Petals!

When I picked this book with its bland cover and odd title, I had little hope of being glued to it. Can it be bias? I think its more about expectations being built when you look at the blurb and find it reads pretty cheesy and so does the title and then you aren't so sure about spending money on a book like that. The funny thing is I keep doing it believing that one day, others will feel the same curiosity and buy my books and give me a chance too. Anyway, I started reading the book on a Saturday evening and it was so interesting that I just finished it the same night! I couldn't sleep till I had finished reading till the last page!  The story begins with a film director whose wife, Niti, vanishes. She leaves him a note saying that she doesnt want to be traced and that she has to leave him. First angry and then in a state of disbelief, the busy film director realizes that his life and happiness can never be complete without his wife. He remembers the love, trust and joyful mo...

When I am reading a book, I get into 'phases' but I just hope that doesn't make me sound like a crazy person. Right at the beginning, when I read a book, I feel so thrilled as if I am poised on top of a cliff and watching the most exciting view from top. That feeling of being at the edge makes me want to read the whole book at one go, without being disturbed by the door bell ringing or the cell phone singing.  Then, when I am half way through a book, a sort of irritation starts building up because I've already got through the outline and I know how the storyline is proceeding.  I have noticed that while I am mid-way, I like to tell people about what I have read so far including the interesting tidbits and conversations that thread the storyline. There are some scenes and dialogues  that I love to share with my friends. When I was reading Chetan Bhagat's Two States, I was constantly quoting passages from it with friends and family because I found it so relevant an...

Some days are terrible to live through. If you ask me, what happened, did something go wrong? I wouldn't know what to say because nothing did go wrong.I did my daily chores with better attention than usual. I cleared a lot of junk that had piled up around me and I managed to do my prayers on time too. Funny thing is, I just felt very negative and down under today. Out of the blue, some of my life's most depressing moments flashed before my eyes as though I was watching a movie. That made me feel like a total loser because I could clearly see many evident mistakes that I had failed to learn from at that point of time or even afterward. This higher awareness of what I missed seeing clearly brought me down like anything and I can't begin to explain the throbbing headache that resulted in. I felt like a complete nervous wreck by the end of the day. There are so many friends who are a part of my life so I thought of someone I could just call and talk with. The strangest thing w...

Nothing in life prepared me for falling in love for the simple reason that I had always thought that love was meant for reel and not for real. Funny, the opponent became the proponent. Today, I strongly believe that love is the only way to build a life together. Of course, there are ups and downs that are like waves, sometimes they take your breath away and leave you frightened and helpless and vulnerable. But that's the beauty of life. You've got to believe in rising over those ups and downs. And, the one thing that can make it all worthwhile is love, being able to find and share love with someone who you know is the only one. The secret to life is not in your plea for happiness or in your desperate quest for finding it somehow, somewhere. It all starts in that golden space you forget to look into - that's your heart, the threshold of everlasting joy.  It's always been there but guess what? You never looked there. This time, try.  

To travel is one of my big time plans. 2010 is the year I planned to do just that. As a kid, my parents took me traveling everywhere. It could be to the lake or the mountains, where we would sleep in tents, watch the stars shine in the sky and play games without the computers or Internet or cell phones. We fell asleep, listening to the sound of the ocean's waves and the wind tugging our hair and our skin a little crunchy with salt sprays. The beauty of such rugged life remains with me like a scent that is luring and can never be forgotten.  Be What You Want to Be When I look back into my childhood, those are the most poignant memories that come to life and throw shadows on my hectic life that gives me no space to even contemplate about being who I really am.  My family believes I should take a looong break and just enjoy doing whatever I want to do.  I am not ready yet because I believe I have so much more to do and accomplish before I take that break. No matter what...

Stepping into the theater to watch Karthik Calling Karthik , I felt a sense of expectation from the movie. To confess, I adore Farhan Akhtar because he comes across as an intelligent, constantly thinking man. Not hero stuff but in real life, he has got all that matters - brains, wit and logic that comes across in his warm persona.  From the moment I saw the way Karthik (Farhan) behaved, I sensed that he had some disorder that began in his mind, the body language was not that of an introvert, but of someone who is going through mental breakdown. Many moments in this movie made you want to live in a world where vulnerable individuals like Karthik are given the space to be the way they want to be.  However, in the real world, things get nastier and to survive, it becomes a question of joining the worst or being bullied by the worst.  I loved the part where Karthik learns the importance of saying 'NO' firmly. I think there are too many nice people in this world who are ta...

Lord, thank you for your love and grace in every moment of my life and for finding me worthy of this award.  A big thanks to Nivedita for this Award. I don't know if I deserve it but you make me feel that I do. You, the reader, helped me improve through every post. Your feedback and suggestions motivated me to write in the only manner that I know: from the heart. Thank you all for the love and patience. A big thanks to all my Twitter friends who have placed their trust in me and humbled me with their overwhelming support, friendship and acts of kindness. As the rules for accepting this blog award make it necessary for me to share 7 facts about myself, here we go: 1. Kochi is my favorite city. It's in my soul 24X7. 2. I dislike certain traits in people such as dishonesty/corruption, boasting, constantly finding fault or being judgmental about others to camouflage their own faults, leading purposeless but extravagant lifestyles and taking advantage of friendships for wrong...