UBC day 18 - Ground zero. part 1

“Komal…. that’s what I want to name her!” Sunita said excitedly, bringing her bundle of joy close to her and tickling her tummy, making the little one squeal with delight. “Isn’t she as soft as silk?” she asked touching the silky soft cheeks of her baby.

“Indeed she is, Suni, Komal is what we’ll call our baby” agreed Kunal.

Everyone clapped and cheered as the proud parents called out the baby’s name thrice in her tiny pink ears, and the priest continued with the other naming ceremony customs.

Sunita wiped a tear as it slid down her cheeks.

“Stop watching this over and over again, Suni,” said Kunal taking the remote from her hands and switching off the VCD, “It’ll only make forgetting Komal harder for you.”

“You think I can ever forget her? Which mother can? It’s my fault….”

 “…..Shhhh….don’t say that. It’s not your fault.” His voice was choked with emotions too as he thought of that fateful day.

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The three of them were holidaying in the picturesque location of Sawanpur, when the rain gods vented their fury and turned their lives upside down.

“I’ll run down to the lobby and try to hire a cab, ok? Let’s see if we can get some flights from the nearest airport” Kunal had told Sunita. It had been raining too heavily and there had been no point staying there any longer.

 Then Kunal called up on the intercom.

“Suni, get my wallet, I left it in the room.”

“Komal’s sleeping.”

“It’s ok; it won’t take long, its just 2 floors down.”

Sunita had run down to the lobby when there was some strange noise and someone pushed them out of the lobby door. In the seconds that followed, the entire hotel collapsed. They had both escaped with minor bruises, while their 6 year old Komal lay trapped in the rubble somewhere.  

They stayed for several days amidst the ruins waiting for it all to be cleared up, but the search had drawn a naught. Sunita had been in deep trauma over losing her only child. She had refused to leave the place and had to be sedated before being forcefully airlifted back home.

                                                                      *****to be continued*****

read part 2 here

UBC day 17- Turning forty!

It's hubby's Birthday today!!! He turned 40!! So it was a big deal for him and I wanted to make him feel that it was special.

I was wondering what gifts to buy, since we have given each other every possible gift during the last 14 birthdays and 10 anniversaries that we have celebrated together. I toyed with the idea of packing 40 little gifts, but you'll agree that while you can think of a hundred things to gift a woman, it is so difficult to buy as many when it comes to buying gifts for men!!

While I was still scratching my head, it occurred to me how worn out he looks now-a-days, with his constant work related travel. He is the Zonal head in his company and he has to travel quite a lot. That's when I got the idea for the gift!

He got the first shocker when I told him, 'don't take your bath now'.

He nodded, assuming exactly the opposite, and suddenly realising what I said, 'Did you just say don't ?

'Hmm...'I winked. 'We are going out now.'

'What kind of place are we required to go without taking a bath?', he wondered aloud.

'Patience, my dear Watson,'

'Ok let me change, he said.

'You look fine, let's go like this.' I told him.

'In these tracks? On the roads? You must be joking!'

'Oh come on..' I dragged him out.

'Where are we going?'

Next shocker.

'To get you a tattoo'

'No way!'

'What? I got one for you, na? Your turn now, Ink my name on your arm.' I teased, knowing pretty well how scared he is of needles.

He gave me a weird how-could-you-do-this-to-me look.

I drove him to our destination. As we walked inside, I saw his eyes turn wide with surprise.

Kerala Ayurvedic oil massage center.

'Wow!'  he said. 'This is the surprise?'

I loved that priceless look on his face. I winked.

After that Balakrishnan, the expert massage specialist took charge, while I left him there to relax for 2 hours and shopped for the other gifts.

When I went to pick him up, he had the most wonderful smile on his face. 'Thaaaaaanks' he beamed. 'That was so relaxing. What a start to my day!'

I made Palak rice that I learnt from SuKu, Aaloo ka paratha, Raita and Lauki ka halwa with all the little accompaniments. He couldn't stop raving about it to anyone who called after that! He loved all the other little gifts too, but he gets them every year anyway!

All this is too small in comparison to how well he takes care of me and how loved he makes me feel. So here's to you, hubby dearest...Cheers! Happy 40th Birthday!

UBC day 16 - Some people, I tell you....

My neighbor “G” had come home to return my bowl in which I had sent her some kheer (pudding) yesterday. I called her in and offered her some dosa that I had made. I know she loves dosa and couldn’t refuse. She settled at the dining table while I made crisp dosas for her. I came out with 3 plates, and setting it on the table, called my help Ashwini to come and join us.

Ashwini pulled a chair and was about to sit down when G let out a gasp. She bent close to my ear, and whispered, “She’s sitting with us?”

I nodded. “She always does.”

“Have you lost it?” she asked me. “How can you ask her to sit with us?”

Ashwini was suddenly uncomfortable and she picked up her plate. “Didi, I’ll sit in the other room,” she said and walked away.

I felt really bad for her. I usually have a late breakfast and it’s kind of a habit now that I have my breakfast with Ashwini every day, once she’s done with the chores. She is a lovely girl and she loves chatting with me telling me about her college and friends. She shares her problems with me, and I teach her English.

I saw her finish her dosa quickly and she left with a silent ‘bye.’

After she had left, I told G that Ashwini must have felt bad.

“What’s there to feel bad?” she said, “She must know her place.”

“I don’t think you must differentiate like that,” I began.

“How can you make her sit at the table with you?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

She didn’t bother to answer.

“And to top it you are serving her hot food in your regular plates.” The stress on hot was not lost on me.

“What????” 

“She doesn’t even have a separate plate?”

I had had enough of that rubbish.

“She works in 3 homes in the morning and then goes to college, G. She is exactly like you and me. If anything separates us, it’s our financial condition. With all the hard work she does, she’s bound to come up in life some day. She’s a lovely girl.”

G wasn’t impressed.

“If my mother-in-law knows this, she will never eat in your house again.” She said as she popped the last piece of dosa in her mouth and stood up to leave even as I wondered if I should give her a piece of my mind.

Some people, I tell you….

UBC day 15- The runaway blog !

My dear Blog,

Where did you disappear? How could you just vanish into thin air just like that? Didn't you realise how much I would panic?  

I wouldn't have known if a couple of friends hadn't called me. "Did you do something to your blog?" one asked me. "Why can't I see your blog?" said another. And I panicked! 

I  had met you just a day before, and I thought everything was fine between us. We didn't even have an argument. So why did you go away like that? Did you know what a harrowing time I had? I tried locating you but you had just left behind one message- "This blog has moved." 

This blog? That's what you think you are to me? This blog? You couldn't even say, Princess I need a break, I'm holidaying in such and such place and I will be back soon? 

Can you imagine what a shocker that was? I logged into my account, and even more shocked to see so many mails from fellow bloggers wanting to know what happened to you. Friends who had streamed in from Indiblogger and Writeupcafe. Friends who watch my space for updates everyday. Friends who follow my blog. I could have cried! 

You mean the world to me my dear blog. Not having you around kills me! Trust me it does! 

But now that you are back I'm really glad and relieved! So no more running away like this, do you get that? 

Forever yours,
Princess.

UBC day 14- The hare and the tortoise revisited!!

So we all know how Mr. Slowpoke Tortoise ran a race with Mr.Smartypants Hare and managed to win it too...because Smarty fell asleep half way through! Overconfidence cost him the race.  But do you know what happened after that?

Well, Mr.Smartypants came home wondering how the lowly tortoise had managed to outrun it in its own game. This was simply not done!  What would the other animals say? He had a reputation to keep... He did not want to be a laughing stock of the whole jungle.

So he went to meet Mr.Slowpoke again and challenged him to another race. He was determined not to fall asleep this time. Mr.Slowpoke saw through Smarty's plan but agreed to run the race nonetheless. He had one condition however....the race would be held in the lake in the middle of the jungle! You see, Smarty was not as smart to see through Slowpoke's game, and hence the race began again. Needless to say, Slowpoke won again as he was on home turf!! 

Smarty was terribly dejected and humiliated, but he refused to give up. He challenged Slowpoke to yet another race, and this time up a hill. He was sure Slowpoke could not win whatever he tried to do. Ha! tricked ya, Slowy, he thought. Tomorrow will be my redemption from the previous losses. 

The next morning, the race began again. Smarty began the difficult ascent up the hill. Slowpoke came all geared up in a red bandana around his head. The bandana's not going to make you win, Slowy, he thought and smiled to himself as he saw Slowpoke struggling to climb even an inch. Halfway through, Smarty nearly jumped out his pants when he saw Slowpoke steadily moving ahead of him! How in the world had he managed to get ahead?  Smarty ran faster than his legs could carry and even as he neared the top, he saw Slowpoke with his red bandana already at the finish line! Smarty almost fainted when he saw this, but being the good sport that he was he shook hands with Slowy and finally, accepted defeat!

So how did Slowy manage to climb the hill, you ask? Well, the night before, he got 3 of his closest friends to tie a red bandana and climb up the hill and position themselves at different positions, and he himself stood at the closest point to the finish line! The bandana was merely an illusion!

Moral of the story? 
No matter how weak you may be, there's always some way out to overcome that and win!!!

Well, that's not the end of the story. Smartypants having found out that Slowpoke was very clever indeed, decided to join hands with him!! At the next cross-jungle race, when all the animals participated, Smarty carried Slowpoke on his shoulders when they raced on land and Slowy carried him on his back when in water, and together they won the race this time!!

Moral of the story?? You know it don't you?

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(P.S- I had heard a version of this as a part of our soft skills training years ago, now when my little one is learning this at school, we came up this version to make learning fun for him!!)