Dance party-Wow here I come!

I was away from town for Christmas and was not able to update the continuation of the last post. All those who waited for the second part, please bear with me for the delay. Even though there was only one comment, it doesn’t mean that I have very less readers. Most of my readers don’t believe in commenting. :D Here it goes.

This post is the continuation of the previous one.

Now when it comes to parties, what enthralls me most is the dancing part. I would literally be the first one to hit the dance floor and the last time one to come out. That shows my craze for dancing. In December every year my company hosts a party for all the employees, like a custom in one of the prestigious pubs in the city. This time it was on Friday, the 15th. Not that it was much awaited considering the fact that I already attended one of those ‘not so happening parties’ last year December time but I was just looking forward to some masti to cool down in the work front. C’mon who doesn’t like to get some time off and chill out? Be it unlimited beer for those who would like to drink or the scrumptious dinner for those people who would like a quiet evening. My intention was nothing but to go out there and dance till I could feel fresh enough to get back to the new project at work, which I will need to finish to go for the much awaited vacation in January end.

So, like I had mentioned in the last post, I was kind of looking forward to the evening, thinking about what I should be wearing, how to reach the venue etc etc, and the outward effect of which I was getting distracted in my work. I guess mostly all the girls do the same thing. I mean think a lot about what could be the most appropriate dress for the occasion, go through the entire wardrobe in the ‘mind’ trying to figure out how to look the best, at the same time decent enough for an office party. Anyway, I had kind of set my mind to something trendy and left it right there trying to get back my attention to work. My sister was to accompany me to the same party and that made it all the more exciting since she works with Accenture and sometimes it’s good to show off that you have siblings who work in reputed companies like that. :D

Time ran out pretty fast and before I knew I had to leave for home to pick up my sis as well as get ready for the party. We reached the pub by 8pm and were ushered inside by the stares of all the people in the hotel lounge as well as my office colleagues. It really felt good to be the center of attraction for all the right reasons. The crowd was huge and I could see numerous unfamiliar faces only to realize that there were quite a bit of new joinees and some others not from my office basically. Most of them were holding a bottle of beer with the actual poise of holding champagne or vodka or rum; stopping it right since I am not familiar with the names of the other hot drinks. We made ourselves comfortable in one of the tables and I turned to my sis to ask her something and realized that she was all blue. The neon lights had turned her white top shining blue like a total glow which could draw attention even from far area. One of my colleagues came near me and suddenly remarked, “Hey, you look so thin and beautiful today”. I was like “Oh really, thanks but I always look like that”. I introduced my sis to him and the next thing he asks me is my coupons. I never knew this was coming. Unlike all the annual parties, this time my company made it ‘one drink for each’ instead of the unlimited beer policy. So all that buttering was for the coupons we had.

After all the formal introductions of my sis to my teammates and other friends, I was just waiting to hit the dance floor. It was pretty much a small dance floor for 400 employees but I believe in the policy that you need to create your own space for dancing. So, I pulled my sis and entered the dance floor, with the song “hips don’t lie” playing in the background. We whirled and rocked the dance floor with the increasing beats of the song. Couples were enjoying their private moments right out there in the public since those poor people would not have realized that the dim lights in the dance floor were deceiving them big time. I wasn’t surprised to see some of the men totally out of control, drunk and all high ready to fall; some of them trying to take advantage of the closeness of girls in the dance floor. It happened last year too. You know what I mean. It was like you get a guy drunk and his character can easily be assessed. :) I saw this industry manager falling over a girl repeatedly, pretty much amusing sight. Anyways, if the girl doesn’t mind, who should bother? I am sure she must be one of the girls out there having very strict parents, who forbid nightclubs, boy friends and drinks. Devoid of freedom, when they get a little bit of it, they really are unaware on how to handle it. So, on the reason that it is an office party, the permission granting also becomes successful.

The music stopped all of a sudden as there was some problem with the system. So, we all walked back to the lobby. I mean I even ended up telling my sis that normally my office parties aren't so boring. My thoughts suddenly drifted to my MBA College dance parties. I guess there was something different in those parties. Check out the snaps below, those days were really something!

Dance dance!!

Dance time in the college farm house...

The Christmas cake cutting part!

All set to rock the New year party!

Now coming back to office party, I really am not able to comprehend on what was amiss. Maybe, it was just the ok type DJ’s music or the crowd or the fact that my close friends were missing on the dance floor. Nevertheless, I did have some fun moments in last year’s office party. Check out the snaps of the same one.

Everybody in tiny winy dance floor

hmmm...rocking first and

Rolling next...:)

Dinner time!

After an hour, the music was back but we were having our dinner. I relished the Gajar Ka Halwa with ice cream though I was too full. We walked back to the dance floor and danced for some more time till my sis was really exhausted. Then we left for home at 11pm in my colleague’s car, with me thinking about how long the day was. All in all it was tiring but at the same time enjoyable and somewhat refreshing.

Wishing you all a joyous new year with lots of happy happy surprises and of course may our dreams come true. Happy 2007.

Friday the 15th-eventful and long...

Last Friday was quite an eventful day, both in terms of fun and fatigue. I woke up early morning at 5, the last time I remember doing something like that; it was exams. I mean, I really hate waking up so early. Imagine, missing out on 3 more hours of sleep. Anyway, due to unavoidable marriage situations, I had to just resist the temptation to sleep and get dressed up, while asking myself various questions. Why would people keep marriage ceremonies between 7-7.30 in the morning? Shouldn’t they think that the invited guests would need some time to travel all the way to the venue and then find the Kalyan Mandap? What would happen to people like me, who stay so far away from the venue, how would I manage to reach in time? Sometimes, it feels good to crib; I mean there should be some incentive for all the trouble I was taking. Pondering over all those questions I finished all my morning activities and got dressed up. In a rush, I gulped down a glass of milk (of course breakfast was a no no so early in the morning), took my handbag and started on the quest of finding the place where my teammate was to get married.

Like I have stated earlier, I need to walk a mile to catch an auto. On the way, I could see the onlookers gape at me. I was at a loss and was wondering why I was being subject to so many stares. I soon realized that I was in this chimtak* salwar suit, all pinkish since the dress color was dark pink. How I wished I wasn’t dressed up so brightly for this wedding. Imagine me on the road at 6 in the morning all ‘dressed’ up, I guess people could easily see a dark pink object coming from the road far off itself; obviously it would call for more than stares, maybe even laughter. However, I started feeling better as soon as I realized that I am not wearing a sari, something which I had decided the previous night. Also, the dress was a sleeveless one so, that much of bright color was reduced by the simple fact that there weren’t any sleeves. I have this habit of consoling myself, when I think that I have made a fool of myself. That’s exactly what I was trying to do by thinking about the sari, and the sleeves while trying to escape from that area.

Like I have mentioned earlier, my bad luck can sometimes be really bad, that I had to walk quite a bit to finally sight an auto. Regardless the high rate quoted by the driver, I jumped inside the auto bypassing the bargaining process for the first time. I know it sounds uncanny but there were two very important reasons for that. The first one would be the obvious need for me to escape from that area. It is better to pay a little higher and reach the venue safe and sound and of course in time; that would explain the second reason. I was surprised when I reached the landmark given my S (another teammate with whom I have to go for the wedding) at 6.45. I walked leisurely towards her house thinking that I managed to reach earlier by 15 minutes. She greeted me at her door still in her nightdress making me wonder what on earth I was doing there. She reassured me that we could leave for the venue in another half an hour and off she went to get ready, leaving me with biscuits and tea. Meanwhile I browsed through the net and listened to songs in her comp trying not to even think of the sleep I missed out by rising and shining so early. Don’t get the wrong idea, she had asked me to be at her place by 7, so that we could walk to the venue which is just 5 minutes away from her house.

At 7.30, we reached the venue and end up walking briskly in order to see the “Thaalikettu” (main function), although the literal meaning of the word would be chain tying. The function got over soon and we met the couple and gave our wishes along with the gift. I was looking forward to having something as I was beginning to feel hungry but when my teammate suggested that we push off to office, I kind of agreed and left for work We reached office at 8.30 and like I had expected we were the first to enter our floor. By 10, I was too hungry to even gaze at the computer screen so I ended up ordering a sandwich from the eatery, which normally I hate. There is a saying somewhat like this, “When a tiger is helplessly hungry, it might even end up eating grass”. I wonder if actually there could be a saying like that though I kind of liked the comparison of the tiger to me. Anyways, I got back to work and relentlessly finished some bit of work I had. Trust me, it is very hard to work on a Friday normally itself, let alone forget the office annual party which was scheduled to begin at 7 pm the same day.

To be continued…
*Chimtak- very brightly dark and eye-catching

Back to Life!

Today morning while waking up, I was very excited; a feeling like it was a much awaited day. “Good Morning Rani”, I wished myself while rising and starting my daily activities. I was smiling all the way through. I have never been so happy in recent times. To clarify, the recent times would mean like close to a month. It is somewhat the same time since I updated my blog. Not that I have too many readers, but I just didn’t feel too good about leaving it abandoned and uncared. So here I am back to life and the things I care.

Talking about the happy feeling today, I just can’t believe that I am finally completing my consult (consulting project) today. That too, it is happening three days ahead of the D day. This is not the first time I am completing a project ahead of the deadline but considering the high difficulty level, lack of information and the problems I have been facing at home, I am so glad it is getting over. It calls for a celebration. A much awaited one. I am thinking off treating my friends at office. In office, I know a treat is normally called for when there’s a birthday or a farewell, but I feel like celebrating the victory of work and the joy of coming out of problems. Those problems were really taunting and almost drained me out, but I managed to somehow survive and overcome them. I know it’s not something great, as nobody is devoid of problems in life. It comes and goes like a never ending saga. It can be compared to the rains in the monsoon, when first the clouds become dark; that’s the onset of the problem and the feeling of glumness. Then follows the thunder and lightening which is the extreme situation in the problem that can lead you to a state of insanity, if hope and the strength to pass are not upheld. Soon, comes a heavy downpour, which signals the outburst of happiness of survival or the end of the problem.

Every problem has to pass like every facet of seasons. How you deal with those problems, makes the difference. It is just mere luck which shows me the way to survival. The realization and the strength to overcome the difficulties strikes me just in time before I lose myself. Staying in an alien place is not something I would be constantly worried about given a choice. It is kind of bizarre. However I try, I fail to identify the metro city where I have been staying for the past one and a half years as anything but alien. It could be the after effect of the kind of troubles I have gone through, ranging from the harsh attitude of the auto drivers to the ‘never can be happy’ type roommates. I mean what else can I term people who love to fight and create problems in the house for preposterous reasons. The entire roommate bonding exercise seems to be of no use anymore. I am done with cribbing about my two roommates, both very good at hurting me with their abusive words. First I thought it was pms* which was bothering them, since they religiously created fights in the house once every month. Then I realized that they just could not be happy for long. They just needed to have tensions one way or the other, ultimately leading to fights. It is surprising to think that there are people who likes tensions, sadness and fights more than happiness. All my efforts in solving the problems at home went down in vain. In the end I decided to move out of the house, since I realized that it can never turn into ‘home sweet home’.

The day I realized that I was becoming the victim of uncalled trouble; my problems slowly began to vanish into thin air. The consult also turned out into a success. It does feel great!

Finally, I am back to life!

*Premenstrual stress

Bargaining-inevitable process here!

Disclaimer: No offense intended to the city of Chennai.

This post is a continuation of the previous one.

During my student days in Bangalore, I used to love the whole process of bargaining. For shopping, I had to manage with the monthly allowance, which was the pocket money given by my brother. Those days, the bargain shops in Commercial Street were a huge blessing to me. Just take that few hundred rupees, stuff it safely inside my handbag, the bag being the result of a bargain again and set off to the epitome of bargain shops in Bangalore. Back then, it was sheer enjoyment to go through the whole process. I enter a fashion wear shop, look around and in a minute I know my eyes are hooked onto few tops. Being very particular about trying out stuff, especially when it comes to clothes, I happily go through the ordeal of trying out both the sizes M and S for all those tops. Once the selection is done, I approach the salesman and there the process begins.

Me: Huh bolo Bhaiya, kitna hai? (Huh how much is it, brother?) :) I know a little bit of respect always works!

Salesman: Donom milke paanch sau rupiye dedijiye. (Give Rs 500 for both together).

Me: Woh bahut zyaada hai, bhaiya. Thoda tho kam karlo.(That is a lot too much. Reduce it a little bit).

Salesman: Teek hai, aap hi boliye, kitna desakthe hain? (Ok tell me how much are you willing to pay?) I guess he knows that I am good in bargaining…:D

Me: Hmmmm dosauchaalis rupiye hi kaafi hai uskeliye. ( Err..Rs 240 is more than enough for it).

Salesman: Huh!! lekin jitna mene kaha tha, uska aadha bhi nahin kaha aapne. Nahin, charsau rupiye se kam nahi hoga. (That is less than half of what I quoted. I can give it maximum for Rs 400).

Me: Nahin Bhaiya, Aap ko dena hai tho dohasauchaalis rupiye mai dhedijiye. Ek baat samach lijiye. Agar aap muche yeh kam daam par dengke, tho meri saari dost bhi is dukan mein hi shopping karenge. (If you want to sell it to me, give it for Rs 240. Understand one thing, if you give it in lower price, then all my friends will also come here for shopping).

Salesman: Lekin dohsauchaalis rupiye bahut kam hain. (But Rs 240 is too less).

Me: I reply back very innocently, Teek hai bhaiya, dohsaupachaas rupiye lelo. Ab tho aap khush honge, na? (Ok then here take Rs 250. Are you happy now?

Salesman: Huh!! He was totally bewildered. Poor chap.: D

Few seconds later, the salesman smiles, and writes the bill for Rs 250 and takes it to the counter. I pay the same amount and happily walk out of the shop. Don’t you think the whole process is worth the trouble? Adding onto that is the joy of seeing the salesman shocked and speechless. :D

Now when I have to go through the whole process of bargaining, I absolutely hate it. Or rather it is so much a part of my daily life that it is becomes inevitable. The last post ended with me relating the trouble finding an auto and completing the bargaining process as soon as I can, if I have to reach office in time. If I am not able to find an auto in the stand and will have to rely on an ajnabi auto, the whole conversation goes like this.

Me: Teynapet ponamge. Ange Karumuttu Centre irikille? (I need to go to Teynapet, near Karumuttu Centre). No point of adding words of respect. Believe me it will not work with auto drivers in Chennai.

Hmmm…This guy is for sure not going to work, I think to myself.

Autowala: Apollo Hospital Pakkama?(Near Apollo hospital?)

Me: Haan Atheithan. (yeah that’s the place). Oh speed up guy, you are losing my patience.

Autowala: Ange enge Ma? (Near Apollo where?) Now I feel really angry.

Me: Ninga hospital pakkam stop paninga. Evilom? (You stop near the hospital, please). How much? Here begins the tough part.

Autowala: 65 rupees aakuma. (It will be Rs 65). Believe me this guy is doing daylight robbery. My office is just 2.5 kms away. No surprise at his words anyways, since I am used to auto drivers over here.

Me: Rs 30 than koduthittu irriken. (I give only Rs 30 daily). Saying this, I start walking by.

No! He doesn’t bother calling me back. I knew it was going to be total time waste. Any where else, the walking away strategy works in bargaining, but over here it doesn’t work with most of the auto drivers. Hmph, I sigh to myself. Soon enough, I find another auto. The same conversation above follows: Whatever it is, finally end up getting an autowala who will take only Rs 30 but the whole bargain lasts more than 5-10 minutes.

All this trouble is saved, if I find an auto in the stand because all the drivers there know me and I can avoid the tedious bargaining process with them. Also, if I have time to spare, I can just wait near the stand because one or the other auto will be back there in few minutes as that is how their normal practice goes.

Phew! A timely sleep does save a lot of trouble!

Timely sleep saves a lot of trouble!

A portion of my bed where my arm rests, starts vibrating at sharp 7.45 am. It is the alarm from my cell phone. Soon enough, I reach out for the cell phone with one hand coming out of the covers, slowly searching for the snooze button.
Now why do I keep it in vibrate mode? There were times when I had kept some ring tone and while sleeping, the loud ringing alarm sounded like a lullaby and I never got up in time. Not that I enjoyed reaching office late, but the only option back then was to sign the late register. Three times I do that happily and the fourth time I am late, it becomes a half day. I guess those days, every month I had exhausted the three days allowance easily. :D. Once or twice, I even had to go for half day. Now what happens on a day when I am late for office and I am aware of the already exhausted 3 days? Simple, I will continue sleeping knowing that I might as well go to office in the afternoon since anyways I will have to take half day.

Now back to the snooze button. I always end up adjusting the alarm a little early before the actual time for me to rise and shine. Most of the days, it is 7.45am to get up maximum by 8am. I have no words to express the glorious joy with which I sleep after I hit the snooze button. It is like the feeling of total bliss, knowing that you still have some more time for that sweet slumber or for that beautiful dream to continue. Most of the times, it is the latter which I go for even though sometimes I try both of it. Now what happens is that how ever I try to make the dream continue, it does not move from the point I woke up to reality. So as my normal practice goes, I start making up the dream. I try to imagine that whatever I fantasize while sleeping is actually a part of the dream. Wicked, isn’t it? There is some happiness in that too.

Once I get off the bed and if the time is 8.00, I have enough time to do all the stuff I normally do along with some exercise and roommate bonding. Exercise would include a bit of yoga plus stretching and bonding would normally be talking with my roomies. I know talking is not really what bonding is all about, but I would be glad even if that happens. Three of us stay in the same house but seldom gets to meet the other person. One girl works in a call centre as a team leader so it calls for night shift. In essence, when she comes back from work in the morning, I leave for work. The other girl (again team leader) works in a BPO and enjoys the benefits of day shift but again both of us don’t get to talk that much. The so called reason being, the fact that she is always on her phone talking to some or the other person.

Now, if I get off the bed even a minute after 8.30am, the whole exercise and bonding process goes for a toss. I will have to rush and go to the bath room. By the time I finish all the activities inside, it takes totally 40 minutes (no compromise with the time I spent inside the bathroom even if I am late). I rush out, get dressed and run to the kitchen for breakfast. The time is 9.15am. The servant lady, who cooks for us break fast and lunch, keeps my cereal ready. I gulp it down in a minute. Sometimes, the cereal can be really hot and then I curse myself for sleeping that extra half hour. Few words would follow like this, “ooh ahh” Also, I would ask her not to keep it so hot. How I wish I could speak proper Tamil to her after that. Obviously she understands a bit of my broken Tamil and would mumble something to herself.

Suddenly, I would realize that there is no time to waste. I would just force some water down my burnt throat, pick up my lunch box, umbrella and handbag and rush outside the flat. Normally it takes exactly 12-15 minutes for me to reach office by auto. A few miles away from the apartment, is the auto stand. I would be praying that there should be an auto waiting for me. My bad luck can sometimes be so bad that there would not be even one auto, which would mean that I will have to walk another extra mile to find one. The problem is not only finding an auto but then I will have to complete the whole bargaining process as soon as I can, if I have to reach office in time.

To be continued....

Birthday Birthday all the way!

It is commonly said that November born people are very beautiful, intelligent and famous. One of my friends whose birthday falls on Nov 6th used to quote all those film stars names like Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen and so on. I am not bothered about all that but am very thankful to all those born in November. The inexplicable reason being the much sought after cake cutting and treat part. :D. In the past one week, there were four birthdays celebrated in the office. Cake cutting forms the usual part along with a small gift from the team. It began with pri’s birthday. Pri is a friend working with the automation and electronics team. Her birthday was on November 4th. As goes the normal practice, we gathered in the conference room and gave her a surprise. Wait a moment, was it really a surprise?

We just brought her into the conference room. Surprise!

mmmmm cake cutting... It's chocolate truffle!

Me slowly taking a piece of cake... : )

Pri opening her gift! That's my moto slvr near her gift :)

cute isn't it?...made up scene but! The bouquet was lying in somebody else's desk. He took it and gave it to Pri posing for the camera....:)

Gone are those school days…

It has been six years since I graduated out of school but the memories are fresh enough to make me wonder whether those days are really gone. Those were the days when I enjoyed the most. No tensions, no worries but just enjoyment. Did I know the meaning of the word ‘stress’ then? Certainly, our teachers knew it. Our batch was labeled as the most notorious one in the history of Mount Carmel Anglo Indian Girls High School, Tangasseri and we lived by it proudly. Our ICSE and ISCE results also were the best. If I look back now, I am unable to remember the number of times we were punished as a whole. It was easy to find happiness back then in small things. Imagine the fun of imitating our teachers’ right in front of them. Of course they enjoyed it, otherwise they would not have asked us to do it. Dancing, singing, making merry was all a part of our daily activities.

Gaping out at the big sea, through the classroom corridor, I always thought that one day the waves would rise up and gulp down the whole school. What a stupid thought, I know. Nevertheless, to declare that the sea was a very beautiful view would be an understatement. A mile adjacent to our school stood the Infant Jesus Anglo Indian Boys School. Ahem, yes when there is a girls school, a boys school can’t be very far away, Is it? Anyways, we used to love and enjoy the attention the boys showered on us. At the end of the day, travel in the same tempo van back home, singing and playing all the way.

I still remember the time when Mrs Cabbot, (our biology teacher) asked in the 10 STD whether any of us have seen the male reproductive organ. She saw one hand rise. Poor D (class topper), she never knew what she was getting into by raising her hand. Or she must have thought that there might be quite a few hands other than hers raised up. The teacher demanded, “How and when”? She awkwardly answered, “Recently, my cousin brother was born. I saw his”. Anyways she was asked to go to the board and draw the male reproductive system. What a laugh we had! Imagine all the girls giggling and she standing near the board and trying her best to draw and draw.

On entering the plus one, we started to look out and enjoy the sight of good looking boys. There was this day which, was much awaited by both the schools. The ‘Plus Two Day’. It was a tradition followed in which every year, all the plus two girls and boys from both the schools would meet up in either of the schools and the students would perform for the audience. The audience would be the plus two teachers and the plus two students again. It would be a platform for interaction between both the schools. Unluckily, in the 2 years of my plus two, we had only one plus two day but we had lots of fun on that day.

We were all seated together, in such a way that one boy was sandwiched between two girls. Nobody was talking and it was a really awkward situation. Each person was waiting for the other one to talk. Of course, we girls wanted the guys to start off. There was this gang of five boys with musical instruments who was to perform for us some song. One of them, approached S and asked her, “Can you show me the way to the green room”? Now S is another one of my best friends and the laughing riot of our class. To describe her, I would use the words simple, beautiful, hilarious and jumpy. S got up and answered, “May I ask for what”?
The guy was totally dumbfounded but he soon said, “I need to keep this guitar there safely”. In a moment, S snatched the guitar from him and replied, “Oh that’s all? I will keep it here next to this pillar”. We all started laughing like anything. The guy had a blank expression on his face. He watched helplessly as S placed his precious guitar next to the dusty pillar.

Even after that incident, nobody took the initiative to talk. Time was running out. Suddenly, S jumps up literally, claps and shouts aloud, “Come on guys, lets play something”. The guys looked at each other with frightened faces. All the girls started laughing like anything. Soon the guys joined us in our laughter. This gesture kind of lightened the moment and all of us started talking and laughing. Even in tuition classes, which is the only other place where we get to interact with them, we had quite a bit of fun because of S. On one such occasion, in our Math tuition class, few guys were sitting besides S and my other friends. Now one guy who was trying to keep his bag accidentally hits S’s butt. Few minutes later, she jumps up from her seat, turns around much above that guy’s dismay and shouts, “This is the second time you are hitting me on my buttocks”. The whole class including the professor stares at both of them and starts laughing. S sat down totally embarrassed realizing what she did. That is how she is. She first acts and then thinks.

Now S is doing her final year exams for her medicine studies. Very soon she would become a much deserving doctor considering the kind of helpful person she is. We always tell her parents, that when one patient would come to her clinic seeing the person’s helplessness, she would not only treat him for free but also give money and make sure that he gets medicines also for free. Whoever comes across this blog is likely to wonder what syrals means? Each letter of the word is the first letter of my best friends’ names. I guess I have taken enough of my office time to joblessly write this post. Back to work now!

Life is beautiful!

I really think life is beautiful. It has got nothing to do with proclaiming something out of the blue. I am saying it because it is a feeling that I have always had....hmmm not from childhood but since the time the whole searching process began. Frankly the search still goes on, the search for the real purpose of my life. Though I feel I was close on arriving at the profound answer. Back to what I started, the beauty of life. Recently I came across one more instance when I just had to shout aloud, “Life is beautiful”.

Few days back, I got a call from my friend R who rang up to talk about another friend L. Now to describe L in few words is a little hard for me. Still, I would say that simple, beautiful and happily married would suit her along with the tag of my best friend. The last part is something that I will cherish forever.....I know that because we are friends for the past sixteen years and am quite sure it will continue for life. S and R also forms a part of this forever friendship group, though I will talk about them later. (Just a mention for safety sake, otherwise I might get murdered by them, if they come across this blog.)

On 21st of October, R calls and tells me that I am an aunt now. So engrossed I was with my job and tensions, that I actually asked her how. Neither did it occur to me that L was nine months pregnant nor the fact that her delivery date was due. Her next few words were these. “Edi patti, thendi, L prasavichu”, literally means “You dog, beggar, L gave birth”. “It’s a girl!” she said. My joy knew no bounds. I started screaming in the office like this. “yehiyaeeeeeee, yahooooooo…wowieeeeeeeeee….then what followed was “oops. I am sorry, sorry, really sorry, sorry. Sorry friends!! Actually my friend just delivered a baby girl”.

I rushed inside the conference room and dialed L’s mobile number (for some privacy, since I had decided no more hue and cry). When L picked up, I was literally not able to speak anything. Here is the conversation that followed.

Me: hey dear I just came to know. Congratulations! I don’t know what more to say.
L: Oh thanks!

Me: I can’t believe that finally its done. You are a mother now. And, I am an aunt now.

L: Isn’t it so beautiful? Everybody over here is saying that she looks like me. My eyes, my nose, my ears. She is so small!

Me: Oh really? I am so happy for you. I can’t wait to see her. Is she sleeping? Wake her up! Hold the phone near her mouth. I want to hear her sound. (She was laughing at that moment…must have thought that I am crazy.)

The baby: miaaahhhh…mmmm….hiummmmm…mihimihimhi…..muuuuu(the baby actually made sounds like that….Can you believe it?).

How does it feel like to be an aunt? I can’t really tell. Maybe I will when I will soon be visiting L. The much awaited moment, when I will hold her baby in my arms. Life is beautiful! Isnt it?