Thursday, March 8, 2012

International Women's Day!!

To all the Lovely ladies out there, Happy Women's Day!!:)

I know I know.. for some of you this is again a cliche just like our very own V-day, just a more sophisticated one. But, I see it more relevant these days more so in the Indian context. With the growing women professional work force and changing outlook of the society, the awareness about the female potential needs to reach out to masses in the very interiors of the nation.

Seeing my organization (basically a US firm) bringing its culture of promoting gender diversity at workplace to the Indian offices is really heartwarming. Talking about their efforts, we have well structured WIN (Women INitiative) program that not only helps women professionals to grow within the organisation   by balancing their personal and professional commitments but also projecting it as an initiative to foster cordial environment to foster workplace diversity.

But does it really bring a change here?Some time back I was reading an article about why  even after so many programmes , the representation of women at senior leadership is low worldwide. I know some back out or slow down due to personal life commitments. But even doing so has a reason behind it. Women as individuals are not very assertive about our abilities , our work, our knowledge, our skills at least not as much as our male counterparts.

We are mostly, the kind of staff that will do there work with perfection in a timely manner but will never brag or even talk about it . We prefer to remain modest, we are taught from kindergarten not to expect or claim rewards for what we do. Precisely that why we remain happy  with performing the job give to us with the best of our abilities. We leave it for the world to  discover and appreciate it.

But in this chaotic world, where everybody is trying to have his/her share of pie, things go unnoticed or even if noticed are not well rewarded. Not because they are not up to the mark, but they haven't heard about it much or marketed well!!

So, the need of the hour is to make the women folks feel more confident about themselves so that they can project themselves in a better way to the outer world. Celebrating IWD is one such way to bring forward the women professionals encouraging them to take charge of their lives and careers, putting up their best face to the world :)!!

And what best day to Celebrate Women's day with, Holi!! After all we add colour to this amazing world :)!!
Happy Holi everyone!! 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Book Review :- The Immortals of Meluha

So,here I am posting my first book review for Immortals of Meluha.
For the beginner's, This is the first book of the Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi the other two being , "The Secret of Nagas" and "The Oath of the Vayuputras".
I am through with the first book and currently reading the second part .And I am already worried 'coz the third book might not come out before 2012 end. 
The book is basically based in 1900BC Indus Valley Civilization which the author chooses to call the state of Meluha. The people of Meluha have a very organised way of living governed by the Laws by Lord Ram. But this perfect empire of Suryavanshis with almost perfect style of living, plagued by the sins of past, is facing threat from terrorist attacks from their neighbouring empire of Chandravanshis. And then a Tibetan named Shiva, enters the state and suddenly everyone in Meluha starts seeing him as their saviour -"destroyer of the Evil" or the legend "Neelkanth". The book takes us through the journey Shiva embarks, led by his destiny to find the evil. 
The book is gripping precisely due to its fast paced  narration and a simple language. The portrayal of the mythological characters in such a humanistic way makes them so believable. Although, the book has been criticized for portraying gods using such language but I believe that is the best way to convey the message to the masses.
The video trailer for the book is equally interesting . 

I would recommend you to grab a copy soon :)!! Let me know your views here.

Monday, February 27, 2012

I Miss You...

I knew this would happen, but to this extent, I was not sure.

Life @Delhi  has become hectic. Travelling 2-3 hours daily  that too in public transport drains you completely on office days.And with B-school calls looming over my head, weekend pretty much evaporates in mock group discussions and interviews. The time that is left goes away in family interactions and household tasks.

Initially, I had thought that you might get lost in the nitty-gritty of the fast paced life here, the memories would slowly fade into the background, becoming less visible. But, somehow you still manage to find a place in my thoughts.And not just for a flash, but you trigger a series of memories one after the other making me miss you more and more.During the long daily travel, the quiet hours at office, during the silent walk to home, I remember the days I spent with you eating, drinking, laughing, roaming, dancing...its like a warm breeze caressing my soul. But when I realize you are nowhere near, the same breeze leaves me feeling cold. You make me realize the vacuum that was created when we parted ways.

It's not as if we have lost touch.Nor have you forgotten me, I am sure. But the fact that your life remains unaffected by my absence,makes my heart ache. It has not even been a complete month since I have been away. Somehow, you also haven't made an effort to make me feel home away from home.You didn't console me , you didn't bother me again and again to check on me, to make sure I wasn't feeling lonely.

May be I am exaggerating, may be its just the fact that my mind takes a lot of time to get attuned to the change, or may be its 'coz I am too insecure to lose you, your touch, your company, your essence in my life.You will never know how you changed my life.May be some day we will unite again.. adding new dimensions to our relation and new memories to cherish.. Till then I just want you to know that...
......


I Miss You.....

 Hyderabad!!!



Thursday, February 16, 2012

Thought of the Day

Pleasures of Staying at home #1

Whenever you are leaving, there are hands waving you goodbye. And the glint in their eyes  makes  you know that at the end of the day, they'll waiting for you to come back :)!!


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Love

A few days back, I didn't knew I could feel contented and happy this way.
In the last couple of months, I have experienced a lot of anger, frustration ,happiness, love, joy, pain and all kinds of emotions.But what I have come to realize today is that what one really needs to feel contented is being able to love and embrace it. Love can come in various dimensions, family, friends, relatives or the someone special. To know you care for somebody and who cares for you too. And after that presence or absence doesn't matter much. Being together becomes superficial. There is this sacred thing that I am coming in terms with...:)!!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Home Coming!!

It's almost two weeks now since I came back from Hyderabad to my native place,Saddi Delhi :)!!. Wanted to write this sooner, but I guess better late than never.

First thing first, I miss 'The City of  Nawabs" badly!!Not much of the place but more of my friends, the company I had there even at office, those who never made me feel away from home.And the boring Delhi office without much work is helping me in no way. Above all, the kind of people I have met here is really strange ( Already had my share of weird instances with colleagues). Anyhow I take a lot of time to gel up with new people, so I have  a long way to go before I begin to feel at home in terms of my Office. BTW, all the guys seems to having a  nice time.. since the new office seems to have a VERY GOOD gender ratio (Am I sounding a little insecure here ??!!:P) and that too Delhi crowd.. so they are the ones not complaining at all!!!
The first week, although , was pretty good, highlight being the Dinner Party at the TRIDENT!!(I am still child like excited when it comes to going to these big places and  later boosting it to friends:P!!)

Home front, its been great!! Ghar ka khana, having every meal with the family , time to time arguments and quarrels on stupid issues all part and parcel of the never-ending family fun!! Parents and Kavita seem super happy!! Kavita btw is more excited  to see all my stuff I had accumulated in Hyderabad  that arrived just two days back ( A major part of it consists of clothes, accessories and cosmetics) !!:P

And I am back to my school routine these days, waking up at 7 early in the morning and travelling through the Green line DTC buses to my Office in Gurgaon , coming back,  having dinner and going to bed at 11 at night. Strangely, I had no troubles switching my routine even  though  the Hyderabad one was almost opposite, sleeping at 3-4 am and walking up at 11am!!! That's actually the best part about Delhi , I never ever have to adjust to its lifestyle.. I am just so used to it :)!!
Apart from all this , I got some good news within days of my landing in Delhi. Got a few B-school calls , so weekends are again getting hectic. And sadly, that's also going to keep me away from meeting my school and college friends who I haven't seen in ages!!! :(

But I am going to make plans soon.Dying to have some college-type fun.Nevertheless, Delhi seems to be treating me well as of now... though Hyderabad will always be missed!!


Friday, February 10, 2012

No Regrets.. WhatSoEver!!

You came, you pursued, you convinced, you loved and cared , you had fun, and then you went away...
This is what I see it as now.... What  I lost in the process was nothing in comparison to what you did..I mean after all those efforts of yours, all that time you spent even when you didn't really had much time.. something that keeps on consoling me.. keeps on giving me the strength to keep moving ahead  whenever I wish hard the time stops and rolls back to the time when everything was so rosy... Even though I still wish I could get some answers ...
Sometimes it better to end some chapters of life abruptly..even when they don't end the way you wished!!!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Day 0 - Hyderabad Diaries

I know I know.. I am late as usual...
But yesterday was so busy. Last minute packing took away half of the day. And I realised I had hell lot of stuff to take with me even after shipping through movers and packers.

And then all of a sudden there was a weird feeling. And I didn't realize what exactly it was till my cab  drove out of the lane .It was then the tears didn't stop!!

Although all of my friends turned up at my place to wish me good luck with gifts,chocolates, cards and wishes..I was just so lost in my own thoughts.Only when I was alone in the cab driving to the airport, I realized this is a place I might not see for some long time.

But after reaching airport, all the time went away in excess baggage payments, security checks, boarding, etc etc.. And in between kept updating about my located home, ion to my friends minute by minute.
And once I reached home the happiness I saw on my parents face was just amazing. That made be forget everything!:)

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Day 1 - Hyderabad Diaries

It's difficult to describe how you feel when you are leaving a place after staying more than a year, leaving behind your friends, moments, your home your life in the city. I am no different. It has become impossible for me to pen down how I am feeling write now. May be after a day or two , I will be able to express clearly...Till then...


Na kisi ke aane se , naa jane se,
Thamegi naa kisi bahane se,
Rokna bhi chahe ret sa toh,
Fisal jayegi ungliyun taale....

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Day 2 - Hyderabad Diaries

Last Working Day in Hyderabad office. Felt really weird today. Neither I was emotional nor I was happy.
I was in a state of confusion. Just the way I am write now.I am kind of becoming speechless and thoughtless.
Don't know where the day went away.. just greeting everyone and saying last goodbyes..Don't know when will I get a chance to see everyone again...

Friday, January 27, 2012

Day 3 - Hyderabad Diaries

What a day !! Unbelievably amazing!
Today everything fell into place, everything happened as I had thought in mind. Awesome time with awesome friends.  Although beginning of the day was not at all same.

Woke up at 10 (strangely didn't hear any of the three alarms I had set for today). By the time I freshened up and reached downstairs, the breakfast was over. Shit, I was just late by 2-3 minutes. Hungry and disappointed, I came back to my room and called the room service for tea which I knew wouldn't come before half an hour. But  as soon as I put down mu receiver, my cell started ringing. It was from movers and packers and they had arrived at just the right time to spoil my morning tea. But, finally everything was packed and shipped and I had all the documents. When the guys left, I looked at the watch and it was already 12.30.
I knew I had to rush to get ready for the 1o'clock lunch. so had to forget everything about the breakfast and the tea.

Bas phir pahauche Lunch ke liye, We talked , laughed , ate. It was fun. Food was good and the fact that i was so hungry I didn't care much about the taste at that time :P!!
I got over with the lunch to go to another outing with another set of friends.This was one place I really wanted to see before leaving hyderabad . And finally we were on our way to Dhola-ri-Dhani , the rajasthai resort in Hyderabad.
The plans had got cancelled so many times that I had lost all hope that i ll be able to see that place before leaving and actually didn't do any efforts to organize the trip again. But thanks to some friends who got all the people together and organized for all the tickets and transport. And it actually turned out to be one of the best outings i have had so far here. Camel  ride, swings,Boating, Dandiya, Garba, Puppet show and what not. And even after a sad Welcome drink and humorless comedy show, We had a  blast out there.And I realized that its never the place but the company that matters if you want to enjoy your time.
One of the memorable days here for sure!! Love my friends for doing this for me !!:)
Last day at office tomorrow, hoping to get something good out of it !!Now really tired , time to doze.. catch you tomorrow here with a new post !!:)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Day 4 - Hyderabad Diaries

Delightful in one word.. Although I realized it only at the end of the day :)!!

All the troubles of yesterday got sorted out. Found my hard disk, got my stuff from friend's place, and now I don't give a damn about the project. My days in Hyderabad are now really less and I want to enjoy it.


Office was good as well. Didn't get time to sort out my project issues. But at the end I realized I have better things to think about and be happy for them rather then thinking and worrying about something that was not in my hand.

So ,in a happy mood , I left to meet some of my friends in other office and later to collect my stuff from friend's place. Thanks to a friend who helped to carry all those heavy cartons even though he was himself injured !! Finally with all the stuff with me, I started the big task of consolidating all the stuff I will ship it to Delhi through movers and packers. And almost done with it.


In the midst of all this ,today I actually started getting vibes from my friends and colleagues in office that a few days later I will be at some other place. No longer a cubicle will bear my name card. No longer the mails to Consulting-Hyderabad will reach my inbox. No longer I will be able to see my friends daily No longer I ll have them to guide me and make me calm down in my tense moments. No longer I will have there company for a cup of tea at Tapri or a plate of chat at cafeteria.

Day after tomorrow will be my last day at Hyderabad office. Don't know how will I fare through Delhi days but I will surely miss Hyderabad moments!! Though, I am positive that some of my friends will keep getting married and give me excuses to land here once in a while ;)!!

Now, tomorrow I have the whole day planned with friends. Will let you know how it went. Until then, Cheers:)!!


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Day 5 - Hyderabad Diaries

Bad. Horrible. Disappointing!!
Gosh. wasn't expecting this. How wrong can things go in a single day.

1) Woke up late. That too followed by a bad breakfast!!
2) Realized I haven't seen my external disk for some time.Tried to search but in vain.Added it to the To-Do list after office.
3) Misunderstanding with  friends. Couldn't pick up my stuff from their place. Now shipping delayed. My things will reach Delhi super late.
4) Reached office to find my cubicle changed. All this shifting stuff just for two days. Total waste of time.
5) Just when I thought day was getting better, the big BOMB exploded. PM informed not getting rolled off the project. Damn one thing I was so happy about  was not happening!!!
6) Came home, Searched everything. No sign of the hard disk . No consolation.
7) Bad mood. Bad dinner.

By the end of it, I was all hyperactive and crazy.
It was only after some advice from family, some wise words from two of my friends, an hour of reading and some sketching.. I started to feel at ease. Now just hope to have a good sleep  before another messy day tomorrow!!

Till then, sleep tight :)!!


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Day 6 - Hyderabad Diaries

A quiet day. Rather boring. Nothing exciting or even slightly interesting happened. Apart from a friend, who although in the middle of a training was more interested in messaging me to describe how hot his trainer looked!!:P

One thing that I was happy about  was completing filling up all the college forms. Actually the ones in which I can afford to think about applying with my below-average CAT score. And whatever meager work I had, kept me busy for the next two hours. After then, most of the time was spent in chatting, visiting Barista and the Tea stalls in office before I packed my bags.

Although, I have a immediate task of packing my stuff for the Movers and Packers guy to pick that up... but I am so not in the mood to do it. I know it's going to make me all emotional!!

Update:- The packing doesn't make me emotional. Its irritating and confusing me,what to keep  what to ship and what to throw or leave behind!! This is  really a tough job!!phew...

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Day 7- Hyderabad Diaries

Nothing extraordinary, but not bad either!! Strangely I didn't feel like it is the last Sunday I am going to spend here. It was all normal and lazy. Going to bed early on Saturday  was one of the rare things of this weekend (in fact rare thing of the last whole year in Hyderabad!!).And I badly needed it after the continuous outings and dinner I had last  week.

Woke up early to find hot Chole Bhature in breakfast, which I eat till my stomach started to ache :P!! Then , naturally I came up to my room, crawled into my cozy quilt and slept for like  another one or two hours..(they felt like eternity)!!

Though had plans to go out as I am on Roam-all- around-Hyderabad mode ever since I got to know about my transfer. But they got cancelled at the last minute.So I planned to skip my lunch and spend a quiet time reading while lying on my bed.

And the rest of the day passed by on phone with innumerable calls from packers and movers( silly me to post a request on Sulekha..phew..!!) and super excited  family just waiting so eagerly to see me as soon as possible. And that is what makes me so delightfully happy about going back to my home.

Now after the supper,I  thought about writing this post  before I call it a day.
Tomorrow, I start my last week in Hyderabad office. Hope it has to offer something 'coz I don't want to get bored whole day not at-least this week.

Looking forward to a rocking week ahead !!:)

Saturday, January 21, 2012

7 Days to go- Hyderabad Diaries

By the end of this day, I will be left with exactly one week before I bid my adios to the City of Nawabs. Being the only place other than my home town Delhi, where I have stayed for so long, it has actually grown on me. So much so that, I am actually nervous about going back home and starting my life again in Delhi after more than one and a half years.To capture all the last moments I spend in Hyderabad, I have decided to write a day by day entry of my happenings here.

For the last few days, I have kept my friends busy with the task of making my last days fun-filled and memorable here. And they are trying their way best , and I always end up being emotional after seeing their love, care and affection.

Watch out this space for the next few days of Hyderabad fun. Untill then, enjoy!!:)


Monday, January 16, 2012

Just 10 days Left....

...For my last working day at my Hyderabad Office. It feels so strange, even though this was the thing I was praying for ever since I heard about the new office opening at Delhi. More than getting an MBA call or anything else.

As the days seem to be rushing away, I feel so stuck with this place. The office has become even more boring with nobody caring what I doing in office hours( They didn't care earlier as well but now i am almost non existent)!! I make in-numerous visits to Barista and the Idli wala in a single day, just  to pass my abundant free time.

And with a disaster cat result, I have like nothing to do at all. No calls so no enthusiasm to prepare for any GD PI I might get from any damn college. And I don't even care much now.

What I am really wishing now is a rocking birthday celebration and some chilled out last few days with my friends here.And apart from that I have a humongous task of packing all my stuff and shipping it back to Delhi. Lets hope everything goes well. Otherwise, I'll just have an excuse to visit Hyderabad again, which actually doesn't sound a bad idea ;)!!!I know, no matter how much I love being in Delhi, I am gonna miss this place :)!!Hope the place and its people miss me too!