IN A PHOREN LAND

During my childhood days I have been a witness to quite a yapping on “phoren returned individuals”. Now it is quite a common thing with mango and not so mango people visiting these pastures for just a casual trip, paying a visit to married son or daughter or even a miniature transplant which is possible back home too. However the charms of a tag ‘made outside India’ are lucrative enough.

Foreign to me always was something that is not yours. Then why going abroad is the only way to secure the trophy. Hello everyone…..here, yes, here…..I have dithered out of my secure cozy home town too. Not an achievement for sure, given the kind of loner I am, but evidently a step too far. Hyderabad…..the land of nizams……and the land of beefy, moustached, greater than god heroes. For that matter even the heroines here weigh more than our heroes. :)

My sojourn in Hyderabad is short but long enough to understand the city and culture around. Please do not mistake me for a discerning Huen Tsang. Culture to me here is limited to good biryanis and eye catching colorful pearls (I have shopped quite a many). There are other things that have kept me bound to this city for almost a month now, the first and foremost being the night life.

Apart from being a hub of discs and pubs night life to me is the life of people who are out while I enjoy my night in my soft 16” mattress. Ssshhh….please do not tell anyone I am afraid of hotel rooms. The sound of cars honking past the hussainsagar lake drive is enough to lull me to sleep. I am grateful that my room overlooks one of the busiest and most picturesque roads of Hyderabad.

When I was leaving for Hyderabad my friends wished me luck for braving the Tollywood starlets. But pals let me assure you some of them are handsome enough to put our Khan brigade to shame. Surprised……..I am sure you would be cause I am awe struck too. This reminds me of an interesting incident when I had gone to see my close friend at her hotel (no, not all my friends are unfortunate to stay in hotels, she is blessed to have a house of her own). Once done with our dinner she beamed out in hushed undertone the name of a south superstar who had been getting his hair styled for the last 5 hours in her salon. I was super impressed. Arrre not for the hero whose name reminisced a ‘babu’ in some secretariat but for the time spent in styling a few whisks of hair. I mean it would have put Poonam Dillon to shame…remember the Bajaj Brahmi Amla kesh tel!!!! But boy oh!…how he managed to charm me with just a casual sideway glance. He played Sushmita to my Shahrukh-ised dream of Mai Hoo na.

One thing that has succeeded in scaring my wits out is the auto drivers here. Man……I wonder if they imitate Rajnikant on roads. The entire clan it seems is competing on who is able to terrorize the passengers more. ‘ Khush to bahut hoge tum’, I am sure god was all chuckled up once I thanked him on getting out alive.

Did anyone of you ever hear that South Indians are conservative!!! Hell, I will give you a burning example. Just the other day I asked one of my colleagues to drop me midway on his route. The three married males in my department literally had a fight. Guys please do not misunderstand. They fought not over the privilege of dropping me but how could they pass the buck to the other guy. Yeah….I choose to call it a burning example because it left me fuming not with anger but with heat of embarrassment and shame. I wondered if I came across as a flirt vamp who would snatch them away from their wives!!! Precisely…….gimme a break…..it was just a lift I had asked for :

Monsoons are yet another thing that have me hooked to the city. Coming from a predominantly dry state the platter of rain drops are melody to ears and beauty to eyes. Sitting in the room, sipping hot chocolate (sadly, I chose a wrong time to denounce coffee) and gazing at those thousands of sail boats populating the river on a cloudy morning….. If there is a heaven on earth- it is here, it is here, it is here.

By and large I have covered all the idiosyncrasies of the city so far experienced. And I am not going to tell you people about my weight that has increased exponentially with the taste of biryanis. All you guys can know is that biryanis here are more popular in youngsters than the Chicken Mc grill or thin crust pizzas. All is not lost in liberalization.

I will have to say good bye here as my stomach is growling for a bite of Bhindi Pulussu and bisibele bath.
P.S. I am yet to learn to savour the taste of these delicacies though I have mastered the transformation of my breakfast menu from delectable poha and cutlets to healthy filling idlis and pancakes.

Have Faith

This is for my bosom friend Arch, who has recently been through some turbulent times. What has been remarkable was her spirit to rise and bounce back. We have shared some happy memories together and have parted just a month back. Just a month.....and a lot has already happened. Dunnow why God did this, why could not we have been together!! I know well that pain has to be endured alone, all I could have done was supply constant strength.

WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR GOOD- we have both been staunch believers, never having questioned the ways of god, showing each other logic every time the other failed. During our last conversation we missed.....missed to see the reason, the other side, the glass half full for the first time. I sat and pondered and all that came to my mind was not now, probably later, while playing on the white keys will we hear the echo of black keys. All said and done what prevails is the will of god. Arch, this reminds me of a beautiful quote I read a few days back

“I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.”


You are not alone, together we stand
I will always walk beside you hand in hand
Tides will turn, logics would fail
Trust, I will always help you sail
Always and….. always

Have Faith
When it comes to truth, there is nothing we can do
Just stay strong, and look the side reverse
Do not question destiny
Cause all we can do is…… have faith


Mortals do not hold a chance
God measures and takes his own stance
Move forward, learn to rise
Worry not, of the bygone plights
Let bygone be…….gone

Have Faith
When it comes to truth, there is nothing we can do
Just stay strong, and look the side reverse
Do not question destiny
Cause all we can do is…… have faith

You have been through hell, far and near
I wish I were at side, before it could disappear
When the doors open and before the end
I promise I will defend
Defend……….till the end

Have Faith
When it comes to truth, there is nothing we can do
Just stay strong, and look the side reverse
Do not question destiny
Cause all we can do is…… have faith


Believe me when I say
Nothing’s going to change destiny
What will, will work out perfectly
We will sure work our way
Our way….the perfect way

Have Faith
When it comes to truth, there is nothing we can do
Just stay strong, and look the side reverse
Do not question destiny
Cause all we can do is…… have faith

Tenets of Fidelity

I have always had my doubts in the institution of Marriage. Not because I am afraid of being hitched, but because I am apprehensive if I will be able to live my entire life kissing good morning to the same face day after day without getting bored(not that I hug good night to a different fellow every night either :).

Life came a 360 degree for me when all my close friends started getting married and revelling in the glory of the same. The horizons of our conversations narrowed around one single point of origin, their hubbies and wifeys (Gawd how I hate that). Women in my bandwagon had started singing out loud the luxuries of having a husband. The scenario left me retrospecting on my stance. Finally I mustered courage and started looking out for possible suitors. Not that I was looking for a prince on a horse...zzzzz.....the stupid thought leaves me groggy, all I wanted was a brainy, brawny, handsome guy in a cherokee. Is it too much to ask for god!!!

Anyways I was sitting in my hotel room yesterday night when I received a call from a long lost relative. I was about to dismiss the call as another of those here's my -shopping list- types when the voice on the other end whispered." Prach wish to confide something in you".

Yeah, PRACH, that is my GURU Avtaar. ;)
Since the time I had crossed the legal age of giving advice I was considered pretty good at my art and a close confidante too.

Now this lady relative of mine is a perfect example of Marriages are made in heaven. A pretty intelligent dame wedded to a silly -guy- next -door man who would rather pass as a fool in my dictionary. I wondered if love is actually blind when she would drool over her husband. I simply could not stand the show of transforming a Goofy into a God.
Coming back to the subject she said she was getting attracted to her tall muscular, young boss and was feeling guilty about it. My ears were ringing hard on this telltale story of a mother of 1 and a 1/2 kid (she is expecting once again) who had been my role model all along till yesterday night.

Yet again I faced the logic vs ethics battle between my brain and heart. P.S. I am not a very principled woman. What do I tell her.....Boss you were wrong in the very first place marrying a guy of your family's choice whom any self sustained woman would not have even cast a glance at. And now you expect me to chalk a way out. What..go and sway in the arms of your dream man who is half your age!!!

My past experiences have told me advice by religion needs to be rational and independent of personal preferences. Hence here I am listing all possible, stupid options for avoiding her boss. Hey!! did I mention somewhere this was not a crush, it was a well established case of fire on both sides. I even suggested her to introduce this boss of hers to me...sounds gross I know but what's the harm in checking him out. Who knows the villain of her life might turn out to be my hero.

Jokes apart after the entire conversation I was left brooding on the one oft repeated and highly overestimated statement- Love is Blind. My line of thought- what was love in this story, marrying a guy for reasons unknown and procreating his heir line or falling for a guy much younger for feelings that defy logic.

In either case I am back to square one. I fail to see logics and reasons that govern the insitution. Is it a gamble as they say or an art governed by willingnes to succeed. All said and done even if it is a fallacy I am all set to try my hands on it :)................................................................................................Cause whatever my marital status, right now I am blind and without love.

Flicker of hope

I still remember the sprain in my leg, you winced at the pain
I vividly recall the cold in my chest, the congestion caught you insane!!!

Like the halo on my head,
Like the wings on my side,
You were my angel,
whom I could count on blind.

You waded me through clouds, till I reached the rainbow
I danced in the rains, glided on thorns, Content to brave all show.

Weathers would change, time would flee
I was so sure we would be we!!!
Going was tough but I mastered the art
Liek they always say, till death do us part.

Days were rosy nights were calm, Distance increased, You lost the charm
I limp on roses now bruise through satins, my fractures fail to turn you around!!!

Yet I nurse myself and nourish the battered me
I fall n rise, wake n walk, not loosing the glee
cause if ever you wish to return
You don't loose the friend you found in me.