Once Again.

Empty.

Serene.

Calm.

The message, that your eyes convey.

Once again,

We met, we talked

You held my hand,

for I feared getting lost,

Again.

A gesture so little,

carried meanings so deep,

Yes, in plenty.

Seasons came,

Seasons went.

But You and I,

Stayed aloof.

I see the inky sky,

I feel the grass,

And I know that bird,

who mocks my love.

I have, no qualms,

no regret,

for I realize, you're not the soul I loved,

But I know pain,

excruciating raw pain.

And,

Once again,

I slip into sweet oblivion,

As we grew apart.

Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses.

Funny flip-flops, over-sized sunglasses, floppy hats, castles made out of pearly white sand on the sea shore, spaghetti tops and tiny shorts, skirts dancing with pleasure, floral prints, headbands adorning pretty bows, slick ponytails with a flower tucked behind your ear, sea shells, watermelons, cool mock tails, daisy dukes, ocean breeze, toned and tanned, martinis & lemonades, dreamy romance, the feeling of grass under your bare feet, your head bobbing to the tunes of the music banging inside your ears, palm trees smiling down upon your sun-kissed skin, sunscreens with as high an SPF as possible.

~~ And memories are just waiting to happen.

Because it's summer ~~~

Well, need I say more ? Summer is here. I won't lie, Summer has never been my favorite time of the year, but white linens, clear waters and colorful flip-flops always somehow succeed in covering up for the unbearable heat.

Because I haven't holidayed much with my friends, Kyra would have to endure a lot with me this summer. Every little thing I ever wanted to do would cross our way and Lakme's precious gift of a fun-loving, outgoing girl, Kyra, could never have gotten any better. A good read can lighten up even the dullest of the days, Kyra and I would pack our favorite summer romances, skirts and shorts, our sun expert, because when it comes to summer and my skin, I'm never clumsy, not that I'm a freak, my oily skin just doesn't give me the luxury of avoiding it, lest it punishes me with little hills and valleys on my face, and then we would head towards spreading smiles and enjoying adventure sports on the beach. Someone very rightly said 'Life's good, on the beach !'

But always with the right kind of sun protection.

Every man worries, be it any season, or any reason. Earlier, it used to be all about summer vacations from school, holiday homework, models and collages, and now, its about finding a new job. This summer, I want to divulge into a new fantasy world and forget about the world that I'm existing in right now. Career, jobs, flings, leaving all of it behind and looking forward to a holiday I wouldn't forget until my last breath. Who wouldn't want it anyway ?, but because my imagination has earned the privilege of running wild this summer, I'm not going to restrict it, whatsoever.

Life would be like a beautiful summer portrait. An uncompromising passion would take birth and spread the kind of joy that is unknown to man. It would feel like a never-ending journey of mirth. Laugh lines would adorn me and Kyra an unfair number of times. The presumptuous sun would also have to give up in front of our Lakmé Sun Expert, letting us share shy glances with strangers. Vacant silence of sunshine meddling with the rustling of leaves. And we would no longer know what to do and what to expect anymore. Surprises feel good on a summer morning, don't they ?

Amazing fireworks jeweling the night sky, me dancing my heart out, and Kyra ?, our little miss Sunshine, she is in for a treat this summer. Summer, as they say, is all about happy beginnings and new stories. Ours will be no different. Every morning, more beautiful than the one we had yesterday, we will live by the current and play by the tide, tales of people bitten by wanderlust, infectious smiles, pleasant ambiance, healthy glowing skin, butterflies in our stomachs, and the lovely sun, watching us all from above, probably humming the Summer of '69.

You know? Besides the heat, Summer always had an indifferent charm to it, I want to live up to it and embrace it with Kyra. Tales of strange people with stranger tastes, lending them an ear for their experiences, sharing some of your own, telling them you have all the time in the world, ain't it beyond beautiful ? I say it is. And I recognize that sweet nod of yours.

If you're not barefoot in the sand, you're over-dressed.

I and Kyra, would let sand slip between our curly toes, eat crabs, wear flowers in our hair, smile at strangers and give hostility a run for its money, make friends with water, enjoy our summer romance, share the sweetest of the salty kisses and live an alternate existence for that while, just that while, because if a June night could talk, it would probably boast of inventing romance.

Its a smile, Its a kiss, Its a sip of wine; Because, its Summer time !!

Fun in the Sun.
(R to L) Me, My dad and My brother on our trip to Goa last summer.
The setting sun  is peeping in so beautifully.

It was such fun writing this post, I'm sure you too enjoyed summer through my eyes :)

My best wishes to all those who are participating in this contest.

This is an official entry for the  Lakmé Diva Blogger Contest hosted by IndiBlogger. You may acknowledge it here.

To know more, click on the logo to visit the Facebook page, mates !!

Shining from Within.

Late last night, I was woken up by a dream about my childhood friend who I'm no longer in touch with. I felt an urgent need to talk to her but stayed away from my phone. Don't you just hate it when a certain sporadic incident brings back every happy memory you've shared with a person you no longer want to see ? The clock said 3.06 and I knew sleep had sold me to insomnia. I switched on the lights and stared at myself in the mirror, typical, I know, but can't help. I looked funny, with my hair exploring all possible directions, but nevertheless, it was a cute sight. Strangely, I never find myself pretty when I doll up.

I sunk back into bed and lamely started thinking about what qualifications does one need to be called beautiful. Yesterday morning, I had seen a woman commit suicide because her husband constantly butchered her self confidence by criticizing every part of her physical being. The show was 'Satyameva Jayate' and before everything else, I'd applaud Aamir Khan for his bold initiative. That woman's face popped up inside my head again and again and I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of a man would do that.

I don't have silk threads on my head and its a rare in a million chance that they decide to obey me and stay where I want them to. Teenage has left its footprints on my face. I'm an average 5'3" and I bite my lips whenever my mother is out of sight. Does all this make me less of a person that I want to be ?

Isn't it all about what you're wearing under your skin ?

Silhouette of Entertainment.

This post has won the second prize in Vodafone's 'Internet is Fun' contest.







Not long ago, there used to be a time, when lazy nights felt like a long never-ending strange daze, doctor's waiting room wanted to bite you with sour boredom, the super drowsy weekend, endless hours of idleness in barely moving traffic, with no play and finally your sanity made you question the existence of messiah ?

Bam!

He answers your prayers and creates the Internet.

When I was a little girl, internet was an unattainable territory and I wanted to know all about it. Why? You ask? Need I say, the forbidden fruit always tastes the sweetest. Every alternate day, I reached my computer classes at sharp 8 am, and made anonymous friends on Yahoo! Chat, yes, said the trend. Those were the days, when I was ready to wake up early and bear bitter sleep deprivation in exchange for one sweet hour of undisturbed chatting and googling, and these are the days, when the whole world rests inside the device in my hand – My smart phone.

A camera that clicks better than a real one, millions of applications that never let boredom wander anywhere near me, a video recorder for whenever there are precious moments to be cherished, 16 GB and extendable memory to store my music collection, maps, a GPS device and most importantly, the new silhouette of entertainment, The INTERNET. It still isn’t an easy fact to comprehend that you can browse your way to any and everything in just one click ON THE GO. Internet has rolled this world into its tiny little fist to meet our every need at its desperate hour.

Exactly ! Who would've thought ?
Picture Credits - littlemomentsofbliss.blogspot.in

Because I'm a software engineer by profession, my dear friends are placed in companies all around our country and some have even crossed oceans for higher studies. Losing touch with them will never even be the last thing I'd want to do, and my Vodafone internet says 'I never have to'. Smile! and there you go, mail it, Facebook it or twitter it, stay connected in whatever way pleases you. Who knew? one day I would be fling angry red birds at ugly green pigs to kill time and enjoy it too. Low on talktime ? Forget about rushing to the nearest store for recharge, Recharge online with the help of internet. The kind of convenience that mobile internet provides is impalpable, but what astonishes me more is the variety of options in which it does so.

If internet were a girl, it would wear a proud smile and walk with such pomp and glory, for it has positively made itself indispensable to mankind.

Instant messaging, re-living those memories by receiving comments on the picture, happily walking with that assignment in one hand and Wikipedia in another, the joy of finding your lost way through a google map, the sheer pleasure of downloading music at mere 1Re, watching silly little videos uploaded by friends on Youtube that remind you why your life is incomplete without them, dating, humor, the latest IPL fetish, news while on the travel, finance, all this and more. Who knew technology would join hands with mobile internet and make all this possible one day. Its such a blessing. And the easy access is the cherry on the cake.

My father was the first person in our huge joint family to have bought a mobile phone. I remember fidgeting with it once while he was asleep, the phone switched itself off and I panicked like a raccoon thinking I'd murdered it. And I won't lie, but my father is not an internet savvy new age person, although he does love access to the web, a path for which I always had to aid him, on the desktop. But since the day I've told him about mobile internet, I bet he's the happiest person with a smartphone in his hand. Apart from the fun games, all the utility apps have made his life much less tiring and much more simpler. Whats more ? Now, whenever we decide to have a family evening out, he books our tickets on bookmyshow.com on his cellphone. In other words, Vodafone's mobile internet is making my dad celebrate his life.

And then comes my blog, my outlet, my savior, my hero, I need an absolute 24*7 link with it at all times, my drafts are overflowing with notes filled with my heart's stupid musings, but the fun part is that after I write, they don't bother me anymore. This is the best facility that I avail with my mobile internet. Whatsapp, Viber, Skype, such apps have secured a non-resilient place in our lives, and all of it, for the better good.

After all this, you tell me, would it be wrong, if I'd call Internet, The Silhouette of Entertainment in such modern times ? 

Picture Credits - littlemomentsofbliss.blogspot.in

All the best to all those who are participating in this contest.

This post is an official entry to Vodafone's Internet is Fun contest hosted by IndiBlogger. You may vote for it here.

Visit this page to know more about why Vodafone's mobile internet the best option for you.

www.vodafone.in/fun

PS - Aren't the new Vodafone ads a visual treat to the eyes ? They so refreshing from the regular genre :)

'The Devotion Of Suspect X' - A Book Review.

Title - The Devotion of Suspect X

Author - Keigo Higashino

Pages - 374

Price -   350

Genre - Crime fiction

Well, I must say, since I'm an ardent crime-mystery-suspense fiction fan, my expectations are always high, and Keigo Higashino delivered what was promised off this unputdownable thriller. Being a part of the Galileo detective series, it had to meet the expectation bar. The lives of the characters run along a tipsy topsy curve and soon enough, you don't know what to expect. Now thats what you want from a gripping tale, don't you ? Simple and easy choice of words has played a big role in making Keigo's book a nation-wide phenomenon in Japan. And I'm sure, India too will be smitten by it very soon, giving in to BlogAdda's initiative.

The main characters were Yasuko Hanaoka, her daughter Misato Hanaoka, their neighbor Tetsuya Ishigami and the neighbor's college mate, Manabu Yukawa. Detective Kusangi's wit deserves a special mention here. A lot of thought has been put by Keigo into the minute details of daily monotonous routines of regular people. You may find the portrayal a little repetitive but I promise you won't complain when you're through with the novel.

Being a high-school maths teacher, Ishigami's love for numbers is evidently spread throughout the book, and you can't help but notice his secret crush on Yasuko, a single mother who works at a box-lunch shop. Yasuko seems oblivious to all the attention showered upon her by Ishigami. One dreadful day, her abusive ex-husband Togashi plans to drop a surprise visit at her door-step and ends up dead under less than mysterious circumstances. Yasuko starts panicking and here enters the devoted neighbor, Ishigami. 

He ends up being the devoted suspect. The excitement levels have been maintained throughout your read of this book, and that is not even the amazing part. The best is yet to come, and by that I mean the killer twist stitched at the end. Manabu is an ex-classmate or rather college rival of Ishigami, and also assists Detective Kusangi, hence another angle. Ishigami is threatened by her addition to the investigative team. The best part about this book is that you feel like you've known the characters long enough to wish well for them. It plays with your mind, puts it to work, but thats a good thing, Eh ? I won't kill the suspense for you, so there, no spoilers for you mister ! 

And because I wanted to know more about Keigo Higashino and his work after being through with the book, I'm sure you would too, hence this link for you. The kind of connection that his characters form with you, will leave you wanting for more. After reading the last page, you will no more wonder why is 'The Devotion Of Suspect X' one of the few novels that have been translated to English.

My Rating for this book would be a generous 4/5. All smiles.

This book was received as a part of Blogadda's Book Review Program. Sign up for the Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. and get free books !

Participate now !

Bundle of Joy [55Fiction #8]

He clenched his fist around her tired finger, a tiny pink bundle and smiled into her pale face. Her hair, wet with sweat, pointed in every possible direction and the maternity gown hung lose from one of her shoulders, yet, she had never felt so beautiful.

She smiled back and whispered, You complete me baby.

***

PS - My sister has been blessed with the cutest baby boy. He is going to be 12 days old today :) Pretty suggestions for his name are most welcome :)