Finally!!!

So, finally the monsoons are here. Everyone has waited for over a month for the Rain Gods to bless us and when have actually blessed us with the pouring rain, no one's really complaining about the traffic snarls and the waterlogged roads (albeit only in some areas).

Finally everyone and everything, even our dear planet Earth seems to have cooled off from what felt like an eternal heat wave!

Thank you God for showering upon us those very necessary drops of life. The Indian farmer can now look forward to something if not an excellent crop... And we can just hope that food prices will not inflate as much we feared... But then it's just the hope and I live on HOPE!

Walking hand in hand :)

The title of this post may look like I was out on a super romantic walk at night... But that wasn't the situation!!

Yesterday was a time when we - I, Harsh (my husband) and our little angel Ira walked together hand in hand... We on each side of Ira and holding her hands... It looked right of a family album except for the place... We walked down a dusty,well trodden railway platform.

What a time we had!! We had gone to Dadar station to see off my parents and took Ira along with. While going back home, Ira waved good bye to almost every train that zoomed by and kept on looking for that one crow which she'd seen some time back :) (believe me, she gets super excited looking at any crow, cat or dog!!)

Wow, children are so full of life and energy.... Ira was continuously running around in excitement!! While holding Ira's hands and leading her down the platform, it was as if she was transmitting her energy to us... Making us forget the achy legs and sleepy eyes! And every time I ran behind her to bring her back or make her stand back, I felt like that was all I could ask for... A loving child and a loving husband silently guarding our back :)

What made this more special was that Ira is now grown up enough to appreciate her surrounding something she wasn't able to do 2 months back! So, an outing to a railway station was also a special one :)

A perfect picture it was :).... Walking hand in hand!

A wave of positivity!!

It's immensely satisfying when you can always speak your mind, do what you feel like and just be!

I've always been a person who'll try and be a amiable as possible. But then, the pressure of being amiable builds up so much that it takes a toll :(. Of course with time I have learned to speak my mind, however unpleasant the communication may be. 

That's when a reassuring word from a loved one - that it is ok to put yourself on a priority, at times and that it's ok to say things you want to without being afraid of the consequences just lifts my spirits. Not only those close to me in my personal life, but a positive sentiment from those who matter to me, like my workplace, does wonders! It acts as a tonic to me :)

Just the feeling of being able to give a feedback, of being able to share your thoughts without wondering if it will cost you dearly, is so good!!! 

All I want to say and wish is that, I wish I get to do this more often and spread the same everywhere - the wave of positivity :)

Rising from invisibility!!

Hi Friends,

I've been thinking of getting back to writing for a long time now... but what with the routine household and professional responsibilities, I kept putting my  writing on the back seat! I am back now... after a good 3 yrs!!!

All that happened in these 3 yrs, have changed my life completely... yesss, it's a sea change.. has turned my life around totally!!! After all, the new addition to my family is none other than my cute little daughter Ira :)

When Ira came into my life last yr, little did I know that my life would change so drastically.. She's shuffled all my priorities such that my life now revolves around her... She's my sunshine... my source of energy!

An old friend of mine had suggested to me long back that I should pen down my journey of an expecting mother to being a mother and life after that... but so busy I was enjoying all these moments, that I did not even think of writing anything.

Now, however, you will see fairly regular posts from me... which may mostly talk of all little things that happen throughout the day and may (very obviously) again center around Ira and her small things :)

Well, there's of course a lots to catch up about the 3 years gone by and you will surely get a glimpse of my adventures (LOL)

Till then, good bye until I write again :)

On a day like today!

It has been a long but rewarding day today...

Some good things in office, some ideas coming up; looks like I am going to have a rockig 2012 :)

Learnt two new recipes today... They are Harsh's favorite so fingers crossed!! I am confident they will turn out good!!

Managed to speak to Mom and Mummy while working in kitchen... That's also something that makes me happy :)

Basically, doing those small things for people which gives them happiness... I should be doing them more often... It feels good to see smiles on the faces of your beloved.... Isn't it?

I always ask my boss at work - Amitabh, as to how does he find time to blog... Probably this is how it is to be managed... Stealing minutes here and there :)

Anyway, it's time to hit the bed... Good night...

Visit to Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar

I visited Amritsar and Wagah border over this weekend. Let me tell you that this was one the most memorable outings that I had recently.

We went to Jallianwala Bagh on 18th Sept 2011 morning and I was amazed to see the odd architecture of the place. I thought I could visualise how it must have been even then in 1920. That small, narrow entrance lane still remains the same opening up into a big open space now converted into a memorial and garden.

There's an Eternal Flame or 'Amar Jyoti' is lit in the memory of those who lost their lives in the massacre. The walls still maintain the bullet marks. Edifices bear the information like where the bullets were fired from, where did Brig General Dyer posted himself and his troops... The well which became the final destination to close to 120 people is now sealed with wire mesh.

The last but not the least, is a small picture gallery with the paintings of those who were related to this incident or later participated in various acts to avenge the massacre.
The most moving painting was that of widow Ratan Devi who lost her husband in Jallianwala Bagh massacre and who had to spend the entire night there with the corpse of her husband amongst other hundreds of dead bodies and blood pool! The narrative read that Ratan Devi waited for help all the night, only to carry her husband's body to a dry place (because the entire Jallianwala was covered in a pool of blood). However, a curfew was placed immediately after that, she had to stay all night in the ground, all by herself, by the side of her husband's dead body!

We can possibly never understand the pain of those people who were related to this incident, who suffered death, who suffered loss and deep sorrow. Those who tried to take the revenge, did succeed and then offered their lives for the sake of it.

Sitting here, in my confortable, warm home, I can only make a feeble effort to imagine the situation then. All I had was an unfathomable mix of feelings which later on translated only into one - sadness. I felt sad to read the count of Ratan Devi, I felt sad to see those bullet holes in the walls... I felt sad to read the entire story of Jallianwala Bagh. I felt sad to know so many innocent people lost their lives in protest of the foreign rule. What happened there was so unfortunate... I think I can never ever forget my visit to Jallianwala Bagh and especially the count of Ratan Devi... I pay my best regards to all those unknown people who became the target of those bullets and left for heavenly abode.

Time for some yummy recipe!!

Friends, for a change I thought of posting some yummy recipe of Raw Mangoes...

This recipe is a typical Maharashtrian dish... it is called as Kairichi Daal (Chana Daal with Raw Mangoes)
Ingredients:
1 large Raw Mango (shouldn't be soft), Chana Daal, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Leaves, Green Chillies. Salt as per taste, Sugar as per taste, Oil, Mustard Seeds (Rai/Mohari), Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder

Recipe:

1. Soak Chana Daal overnight in water


2. Drain water from Chana Daal at the time of preparation.


3. Take around 1 small spoon cumin seeds, salt and green chillies and grind well in the Mixer.


4. Then, grind soaked Chana Daal along with the above - grind to coarse particles only.


5. Then add the grated raw mango to the above mixture and grind again. Ensure that the Chana Daal is not ground too fine.


6. Take the entire mixture in a bowl and add some sugar.


7. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds pop completely and then add Asafoetida. Add some Turmeric Powder as well.


8. Pour the above on to the mixture in the bowl and then mix properly.


9. Garnish with finely chopped Coriander Leaves.

This dish is mouthwatering mix of Raw Mangoes and Chana Daal.... the right taste is sweet and sour taste... it can be eaten with Chapati or can be eaten just like that!

Try this at home, I am sure you will love it... I have been carrying in my tiffin all the typical Maharashtrian Raitas (or Koshimbir as they call it) and all my colleagues at Mohali seem to really love it...

Try this and do let me know how you find it!

Have fun!!!