The Officer=The Gentleman=My Husband

Hubby has small annoying mannerisms that I have not been used to in a long while of my civil life. For instance, he will always hold the door for me in the house, in restaurants, in a car/taxi, etc. He will never let me hold any bag other than my purse even though his hands are already full. He will never start or close his plates without me whenever we are eating together, even at home... even if he's getting late for work.

On one of my bad-mood-days, I snapped at his mannerism and told him that he doesn't have to hold open the door for me because I'm a Lady. That I have all my limbs in perfect working condition, well capable of doing these things for myself.
To which he coolly replied,"Darling, I don't hold doors or bags for you because you are a Lady, but because I'm a Gentleman!"
I can do nothing much but just shuddup!

Sultan...the new king of my heart

Sultan is the little prince of Captain N (our current next door neighbour in Devlali).
Cptn. N found Sultan in an almost fatal state and nursed and fed him back to health again. Now Sultan has recovered and is growing naughtier by the day.
The first day we had shifted into the quarter, Sultan barked at us constantly. Then I went to him and started talking to him from afar. He seemed to like me talking to him. He began initiating playful tricks when I went near. If he found anything which looked remotely similar to a playball or water-bottle or slipper, Sultan would hold it into his mouth and pretend to be possessive about it. If I did not pay attention, he would throw it at me and bark slowly, provoking me to get near it. If I tried getting near, he would steal it right under my nose and run away, challenging me to catch it. That was the beginning of a successful relationship I'd had with Sultan and slowly introduced him to my hubby. While hubby smoked his morning cigarette, Sultan would go near him and try to catch the smoke rings but when hubby said 'down' or 'no', Sultan would instantly follow and obey.
Our months of a glorious summer in Devlali were spent basking in the glow of literal puppy love while training and establishing new routines for Sultan as his real owner had no time to devote to the pup. In fact, most of my time was spent incorporating him into my life and me into his. Most of my days were spent in quiet, loving solitude with Sultan. While I sat reading in the easy chair in the balcony of our quarter, Sultan would lie relaxed at my side and sigh with contentment. We were a happy couple. My heart was nourished and I felt content and full. We spent almost a month this way, until Captain N and his unit got ready to move to a new location, Sultan in tow.

During this 1 month I spent with Sultan, this is what I learnt from him:

1. Look innocent and lost when you need some extra care and attention.

2. When it's in your best interest, always practice obedience.

3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

4. Run, romp and play daily.

5. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.

7. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie in shade.

8. Be loyal but be open to making new friends.

9. Never pretend to be something you're not.

10. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

11. Delight in the simple joy of taking long walks.

12. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

13. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

14. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

15. Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

16. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

17. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

18. When you are happy, dance around and let it show.

19. To be mischievious, yet to know when to give it up.

20. No matter how often you are criticizedor punished, not to buy into the guilt thing and pout but to run right back and make friends again.

The last laugh

Hubby comes back visibly happy from his sutta break and meets me outside the lingerie store in the Inorbit Mall (I let him have a smoke while he lets me pick up fancy lingeries... a perfect understanding suiting both our needs). I become suspicious... why he is so happy? Oh no! Must have surely done something he is forbidden of.
"Honey, what's with the grin on your face?"
"Oh nothing! I just picked up a set of Adidas deos. They're quite nice, actually."
"Hmmm... But weren't you supposed to be on a sutta break? You managed time to pick up deos too, eh? Not bad!"
"Actually, I couldn't smoke. As I was going out, the salesman lured me on to try a sniff of his stock and he wasn't just ready to let me go without testing a whiff of each first."
"So, the salesman got you again? I bet he must have sold you the worst smelling deos that he couldn't sell to anybody else."
"Do you actually think Adidas can have any 'foul smelling' deos?"
"Who knows?!"
"Ok, check out this smell..." He holds out his pulse points on both the hands for me to sniff.
"Oh God! Stop!! I can't make out anything. Its just a mixture of your sweat, your signature AXE with several new ones. Smells gross to me."
Hubby looks visibly disappointed now, not being able to prove his point. So, I try to ease it out for him.
"Ok honey. I have full faith in your choice. You must've picked up something very nice, I'm sure."

Hubby is happy now. Promises to buy me deos of my choice too.
"But I can't apply deos on my skin, I'm allergic, you know that. You can buy me more perfumes, though."
"No, you have too many perfumes to last you for the next 10-15 years. I think you should pick up deos now. Try spraying them like I do... lots of it above your clothes so that it doesn't touch your skin."
"What? Are we talking about deos or handkerchief perfumes? Why would I spray deos on my clothes?"
"Just try it. You'd thank me for the tip."
"Okay, if you insist".
I am almost tempted at the prospect of it. I must admit I admire the way hubby sprays his deos on before leaving for anywhere (yes! on his clothes). The masculine smell of his signature AXE prevails for a longer duration and totally kills the effect of my delicate EMOTION (Rasasi) or YESSAMIN (Avon) or COOL WATER (Davidoff) or my favourite TENDER TOUCH (Burberry). I end up smelling just like him. The only perfumes of mine which win over his deos are the strong ones like Burberry DEEP RED or YSL CINEMA, but obviously I can't afford to spray them on for casual wearing. I save these ones for those special evenings. So, now is my chance to give it back to him. I would pick up a nice smelling deo and spritz it on like him and kill the smell of his new Adidas pack of 3. Yippee!
By the end of the day, I am so overwhelmed with all my shopping, eating at my favourite KFC and watching a movie, that I completely forget about the deo to be bought. Hubby doesn't remind me of it again, of course. He is already in a state of shock from the damage done to his wallet with my other 'wholesome' shopping.
Days pass by until after 2 weeks when I am reminded of my due deodorant to be bought. In the meantime, hubby has already finished off his first one from the pack-of-3. Adidas FRESH IMPACT. Hmmmnn not so bad! I like the smell of it. And now he's opened the second...Adidas SPORT FIELD.
"It smells horrible", I complain. "I knew it. The shopkeeper made a fool of you. This deo, nobody must have picked up."
I quickly smell the third one... DYNAMIC PULSE. Okay, this one's fine. Only the second one I hate.
"But I like it, what's wrong with it?" Hubby protests.
So, that day, in our usual evening round of walks, when we are in the Umrao Plaza (a small shopping complex comprising of shops run by army as well as civilians, with blarring music and temporary eating joints, sprigging up in the evenings for the gathering crowd), we walk through a small shop full of perfumes and deos. I don't miss the opportunity to remind hubby of my due. He cannot refuse it, of course. So we go in. After testing a series of deos from Revlon Charlie Blue, Charlie Gold, Jovan Musk, Nivea, Nike, etc. I derived that these perfumes are not originals. So I ask the shopkeeper for a more Indian brand... Temptation (I quite like the ad 'sorry boys!' and I've heard it smells good too.
"Sorry ma'm. Don't have it right now. Can get it for you in a day or two. In the meantime, why don't you try this one? Its quite popular among the other ladies who come to my shop."
Saying this the shopkeeper offers me to smell the apealing TOMY GIRL.
Hmm.. I like it. Hubby likes it too. Very fresh and nice. Smells almost like the original, but at Rs.120/- I really doubt it. We pick it up anyway.


Reaching our quarter, I am quite thrilled with my new purchase and am admiring it. Hubby takes it from me, sits on the bed, and forced by his usual habit, reads up the whole of the small print at the back body of the deo can.
"Ha, ha, ha! Darling, you've picked up TOMY GIRL, have you realised? This is an alternative product to TOMMY GIRL, it claims here. After all the rec'ce (a short form for Reconnaissance... very frequently used lingo in the army) you only managed to pick up a fake. How's that for a change? Now who is cheated by the shopkeeper? Ha!"
"But darling, don't you give it to me that my picked up 'fake' still smells better than your 'original'? Surely I must have got some taste. After all, I chose you!" *wink*

Sometimes when loving silently is just not enough

Recently I read, Leonardo da Vinci spent 12 long years just painting Mona Lisa's lips. I admit, though I'm no Mona Lisa look-alike (and thank God for that!), how I wish hubby dear had spent at least 12 whole minutes looking at me romantically... those without-batting-your-eyelids, eye-to-eye lost-in-thoughts kinda gazes, you know...
I admit, I am a sucker for romance... hand-holding during a movie, barefoot walks on the beach by sunset, flowers, 'I love you's, 'I miss you's... I dig all that. And I love being the centre of attention for hubby dear. Aw, c'mon! Just tell me who doesn't enjoy some bit of attention in varying degree, anyway? Initially, those compliments and surprise elements would come from him without any suggestion or prompting from my side. But when I realized even the 'I miss yous' have stopped coming my way for the last 2 months that we are away from each other,
I gave him strong hints on the phone about my 'very happening' life here in my hometown (actually it wasn't so happening, after all), while he was doing a course someplace far off from here. I used to make up stories about how I was part of a very hip and happening party at the swankiest of the recently opened clubs in the town, how I met a certain friend from school days over FB who still happens to be single and was showering me with compliments, etc (you get the picture, right?). Why? You need to do these kind of things to make the love of your life feel jealous at times and make him realize that the person he is married to, can do with a little attention and compliments from him now and then, and that a little reminder of love never hurt anyone, anyway. Us girls like to be courted and wooed all the time like in romantic novels and movies. But the truth is that guys seldom read the books we do, or for that matter, like to watch romantic chick-flicks.
But as expected, hubby dear 'pretended' to be all cool about his wife being the 'new talk-of-the-town' and being almost snatched away from under his nose. One fine evening things went a little further. I did not answer his call and texted him instead that I'd speak to him the next morning as it was very noisy at the friend's place where I was at that time, in the midst of a party. It was 11 p.m. then. He could not go on pretending any more. He texted me back a very jealous and irate message (reminding me that I am married now and have some social responsibilities, whatsoever). The next morning when we spoke, that is when I made him realize how I feel when he gets too busy with his work and life to even take out some time for me and give me his undivided attention. Thankfully, I have noticed a change in him now and a positive one at that.

Note to all: It is not enough to love someone with your whole heart and soul and never express it. Our hearts need to be nurtured with the love and attention they crave for. Or else, they will carry on their searches for that love and attention with the quiet tenacity of the bare branches that waited through a long brittle winter, for the filigree of leaves in spring.

Springtime symphony and sweet childhood fantasy of romance

Its homecoming in springtime after a good 11 years. And boy! Did I miss this time of the year all these years away from home? You bet I did. Though strangely, I always took it for granted when I had been at home years ago.

My earliest memories of springtime in Assam dates back to our childhood days to a season which was just perfect-the days and nights were rendered equal and it would be neither too cold nor too warm ... the weather would be fresh and clear, warm and sunny yet had the first few showers of the year for the dry leafless trees to bud out new green foliage slowly making them blossom into a variety of colorful blooms in red, pink and yellow... the cunning cuckoo birds cooing their way to the crows' nests to lay their eggs... the brain-fever birds would whistle bou koka kote (mom where's dad?) constantly, till one starts whistling with them without even knowing it... while the exotic orchids and other sweet smelling flowers of spring would bloom their best, the fragrant breeze transforming the environment into an earthly paradise...

I remember the times when we would visit both my parents native places in upper Assam during springtime. Around mid-April, with the first day of Bohag starting the Assamese new year, the Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu would usher in a period of great fun, merriment and colours, marking the arrival of the spring season. Young girls would colour their palms and feet with saffron pigments of freshly ground jetuka (henna leaves)... women folk would prepare assamese delicacies and snacks like pitha (dry rice cakes stuffed with sweetened coconut or sesame seeds) and laaroos (sweetened sesame or coconut balls) in every household, some women in the villages even weaving homemade bihuwans (white cotton veils with red floral patterns) to be presented to their near and dear ones as a gift expressing love and respect. During those bihu days, everyone would adorn new traditional attires like dhoti, saador-mekhela, present bihuwans to elders and loved ones, invite each other for feasts, functions and fairs organized at several places, setting a mood of festivity and gaiety all throughout Assam. The whole atmosphere would inspire unbounded joy and enthusiasm expressed through dances, songs, and other festivities. Hundreds of young unmarried men and women in the village would be seen moving about in groups, gaily dressed to perform Bihu dance. Pretty young girls would dance brisk and sensuously moving their hips, arms and the upper parts of their bodies to the rhythm of the wild beats of dhol (hollow musical drums) and to the lusty tunes of pépa (buffalo hornpipes) and gogona (another musical instrument made of bamboo), all of these played by the handsome young men. Young couples in love would sing and dance to songs woven around themes of romance expressing love for their sweethearts, whole day long, sometimes late into the night in open fields, roadsides, on specially constructed stages or performing from house to house. The young lissome girls would dress in their best traditional muga mekhela saador (a two-piece skirt-and-shawl set, woven out of golden silk fibers with red floral patterns) and red blouses, kopou phul (a beautiful white and purple colored long orchid) adorning their jet-black hair tied in neat buns and jetuka-tinted palms. The men would wear white cotton dhotis and muga (golden silk) kurtas and tie bihuwans around their heads and waists.

Every year my sister and I would gleefully listen to the romantic escapades of at least 1 young couple in the vicinity of our grandparents' neighbourhood, who would elope and get married during this time of the year... as if it was almost like a tradition that had to be followed with each passing year. And being the hard-core romantic I am, I would think to myself that one day when I grow up, I would fall in love and get married only at this time of the year, my lover carrying me in his arms into a sunset of a happily ever after future together.

Alas! Our childhood dreams and wishes doesn't always come true. My husband is neither from Assam, nor did we get married in Spring. And knowing him, I can tell, he might find all of this stupid, ridiculous and far from anything that is his idea of romance. But the fact remains that in the evenings when I go up to our terrace after sunset to feel the cool spring breeze caress my face, to let the cacophony of the songs of the various migratory birds deafen my ears to all the other sounds of civilization and to fill my nostrils and lungs with the unpolluted air mixed with the fragrance of the many spring flowers, my childhood fantasy flashes back in my mind. And it brings a smile on my lips, a sparkle in my eyes and a spring in my steps. Skipping a beat in a heart, I think of my husband who is far far away, buried in his books nose-deep at the moment...

A lost part of me

Date: 13th March' 10.
Time: Early morning.
I stared at the stick in disbelief. Two straight, pink lines. No doubt about it…PREGNANT. Oh my God! A month ago, when we had our doubts and visited a doc, she confirmed in negative. Now all of a sudden positive. I did not know whether to be happy or sad. My pregnancy was not 'unwanted' but we were not just ready to accept that the doctors can goof up on something so simple as this. I had wanted a baby badly and for so much time now. The baby bug had bitten me long long time before I was even married. But the doctors had created a lot of confusion for us over these 2 months. And this wasn't a good time for me to get pregnant as it was a time to pack all our stuff and move on to the next location. Husband was going to be away from me for a couple of months... even more. So, I wouldn't get his moral and physical support which I heard is very essential for first-timers like us. But I thought since we were going to be away from each other for a while now, the least I could do was to have our first baby from the man I loved so. And it just happened, though I didn't think God would answer my prayers and it would happen so fast. Now a mix of excitement and sheer terror washed over me. Of course I was sure I wanted to have this baby. Good Lord, what was I thinking? Husband, on the other hand, had a practical yet indifferent approach. He made it clear that since we wouldn't be together for sometime now, I would have to take care of things by myself. He had to be deeply engrossed in his studies for a very important exam that would matter a lot in his career growth. And here I was, so foolish in love carrying his child in my womb, thinking of nothing else but the tiny soul growing inside me every day. My skin and complexion glowed. Nausea was my constant companion. I had developed an undying urge to gorge on gol-gappas and South-Indian food. I could never go anywhere near food and not have the tendency to throw up. My bladder had shrunk to the size of a kidney bean, which required me to pee exactly every thirteen minutes. My body was on this wild, hormonal ride, and I had terrible mood-swings. But I was adamant. It hit me even more when we saw the first sonogram of our baby on the monitor. That's when I really and truly realized this was my baby… 'our' Baby. The past nausea-weeks, the frequent urination, and all the other inconveniences, well, they just melted away. Nothing seemed to matter anymore as I looked at this amazingly tiny person inside my womb. At just 6 weeks old, my little miracle was already formed so perfectly, yet so small… just about four centimeters... with a tiny helpless heart beating... almost like a flickering flame. But I have to say, the most amazing transformation of all... how neurotic I had become about this little person inside me. I was so happy I cried out of joy. And I was amazed to see the sparkle in my husband's eyes. How proud he looked. And happy. This was the first time I saw sheer joy in him about 'our baby' and the fact that he finally got ready to become a father. He was all caring and loving and kissed my little Buddha-belly about ten times a day. We didn't know if it'd be a girl or a boy, but my husband started calling the baby 'junior' already. When he asked me what name are we gonna decide and how, I had 2 names ready for a baby girl and a baby boy, whoever arrived. But I felt we'd have a little girl... plump and fair, who would look exactly like her dad. I'd picture her dressed in frilly frocks, curly hair with ribbon-laced pony-tails, taking her first steps, walking to school, growing into her teens, getting her driver's license, going to college, getting married, having babies of her own... her whole life would flash right before my eyes. I would have thoughts about what a big, ugly world is waiting out there for 'her'.... the one filled with bad people, heartbreaks, cancer, violence, drugs, alcohol, teenage-pregnancy, depression and suicide... and then I would go to my husband and hug him tight, thanking God that I don't just have a man who I love, but a real man to father our love child, supported by an institution of marriage, a man who is strong enough to stand by me and my baby and protect us both from the ugliness of this bad world. And I would instantly feel safe and secure. Whenever I stepped into a departmental store to shop for some summer wear, I would be automatically drawn towards the maternity section without even realizing it. I would pick up pregnancy books from bookstores when I had actually stopped to buy the latest best-sellers.
And then my nightmare began...
In the midst of all the chaos of shifting locations and our stuff from the north to the northeast, the excitement of experiencing this essence of being a woman in the truest sense, my whole world of dreams just shattered before my eyes, without me being able to do anything at all about it. I lost our first ray of hope and the soul beating inside me. I was torn apart and I had to give it all up---my dreams, my hopes, my smiles... I never felt this weak before. I cried my heart out, but I knew nobody could wipe out my tears within... nobody could take away my pain... nobody could make me guilt-free... nobody could fill the void that shadowed that phase of my life without my husband near me... nobody could give me answers to anything at all... But in that instant I realized there were many more sadder things that could have happened. I realized that whatever happens, might happen with a good reason. I realized that I cannot give up on life and hope and that we have to carry on with life as it comes to us. But most of all, I realized what it is like to be ready in all senses to really become a mother to a little person who would be born out of me some day.
The best part of this most painful experience in my life is that husband and I have discovered each other again and it feels like we have fallen in love with each other again... just like for the first time ever...

One of his kind

It's a special occasion...the air's scented with the sweet smell of love; I am in my best of moods and the object of my affection stands tantalizingly silhouetted against the full moon. There couldn't have been a better ambiance to induce tender loving words. In keeping with the magic of the moment, I lean across and whisper some sweet nothings into his ear. He begs to be pardoned and says, "Why are you whispering?" At moments like this, I am convinced that my husband either suffers from selective blindness (and hearing), or he could be a masochist or could it be that he really doesn't even realize when he blows it all? I feel a bit of a fraud to be picking on him, when I always thought I am crazy about him being in my life, yet deep down inside, I know, he is kinda sweet and charming in his own innocent way. He is helpful and helpless, smart and dumb, not necessarily according to the situation. But still, I can't pretend that he is perfect. He has a few intolerable virtues. For clarification, I have listed a few...

He believes in sharing. The marriage vows seem to have made a profound impact on him as he is suddenly faced with the harsh realities of another being occupying his space, house, bed and everything else. But the context of sharing and its meaning can be very conveniently changed depending entirely on the intricacies of job in hand. He will never meddle in what he considers my domain. He will keep waiting at the dining table for lunch/dinner (as I juggle with the almost-done crispy fried prawns from the stove to the table, bringing together the cutlery and the remaining dishes of the meal and my mobile rings right at that moment) and he might just announce in a humble yet piteous tone, "Honey, where's my glass of water?" My point is not that he has lived in the house much before we have been married without even discovering where the kitchen sink is, but that he thinks I have the stamina and ability to handle all of those mundane things at that same instant because that's my domain.

He has a very good memory. He is brilliant at remembering facts and figures: When was Hailey's Comet last sighted? Where was India's first computer installed? Which is Indian Army's oldest battalion? Which is the 33rd Article of the Constitution? It is obviously unreasonable to expect one so weighed down with relevant data to remember simple facts like our 6 month anniversary, or did we buy a wine-opener for our house the last time we went shopping for household stuff or we have to pay the cable-guy. These things I will have to go through remembering for life.

He tries to improve my memory. Operating on the suspicion that I actually have a good memory but pretend to have a poor one situationally, he'd ask me about things that I have never even seen or heard of before. Things/documents that he'd keep himself, but insist that I kept them safely somewhere, when they are misplaced.

He allows me to make very important decisions...because he has so much respect for my superior wisdom, nice taste and great decision-making skills, he is constantly asking me questions like "Do we need to refill our wine stock?" or "what's for dinner tonight?" or "what car should we buy?"

Advocate of togetherness. He has finally agreed to accept a few things like "our quarter" or "our lawn". But under certain circumstances, the items that were "our" joint concern, suddenly becomes "Your plants aren't looking too healthy" or on another occasion "Your curtains need a wash" or even "My cupboard and my dressing table has no space for my stuff anymore".

He will give me an honest opinion when I don't need it at all. On one occasion when I had just put on a newly purchased 'Patiala Salwar' (those harem-pants variety), he said, "Darling, what's with the joker pants? Please change into something decent." And I never got to wear my sexy 'gladiator flats' to any of the army parties because my husband thought they don't look feminine.

He tries his best to make the marriage work. At least by not even being remotely bothered or concerned about petty things that bother me so much. He is lost in his own world of work, television and sleep.

These things often remind me that I'm not perfect either and there might be so many things about me which he hates, but never complains. I ask myself...Do married people fight? Of course they do. Does this mean they are not in love? Of course it doesn't. The more you love somebody, the madder you can get with him, especially when he has mastered the diabolical art of how to emotionally harass the spouse by not retaliating, not fighting back, not even getting upset with any amount of nagging and yet stay 'happily' married with a cool and content temperament all throughout. And then when I completely lose it and burst into tears, irritable and helpless at his indifferent attitude, with a faraway philosophical gaze he announces, "Silly girl! Come here, come to me.." and hugs me tight wrapping me around with his arms on his chest, and says, "Baby, you have no idea how much I love you. I'm all yours. Now tell me what's bothering you?" That takes away all the complaints from my life. And I think to myself, "He is the one I want to be forever with". Sigh!

It couldn't get any better

31st Dec 2009. We were all set to celebrate our first New Year Eve together as a couple. But as my husband was getting ready preparing to attend the NYE do at our popular army celebration joint, like every other year, I suddenly couldn't bear the idea of being stuck in another boring and formal army party, strictly following a dress-code, mannerism and all things that wouldn't just let me have my hair down. So I coaxed him to take me elsewhere to someplace where no one would recognize us and especially where there wouldn't be any army people around. The very thought of welcoming the New Year amongst strangers thrilled me. I think I was getting sick of being with the same people for too long. Husband knew better than to say otherwise. So, for general peace, he decided to take me for a special dinner at the KC revolving restaurant in Jammu. We went there expecting a fully-booked, no-parking scenario, but man! were we in for a big big surprise?!

Our luck couldn't have got better. To our surprise, a New Year Eve bash was being organized at the restaurant for Rs. 3,000/- a couple as a cover charge for unlimited snacks, dinner, drinks & a belly-dance included amongst the other attractions of the evening. Staying in Delhi for 11 years, I have never heard of such a deal before. It was such a steal for the price we paid. We looked at each other and I controlled by sudden urge to scream for joy. My husband pressed my hand tight as if he knew by instinct what I was capable of doing. That was a reality check on me and I held myself back from doing anything embarrassing.

We went in to enjoy the evening, me still expecting there might be a catch somewhere and it just can't be true. But it was. My husband had scotch and I sipped on red-wine, gorging on delicious non-veg snacks while watching a (not-so-state-of-the-arty) belly dance and some other lively performances. We also had a close couple dance after the stroke of the midnight clock as we wished each other a very happy new year. Later we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner comprising of seafood and Italian exotics. The tiramisu fully satisfied my taste buds and I was in a state of a Strasbourg goose before Christmas.

We both came back home fully-fed, happy and refreshed. The NYE couldn't have got any better. Happy New 2010 to all!

Movies I watched in 2009

S.N. Date Time (hrs) Cinema Movie
1 01st Jan'09 22:40 PVR-Select Citywalk GHAJINI
2 11th Jan'09 10:10 PVR-Anupam MADAGASKAR 2
3 11th Jan'09 12:00 PVR-Anupam THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND
4 17th Jan'09 10:40 PVR-Anupam CHANGELLING
5 17th Jan'09 13:20 PVR-Anupam AUSTRALIA
6 25th Jan'09 15:15 Cinemax-Hyderabad SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
7 25th Jan'09 18:30 Cinemax-Hyderabad RAAZ 2
8 31st Jan'09 10:00 PVR-Priya LUCK BY CHANCE
9 07th Feb'09 11:00 PVR-Priya DEV D
1007thFeb'09 14:00 PVR-Priya MERE KHWABON MEIN JO AAYE
11 08th Feb'09 14:00 PVR-Anupam MARLEY & ME
12 01st Mar'09 11:10 PVR-Priya DELHI 6
13 01st Mar'09 14:00 PVR-Priya THE PINK PANTHER 2
1401st Mar'09 16:00 PVR-Priya THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN B
1507th Mar'09 11:00 PVR-Priya 13 B
16 14th Mar'09 10:05 SPICE-Noida GULAAL
17 15th Mar'09 10:00 SPICE-Noida LITTLE ZIZOU
18 20th Mar'09 10:00 SPICE-Noida STRAIGHT
19 22nd Mar'09 12:15 SPICE-Noida THE READER
20 22nd Mar'09 13:55 SPICE-Noida CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC
21 22nd Mar'09 16:25 SPICE-Noida FIRAAQ
22 04th Apr'09 18:30 SAPNA-Eok 8 X 10 TASVEER
23 05th Apr'09 21:30 PVR-AnupamTHE SISTERHOOD OF TRAVELLING
24 08th Apr'09 10:00 SPICE-Noida ALOO CHAT
25 09th Apr'09 10:00 SPICE-Noida AA DEKHEN ZARA
26 13th Apr'09 10:55 PVR-Anupam ONE MAN ARMY (ONGBAK 2)
27 13th Apr'09 12:50 PVR-Anupam THE INTERNATIONAL
28 18th Apr'09 11:55 SPICE-Noida DASHAVATARA
29 26th Apr'09 11:00 PVR-Priya MONSTERS VS ALIENS
30 26th Apr'09 13:15 PVR-Priya WATCHMEN
31 06th May'09 16:30 FUN CINEMAS-Ghy REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
32 16th May'09 12:20 PVR-Anupam MY MOM'S NEW BOYFRIEND
33 17th May'09 13:50 PVR-Priya 99
34 25th May'09 12:05 PVR-Anupam DETECTIVE NAANI
35 25th May'09 16:30 PVR-Anupam ELEGY
36 07th Jun'09 11:00 PVR-Priya STAR TREK
37 09th Jun'09 10:00 SPICE-Noida ANGELS AND DEMONS
38 13th Jun'09 16:45 PVR-Anupam GRAN TORINO
39 17th Jun'09 10:00 SPICE-Noida KARMA
40 21st Jun'09 10:10 SPICE-Noida 17 AGAIN
41 21st Jun'09 12:20 SPICE-Noida BRIDE WARS
42 28th Jun'09 21:00 K C Cineplex-Jammu NEW YORK
43 06th Jul'09 09:55 SPICE-Noida KAMBAKKHT ISHQ
44 08th Jul'09 09:45 SPICE-Noida ICE 3
45 14th Jul'09 10:20 SPICE-Noida MORNING WALK
46 19th Jul'09 12:15 SPICE-Noida THE HANGOVER
47 20th Jul'09 09:50 SPICE-Noida TRANSPORTER
48 20th Jul'09 12:00 SPICE-Noida PROPOSAL
49 21st Jul'09 09:45 SPICE-Noida SANKAT CITY
50 21st Jul'09 12:30 SPICE-Noida SHORT KUT
51 15th Aug'09 17:00 ANURADHA-Ghy KAMINEY
52 16th Aug'09 20:00 APSARA-Ghy LIFE PARTNER
53 13th Sep'09 15:40 GOLD-Ghy QUICK GUN MURUGAN
54 30th Sep'09 18:00 ANU EGA-Chennai WHATS YOUR RAASHEE?
55 18th Oct'09 18:00 K C Plaza-Jammu ALL THE BEST
56 06th Nov'09 15:40 K C Plaza-Jammu AJAB PREM KI GHAJAB K
57 19th Nov'09 16:30 MSP MULTIPLEX-Pathankot TUM MILE
58 12th Dec'09 12:30 K C Cineplex-Jammu ROCKET SINGH
59 30th Dec'09 18:30 K C Cineplex-Jammu 3 IDIOTS

An army wife never cries while waving off her husband goodbye

Distance doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. My husband is in the Indian Army. I had a vague idea of what I was getting into when I got married to him, but had romantic notions of running into his arms at the airport or railway station, each time he would come home from his field location. But the first time he went out to the field for 2 weeks, left me craving for him to get back home as soon as possible. I used to enjoy staying on my own earlier during my single days, but now I don't like being alone. It is too quiet, disconcerting. Ever since my husband left, I felt uncomfortable being on my own.
He came back and in less than a week, he had to go again today... this time for a little over a month and to a place where there is no mobile network coverage. The last 5 days seemed as if we were living on borrowed time. Each minute was precious... especially, in the last 24 hours. We were trying to spend maximum time together, getting pending tasks completed in the midst of his work and my ladies' meet and family welfare programmes. We managed to watch a movie together, dined out, went out shopping and even opened up a joint account. Last night we hardly slept for a couple of hours. I helped him pack his bags, reminding him of the small knick-knacks that I knew he would miss out on if I didn't, that he would be needing to stay out for a month.
Early morning today the vehicle reached and as the 'batman' (or 'buddy' as my husband calls him) rang the doorbell and started loading husband's bags into the vehicle while I made breakfast and he got dressed, my heart started growing heavy. After breakfast as husband gave me a big hug and a goodbye kiss, proceeding towards the vehicle, the jawans stood there saluting and opening the vehicle door for him, cheering loudly JAI HIND, SAAB (may the victory be India's, sir), I felt very proud to be married to a man of such honour. But as I waved him goodbye and saw the vehicle soon getting away out of sight, my heart was filled with a sudden loneliness... as if it was going to swallow me up.
The house suddenly seemed so huge and empty again. Every nook and corner of the house seemed to remind me of him somehow or the other. The civilian t-shirt and track-pants that he wore last and had left for washing... his safety boots on the shoe-rack... our joint-photo framed on the bedside table...
I took out our wedding album and slowly looked at all our wedding snaps all over again. I burried my face into his still warm t-shirt and just couldn't fight back my tears. Quickly I brushed off the tears from my eyes that was streaming down both my cheeks, remembering that an army wife must never cry when her husband leaves.
Maybe distance does make the heart grow fonder, after all...

Of culinary blunders and evolvement

A major chunk of my single life saw me feeding on my home-made instant noodles, pasta in white sauce, pizzas, ham sandwiches or an occassional whole meal when I felt that craving for rice (which all rice-eaters from north-east do, once in a while). I knew how to cook whole meals, but the effort to cook for a single person was just not worth it. So, I had never had the need to practically cook proper meals all the time...except for those occassional times when we friends would get together for those special lunches and dinners.
Whenever I used to visit home, ma used to pamper me with all my favourite things to eat. I never had to cook while at home 'cause dad is an even better cook than ma. Back in Delhi, my workplace used to provide both lunch and dinner, so eventually over all these years, I always took cooking for granted, though I love eating.
When I quit my job 2 months before my marriage, the prime aim was to go home and learn some cooking from my mother. My husband-to-be was quite picky about food, I discovered, and he had a great taste in the things that he chose to eat. The brilliant cooks at the army officers' mess had literally spoilt them with an overdose of 5-star rated food. But then, things never work out exactly like we plan... well, not always. The time just before one gets married is usually a time when everyone is busy pampering the bride-to-be. So, not to mention my ma not letting me enter the kitchen (lest I should burn my hands or cut my fingers just before the d-day), also practically each day there was an invitation from our neighbours, friends or relatives, right upto a week before the wedding day. So, my plan to learn cooking from my mother went kaput. After our wedding, the in-law's kitchen was actually not a good place to experiment my culinary skills. My husband hails from the south and their taste of food is quite different from ours. So, just like a good daughter-in-law should, I decided to stand there, assisting my ma-in-law with chopping of vegetables or making tea or helping her open a certain jar for condiments...in short just watched and learnt some new dishes which were easy to make and suited both mine and hubby's taste-buds.

After we reached Jammu (where my husband and I are based right now), both of us started eating at the officers' mess until our kitchen was set. As a part of the welcoming ceremony, I was asked to make the first meal for 10 odd officers and their families...'assamese dishes'. I made my husband very proud by cooking a delicious 3-course assamese meal for all. Everybody was quite impressed. I was quite happy myself at how things had turned out to be. But suddenly everthing changed when I first started cooking at our own kitchen... the meal I cooked turned out to be horrible. The rice was overcooked, the dal was still hard and settled at the bottom while water gathering on the top with very less salt and too much of turmeric, the vegetable dish had lots of salt and got slightly burnt...the only saviour was the naga-style zero-oil chicken (learnt from my naga friend). I just didn't know what had gone wrong... if it was the result of trying so hard to cook a very good meal for my husband or the fact that everything was so new and unfamiliar in the new kitchen. But the fact remained that when I lay that horrible food on the dining table that fateful noon for lunch, tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt so sorry that the first meal I had cooked for my husband at home had to turn out this way. Nonetheless, hubby ate the food without a word...just enough to satisfy his hunger. I knew the food was bad... even I couldn't eat it. But he just wouldn't utter a word of complaint. The next meal was no better either. Hubby still didn't complain....just ate lesser and lesser. He would just make an excuse that he wasn't so fond of that vegetable or that particular dal just didn't suit his stomach. After two days and four meals, I started getting a hang of things. I began concentrating more on what I was cooking and how I was cooking them. The permutations, combinations, a few last-minute tips from ma & ma-in-law and my natural feminine instincts too, made the taste of things improve. I started introducing assamese dishes to my husband's palate and noticed him going in for second helpings. He started enjoying the meals at home and looked forward to eating at home more than eating outside. An occassional "Can you make that sour fish curry today?" or "assamese brinjal mash"(bengena pura) or "that zero-oil chicken" were so relieving to hear. I knew I was on the right track. There was no looking back after then. I started reading and following recipes from magazines (thank you FEMINA and GOOD HOUSEKEEPING) and from the internet.

Today after 2 months of tried and tested experiments, I can proudly claim that I can cook nice whole meals and entertain atleast 20 people at a time with ease, besides rustling up hubby's favourites in a jiffy. And then ofcourse, I can always pick up the phone and ask my ma & ma-in-law for those special tips which comes with their years of experience. Those two numbers are now on my speed-dial list.

November Musings

Being from an absolute civil background and having no one from my family in the army, I , like a majority of our population, had no idea of what life in the armed forces was like. But as destined, I got married to an Army officer ( a Major in the Indian Army) on the 20th of September' 2009. After visiting my in-laws in Chennai and post our honeymoon in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, we traveled all the way and reached Jammu on the 11th of October, where my husband was posted. Everything was so different in the army life. Right from our welcoming, to my ragging, dine-in, everything was a larger than life experience. I was in utter awe and absorbing everything like a dry sponge soaking in water.

Life in the beginning was indeed a dream come true as for any newly wed. As the bride of the unit, life was a lot of fun with all that pampering, care and attention showered on me by all officers and ladies. It was here I realized that even if Army sends you away from home and family, it provides you with another big family- your regiment, where you feel at home and acquire a tremendous sense of belonging. It is indeed amazing how so many people from different origins and culture can unite to form a closely knit unit. One develops some long-lasting relationships which at times might even outweigh blood relationships and age-old friends.

I come from a family of parents with moderate outlook...neither too conservative, nor too modern. But staying away from home and working for so long in a corporate environment (where everyone is expected to be addressed by his/her first names) made it very awkward for me in the first and most of the thereafter parties and get-togethers. Every time an officer or a lady came and spoke to me, I would be very nervous as everyone had to be addressed with their (correct) ranks and last names. The senior ladies could not be addressed by their first names or not even as "ma'm"s. One had to be politically correct all the time and had to mind his/her language as well as body-language. How you sit, walk, wine & dine, greet, everything is scrutinized at all times...not only by the senior ladies in your unit, but even by the ladies of other units too. And for a person who comes from a background like mine, infamous for speaking my mind out to anyone at all without any fear of being judged, it was a total culture shock. I have had my share of embarrassing moments and wished those incidents never happened. But the constant scrutinizing, grueling and training from the senior ladies of the unit and the husband's never-ending patience in answering my ever-inquisitive questions and a constant correction of any visible error, trained me (if not to a super-fine, then definitely) into a less-gawky lady.

One of the first gift my husband gave to me was the book WEDDED TO THE OLIVE GREEN. Its a Bible for people like us...the present generation service wives, who are not mere housewives...someone who is not merely a one-dimensional decorative person whose life revolves only around dressing up, makeup, kitty parties, gossip and small-talks. Notwithstanding the above, it is also true that we are not very attuned to the prevailing social customs and traditions, particularly our obligations to the Defense Service. Such ignorance leads to avoidable tension, which often extends to the husbands, so, one of the most important duty of the unit is to share with the ladies how they should conduct themselves graciously and with harmony, not only amongst themselves but also while interacting with the wives of Junior and Non Commissioned Officers and other ranks.

But, in spite of the rosy lazy life, Army life is also full of challenges, transfers, field tenures, separation from loved ones, which can be exasperating. I have heard about the much dreaded inconvenience of moving houses as an integral part of the service life. And of the long absences of the husbands for exercises which require them to be away from home for quite some time. But whenever I would get unnerved thinking of the forthcoming situations, before they actually came, my husband would always say, "Don't fight the system, make the best of it". This actually would then give me strength to carry on with a smile. My husband is one of the sentries of our country's borders and I ought to be his mainstay. So I need to be the pillar of support in the way of life he has chosen. I consider it a privilege to be married to him and I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization.

Hey, I'm back...

Here I appear again. Seems like ages...it has been quite a while, actually. Now blogging would be more regular. I finally have access to internet. Catch u soon...

Movies I watched in 2008

S.N. Date Time (hrs) Cinema Movie
1 05th Jan'08 11:50 Satyam-NP FUR
2 06th Jan'08 13:00 PVR-Anupam THE GOLDEN COMPASS
3 12th Jan'08 10:00 PVR-Priya NATIONAL TREASURE-2
4 19th Jan'08 11:30 PVR-Anupam MAD MONEY
5 21st Jan'08 09:20 PVR-Anupam ANURANAN
6 10th Feb'08 10:30 PVR-Priya MITHYA
7 16th Feb'08 10:30 PVR-Priya JODHA AKBAR
8 17th Feb'08 10:20 PVR-Anupam P.S. I LOVE YOU
9 17th Feb'08 12:45 PVR-Anupam ENCHANTED
1018thFeb'08 19:00 PVR-Anupam RESERVATION ROAD
11 23rd Feb'08 11:45 Satyam-NP NANNY DIARIES
12 23rd Feb'08 13:45 Satyam-NP MICHAEL CLAYTON
13 24th Feb'08 18:00 Satyam-NP AMERICAN GANGSTER
1403rd Mar'08 21:00 PVR-AnupamSWEENY TODD
1504TH Mar'08 23:15 PVR-AnupamVANTAGE POINT
16 08th Mar'08 12:45 PVR-Priya BLACK & WHITE
17 09th Mar'08 12:00 PVR-AnupamJUMPER
18 09th Mar'08 14:10 PVR-AnupamWEDDING DAZE
19 15th Mar'08 14:45 PVR-Anupam AUGUST RUSH
20 16th Mar'08 18:00 PVR-Priya 27 DRESSES
21 16th Mar'08 20:15 PVR-Priya WE OWN THE NIGHT
22 21st Mar'08 10:30 PVR-Priya RACE
2323rd Mar'08 10:00 PVR-AnupamTHE BUCKET LIST
24 30th Mar'08 11:10 Satyam-NP LOVE SONGS
25 14th Apr'07 15:45 PVR-Priya PERFECT STRANGER
26 20th Apr'07 22:45 PVR-Spice THE REAPING
27 21st Apr'07 11:00 Chanakya KYA LOVE STORY HAI
28 27th Apr'07 22:45 PVR-Spice TARA RUM PUM
29 12th May'07 10:20 Chanakya LIFE IN A METRO
30 19th May'07 14:00 PVR-Priya SPIDERMAN 3
31 20th May'07 10:00 PVR-Saket MADAGASKAR
32 30th May'07 13:35 Chanakya CHEENI KUM
33 30th May'07 16:30 Chanakya SHOOTOUT AT LOKHAND
34 12th Jun'08 10:30 PVR-Priya HANCOCK
35 12th Jun'08 12:30 PVR-Priya JAANE TU YA JAANE NA
36 15th Jul'08 14:25 PVR-Select City THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL
37 19th Jul'08 12:30 3Cs-Lajpat Nagar KISMAT KONNECTION
38 26th Jul'08 11:20 PVR-Priya DARK KNIGHT
39 26th Jul'08 14:10 PVR-Priya MISSION ISTANBUL
40 30th Aug'08 17:30 PVR -Select City ROCK ON
41 31st Aug'08 12:00 PVR-Priya WANTED
42 31st Aug'08 14:10 PVR-Priya C KKOMPANY
43 31st Aug'08 16:55 PVR-Priya BACHNA E HASEENO
44 06th Sep'08 13:05 PVR-Priya A WEDNESDAY
45 06th Sep'08 15:20 PVR-Priya WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
46 14th Sep'08 10:20 PVR-Saket RIGHTEOUS KILL
47 14th Sep'08 12:20 PVR-Saket 1920
48 14th Sep'08 15:15 PVR-Saket THE LAST LEAR
49 05th Oct'08 19:45 PVR-Priya KIDNAP
50 11th Oct'08 18:30 Sapna HELLO
51 25th Oct'08 10:30 PVR-Priya ROADSIDE ROMEO
52 01st Nov'08 13:50 PVR-Priya FASHION
53 08th Nov '08 12:15 PVR-Saket QUANTUM OF SOLACE
54 08th Nov'08 15:50 PVR-Saket BODY OF LIES
55 15th Nov'08 11:30 SPICE-Noida DOSTANA
56 06th Dec'08 10:45 PVR-Priya DIL KABADDI
57 06th Dec'08 13:15 PVR-Priya BURN AFTER READING
58 06th Dec'08 21:30 SAPNA-Eok MAHARATHI
59 07th Dec'08 14:25 PVR-Anupam OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE!
60 10th Dec'08 16:40 SPICE-Noida DASVIDANIYA
61 10th Dec'08 20:25 SPICE-Noida SORRY BHAI
62 12th Dec'08 16:15 SPICE-Noida DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
63 13th Dec'08 21:30 SAPNA-Eok RAB NE BANA DI JODI
64 28th Dec'08 18:50 PVR-Priya GHAJINI

THE GOA DIARIES

Saturday 2nd Feb'08 20:45hrs

I reach the Nizamuddin railway station at 07:00hrs and see the Goa Sampark Kranti already waiting in platform# 7. Cool. But as soon as I get inside the train, I realize there is no electricity and the stink is too much to bear. As if all these are not enough, there arrives a herd of cricketers from Kashmir. They are a mix of Moslems, Pundits & Sikhs from J & K... people in different size, age and gender. I take the window seat and look out. Soon all the seats in the coupe are more than occupied with co-passengers I do not quite like the looks of. As the train starts off at 07:30hrs, I go off to sleep, even though I'm not quite used to sleeping in the daytime.

I'm woken up during lunchtime by the 2 young & hyper-actively excited sards (M & N) offering me lunch. UGGGggghhhh!! *GO AWAY!!* I hide under my naga-shawl even though its too warm by now. I can't sleep back. These guys are chomping and yapping away to glory. I sit up straight and find company in Tuesdays with Morrie. I read it straight up and finish it off around 19:00hrs. Now I'm hungry. I eat something at the next station. M & N follow me like shadows. I get back to my seat. M starts a conversation. I pretend I'm deaf. N tries to show he's mature; asks M to keep quiet. *N scores brownie points here* I keep the bored-to-death look on my face and body-language intact. It helps. I sleep off at 21:00hrs sharp.

(Note to myself: Worst journey of my life. GgRRRrrrr!)


Sunday 3rd Feb'08 23:55hrs

Its a lovely morning. *especially because those nerds are nowhere around to be seen* I yawn aloud and stretch. A couple of oldies and kids inspect me like I am from outer space. I look at the passenger sitting beside me just by instinct, and...I have to look again...*my eyes pop out and fall off* A HOTTIE!!...reading the newspaper....*Awwww!!!* Now where on earth has this one landed from?? (let me guess...ummm MARS?!) He reminds me of my friend R. I think I'm staring. That's too obvious. But I'm not staring, I'm looking at him because Hottie looks so much like R. Does that mean R is a hottie too and I haven't realized it all this while? That's too much of thinking to be done on a train journey (especially to Goa). Hottie looks at me and attempts a light smile, slightly uncomfortable. I surprise myself by smiling back when I don't want to. Hottie extends his hand and says he is S. I shake hands and say hi! Everything is nice and smooth and we get talking while the others look on and the nerds barge in. S happens to be in the same group... but he is so refined. (Sigh!). M & N almost starts panting at the prospect of talking to me. S introduces them to me. I say hi without shaking hands. M & N start their much awaited (and mostly one-sided) conversation. I reply in monosyllables when I want to. They are much more stupid than I thought. And desperate. But they appear to be good souls and their stupidities prove to be innocent and very original. I become a little soft. After all, there's not much time left for me to reach my destination. M writes the mobile no.s of all the 3 of them on a piece of paper and hands it over to me, asking me to call them if I ever want to visit J & K.

(Note to myself: Nerds can be sweet at times, but they are basically annoying. I'm losing them fast, so who cares!)

I take a nice long look at S before getting down and when he catches me doing it, I casually drop in the conversation how much he resembles my (actually non-existing) boy-friend. S looks disappointed but I clear my stand. M & N simply gape. Then S says something really sweet..."Bring him along too...to Kashmir. It would be nice to meet the lucky man."

I'm so touched. I get off at my destination (Thivm) with a heavy heart and an even heavier duffel and head straight to Tony's cottage at Anjuna Beach.

I choose a nice front room (courtesy Tony), unpack and take a long leisurely bath, before going out to the beach. A little later I go to meet Baba (another shack-owner, who had refused to give me a room the first time I landed in Goa, but later on, became a very good friend). I ask Baba for food and a Masala Chai. He offers me a seafood burger and beer instead. That's why the love them Goans. As I'm eating and having the beer, a Chinese man comes by and makes a joint. Its good stuff, I can make out from the smell. He offers me to share the joint, but I'm just too tired. So I refuse politely and both of us try to converse in broken English. As the Chinese man was doing the last few drags and I was gulping down my last few sips of beer and burger crumbs, a small carnival band comes right up to the Paradiso-turn just a few feet away. Baba asks me to go watch. I run to the point with my camera to watch all those colorful floats and troops. These are mostly white-people, not the locals, but its fun none-the-less. A white lady who looks totally stoned, comes by and kisses people randomly... on the mouth... *EEKS!* I escape and she catches hold of a guy standing next to me.... N. He doesn't seem to mind, but his girlfriend A, doesn't look so amused. We become friends. They have a couple of other friends- R & S. They are all from Mumbai. We all say hi to each other and watch the carnival for sometime. Later on, we decide to go to the Hilltop and have a freaky time till past midnight with port wine & psychedelic trance at its loudest. *a total WOW experience!!!* R hails from Goa, so she meets up with friends and cousins there. S is drunk silly on 3 large vodka shots. A seems a little bored and lost as N and I are dancing to the trance beats. Just before midnight, N drops me to my guest house and returns to his gang-o-girls. I call it a day.

(Note to myself: Who gives you a nice time... friendly strangers or strange friends???)

Monday 4th Feb'08 23:00hrs

I'm woken up by a loud knock on the door, around 8ish.*Who's it?*. "Hey, its me... N". Am surprised but still open the door for him. He explains sheepishly that they had all stayed at R's native place in Vagator nearby and did not go off to Calangute to their hotel last night. And since he woke up early and the girls were catching up on their beauty-sleep, can we please go for breakfast?! I get ready in 10 minutes flat and we're off to the German Bakery at the Anjuna junction. As we're finishing off breakfast, N gets a call from R's mother that the girls have woken up and waiting for him. He leaves. I go off to the beach for some sun-tan and water-play till mid-day. I experiment with my Canon SLR at all the hours of the day, trying to learn all its hidden features. When I have enough, I take a long long bath in the warm afternoon sea, then go hog on sea-food and port-wine in one of my favorite shacks nearby. After lunch and a quick afternoon siesta, I go shopping gift-items and mementos for friends back in Delhi. I buy beads and anklets and a marble-chillum and a nice green dress and a pair of crocs for the beach. Now I'm happy with all the shopping. *little pleasures of life*. In the evening, I walk down to and pay a visit to Tony's family. That beach is not one of my favorite, so I come back to before its too late. Its too early for dinner and I'm not hungry yet. And I don't have anything much to do. So, I stop by at the 'VagatorAnjunaSea Queen' shack for their evening movies. I watch SHOOT 'EM UP on their big screen projector. Then have a light supper and walk back to my room. I read up some before calling it a day.

(Note to myself: Alright, so the day has gone by unexpectedly uneventful and laid back! But I like it this way sometimes. I miss my girlfriends though... and some of my guy friends too... *wink!*)

Tuesday 5th Feb'08 23:45hrs

Good-morning.... Goa! Its such a lovely morning. Just by the thought of how much lies ahead to be done the whole day, gets me all excited. I go to a secluded spot near the German Bakery which looks like a deserted graveyard, but the place is not as scary as has high walls with lots of stairs and an uphill. I can see some huts and a little hint of civilization up on the hill. So I'm not all that scared. I climb up to the highest stair and sit up on the wall with the hope of catching the first rays of the morning sun with my camera. After what seems to be a long wait, the sun finally shows itself. Not as beautiful as I expect it to be, the sunrise. In Goa, its the sunset at the beach that is the most breathtaking site. Nonetheless, I click some pics and climb down the wall and the stairs and head straight to the German Bakery for breakfast. I'm getting addicted to their masala chai, cheese-burger & omlette breakie. I do my usual sun-soaking and then after a shower and change, at about mid afternoon, I start off for Mapusa.

Today is the last day of the Carnival and its in Mapusa. I can't afford to miss this one. By the time I reach Mapusa and scan the market for some local Goan lunch, the floats are already there on the main road. I rush to catch a glimpse and after I see a couple of them, I'm captivated. I go on clicking them one after another. One float is better than the other. The cheer, the colors, the excitement is all so enticing.... its unbelievable. Before I realize, its dark. I rush to the market to buy some eatables... cashews, dry apricots, prawns balchao, dry-fish, churiso, wines, port-wines, etc. While I was buying my stuff, stacking my wine bottles here and there in the 2 bags I was carrying, it created quite an amusing view (apparently) for 2 friendly strangers-M & A, who have been watching me all this while from outside the shop.*twist in the tale*We say hi! to each other and chat up. They are from Mumbai again. M looks like either a cross-dresser or gay, but nonetheless very friendly and open-hearted and A has a permanent 'bored to death' expression glued on her face. Later I found out that she's not actually bored, but that's the way she looks even while she smiles. I couldn't be bothered. We find a local bar and sit there chatting up, eating, drinking and clicking pictures together. We get along so well that we decide to extend our meet and go over to Club Titos (Baga Beach) at about 22:30hrs. That's where M & A are putting up. They have a car, so we all hop in. My shopping bags in tow.

We have a wild time at Titos and M attracts a lot of 'unwanted' attention while revealing up to his thighs while dancing in his beach sarong on the dance floor. Both A and I lose him in the dance floor and we come out to the bar for more beer. We catch up on beer and some girlie talks and just when 4 cuties come up to us to ask us for a dance, M finds us and snarls at the cuties.*darn!* He looks hurt at our betrayal. Suddenly I am drunk and too tired. So, I want to go to my room. Them good souls drop me to my hotel room and ask for my tomorrow's plans. Without even thinking I utter out that I have to go to the Anjuna Wednesday Flea Market tomorrow morning. Both of them (being first-timers in Goa) invite themselves to come with me. We fix to meet up tomorrow at my room at 10:00hrs, I gather all my shopping bags and bid each other goodnight.

(Note to myself: Quite a day. Whew! And quite an odd couple. But they are harmless, so I'm kewl.)


Wednesday 6th Feb'08 23:00hrs

I sleep straight till 09:45hrs and wake up with a start at the shrieking alarm clock bell of my new next-door neighbors. *What a timing!* In a jiffy, I shower and get ready and walk up to the shack right across my hotel for a quick breakie. As I finish off the last bit of breakfast, M & A arrive. We drive to the Flea Market and buy a whole lot of junkies. We finish our shopping and a complete round of the market by 15:00hrs, then stop by at a local eatery there in the market for delicious yet affordable local goan lunch. We are all happy with our new possessions.

M decides to take me & A to his local goan friend at Calangute Beach, who owns a shack. We all go over to meet J at his shack. As we reached there, J welcomed all of us with a big friendly smile and open arms for warm hugs. It was hard to believe someone can be so friendly from the first meet. But I observe that in J's line of business, this is extremely important for his clientele to spread about his service and attitude by word of mouth and hence make him more popular than the 10 other competitive shacks in the neighborhood. The pool-table in his shack (the only one in that area) proves to be another added bonus point for his shack's popularity and earnings. And the tall-dark-handsome hunk (his most prized employee) is a hot favorite escort amongst the single white women who visited the shack. There was no leaf unturned by J to soar his business much higher than all his competitions. We sit there chatting, playing pool, sipping on beer and port wine, eating huge crispy-fried tiger-prawns, mussels, etc. everything on the house. There was no way one couldn't keep from coming back to a place like this. We leave for our respective hotels at around 22:00hrs. M & A drop me to my hotel room. They leave for Mumbai tomorrow early morning.

(Note to myself: I learned so much from J today. If you run a business, be passionate, shrewd and friendly in an absolutely balanced ratio. There is no way you can fail. I'm so impressed. It was also nice to have met M & A. Friendly strangers turn into my good-natured, pure-hearted friends... at least for now.. and I loved every moment being with them.)


Thursday 7th Feb'08 00:00hrs

Rise & shine gorgeous! Its a bright new day again. My last day in Goa for this season. And I'm on my own. I have not planned the day yet. Let me take it slow and on impulse today...
I have breakfast at Tony's shack today, their specialty being freshly-baked homemade pitta bread & hummus with masala chai. I feel so satiated. After breakfast, I sunbathe and take a swim in the almost empty beach. The local tourist crowd have all left and there were only a few foreign tourists left in sight. The season is getting leaner by the day. I go to my room, take a shower, get dressed, check my jhola for money, water bottle, sunglasses, a book and some dry-fruits to munch on, then set out just aimlessly for destination anywhere. I keep walking till I reach the Anjuna junction bus-stop and get up on the first bus which stops. Its going to Calangute. That brings a smile to my lips and as I pay the bus-fare to the conductor with a mysterious smile, he looks confused, yet shrugging his shoulders moves on indifferently to the next passenger for fare. My co-passenger is a local school-teacher and we have a short but friendly conversation till she reaches her destination. After sometime I reach my destination too. And without any help from my brain, my feet walks to J's shack.

J has a big smile glued on his face as he sees me. He welcomes me exactly like yesterday and tells me to feel at home. I make it clear that today I'm gonna eat, play and drink here only if he allows me to pay. He wouldn't listen. Finally we both settled on me paying whatever amount he'd quote, without him showing me their menu-card for the prices. I keep my jhola with the accountant, take my book to the beach, do some reading, sun-bathing, sand-writing and clicked a few random pics of strangers and of the staff at J's shack. Mr. TDH doesn't have any customers to escort today. So, he kills time with me. I tell him that I don't need an escort, but he clarifies that he's only into white women and that I don't need to get scared. I discover that he's an educated, well-read bartender, but not rich enough to fulfill his dream of going abroad to work, on his own. He sees escorting every single white lady as a new opportunity for work permit abroad and also the earnings out of it go into his savings for his 'overseas dream' after giving J a fat cut-out as commission. I was touched by TDH's story. We played some pool together and he offered to take me to a casino in the evening. He and J had plans of going to one of their favorite casinos in the evening anyway, as the business was lean today. I agreed immediately, as I had never seen a real-life casino ever.

J drove us all to the CASINO CARNIVAL at the Goa Marriott Resort in Miramar Beach. They charged Rs. 200/- per head. Their dress-code being formals and smart-casuals, I suddenly felt under-dressed in my beach sun-dress and flip-flops. But these are situations when a lady feels privileged when she is not stopped by anyone for not following any rule. I never looked more confident than this time in my life. With 2 well-dressed men coming to the casino to blow their money, I felt no less than a princess. J & Mr. TDH indulged in Roulette, Black Jack, Baccarat & Slot Machines keeping me nearby as their lucky mascot, but lost miserably.*tch..tcchhh!* But hey, I never asked them to gamble, nor told them I'm lady luck, so I maintained a blank innocent look on my face throughout.

After losing enough money, J & TDH took me to Palmeira, the Marriott's in-house multi-cuisine dining restaurant for a nice chatty dinner, after which both the men drop me off to my hotel room and left for their destination.

(Note to myself: Its such a good yet strange feeling to be able to trust people in a place like. People I hardly know, yet I could trust, not to cheat me or take advantage of. Yet another reason why I'm in love with Goa and its natives. Boy! Am I tired?!*yawn!*)

Friday 8th Feb'08 22:00hrs

With a heavy, reluctant feeling, I slide out of bed and get ready to leave. Checklist for everything to be packed. My bags are super-heavy with all the shopping here. I go to Tony's shack to pay him. The good soul gives me a hefty discount for being an old customer and a long stay, so I am left with more money to do more shopping on the way, if I can. Seeing my super-heavy bags, Tony offers to drop me in his van till half-way till Panjim. And I thought courtesy is an extinct virtue unheard of by Indian men.*Sigh!*

(Note to myself: I'll get all teary-eyed and never leave if the Goans continue to be so nice to me.)

I have to come to Vasco to board the Goa Express at 14:00hrs. After bidding Tony 'goodbye' at Panjim, I boarded a bus to the Vasco railway station which brought me in time to grab a quick Goan lunch just outside the station and also to pick up some more cashew packets to send home to Ma.

The train's on time and I board it peacefully. It was thankfully not too crowded. So, it was a perfect time to devour John Grogan's 'Marley & Me'.

I read, ate, slept and did not even look up to see my co-passengers this time.

As I finished reading the book and my heart grew heavy at the world's worst, yet most lovable dog's demise, we reached the Nizamuddin railway station, Delhi, on Sunday 10th Feb'08 06:00hrs.

 
And that's how ended my fun-filled, carefree & colorful time in Goa this once.