Happy New Year

Last few days I have been bed-ridden with fever. This has given a lot of time to contemplate and think of various paradigms we all believe in. Biggest of them all is the New Year.

As a kid, I remember asking my grand-father, what would change in the New Year. A man of words and wisdom he tried to explain that in the physical theory of earth’s revolution around the sun. At that moment it somehow quenched my inquisitiveness, but every 31st December, I used to ask this question to myself.

As I grew up, meaning of New Year kept on changing. Whilst in primary and middle school, it meant moving up to a new class. As I grew up, and reached my board exam classes of 10th, and 12th standards, it meant pre-board exams and the ever so life-changing board exams. During engineering and post graduation years it meant University exams and then finally farewell to enter into the big bad world of corporate life and more responsibility. From then on New Years meant an additional holiday. And if by chance, it ended up on a Sunday, then all one could do was to smile wryly and say “Damn!”

So this year as I spend my last few days and hours of the year 2008, in bed, I came back to the question….what would change with New Year 2009…and is it such a big thing?

New Years are meant to be celebrated with wining and dining, with ambitious resolutions thrown in. Some of my colleagues have already started circulating their resolutions over office mail! Now what use would that be of? :-) But what is it so much about New Year that we start sounding resolutions and spend heftily for celebrations.

I asked my doctor yesterday, and she equally perturbed by the question, thought that New Year meant that one grew another year older. I feel that shows the classical glass half full-half empty state of mind. Then came in my sister and brother-in-law, who thought New Year meant more holidays, more fun, and another trip to the mountains. For others in the family, it was just another day. Not finding much answers, I asked myself again....what does the New Year mean to me.

As for me, I am superstitious about New Years day. I purchase a Yearly horoscope book every year on this day. I then spend most part of the 2nd of January reading through it. I don’t go to a chemist or a doctor, as that would mean a bad omen for the entire year. And finally I definitely work on 1st of January as it signifies a good start, which in another sense also means job half done :-)

But the question still looms large. On 1st January will it be a different morning? Will the sun rise from the west or will it be another day of night? For starters as for me there are no resolutions, as one can resolve at any time. But what would 1st January mean that it would fill us with so much joy and happiness, and then wane it down, that next year this time I will again ask this question?

As we know it, it won’t be a different day. It would be just another day. But as I am a die-hard romantic, it will be a fresh start to tackling old demons who troubled us in 2008. It’s a hope that all we set forth to in 2009, will succeed and the sweet taste of success would not cause any diabetes. On a personal front, here is hoping that we will finally move away from ill health to a more fitter self. It would bring in more love and happiness for one and all (said it in a beauty pageant contestants way :-)…..

Ever Thine….
Ever Mine…..
Ever Ours….
Lots of Love…..Happy New Year!!

Being Married - 6 Months Later

Sometimes, I am a child….
Sometimes… a matured man,
Sometimes… I just want to hide myself or get lost in the wilderness of my dreams,
Sometimes…. I just want to be Me.

I welcome you to my journey through the 6 months of my transformation from being Me to My Wife’s Husband.

1.Earlier I never set foot in the kitchen. Now, I can wash, cut and cook vegetables (see I have even learnt to wash them before eating)

2.I go to the market, look at really snazzy gadgets, and then think - Do I really need this? Where will I keep it in the room? Have I disposed off the earlier ones? I had never ever earlier thought this way. May be, the world is suffering because of me…because I got married. As it is the global melt-down is all sentiment led. No one is buying anything. That was not me 6 months back. I took pride in being the impulsive buyer and hoarding various versions and makes of the same gadget in my room.

3.Now days, I don’t get easily surprised. Most of the stuff seems like Been there…Done that. Everything is just about obvious until she says Guess What….and I squirm Now What? Such is life, but those who are married would understand.

4.We go to museums and watch craft mela’s. Never had this happened in the 30 years of my abode on earth. I was genetically superior, and those of my being are aesthetically challenged. We take pride and show immense appreciation for straight lines rather than intellectual brilliance of someone who had spilt color on a canvas.

5.I used to think florists are meant to sell single roses, only to be used whenever……you know :)….until I met her. Now I have a florist who exists on my chat, and sends a bouquet of exotic flowers at my insistence. Whatever happened to single roses….I don’t know. Do they still sell single roses?

These are some of the instances of my transformation. Another major one is about Me+. Earlier Me was treated as singular. Now it is Us. Singular has now turned plural. It is like Me describes the views of Us. Why don’t people realize the concept of opposition parties?

Having said all this I want to add a caveat. I know, as soon as, I have started this part of the write up, there will be a wry smile on the faces of some of my friends thinking……He is chickening out! Well, to be honest, I am not.

Marriage is all the above and more. I am more complete now. Since marriage, I have grown as a person. Being single has its own charms, but our real growth happens when we start sharing our lives with others. Letting someone into our space, is like giving away a lot. But consider this, by letting someone into our space, we have increased our space. I never understood this concept earlier……now I do!

There is natural to be friction. All of us tend to resist change and dislike adapting. The real test of marriage and the sure shot outcome is that we realize the change….and thus the better solution. A key point here is that life happens when you participate in it.

Having said all this, one would appreciate the importance of Being Married. As they say….you have to be married, since the government cannot be blamed for everything. But as I move ahead, a quote from the movie Jerry Maguire comes to mind…….

I don't have all the answers. In life, to be honest, I failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my wife. I love my life. And I wish you my kind of success!

Being Married!

I have never believed in gory flashback sequences. So, to cut the chase, you all need to know that I got married nearly 3 months back!

Life has changed since marriage and however many "Just Married" movies one may watch, it truly is a unique experience. Our courtship was 2 month "long" in which we met only 3 times for not more than 3 hours each. Though we didn't get much time together, we really increased our mobile phone bills with all the Good Mornings, Good Nights, and other "Sweet Nothings" during the day. And for the uninitiated who don't know what people talk about for hours on end in such calls, my answer is "Nothing"! Yes, thats why these are called "Sweet Nothings".

Well, the day we got married, as I was waiting for her on the stage, one of my friends walked up to me and said,"Dude, you still have time.....run!" I didn't reply but just smirked. I was so ready for marriage. Then slowly, she emerged from the room, dressed in red and looking stunning, slowly stepping down the stairs to walk towards me, I really got the chills and realized, "I was getting married!" I turned to this friend in a sudden, and asked, "Do you have a hidden tunnel under the carpet somewhere?" He smiled, a knowing smile, as if he knew it was going to happen and just patted my shoulder as slowly i stooped my head and accepted the garland from her. As I later came to know, she was as scared.

Later, being the nice and charming self that is me, I even offered her to use my shoe rack and my almirah for sometime, till the time her almirah was ready. I soon realized that life was about small happinesses. I celebrate the days when my shoes find their way back on the shoe rack :-)

In the last two months, we have had a good time together. Giving wierd logics for driving home our points. But one has to mention here that none of my logics makes sense once she puts her foot down. So much so for logical reasoning.

But after having cribbed much, it needs to be pointed that I really like my life with her. This is for the seriousness and meaning she has brought back into life. May be cribbing is a part of how much I appreciate the banter we share :-) In a moment of reckoning, I had surmised them in a few brief lines....

I like life.
Its twists and turns.
Its strange and innocous ways
Yet with its good surprises
I like life.

I like it when someone walks in
And makes me want to talk more and more
Share all that has happened in the last so many years
I like it when someone brings a smile Just by their thought
And how perfect it feels to miss them

I like it when that someone goes speechless
On hearing something stupidly romantic
I like it when the reply comes....I don't know what to say :)
And I say..
..say no more

I like it when I find no more words
But want to write so much more
Life's just started for us and there is a long way to go
And am sure its gonna be good, 'cause....
I like life...with you.