If it's not a happy ending, the story isn't over yet

It's Tuesday, 5 am. Though the sun hasn't risen yet, people have already started to go about their business. I reach home and decide to hit the bed. But I can't... I wasn't feeling good... I don't know what I was feeling... sad, upset, disappointed or may be a mixture of everything. I wanted to talk to a best friend, but refrained. I thought to myself, I could either start the day on a happy note or sulk all day long. I quickly changed my WhatsApp status to 'This too shall pass :)' and my display picture to the image below. And forced myself to sleep.

It's Tuesday, 11:30 am. I wake up after a brief 5 hour sleep to find that it's almost afternoon and the best part, its my week off. I check my phone, 12 messages from 8 conversations, notifies WhatsApp. I go through the messages... some one is happy about the day, someone apologised forgetting my birthday, someone appreciated the profile picture, someone wanted to know if I reached home safe but it was this particular message, 'I missed my flight' that caught my attention. This person was upset, I am sure, but did not want to complain or blame. I apologised, for I thought it was my fault that he missed the flight, but he kept taking the blame all on himself. We had planned a night out and things did not go as we hoped.

I have seen this person go through ups and downs in his life, but he always took that to his stride, and never will you see him blame somebody else or complain about anything in life. He would never say, 'why does it happen to only me?'. There was a time he wanted to go abroad and study, he sacrificed. He did not sit and complain but tried to set up a business of his own, which he did and I am extremely proud of him. He lost someone very dear, I did not show up or leave my condolences, he forgave. I once promised to help, I did not, he understood. I made a plan and things took an uneven turn, he was patient, did not complain, he was upset but didn't want people around him to spoil their mood, he was mature.

I asked him what would he do now, since he missed the flight and there was an important task on hold. He said- 'I don't know'. I know he was still upset, but instead of sulking in his room, he stepped out, went about his business, I understood that nothing could stop him. Be it happiness or sorrow, he is always there to fight hard and emerge stronger. This guy never fails to inspire me. Always motivates not to give up.

Brushing all the thoughts aside, I plan to open Facebook. A particular notification reminds me of the two months, back in 2012, when I was struggling to find a job, but couldn't crack one. Back then, I thought may be I wasn't fit for one. Three years fast forward and I realise that I am working as a journalist with one of the best media houses. If I would have given up then, I wouldn't have been here. I realised life is all about believing in yourself and to walk ahead with the 'never give up' attitude. I decided I woudn't be upset because of the turn of events. I got out of the bed, looked around for my mum, wished her 'Good morning' with a smile and decided that nothing could keep me down. Always have hopes, because that will keep you going.

Two hours later, I sit and I write this. As I write, I realise all the lessons this one night has taught me. I realised, not everything has to end on a sad note. If that one incident is what took me to learn a few more lessons, I am glad it happened. Well, if it isn't a happy ending, may be the story is probably not over yet. :)

P.S. You are my hero, A. A best friend I'd always be glad to have crossed paths with.

Goodbyes are not forever

It is time for my best friend to leave Hyderabad in the quest for a career and a better future. She got selected as a research associate in the prestigious IIT Delhi. I was also one of those friends who encouraged her to take up the offer. Though it took her 72 hours to make the decision, I'm happy that she chose what's right for her.

You know Aarti that I don't prefer to speak much and don't initiate a conversation many a times. I know I wouldn't be able to tell you how much you would be missed, so I decided to pen down my thoughts.

You had always had a special place in my heart. A bestie who I could count on, someone who would also reply at 1 in the night, someone who will never stop me from what I'm doing but will definitely tell me what's right and what's wrong. You know what you mean to me, so you would also know how much I'd be missing you.

Thank you for giving me those college memories I would cherish forever. That EVS class where we laughed till we were asked to get out, those literature classes where I would be the culprit and you and Pooja would be punished, those French classes where your notes were my only hope of passing, those Political Science classes where you took my phone to message the teacher, those Psychology classes I could attend and I could add so much more to it. Gate crashing your blind date, that point when our life was on parallel lines where whatever happened in your life would replicate in mine and vice versa, be it an accident, a date or a new bf. :D  And not to forget the proxies for which I owe you a lot. That trip to Medak only for the burger. And the list goes on and on and on...

We don't click many photos so this is one of the few from my archives. Clicked at Medak, where we had gone just for the burger. And not to forget those remix songs :D

You are one friend of mine who never failed to make me proud, be it the gold medal, your top scores or your initiative Sahaara. Now that you are leaving, I have mixed emotions. I am happy for your career and sad that I won't be able to meet someone to share the story of my life. Also, hope that you have prepared yourself for the challenges a new city would have in store for you.

P.S. I am sure you would make friends in no time, and just like Hyderabad, half of Delhi would also be in your Facebook friends list. :D :D Yes my dear friends, she has the habit of adding random people :p

I love you. And you would be missed until we meet again. And, please try not to hit on guys though I can't promise vice versa.

Remember the Vodafone song, which we thought was tailor-made for us? I'd like to sing that for you again...

L'il things you do for me, nobody else makes me feel good. 

L'il things you do for me, making me smile when no one else could. 

That's why I like to sit next to you, and hear your mad stories, I know they are not true.

And I like that we share secret of two, together!! :)

Much love, XOXO

Happy birthday, A

So it's one of my friend's birthday. I wonder what to do to make it special - Should I order a cake and get it delivered midnight? Should I plan a surprise? Should I ship a gift? But then I also wonder why should I even think of it since we don't talk anymore. After a lot of reasoning with myself, and realizing that I can no way track A's new address, I settled for a blog. I want to tell A about what it meant to have a friend like A in a new city.

One could tag me as a lost soul when I arrived in Chennai, I only knew A in the whole city (besides my busy brother and another friend A). Right from preparing me to fight the challenges in a new city to finding an accommodation, A helped me a lot in the initial days. I learnt from A that I have to adjust and make myself comfortable rather than complain about the problems the city has in store for me, only then can I start enjoying. The days passed by, I loved the job that I did, A made sure that my weekends don't go wasted. I found a place in a small group of A. Right from playing UNO to cooking on weekends to watching movies and going on trips, A made my stay memorable. Though like every friend, even we did fight but that never let us develop hatred for each other. From A I learnt a lot of things... To chase your dreams, to never give up, the importance of adjusting, to help in need, to not compromise on anything in life due to work commitments and the list goes on... A was also another inspiration for me to learn cooking. :D So yes, I owe A a lot.

Though things did not go the right way and professional commitment and other reasons pushed us to choose two separate ways and I had to leave the city, I just want to say that this friend of yours will always consider herself lucky to have crossed paths with you. You were one of my few friends who appreciated me always, encouraged me to write and write more, were my strongest critic, were happy for my achievements, always there with your gyaan to help me in times of trouble and what not. You taught me to stand up for myself. I just want to say that in the process of trying to make you feel special now, in the last  5 minutes, I ended up realizing what I had lost by losing a friend like you.

So my dear A, be the same always. And I know that you would always be there for me in times of need with your faaltu gyaan and say 'fikar kyun karti Neha, main hu na'. And you know that its vice versa too, be it even 4 in the night. :)

Thank you for keeping up with the post. Happy birthday, A.

Somebody I used to know

The clock hit 12. It's Monday (or Tuesday may be?). Monday is such a day where I sit and make plans for Tuesday (Yay! my day off) and next day all I do is sleep throughout the day. So this time I decided not to make any. Bored, as I sit browsing through the internet, refreshing the Facebook page at least 30 times in a minute, a post caught my attention. My best friend had tagged my ex-best friend or XBF (who is no longer in my friend's list (aaah! long story) and bang! all the memories related to XBF flashes in front of me. So strong are the memories, and with nobody to disturb at this hour I chose to write them down.

So here starts the story. Back in the days where Orkut did exist and was extremely popular, I made a friend who was new to Hyderabad. We never met but used to chat a lot, that too late-night after XBF's parent's dozed off and XBF could sneak the laptop into XBF's room. As days (or rather years) passed by, we became close. From friends to close friends to best friends to best friends forever (ugghh! forever? hmm). We did not meet for a long time (read 5 years) and one day coincidentally we happen to be at the right place at the right time and yes! that was the first time I was meeting an 'internet friend' of mine. We used to chat all day long over the phone but now we did not know what to speak. I wouldn't say that we were inseparable, always together etc but we were so close that we made sure that we share our everyday secrets, always there when the other person needed you, always ready to share your shoulder for XBF to cry on and vice versa, and those were the times I knew this person was my BFF (best friend forever).

Then XBF's dad got transferred and we thought we wouldn't be able to meet often. But XBF's parents and I landed in the same city :D Back to our chindipanti. We continued meeting whenever XBF came down to visit XBF's parents. XBF got fruits when I was sick, we watched movies together, met at terrace and spoke for hours, walked through the lanes of our street (XBF stayed three lanes away), ate panipuri together, had lunch buffet at 90rs :P, attended concerts together but this person always made sure that I was back home safe, was in safe hands and that I was happy and cheerful always. 

Then I came back to Hyderabad, XBF got a job in another city and things took a turn. We continued to chat, we continued to speak over phone, continued hanging out (the google version duh!) and made sure that that there were no secrets between two best friends. Well, until this ABC had to interfere. Well, ABC is an acquaintance (never thought of ABC as a friend 'coz except for ABC's full name, I technically knew nothing). Then I figured out that XBF started hiding things because of ABC. There is this person who now matters more. Expecting from your best friend is not a crime, no? After listening to a lot of 'believe me Neha I am speaking the truth', 'Baah! ABC is all screwed up and needs help', 'I don't have friends here', etc etc etc, I decided I shall end it. After all trust is an important part of a friendship na? So to be away from even the thoughts of XBF, I deleted XBF from Facebook, deleted number and deleted outta Gtalk (okay, I mean hangout) too and I never pinged back, neither did XBF.

Never knew things would take such an ugly turn. Never knew people who mattered to someone for years wouldn't be your priority anymore. After that day I never heard from XBF, NEVER! Though I want things to be like before. Though I still care. Though I still miss. Though I still wish. 

And that is how two best friends turned into total strangers. :)

P.S. I seriously need to learn how to maintain friends. Agreed. But once a paper is crumbled, it would never be perfect again. So is trust. Btw, after writing it down, I feel good. :) Also, I realised that it is easier to write it down and get away with the emotions rather than talking it out.

A trip to Pichavaram Mangrove Forest- India’s Amazon

The sound of the waves crashing into the beach could be heard from a distance. I couldn't wait to get there, all I wished that the boatman rows a little faster. As I was approaching, little did I know that an unexplored beach was waiting to welcome me. Much to my surprise the beach was clean, without any garbage or litter thrown. The water was so transparent; I could see what lies underneath. Visiting this place was a true bliss for a beach lover like me. 

The boatman stopped near the shore and we had to walk for about 10 minutes to reach the beach. I rushed towards it and did not need a ‘Let’s see who will get there first’ challenge from my friends to get there any sooner ;)

Now comes up the question that how did I come across this unexplored beach? I reached here through the mangroves of Pichavaram. 60 kms away from Pondicherry, Pichavaram is home to the second largest mangrove forest.

Mangroves of Pichavaram

You know you have entered Pichavaram when you come across a rope tied across the road. Just when you start wondering what’s going on, you would notice a little girl walk towards you for a rs 50 toll. I never came across this kind of toll-gate. One of a kind, isn't it?

We paid around 900rs for a group of 5 people for the boat ride to take us through the Pichavaram mangroves. Having heard a lot about this place, I was already excited to explore. (Tip: it is better to opt for row boat instead of speed boat because they take you through small pathways inside the mangrove)

The boatman asks an extra amount of 75rs per head to take you through the small pathways of mangroves, of course you can bargain with him.

There are just two things that one can do at Pichavaram – sit back, drift through the mangroves for about 2 hours and take pictures, lots of them. We took a lot of pictures too, until we were satisfied of capturing the beauty of Pichavaram. One gets lost in the scenic beauty of this place. The view is so breathtaking; it would leave one gasping for breath.

Amidst overhanging branches

After around 40 minutes of drift on the backwater, you enter a zone where you find overhanging branches, creepy sounds and there rises your excitement level. You certainly haven’t seen anything of this sort in India till now.


Amidst the overhanging branches, through the small pathways, we were busy searching for snakes. We thought we would be lucky to find atleast one.

Much to our disappointment, we did not find any.

Words used to describe the beauty of Pichavaram would look like an understatement, it could be understood only when you explore it yourself. Till then, let the pictures do justice.

New girl in the city of Chennai

Independence and freedom, everybody craves and does much to achieve it. I, of course, had freedom at my home back in Hyderabad, but independence? Well, all families have their set of restrictions.

My dream came true when I got an offer to work with a company based out of Chennai. Though almost everybody criticised the place and filled me with negative impressions about this city, I still looked forward to it. Relocation was a sort of adventure for me. This was the first time I was leaving home. I knew I would miss home but I was game to explore this new city and experience something that I haven’t till date. 

I stayed in the comfort of my house till date, it was time to step out and face so many challenges. Language was the first one. I had to befriend strangers here, make a conversation and grab the bit of information that I am looking at. For example, while travelling in public transport I always needed one to inform me when my destination arrives. Language is still a challenge but I learnt bits and parts to manage a conversation with an auto rickshaw driver without hinting at him that I don’t know the language. And if it gets out of my mind, all I do is politely say “Tamil teriyada” (meaning I don’t understand Tamil). People who can’t speak English still try to give me the bit of information I am looking at, through sign language. The bottom line is I need to learn more of Tamil ASAP and yes, the people out here are very friendly (Note: Do not add auto rickshaw guys to friendly list. They are NOT).

The second challenge was to search accomodation. Destiny had me stay at hostel. My friends who were hostilites state that hostel creates memories one would cherish forever but I have a contrary story to narrate. Nothing was going right. I hated the food, a thief tried to sneak into my room, nobody from the hostel’s management understood English, and I was supposed to be back by 8:30pm. I knew that I will have to adjust with my comfort and I was ready to do that, but bad food, not-so-safe accommodation, be mastered by hostel management, this is not what I had relocated for. I started searching for an alternative; I found an apartment shared by 3. I stay with them and I am much happy with the company, accommodation, location and the NO RESTRICTION part. 

The third challenge was to learn how to cook. Out of all, I consider this as the biggest challenge, at least to me who hardly entered kitchen. My life had now become a routine and me a machine. Get up in the morning, cook, pack lunch, take up the train, reach office on time, work till 7, take a train back, cook, have dinner, sleep. I then realized for the freedom and independence part I am compromising much. I sat wondering if shifting had added up more problems to my list. I then realized that I had no much time to think as my routine life wanted me to finish all the tasks asap and hit the bed soon so that I can wake up early next day and do things as per schedule. By now I have learnt a little bit of cooking and also got appreciation from a friend who found my upma “yummy”. Well, matters a lot to me.

 

Before you start pitying me, let me tell you how fun my weekends are. Wink! Wink! I don’t have to cook, I hangout with friends, I explore the city, watch movies, play UNO and much more. 

Everything has a positive and a negative side to it. Though I started complaining at first, now I realize how much relocation has added up to me. It boasted my confidence, I now know I can tackle things on my own whenever in trouble, I am still positive that I shall learn the language someday, my mom can proudly say that her tomboyish daughter can finally cook and yes, I feel much independent now.

It’s just been a month and I have so much to explore. I’d blog next when I add up more to the list. 

Adios!