Chookar mere dil ko kiya tune kya ishara

Beautiful song. This song has been an all time favorite with me. This week I thought I will put up five of my all time Rakesh Roshan's favorite songs. Most of them you would have heard before - enjoy them all over again ! :)

Good part of Roshan's music is that it is very lively and peppy. Check out this one -

Na bole tum na maine kuch kahan ( batoan batoan mein )

Jab koi baath bigad jaaye ( Jurm )
Love the heartfelt way in which Kumar Sanu has sung this song.

And finally a song that I dedicate to all of you for the new year .
Enjoy the liveliness and sheer joy in this song :)



Here's wishing you all have all fun , joy, fulfillment and accomplishment this year ! :) Wish you a very Happy New Year !!

Read more...

Stumped !

It was a sunday morning. I needed some vegetables for lunch, so I went to the nearby vegetable walla who was busy tending to the customers behind his cart of vegetables. He looked hardworking, fresh and charged up, as if today was the day that he had to make a difference to his poor family.

As I was choosing and picking my vegetables in a leisurely fashion as is possible only on a sunday morning, I saw a north indian youth in his early twenties, a young software engineer I would say, also come to get vegetables.( You know - he had the software engg look - the rich, young, disinterested and casual look ? You know what I mean ? )

He looked sleepy and groggy - as if it was such a punishment to be awake at early morning 9 am !

But he needed to render his duties and halfheartedly went about picking up the vegetables he wanted. When at one point, a vegetable caught his eye. He wanted to know the price of it. He racked his brains, searched his memory for a suitable kannada name for the vegetable and when he couldnt find any answer in the upper store - He looked at the vegetable and looked at the vegetable vendor and with a hopeful look on his face, said in hindi- 'Kheera kaisa diya ?'.( How much does the Kheera cost ? ).

The shopkeeper goes blank and expectantly looks at the boy for some clarification to his question.

The boy stamped his foot mentally and seemed to be thinking- 'Damn ! Will start that kannada speaking classes from this week onwards'. But for now, the boy gives it another shot. He looks at the shopkeeper again and asks - 'Kakadi kaisa diya?'( How much does the kakadi cost ? ).

Shopkeeper is a more frustrated and his face goes a little more blank.

Both of them are now in an interlocked helpless gaze.

I could hear all the fun at my back, while I continued picking and choosing my vegetables and went about minding my own business. I was almost feeling sorry for the boy .

The boy scratches his head and irritated that he had to put more awakeness and mind than he had initially planned - he looks at the vegetable vendor helplessly and points at the vegetable and says almost pleadingly- Ye ! Ye Chahiye .. ( I want this vegetable ..)

There was a momentary silence.

And then I suddenly hear the uneducated shopkeeper's voice happily bursting out in clear english-

Oh ! CUCUMBER !!

Cucumber beka ? ( You want cucumber ?) He continues in Kannada.

Heheheheh :) I couldnt control my laugh or keep my stoic composure anymore ! I turn back and laugh looking at the youngster - All the sleep had vanished from his eyes and all he could do is stare at the vegetable vendor :)

Read more...

To dear Anu :)

( Photo courtesy - Mr. A. K. Kaul )

Must have been in my 4th std when we moved into the new house in Ahmedabad. The day we shifted, only the uncle and his eldest daughter ( Meenu ) in our neighbouring house family, came to visit us. Uncle said something to mummy about where his rest of the family was- something that I neither understood nor cared.

With in two days though, aunty came to the neighbouring house and with her was a beautiful bundle of joy ! Gosh ! was she beautiful ! Aunty had been in the hospital to deliver Anu .. !

Meenu was my age - we went to the same class - to a different school though. Between Meenu and Anu was the quiet, understanding, balanced Suchi. Meenu was a friend for sure. But it was with Anu that I shared a very special bond. I would wait to get back from school so that I could rush to the neighbouring house's kitchen ( there was a out door sink to the kitchen, where all the kids had to wash their feet , before entering the house - a rule set by aunty that none of us dared disobey ;) )

Anu and I spent hours playing with each other. God knows what bond we struck together. We had our own language and our own secret jokes. On the holidays, I would sleep for longer than 7 am . And for sure, I would be woken up by a tiny little body with tiny little hands shaking the whole of 8 years old of me and saying "Uuuuthna Veena" ( :) I was Veena for her - pls note -no didi and all ). And grudgingly and reluctantly and ofcourse happily to the sound of a friend's voice, I would quickly brush my teeth to start my exciting day.

We spent blissful 4 years with our dear neighbours- Me playing with the 3 girls and spending time with their parents and grandfather. After which , Dad got transferred and we moved on . After 3-4 years when I went back to meet the Kaul family, Anu had grown to be a 8 year old, and Suchi to a 11 year old. Now both the younger girls called me 'Didi'. My heart tugged when I heard that. When did I become a Didi !!

But then that was the reality then. And now Anu has grown to be beautiful, confident lady who holds her own in the advertising section of one of the leading newspapers in India.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anu, Suchi, Meenu - This post goes out to your family and our friendship :)

Read more...

Smile a while

Yesterday, as I was casually walking in one of the by lanes, I spotted a sight that I couldnt help smile at .









This cutie pie, all of maybe 4-5 years, was washing clothes with such concentration and deftness - that everyone passing by her, had a smile on their faces .



Couldnt help thinking - This happens only in India :)

And heres wishing that you smile your week ahead ! :)

Read more...