A promise kept through time

Childhood is a great experience. While you’re growing up you will never know how cool and awesome it is. You will know it only when you’re hurrying off to work and sit down in your office seat, dripping sweat from your forehead, that it was one of the best phases of your life.

The same thing happened with me as I was pushed back into one of the proudest moments of my life, when someone asked me “Do you smoke?”

My mom was getting me ready to send me off to school. I was 13 and It was my first day of high school. My mom was fixing my tie as I saw my dad enter through his shop. We had a shop that led directly into our home. I saw my dad was smoking. He picked something heavy with both of his hands and was balancing a cigarette on one of his lips at the same time.

I heard my mom say… “Now you are big boy Thousif. There will be ‘friends’ who will teach you things that are not good.”

“Hmm..” I murmured as I continued seeing my dad do the balancing act and go into the shop. My eyes followed him the whole time.

My mom continued “You should be aware that, there are bad things that you should not try.”

“Like what?” I asked.

My dad entered to pick something again. My mom looked towards my dad, “Like smoking” she said

My dad turned around. He was in one of his moods, but I could see a sort of helplessness in his eyes which said ‘I am addicted to this son and I can’t help it’.

“So I shouldn’t smoke if my friends ask me to, is that what you’re saying?” I asked

“Yes” she replied “Smoking is a very bad habit, it ruins your lungs, health and most importantly your life” she said curtly, looking at my dad.

I innocently turned my eyes towards my dad, “but why shouldn’t I mom?...” I said “Dad smokes!

My mother was surprised at my retort. “Well…” she said “I have no answer for that”. She looked at my father “Why don’t you ask your dad if he has one?” she said, smiling an oh-you-are-in-trouble-now-daddy smile.

My dad just stood there, stunned by what I had said. The cigarette he was balancing on his lips fell to the ground. He quickly stomped on it. He looked at me and calmly came towards me.

‘Oh man. I am gonna get spanked’ I thought. I saw my dad come near me and sit on his knees. He looked into my hands, held my hands and asked me “If I stop smoking from tomorrow, will you promise me that you will never smoke in your entire life?”

From the time that I had seen my dad as a child, he had been a chain smoker. Having his own shop was an added incentive to his habit. He would smoke up to 3 packets of cigarettes a day. One after the other, one after the other; It never stopped.

All the while I had watched him, I wanted get rid of his habit. My mom always used to show me pics about what horrible things smoking cigarettes could lead to, and say “Stay away from cigarettes”. And whenever I saw them, I wanted to make my dad stop smoking cigarettes. ‘If I could just get him to quit’ I used to think, ‘If i could just…’, and lo here was the chance.

I met his eyes and said “No dad. If you stop smoking from tomorrow, I will never smoke in my entire life.”

My dad looked into my eyes, ruffled my hair and said “Ok, why tomorrow! I am quitting cigarettes right now!”

I turned towards my mom and saw the look in her eyes. It was like I had done the impossible. She had asked my dad to quit many times, but he hadn’t. It’s not like he hadn’t tried. He’d quit for a couple of months and then start up again. You can exactly blame him. He had the poison right in front of him every day, and he just had to smoke.

I saw my dad after that day. He struggled. The initial days when you quit smoking after having smoked for like 20 years is never-wracking. It’s not like doing drugs, but its close. I saw him every day and he never put another cigarette on his lips.

As I was growing up, I had many instances where my friends forced me to smoke. Seeing that I had a shop which sold cigarettes, they all wanted me to start smoking and be their supplier. But I didn’t.

It was tough. Every day I used to be around cigarettes, and seeing my friends smoke and say it was amazing to smoke, I wanted to try too. I was made fun of, bullied and made to feel that I was missing out on something great. Some days I was so frustrated that I used to take a cigarette and keep it on my lips and suck the air through the cigarette, just the air. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about; but I never lit one and smoked.

As I grew up, each time a ‘friend’ asked me “Do you smoke?” it used to remind me of that time, and that promise my dad made and kept.

It has been 13 years since my dad quit smoking and each time anyone asks me the question, I say “No. Never have, never will”.

Every time a conversation about smoking comes my way, I am reminded of that promise. I say to myself. “My dad left smoking cigarettes for me. He could have said I won’t stop, but he did. He kept a promise made to his son, and I will keep the promise I made to my dad”.

It has been 13 years and both of us haven’t smoked a cigarette. I could say it is because of that promise, but what I see is love. Our love and respect for each other has made us stray away from a dangerous habit.

I see my dad now and feel proud. My dad sees me and he feels proud. That moment in my childhood was 100% real. It taught me that parents can do anything for a child and if children try, they can do anything for their parents. It might be a small thing, but for me it means a lot. It made me see my dad as a entirely new person. It made us a family; a loving, caring and 100% real family.

This post has been written for 'The Kissan 100% Real Blogger Contest' on Indiblogger.in.

Disclaimer: The images have been taken from Google and Imagesbazaar.com. I do not own any of these photos.

My magic 2 hour clock to break the cursed Hymn

120 minutes, that was what was offered on the table. ‘Go on take it’ said a voice inside me. As much excited I was to pick up those minutes, I was also scared. I thought how useful these could be and at the same time I also thought, being the lazy guy I am what would happen if I turned them into another lazy memory…..

No you won’t! said my heart, and I believed it. And when I picked up those 120 minutes, I imagined what they could offer to me and amazing would be the understatement to what I could do with those 2 hours. This is how I would spend my 2 extra hours in a week…

Day 1: Monday

Everybody thinks life starts on a Sunday, but life really starts on a Monday. Many people like me hate to get up in the mornings. Standing in queue for the bathroom in a PG hostel where I live, just to take a hurried bath so that I can reach office on time, or 15 minutes late as the records show. Yes that’s my start of every Monday.

Day goes by and evening approaches, in all my work, youtube addiction and messaging that someone special, I forget to have any time for myself. I want to, ‘but there is no time’. It’s like a hymn that my lips have learnt to say without my knowledge. There at that particular moment I realize what I have in my pocket. My 2 hours. My extra 120 minutes where I can do anything I want.

An invisible alarm starts up for my 120 minutes and the world stops. It’s just like in the matrix training sequence, where they can pause time. Whatever happens in life doesn’t bother me, because those 120 minutes are mine.

I start by doing my most favorite activity in the world- Writing.

Even though I am a copywriter I barely get time to write what I truly love- Poetry. It’s not like I am a big shot at it or anything, hell I don’t even follow the rules sometimes. But poetry is one way through which I have lived through many of my emotions. Be it my first breakup or how much I hate war. Poetry has always helped me to express what I feel in a much better way.

Tell me i love you with so much depth

That the ocean itself, screams out looking at your's.

Tell me i love you with so much strength

That the hurricane falls down on its knees, weeping out of its glory.

Tell me i love you with so much intensity

That even the raging forest fire turns itself to dust, in shame.

Tell me i love you with so much love

That love itself may find its true worth today.

This is of my favorite poems.. and inspired by this i wanna write something like this.

Trust I this world, because it gives me hope with each sunrise.

Trust I every person I see, because I see a smile waiting to breakout in everyone of them

Trust I this time, because I know it will come, where I see all I hope coming true

The only problem is just placing that trust on myself, to believe.

I know it’s nothing much, hell maybe others will think its complete crap, but I don’t care. It’s my life and the way I see it, anything that makes me happy as long it’s not illegal, is good enough for me :).

And suddenly that alarm goes off, saying my time is up.. That’s how I would spend every Monday of mine. A poem to start my week, which would make me believe that anything is possible. That world can be a place where I can do what I love, no one to hold me back, not even my own lazy self :).

Day 2: Tuesday

Same ordeal follows, but I am so happy with what happened yesterday I cannot wait to start up my 2 hour clock which allows me to do all the things I love.

Tuesday is a day filled with just as much work, presentations and all those things. But it is also special because it’s an unofficial lucky day in our family.

According to my mom, everything from a fridge, TV, to a washing machine that we have bought for our home was on a Tuesday.

Following this tradition, I am going to shop. With the small salary that I have, all of it goes into expenses. After that whatever gets saved, I cannot spend it coz of that hymn again.. ‘there is no time’. So Tuesday’s I am going to shop. Online shopping is easier and will get things delivered right at my doorsteps. So from a water bottle to my fav pair of jeans, I am going to shop for everything that I need and window shopping for all the things that I want. I want to shop online, because nobody makes a sour face when you go out of the store without buying, so… :P.

Day 3: Wednesday

I want to write again. As much as I love writing poetry, I love writing stories. I have written 3 short stories still now. They are not awesome or anything, but I like them.

So starting that magic 2 hour clock I am going to start writing again.

You may not believe me, but I have at least 17 stories in my mind which I would love to get on paper. I know the start, I know the climax and I know how every one of them is going to end. So why am I not starting… again.. the hymn ‘there is no time’ comes back. “OK, all right, you are just plain old lazy” you might say but just picturize this.

Travel for 1.30 hour every morning in the bus to reach office within 9:30 (if my boss is reading this, I try sir, I really try :P). Stay there for almost 10 in the night to reach back home by 11.30. I just don’t have the energy to be creative enough to write. So Wednesday’s I am going to assign to writing again, because I want to get published.

I know I have the ability to write stories which people would care about, even if they don’t turn out to be bestsellers. I know I have that within me and with these 2 hours I am going to complete that. I am going to write all the 17 stories, currently stored in ‘D:\THOUSIF\BRAIN\ SECTOR 37\ Stories to be turned into novel’ and try to get them published.

Day 4: Thursday

As soon as you step out of college and get into a job, you dedicate yourself into it in such a way that you forget some things. In my case, it was my friends.

Yes, I am a horrible person; I can say that by the dirty looks that you are giving to me. Trust me, not a day goes by where I don’t remember them. Everyone has done something special for me and I remember them every day, just not able to pick up that phone and call them.

Work does stress me out, where a brief might come any minute and I have to run into a meeting. So starting my mystical 2 hour clock, every Thursday I am going to call every one of my friend even if it’s for 5 mins and let them know that I care about them.

I have always believed in the value of friendship and with this vow, I am going to keep the promise made. No matter what happens, these 2 hours are dedicated to my friends.

Day 5: Friday

I start this day with a smile because I know tonight is going to be the start of the weekend. I am going to start the 2 hours and I am going to plan what I am going to do in the weekend. Every week the same thing happens, either I plan too late or I just do things in such a hurry that nothing satisfies me. I have to read the novels I rent on the bus, I don’t even have time to just sit back and relax to read a book. So I am going to sit down on Friday, switch on to my fav internet station and plan out the things to be done for the weekend.

Day 6: Saturday

My fav day, because I can get up in the morning anytime I want as it’s a holiday. Yayyyyy :P. Still I don’t understand one thing about holidays. As soon as you get up, the day goes so fast and turns into night in a blink, even if you are doing absolutely nothing.

Here’s an example of how that happens: Get up at 11, bathe, breakfast, till then it’s time for lunch, I watch a lil TV its already four and till I plan to do anything its 10 o clock.

So the Saturday that is going to come I am going to work on what I planned on Friday and I want to do something that I have not done for a long time (Read: Almost never)

I live in Bangalore, so on Saturday I want to hop on the first bus and reach Madikeri, my hometown where my parents live. The ride is almost 7 hours and till I reach it’ll almost be evening. I just want to reach home take a bath and activate those 2 hours and within these 2 hours I want to cook with my mom.

I want to do it because, my mom has been very lonely after my sister passed away 2 years ago. I haven’t been able to give her proper time because of my studies, projects, and work. I want to be with her to talk to her and know everything happened in that week, and I want to cook because I want my mom to know that I care for the things she loves. She loves cooking but because I live so far away she has lost her interest in it. She feels there’s no one to cook for. I want to reinstate her confidence and show her that I care about her and I care about her cooking, and I want to be there for her to see her smile while we are having dinner. I want to use those 2 hours for that, to see her smile.

Day 7: Sunday

Another holiday, I am home and I can wake up to the sweetest alarm I’ve heard in a long time. My mom yelling my name asking me to wake up and take a shower :P. I have missed that alarm for 3 years now. The thing about mothers is that, you only get to know their true value after you are on your own.

So I want to listen to her voice calling my name and then go down and hug her and say good morning and devote the day to the most important person in my life, my dad.

Being in his shop all day for the past 27 years my dad has done a lot. He has worked day and night, even on Sunday’s, to give me a good life. I want to be there for him and help him with the shop. Activating my 2 hours, I want to help him more in the shop to give him that 2 extra hours of sleep which he has lost for the past 27 years. I would savour every minute of it and I would love to see the fresh look in his eyes when he wakes up again.

As evening comes, I would say goodbye to them and catch a bus back to Bangalore to start my week again, but this time I would have the magical and very very useful clock of 2 extra hours in my pocket. The 2 hours which would let me do all the things that I love and care about.

All this would be possible with the 2 extra hours I’d get from Surf Excel Matic where I can turn the hymn ‘…but there is no time’ to ‘ …but I have 2 extra hours’. The 2 hours that I get, I am going to spend making a lot of memories and I know that I’d love each minute of it.

This post was written for the Indiblogger competition ‘If you had two extra hours in a day, how would you spend it?’

I want to thank Indiblogger and Surf Excel Matic for giving me a platform to express what I felt. I had a lovely time writing this post; it would not have been possible if not for them. Thank you.

Disclaimer: All images have been taken from google. I have no right over any of them.

a thing called beauty

The beauty of this world starts from the first moment the sun wakes up in the morning. Flowers bloom inviting the day to live for its fullest glory. Birds sing along in hope and enthusiasm getting ready for a new and exciting adventure. And every person in this planet wakes up thinking… ‘Oh hell I’m late again’..

Human, is a very intriguing species. I can say that with full confidence, because I am a human myself. (Most would doubt that fact seeing my wired antics like a monkey everyday ;))

Considering all the other species, human is the most complex being of all, and yet is the most beautiful creation of god. If I sit down to point out how human is the most beautiful creation, it’ll be another year till I finish, so I’ll only say the very important ones. Starting with… Birth.

The beauty of life starts with the first day we come into this world. Even though we are crying while we arrive, that day everyone is smiling, because that is the day everyone in that delivery room believes that world is not such a bad place after all. Looking into the baby’s eyes, everyone believes that, life is beautiful. That day there is so much of joy and happiness, that one would want nothing else, nothing at all. Beauty starts that day, that moment, because as we arrive, we bring that joy, happiness, hope, delight and pleasure into everyone's lives around us.

Love.

As we grow we learn many things, our first steps, first words, first naughty tricks and as we grow, we tend to learn one very special thing. We learn to love.

Starting with the first things we learnt, to the first person we saw (not the doctor who delivered us :P), we learn to love each deed and each person whom we spend our time with. As a child we don’t even know what love is, but still we love a lot of things.

This course of love takes us through a sea of emotions throughout our lives. From the first steps to school, to the first time we bunk it. From the first time we break a rule to the first time we admit it.

Love is such a strong force that it makes a human who is. Starting with our parents to that first special someone we feel for. Love has a beauty of its own.

It makes us believe, it teaches us to trust, it shows us how beautiful life can be and shows us, that no other force in the world can compete to this, love would suffice. Love is enough.

Some would argue when I say every single thing we do is for love, like even brushing your teeth or taking a bath. But honestly every human does some or the other thing for love, just for love. That is the power of love. That is the beauty of love.

Death

One of the things almost every human goes through in his life is seeing death, some way or the other everyone is affected by it. Couple of months ago our hearts went out for japan when it was struck by a tsunami, even people who weren’t affected by it were concerned and prayed for the country and its people, that no one loses their dear ones. That is how death connects every human on this planet.

Death as everyone says may bring horror and fear into someone’s life, but I would say it also gives us strength and power so that we learn how to live our life without that person. I can say that personally because I have been through my sister’s death.

We used to fight every day and get on each other’s nerves. My mother was fed up of stopping our fights, but still every day I used to share whatever happened in my life with her, and she did the same. We were like best frenz, and I remember her smile and the sparkle in her eyes, when she read a blog post I had written mentioning how special she is to me just 18 days before her death.

I remember that moment when I first got to know that she was no more, it was horrible. I cried like I had never cried before, I wanted to say so many things, apologize for all the faults and fights, but I couldn’t. Days after it, I and my parents lived like zombies; it was like somebody had hit a mute button on all our lives. But as days moved on, we learnt to smile remembering her memories, laugh remembering her antics with fixing her hair every morning, and that is how we grew strong as a family.

Death may seem like the greatest enemy of all time, and honestly it is, but death also makes us stronger, makes us trust more, gives us strength and teaches us to love our dear ones as much as we can, more than we can.

Death too has a beauty of its own, it is the most painful experience one has to go through, but still it teaches us, that we are stronger than what we believe ourselves to be, that bringing back that one smile on your parents face can be the most rejuvenating and satisfying experience ever. That it’s not death who conquers us, we conquer death, by learning to smile again, to be happy again and keep that person alive with our memories, and creating new ones as we live along.

Personally for me if I have to explain beauty, its life itself. Just living your life is the most incredible experience ever. The beauty of life is life itself, because it is journey like none other. We learn from every step we take and every decision we make, may it be good or bad. We live life.

Life is best lived within the moment, that is what i learnt after my sister's death. if i was sad all the time, i wouldn't have found the courage and strength to make my parents smile, and make them feel better and assure that i am there for them.

So all i wanna say is if you are happy, smile and laugh as much as you want. If you are sad, cry and wail to your heart’s content, because tomorrow is a new day. And that new day brings back that view of fresh blooming flowers, birds singing to wake you up with their sweet voices and your daily screams of… ‘Oh hell, I’m late again’ ;)…

This is my first submission for a competition at indiblogger... i couldn't have been more happier... thank you Indiblogger and Yahoo for giving me this chance to express my views thank you :)

Sorry sorry very sorry.....

Dishoom dishoom…

“kitna bharosa kiya tha maine tujhpe….. kitna bharosa…”

Dishoom dishoom… kick kick….

Washes away tears from his eyes…

“Ah, thousif…. Kyun kyun dhoka diya mujhe tune…I told you to write a blog post 2 weeks ago… why dint you?!!”

Dishoom dishoom…

Dishoom dishoom….. thousif’s face has turned to pulp… still slowly looks at arpit for some mercy…

Arpit looks at him with venomous eyes… “Well that’s what happens when someone breaks a promise made to me, I break their face” growls arpit….

.

ARPIT RASTOGI

(A shiver runs down the spine of RAJNIKANT as he reads this blog and imagines the growl of arpit)

………..

Well arpit my part of the deal is done, I told u I’d get you a macho entry in the blog next time… well here it is :P

P.S: 16000026274828, that’s my account number 50000 rupees bhijwadena… oye macho entry ke… thank you ki koi zarurat nahi hai pagle… dost hu tera :P

Well, looking at me you’d be thinking, ‘OH MY GOD!!! Thousif???!!! I thought you were dead, thank god you’r alive’

(a cricket screeches in the corner of the room… krrrick krrrick :P)

Ok not that reaction….

Maybe this then….

‘oh, thousif… mr annoyance is back… yayyyyyyy’

Well I guess I deserve the sarcasm (and the compliments… if any :P) because I was gone for so long…

….suddenly 9 girls start approaching slowly from every direction imaginable with clenched fists towards thousif….

Remya, suruchi, anwesa, tulika, choco, akanksha, charu, apritha, viddhi start running to him and surround him…

One is holding his collar, one is holding his arms, 2 have stepped their legs on his… n throw him to the ground…

Suruchi: ‘kahaan tha kaminey… KAHAAN?... apne blog par compliments le leta hai aur hamey… HAMEY…., itni beautiful, talented and awesome writers ke blog nahi padta… kya!! kya..samajte kya ho apne aap ko tum…’

Arpitha is concerned in the back, while viddhi is ROFL on the floor looking at the situation…

Suddenly lights out, and there r 5 kicks to different places…

‘MUMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY’ screams thousif

‘Maro kaminey ko maro’ screams arpit from the back somewhere hiding behind a pillar….

Lights come back…. Everybody is laughing except thousif…. He looks scared… SHIT SCARED…

Viddhi: “see…this is what happens when you become selfish and lazy and.. and god knows what and don’t visit our blogs….”

Slowly the girls release him…

“Sorry….” he mutters… barely.

Remya: that’s what happens man… when you don’t read the blogs, of 11 awesome bloggers… you miss out on all the creativity and fun… and get kicked in the… you know where….”

Giggles go all around….

“I am sorry….. I’ll never do anything like that ever again” he says sadly…

Charu, arpitha and akanksha say in unison: “Its ok, we’r all frenz, things happen don’t sweat it” they give a big smile…and everyone hugs thousif…

Hugging everyone he slowly winks with a wicked smile to arpit and vyas who are silently watching the whole spectacle…. Vyas faints…. Arpit is so shocked, that lets not say what he did next…

P.S: Cried miserably and wet his pants :P

OK.Enough.

That’s enough fun for today, arpit bhai sorry, I just wanted to make you smile so I had to bust your… u know what :p… u really are like bhai to me yaar… if it wasn’t for you, this post wouldn’t have happened… :)…. And there’s also a very special person who is responsible for this post… I hope you remember about this friend I had mentioned earlier…. (like half a year ago :P) Shruti(pihu)… well, she encouraged me to write too… so this post is dedicated to the 2 very special persons in my life…

1. Arpit: for his constant gaaliyan… if it wasn’t for that, I would have never written this post..

…..And by the way the dishoom dishoom punches at the start were his galiyaan :P…

2. Shruti: For being everything she is, special, beautiful, supportive, understanding and awesome. Always and every time :). Love you both…

Ok enough thank you’s too, the main reason I started back again is because I missed every one of you. Yes you, all the heroines in the story :), a big shout out to you guys and all the guys, (who apparently are very less :P)… arpit and vyaz you guys are like the coolest guys I ever knew :). I missed you guys so much, only because college was hectic could I not attend your blogs.

Ok who am I lying… I was lazy as hell sorry guys… I am so so sorry, I really will try to attend your blog regularly from now on.

So this is just a small lil post to say I am back and will be making u smile with my idiotic posts and also loving each and every post you guys write… by showering it with the true love it truly deserves… I love all you guys who has made my life so beautiful each time with your beautiful comments… especially suruchi… her comments.. are like rain in a desert :). Missed you yummy mummy ;) he he.

.

I’ll visit all your blogs today, because I don’t wanna be kicked again…. You know where :P

I have a special surprise for you guys, it’ll be up soon maybe within couple more days, so come back again, and trust me…. You’ll be surprised :)

And for anyone reading this blog and not finding his name here… well you will have a special mention and a gift in the next post…(virtual ok, don’t expect anything remotely real :P) so comment away…

LOVE YOU ALLL.. (pushes vyas and aprit away, till only girls remain in the crowd) MUAAAAAAAAAAAAAH ;)

Take care cu soon :)

Transition towwards hope

First of all thank you so much for the support you guys gave me in the last post, i was so so so happy to see your guys comments, it was the highlight of my holidays this year :)... EVIL M too sends his regards, i think he cried a lil bit :P
(EVIL M: that's a lie, it was you remember)
anyways he wont admit it :)

I'm thinking about writing some serious stuff(It'll come soon), so dint write anything from the past two weeks, but i want to share something with you guys...

When i broke up with my girlfriend, something happened inside of me, it was like a feeling i can never put in words, it was a hard time getting over her, still not am....

But during that period of time when i broke up.... the poet inside of me, wanted to talk, i know it sounds funny, but the way those emotions came out I'm surprised myself.... so i just wanted to share this poem with you...

In the infinities of beyond, I lay unabashed
Believing in a worth no other man believed.
In this permanence of solitude, i found this self,
Resonating me, but none like any



In search of respite, i travel along unfollowed paths,
Where every step taken forward, pulls me back
towards a halo which i once loved to live in



Now that cloud of comfort, has rained, nothing left
it floats away
i look towards the sun for a new beginning. Still,
in love with the yesterday's sunset.

You might find it funny when i say this, i am the one who wrote that poem, but couple of lines in that poem i've never been able to decode.. but i want to find out, what it says, what made me write those lines,... i wanna know, so if you guys come up with something, it would be a great help for me.... :)

well thats for today... i'll be back next week :).... have an eventful week ahead :)... take care

Happy times are here again Part-2

Continuing from last week......

The next award is THE BINDAAS BLOGGER AWARD

This award goes for all the coolest guys out there, who just do one thing... BE COOL.... so without further delay....

The award goes to Arpitha Holla from ME-ing

Arpitha is cool, and as the award says, bindaas. She writes the smallest posts i have ever seen, and as small they are, they are just as cute. cho chweet.

She writes about stuff she loves in a very funny manner. Sometimes sarcastic, sometimes genuine, You will find all types of funny content here....not just that, she writes poem which are straight from the heart, and even though the words are simple, They are so emotional that you will feel them as you own...

Arpitha you deserve it... :).

The next winner is Arpit Rastogi from Notebook

This guys knows his cool. i mercilessly made fun of him when i wrote a comedy using his name for the central character, and yet he was completely cool about it (He just called me an ass hole, Dog, Bitch, and something else which i cannot say here..... :P) But.....

Arpit you are the most funnest guy i have ever known... i am so lucky to have found a friend like you. You write great and my fav post is one, where you say to your lecturer....

Marks ka kya karegi, marks ki lagadoon dheri.
Mai barish kardo marks ki, jo tu hojay meri...

Its my most fav line of all time on your blog.... you are the cool, the most awesome, blog buddy of mine :).Congrats...

and not just that pal, I like you blog layout very much so you also win BEST HANGOUT PLACE

The next award is THE CONSISTENCY AWARD

This award is given to the veterans out there, who just do one thing, be awesome ( I use that word a lot, Don't i? ;))

They were great when i first read them and get awesomer every time they write a new post. I am so very proud and so very very happy to have know them, with them i have grown a bond. A bond so deep, that i myself donno how much i care about them.

The first winner of this award is Anwesa(I call her mehek :)) from My life and times

Mehek you are very special to me, I remember every special moment in my life which has got created because of you.

I wrote my first acrostic because of you, i started writing short stories because of you, i became a better person because of you.

Your poems inspire me, talk to me, guide me, help me.... in so many ways that you cannot possibly imagine. You with your words build a spell, that I am awe struck every time mehek every time :).

I respect you for what you are, and every time i read you blog, i learn something new. Thank you for being there, not just as the reader of my blog, but also as a very dear friend of mine :).

The next winner is the chocolaty, natkhat, chubuli, sweetheart called Choco from Candid Talk

Choco...... when she writes, is not just fun. she is the funnest. Using her cute experiences, and soft hearted words, she can make your heart melt, and can make you smile like none other, she sometimes gives many of us (bad) surprises by going away and locking her blog along, and i have missed her for all that times she has gone. but beside all that she is the blogger who i adore.

Choco you have stood by on times when i needed someone the most,you might not remember but i do, thank you for being there, and thank you for supporting me when i was feeling down.your simple words have always have been like sunshine in my dark old days you are as your name suggests, chocolaty with a lot of heart :)

and here is a special award just for you

MOST AWESOME COMMENT AWARD

This award is given for the person who gives the greatest and most awesomest comment on my blog.... All of your comments are awesome but, the one Choco gave on one of my post, captured my attention and heart....i loved it choco :). So this award is just for you :)

The next winner of the consistency award is Qamrina Almas from Tales of a lunatic

Qamrina was one of the first followers of my blog, and from the day she joined, she has been the most loyal blog buddy of mine ;). its not just how her comments lift me up everytime, its about her emotions and how she puts them in words. Ah..mazing

You have to see her posts at her blog,she just doesn't write about herself,but about the things which can be changed for the better. She is one human being who is as unique as her name. Qamrina almas (A golden moon :))

QM you have been there for all my happenings (and miss happenings for that matter) I will always cherish you as my beloved friend :)

Coming up next is Vyas Vishwanathan from Vyazz sez

I think I can never quite sum up what Vyas is. He is as vivid as your imagination can be, as creative as the clouds in the sky, and as motivated as a train chugging towards its destination. He just believes in only one thing, to achieve his goals. No matter what :).

When you read his posts you feel immersed in it, and get a feeling you want the same thing too, may it be on the problems of this country, or buying your won island. When ved writes a blog post, its always different from the last one, he is a genius at what he does. (Don't think I am saying all this because he is a doctor from a Russian university, and I can get free checkups when he visits me ;)) honestly I have a deep respect for what vyaz does through his words, he like a magician who knows exactly what to give to his audience, what they would like, and what they would care about. Vyaz, hats off to you man... :)

Next is Harshita from Hasrhita's Chill Out Zone

Every time I read her, its a delight, absolute delight, she talks about things what matter to her in a way that affect you. (Confused. Read it again :P) every time you read her blog post, you will leave with a smile on your face. She fights for the bad things in the society, gives awareness about what we can to make it better, ultimately making us a part of the good thing we would rather not be a part of, because we are just plain old lazy, or because we just dont care.

Her words have the freshness of the morning dew, a glow like the morning sunrise, and beauty of a spring valley. She is a one good human being, and I am really very proud that I know her.

The final winner is Atmm from As The Mind Meanders

After scoring the most prestigious award last time(The Most Innovative Thinker Award) atmm was bound to do great things, but he scared everyone out of their wits when he announced retirement..i thought “So young and retiring already, is desh ka kya hoga bhai?.” There was just gloom in the blog world for sometime because there was no atmm.

But a couple of months later when he announced his return and wrote a story called Still,man, read that story and you will know what coming back with a bang is all about... simple words, rock solid narration,punchy climax. Brilliant.... I, choco and a couple of others were very very glad to see him back (Though I haven't read his new story :P, sorry man time crunch ;)) but atmm is one of the genius's out there, and I am really glad that I know him :)

The next award in the ceremony is MORE OF YOU WOULD BE AWESOME

This award is given to the bloggers who write once in a blue moon, and its very frustrating to see that, because these guys write like... like.... well cooked sushi :P (I know... its not a nice comparison, but hey.......where do you get well cooked sushi nowadays ;))

On a serious note, I gotta tell you, these guys rock, they just write a post once in 2 months or so, and every time they write its a delight to read them.

The winner of this award is Akanksha from Direct Dil Se

Akanksha... wow what to say about this girl, she knows the perfect way to blend work with play. Comes like rain in the desert, quenches the thirst of the eagerly awaited bloggers, goes away, while we stare in awe ;)

May it be her poems or her personal experiences, everyone is as unique and beautiful like the previous one she wrote

Akki we miss you yaar, please write more so that we can smile a lot more :).

The next winner is Manisha from Butterfly Thoughts

She is just like her blog name suggests, a butterfly, and has grown just like one too. She started out like a caterpillar and then turned into this beautiful butterfly, with magnificently colorful wings . She come very very rarely, but whenever she comes its so nice to read her posts.

Manisha ji, try to write as much as you can ji, cause we miss you ji :)

Next award in the ceremony is MOST FUNNIEST BLOG AWARD

As the name suggests, the award is for the funniest guys out there. They are awesome at their work, with their beautifully manicured hands(I'm guessing its true for the boys too ;)) they write such elegant pieces of funny material that you are in splits every time you read them. This award is for you guys

The first winner is Shanu from Fullon Bakwaas

Looking at her blog name you may get an impression saying the blog is exactly what its supposed to be, well you are not wrong :P, but besides saying about random things about herself shanu has shared some of the deepest thoughts in her blog. I read them and I was immediately awe struck by them. But besides some serious stuff that comes like like the rains twice a year ;), she is one funny girl. She can make anyone laugh with her 'Paneerchikitis'(her addiction of paneer and chicken dishes ;)) or sending a complete stranger to an even stranger location, even though she doesn't know the exact address. Shanu is awesome at what she does....making people laugh. So shanu this award is for you girl :)

Next is Arpit Rastogi from Notebook

Read his blog... Laugh like crazy...... have fun. I guess thats sums up arpit's blog.... he can make me laugh like none other, especially when he is drunk :P don't believe me, go check out for yourself ;)

Saale arpit....You scored 3 awards on my blog, making you the highest winner of awards in one session, not bad saale not bad at all. I gotta tell you, you have been a very very dear and funny friend (Pun Intended :P) of mine. Even though we have talked less I will always cherish you as an awesome(Thats like the 20^th time I have used the word :P) friend of mine. And I look forward to a friendship which will be across borders which we live. Come down any time to Mysore and you will have a royal welcome, I Promise :).

I gotta tell you once more yaar... you really really really are a........ lucky fellow, because you have me as your friend na isliye ;) take care :)

The final winner Hary from Cartoonists.

I have just started reading hary's blog, and whenever I read it, there is always a smile on my face. And his blog posts are so funny.... my god I have had stomach cramps ;), so hary. Here's one for you :)

Coming down to the final award of the 2 week long ceremony :P SWEET CANDY AWARD

This award is given to the most sweetest person out there in the blogosphere, the one who write posts even sweeter than honey.

The only winner of this award is Sulagna Chatterjee from Pink & black :)

Sulgana didi in her blog writes about her relationship with her husband, about how special it is to live everyday with someone you love, how great it is too get married. Looking at her makes me want to marry right now, though I mom may have a different opinion :P.

Sulagna didi is like the Elder sis I never had, after heera(My younger sister) passed away last year, I felt I will never have a sister again. But looking at sulagna didi, I have smile filled tears every time I read her blog, because I think, this is how my sister would be if she would have married.

In sulgana Didi I see my own sister. So this award is especially for the sweetness she spreads into the world through her blog :)

Sulagna didi, I don't know what I am to you, but for me, you are my big sis, and you can never run away from that responsibility. If I ask for pocket money, you gotta send it to me in courier ok ;)

Kidding aside, your blog posts are so special, it reminds me of my sis every time didi. I cannot tell you how happy I feel when you write about you and Gopal Jiju. I hope the 2 of you will have the most happiest of lives, and I pray to god, that not an ounce of sadness come into your lives. Ever.

So thats a long list of awards. I am tired.... like literally.... Hope you all are happy for the awards you got and who ever dint get the award.... don't worry, I am not cruel....... here is an award just for you :)

And if you all wondered why i showered you with all these awards... well. its the budday of my blog... My baby turned 3 this year... :)

Take care... have a nice week ahead :)

The Tag Monster

Hey guys, 2 weeks later, and the dude is back… hope you liked my story on the other blog (I just saw 3 comments though) anyways…… that’s for another day…. This week there will be no blabbering about how the week went by. I will just be talking about your favorite topic. ME ;)

Remya tagged me, and it’s been a year almost(9 months is a year rgt? :P) since I took a tag. And I kinda like the challenge this tag posed, so I took it up. Have fun

50 random things about me.

1: I am the sweetest (my mom and dad and my girl will vouch for that :))
2: I am an awesome bathroom singer (My brothers will vouch for that :))
3: Music is the one thing I am most addicted to.
4: If I have a headache, I listen to some heavy metal songs and it goes away. :)
5: I don’t drink any beverages, Tea, coffee, milk, beer, bournvita, horlicks. No nothing
6: If I drink tea I get a headache :P
7: I wanna learn Spanish. So that I can brag about it, and also because it’s so sexy
8: I hate travelling. But if it’s a train ride. Then yeehaw baby :)
9: I am very caring. If I trust you I would be ready even to give my life. But don’t ask for any money today, cause I’m broke ;) (And that’s the only answer you will get every time you ask me ;))
10: I am the best air drummer and air guitarist in the world.
11: I hate it when someone ignores me
12: I am scared of cockroaches :P
13: I love long hair.
14: I love to think about stories I am gonna write (There are currently 26 finding its way for an ending)
15: I love learning about new things(Correction: Exciting new things), talk about politics and law, and I would be like “English dude….”
16: I am allergic to shrimps. If I eat them the only place you gonna find me is the kitchen sink ;)
17: I like watching tamil movies, because they have slow motion(sky flying) fight sequences (Who needs star wars :P)
18: I love to take long walks.
19: I am very stingy :P
20: I have a thing for strange music band names.Bullet for my valentine, Zebrahead, Theory of a deadman, Cobra starship, Wolfmother. If it’s strange, it’s on my playlist :)
21: I love taking photographs.
22: I like being called an idiot (Maybe it’s the 3 idiots effect ;))
23: My mind is like a huge think tank. (It’s not larger in size though :P) Right now there are more than 220 thoughts going on in mind.
24: I am live in the moment kinda person. If you take me to a bridge and say jump, I would say You first ;)
25: I am very very lazy.
26: I hate to take baths.
27: I donno how to ride a bike :P
26: I keep a constant tab about fashion happenings.
28: I am addicted to reading blogs.
29: There are many persons in the blog world who I genuinely care about (No names though, I don’t want a fight ;))
30: I love listening to sad songs.
31: Poetry flows out of me if I am very emotional.
32: I don’t write stuff just for the heck of it. I feel whatever I write.
33: I wanna make a career in advertising.
34: I love making someone angry and then consoling them :)
35: If I make a mistake I am ready to accept.
36: My life is like a FM station, I associate every moment of my life with a song :)
37: I am the typical guy, who likes music, games, girls and all that stuff except one exception. I like watching desperate housewives :P
38: I hate myself because I am very caring, because of which I end up getting hurt every time.
39: If I see a music video or film which is crap. I think of my own ways by which I can make it awesome.
40. I doze off every time I enter my classroom. Sometimes so much that I fall down from my seat :P
41: I have a deep dark secret. Which I cannot share with anyone.
42: If I find some noteworthy quality in someone. I praise and appreciate him/her. Even though the person is my sworn enemy.
43: If I see a guy wearing purple Shirt/T-shirt. I think he is gay :P
44: If you wanna make me happy, just get me a pizza with some cheese cake and baskin robbins ice cream, and you will get the biggest smile you will ever see in your whole life.
45: I am a (junk) foodie (I guess you already knew that ;))
46: I competed in fancy dress competitions when I was a kid, and won every time. When I asked a reason my mom always said “It’s your face baby” :P
47: I love talking long hours on the phone.
48: I am feeling proud (I have absolutely no reason why :P)
49: I am my favorite ;)
50: I am awesome :P

Hope this torture was a worthy one for you…...

Thank you all for bearing with me. See ya next time for some more fun and frolic (EVIL M fun that is ;))

Take care have an awesome week ahead :).