Ave Maria

Sometimes the background catches your attention more than the actual scene in forefront. In this particular case, it was the beautiful Roman Catholic prayer Ave Maria played in the background of a Newsroom episode (aired on November 30, 2014).

I am not a music person but this song somehow touched a chord and ever since has been on my mind. Very unlike me, I looked for this song, heard it over and over again and it still remains magical.

It's actually a very old song, was composed by Franz Schubert in 1825. [source: wiki] - "Ellen's Third Song". The version that I heard on Newsroom was sung by Katie Boeck - her voice is absolutely beautiful.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Maria, gratia plena,
Maria, gratia plena,
Ave, Ave, Dominus,
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus,
Et benedictus fructus ventris (tui),
Ventris tui, Jesus.
Ave Maria!

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Ora, ora pro nobis;
Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora mortis,
In hora mortis nostrae.
In hora, hora mortis nostrae,
In hora mortis nostrae.
Ave Maria!

Commuting – The BART Way

My dear friend has yet again posted a wonderful piece of blog –  http://understandingfortytwo.blogspot.com/2011/07/ride-in-delhi-metros-pink-compartment.html And I must admit that she has done a great job in weaving a colorful landscape of the ladies compartment of the Delhi Metro.

Delhi Metro … it is a monument in itself… it represents , in many ways,  the quintessential Delhi… - It is grand… it is mystic… it is colorful… and it is loud…! And I can definitely take pride in telling that I have been a witness to this historical movement which would change the face of Delhi…. for ever… and for best…! For me, Delhi Metro has been love at first sight… there was no looking back ever… ! Metro ride is an experience… It travels through cultures… religions… and qualifications. It is a tribute to the human spirit…. to those who built it and to those who travel in it….! But now I am not in Delhi... and Metro is one of the many things that I miss about my city... !!

At times I really missed those interesting metro trips... and longed to be back in Delhi (NCR) ... and then one day .... BART happened … :)

Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) brings the bay area together… it connects the bay area going right through the San Francisco Bay….! Considering the difficult non-uniform terrain of San Francisco bay area, the construction of BART is truly a great chapter in the history of civil engineering. The purpose of BART and Delhi Metro are exactly the same…. BART was conceptualized to handle the traffic congestion trans bay… and so was Delhi Metro … to take care of growing number of traffic bottlenecks in NCR (National Capital Region) … !

Before my first trip in BART, I had this misconception that the working population in the Bay Area do not use public transportation for commuting….! But considering the average weekday ridership of 341,151 passengers (data courtesy wiki)... I realized that… it was just that.. a misconception…. :)

Just like any other public transport… traveling in BART… is a learning experience… and more so for me…  because this is altogether a new world for me… ! As per the geography, I am globe away from my home… but as per the growth and development… I am at least a few years away …!  But the crowd that I travelled with in Delhi Metro… and the crowd I travel with now are remarkably similar… in many ways… ! In mornings... they are anxious to reach office in time... and in evening... they hurry back home...!! Sometimes they look happy and relaxed.. at others they may be sad , worried or confused..  other times they appear plain bored... excited... or even sleepy... ! I am actually amazed at the myriad of human emotions that I get to observe... and that there are as so many individuals and yet they belong together…!   And somehow... after a very long time I feel belonged... and I feel at home....!

Different phases of life...

Life evolves continuously and consistently... with every passing day... ! Today is different from yesterday... and it will not be same tomorrow...! We can,at best, categorize and classify life in phases.... And even though every 'phase' itself is in a state of flux... life can still be considered uniform to some extent and same over these small slices of time... !

I can roughly divide my life in following phases, which are distinctive and special. Each of these phases have significant contribution in my character-building and on my perspective towards life.

1. Sanehi-Sadan (My ancestral home where I grew up and completed my schooling)

2. School

3. Patna

4. Competition

5. B.I.T. (Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra)

6. Chennai

7. Newly married

8. Single in the City

9. and the present phase - 'On a break' :)

I have grown over these phases and matured gradually...! I have discovered myself... steadily and slowly... bit by bit... ! 

Every phase gets over sooner or later... and all it leaves behind are memories... some good and some bad... but irrespective... these memories are the moments that we remember from past... and they make us who we are today... ! 

Every outburst that I have... the mood swings that I get... my outlook... my reaction... my perspective... my insecurities... and my strengths... every single thing that makes me - 'me' - can be traced back to some moments in my past ... so my past explains me... and my memories are the cheat codes to unlock me and every trait of my personality... !

Where The Mind is Without Fear ...

WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. 

By Rabindranath Tagore

"Spring" is finally here...

It has been cold for a long time now... right from October end...!!! But for past two weeks ... the weather has been real bad... gloomy and chilly...!!  Though in February end... weather started to get warmer and just when we hoped to see 'Spring' finally round the corner... it took a bad turn... !! Ahhh... the daily rains... and the cloudy sky... and no sunlight... it has been real disappointing... !!

Yesterday... I checked the weather forecast for the week... and to no respite.... it would be raining for most of days in this week... !! Can't do much about it.... !! And my spring time gardening will have to wait... :( I was slowly giving up hope when I stepped into my terrace garden to check on my plants... but here I was in for a huge happy surprise... all smiles... :)) ....

I see the first blooms of the season... :) Bright Yellow... and Bright Purple...  clean and distinct... and I am ecstatic... :) Here I see...that the colors are coming back... slowly but steadily.... !! It may be bit delayed... but spring should be here soon... with all its colors and warmth... so the hope need not be lost yet... :)

I love everything about spring... I love the bright colors... I love the warmth of the sun... the clear blue skies.... and I so love that sweet scent in the air.... wow...!!

Yes... I am the breadwinner...!

It happened on one of the Saturdays... around 2-3 years back... ! He was some survey guy... the kind who goes from door to door and collects answers for survey questions and also the contact informations...! I have this hunch that these are the places from where your contact information is leaked and then you get a zillion promotional messages/calls everyday... for everything from 'easy money' to 'perfect life partner'...! And I absolutely hate any and every such messages/calls... !

Though the fear of yet another promotional call is quite a reason for turning down any such survey requests whatsoever... there is another reason too... a personality trait... my impatience...!  I tend to lose patience...very quickly !

Long story short... I am not fond of any random surveys... and definitely not on a Saturday morning...! But here he was... standing on my door and asking me all sorts of questions... ! Under any normal circumstances ... I would have turned him down... and that too not so politely...  but for once... I was trying to be polite... and understand his point of view... and also appreciate his effort... :)

He started with the questions... first my name and mobile number which I provided hesitantly... then my education and so on...!  I was happy to help... and he was happy to increase his head count by one... ! 

The survey was going on fine... at least it appeared so... until he asked me..."Who is the breadwinner of the family?" and I promptly replied... "me"... He looked up from the questionnaire sheet to my face... and then he looked beyond me to the dinning table... where my husband and my brother were having brunch and reading the newspaper... and he repeated the question... little loudly..."Who is the breadwinner of the family... Maam?" and looked at me expectantly for the *RIGHT* answer...! 

In that one moment... I felt betrayed... cheated and insulted... ! Here I am... trying to help him... and here he is... looking through me... as if I do not exist... ! Whatever happened to my engineering degree... to my professional qualifications... and to my enviable salary package? Does nothing matter... just because I am a woman? 

Is he the only one who has asked me this question... is he the first one who has asked this question? No... definitely not... ! By now... I should have gotten used to this question... just that I am not YET ready to give in... I am not YET ready to surrender... ! I have worked very hard to create a place for myself... I have slogged for hours and days and months to have a standing of my own... I have fought my way up against all hurdles...! And I am not letting go any of it... not yet... not ever...!

And so I looked straight into his eyes... and replied "Yes... I am THE breadwinner... Indeed"! 

The Road Not Taken...

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

A typical weekend brunch.. !!

My favorite weekend getaway brunch is Puffed Rice Pilaf (Poha) ... easy and quick to prepare and at the same time...  quite filling and wholesome... !! What more can I ask on a lazing weekend... :)

Car... more cars and still more cars....!!!

My brother is one of the most important influences on me… I have learnt a lot of things from him… there are few that he is aware of … but there are more that he is not… :)

He is the one who got me hooked to the cars… !! I love cars … sure I can never match his intrigue and detailing… but still I do love cars… :)

Whenever we traveled together on road… we would compete with each other to guess the brand, model and make of cars on the road… and of course he would always win… !! If ever we are found enjoying television together… it has to be one of those auto show (we have very few common TV shows… )!!

It was my husband who taught me how to drive a car… but it is my brother who taught me all about cars… !! Knowingly he would explain the exteriors, the interiors, the engine and the stepney (spare tyre)… but unknowingly also the car-servicing, petrol pumps (gas stations) and even how to change a flat tyre…!!

Now we live very far away… but every time a ‘car’ catches my eyes… I remember him… and our times together… it sure was so much fun… !!

Coming back to ‘cars’… recently I got a chance to visit an auto show – Silicon Valley International Auto Show 2011 (at San Jose McEnery Convention Center)… and it definitely was an experience… simply WOW… !! It felt as if I was standing in some ocean of cars... and more cars and still more cars…  :D!!

Under one roof... there were HONDA, TOYOTA, INFINITI, LEXUS, NISSAN, JAGUAR, VOLKSWAGEN, SUBARU, BMW, MERCEDES, GM, CHEVROLET, CHRYSLER, FORD, MAZDA, ACURA, SCION, LOTUS, HYUNDAI, LINCOLN and also BENTLEY, ASTON MARTIN, LAMBORGHINI, FERRARI and of course ROLLS ROYCE...! These are all the brands that I remember... but I may have missed a few!! The auto show sure was sumptuous... though I still wished for a PORSCHE and an ALPHA ROMEO... :)

All in all it was such a breath-taking exposure… and I loved every moment of it... !!

And I made pasta...

Cooking has suddenly become an important part of my daily life... to the extent that I am even contemplating to pursue some culinary courses... (more on my new found passion later... :D) ... !! In fact one of the daily highs for me is deciding the menu for the dinner... and once I finalize the menu... I diligently do some research on the recipes and the next step is to collect ingredients and then follows the initial preparation before I can start to cook...!!

Vartika and Arti might remember my sudden craving for pasta at lunch time... and also my quick resorting to Maggie Pasta :) ... and yes... Maggie Rocks...!! Exactly like one of those days... yesterday I again had this craving for pasta... and because I did not have Maggie Pasta in my reserve and also because I could expense some time for creativity... 'Pasta' was to be my dinner offering... !!

And then started the multiple level of choices... like which pasta... - Penne or Rivoli or Spaghetti ?? ...which sauce... - White or Red ?? and so on... :)

It took me an hour and half... ONLY for the initial preparation.... and once I was done with organizing/collecting/preparing the raw material...the colors caught my eyes... !! WOW... it had so many colors... red... yellow... green... white... off-white... pink-red... onion-pink... reddish-brown... !! And even without the cooking.... the food looked rich and wholesome...!! It was definitely a visual treat... :)

Another 40-45 minutes to cook and pasta was ready to be served...  it did look quite sumptuous... and delicious... and I was happy... but it was when I finally served the 'surprise' dinner and saw the twinkle in his eyes... that I realized ... the effort was well spent ... !!

My food fascinations...

I love food... and I love eating... :) !! I can eat anytime... but definitely not anything...!! Though I am not fussy about what to eat... but I am certainly particular about the taste...!!  Taste - the yum factor...!! 

The same food... cooked by two different people... can taste starkly distinct...!! Not only that... even the same food... cooked at two different times... by the same person... can taste drastically different...!! So 'taste' is not only governed by the ingredients... but also by the timing, person and his or her mood... !! 

I love everything about food... the color.. the flavor... the aroma... the craving... the touch... and of course the taste...!! I have always been intrigued by cooking... it is quite fascinating to observe how cooking transforms the raw to cooked... !! I love the transition... of the raw ingredients to the cooked food...!!

Yesterday I was cooking rajma (Red Kidney Beans, Indian Style) when it stuck me that it would be interesting to post some of my cooking trysts... !! So here it is... the beginning... :)

Kidney Beans and the other raw ingredients - before cooking

Kidney Beans - after cooking

My little Ms. Sunshine

It was June 26, 2007 and we -all of us... my family- were eagerly waiting for that one phone call...!! We were keeping our fingers crossed and sincerely hoping that everything goes on fine... with my sister-in-law (my brother's wife) ... !! She was in the labor room and here - across the oceans - we were counting each moment passing by...!!

And then the most awaited phone call came... it was my brother... and he gave us the good news - actually the best I have ever heard- "It's a girl"... my uncle repeated after my brother... wow... and finally when I got the receiver ... I realized that my brother was crying and so was I...!! And it was then I knew that people DO cry even when they are overwhelmed with happiness...!! 

She was born... my daughter... the little angel...  our princess!! I loved her from that very moment... even without having seen her ... even without having heard her...!!
I love you my baby... and I will always love you...!!

She is very very special... not only because she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen... or not only because she is the loveliest thing I have ever held... or not only because she is the precious first.. the first kid in our next generation...but because she taught us what it is to LOVE .... to love unconditionally... !!

She brightens up any bad day... she makes you forget all your troubles...!! She smiles... and that makes this world a better place to live in...!! She talks... and that makes you feel loved and belonged..!! She sings... and that alleviates all pains...!! She looks at you with those twinkles in her eyes and her innocence touches your heart...!!

She is the best gift that God could have ever given to our family. We are so blessed to have her in our lives... She is truly our little Ms. Sunshine!!

I so want a wife...

Notes -
1. The canvas for my discussion is mostly India… but from the exposure that I have got from books, movies, internet , etc., I do feel that I would not be totally wrong even if I generalize my thoughts.
2. I am blessed to have a very understanding and supportive husband and that is precisely the reason that I can even write this post.

The story is of one Mr. A — my brother — who got engaged to this very lovely girl... in July this year (2010) and his marriage is planned for January (2011). I know... all this information appears unwarranted for... but... believe me... all this is relevant to set the right context... :) So coming back to the background story... the courtship period is on and the world is all mushy rosy for A and his fiancée... !!

As A is counting days to his D-day… we tease him for that... at times he defends... at other times... he blushes... and the other day he replied that he is indeed in a hurry to get married and I quote what he said — “Of course....Can't wait for some 'ready home food'...'laundry done'....'bed sheet changed'.....'wet towel being dried'... 'reminder to take handkerchief to work'... :)”

I have known A for a very long time - around 27 years — and we have been really close — he has been my closest pal — and I can vouch that he would make for a very loving husband… but still I felt a pinch of pain that he too has a sorted list of expectations from his wife… !!!

May be deep down in my heart… I had expected him to be different… and to not belong to the crowd…. !! May be I am bit disappointed that he is also one of them — most of the people I meet/interact with everyday — who believe that responsibilities are for the wives…. and the rights are for the husbands…!! People label me feminist… and I don't have any qualms about that… but I want these same people to answer some of my fundamental questions… before they analyze my character…!!

Why is it that when marriage brings new relationships for both — the husband and the wife — then it is mostly the wife who is burdened to play all the new roles to perfection??

Why is it that even after the marriage the son can remain pampered and irresponsible but not the daughter-in-law?

Why do in-laws forget that daughter-in-laws were also brought up with as much love and care as their sons??

Why is it that even after similar education… when there is a need for one of the spouse to quit the job… then it is almost always the wife who is expected to leave her job??

Why is it that if husband and wife plan for family… then it is conveniently assumed that the wife would make most concessions at her job??

Why do people forget that we have also worked as hard for our education and that at times we were also away at hostel like men for studies and so we may not be perfect at cooking from the first day of the marriage??

Why is it that even after drawing comparable salaries that wife's parents are not supposed to be her primary responsibility??

Why is the definition of marriage so skewed.. so different… for a husband and a wife ?? ……………………. STOP…!!!

This discussion is never ending… ever continuing and painful ... and my intentions for this post is not to trigger any serious thought process… it is just a simple curiosity that what have we — wives — done so wrong to end up getting just 'husbands' ?? :):) Sigh!!... I so want a wife...!!

Time to say 'I will miss you'!!

Why is that we need to say goodbye... one last time?? Why is that we need to look back... one last time??

Today is my last day at GlobalLogic... and from tomorrow I would become an ex-employee of the company where I spent precious 3.5 years of my life...!!

True...Memories are necessary but memories are painful too... especially when they are all happy memories... and with GlobalLogic... that is the case... most of my memories are too precious... and very close to my heart...!!

Time will not stop for me... and whether I want or not... the landscape in my life would change...!! I can chose to be the Hem from 'Who moved my cheese' ('Hem: "Who moved MY cheese?" and yelled "It's NOT FAIR!"') and live in denial... but nevertheless... life would change...!!

There are so many things that I want to write... there are so many incidences that I want to pen down... and there are simply so many people whom I want to remember... but at present I am quite emotionally challenged... and I would not be able to do justice to whatever I write... but at the same times I so want to write something today...and so I decide to put up my Goodbye mail...!!

Though this mail does not include everything that I want to write but it definitely concludes my associations with GlobalLogic…!!Also I feel… this mail can be a good start to my memoirs of this wonderful phase of life that I can call 'Single in the City'... :)

Commonwealth Games 2010 - Did we fail?

“Montego Bay (Jamaica), Nov 14 (PTI) India Friday outpolled the Canadian city of Hamilton 46-22 to earn the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.”

... It was indeed a historic moment for all of us, Indians, when we won the bid for hosting the Commonwealth Games 2010…!!

“India was the front-runner because it never previously staged the prestigious event and voters clearly were sympathetic to complaints from New Delhi officials that wealthy countries are picked too often.”
…this win established… that majority of the 72 member countries believed in our potential to be able to host a truly international event… that we are evolving and emerging on the world map… and that we could no longer be ignored…!! We are only the second Asian nation –after Malaysia - to be hosting this prestigious event...!!

After winning the bid, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi had told the reporters. “It means a lot to us. We feel this will change the whole perception of the Commonwealth.”  

...and nearly 7 years hence… and with the total expenditure (including the non-sports-related infrastructure development) in excess of 70000 crores… we have occupied the centre stage of world’s attention... but all for wrong reasons…!! Now counting days … rather hours… to the start of the costliest commonwealth games ever …we have indeed taken the world by surprise…!!   

India's bid motto was New Frontiers and New Friendships. I am not sure about the new friendships…. but ‘frontiers’… yes… we have definitely reached and crossed new frontiers of… corruption… mismanagement…lack of accountability and involvement… not owning up our responsibilities… inefficiency… and above all … shamelessness…!! 

There is no doubt that the India’s reputation has been severely damaged by the messy preparations and the taint of corruption in managing the funds…!! Member nations are not confident in sending their contingent to India… they are not sure of security… of hygiene… of accommodation and of the so-called world class venues where sports events are to be held…!! 

Unfortunately… the CWG 2010 made to the headlines mostly for wrong reasons… the world press is abuzz with the stories of missed deadlines, athletes of Indian CWG squad failing the dope tests, “unliveable” condition of the accommodations, thumbs down for Rehman’s CWG anthem, collapsing infrastructure, security threats, high scale corruption in managing the funds, controversial remarks from one of the brand ambassador of the games, dengue threat and what not…!!

Majority agrees – unanimously- that we should not have bid for the games in the first place… and that the money would have been better spent on education, health and basic sports infrastructure…!! I am not sure… if we would still host the games… and if we indeed host… then would we be successful at that… but I am sure of one thing… that CWG has only brought shame to India and that we have failed… and we have failed in full public view…!! 

 

And miles to go before I sleep...

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. 

- by Robert Frost

This is a beautiful poem and very meaningful too...but the last four lines are especially close to my heart...!! I am so hooked to these lines - my favorite quote for a long time now...!! I am not sure where and when I read these for the first time but ever since... I have absolutely loved these lines...!!

Robert Frost is a great poet and he has beautifully captured the true meaning of life in just the four lines...  simple yet superb... really brilliant!! 

Yes... life is a travel... through and through... ever continuing... never stopping...!! Isn’t this ‘continuity’ the very soul of living...??

 

I love you, Dominique...

The Fountainhead (By Ayn Rand) is one of my favorite books till date. This book is very close to my heart ... as it resonates with my own opinions and personal philosophies...!! I have read this book umpteenth times... but every time I read this book... I learn/realize something new...!!

There is this one conversation where Roark (the protagonist) confesses his love to Dominique (the heroine). When I read it for the first time.... I was bowled over by the depth and sincerity of the feelings conveyed..!! His definition of love is so divine... so true... so perfect...!! And definitely... this is the only way I wish to be loved :)

“We never need to say anything to each other when we're together. This is for the time when we won't be together. I love you, Dominique. As selfishly as the fact that I exist. As selfishly as my lungs breath air. I breathe for my own necessity, for the fuel of my body, for my survival.

I've given you not my sacrifice or my pity, but my ego and my naked need. This is the only way you can wish to be loved. This is the only way I can want you to love me. If you married me now, I would become your whole existence. But I would not want you then. You would not want yourself-and so you would not love me long. To say 'I love you' one must first know how to say the 'I'. The kind of surrender I could have from you now would give me nothing but an empty hulk. If I demanded it, I'd destroy you. That's why I won't stop you. I'll let you go to your husband. I don't know how I'll live through tonight, but I will.

I want you whole, as I am, as you'll remain in the battle you've chosen. A battle is never selfless. [...] You must learn not to be afraid of the world. Not to be held by it as you are now. Never to be hurt by it as you were in that courtroom. I must let you learn it. I can't help you. You must find your own way. When you have, you'll come back to me. They won't destroy me, Dominique. And they won't destroy you. You'll win, because you've chosen the hardest way of fighting for your freedom from the world. I'll wait for you. I love you.

I'm saying this now for all the years we'll have to wait. I love you, Dominique.”

Love

Beautiful Cacti...

From childhood... cacti plants would catch my attention and make me curious. My mother would tell that cacti are plants only... just a bit distinct and unusual... and she would also warn me to not go very near to the cacti plants... as cactus spines can cause painful injuries..!!

Aren’t the spines central to the identity of a cactus? Somehow I find cacti plants very beautiful... in a unique way...!! That leaves of cacti have evolved as spines to support its survival in the surrounding environment teaches us a lesson – Adaptation!! :)

Golden Barrel Cactus

Brain Cactus

Mammillaria bombycina

Old Man Cactus

Saint's Cactus

Eriosyce sp.

Agave Cactus

Cleislococlus winleri

Hatpin Barrel Cactus

These photographs were captured at United States Botanic Garden, Washington DC on 28/03/2009.

The perfect match...

I was looking through some old cards and letters… and I came across a letter (dated 31-03-2004, 5.40 pm) that I had written to him (now my husband) after I had finished the book ‘Gone with the wind’.

I finished ‘Gone with the wind’ today and I was surprised at its relevance even in today’s society. Every Scarlett needs a Rhett Butler to make her realize what love is. We have some stupid ideas of our dream lover and we are so occupied with these that we do not let the truth enter our mind. 

Nothing is ideal… neither the surroundings nor us…then how an idealistic approach to your life partner serve the purpose? You are going to spend your whole life with him. You could pretend for a while or at the maximum for a few years... but for the whole life… can you?? 

If you have to think before telling something to him… then what is the purpose of his being in your life… and sharing your life…!! Love is respect… Love is friendship… Love is companionship… Love is support…!! How can I respect a person when I don’t know him well? How can I be friends with him when I cannot trust him completely? How can we be companions when we cannot relate to each other? How can I be a support when I do not understand his needs? 

You do not need a perfect person… but rather you need a perfect match…!! Perfect match for your thinking…, your attitude…, your ideas… and your way of living…!! A person has to be practical in selecting his or her life partner…!! 

You can NEVER get a person who has only the desirable qualities… he or she will definitely have some flaws… some demerits…!! In the beginning of any relationship … when you are in the dreamland… no fault of his appears intolerable…!! But life is no dream… it is very real… and very practical…!! So one has to think proportionately whether one could actually bear the flaws of the other person or not…!! Don’t ignore the negative points because someday you will have to face these … so better face these today when you still have time… and a way out…!!

Togetherness !!

Seven years of bliss ...

Today... we complete 'seven' years since you proposed and I said 'yes' :) ... and I am so totally in love... ever since :) :)