Today’s True Love!

What exactly is love?

· Undying affection which is utterly unconditional?

· The simple senselessness of you jump...I jump kind?

· Buying roses and remembering each anniversary kind?

· The glinting ring symbolizing this intricate emotion?

· Listening & being there for your spouse even though the other makes no sense?

One really does not know. Unfortunately, in today’s times, we are more accustomed to hearing about heart break and pain than undying love. We have all started believing that the unconditional love is only for the classics... that too mostly tragedies! The kind of love which has passed the test of time seems to have vanished! In fact almost every other person has a “love lost” story. I even heard from a “someone” every dear to me..... that the line “falling in love” should be rephrased to falling in lust! It seems that would put you on your guard and it would make more sense and hurt less later!

It deeply troubles me when I hear people’s wavering faith in love. Isn’t it an obvious fact that any potent substance has both positive and negative effects? So applying reverse psychology I would say if you are dreading love accusing it of having the potency to harm you..... shouldn’t you already know that it also posseses the power to heal you with the same intensity?

In summation, I hope people do not give up believing in love.... as it is worse than giving up on hope! Believing in love has the same power that hope has..... It keeps you strong... keeps you going.

Somehow love creates magic.... that magic brings a sparkle to your eyes, a hint of a smile in trying times and a guffaw in good, a kind of warmth that soothes you and allows you to unwind when you can feel anything but fine! I hope all of us manage to hold on to the hope of finding love as we all sincerely need magic in our lives!

Sorcery

By jessica hagedorn

there are some people i know whose beauty is a crime.

who make you so crazy you don't know

whether to throw yourself at them or kill them.

which makes for permanent madness.

which could be bad for you.

you better be on the lookout for such circumstances.

stay away from the night.

they most likely lurk in the corners of the room

where they think they being inconspicuous

but they so beautiful an aura gives them away.

stay away from the day.

they most likely be walking

down the street when you least expect it

trying to look ordinary

but they so fine they break your heart

by making you dream of other possibilities.

stay away from crazy music.

they most likely be creating it

cuz when you're that beautiful

you can't help putting it out there.

everyone knows how dangerous that can get.

stay away from magic shows.

especially those involving words

words are very tricky things.

everyone knows words the most common

instruments of illusion.

they most likely be saying them.

breathing poems so rhythmic

you can't help but dance.

and once you start dancing

to words you might never stop.

Koffee with Konkona

I have always admired strong, independent women who have the tenacity to live life on their own terms. Something about their way of life defines who they are. My grandmother is one such women and if I begin to talk about her, I would probably need an additional blog to compose my thoughts and feelings for her. So for now, it should suffice when I say that she IS my role model....someone I revere and am fervently proud of!

I have come across certain others similar to her but in a completely different league. {As far as I am concerned, nobody can compare to muh granny... just trying to reiterate my loyalties!!} One such person is Konkona Sen Sharma. I did like her in some of her films that I saw but it wasn’t until I saw her on Koffee with Karan... did I consider her to be someone out of the ordinary.I mean to be honest, she is everything but a star... she is a perfectly ordinary next door girl! So what about her made my eye-brows shoot up and made me throw my head back and laugh aloud at the same time?

To begin with her dress-choice stands out literally like a sore thumb.... after all the rest on the guest list {Of Koffee with Karan} wore shocking pink miniskirts to....see-through sarees and blouses’ and gowns with plunging necklines! But then gradually the simplicity of her cotton saree begins to make sense and you learn to appreciate it! By the time this happens, she has you engrossed in her very opinated conversations! She is honest and portrays the courage to live life on her own terms. The conversations suddenly get serious (and almost have me fast forward as I don’t really want to hear serious discussions on mainstream cinema) when she has me laughing for being outright honest about something that has been staring at me in my face from the beginning! All in all Konkona is rather a graceful,witty woman who can hold your interest in a conversation because she has something worthwhile to add, instead of the mundane jabber and annoying giggles that (seemingly) involuntarily escape the other actresses!

Twilight

To begin with the title confused me! It was unclear whether twilight meant the time around midnight or just after sunset! So as usual had to Google it! Turns out it’s the time after sunset and just before sunrise when the horizon is lit up by the sinking/rising sun’s rays! Aah.... that put me off a little as I personally do not like this part of the day... for some strange, mysterious reasons.

And then I see the trailer...... A high school girl frozen in a crouched position next to a tomato red truck as she watches a speeding blue van in horror. She is almost crushed by the imminent impact... when a strangely pale boy appears from nowhere and stops the car with his bare hands! His hands cause a big dent in the other car and saves their lives! This trailer intrigued me and I decided to watch this fiction online. The movie was sooo endearing.....each part of it is directed superbly. The director even managed to incorporate the front page of the book...which I thought was real witty! For those who have not read the book, its the scene in the cafeteria where Edward (Robert Pattinson) catches an apple in his hand as it bounces off the floor! For me it shows when the director and the editor are not British... the British scenes seem abrupt to me most of the time as though the editing was very crudely done.

More than the acting I was enthralled by the story. When discussing the movie with a close friend, she enlightened me to the fact that the movie was in fact made from a book which was a part of twilight saga! That was all I needed to hear! I spent the rest of the afternoon, hunting the ebook and ordered the remaining books online! Reading the books is sheer pleasure.

Each book has been titled aptly! The first one "Twilight" is the beginning of the saga as it dexterously defines the characters and weaves an astonishing story. The 2nd one "New Moon" has a subtle hint hidden in the title as it simultaneously implies the introduction of another main lead! The 3rd "Eclipse" intentionally hints at the distancing between Bella and the new character of the second book. While the last one "New Dawn clearly points at the new life of the lovelorn couple!

Twilight is essentially a love story between two star crossed lovers. A vampire Edward Cullen and a human Bella who are irrevocably drawn to each other. This story redefines unconditional love that the reader shares as they finish the series. It’s a very simple story that has the even the most practical, unromantic person go “awwww”! Honestly I am not a sucker for romantic stories. For a novel to hold my unwavering attention, I need it to be fast-paced which usually is in the case of fiction or thrillers even, but not romance. So take it from a (at the risk of sounding cheesy) “human” with limited paitience, the twilight saga is not one among the mushy romances which bore you to death with their raunchy musings! Infact my mind drew analogies to the movie “qayamat se qayamat tak”! Both are simple love stories that reverberate innocence.... however with (thankfully ) very different endings!

Twilight is a fast paced love story of two most unlikely beings that keep you glued to the book. And this feeling does not end with the first book. You are compelled to run to the store and pick the next one in the series to know how their story unfolds. Sometimes I was left wondering if such selfless behavior resembles any individual in reality.... but then my stubborn mind asked my practical side to shut up and share their magic.

The second book new moon almost had me weeping as the immortal vampire leaves our vulnerable human to keep her safe. I couldn’t bare to read as the author narrated the human’s anguish as she struggles to forget her love! This is where Stephanie’s second male lead is brought into focus. This character becomes Bella’s best friend... almost her confidant! By the time the second book is wrapped up, the vampire with his unconditional love has earned himself a very real image by acting like all the other male "humans" that populate today’s world!

The last book is the best of all, as Bella and her Edward get married and yearn to start their new picture perfect life....but like all of the rest of us...... their love story is marred by a number of struggles and hardships which have the reader feverishly turning the pages until the happily ever after end! I have been very of careful not revealing any twists in the books as I really want everyone else to enjoy them as I did! Ofcourse telling you people about the happy ending is no secret... I HATE movies/books with unhappy endings and make it point not to watch/read such innovations! Also, telling you about their marriage is not giving away the surprise either... it says so on the back cover of the book! Also... believe me... their getting married is not the main crux... there is sooo much more in the story that you have to read on!

Also, I want to confess......I cheated... could not stand the suspense (of the last one) or the anguish (of the 2nd one)....so turned pages and read the ending first... it spoiled the book for me a little...but what to do! I read all the 4 in a week...so that must tell you how hard I tried not to look to the ending first..before sccumbing to my curiosity! All in all..... inspite of being guilty of an biased person in the extreme, I strongly urge you to read the first book atleast! I have the ebook and so if anyone wants a copy just shoot me an email and I will send it to you!! Hope you guys do read it and share my excitement!

Daaya!

This weekend started off with promises of gala-times! We had planned a girls night out including clubbing, swimming, diet of all the nonsense/ pleasure food, movies and even some outings! Even before Friday dawned, clubbing was vetoed out. But the other plans were on. After a looong day’s work (Friday is rumored to be the longest day at work!!!) we all got together at my girl-friend’s house. Armed with my swimming gear and an overnight bag, I danced my way to her house that was well stocked with booze and movies.

We were about to go grab some snacks, when my friend’s phone rang. She volunteers for “Daaya”; an South-Asian organization who helps women that are in an abusing relationships. The Daaya organizers requested her help for a 29 year old woman from Hyderabad who had been abandoned in a motel by her husband. Accompanying her was their 4 month old son oblivious to all the tension between his parents.

Her husband had taken the trouble to wait till her green-card expired before serving her divorce papers which also included a restraining order that applied to him and all his relatives. She had about 20 dollars, clothes and some diapers with her. This 29 year old is an MBA graduate who married this man within a week of meeting him. Tolerated (probably gave back a lot too) his mistreatment went to India with her one month baby and came back in a couple of months in an attempt to save her marriage. Result: Abandoned in a roadside motel suite with little money and some food.

We re-arranged our schedule and drove to meet her and offered her help. The baby still requires vaccination and we are in the process of getting that done. Her immediate concern is getting her green card reissued and then finding means of supporting herself and her baby. We are collecting any money we can to help her but are waiting till she decides if she wants to stay here or go back to India. After meeting us, she found some solace and is gaining some strength and direction for beating her current predicament.

Today I find myself with a new class of paradigm:

Life is hard for most of us and is almost never fair.

If you have people who love you... you are the luckiest person alive.

What does not kill... indeed makes you stronger!

All of us were horrified to see her.... and helping that women made us better people. She needs to know that decency ...humanity even, do exist. It is going to be a looong struggle for her and we hope we can make it a tinsy bit easier.

Are you Money wise??

So in these morose times of financial epilepsy, who survives or rather thrives? Its the "monetarily sound" people, who have saved for a rainy day and invested smartly. Because, in times like these.... the interest rates are lowest on cars (same even 0%) and to say nothing about their actual prices.... and the real estate isn't looking good either(from the home owner's point of view)!

So what do the money-wise do?? The genius waits for ailing times like these and then invests....emerging even brighter and cleverer... because this is probably the only time, when buying will actually earn money... in the long run of course!

My mum always said.. when you lose... do not lose the lesson! So the next time (for anyone I know)... that someone has an overwhelming urge to splurge on a car/invest in real estate I would implore that person to think again and wait for times like these whenever possible.... and save until then! As the way I see it, it's almost as if everything is on "sale"!! Talk about timing and being in the right place at the right time!!!