Kitty Kidnap

Life today is so busy and we often discuss that none know thy neighbours thesedays.

But, I say hello to my neighbour pretty often. He stays with his mom at the ground floor of my building and plays near the dumped garbage. His daddy is mostly away and pays occassional visits. This mama's boy is a handsome yet demure, affable little (I dare call him little) CAT who loves to poise on the cars and bikes in the garage!

I have been an animal lover since childhood, but selective in being so! Somewhat like the views of some on being an animal lover yet a voracious non vegetarian as being a hypocritical!

So, if you are an animal lover but are afraid of snakes and cats; well that's what I was and rather am still to a great extent barring cats. After my friend~dog~Jojo's death after a happy life of 11 years , nothing could replace him, but some not exactly pets have filled the void in these 5 years since his demise.

The cats in my life Kalli and Goldie have brought a new side to me.

My husband and mother in law (hereinafter referred as MIL)have played an important part in getting me closer to these creatures whom I always feared. This post is about Goldie but since Kalli was my first backyard cat at Siliguri, a special mention for her.

Kalli- green startled eyes; not just eyes but "cat eyes"; black shiny coat. She was a perfect selection for a horror film! Every afternoon, post lunch she would wait for the fish bones and cheese slices when we were observing a no non veg day. Wait would be accompanied by constant meowing in chorus with two other pals.

Her meoooooww would rise higher and higher in pitch as the moment of the 'touch down' of the fish be closer and there you go! lo and behold! As soon as the fish would be on the ground, she would flash her sharp white feline set of teeth!

This diabolical turn of events never deterred my mom, dad and me from loving Kalli. It became just a part of the general procedure of the lunch hour! When we left the house at Siliguri, it was painful to leave Kalli behind. But, there is this annoyance in the mind of a dog lover , that why won't the cat miss him as much as he does...

Goldie- is over a year old. His description is evident from his name - golden coat and yes ,even patches of white. He boasts with the title of the thickest tailed cat in the vicinity and also that I have ever seen in my life. His personality as I wrote earlier is quite diametrically opposite to the usual feline fraternity. He is the kinds who would respond to your love. Who would wait for the fish and spare you  the flash of feline set of teeth. He is the kinds who would not spend hours together on his narcissism and self grooming and rather just sun bathe!

So, Goldie vanishes for a week and we(my MIL& myself)  were worried that he was involved in some sort of cat-gang-war with his daddy on the other side. We thanked our stars that we finally had a sighting! He was more amiable than ever. It was as if he was a dog like cat minus the tail wagging! He acknowledged every stroke and every caress. To our surprise , our neighbourhood cat first meowed too!! We had our rendezvous and walked towards the elevator. To our utter surprise, Goldie followed us. He also seemed eager to see the world beyond the ground floor garage-e-garbage. 

So, my MIL who has a knack for picking up cats without threatening them or bothering them, did just that and we hopped into the elevator with Goldie in arm. 

When the lift moved up ,he felt uneasy, his claws stuck out in anxiety, but he did not attack either of us. The lift happened to stop at the 4th floor beforehand and Goldie escaped! 

He meowed so loud that the corridor echoed with this outcry of our lost kitty. He was up at this floor for the first time, but it did not seem so, the way he smartly took the stairs. His meowing was sad but his steady walk, jauntily down the flight of stairs belied his outcry!

We followed him till his reunion with dear mommy. However, he turned back disheartened and dejected, yet not indignant for what we had done. We thought we had lost Goldie's trust and friendship, something that was a rare phenomenon between cats and humans.

BUT, ten minutes of tete-a-tete with his mom and a bowl of milk with two large tablespoons of apology from MIL & me has brought our almost kidnapped kitty back!

:)

Baba.

First of my memory traces..
wrapped in warm embraces,
because you had come back to me my Baba
because war ceased..my little kid's heart was pleased Baba

I grew up, you toughened me,
I grew up you  shielded me,
I grew up,you scolded me
I grew up,you moulded me
you loved me..it grew...

Scaling tiny summits with you,
would be my everest
running to keep pace with you,
were my days best.

The soul in your letters,
nestled in my heart..
Miles away from me and mom
yet not apart...

You gave me away in wedding I know..
in style that too
but I know one thing for sure..
I may be grey haired and wrinkled but shall remain a daddy's girl true!


I love you Baba

City of joy 1419-1420

I cannot believe that my last blog post was a year back...

Landed at the city of joy in April 2012...and a year just passed in a jiffy!

 I wanted to blog..wanted to write..wanted to share..but time was scarce...

SO! April 2012-2013 summed up!

1st April..fools day? No I am serious,I'm arriving today!

2nd April,a day at work..a new office..no old folks!

Bengali New Year..ushering year 1419,

New beginnings..new friendships..new turn to relationships

Come'May'and 'may be' wasn't an option..

Off I Went to Darjeeling..almost the last holiday as a maiden

June July...left me and the city minus the joy

The summer heat and work life balance playing its own ploy..

Come August...and discoveries galore

twists and turns unfurl..

There is big fat wedding and more...

'S' stands for September 

so it does for shopping..

winding through shops and going mall hopping

Oh OH OCTOBER Durga Puja is here

Good over bad is what you hear..

the colour of festive spirit painting me in all hues

time for spreading love..trying for truce

November 2012! the biggie!

I finally tie the knot...my boyfriend turns hubby!
long distances cut short!

Kingdom of Bhutan welcomes us newly weds
no matter now much beauty I describe..something shall remain unsaid

December is the time of the winter baby in me..

time for birthday and Christmas!

Though the fun dampend a bit for a sickness

Care and love nurtured me to move to the new year fresh!

Jan Feb March just slipped away

troughs and crests...

April is here yet again..1420 begins..

I pray for well being of all I love

and let there not be a day at all dim..

The long and short of it.... love and distances

To say goodbye until we meet again without tears,
is such a  gift, which until many a year was spared..

To begin the countdown as you leave and finish at day five or six,
seems like all these years, love life was in such a fix..

To have conversations which go beyond talk time,
to laugh together and forget the entire week's grind..

To the sense of belonging to each other,
to believe in the years of being together..

So much for absence makes the heart grow fonder,
just that if the absence is just Mondays to Saturdays...I don't have too much to wonder or ponder...

Choose to pray and not prey...

Fight with might, be a man,
face to face, with a warrior's elan,
Why do you hide, behind your sleazy shroud of a reason?
Why do slaughter men,women and children every season..?

Fight with might, be a man,
face to face, with a warrior's elan,
One moment.. deafening blast, and the day is a bloody day,
people die,lose some limbs and its a black-wednesday,thursday..friday..

Fight with might, be a man,
face to face,with a warrior's elan,
How many set of numbers would you make infamous now?
9/11,7/11..oh I've lost count already,somehow!

Fight with might,be a man,
face to face,with a warrior's elan,
Fear if you may wish to see,
see it within yourself, its in your actions,its naked,its bare in thee!

Fight with might,be a man,
face to face,with a warrior's elan,
Choose to pray and not prey,
You shall lose yourself, in this fray..

fighting writer's block..to keep the hobby intact!

A question does every child loathe ;when time after time, it comes forth..
"Dear child..what hobbies do you have, yet untold?"

Some just pick up their natural choice,
few others attend classes once a week,twice or thrice..

With a beeming smile will the mother foretell,
how her little one will be a Sania,a Sachin and MF Hussain,

From books and bags to paint brush and raquets,
from homework to tuition to boxing and karate,

The child moves on from school life,
the question alas stays right behind..

"Dear Fatcha(first year)..what hobbies do you have, yet untold?"
They make you sing,dance,mimic,act..
Hobbies or no hobbies..not a matter in fact!

And from college to workplace, the question follows,
in interviews, in forms..the HR hallows..
"Dear employee,what hobbies do you have,yet untold?"

You lived with them, you die with them..
a conversation starter, a symbol of an almamater,
a life's lesson, a moment's fashion..

None can leave the other,
weaved into the person, mingled with the soul..
for me its singing,poetry,swimming what's your hobby,yet untold?

why on earth...?

If only I could help not saying what I said, if only I could help not feeling what I did,
If only I could hold my words back and weigh my thoughts,
Why on earth would you have been made for me at all?

If I could change my ways, if I would not be reckless or a moment of craze,
if only I could understand how to react appropriate, or give you perfect space,
Why on earth would you have been made for me at all?

If I could walk without tripping at all,
If I could sing without the slightest disc(h)ord (sic)
If I could stay chirpy all the while,
Why on earth would you have been made for me at all?


You're there to listen to my unweighed thoughts before they turn to words,
You're there to weigh my spoken words,

You're there to be next to me,standing tall,
You're there to hold me close when I trip or fall

You're the one to hear me out in not so cheerful times, to bear with my tantrums and the moods galore in life's mundane rhymes..

You're the one chosen for me to complement me in every right,
its a mix and match you know, the heavens conspired..

Had we been so alike, so as to agree upon everything under the sun,
life together wouldn't be half as fun, as it is to fight and make up in turn...

This too passed...

I was teary eyed in fear,
that all that I had was perfect here,
perfection of the days,minutes and seconds
moments, expressions and conversations sheer..

Days that were as if living a dream, minutes which passed like hours,
seconds measured in beats of the heart..
expressions captured in the mind, conversations woven close together as if in a rhyme..

Like a tale of another world where love remained the same,
just in a marvelous state, where there were no frowns,fights and spates,
And I kept asking myself as to why and how its so perfect,
and you would touch wood or cross fingers all the way..

Alas! the perfect moments gave away,
the dream, I woke up from,
The minutes, were back to sixty seconds,
conversations meant a phone call again...

And like every good thing that comes to an end,
this too passed..

On your 63(rd)...Motherland

Its your sixty three(sic), since the day we were free,
free of being ruled by another,
free of being a martyr in someone else's war,
free to call this land ours, you-ours..

Its your sixty three, since the day we were free,
free to call us one nation,
free to have an anthem to stand up to,
free to have a leader look up to...

But it pains me today, on your sixty three,
to see the the strong bonds of one nation weaken,
to see the belief of oneness shaken,
to see men,women and children of yours being killed by your own..

It pains me to see on your sixty three,
the leaders are no more worth looking up to,
the national anthem I just stand to at a cinema theatre and enjoy the rest that follows..

It pains me that on your sixty three,
children are taught in schools that vanish into thin air,
where their mid-day meals are eaten by vanishing devils,
and their clothes are sold to men of no conscience

It pains me that on your sixty three,
its tough finding an honest man in the higher rungs,
a contented farmer in the villages far flung,
a happy student in an educational set up just fit to learn,
a person who would feel without bribing one or another, work will be done.

It pains me that on your sixty three,
there are people still in the shackles of cast and creed
who kill their own blood in name of honour,
murder their own child,a loving son and a daughter.

You may call me a pessimist my motherland,
that on your sixty three,
I talk curt and talk of all negativity..
But, I cannot close my eyes to the glaring truth that stands so strong,
send an 'sms' saying happy independence day and forget about it all

You may call me a humbug,
one unable to share the joy of our people on your sixty three,
but freedom for me is when each one of your children is thankful to thee,
when each of them have no complaints and no revenges to take,from thee.

That would be truly the Independence Day for me.

And they were such kids..falling for it

And they were such kids, falling for it,
falling in the sweet trap of the sweeter trip,
They not at all could, wipe off the silly smiles,
they had no idea what was wrong with their heart,their face and their sleepless nights..

And they were acting so grown up..yet so juvenile,
saying it, believing it... 'in love' , in a while
Not knowing what lay ahead, not bothering to be scared,
fearless and carefree, they tread their pathways..

And they thought they knew it all,
little did they wonder what happens after the big fall..
tiffs that turn into fights,
and the missed and hung up calls..

And they learnt with every step and hurdle,
what a pool of love it was with the small and big puddles..
they learnt from their mistakes and learnt from every tear that rolled,
the fear of being alone without the other, the love of not letting go..

And they thought, what people said mattered,
and sat down for love introspection,
Little did they know it was their belief that mattered,
nobody's justification..

Weeks and Months and Years went by,
their love was tested by time..
And all they did was look back and smile..
at the kids, the juveniles and the memorabilia for life..

Do girls agree to this? and Do guys secretly admit to feeling the same??

So what's new on your mind girl?
So what's happening all around you?
Tell me about it all..as your drink you sip..
Its time for GOSSIP!

'So and So' is up to this,
'so and so' is friendless,
That couple broke up and 'he' cheated on her..
Aww how life just flips!
Its time for GOSSIP!

My observation is true..the faces just glow,
with every piece of it, and its every drip..
Yup! its GOSSIP!!

You're unrelated, your life is not concerned with the news..
yet wonder why on hearing of something unheard..your tummy growls and u drool!!
Of course..its a GOSSIP ,not knowing it as if makes you a fool!!

Tel-a-woman is the mode, Gossip is the matter,
Information of who is the prude and who just turned fatter..
the constant entertainer, the feeling of know-it-all,
None other that GOSSIP afterall!! :P

The mortal soul be-fooled..

Our own mortal soul, be-fooled..
by our own thoughts and aspirations, shrouded in gloom..
Perfection so unattainable with the battle
of whether the mind or the heart is to rule..

A quiet soul often presumed to be taciturn,-
an amiable one being loquacious..
No matter how good you may be or pretend to be so,
what unfurls is all-the good, bad, ugly and worse

With the gift of the gab comes the loud mouth,
with pride comes the ego,
With patience comes laziness,
None of the vices the virtue can forego..

Acceptance of this human life's playful pert,
is what we can do first,
If life were to be in constant mirth..
what would be a smile, a tear, a kiss and a hug's worth?

10.31pm 20th February 2010..A.I.L Mohali!!

Law on Arbitration keeps me busy,

I type away the seminar in my own lazy way..

Since morning,through noon,

until evening and night my study blues..

'Abba' playing on the lappy,

gtalk signed in for some break time chatting..

Sniff..sniff ..sniff.. nope me not crying,

Law is a passion and I'm not lying..

A second it takes me to leave my blanket's warmth,

and abandon the lappy I love..

Sniff sniff sniff..I go down the stairs..

I have a frown and a look that is -staring into thin air!

Sniff sniff sniff..nope I'm not love sick

I'm not love lorn..

Its something I and my mum share,

no not our resemblance or our stare..

Sniff sniff sniff..and I trace the haze..

until I find the trace..

Sniff sniff ..and I see it all,

a burnt cake, lots of smoke and sad faces of those who tried so hard.

The frown vanishes and we burst out laughing,

No idea how the shroud of smoke would vanish until the hostel comes out coughing!

I dedicate this poem to the too many lawyers who spoiled the broth

and to the doggy nose that Mum and I got!!

Sometimes, one time..most of the times..at times..

Sometimes I just want you to listen,but there are the same times when you wish to keep mum..Listen one can without saying a word,but hearing and listening would't be same for all..

Sometimes I wish I were with you,but those are the same times you want your time all alone..To be in the place as same as in one's thoughts,

wouldn't be possible for all..

One time you are there with me, in front of my eyes and in the same moment ,in my soul..

The other time you are far away, just like a story untold..

Most of the times you know when I'm happy and know it too that I'm melancholic in my own way..Funny it is that at times its true that you hurt me,but its when I don't want you to know and just for that , I pray..

To feel love and that too your love, there is a need to feel empty..

There is a need to taste some pain, a pinch of hurt... to win back love aplenty..

Winter rain

All huddled up ,fluffy cotton ball like, are some,

daring to challenge the cold breeze, standing against it are few..

Ashen firmament, falling auburn leaves, swaying trees; a spectacular view...

It came unannounced, it came without any prayer..Its 'winter rain'.

Perceived in many a way-surprising, welcoming and dismay..

Some await sunshine,

while others love the weather gods' play,

Its pitter patter unexpected, its painted everything silvery gray...Its 'winter rain'.

Some crouch into warm blankets,

stay indoors lest the cold would catch them in the fray..

While others would treat their taste buds,

with some hot tea, perhaps jalebies too on a tray...

After all, its a surprise visit once in a while by 'winter rain'.

Two ways to look at one thing..

poles apart are the thoughts,

Two different ways of feeling it,

yet it changes not...

How we mortals perceive as we wish,

see the same not as same,

Life and its experiences..at times like dew, sometimes thunderous rain,

Wish everyone could welcome it all, like welcoming 'winter rain'...

The little kid..

Its Christmas today!! The pre-NEW YEAR funtime! And referring to the previous post of mine..well it is the last christmas with college friends..Perhaps we'll meet later in life on some get together ..but the future is uncertain isn't it?

Anyways, I REALLY don't want to tug at the meloncholy strings as of now..

I discovered something today...

We have our last exam of the 9th semester tomorrow morning at 10!! The subject is not tough at all but still going out just when its time to revise and discuss the subject is a bit of a risk and quite a lot of "guilty- me" thoughts!! My friend Megha was dreading that her Dad would call and would be upset if he knew she was out eating before an exam(because he always taught her that no matter how easy the exam be, one must never go out just a day before an exam!)However, we all kept those books aside to celebrate Christmas in our own way.. Put on those jackets and coats..and in the cold winter evening set out for a walk to a coffee shop to enjoy cake on the special day!!

At the coffee shop were the usual Christmas decorations balloons et all.. My friend Deboo and other were tugging at them..and deboo slipped one into her bag too ( who shall wait for Santa to fulfill wishes!!??!!)... Megha attended her father's phone call and sheepishly smiled before admitting that the noise was of her friends who allegedly pulled her here because Christmas was more important than the exam in most respects!!

Coming back to two hours before our walk and coffee and cake... another friend of mine..Neha played a prank on a batchmate who had asked her to keep a watch on the two lone "gol-gappas" in her bowl during tea time..and well Neha the mischievous girl, told deboo that someone had said she did not want to have them so she could!! Deboo took no time to gobble one of them and Neha gobbled the other..In the meanwhile Minna came back..shocked to see the empty bowl!!

Now fast forward..backto coffee shop..after 'sharing and caring' as Deboo would put it..we all Megha,ME, Upi, Astha ,Vidhu,Sakshi, Neha and Deboo..shared our cakes n pastries..and started for college..to get back to our law books...

And when we reached.. Deboo showed off the balloon to everyone with that ecstatic look of a wonderful possession she had!! Shrila took less than a minute to get at it and BOOM!! It burst!!

The look on Deboo's face..that of a offended child whose toy was just snatched away by a mean kid.. And now I recall the mischevios smile on Neha's face when she played a prank on Minna..And I remember the look on Megha's face when she answered her father's call..

Yes, I discovered the kid in all of us all over again...

So SANTA...This year preserve the kid in me and my loved ones because it brings a smile to our faces and happiness in our lives...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Change is tough..

About 4 and half years back as I joined law school.. the curriculum of 5years scared me! Could not imagine how it would all turn out...could not gauge how much time 10semesters would take! And now I look back and laugh..how time just flew.. Yeah seems as if it passed quickly..but when I glance through pictures..I see the difference..Then I realise that at that time we used to use HI5 for social networking..and then orkut came by..finally facebook took over and is still reigning.. I started blogging..became dormant for a while..active again..n back to snail's pace.. Something that stayed unaffected, unchanged was my circle of friends..

In this 'City Beautiful' we all wandered about..sipped coffees and ambled around as if nothing was holding us back...Today was just another of those days..but as our tenth semester is approaching, we'r all trying to fill ourselves up..up to the brim..with memories to carry.. Ask us..how we get high after coffee with chocolate truffle..ask us how it is to fit in 6 people in those tiny autorickshaws( after giving the auto chap assurance that we're law students and will manage if there is a challan!!) Yeah once, 9 of us also managed travelling in that!!Ask us how yum maggi tastes when the soup concoction is tried with it at 2am!! Ask us about the innumerable window shopping sprees and the actual ones that lasted the whole day!! Ask us how it feels now if we start talking of first year..or the changes from 2005 to the end of this year.. Gosh! Its tough..this change.. This carefree part of life is coming to an end.. Apart from that, not meeting my friends..whom I barge into hundred times a day..is going to be hard to cope up with..

Imagine..I even reconsidered puttin up make-up for the 5th Year Farewell in April (thinkin I would be crying at the end of it..so what's the point!! heheh) Never studied in any school for more than 3 years..not even 3 I guess..So its funny leaving college after 5 years.. We've cursed it many times..cribbed a lot..but I love it..I love my friends and undoubtedly this has been the best time of my life that leaves an indelible impression of what we call friendship, fun, frolic, trust, love and care... Will miss this life all my life..

Lets get back to our daze..

Living through it every moment,

without your voice, your face..the empty space.

Cutting through it every day,

the void, the haze that leaves its trace.

The change is here..its happening,

I thought I could deal with it but it is challenging.

My eyes well up even when I try hiding the tears,

I have no fear yet the emotions sear.

What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to be?

I want to stay in your embrace forever, I don't wanna be free.

So keep me close, keep me within your gaze,

Love me like always..set me free from this puzzling phase..lets get back to our daze...

freaked out!

We all read in the papers..we talk of it often..our dependance on the internet, on mobile phones.. Our incessant wish to check our email even when we are not sure of what so important would be there on our inbox!! I know of 'nomophobia'..the fear of being out of mobile phone contact but I don't know if my freaking out 5mins back was some sort of a phobia! Well..as I signed into gmail..my password would not get accepted! I tried once,twice ,thrice..and I could feel my cheeks turn warm..maybe my eyes popped out..I don't even know what sort of a horrid facial expression I was giving! Then I tried signing into blogger..retyping each letter of my id..each letter of my FOURTEEN LETTER password!! God! How was that possible!! Someone hacked my acocunt..for a few seconds I think I just could not make myself to breathe... But then a tiny flash near d keyboard is what caught my attention! Yes, it was CAPSLOCK!!!

Agreed..I'd been ignoring my blog for ages..but God! this was not the most peaceful way of bringing me to write!!

Finally I'm at peace! No hackers please..

Memories etched forever..

With hope for adventure, with a smile of expectations,

the four of us tread our way, to a trip..though short,but unforgettable..

Bags packed, snacks stacked, we began our journey,

through state borders of Punjab, Himachal and Haryana...

The bus wound its way to the hillocks and hills,

it seemed all the same, untill we felt the slight chill...

Yes, we were drifting away from the rainless dry earth of the plains,

we were at 'Nahan', and as if under heavenly reigns...

The clear skies, patched with cotton white clouds,

The mountains, ever so dense;greenery an essence...

Four friends, four hours,

and there we were at 'dastar asthan'

We took a breath of fresh air,

Enjoyed the drizzle and the panorama of paonta sahib so clear...

Over the bridge, under which the Yamuna flows,

the road that links one end to Uttarakhand and the other to Himachal's rainbow...

From paonta sahib to herbertpur,

from Herbertpur to Vikasnagar ,

we looked around in awe, of the beauty surrounding us...

A warm welcome by a loving family,

no wonder our friend is so lovable, just as her folks...

a walk around the countryside,

sneak peek into the old lanes running side by side...

Then came 15th August, the day freedom is to be felt..

Did we not feel it through and through with a tinge of pride,

Looking at the gen-next..little school girls and boys?

They sang, they danced..

they recited poems from the glorious past,

we realised these were the days one is nurtured from our country's clay to a cast..

Off we were amongst the mountains of Mussourie

Stolen into some fairy world,

Alas..something earthly followed us..

yeah it was the abominable 'traffic jam'..in a swirl!

Nothing stopped our spirits to reach the destined destination..

There we were after walking uphill, 2kms and a half..to feel the slight tingle and chill..

All that was to be seen were the green mountains and the clouds cloaking the valleys,

the market was pretty much Delhi,Nanital, Mumbai..

Taste buds woke up to the good ol' 'Bhutta'

And before we knew we were walking through clouds..!

The sun went down behind the hills,

and our hearts sank as we were home bound..

Back to Vikasnagar was still full of hope,

because the fresh air, we were sure to breathe..

When time came to go back to 'City Beautiful'

all we did was sigh...

We knew we'd miss all those wonderful moments with friends ...all our lives