Missings...

Is happening for -

1. School. I miss wearing a uniform. Carrying a bag with books. Having homework. Annual days and talent shows. Canteen visits. Being a prefect. Tying pigtails. Summer vacations. Birthday parties. Return gifts. I miss being a kid. Worry - less !
2. Banana Split sessions. Walking all around the city and finally sharing the sundae. Anytime and anywhere.
3. Shawarmas. The succulent meat with the best garlic paste ever. The family dinners of falafel, shawarmas and pickles.
4. Laban. Nothing in this world can come close to how important a position it has had in my life.
5. 15th Floor. 1501.
6. Karama Center. LuLu Supermarket. Sunrise Supermarket.
7. The days when mobile phones didn't control our existence.
8. Gujarati Love. Gujju food. Baroda. Old friends !
9. Superman and the Foosa. It was a happy time.
10. Living with the girls in a mad house that always had something going on. Day and night. Sharing clothes and footwear. Commercial street visits. Trips. Crying and laughing and cursing.
11. Watchman uncle and Vijayamma. Integral part of my college life.
12. Playing X Files X Files and Teacher Teacher.
13. Bike rides to unknown destinations.
14. Muscat. The beautiful beaches. Mountains. The fights and sleepovers with Sycosis. I want it back !
15. Getting up 10 minutes before a class and then having an egg puff or samosa for breakfast.
16. Popsies and Kairali and Lecafe lunches.
17. Waiting at the island for "hours" till they decided to come off.
18. Fighting with the crazy Shur about anything and everything. Refusing to forgive him. Giving him long lectures. Sending and receiving silly/crazy messages especially "k". Finally, just being apart !
19. Kiki's gallery. Birthday surprises and secret meetings.
20. Celebrating the 13th of every month. Eating. Always.
21. Late night conference calls.
22. Ladies night at The Beach.
23. Planning for a Goa trip.
24. The days when we didn't need Facebook to keep in touch and stalk. All it took was a missed call !
25. Miss ice rink madness.
26. Swimming and staying back for the practices !Squash after school.
27. Noise - free traffic situations.
28. Being able to get into size "s" or "m" t - shirts. Without feeling yuckie.
29. Hum Paanch, Banegi apni baat, Happy days, Small Wonder, MASH, ER, Hip Hip Hurray.
30. Noida house. Atta Market. CP. Dilli Haat. GK.
31. PJ sleepover parties !
32. Daddy
33. The time when there was no confusion. Life was simpler. Uncomplicated. So much thinking didn't have to be done. The time when I didn't know how to analyze and dissect !

*Sigh*

Sisters for the Soul !

Someone is holding my hair back. The other is wiping my tears. Another is just laughing. For a second, while I was trying not to faint due to the exhaustion of emptying my insides, I'm grateful - for that I have them in my life !

My Girlfriends.

Whether it's sharing of clothes, footwear, food, money, accessories, stories, gossip; nothing beats the relationship and bond between a set of girls. Every time a memory surfaces - the first day at school/college, first boyfriend/fling, first kiss, first heartbreak, first graduation, first success story, first failure, first accident, first night out - what stands out is the umpteen conversations over the phone, through smses, skype, gtalk, BBM, coffee, ice cream, teas; dissecting every word, every expression. These conversations can never be had with a man ! It is about understanding another woman's perspective and knowing that she probably gets what you're saying - sometimes ending in being over concerned for you.

It's a standing joke amongst men - women like to visit the washroom in groups ! At the table - a woman will look across to another woman and ask "You wanna go to the loo?"; Men marvel at how this works especially if two women have just met each other half an hour ago ! It intrigues most men to know what goes on during hours long conversations over the telephone across seas, at shopping spree sessions, washroom encounters, etc !

Women love to chat. Talk. Converse and yes ofcourse Gossip. I call these - story telling sessions. We need to talk. About everything. News about who got married to whom and how. The latest store openings. The latest good looking boy in our lives. The latest break up. The latest mad mental mistakes we are so prone to making all the time. We need to talk about our families, homes, relationships, work, and our angst. We need to vent. One can feel fully and truly staisfied when we know that other woman gets that we are talking about and feeling the same way.

I have very few girlfriends; all over the place. Just enough. I am joined to them by a thread and bond that goes beyond geographical boundaries. We probably don't talk everyday or for weeks and months together - yet we can meet one fine day and begin from where we last left each other. I may not be part of a BBM group chat but I can still send a wall post if I get a craving for chicken ghee roast and know that she wishes she was here. One may not be able to talk to me for days despite being in the same city - yet I know that she worries for me. Trips for weddings and surprise birthday parties will be made. Finally save money and go to Greece as well. We hold each other when we cry over a loss. We laugh at each other's stupidity. We have fought and learnt to let go. We have forgiven and moved on. We have pictures to remind us of how awesome our lives have been because of this sisterhood.

We have codes too !

We will have bridesmaids. We will hold each other's hands during pain because of a tattoo or child birth. We make it a point to not judge. But, to be there in that quiet, strong way !

My girl ponjees are a different dimension to my crazy life. They are the calming and mad aspect of my existence. Our experiences to together, words, advice, hugs helps us sleep better at night.

They are a part of me. They have contributed and continue to contribute in every way possible to make me - Me !

Two and a Half Months of...

I thought to myself - why not go away. Like literally just go ! It's possible, it happens all the time. Why ? Because I wanted to be. Really be.

Asked many people to help. They wondered. I had my reasons. Finally I'm told that it's Gurgaon. I'm elated - Family and Friend(s). Also, new city, new town, different culture, lot's to learn and finally going to be a part of the crazy work world.

Went. Felt good. Felt different.

B and I have grown up together. We have been friends from the time we learnt Arabic to swimming to going out alone without an adult to talking to boys ! We hadn't seen each other in 9 years until October 2009. I'm glad I made that trip. It showed and proved that distance makes the heart grow fonder ;-) and that some things never change. We hadn't changed. We probably are wiser but really not grown up ! We giggled and laughed. We caught up on all that we had missed. Hence, my obvious choice for a home would have been with her and her wonderful family. The bangu is crazy but sooper adorable. The lil sister worries me because she has grown up and is getting all responsible. The mother; well is like any other mother - loving, caring and a great cook. The papa is uber cool and sooper funny plus we had our IPL moments.

Would go to work in a cycle rickshaw through the dusty and not so nice roads with the mean honkers carrying dabba of lunch. Wondered what would it be like to be "corporatized". Sitting at a desk and having one's own computer. Office gossip. Tea and lunch breaks. Long meetings. Conference calls. Projects and deadlines. Bosses - ugh ! Well, it was a wonderful experience. Made some amazing friends. Learnt a lot. Not everything in this world is fair. Had to face the wrath of a very moody and conceited lady heading the team. Food sharing sessions I will miss. Wearing smart formal attire and having one's own landline with my name blinking on the screen - I will miss.

It was supposed to be the "being" time as I said earlier. But as luck may have it - B school friends dropped by; not just for a holiday but to work as well. This meant trips to the city. To drink and make merry. To dhabas and drives. House parties had awesome food, great rounds and our fav youtube videos. Never slept until next day morning but not before a thela gaadi chai outing.

We took gastronomical journeys mostly at Khan Market - the shawarmas, Mississippi mud pie, kakori kebabs and De Paul's. Nizam's at CP and for the benefit of a nice tall Punjabi even Saravana Bhawan. The Andhra Bhawan meal made me feel at home - being surrounded by many fellow South Indians and eating with hands :)

Made new friends and strengthened some old relationships. Befriended a half n half South Indian, fellow Konkani Brahmin, a pretty smart Kashmiri environmentalist and a very responsible Bengali (who complained about us spoiling him).

Shopped at Janpath and Dilli haat - slippers and bangles. New wallet too. Galleria visits - hazelnut chocolate shakes and Momos; Sakley's and Crazy Noodle house. TGIF and of course Rockman's. The MDI succulent chicken rolls - cravings will happen soon !

We always managed to end up at places where the service charges were so high, but we were too gone to realize then and felt the pinch only the next morning - took bills and made accounts. Watched the finals and discovered a very potent drink. Traveled in a car with leather seats and it roared, in a car with no headlights but cracks on the windshield, in the ever awesome Santro.

A car broke down mid way but yet we managed to have fun with Mc Donald's picnic and Cleo. There was an argument but all was forgotten as Gandalf refused to notice the seriousness of the situation. There was finally a trip to the Qutub Minar and movies - Alice in Wonderland and Shrek III.

There were conversations, discussions, laughter, bitchy sessions, flowers, heart melting happiness, music and sigh - ness. Always.

Stayed with family. Never imagined I would have so much fun with Ying and Yang. Loved the room and the big big bed with many pillows. Loved the pampering of SK. Loved the cooking sessions and the amazing evenings at the Balcony. Made so much fun of people we knew and didn't know. Discovered that I make awesome LIITs and good Kamakazee shots. Got introduced to a different music culture and understood to a very large extent what LIFE is all about. Took a trip to the hills and wished I never had to return.

This was supposed to be an uneventful time away from home. But so much happened and will continue to happen that it's hard to imagine what I could have wanted otherwise.

More memories will be made to keep us warm. More trips will be made to make new friends and strengthen old ties. Happy hours will continue to happen.

For as long as we live - fun shall never end.

I'm glad to be home. To be in my comfort zone. I now say that - You will be missed. Terribly. Thank you Delhi and Gurgaon. I will be back !