Wednesday, January 13, 2010

What Is..?




This is non-fiction, created from personal experience. Enjoy!

Horror is when you go to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and see two pairs of eyes glinting in the corner, only to discover later that they are your pet dogs.

Disaster is trying to heave a six kilo blanket over your head, failing miserably, knocking off objects from the table, creating a major racket and waking up your father in the process who absolutely roars at anyone who disturbs his forty winks.

Sharing is pouncing into another person's lunch box to eat up her tasty aloo mattar and upon finishing it, offering her some soggy bread and butter from your own tiffin.

Health is rapidly climbing three flights of stairs without breaking a sweat and gloating about it, only to crash to the floor moments later because of a blackout.

Drama is making an attempt to skip school on a cold, foggy morning by saying that you can't move as you're "paralyzed" and that "it hurts to move".

Warmth is braving your first Delhi winter by snuggling close to your pet doggies in their bed, not worrying about the hair or the smell even though you have just taken bath and washed your hair too.

Punishment is waiting eagerly from morning to evening for your brother to come home with your precious packet of chicken biryani, only to see him come back empty handed as its Tuesday!

Retarded is being in school, firmly knotting your tie with the ties of two friends and spinning all over the grounds like a catherine wheel; then fleeing back pell-mell into the classroom when the Principal spots you from the opposite end and raises her fists in the air.

Gratitude is what you feel when your mother decides to give you extra bucks for shopping.

Laughter is sitting in class with your best friend and sniggering uncontrollably at the most random things like the Geography teacher talking about Kutchi people or something as remotely uninteresting as "La Mode" and pronouncing it wrongly in the first place, resulting in us breaking into peals of laughter.

Peace is hugging your loved one tight, giving out little sighs every now and then and not having a care in the world.

Relief is letting our a huge fart after an excruciating day of backache, stomach ache and general uneasiness and realizing that you weren't getting a heart attack after all.

Trust is not thinking once, let alone twice, when your boyfriend lounges on a beach filled with bikini clad girls a hundred times hotter than you.

Comfort is moving your bum just a little bit so that blood circulation returns back to normal.
Discomfort is being cramped in a metro train with a large flatulent woman on one side and a man with an erection on the other.

Focus is not feeling a thing even when an entire ice cube melts on the palm of your hand.
Out of focus is when you keep muttering "Hmm. Hmm." for the entire ten minutes that your mother narrates her shopping list, then ultimately asking "WHAT?"

Friendship is the ease with which you can sprawl yourself in someone else's house, no matter how early in the morning or how late at night. It is also completing each other's sentences and saying "I was about to say the same thing!" at least once.

Confidence is suddenly realizing that you can drive a manual transmission car even though you have been searching for a gearless one since ages.

Contentment is craving for something chocolate-y for a week, then finally laying hands on a rich chocolate cake injected with even richer chocolate syrup, with chocolate ice cream on the side.
Discontentment is buying more makeup that you would ever need and still wanting more.

Love is missing someone's presence even years after their death.

Obedience is listening to the Principal when she tells you to walk in a line, even though there are only two of you.

Curiosity is sneaking into the kitchen as a child to see what your mother has made, finding a bowl of halwa and taking a HUGE bite, only to find out two seconds later that it's a bowl of mashed, boiled potatoes.

Disgust is the feeling you get when you see a child throw up into his own hands. More disgust is what you feel when you see him eating it again.

Family is crowding around the dining table while the power supply has gone for a toss, talking about anything and everything under the sun; laughing, crying, discussing.

Mystery is being taught by a teacher for over a year, exchanging emails, chatting online, being buddies; but once you're done with exams and out of school, finding out that she is untraceable.

More might follow soon. Any ideas?

Friday, December 25, 2009

Self Critique

How do some people manage to write the way they do? I look at people around me and realize that I will probably never be able to write as articulately as they do. I am a girl of horribly simplistic thoughts and equally simplistic writing. Maybe this stems from my overall personality; I call a spade a spade. In school too, I was the one who could speak well and write well, but never was I the one who could string together eloquent sentences or delicate poetry. It is for this same reason that I rate myself an average writer. No, I am not looking for compliments here, just admitting the truth! It takes a genius to write well, to make the whole world listen. Oh, and its not only writing I am talking about here! Those geniuses out there who spin their yarns, its so difficult for me to understand what they mean! They really make me question my intelligence. I am having my Homer Simpson moment now. Doh!



Thursday, November 19, 2009

Hyperventilating Insects!



"So, how was your Science Olympiad today?"

"Oh, it was soo easy Ma'am! Here, take a look at the question paper.."

"Hmm, so what option did you choose for this question.. Which of the following dissolves in water - a) oil b) salt c) insect d) paper.."

"SALT!"

(So I decided to engage in some leg pulling...)
"Oh, but don't you know, insects dissolve in water much quicker!"

"No Ma'am! If you put an insect in water uski bus saans phool jaegi.."

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Nose Bejewelled

I was barely a year old when my mother got my ears pierced. She says "I took you out of sheer excitement." Perhaps she was scared that I would refuse to let someone drill holes in my ears later. Perhaps she did not want me to remember the pain.

Nineteen years later, a few days back to be precise, I got my nose pierced. Let me tell you, I was ready much earlier, but a certain friend scared the living daylights out of me by talking about "unbearable pain" and the "excruciating recovery period". I put off the idea until it completely slipped out of my mind, but it all came back when I saw a dear friend's nostril. On it perched a beautiful white stone, catching the light and glinting pompously. "If she can go through the pain, I sure hell can!", I said to myself.

So off I went to the piercer, with dear friend and three of her friends in tow (all with pierced noses). The five of us trooped into the pretty silver shop. What do you think I saw? A lady bending over a girl about my age, about to pierce her nose. Let me tell you, it looked as easy as eating cornflakes. The girl happily got up, paid and left. "Darn", I said to myself, "that looked pretty neat!". You can safely say that about that time, all my fears left me.

"Choose a pin for me, I'm confused."
"How 'bout this one?"
"Yeah that looks cool. Y'think it'll suit me?"
"I think it'll look especially good on you!"
"Ok but have a look at the others as well."
"Hmm how 'bout this? Or this? And look at this one!"
"No, no. And absolutely no to that!!"
"Well I think you should go with our first choice then.."

To tell you the truth, it didnt hurt one bit, big thanks to the piercer's expertise! She pushed in the pin in a split second and by the time I knew it, I had a beautiful stone glinting pompously on my nostril too.


Thursday, August 6, 2009

CHILDREN, THESE DAYS!



So there I was, interacting with a bunch of nine year olds, trying to get them to speak effortlessly in english.

"Lets divide the class into two groups - girls and boys", I said.

"Sure!"

"Tell me boys, how do we brush our teeth? Tell me the whole procedure, step by step."

"We take a toothbrush, wet it, apply toothpaste on it, clean our teeth and tongue, rinse our mouths, rinse the brush. Done!"

"Very good! 10 points!"

"Yay!"

"Ok, now girls. Tell me, how do you get ready in the morning?"

"We get up, take bath, brush our teeth, polish our shoes, wear the uniform, eat breakfast and leave home to come to school."

"Very good! 10 points to you too!"

"Yay!"

"Ok, now I wont ask any more questions. Ask each other. Girls, ask the boys a question."

"Yay! Hmmm. How do you switch on the computer?"

"We switch on the UPS, then the CPU, then we wait for the screen to switch on, enter the password, then wait for the desktop to appear."

"Excellent boys! 10 points again! Now why dont you boys ask the girls a question?"

"Woohoo!" *whispering* "How do girls take bath????"

"No!! No!! Ask another question!!"

*more whispering* *sniggering* "How is a baby born????"

........

CHILDREN, THESE DAYS!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Pet-ty Issue

So I have pets. Not dogs, not cats, not hamsters, but squirrels. They are right there on my bathroom window and I just let them be. I have even stuck two pencils on the window so that it doesnt shut because of the breeze.
You know the best part about having squirrels as pets? They are really low maintenance. NO maintenance, rather! All I have to do is look at them, see them look back at me, admire them, see them admire me... SERIOUSLY! They display themselves only for me. If anyone else enters the bathroom, they go away and refuse to come back until that person has left. Its so cute to see them lounging around, flat on the stomachs! On days the squirrels have a party, I see the family stuck against the net to accomodate guests. They have a gala time. The guests then leave and the family retreats into their humongous nest.

So today I have a picture story for you. Let us very creatively call it THE SQUIRREL STORY.


There once lived a family of three squirrels. Mama squirrel, Papa squirrel and Baby squirrel. Mama and Papa squirrel built a beautiful golden nest for Baby squirrel to grow up in. One day, the family was sitting outside their home, relaxing and enjoying the gentle breeze, when all of a sudden A Big Human entered their territory.


The family was startled by this sudden invasion.


They sprang up from their drowsiness and fled A Big Human.


But Baby squirrel was brave. He came back to see who had disrupted their peaceful squatting. Well, well! It was only their good friend Rima!


No problem! Rima wont hurt them! Baby squirrel happily went inside his spacious home and waited for Mama and Papa squirrel to come back.


A simple story, but this actually happened today morning. I have been trying to write about my pets since a long time, and there could not have been a better way to introduce them. I dont think we will ever keep dogs again, so these little fellas really give solace to my heart. Thank you dear squirrels.

(click on the pics to enlarge them)