Indelible Musings

Like they say, we should be grateful to every little thing in our lives. Perhaps, this is the time to be so. With three more days to usher into a new year, we all have hopes, aspirations, to-do lists, schedules, timelines and what not for the coming year. But I guess, it is also the time to sit down, and look back at the year that's about to end. That it will bring back memories- some good, some bad- there is no doubt that it will also help us shape our new year in a better way. So, while in my earlier post, I talked about how 2015 had been a challenging and adventurous year for me; in this post, I want to be grateful to the little joys that I had this year. Here's presenting to you the five most beautiful things that happened to me this year and I thank from the bottom of my heart every person who made those beautiful memories happen. 1. The year of blogadda A junior friend from college seeing my number of blog updates on a regular basis remarked, ' ladki you ar...

Not sure whether all of you have read my first post of the year- here is what I began my blog with this 2015. Incidentally, it was written on the very first day of the new year and happened to be picked by Blogadda as their Tangy Tuesday Picks. I am glad that out of everything written in the post, I held on to one thing at least- being active on the blog. Here I stand now, with the 70th post of the year that is about to bid goodbye in three more days. Source Going by the number of blogposts being written by fellow bloggers on how the year 2015 was for them and what do they foresee for the new year, I couldn't have kept myself away from doing the same. As I write this post, I am not even sure how to comment about this year. From what I can see, when I look back, is that the year has been challenging in its own way. It has given me several signs which I overlooked or may be refused to accept. And, it is only now that I realise had I understood those signs well earlier, I wou...

I want to close my eyes and slip into a world of my own, where there'd be no war of words, no ego clashes or street fights no hurry to finish tasks no one to bother with a stick on the head. I want to be in a world of my own with a space only for positive thoughts with no space for lousy creatures and selfish souls a world that'd thrive on love, care, and human touch where there'd be no mobile phones or social network. I am looking for that world wherein I would be myself than pretend I would laugh till my stomach hurt I would love with all my heart n soul I would not be in my dreams but seep in the reality. Like what you read here? Do LIKE my FACEBOOK page to stay updated on the latest posts from Indelible Musings...

What is love? A silent way to silence your inner self A turbulence in your peaceful mind A crack that's tough to mend An affair that leaves you sleepless A rose that pretends to have fragrance A flower that dries up before it blossoms An ache that's too painful to undergo medication A blind passion that turns you deaf and dumb Love is nothing but a mere infatuation Too hard to ignore, harder to hold on to Love is a feeling that disappears as suddenly as it had appeared Like a gas balloon left loose Love is meant to be a passionate endeavor An enchanting experience in the mundane lives It is nothing but a glass that cracks in one touch a thorn that pricks deep inside a fire that burns you down never to revive a void that you cannot avoid a memory that's etched too deep a lesson that life reminds you every single day that you lead...

Source The night that was so wintry The cold breeze brushed aside my hair I looked around and saw a few Comforting each other With an embrace that I longed for Then and there from you From your body, your warmth I tried embracing myself alone Tears welled up in my eyes Noticing a bystander staring at me I pretended to feel cold The bystander smiled as if He understood what I faked Putting his palm out in the cold air He turned around, and walked Taking out his white walking stick A woman walked past and held his hand I stood their watching as the two Embraced in the comfort of that night I stood their watching as the two Disappeared into the dark wintry night.

Darkness, you're amazing You let people do Whatever they want Whatever they couldn't In the presence of light.. You let them cry and whine You let them love and moan You let them argue and abuse You let them hurt and scream You let them shy and meek... You fill the void in them You let them be themselves It's in your shadows They find their real selves And, hence draw the curtains As light makes way for itself.

The poem was written sometime back on my Facebook Page What's on your mind? Facebook asks, Does it really matter to you? For all that you can do Is get me mere likes and comments But can you fetch me What I have been longing for? A tranquil mind A serene nature Some love, some peace No anger, no frustration A pinch of happiness Loaded with affection Little more than a hug Little less than suffocation Just the thought of being loved Nothing but just plain love Nothing but just being me Nothing but just me.

It's been more than two months since I visited my blog. Not that I did not have anything to write. Just that it was that lazy moment that stuck on to me for too long. I however, penned down a few lines on my Facebook page. I shall be sharing them here too in the subsequent blog posts. Today, I had almost made plans of getting down to write in a notebook with a pencil, just to ensure that those lines make way to my blog post soon. But I couldn't resist the temptation of typing on my laptop after ages. Strange as it may sound, for the past couple of months, I had been posting my blogs mainly through the laptops I got for official purpose. I don't know where this post will head towards the end, but I assure you it will give you a heads up about where I had disappeared with my blog for this long. In the two months that I was away from the blog, I went through a turmoil in my mind and heart. I was taken aback by my pessimism, my unwillingness to accept things how they are; ...

I know it's been long since I wrote something in the #ChennaiThroughMyEyes series. My plans of making it a weekly series have definitely gone for a toss. But I am glad that I am back with something to share with all of you once more. In this post, I shall tell you about the bond that I have developed with a few online friends who have become an integral part of my offline world. Though there are many such friends I have made living in Chennai for the past four and a half years, these few recent additions seem like those long lost friends, whom I discovered thanks to Facebook. It is not just the friendship that I feel good about. It is the strength that I gather when I speak to them, mostly online, because of our busy schedules. How we connected We all share a different sort of camaraderie. None of us know each other for more than a few months, but the way we met and interacted seems like an eternity. It was one underline thing that connected all of us- Food. Part of a social m...

Source A friend remarked one day, as I told him about my ordeal at work, "You haven't really witnessed office politics. What you said about your earlier stints, is not politics at all. Office politics is worse than that. I have seen it. It can push you to quit the organization. That's the real office politics." I didn't know how to react to that remark. I barely nodded. A new genre of politics Office politics is the new-age "political news" that you get to hear on a daily basis if you are working. And, if you aren't working, then you'll get to hear it from the never-ending sob stories that your friends would have to share about their office. Work culture, work ethics, relationship management, human resource management etc are the new buzzwords. In the garb of these new buzzwords, what you get is ample amount of dirt thrown at you from various ends- top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right and vice versa. You never run out of ...

As promised in my earlier post, 2 Nights, 3 Days Trip to Ilha Da Calma- Diu , here I am with a new post on how we traveled to and within Diu. This would not really be a very long post. I will keep it short and simple for all purpose. How I traveled to Diu and back 1) Chennai to Diu - By Flight  There are no direct flights to Diu. They will all take you via either Mumbai or Ahmedabad. Since I was meeting my friends in Mumbai, I took a flight to Mumbai and then we all boarded the same flight from Mumbai to Diu. There is also another catch in this. If you book separate tickets, you may get the tickets at a cheaper price than if booked together. 2) Diu to Chennai via Ahmedabad There are flights via Mumbai ONLY when returning from Diu. We got to know of this when we were there. Thankfully, we had our bus tickets reserved well in advance. All the private as well as state run government buses ply post 7pm onwards from the Jethibai Bus Terminus in Diu towards Ahmedabad. You will...

Anyone would identify with the above video. It has been all over the TV since quite some time. Diu Tourism does try and make an impact on the tourists. When you watch the video, you are transported to a different land altogether. In fact, the first time, I ever saw it, I too wondered where this place was until the ad ended with Diu Tourism. I was mesmerised. I wanted to go right away to that place to feel the 'calm' that the video boasts of. But it seemed like a far fetched dream. Then, one day, a whatsapp from my friend asking if I would be interested in accompanying her to Diu, piqued my interest back to where I had left it before. However, I wasn't sure. The thought of leaving my child behind was a little too unnerving. But my husband supported me a lot to go on this 'break'. There was a deal though that I would have to grant him a break too like that. I happily agreed to the deal. :-) After a few talks over whatsapp and email, I booked my tickets to ...

I have so many things to update you all about. Where should I begin from? Let me first say that yes, I had been extremely occupied with something or the other. There were times when I would open the "new post" section of the blog, stare at it for hours, switch tabs to Facebook and then eventually close the blog. But today, I decided I had to post. So, here I am with a few updates. First things first, the biggest news of this month is that I, yours truly, is now a published author :-) Those of you who have frequented my LinkedIn and Facebook profile, would know by now. But for those of you, who read my blogs, this update had to be made. Pardon me, for keeping it short and simple in one post itself. Interested in knowing some details? So here it is. I and a bunch of seven other talented bloggers from across the country were part of BlogAdda's Celebrate Blogging initiative. We took part in one of the events of that initiative- Game of Blogs. Our team was amongst the top ...

Hi Friends, This is the fifth poem in the series Poetry Trails. Hope you'll like reading it. This would also be the last poem in this series. The poems shall come back soon again. :-) Source In the contours of my heart You lie like a king I yearn for your presence  In the world around I stretch my arms around To hold you in embrace You seem running away  From the mere stretch of my arms I haven't even said that  I want to take you with me I hoped that you'd do that for me But, as I stand here miles away I see you hold her hand and run away You giggle as she teases you  You hold her tight as if to never let go She tries to move away but you pull her closer Oblivious of my presence miles away You make love to her in the lap of nature I stand there with my heart broken I turn away unable to see your passionate love I wonder what did I do to deserve such hapless love.. Poetry Trails #1 | #2 | #3 | #4

Hi Friends,  This is the fourth poem in the series- Poetry Trails. This post was initially supposed to be posted on my friend's blog. But due to urgent circumstances, she hasn't been able to do it. From hereon, the Poetry Trails will be published on Indelible Musings. Once my friend is a little less occupied from her paper works and studies, we shall continue altering between her and my blog. Till then, Happy Reading!  Source It has all been so hard till now, Hard as a rock, tough to break, I try to move away from the hard life But the life that I thought as hard rock is actually like a magnetic pull That's pulling me close to itself, That doesn't let me realise my true potential, Or actually it does,  But I choose to ignore, I choose to see that any rock as big as it may be as hard as it may be is susceptible to pressure So, I just need to push, Push as high and deep  as I can, So that the rock breaks into pieces...

Hi Friends, This is the third poem in the series- Poetry Trails- that's started by me and another friend. The link to the previous two poems have been given at the end of the post. Hope you like this too. Happy Reading! Source We fell out of love  There was nothing we could do We tried, we discussed, we met Yet we couldn't rekindle the romance What was missing? We did not know  Was it the love? Or the embrace?  Was it us sitting side by side or lying next to each other?  Was it looking eye to eye or holding hands tight?  Was it what we call ‘few minutes of bliss’  or the pursuit for an effortless connect? There was something missing. Sometimes it was you,  And other times, it was me we were always missing,  from each other’s lives and hence we were missing the life  that delightfully happened around us I longed for a long night talk,  You took too long to melt the rock,  You though...

I grew up in a nuclear family. Though my grandparents and other relatives lived in the same city, we met on festivals or occasions. I always detested the fact that my maternal grandparents would never visit for a long duration until I would threaten them in my childlike tone. A little similar yet different was the situation for my paternal grandmother. She wanted to come and spend time with us but couldn't do so as I had an aunt (differently-abled) who preferred staying at our uncle's home (where she was born) and considered that her home ONLY. I miss my grandparents a lot. While my paternal grandparents and the aunt are in heavenly abode, my maternal grandparents are too old to travel down to Chennai. I wish I can bring them here at least once. As I see the two grandmothers walking through my the neighbourhood, I am reminded of several such circumstances wherein, the joys of being with grandparents could have been realised by me. I befriended the two grandmother one fine ev...

Source When things look bleak Take a deep breath Hold your head high Aim to see the sky To see it like never before To see it like the universe is all about you See the good, the high, the bad, the fall But, burn the fall and rise from the ashes Like a phoenix Aim to make it work like never before Imagine your dreams take a real shape A shape that you desire not how others want it to be Dream, create, produce Let your thoughts become things...

I have always been a morning person. Until I took the journalism path. Getting up early morning had become a passe because late nights had become the norm. Now that am out of that journalism mode, and back somewhere close to getting up early mornings, I cannot stop admiring what an early rise from the bed brings with it for the day. I would prefer observing the early morning by taking a walk around where I stay. However, I end up marveling at the surroundings from my kitchen window that overlooks a recently constructed and occupied multi-storey apartment, the series of other flats in my own locality, a portion of the main road, and on the other side of the road, the various tech parks. There is nothing amusing about these non-living things. But there is definitely something fascinating about standing in front of the gas stove, brewing your tea and gazing out of the window. Gazing at the morning walkers, who without fail walk, jog, run everyday, as I still stand there either brewin...

Hi Friends, A dear friend of mine had posted the following lines (in italics) on her Facebook status. She loves to write, and more so when it's poetry. There was something that made me write further down those lines. The result- the following poem as you can see. Thus, we both decided that we would blog together about love and positivity on her blog like this. We are calling it "Poetry Trails" wherein, either of us will begin and continue from there on. Hope all of you will like our small gesture in spreading happiness around. By the way, that dear friend of mine is also a brilliant blogger, and you can read her blogs here- "Pretty Mornings" I look at the stars,  and they look back at me.  We do the same thing every night.  There is something about being silent, and looking at each other, They don’t judge, I don’t question them for  being too bright or too dull either,  The silence between us is comforting They let me ponder and think ov...

In this stunning novel, Paulo Coelho, dramatises the struggle within every soul between light and darkness, and its relevance to our everyday struggles. Can we dare to follow our dreams, to have the courage to be different and to master the fear that prevents us from truly living? The Devil and Miss Prym is a story charged with emotion, in which the integrity of being human meets a terrifying test.  I finished reading this book in a day. The line in the blurb of the book- "C an we dare to follow our dreams, to have the courage to be different and to master the fear that prevents us from truly living?"- caught my attention at the outset. It was more a sense of Deja Vu that   made me read the book. I have read Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' long back and hence, getting back to some book reading with him was definitely a good idea. Some books do not need reviews, instead, you get to learn or takeaway  so many realisations that you tend to relate to them more of...

Holding hands, Walking side by side, They strolled on the path That led nowhere. Clutching the hands tight, Shoulders touching, Her laughter could be heard Here, there, everywhere. They walked and talked, Their bodies swayed To the rhythm of waves Oblivious of the worldly space. She smiled with her head tilted on his shoulders He held her firmly His arms spoke of his support. Looking into each other's eyes They embraced in nature's lap Oblivious of the worldly space Their love blossomed.

She was lying on the bed with her baby curled beside her. As the baby breastfed, her line of  thoughts waved from one thing to other. "Why are things like this?" "Am I really becoming an atheist?" "Will praying to God really solve my problem?"- her trail of thoughts broke as her child detached himself from her feed and slept off peacefully. She slowly tucked herself out of the bed and walked towards the hall.  Standing in front of the door that opened to the temple room in her house, she pondered whether to open or not. It had been months since she opened that door, lit a dia or agarbatti. Finally, she opened the door after much hesitation initially. She sat down to clean the floor that was filled with cobwebs and dirt, and the dried leaves of the flower that was last kept for performing the morning rituals. Having cleaned the floor and the shelf on which were kept frames of not one but several gods and godesses, she sat down with her hands perched togeth...

What is that heavy feeling in the heart? Have you felt that before? Have you noticed when it happens? Any particular time of the day, or any anxious moment, or just all through the day you feel your heart is heavy with a feeling that just refuses to come out. What do you do in such a circumstance? Do you pour your heart out to someone? Or do you tuck that feeling in your heart and go to bed with eyes wet? Or do you keep it within yourself till the time it just explodes and there is no way you can hold them back? Do you feel the weight of that feeling in your heart, now that you are reading this post? You do. Even if you don't, you would soon after. My question or rather my point is, why does the heart feel so heavy at times? No, this is no love game. But a game bigger than you can probably imagine or you would want to imagine. It is not just always about love, breakups, lost friendships. Our heart bleeds for more reasons than one. It can be your failure to convey your feelings o...

Hard to believe that you're no longer with us, Sir Harder to soak in Source that you shall never return, Your thoughts, your words, your dedication, Shall always be etched in our hearts forever. You are a motivation, to the millions who dream to be; You are an inspiration for the billions who strive to be; You were, you are, you shall always be remembered as a gem of a person. You might have left for the heavenly abode, But your views, your ideas are still with us; The knowledge that you imparted to us through your actions and words have left an indelible mark on us. As a nation, a mere Thank You shall not serve the purpose, We shall promise to make this country, your India, Our India, a country for all; a country that you dreamed of. Read some inspiring quotes by APJ Abdul Kalam- HERE

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, when the urge to cook just fades away, I ended up scouting through Zomato's Delivery options in and around OMR, Chennai. After spending almost half an hour looking through menus of respective restaurants, their locations and home delivery options, I zeroed down on Velachery because that was only the area that had some decent restaurants, with a good menu overall in the offing. I was confused between two restaurants- Rock and Bhatinda Xpress- and finally, after consultation with a fellow foodie, living in Velachery and having tried almost all the restaurants in the area, I decided to order from Bhatinda Xpress. Bhatinda Xpress claims to serve authentic Punjabi dishes. Scanning through their menu was in itself quite a task and made me hungrier as I kept going from one page to other figuring out what to order. My fellow foodie and friend had provided me the phone number of the Restaurant owner. The owner was extremely polite and courteous in taking the ...