Anecdote #26

My family's association with the hill station, Kasauli has been on for generations. My grand mother lived there in the late 50s when her father was posted in Kasauli. All of us have been enamoured by the charm the place holds. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the town or because we love living in the Kasauli Club. My parents had to wait for almost 10 years to get the membership of this club but honestly I feel that it was worth it. Although the amenities are quite basic, the property is sprawling and beautiful. You do not need to walk up to the sunset point because the clubhouse houses the most amazing view, the food is delicious and very cheap and last but not the least is that a few generous tips will get you some great service! This time around I took my mother because I had become quite familiar with the place and was confident that I could show her around well. As soon as we reached the club our minds and lungs were both detoxified. Post a hearty lunch we rested and braced ourselves for something big we had planned to do the following day. Legend has it that when Lord Hanuman was carrying the "sanjeevani booti" his left foot touched a hill in Kasauli. This spot was converted into a temple. I am a believer and I had visited the temple on an earlier visit but I was eager to take my mother this time. The climb is very steep and is over a kilometre up hill. This was tough especially under the scorching sun (Yes, hill stations can get scarily warm in the day). So the next day, in the morning we began our task, which was both exhausting and exhilarating. Exhausting because it was a tough and testing climb and exhilarating because when we reached the peak all of it seemed worth it. The air had gotten cooler and the vibes were peaceful and pure. We spent a good hour there. The whole experience was therapeutic because for a few moments we were cut off from the hustle bustle of the world below. There were no phones, no honking and no stray thoughts. Even though we had been through a rough up hill climb we felt energised. Sadly we couldn't be there all day so we went ahead with the descent. This was followed by a good resting session because Saturday evenings get lively at the club and we wanted to be ready for it. Saturdays are the Tambola nights which gets me very excited. I was extremely disappointed throughout the beginning because neither of us were winning anything but at the end of the last game I won the housie! Later I realised the money they had charged for the tickets was much more than the prize money, what tricksters! Nonetheless it was great fun, full of laughter and simple pleasures. We followed this up with a late night chai which was the cherry to the topping. After a good night's sleep we spend the next day rejoicing in the great weather. It was raining and I wished that I had carried a sweater. The day was spent in the library, partly snoozing and looking out the window. I guess we were pensive and also dreading the fact that we had to leave the next day. Compared to a lot of the other holidays I have been on, this was one of the simpler ones. It's true that there is sheer bliss in simplicity as there are lesser hesitations. You don't worry about the airline fare, cost of accommodation and the cost of food and beverages. During such holidays you let loose and truly shift into a better head space. No wonder that we have so many foreign tourists! My advise would be to try something more basic because it just another kind of fun and a novel experience you can count on.

Anecdote #25

People often talk about love, through good morning messages on whatsapp, due to the portrayal of love in movies/ shows or because they actually hold the emotion for someone. We all love somebody or even certain objects but I wonder why it has become such a fleeting emotion. When I watch these American sitcoms I observe how easily the characters fall in love, complicate their relationship and finally may or may not even end up together. Social media is yet another factor. Love is not pure any more it has to be validated, shown to the world and it seems like a mockery to me!
I do not feel that love in the purest form is experienced in today's age. There is no respect, teasing and making jokes out of a person's partner/companion is now seen as flirting. Elaborate gestures and gifts seem to be symbols of love. You see the foundation of love is only attraction now. The self centred attitude has pushed away the possibilities of a secure marriage or future. Selflessness is only an ideal virtue one can look upto because no one is willing to practice it. I know I have been sounding pessimistic but what I am trying to put out there is that don't just settle for someone. The chemistry or passion is only a form of gratification of our desires, not fulfilment. Wait it out, be patient, don't make a decision that gives you momentary pleasure because being involved with anybody gives you emotional baggage. Don't hurt yourself because at the end of the day it is you who has to heal. Even if you take all  of this into consideration and make a mistake then accept it as a harsh truth. There are no formulas in life, what I have learnt is to go with the flow, there is always something better on it's way.  We are so muddled with our thoughts that it is only much later that we realise why something happened to us. Try to find love in a hobby, a book or in prayer. Be independent, don't let your desires take control, get out of this cycle to truly discover and embrace yourself.

Anecdote #24

I was always one of those who was skeptical of people who went to Starbucks. I thought that more than anything, they visited the coffeehouse to be a part of the lavish display of wealth. Last year my opinion changed drastically.
My mother was back to working full time after a sabbatical of around 4 years and it was my 12th. I was still figuring out as to what I wanted to do in the near future and often would feel lonely at home as both my parents are working. I was falling prey to the games my mind was playing on me and knew that I had to look for a solution. I realised that I needed a change of scene. During the dark and dingy month of December being alone at home can get depressing. The closest place I could go to and study was Starbucks. Very often I had seen people sit there and work so I decided to give it a try. I am going to be blatantly honest when I say that the food and coffee there is not upto my liking but the vibe of the place drew me in. I would order a small green tea and sip on it for hours sometimes and go on with my work. When I would get bored, I would look up and observe all that was happening around me. It served as a rendezvous for lovers, as a spot to chill with friends and many a times a place where people held official meetings. Sometimes I would see familiar faces but they were no more than distant acquaintances. They would recognise me and I would wonder what they thought of me. Maybe they held the same opinions I had earlier, " she's just here to boast about her visit to this place," but frankly I wasn't disturbed by this. I knew that I had the trust of my mother, at times she would encourage me to go because she knew I was trying to find a solution to my problem and not gallivanting. Slowly, I got better and became a regular. The place began to feel familiar like the pair of jeans you always resort to on a lazy day. Maybe I hadn't fully recovered but the process is slow. It was the first step on the stairway to growth. This routine also made me more independent, confident and most importantly enabled me to emerge out of my shell. So Thank you Starbucks for not kicking me out and saving my life!

Anecdote #23

It is the seasons of entrance exams and like many others I happened to appear for one of them, the law entrance, CLAT. Prior to that I had appeared for the AILET. Though I have no intentions of doing law I went ahead with these exams as I had registered for them months ago. When I reached the remote location in Pitampura to give the AILET, I was pretty intimidated by the sheer number of aspirants and some of them seemed to be much older. The panic began to set in, after a lot of inconvenience my father and I had found a parking spot but post that we were struggling to find my room number on the notice board. It was finally time to enter the premises, as soon as I entered the classroom all eyes were transfixed on me as though all of the aspirants were expecting me to make a mistake. Later I could see why, there was a lot of chaos; people were entering the wrong room; sitting on the wrong seat and creating confusion. I patiently waited for the paper and as soon as I got it the difficulty level shocked me beyond belief. I had given a lot of mock tests and knew that the standards of NLU Delhi were very high but this was something else. The only response I could manage was a laugh as I knew this was inconsequential for me and I did the best I could. This experience taught me that curveballs are best handled with a cool head. I tried to act like Kohli, hitting a sixer in questions I was sure of and avoiding bouncers which I knew I couldn't attempt. All in all I was happy and ready to take on CLAT.
So during the week before CLAT I studied a bit of GK to apprise myself of certain important events which I found interesting. After reading up, an interesting fact I stumbled upon was that my father's former boss was now the President of INS! This went on and finally Sunday arrived.
I was eager to go not because I was thoroughly prepared but because I was ready for a new experience. CLAT is a computerised test so there are a limited number of students per centre due to the paucity of desktops. Most of the people there were known faces as our coaching institute had advised all of us to undertake synchronised registration. This made me feel very much at ease. The checking there was extremely strict and I was frisked from head to toe violently (of course by a woman) which left me scandalized. Post the biometric registration and demo exam we finally began! Mind you, I went in at 1:30 PM and came out at 5:30 PM. The exam was to my utter delight simple and straightforward. Though time was a constraint I was satisfied with it.
I can conclude by saying that I know that I will not be one of the toppers but I surely know I will be one of those who can say "pass to ho hi jayenge."