencing. New freedom, new friendships, less understanding of relationships and very less tolerance. Naive people came together and went apart within a very short span of time.

Phase 2 was where I was still very young but gave the other person more importance than myself. I did he liked, tried to live up to his expectations, behaved a particular way and always wanted to be approved of. What I wanted was almost non existant. My world was just one person with everything else missing, even myself. I gave it my all for nothing..

All those years I only focused on what I had not on what I wanted or what I deserved. 

So Phase 3 was a randevous with reality. I found someone who was worth having me and I was worth having. He matched my thoughts and my idea of life. He understands me, wants me, shares with me and supports my endeavours. 

Each of us have our importance in place. There is no overlapping of likes, dislikes or tastes. In short we maintain our identities while respecting choices of the other. We experiment and explore, try new things and have fun laughing together. 

Today, after a lot of contemplation and a bit of hesitation, I share this three phased encounter with love because I see the youth having a lot of issues, majority of which are personal. 

Dear ones, please know that no matter who comes to and walks away from your life, do continue to have faith. Whoever is meant and made for you will be there when the times is right. 

The people who really matter will find a way to get back to you. Some times unexpectedly making you happier than ever. So go with the flow and enjoy each phase.. 

Lots of love.

CHEERS!

GOD BLESS!!

CHS

Pandemic struck.

The pandemic needs no introduction and this one is nothing about how it started and how it kept growing and finally become an endemic. 

This one is to talk about those little cute creatures in our homes that have had a complete brainwash in the past year and a half, our kids... 

Schools were shut in March 2020 and we mothers know how badly we want them to reopen.

It started like the first fun, harmless ride you enjoy when you enter an amusement park. They were at home all the time, they would help when needed, they would occasionally ask for some treats and we were happy to oblige.

They enjoyed everyone being at home, played with their dads and other family members, ate with them, watched movies, danced, learnt new things, it was going too well..

We moved a level up to difficult rides when the next academic year started and we were introduced to the concept of online classes.

One person instructing and managing 20 kids in a class was a task. Making them sit properly, listen, answer and write was a task on our sides. It was like the maverick, going in all directions without notice. 

Then, it became like the pirate ship that always kept moving to and fro. Sometimes we knew what to do and sometimes we were clueless too. 

Next we headed for the crazy cars, the assessments. We bumped into one test and when managed to steer away, bumped into the next one.. Sure got our heads pounding by the end. 

The PTMs were like the vertical fall. We went into them thinking all is well and then fell suddenly knowing our efforts were only efforts that did not convert into results. 

We somehow got through the year like a roller coaster that took us up an amazed us and scared us to death while coming down. Together, we did it and the day at one amusement park ended, our kids promoted.

Vacations however were nothing less than the mirror maze.. Looked easy peasy but our kids held our hands and bumped us into every mirror on the way out.

I have seen some positive and negative changes in cherith's behaviour. Sometimes he is sensitive and sometimes angry for no reason. He is lost to another world at one moment and sometimes wants all my attention irrespective of what I am doing. He laughs unabashedly some days and some days cries for stupid nothings.

For now, Year two of classes has started. I do feel bad for these kids since they have been away from the fun and learning experience at the school. They missed the meeting old friends and making new ones, sharing lunch, making jokes and sports the most..

Our pandemic struck children have lost more than they know. So all we can do is understand their needs and act accordingly while also praying that the day at the amusement park ends soon and a safe school environment welcomes them. 

With words of understanding for every parent and lots of love for every kid.

CHEERS!

GOD BLESS!!

CHS