Exploring Andaman and Nicobar Islands!!! Part 2

Andaman is the land of golden beaches. The soft golden sand slipping beneath your feet, bright blue sky over your head and that soothing clear blue water makes you feel as if there is no other splendid sight than this. All you would want to do is just keep staring as the waves come and go. You could clearly see the seafloor as the water is so clear.

Ready for our next adventure to Havelock Islands, we took Makruzz boat from Port Blair. A word of caution for fellow travelers would be to get your tickets (to and fro) done well in advance else you will have a tough time in getting them.  With deep blue waters all over, we loved the ride to Havelock. They played an interesting documentary about the history of Andaman. There is no end to the sea, it seems calm and at peace with itself but the nature is so unpredictable, you never know when a tsunami would strike and destroy everything. It kind of reminds me the uncertainties in life. We never know what's coming for us. What once seems peaceful could be disastrous in a moment. 

As soon as we reached Havelock, we rushed to the Dive India office as we had booked scuba diving with them. We got there and I being a non-swimmer wasn't too sure but the main guy Syed assured me that I would love it. He told us about the basic signs, what to do, how to go about, and his punch line was "don't panic and keep breathing". I was excited and scared at the same time. Thankfully, some guys who had just come back from their scuba and both being non-swimmers gave me some courage and said you should definitely do it as it is worth it. We changed into wet suits and got ready for scuba. We had our training first in shallow water with 2 trainers. They helped us put on the scuba gear and equipment and we started the training. I was comfortable and for some reason the vastness of the sea around me didn't scare me, may be because I had surrendered myself to it. The color of water was aqua blue and you could clearly see the sea floor. The sea floor felt just like a wet dessert with small sand dunes all over. Havelock has like the most wonderful white sand beach I have ever seen. Those wonderful corals and colorful fishes all around us. And I also saw "Nemo" just playing around its home. A sight beautiful enough for you to feel like a kid again wondering how little we know of God's mighty creation and we are just like a little fish on the land, unaware of the secrets of the sea.

The highlight of our scuba was spotting Andaman's black-white water snake that was almost coming towards Vivek and the trainer moved the water to guide the snake away. And then the snake went between the legs of another fellow scuba enthusiast. I am sure he didn't know but this sight was splendid and scary at the same time. For that moment, my heart almost skipped a beat. Snakes I feel are the most beautiful things on earth. Their beautiful yet complex patterns, the elegance with which they move has always fascinated me. Another highlight of the scuba was me getting stung by a jellyfish. Yeah I know, “it hurts badly”. It burns and the salt water just makes it worse. Thanks to our wonderful trainer who helped me with some vinegar and I could feel the burning sensation to hold on for a while. But it troubled me for at least for the next two days. But believe me, I would still do scuba again.

The experience of scuba was awesome and I feel everyone should do it at least once in your life, especially if you are a non-swimmer. It is so much fun to let go of yourself and explore the secrets of the sea. It makes you believe in things, that there is more to life than just going to work and coming back. Once our scuba got over, I so wanted to spend a little more time. What fun! I was smiling all the way back to the Dive India office. These guys are really the best ones.

Next on our list was to go to our homestay “Barefoot”, as we reached we were literally starving. So we decided to eat first, the restaurant ambience was just phenomenal. Bamboo and timber used all over the place, just the look of it made us comfortable. We finally had some good food in Andaman. Lemon chicken with steamed rice and sautéed fish with tomato sauce and black olives for lunch and a chocolate salami for dessert which was just yummy. After this delightful lunch we decided to relax and take a nap before going to the beach and we went to our tent-cottage. It was a wonderful concept done well, beautiful with all the amenities, wonderfully designed so that you can enjoy a tent experience but at the same time it was safe from insects and any other spices that could harm you as we are in the Andamans.

One of the best beaches in A&N is the beach no.7 popularly known as Radhanagar beach. A beautiful white sand beach with a splendid view of the never ending sea. Wonderful blue sea in front of you, lush green tall trees behind you,  white sand beneath your feet and blue skies over your head..... What else could you ask for? It was definitely a priceless moment to be in such a wonderful place to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We spend almost the whole afternoon and evening at the beach, followed by a wonderful dinner at the Barefoot restraurant. What a wonderful day for our perfect day! We decided to go by the beach at night to witness it in the soft moonlight. We spoke to the manager and he suggested that we go with one of his guys for safety. As soon as we got there, what we saw was contrary to what we were expecting. The whole sight was scary with the magnanimous sea in front of you and lots of trees behind you. You feel so insignificant that everything around you feels wild and the whole sight scares you. And as we stood there in the moonlight, I was wondering how things can be beautiful and scary at the same time. It was an experience worth the effort. We could hardly stay there for some minutes and we decided to go back to our cozy tent.

After a good night sleep in our wonderful cottage, we decided to catch the sunrise early morning. So we were back to the beach and the view was splendid just so fresh and ready to begin a new day. There is something about the sound of the waves coming and crashing, it has special power that soothes and calms your nerves down.

We packed our bags and left for Port Blair. It was a fun ride as we were taking a govt. ferry because Makruzz was full. As soon as we got to Port Blair we rented a bike and had a simple lunch at "Icy Spicy". Two important things about A&N is that people here are simple, polite, helpful, and can speak very good Hindi. They will ask you how the food is, if you are happy with it. And if you want to change it, they are happy to do so.

Next on our agenda was going to Mount Harriet on our rented bike. Believe me that long bike ride was splendid, just reminded me of those good old college days. No matter which mode of transport you use, I personally feel bike still seems to be the best one. We went all the way to Chatum jetty where there is a vehicle ferry that takes you to the other side and you can take your bike. We got down from the ferry and continued to go up Mount Harriet. It was a king drive up the hill but it was awesome thanks to wonderful roads in A&N. With no one around, lush green surroundings and company of some unseen beautiful birds made the bike ride splendid.

Once we got to the Mount Harriet you could see the whole A&N from up there. The landscape which you generally see at the back side of a 20 Rs.(INR) note is the same scenery over there. Colorful benches with picturesque surroundings, you just want to sit and chat. There is an interesting spot once you get to the top of Mount Harriet and that is almost an hour’s trek on the nature’s trail to “Kalapather”. Since by the time we got to Mount Harriet it was almost sunset so we were sure about the trail. But we both gathered courage and started the trail. After going on for like less than a kilometre, the visibility started getting poor and the whole trail was just surrounded by tall trees. It got a bit scary and we were not even carrying flash lights so we decided it might be a wise decision to go back.

Back to our homestay, we crashed and finally realized our wonderful journey is over. Looking forward to many more yet to come…….

Exploring Andaman & Nicobar Islands!!! Part 1

Our trip to Andaman was an experience in itself. It was a special trip for a special occasion, as we celebrated our bond of marriage. My first time to visit an island and it was a spectacular sight from up there. The striking blue water, with varying color intensities that made it look turquoise/ aqua at one point and dark blue at the other. And the island was lush green, looking at this pattern up from the plane was mind blowing. It felt as if you were looking at bacterial cell under microscope with nuclei being the island surrounding by those varying blue color water felt as the cell walls. It was just beautiful.

We went straight to our homestay from the airport in Port Blair. Surprisingly, people here speak very good Hindi. So it is very easy to move around here. Travel is mostly done by auto rickshaws or taxis, which is definitely a rip-off because the minimum amount they charge is Rs.200-300 no matter how short the distance is. My tip would be to rent a bike and it is a cheaper option. But there are no maps so you will have to rely on asking people. Thankfully, people here are simple, sweet and ready to help. A lot of people come to Port Blair for work from different places such as Bengal and Tamil Nadu, hence the main language for communication is Hindi.

Our first day at Port Blair wasn't as good as we expected. But it was a different experience for sure. We went to the New Light House for lunch and ordered a crab which was kind of a Chinese batter fry (completely killed the subtle and sweet taste of crab) and we were like what happened! For main course, we ordered a coconut milk based fish curry which was very southern and yummy to have with steamed rice. I feel the food here is extra salty and almost everything is fried. It could be due to the mixed southern and Bengali influence, and the food reflects it very well. After lunch, we decided to go to Corbyn’s Cove Beach and do some water sports. I started with the JetSki, it’s hard to describe those feelings as I could feel the power of harsh water beneath me. It was crazy and I could feel the adrenaline rush in my nerves. But I loved it, I guess it’s the power with a slight hint of danger that gives us that pleasure. We also did a speed boat ride to the snake island that was home for some dangerous species which got destroyed after Tsumani. We could see the sunset from out boat and a couple of other surrounding islands. We sat at the beach sipping some tea and enjoying the quite evening, followed by a wonderful candle lit dinner at SeaShells restaurant.

It is just 9 pm and it feels like it 12 am, we went to bed early and were looking forward to our next day. I got up and felt the sun was very strong but when I checked the time it was just 5 am and I was like what!!! We had a wonderful English breakfast at the home stay that was simple and yummy. A masala omlette with a yummy hot chocolate pancake was just what I was looking for on my holiday. Our plan for the day was to go to Ross Island and then see the sunset at Chidya Tapu.

Ross Island We started for Ross Island by taking a speed boat from the water sports complex. It is just a 15-20 min. journey to the island but the vastness of the sea is beautiful. I was happy, satisfied and scared at the same time. As we approached Ross Island, it looked like a perfect contrast of colors. The deep blue water, lush green coconut trees and the light blue sky as the background painted a beautiful picture for travelers. We got our tickets and got into the island. A small island with a history of its own. We saw some animals roaming freely, I guess they are used to people and believe me they would not mind posing for you. There are some old distillery containers, old structural buildings that are held by just some branches. That sight is really something, all the structures were protected during Tsunami by these branches that held on to the bricks tightly. These branches have stood the test of time and Tsunami. It looks spooky but I loved the way those branches held on to those lifeless walls may be for support initially but now they look inseparable, as if they were meant to be together.

Chidya Tapu As soon as we entered through the gates, we already knew this place is worth a visit. There are beautiful wood sofas made out of huge logs of wood...... I feel so short of words to describe their beauty. They are elegant, simple and just awesome..... I could see Vivek's eyes popping out looking at all the wonderful wood work. It's funny how we create and work hard to get glamorous lives for ourselves but all we crave for is simplicity and elegance........

The trek up the chidya tapu was fun, it was hardly 1.5km but man it was tough...... Up and up we went all surrounding by huge trees, felt as if we were playing hide and seek with the sun. The steps are all natural, just some branches here and there making a way for you, after every 0.5 km there is a wonderful wooded bench for you to take a break and a mile-log instead of a milestone which is just beautiful. I love the way this place is, just the way nature intended it to be. The over-protective trees are holding on to the land so hard as if it won't let it go, no matter how hard the water tries to take it. I guess its nature's way of protecting and preserving what it has created. Once we reached the top, the view was breathtaking...... You could see the Chidya Tapu which is the home of all the birds and the birds had started to come home in the evening. Their chirping felt so refreshing that all you wanted to do was to just keep looking at the beautiful water with varying intensities of color. We came down to witness the sunset from the beach. The calm sunset at the beach with water beneath us was splendid and being together to witness such a beautiful sight is wonderful....In Andaman, everyone inclusing the mighty sun seems to be in a hurry to say goodbye and go home.

To be continued…….

In Search of Inner Peace...... Part 2

"Mandi" as popularly know as 'choti kaashi' is just the kind of place I was looking for after being in the maddening crowd of Mumbai and Pune. A wonderful place to live, with beauty and simplicity of its own. There is something about hills that has always drawn me closer to them.I love its beauty,mystery, simplicity, and friendliness. It is definitely because I am a kashmiri, even if I haven't spend more than 10 years of my childhood there. But I love going to the hills, staying there and loving the nature and culture of the hills. I don't know what is the most beautiful attribute here, the nature, surroundings, architecture, temples, people, or food.

My trip to Mandi was the best trip I have had in a long time, travelling alone to a new place always adds to the mystery and "need to be explored' feeling. After working non-stop for a couple of years I needed a break not just from work but from my regular routine as well. I wanted to feel all my senses once again, to breathe fresh air, to eat what I haven't tasted for a while, to laugh so hard that my stomach hurts, to see something so beautiful that I am mesmerised by it, to hear the birds chirping their wonderful songs in the morning and to get in touch with myself........  To sleep as if who cares what happens tomorrow, to wake up in the morning at your own ease no time to get up and run as the day is yours so is the night. I know we are keep dreaming to do this but believe is its awesome when you actually do it.

There are so many things I  can write about -  its culture, food, nature, people, temples, rituals, beliefs and and others. And I don't know what all to include and what to exclude. The culture, beliefs, fears look the the same in all hilly areas. They are god-fearing people who believe in good as well as evil forces. These simple people believe there is a supreme power that is protecting them against the evil forces whether it's natural calamities or evil doings of human beings. I am in love with the simplicity and innocence of these people. They believe in superstitions and other related things, but not because they are ignorant. I was discussing these rituals   and their superstitions with my dad and he gave me a wonderful explanation about the same. He said "people are the way they see nature and their surroundings so people living in valleys are narrow minded because they cannot see anything beyond the mighty mountains surrounding them". So true....

Cheerful people with rosy cheeks all around, all decked up and ready to do their daily chores..... But I see no rush and no anxiety in getting their chores done. Everyone looks at ease as they chat with fellows walking or a random shopkeeper. They will just sit down for a cup of tea or  sit out in the sun enjoying the nature's warm blanket. People here are happy in small things of life, whether it's chatting with your neighbour, or going to the market and meeting a long lost friend or people enjoying the local street food. I am not a big fan of street food but when I got here and saw a group of girls giggling as they ate those yummy hot and round 'Jalebis', or 'Bun tikki' or 'Chole-kulche'. I was looking at them as it reminded me of those carefree childhood days. How relaxed and happy we were?

Women From the hills seem to be more educated and liberated than their Punjabi and Haryanavi counterparts. Women study well here and believe in working and earring their bread. Women seem to take the lead here as they are financially independent where as the women from UP, Punjab and Haryana are confined to the 4-walls of the house. You should see the confidence with which women work here, I was pretty impressed. They can be sweet, friendly, firm, cold and entrepreneurial. They have a close knit community so everyone knows everyone, they help and support each other.

Culture of a community represents the overall essence of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge. Traditional embroidery patterns here are more geometric. May be because of  the surrounding hills they see day in and day out. The colours they use are generally bright as the flowers.Unlike its neighbour "Kashmir", our embroideries are focused on the flora and fauna of Kashmir. Kashmiri embroideries are know for the flowers, chinar leaves, paisley patterns and subtle colours.

Interestingly, most of embroidery/handwork is done by 'men' in the hills because women can take care of most of the stuff outside the house. But in areas like Punjab and Haryana the men go out to work to earn their bread and women take care of the house. So most of the embroidery/handwork is done by groups of women sitting at home. It seems like what started as just beautifying their own clothes for weddings and other functions finally becoming a trademark of Punjabi households popularly know as 'phulkaris'.

It was freezing cold in Mandi and all the snowfall added to my worst nightmares. I was so close to freezing to death, thank god I could use some warm clothes. I would pray for the sun to come out the next day so that at least the days are warm....... One thing worth mentioning is that people here use technology to check the weather and then plan their days accordingly. I did the same, sunny meaning going out for a trek or a long walk and rains would mean shopping and eating. Shopping is the best thing to do if you want feel happy instantly, at least for me it works perfect. I can shop, shop for almost anything, and believe me I don't even get tired of it.

One fine and sunny day we decided to go to a 'Kangani mata' temple..... A long trek up the mountain was definitely a tough one but The view from the top was just splendid. It was a funny trek.... Half of the trek the blazing sun almost burned our skin and we were freezing with the cold wind blowing in the shady areas around the hill. It felt like a regular day and night cycle or a happy-sad cycle. Beautiful pine trees all around and what is called some snake climber trees were just phenomenal. They were so up and high in the sky standing so tall and proud as if mocking the mountain as they are higher.

Festivals are the heart and soul of every community and culture in India. "Shivratri" is the main festival of Mandi like we have in Kashmir. It literally means 'the great night of Lord Shiva'. Every second temple in Mandi belongs to Lord Shiva. It is more than a week long preparation and celebration here. The local people go around and invite all the local deities for the big night. Everyone is invited from nearby places to come and celebrate Maha Shivratri - the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. The union of man and nature.Sadly, I missed the celebration part here because I went home to celebrate it with my parents.

Time really flies when you are having fun. I can't believe I was off the Mumbai-Pune for almost 2 weeks. But I wanted to stay a little longer, I know I'm getting greedy. I was having so much fun here in Mandi and then back home after a long time with mom and dad. I could talk to them and do nothing....wake up when I wanted, eat what I feel like, sleep when I feel like, talk to them non-stop, go to the market with them. There is definitely something about home that relaxes you instantly and you feel so protected as if nothing can harm you. Nothing is as  reassuring as your dad's smile and nothing is as encouraging as your mom's smile..........

Thank you Su-per-Man for making my trip wonderful, and I'm so glad I did this. I so plan to make Mandi my chilling out place from now on. 

In Search of Inner Peace - Part 1

It is an awesome feeling to turn off all the alarms on your phone and go to the bed without thinking of the next day being a Monday. Yessss, I have finally overcome my Monday blues obviously because I don't have to go to work. So as soon as I hit the bed, I was asleep like a baby with no worries. Next day morning, I finished with my last minute packing and felt no anxiety to travel. Weird right? May be I already found my inner peace. ;p

Finally got into a taxi and left for the airport. The drive from my place to the airport takes almost the same time I will take to get to Delhi or Chandigarh from Mumbai. It is a long drive with crazy Mumbai traffic but thankfully people don't honk that often so it is a peaceful ride. Life in Mumbai is fast, everyone is running either to work or to get their chores going. Looking at all these people, I was thinking thank God I am off for a while. I really need a break to feel what it is like to breath, to do nothing and live for a while. I feel fresh as the morning dew, as energetic as a young cub who plans to go hunting all by himself. I want to explore a new place, a new culture, do some random things, and obviously shoppppp. So I decided to go and visit my BFF staying in Mandi (Himachal) to bask in nature's glory.

The excitement and the delight of meeting old friends is beyond description. The funny thing is you might be meeting them after a year or so but the discussion starts from where you had left it last time. Same feelings, same tempo, same energy and that same carefree attitude, as if you are young again. It's like you are time travelling in a time machine and we are back in 2007. It's funny how we cherish small things in life and laugh and joke over them for the rest of our lives. I guess that's what friendship is about. 

A 12 hours long journey to reach Mandi was tiring for sure but the company made it easy. The journey was smooth till Chandigarh and then the adventure of the ghats started. Scary turns, traffic from both the sides was crazy, but fun. Thankfully our bus had proper heating so it was warm and we could almost sleep through the whole night. Finally, early morning we reached Mandi and I could smell the freshness in the air. Everything was dark and cold, very cold........ And I was shivering. We took an auto to get home and the ride was chilling and freezing. There was nothing more than a hot cup of tea and a warm bed to recover from the cold wave...............

To be continued......

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag!!!!!

Finally, I went to watch movie “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” and I was speechless. Bollywood has surely grown over the years and the improvement in creativity is just phenomenal. I am very impressed with the way the director has used simple ingredients like color, water, nature and people to make his story impactful. The art of revealing the critical details of the story only when it is needed and when it is just right, is just marvelous. The monochromatic effect to portray the past, a past that has not buried itself peacefully but is still with him and those memories still haunt him….....

How can anyone use a simple ingredient like water and use it to show all the emotions of your life? That swaying water in a bucket representing freedom, innocence and curiosity as we are growing up, droplets of water bringing sweet memories of your first love, a bucket of sweat that reminds you of your hard work and success, that smell of wet soil that brings in all your best of memories....... But at the same time, the same water can be a disaster. It can also remind you of your pain, suffering, fear, agony and loss. How well has it been used? It is just commendable, and I have no words to describe it. All I have is applause and respect for the magician who could mesmerize me and left me craving for more.

I love the way Milkha Singh goes back and forth in his past. His anger and anguish taking him to achieve whatever he wanted, just to prove to himself, his father, his lady love and his beloved sister. Every relationship in the movie seems so real, whether it’s his relationship with his father, mother, sister, friend or his lady love.

A beautiful relationship between a brother and a sister, I being a sister know how it feels to have a younger brother. How you want to love him, pamper him, scold him but never find enough words to express your love. How you want him to do well in life, and do everything possible to help him when he is in trouble..... Because whenever he is in trouble, he looks up to you with that innocent smile and those eyes saying “please help, I think I'm in trouble.” The way a sister always knows what is his brother up to, and when caught red-handed he would shy and smile. The way your brother cannot see you cry, he will do anything to make you smile. He will be your clown, your friend and your mentor…..

The plight of his sister who is torn between the responsibility of being a wife and a sister is so well directed. She is just a wife for her husband but everything for her dear brother. Sadly, it’s the plight of almost every woman in our society except few lucky ones.

The pain of partition is so well captured, people being slaughtered and their hopeless eyes wandering for a loaf of bread. Milkha being unfortunate enough to witness his parent’s man slaughter, the turmoil within about what is right or wrong and betrayal from his own people, lying in a pool of blood of his family and holding on to their dead bodies......... as if they will wake up…… What a wonderful portrayal! Same effect as if you are watching the movie “300”. Those blood stained knifes somehow look less gross but are powerfully impactful.

His journey to fame, his glorious years and he becoming “the flying sikh” was just splendid. I was awed that they could pull out all those old footages for most of the events that Milkha had succeeded. Even his fling with the Australian girl is beautifully shot and nowhere does it look cheap. The intimacy is dignified, an attraction we would have felt sometime in our lives.

His facing his demons was just awesome, because no matter how much we try and bury our past...... It doesn't leave us... It haunts us till we decide to face it head on and fear no more. Once you look straight into the eyes of your fear, somehow it disappears.

I was just speechless when we came out of the movie, just didn't know what to say. All we came out was what a movie and more and more respect for Farhan Akthar. For not even once I felt he wasn't a sardar or he wasn't Milkha Singh. That dimpled smile, humility, and that sportsmanship is just beyond words to describe.

All I have is respect and more respect for Farhan and Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, they understand the impact of media and they know how well to use it for waking up today's youth. Rang de bansanti was a phenomenal movie...... everything in that movie was awesome. The characters, the dialogues, the portrayal, and direction everything was perfect. The parallel stories of freedom struggle on one hand and struggle for justice on the other hand. The stories you wouldn’t imagine to have any interaction but both the stories share the same sentiment.

Such people have definitely taken Indian cinema to the next level, and forced people like me to appreciate the talent we have here and that Bollywood is not only about stupid movies and item numbers. I am hardcore Hollywood fan, because I watch a movie for everything, story, characters, background scores, and direction. A movie that stays with me, and I can just close my eyes and play it in my head any number of times. Such movies inspire and amaze me at the same time. It amazes me as to what a human brain can do? How can it baffle you? How it teases you? I love movies that give me a food for thought, something that makes me think why so? Whether its people, society, cultures, religion, politics, and I try and look for answers. Obviously, such over analysis leaves me sometimes with some negative thoughts, some upsetting moments and I have troubled Vivek enough number of times with this. 

Anyways, I wish good luck to this new generation of movie-makers, who have beautifully excelled in the art of storytelling. I am sure they will take Indian cinema to new heights. And people like me (Hollywood fans) will have no choice but to applaud and say “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”…….

Go Bollywood…... Hat’s off to this one.

Weekend Get-Away to Matheran!!!

Finally, a pending post:)

We as the slaves of time, always look forward to take a break and feel free for once. I mean free to do what we like rather than being enclosed in the 4 walls of office or home. All we do is start with a sloppy Monday and all through the week wait for Friday. Interestingly, we all are so used to this Monday-Friday and Friday-Sunday cycle that our lives are just around these days.

Few crazy days at work, few hectic weekends and that all it takes for you to realize that's it!!! I really need some break to spend some time away from the twin cities and office. After a lot of yes and no sessions, I decided we have to go out.....doesn't matter what the place is like we will just go.

We packed our bags, got into the car and we started our adventure ride to Matheran. Thanks to Google maps for saving our time and energy in figuring out the way. Life has become so easy and dependable at the same time with technology. It was a wonderful drive via NH4. The road was surprisingly good with picturesque but when we hit a rough patch we realized we are still in India. The final 7-8km to the car parking area known as Dasturi was fun and scary at the same time. The dangerously steep slopes were scary; at every curve my heart almost skipped a beat. You just couldn't see the next curve or the road or any vehicle coming ahead which was a scary feeling but thankful we reached safely. Finally we made it to Dasturi, relieved and shocked at the same time; relieved obviously because we reached safely and shocked because we saw a sea of cars parked and being parked there. It's hard to believe that people would just come to Matheran for a day or so…….I guess desperation to go out does that to everyone.

Interestingly, Matheran is a no-automobile zone so after Dasturi other than the slowest train possible the only option left is a “horse”...... Yeah you heard it right. We had booked a place in the Neemrana group's "The Verandha in the forest" popularly known as the Barr House. It is at the extreme end of Matheran just near the lake. We got onto the horses and started our journey to our home stay. We see people, people and more people, felt as if the whole of Mumbai is there. Commercialization has hit this place big time, hotels big and small everything is there in this small place. As soon as we reached Neemrana, we knew we were in good hands; it's so aptly named Verandha in the forest..... Middle of nowhere just us and a window that overlooks a forest, chirping of birds some songs that I had never heard..... Monkeys all over the place and the best of all no phone, no Internet and no tv...... What more can you ask for :)

We were so tired of those 45 mins of horse ride that we just ate and crashed. Got up by the tea time and decided to go to the lake. There is something special about Matheran that worth mentioning.... The red sandy soil....... It will spoil your shoes, your clothes, your hair and your skin for sure. We decided to walk up to the Charlotte Lake and mannnn so many Gujjus, as if the whole of Gujarat was here....but why? Nonetheless all that mattered was we had come to take a break and we weren't very keen to explore the place. All we wanted to do was rest and relax.

Next day, we decided to go to the market in the evening and walk back which wasn't a very good idea in the night. There were lights but the way back was scary. It was just a vast forest with a sandy soil and all we had was a torch and we were walking close to each other as there were a lot of dogs that could come out of nowhere. Man... That walk was a scary but awesome with so much rush of adrenaline. I was amazed at my inherent human senses as I was able to hear even the slightest rustle of the leaves, could see some animal crossing our way even with limited visibility. I felt so alert and alive that I was so ready to attack anything that comes my way. I guess I have never felt such a strong survival instinct before.

I personally love the idea of using a heritage property and converting it to a "non hotel" hotel. The best part is that since the property is expensive, you will surely have a decent crowd and the best of services.We met this interesting Chef Mahesh, a super enthu guy who has been to most of the Neemrana properties and had learned cooking from the best Indian and continental chefs. And believe me this guy was good....his Indian was good but continental was awesome. And the dessert he made “apple pie" was to die for. Yummy is the word.

It felt like a complete British holiday, have breakfast, read a book, have lunch, take a nap, go for a walk, have dinner, read a book and sleep whenever you want and getup whenever you want. This holiday had the best Monday we both have ever had in the last one year. No Sunday blues, no getting up early, no running after the bus, racing to office, whole day running around in office to get work done and finally home....... Exhausted..........

Traveling has always been my passion; I just love to explore new places, culture, what forms the basis of their civilization. Here, in Matheran there is not much to explore if you have travelled. Similar points as that of any hill station...... Sunset point, sunrise point, echo point, a lame lake....... Popular sites in India are surely overrated.

It's an amazing feeling, when even after a decade of knowing each other, you still look forward to spend some time together. And I feel it's very important to take time off work and enjoy life for a while. Otherwise, stress and frustration would drive you crazy.

It is surely a place for a weekend getaway for Mumbai-Punekars as it offers a break from crazy traffic and you feel closer to nature. A short trip to rediscover, refresh and recharge yourself.

I am Scared...... Because I am a Woman!!!!

With the most heinous rape incident last year, all papers/news channels were spilling blood and hatred all over the place. It's so difficult to live a normal life as you see, read or hear people talking about it all the time. I didn't want to talk, comment, discuss or even write about it but I am so disturbed and shattered, that mere words can't express. Thinking about it gives me those goosebumps that I can’t hide and my heart cries for the unfortunate girl, her poor friend and family. I am so . I don't know what to hate more “the rapist" or my existence?


I must say this event definitely saw a commendable spirit shown by Delhiites..... Finally. Thank you all for the support you guys showed and didn't let this issue go by. Those processions and questions raised really helped us to prove our point. Even if that girl is not with us anymore, I really don't want this issue to settle down. Even if we all know, even if we claim we have freedom, but the bitter truth is that we are still not safe…. ..Not at home and definitely not outside. I sincerely feel we need to combat such terrorism at home first............


I am sure “Nirbhaya” as people popularly call her, thought it would be safer to get on the bus or something before she is shot (I would rather say hunted) by some goons or a political party workers. She would have thought it would be alright and she is safe as she is with a guy and not alone. But I guess little did she know about her fate that this will be worse. I don't know what to conclude from all this that I am not safe? It’s not safe to step out of my house even when I am accompanied by my parents, my husband, my brother and my friends. Does this incident also imply that I am a threat to them as well? So now when I step out in Delhi, should I be worried about my safety or theirs. It all sounds like I have finally become a burden to my family and friends. Does that also mean we should all say yes to female infanticide, as we refuse to take responsibility? I guess it will be easier for that innocent child to die in a day than die worrying every time she steps out all her life…….


Every daughter is special to her parents as she is their joy and pride. A mentor and a friend to her brother, a companion and a support pillar to her husband, a mother (everything) to her children. Then why is all this happening? Believe me I am going crazy looking for answers but I just can't find any. Even if I think the rapists involved had some psychological issue, were emotionally unstable or mentally derailed, even then how could all the 7 people traveling in that bus think alike? What is it that made them so inhuman that they thought it could be a fun activity? How could they sleep at night, had they turned in to some stone monsters as they couldn’t hear her pleads, her screams, and see her tears……...



How will they ever look into the eyes of their mother who gave them this life, their wives who confided and believed in them, their sons for whom they are the role models, and last but not the least their daughters???? What will they tell them, stay away from me because I can't stop myself or I will kill you because there are many people like me out there? When I think about all these questions, my mind goes insane..... I can't think of one good reason to do what they did.........


It was a jolly time for our dear politicians, religious leaders and everyone who can speak because our dear media with surely pick it up even if its crap. You qualification or degree doesn't matter, as they will talk rubbish anyways. They have to say something just for the sake of commenting or to strike a controversy. Oh yes! It’s only to get back in limelight, because everything is always about limelight.

And obviously there is a blame game and the list is endless, influence of western culture, intolerance levels, no respect for life, Bollywood,........ Oh yeah! I said Bollywood, you might not agree but that is a major source of influence in India. Thanks to Bollywood for the “objectification” of women....... So all men see is a “Munni” or “Sheela” in every woman they see. They have treated women with anything but respect. All the jaw dropping sequences with nothing left to imagination, I am sure men would see every female around them like that. It reminds me of the movie "Madagascar", when Alex sees everyone around as a piece of meat...... Yes that is what we wo-men have become - a piece of meat.

We all talk about equality but still talk about special treatment, why? Why is it that we still have to prove ourselves at every point that we want equality not specialty? What is it that when a female is doing well in her career, we say "must be sleeping with the boss" and when she cannot perform we say "women cannot concentrate because they constantly think about home and family"? Even if we all received the same education, same principles, but we still choose to make such silly comments. Why????



I could pour all my heart out and write endlessly about all the reasons and solutions but there is no point. All I want to do is to make a sincere request to all men out there. Please stop all this if not for me, stop it for your mother, wife and daughters, because it’s only up to you to make this place a better place for your loved ones. So that women like me don't have to be scared just because “I am a woman”. And to all the women out there, please learn to stand up for yourself. Be strong and say no to abuse, whether it is at home, your workplace, out on the road, or anywhere else. I am really looking forward to a rape-free India; I hope it happens in my lifetime, so that I can die peacefully without worrying constantly for future generations to come.


Hope is all I have.......