Srivardhan!!!

When are the best plans made? If asked, my reply would be "in an instant"!!! The same happened when me and a few of my friends decided to go to Srivardhan. One morning we are having breakfast and in the nexfew hours we are all packed and ready to go to a place called Srivardhan. The only information that we had was that it is small and beautiful coastal town along the Konkan coastline. Well, that was enough to encourage us. So within a matter of a couple of hours from the initiation of the discussion we were off (some 8 of us) to our holiday.

The best part of the trip, I would admit myself, was the journey towards our destination. Oh, what a view!!! Long, beautiful roads, greenery all around and small water bodies now and then. A lot of nonsense had happened in college just a few days back and all of us needed a break from the routine. Giving time to each other, just having random conversations, sharing hearty laughters and listening to songs, what else can you ask for?

After a tiring yet enjoyable 7 hour journey, we finally reached our destination. Words cannot describe the beauty of that town. Small, adorable houses, twisted lanes and people huddled all around, it felt as if we had been transported into another world altogether. Now another problem presented itself before us. We had a choice between a hotel or a home where the owner rented out tents for one night' stay. The latter was a 2 minutes walk away from the beach and hence that became our final choice.

Now the fun actually began. The beauty of the starry night was beyond explanation. We dumped out stuff inside the tent we had booked and headed off to the beachside after ordering for our food. The owner helped us build a bonfire right at the shoreside. Oh, the wondrous beauty of it. The night was slightly chilly. But then we were all in company we coveted. Random conversations, beautiful skies and faces blurred with the smoke of the bonfire light; we all shared an amazing time together. A walk at the beachside at that time was like an icing on the cake.

Finally we settled down for the night. All of us had an exhausted but amazing sleep, so much so that waking up in the morning in order to start back early proved to be one of the most difficult tasks of the entire trip. After an amazing hot breakfast of misal pao, pakodas and poori, we finally started back. In comparison to our journey towards Srivardhan, the journey back was on a much quiter note.

However, once we reached back, we realizewd that such trips lie at the heart of comradeship and the fun of being in college. Now that we are nearing the end of our time together, such trips would soon become a part and parcel of our past which would remain etched in our memories for a long time to come.

Strangers....and friends!!!

New Year on our hill top! No, not a situation any of us had actually thought through completely. But as the day drew closer, everyone had their thinking caps on. Unfortunately, so late in the month of december it was actually close to impossible to get any bookings (from hotels to taxis, everything was fully booked). Then, one of my friends came up with the brilliant plan of having a house party at one of her friend's bungalow. We jumped at the chance and were soon off to our new year's adventure.

At first we (me, padma and nikhilesh) were a little skeptical. New Year at the strangers house, among people we did not even know. But then another thought popped up. New Year at the hill top. no no!! We had been invited by one of our batchmates. So, in all, we were five people from our hill top, and the number of people hosting us was yet to be known. :D

I got a lift from one of the people attending the party on his bike. Ohhhhhh, what a romantic drive it could have been! Full moon in the sky, thew weather just a bit chilly for a motorcycle ride and me wearing a dress! (Blush blush) However, I had been warned by Padma that the person I was taking the ride from was her 'Baby bro' so I had better stay away from him. Sheesh, no trust left these days I tell you! :D Anyway, so I took a ride from this friend and we reached the city, got food packed for our party and went to our first stop, Shweta's (the girl who had invited us to gatecrash the house party) home.

We waited there for around an hour for the host to turn up to escort to the bungalow where the party was scheduled to be held. Finally the host arrived and proceeded towards what would become a night all of us would remember as one of our best times ever. We reached the bungalow which was located in a very quiet place surrounded by construction sites all around. There we met the rest of the party. At the end of the round of introductions we were a total of some 10 people all geared to enjoy and wecome the new year of 2010.

Then the fun truly began. On one corner we started the preparations for a barbeque. (whose end products I could not sample because I am a vegetarian) and also the preparations of a bonfire in the courtyard. Then we just sat around the bonfire and the most surprising thing of the night took place. we did not talk much. All of us were in our own worlds but yet the silence was not uncomfortable. It was as if a group of strangers had come together and somehow found peace.

Then 12 o clock struck and all of us got busy on our phones. Then we all wished each other and were thinking of what to do next. One by one the candidates were also opting to sleep off after enjoying the beautiful moon lit night and the strangefully amazing company. Then came up the idea of a game called 'Mafia Wars'. The rules are to complicated for me to explain now but let me suffice by saying that at roughly 1 30 am in the morning, a group of people were trying to make sense of a game which needed expert understanding. You can understand the scenario yourself. I am sure I need not explain more. :D

Then the clock started inching towards 3 am and my eyes began to droop. I made my way towards the make shift bedrooms and the moment my head touched the pillow I went off to sleep. Morning dawned and I realized that New Year was here. It was the 1st of January 2010. Cheers!

Girls Night Out, literally!!

If there is one reason for which I would openly admit that Bombay beats Delhi hollow, it is the freedom and safety that girls feel when they move out in these cities. For example, can a group of girls feel brave enough (forget about feminism for once) to travel in autos and enjoy the night air of Delhi (not that the layer of pollution over the city makes that too much of a possibility). However, by personal experience I can say, that a similar scenario in Mumbai can not only be concieved but be enjoyed to the fullest.

Now let me come to the point of this post. Mumbai happened in the summers of my second year at Symbiosis. Internships, careers and all that, you see. But Mumbai presented a host of opportunities which, being a dweller from North India, seemed unique and alluring. I shared a flat with two of my friends from college. That, in itself, is something which is unforgettable. But even more so is the one night that we all decided to go out for dinner but landed up at one of the most coveted spots of the city, Juhu beach.

All three of us had different office timings. However, one evening all three of us were at home, rested and in the mood for some fun. So, exchanging nods of agreement at the first suggestion that was under discussion, we all decided to go out for dinner. This would be our first roommates get together in the two weeks that we had been in Mumbai. Getting ready, all of us hailed an auto and started out at around 8 p.m. towards our destination, unknown even to us till this point. One of us had randomly heard of some good restaraunts in Andheri, not very far from our flat, so we decided we would go there.

Reaching there in around 45 mins, pretty early according to Mumbai standards, we decided to go in for an Italian dinner. Ahhhhh, what ecstasy. I have to make a stop here and remember the unique blend of sauces and spaghetti that melted in my mouth that night. Eating so much that all of us felt bloated towards the end, we were now looking towards heading back and going off to sleep (at least I was...you see, I am an early bird...:D). However, precisely at that point when all of us were full from the delicious dinner, one of my friends got a call which bade her to come and experience the Juhu beach at night.

We were tired after a full day at work and then a superb dinner. But who could not agree to such a proposition? At 11.30 p.m., all three of us piled up inside another auto and made our way towards the very famous Juhu beach of Bombay. The roads of Mumbai after 11 in the night are a sight to behold. So empty that they seem almost desolate. However, the emptiness helped us reach our desination in less than half an hour.

Now we were faced with the most surprising element of all. Even after 12 a.m. at night, the beach was crowded with Mumbaikars. All three of us were shell shocked. We had to walk the length of the beach to search for a qwuite spot on the beach where we could sit down and enjoy the beauty of the night with the waves overlapping at the helm of the beach. Finally we came upon a comparatively empty section of the beach. All three of us sat and enjoyed the calm, balmy night for a while, talking about nothing in particular and mostly just listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the beach. According to me that is one of the most amazing sounds that nature has created.

We enjoyed the scene for another hour and then reluctantly decided to head back. The auto ride back was without incident. We reached back home at around 2 a.m. that night. Tired but exhilerated we decided to finally settle down for the night. However, one thought that dominated my mind was that walking on the sand of the beach, with the sand sifting through my feet was an experience that will stay etched in my memory till a long time to come. And beyond that, I have this blog to remind me of that one night when we all celebrated freedom and a girls night out, literally!

Cooking marriage !

What is so different about a marriage, you ask me? Nothing much really. The only difference that can be is of a perspective. The one that everyone has is of the glamour and perfection that every marriage portrays in front of the guests, be it in the form of decorations or food. The other perspective which I stumbled across was the one which is of the amount of work which goes behind the preparations of all that beauty and food. A very different yet no less enthralling one, I can say that for sure!

A marriage in my dad's friend circle was to take place towards the end of the winters in 2009. My dad was appointed the decorations and stage incharge. (:)...yeah...just imagine) So, the morning of the wedding and reception day we decided to go and take one final look at all the preparations. Very frankly, no words can describe my feelings when I reached the spot. These photographs would be much more adept at giving you a slight more idea of what exactly I sawe and felt in the kitchen around the reception area.

Large, canyon sized bowls were filled with colourful vegetables which refused to let the eyes wander around too much. On top of that the smells were so intoxicating that it was quite a task to come out from the kitchen area to see the decorations. However, the beautiful flowers which were being used for the stage decoration were another story altogether. (Yeah yeah, I am a flower lover).

That night when we went to the wedding and saw the beautiful stage all lit up with lights and enhanced by the beauty of the flowers, it was an amazing feeling.

Masti at night

Everyone told me "College Life is unpredictable." Now, I am a very unassuming kind of a person. So sudden plans had never been a part of my life style. However, once Symbiosis happened, everything I had believed in till then went for a toss. In Delhi, going for a movie post 6 was unthinkable for a girl. But Pune made me realize there is life beyond your room's four walls post 6 p.m. as well.

"Wake up Sid" created a furor in my college. My friends were of the opinion that you should go to see the movie becaue in some way or the other you will be able to identify with the storyline. Another thing that was said, but in undertones, was that don't go with your parents to see it, they will also see a lot of similarities between you and the storyline, and that will raise a series of remarks best left unsaid (Arghh). Anyway, it released just as my exams were about to begin. Not that we study a lot, but still it makes the conscience clear if we don't go out immediately before the exams. As it turned out, this time it was not to be.

One day, after a tiring day at college, my roommate came up with the brilliant plan of going for the movie. The main question was, where would we get transportation to travel from our hill to civilization at 7 p.m. Then my friend had a brilliant idea. I will not divulge the exact information but just let me say that we were four people who went for the 7 p.m. show of 'Wake up Sid' that day - me, my roomie (Padma). our friend (Nikhilesh) and my dean's daughter. (wink wink...:D)

We got into my dean's car and rode away at full speed in order to catch the 7 o' clock show of the movie. Since our hill is around an hour away from civilization, we reached there with just around 10 minutes to spare. The movie itself was an amazing one (no, I am not saying it just because it was the first movie we had seen in the theater in around three months). According to me, sitting in a darkened theater, watching Ranbir's antics and eating stale salted popcorn with a cold drink is a must have experience for one and all.

Coming out of the theater at 10 pm, we all were ravenous. But at that point of time, all our regular eating joints (or let me put it this way, the ones we could afford...:D) were shut down. Oh, by the way, I think I forgot to mention, it was raining like cats and dogs that night. We were all soaked by the time we got into the car. Searching around for a place to eat, finally we landed up at a Dhaba on our way back to our hill. Eating hot paranthas there while the rain pitter pattered on the tin roof above us, with the dhaba almost empty, I had one of the best times of my life.

Finally it was time for us to start our journey back. Our clocks were showing 11 30 p.m. and we were all amazed that time can pass so quickly. But that's the beauty of being with friends, you don't realuize how quickly time passes. Our college gates shut at 12 a.m. so all of us were a little worried. But ahhh, we had forgotten that we authority on our side that night...:D Remeber my dean's car?? Hehe...Finally we got back to our room, soaked to the bone, exhausted but feeling exhilerated and out of the world.

Taxi No 5170-Revisiting history

My internship started on the 20th of October this year in Delhi. I am really not used to roaming around Delhi on my own. Working with a new wire service for just a couple of days taught me the importance of doing just that. A good way to lose those few (uh um) extra pounds. One such assignment took me back to Red Fort, a historical bonanza of Delhi, which I had visited once, a decade earlier, on a school picnic (ahhhh....the long lost times).

A taxi was sent as my mode of transportation for the day. Around 2 in the afternoon my adventure began. R.K. Puram to Red Fort is a long way, taking some 45 minutes one way. So i had a long time to take a look at what were the other landmarks of Delhi that we passed on the way. First on the way came Hotel Taj Mahal, one of the oldest in the city. I could see glimpses of an amazing infrastructure through a lush green curtain of trees and bushes planted all around the hotel.

Next on the drive came the majestic India Gate. Built to honour the freedom fighters of our country, the India Gate stands as tall as ever and still attracts people from all over the country for a customary visit. Though this landmark is said to be at its visual best at night when it's all lighted up, even at day it was easy to make out why this monument demands the respect of every India even after 60 years of Independence. We also passed the Parliament House but by then I was late for the event that I had to cover so did not have the time to marvel at that structure.

My first glimpse at the Red Fort took my breath away. Majesctic to say the least, the massive red stone structure draws awe from everyone who looks upon it. All I had the time for was to take a quick tour around the Fort. Seeing the legendary Diwan-i-aam somehow brought to my mind the scene from Jodha Akbar (YES, I noticed something else besides Hrithik in the film, get over it...:P).

However, I had very little time to actually take in the splendour of the monument. All I could take in was the sandstone structure from far. Soon after a sprinkling of white t shirts indicated the beginning of the event I had actually gone to cover. Covered extensively by the media, it was a climate change drive where a giant human 5 formation was being formed at the Red Fot representing '350', the actualy level of carbon that should be present in the atmosphere as opposed to '390' parts per million which is present today. The enthusiasm of students was amazing to witness.

Soon it was time to go back to the office and file my story. Unfortunately, the historical Red Fort would feature almost nowhere in my report. I came out from the majestic gates of the Fort and headed towards my taxi. On the way back I passed the Parliament Houe and realizd the contrast that both the buildings presented. The former was a representation of the time when Mughals ruled over our country and the latter stood as a mark of democratic India. That day I realized every trip had something special in it. It is up to us to realize the importance and appreciate it accordingly.

Working on the move...

I am training to be a Print Journalist. I love reading and writing. Basically I am technologically challenged. I chicken out at the thought of using any sort of technology and softwares gives me nightmares. Imagine what my reaction would have been when I came to know that we have to compulsory do a broadcast story for a college assignment. No, I did not faint (have some faith) but yeah I did go Eeeeeeeeeep!


I was supposed to do a story with one of my colleagues, Rujuta, who is a broadcast journalism candidate. Hence she was in charge of reporting and I was in charge of the camera (me, handling a camera, laudable really). Being the reporter, she figured out the story idea, chalked out a travel plan, we went and booked all the equipment and voila, we were ready to go for our shoot. The story was about the propoganda created by political parties in the form of their party symbols on swine flu masks. The shop which was selling these masks was in Budhwar Peth, the Red Light area of Pune. Since we had started in the evening on her scooty, we were fighting against the loss of light which would make the shoot even more difficult. This, however, did not stop us from enjoying, gossiping throughout the ride and having a nice Bhutta break in the middle of our journey.

Finally, we reached our destination with just enough light to help us take our outdoor shots. Now I have to share the experience of handling a camera on my own for the first time. It gave me a sort of powerful feeling. There was a feeling of being able to capture all images on a tape which would stay as a memory for a long time to come. Having people stare at you when you shoot gives a person a heady rush (especially when it is a novice like me). However, with some slight mistakes, we were finally ready to take our shots and interviews. The shoot went on for some one and a half hours. We both were exhausted at the end of it. But the experience was an extremely exhilerating one. We packed up our stuff and again started off towards our next destination.

The next stop was Rujuta's home. She wanted to leave her scooty back home (petrol prices gone up by leaps and bounds if you didnt notice). Her mom made me eat some traditional Marathi food which included Bakdewadu. All I can say is Yummyyyyy. We spent a nice time with her mom who gave me a green signal to come to her place and hog on traditional Marathi food whenever I wanted. However, soon it was time to leave for our hill again. We left Rujuta's place and reached our bus stop. Then we started our journey back. We were so tired that we went off to sleep as soon as we settled in our seats inside the bus. Finally we reached our hill top, exhausted yet satisfied. It was one of the days which made me realize that I am not as bad with technology as I thought. I have lost the fear that Broadcast journalism held for me but I don't think I will be drifting towards a career in that medium until and unless I am dragged there kicking and screaming. :D