Naani maa

It has been quiet some time since i penned down my accumulated thoughts and it's time to vent out! So...here I was, all busy with my work, and i suddenly found myself addicted to this song "Meri Kahani" from "Atif Aslam". This song has not only been sung well but also has great lyrics too.

tera mera galyoon main yun phirna
phirte phirte raat ko yun thakna
thak ke nani ki godi main sona
paryoon k des ja ke na aana

"thak ke naani ko godi mein sona" - this line brought innumerable memories of my time with my naani. My childhood has been pretty plain and uneventful but is filled with some very good times with my naani. We had a ritual of visiting her every Saturday and the entire "jing bang" would go to her place and have a ball. I have seen her from walking around a huge house, to going slow with a walking stick until she got bed ridden. Rashida, Mariya, Maryam and myself used to spend most of our summer vacations there. Nanni's place was huge, with just 2 rooms separated by a long walk way where we could play cricket if needed. It was the best place to play Hop n catch, skipping race, kho-kho, hide n seek, blind man's buff and what not! During festive season, the entire family would gather and jabber and bring the roof down. Man it was the most happening destination in town!

(That's all the cousins @ Naani's place on Eid!)

I still remember the last smile on my Granny's face, when she looked at me and said "Sakina tujhe dekh mujhe aata hain paseena" - her favorite dialogue to me! She slept that night and never woke up. She slept peacefully with a smile on her face and free from this world. I still go to meet her at the Cemetery and whisper into her ears "miss u naani"

I really do!

Tagged!

I got tagged!

Thumb Rule: this is going to make answering this interesting.. each questions is to be answered by quoting a song.. or any verse from a song as reply to the questions..
P.S. - at the end of the verse please give info abt the song.. (err.. not lot of ppl recognize lyrics)

OK here's mine

1) If someone says “are u ok with this?” You say?
jo tumko ho pasand wo hi baat kahenge
dete na aap sath to mar jaat hum kabhi ke
dete na aap sath to mar jaat hum kabhi ke
pure hue hai aapse armaan zindagi ke
hum zindagi ko aapki hum zindagi ko aapki
hum zindagi ko aapki sogaat kahenge
tum din ko agar raat kaho raat kahenge
jo tumko ho pasand wo hi baat kahenge

-Safar

2) What would best describe your personality?
Koi hero yahan koi zero yahan
Koi star hai koi bekaar hai
Koi hero yahan koi zero yahan
Koi star hai koi bekaar hai
Main kaun hoon tumse main kya kahoon
Hai sach to ye doston
I am the best I am the best I am the best

-Phir bhi dil hain hindustani

3) What do you like in a guy/girl?
Ye kaali kaali aakhen
ye gore gore gaal
ye teekhi teekhi nazren
ye hirni jaisi chaal

-Baazigar

4) How do you feel today?
ab ke saawan, aise barse…
behe jaaye rang, meri chunar se…
bheege tann mann, jiya na tarse…
jamke barse zara…

rut saawan ki…
ghataa saawan ki…
ghataa saawan ki, aise jam ke barse - Shubha Mudgal

5) What is your life’s purpose?
Jo Bhi Chaahoon Vo Main Paoon
Zindagi Mein Jeet Jaoon
Chaand Taare Tod Laoon
Saari Duniya Par Main Chhaoon
Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai
Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai

6) What is your motto?
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive
-Bon Jovi

7) What do your friends think of you?
Rangeeli ho, sajeeli ho - 2
Tu albeli o - 2
Main albeli,
ghoomoon akeli,
koi paheli hoon main
Ho, main albeli,
ghoomoon akeli,
koi paheli hoon main
Pagli hawaaye mujhe jaha bhi le jaaye
In hawaaon ki saheli hoon main

Tu hai rangeeli, ho
Tu hai sajeeli, ho

-Zubeida

8) What do you think of your parents?
Tu Jo Hai To Sab Kuch Hai Na Koi Kami Hai
Tu Hi Dil Hai Tu Hi Jaan Bhi Hai
Tu Khushi Hai Aasra Bhi Hai
Teri Chaahat Zindagi Hai
Tu Mohabbat Tu Aashiqui Hai Tu Aashiqui Hai
-Jhankar Beats

9) What do you think about very often?
Aankhon mein ankhne teri
Bahoon mein baahein teri
Mera na mujhe mein kuch raha hua kya
Baaton mein baatein teri
Raatein saugatein teri
Kyun tera sab yeh ho gaya
hua kya
Mein kahin bhi jata hoon
Tumse hi mil jata hoon
Tumse hi tumse hi
-Jab we met

10) What do you think of your best friend?
Tum mile
dil khile
aur jeene ko kya chahiye
- Criminal

11) What do you think of the person you like?
koi jo mila tho mujhe aisa lagtha tha jaise meri sari duniya mein
geethon ki ruth aur rangonki barkha hai khushbu ki andhi hai
mahki hui si ab sari fizaenhai bahki hui si ab sari havaen hai
khooi hui si ab sari dishaen hai badli hui si ab sari adaen hai
jaagi umange hai, dhadak raha hai dil sason mein thoofan hai
-Breathless by Shankar Mahadevan

12) How did you feel after passing out of college?
So gaya yeh jahan, so gaya aasma)
So gayi hai saari manzile, O saari manzile,
So gaya hai rasta,
-Tezaab

13) What will you dance to at your wedding?
sajnaa ji vaari vaari jaanu ji mein - 2
tu hi to mera sansaar hai aisa mera pyaar hai - 2
charno mein jo na jagah paanu ji mein 2
to mera jeena hi bekaar hai aisa mera pyaar hai -2
mera maan hai tu abhimaan hai tu
meri pooja hai tu mera dhyaan hai tu
tu devata mein pujaaran
sanjnaa tujpe mein arpaan
tere gungaan hi to gaanu ji mein oh tere gungaan hi to gaanu
tu hi to mera sansaar hai aisa mera pyaar hai - 2
-Honeymoon travels pvt ltd

14) What will they play at your funeral?
Gham ka baadal jo chhaaye to hum muskuraate rahe - 2
Apni aankhon mein aashaaon ke deep jalaate rahe
Aaj bigde to kal phir bane
Aaj roothe to kal phir mane
Waqt bhi jaise ek meet hai
Zindagi ki yehi reet hai - 2
Haar ke baaz hi jeet hai
Thode aansu hai, thodi hasi
Aaj gham hai to kal hai khushi
-Mr.India

15) Your life story?
We were strangers starting out on our journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected what you did to my heart
When I lost hope you were there to remind me
This is the start

-Anastacia

16) What is your hobby/interest?
Mera Jhumka Utha Ke Laaya Re Yaar Ve, Jo Gira Tha Bareli Ke Bazaar Me
Main To Thumka Lagaake Sharma Gayi
Boli Ghoongar Bandha Denge Mein Aa Gayi
Mujhko Nachaake Nachle, Aaja Nachle Nachle Mere Yaar Tu Nachle
Jhanak Jhanak Jhankaar
O Nachle Nachle Mere Yaar Tu Nachle, Abb To Luta Hai Baazar
Sabko Bhulaake Nachle, Aaja Nachle Nachle Mere Yaar Tu Nachle
Jhanak Jhanak Jhankaar
O Nachle Nachle Mere Yaar Tu Nachle, Abb To Luta Hai Baazar

-Aaja Nachle

Now tagging Maria, Vishnu, Vikram, bajji :)

Optional Holiday

In the corporate world, an "Optional Holiday" is an OPTION to take a Holiday on an already declared Government holiday! Funny to know that an already declared holiday was made optional and even funnier I didn't take the option to Holiday!

In my world, an "Optional Holiday" is all of the following:
Less noise, less work
Cleaner toilets, cleaner roads.
Less waiting time in TT room, more usage of internet.
Music volumes high, working speed low.
Long breaks, more breaks.
More facebook, less outlook.
Less of monitor, more of mobile.

How is it in your world???

Taxed?..No more!

I successfully filed my taxes for last year, last week! Yes! I am late. The last date was July 31st ( I Think). But hey, better late than never. The reason its important to mention about my taxes is that I have had the simplest filing ever! You know why? Guess guess guess...Cos, I paid taxes for what money I earned! No investments, no policies, no rents, no medical insurance. Just plain "Gross Salary", "Tax to be paid" and "Tax paid"! - Have you ever seen such a simple tax statement? I bet NO! And I am totally proud about it!!!

Yeah yeah yeah, I can see some of you reacting. Sak! what the hell, why haven't you saved any taxes? tere paas bahut paise hain kya daan mein dene ke liye? kuch toh document dikhana tha, itna sara paise waste kiya?

Unfortunately, I don't think that way. I have no regrets of paying 30% of that pay cheque I earned. If I deserved a hike in my pay, so did the country! I have no right to crib about bad roads, dirty colonies, poverty, bad infrastructure if I don't do the basics! The government won't help you if you don't help them help you! Simple..

I totally pity my friends who run around (esp. in the month of March) trying to get the cheapest investments and best policies in town which would get them the highest savings on tax! I also know friends who have a home loan on their own house, and then stay in a rented house to get the benefits of both! I have nothing against investing for securing your old age or for securing your kid's future. But investments sold and bought in the name of saving tax totally irritate me!

IMPORTANT: I don't expect you to agree with my thinking, and I respect your way of handling your finances. This space is mine and is purely used for venting out my thoughts.

Signing off, proudly!

Why?

Why do we talk about global warming and do not stop cutting trees?
Why do we subscribe to e-statements and then print them and file it for "reference"?
Why being an adult is to stop being a kid?
Why do we measure the wealth of a person by his bank balance but not his values?
Why we are not lazy to watch TV all weekend but lazy to call an old friend?
Why we spend more on investments to save less than that in taxes?
Why do we look for great cameras in a cellphone?
Why do we go abroad to get laid off?
Why do we cut down on food, when it comes to cutting down fat?!

Why am I writing this??!!? :S

Hetic-ism

Just when I thought that the series of busy weeks and weekends will come to an end, I discovered that the "thought" was a myth! Past 2 weeks has been far too hectic than I could have imagined and when I look back, I am surprised that I survived it! Here is a glimpse of it..

- July 20-24 - Work-Work-Work, test-test-test, bugs-bugs-bugs, meeting-meeting-meeting
- July 25 and 26th - work @ home and work from home
- July 27th - Appointed as the Official driver for the coming week and made three visits to airport in 4 days.
- July 27th - Found a new room mate and got used to talking in American accent :)
- July 28th and 29th - 2 day Break from work. and 2 day visit to Thirupathi, back with zillion laddoos on 28th evening.
- July 28th evening: Trip to Thiruvanmiyur beach: Sea waves and sand castles, sandy pants and sea shells!
- July 30th - Back to work, lots to do, lots to not do! Evening feast was spiced up @ Spice Jar (The Residency)
- July 31st - Bid farewell to my room mate and awaited for the original one to return.
- August 1,2,3 - 1 planned release and 2 emergency releases. Translated to 24/7 work and boredom

The rest of the days till today seem to be a little relaxed and more fun-filled. But that's not the end of the story. There is more coming up this month
- August 8,9: Trip to Kabini
- August 15,16: Trip to Bangalore
- August 20th onwards - Ramzan fasting commences
- August 31st - One more launch!!

In between all these things a whole load of pre-launches, emergency releases and TABLE TENNIS :) is planned to happen!

Phew! Ain't I busy? :)

Makeover!

It was on May 21st when my new blog had got a newer look, and i had proudly announced it on my blog post: How Does it Feel when??

After 2.5 months of the new look, it was time for a much newer look and I started hunting for new templates for my self-obsessed blog. The process of hunting took me 2 days!! (like geet says in Jab We Met "Just IMAGINE!!!"). After short listing 4 possible new looks for my blog, there was a round of voting and decision making all the 4 templates went through to see which one suits me and my blog the best! and.... WaterColor won it! This template really caught my eye and I couldn't wait to have it on my blog!

But guess what, it wasn't easy to implement. However thanks to FalconHive for providing very detailed and easy to understand instructions for applying the template and my blog got a great new look!

I simply Lowwwwe the Makeover and I hope you guys like it too!!