A note to myself.

Wiping away the dust collected on this blog, I wonder why I abandoned this space.  I realize my blog is my buddy; he is the only person looking forward for me all the time. He never hurts me with harsh truth nor lets me feel inferior with his perfect life. He is what I am. My mirror…. For Laughing when I laugh & crying when I do. Nourishing my dreams which everyone else finds impossible.  For not being hypocrite, selfish & self-centered. More than anything, he is there for me when I need. I love this space more than I could love a person in flesh and blood.

 I started writing this blog when a close to heart friend walked over me…and today  I am writing this post for another similar reason… which shows I am in no better position than I was two years ago. I had enough of whining over people for whom breaking promises & hearts is as easy as breathing.  It is my stride now and I choose people who can come closer enough to stab me. Resolved to do something every day that makes my tomorrow better, my blog will now only witness happy endings. Hold my hands blog… and I will give you all reasons to flourish in glory.

Ashwini.

My Latest Love

A colleague asked me if I could suggest a place for dinner to celebrate their wedding anniversary. I suggested few places and the next day she came happy faced. She thanked me for my advice and wondered how I know so many eateries. That question triggered my mind & realized I have tried many restaurants in Abu Dhabi. Every place was worth experiencing & has associated memories with most of them. It gave me the idea of noting each place that I have visited, in my blog.

I am not a foodie... I don’t like trying out outrageous menus. But I love trying places. For every special occasion, I prefer having an unexplored venue, thus making the experience unique. Rags is equally enthusiastic and the credit of finding the places goes to him.

Being a vegetarian in Abu Dhabi is like a nondrinker in a bar. Difficult to maintain the regime but so far so good. There are very few vegetarian restaurants & luckily most of them are worth drooling. I am taking one at a time and leaving ample time to digest the post ;)

Salam Bombay, My latest Love.

There are three types of restaurants in Abu Dhabi, one where you pay for the ambience, second where you pay for the food and third where both ambience & food are worth. Salam Bombay falls in the last category and is sure to leave you wanting for more. First encounter with its food was when they served vada pavs for an office get together. I was not a great fan of vada pav but not anymore. The place took us in awe with its warm welcome. There are big wall papers of streets of Mumbai, the bus, the Marina drive, and the background Bollywood songs make you feel you are somewhere in India. It’s a cozy place with tempting aroma lingering around. We had to wait a while to grab a seat but it was worth enough. In our last two visits, we have tried Stuffed tomato pakora, Usal & Misal Pav, Pav Bhaji, Keema ,Khandvi, hara bhara kabab, Spicy baby corn, Paneer Butter Masala,Keema,to name a few. (No misunderstanding here, we were group of 8 people) Each dish was finger licking good and so is the price.  The waiters are quick and the service is polite. They even have laid a crossword table mat where you have to find out delicacies and it keeps you entertained until the food arrives. The duty of entertaining is then of the food and it leaves you no choice but wipe out the plate. Quality and quantity are key parameters that soothe your hunger and burden on your wallet. For two, a zabardast meal will not cost you more than eighty dirhams. I would give full five stars out of five but I settle down for four and half for they charged me for extra masala chass which we had not ordered in the first place.  To conclude, I love it J

Ashwini.

PS : For those who are interested, SalamBombay is located behind ADNOC petrol bunk in Electra Street and next to Mawakif office on Murror road.

Ek chota sa love story

They argue,they fight,they stab each other and leave the other hurt. They stop talking but not until five minutes before he gives up. He is the wiser of the two and the cutest too. But she is adamant, furious and aggressive. Nothing can calm her down he thinks...and makes the surest choice..compliment her !

“You fight like a wild cat” he says.

“You leave me scratched and bitten”, he complaints.

“You hurt me deep”,he moans.

She feels the guilt but he adds to say “but rest of the time you are a cute kitten,purrring in my arms”

Her cheeks turn red and he says “ you are warm and fluffy ”

Her eyes shine and he whispers “ you have a golden heart, beyond the ability to measure”

She knows no reason...but happily giggles.

The fight ends, smiles spread and there goes another chapter in their sweet little love story.

Ashwini.

Bin Tere Kya Hai Jeena

On the way back home from work, I was hooked up to the song Bin Tere Kya Hai Jeena of the movie Woh Lamhe. The song felt so dearly and apt for my current situation that I started missing the special someone of my life even more…to the verge of tears as the lines goes on

Suni Khali Raatein

Rootie Feeki Baatein

Har Ahat Per Chowkun

Tujko Har Suu Dekhon

Tujko Har Dum Sochon

Tujko Har Pal Chaahon

Tere Bin To Jeevan  Mera Hai Intezaar

Bin Tere Kya Hai Jeena

Bin Tere Kya Hai Jeena

Yes, Rag is away for couple of days leaving me with the freedom to enjoy my space. I am irritated when he floods the washroom floor, messes with neatly stacked wardrobe, spills the food, glues to news channel, ignores my call yet happily munches on chips. He takes my frustration to the level of pulling out my hair. But when he is away, spic & span washroom teases me, TV bores me, and food tastes bland …as if someone has taken the fragrance out of flowers.  I don’t enjoy the freedom, I starve to be in his arms and restlessly count the days. If not this, then what is love? I end up feeling lucky for having enough loving ones around me

unlike

the janitress at our office. She is pretty and pink, humming songs and always greeting with a bright smile. She would be just like any other passerby of my life if I had not known the pain behind her smiles. She came to work in UAE around seven years ago and since then not visited her home country. She has not seen her kids & parents who are back home as she is busy in earning bread to feed them. She could not see her mom when she was sick nor when she took her last breath. She used the flight fare to buy land for cremating her mom while she stayed back holding silent tears. She hopes to see and hug her dead mom atleast in dreams but ends up having sleepless nights. She is forced to stay back and earn to look after her children and all she has is Hope, to see them happy and settled.

Life is not fair to everyone. There are people who live on alms and sleep on roads. Some are orphans and some are forced to live like one. You are lucky if you have a caring hand and loving heart. So cherish each blessing and live like a happy child. This is a note to myself  not to whine about every silly thing but to appreciate my gifts. So, once Rag is back, I hope to forgive him for his childishness and lock him forever in my arms.

Ashwini.

Link to the mentioned song : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peOXHak8YjE

It Rained

In Abu Dhabi! Not cats and dogs but atleast flies & mites :P

                                (Image courtesy :timenewsfeed)

And then, it rainbows!

(Image courtesy : Rags Good_for_photographs_only cellphone)

How did we celebrate this?

                                (Image courtesy: My Sony Cam)

How was the experience? Total Bliss! As if heaven had landed on earth just for seconds! 

Leaving you with few damp lines …

Sawan barse tarse dil, kyon naa nikale ghar se dil

Barkha me bhi dil pyasa hai, yeh pyar nahee toh kya hai

Dekho kaise bekarar hain bhare bajar me

Yaar ek yaar key intzar me… 

Ashwini

Saint Became Shaitan

“badidu hakbeku ivranna!!” (maar dalna chahiye inlogo ko/should kill these people)

How do you react when you hear someone as good as a saint-who not even kills a mosquito - say this??

I jumped from my seat, picked my dropped jaw and pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. I was not! It was real… he really did burst in anger…  And what made him turn red?  Ad of Malabar Gold & Diamonds on TV flaunting the most tempting jewels at 50% discount!

Yeah Rags, I completely understand your rage :P I don’t call you gem of my life just like that ;)

Ashwini

Woman of Steel

She was run by a fast moving car..she was scattered to pieces, thrown from work desk to hospital bed in fraction of seconds...all this when she was a mother of two infants. Man of her life could not avoid but work day and night to save his job, babies innocently cried for her attention, clueless maid ran the errands between home & hospital. Amid these, all she had was support of friends & her stronger than rock will, to live, to bounce back, to walk on her own little feet, to face life at its worst. Doctors prescribed rest for months with a doubt that she could ever walk on her own. She felt in shit when she had all the bloody womanly problems on bed. But life was calling. She had a job to attend, a family to take care of. She fought the odds, cried to pain but learnt to stand on her own. If not with nerves of steel, she would not be seen today running on heels in high zeal & wide smile. Her twinkling eyes blindfold you not to believe her past. Despite all the trouble, she gladly appreciates her friends who stood beside during her tough time. She breaks down to tears not with pain but with gratitude for those who held her up with care. I had goose bumps as she narrated her story of struggle. She is a live example of success,an inspiration to ask the life to bring it on ! I'm inspired..I'm writing this post to remind myself, not to cry over silly matter, but see everything as a new opportunity, to test my will. Henceforth, I shall try not to bring down the hell over small things & not pester anyone to comfort me. I shall try to be strong, independent & shine my life with my own efforts. I shall & I will.

Ashwini.

Behind Every Innocent Face...

Lies a cheater ! My friend Su always says "more innocent the person appears, more the cunning he is" I never bothered to learn until I was cheated by the most innocent looking guy on the earth.. whom else I can rant around other than my only hubby?? Yes, it is about Rags... All my friends believe him to be a decent, soft spoken & always helpful person... which he manages to bag with a simple smile. But listen to me friends, & you will agree with my sorrowfulness.

What happened is, when he returned home from office today, he seemed sick, with cold,cough & cousins. This guy never falls sick..but when he does, its terrible. His face was swollen and nose red. He immediately went to bed burying himself under a thick blanket. I felt low.On a weekend, I had to stay alone. My biggest sorrow was house cleaning, that we do every weekend together, now fell on my lone shoulders :( But with no other option, I picked up the broom & turned on the music to go along. After a painful hour of sweeping & mopping,I went back to check if he is feeling better. To my horror, he was murmuring faintly with closed eyes. Recalling movie scenes where unconscious sick people hum the name of their lover, I bent over him with curious ears to find out who his fantasy is. And what did I hear?? "Jaane jaan..doondtha fir raha...hoon tumhe raath din...main yehan se wahan" !!!! What? Is it a song? Is he singing?? I went blank.

After a couple of minutes of thinking, I realized he is following the song that is being played at the back ground!! Which means he is not sleeping but listening to songs...which in turn means he is alright and just wanted to escape from the chores of cleaning, which again means I am fooled to do all the work alone...Arrrrrrrrrrrgh !!! Unfair world & unfair people :(  Su is right again !

Ashwini.

Hangover

My head seems heavier than usual. Eyes burn and throat croaks. I gasp for breathe in an air tight bus. Then forcefully drag my legs from bus stop to home & I wish someone greets me with a warm smile & pleasantries. But the empty home invites me with dark silence where everything seems scattered, waiting for immediate clean up. Dishes piled up in sink & dirty kitchen table welcomes me with a pathetic smile. I throw handbag, lunch box, shoes in place & fall flat on the sofa trying to catch some breathe. Wonder if miracles really happen and I get a cup of piping hot coffee before I ask… my wonder bubble bursts to realize that I’m no more in Bengaloru & I have to move my ass to get things done myself… the vacation hangover haunts more than a nightmare… I’m sick… homesick… away from a paradise called HOME… someone please help me… at least with a cup of coffee…

Ashwini.

Patch Up

Prelude:

“Knock Knock”

“Yes?”

“Hiiiii…it’s me (with a wide grin as if my blog is delighted to see me)”

“Aaah…I expected end of world before your next post. How did you return so early?”

“Excuse me, sarcasm prohibited. I guess this is my page, hence my wish to write or laze”

“I have to answer your visitors & I feel ashamed to disappoint them!”

“Not anymore dude, you’ll be proud of my attendance henceforth”

“Barking dogs…”

“You will see!”

Looks like my blog has lost hope on me.. never mind, I appreciate you, my reader for still wandering here hoping  for my new entry J

Back to Post:

And thus, I’m here friends, out of hibernation and back to churning brains.  During this gap of two months, lot has happened, including appearance of two grey hairs!  No, I have not grown old; it’s the water to be blamed. So to save you all from stress of reading epics of my story, they are shortened as bullets.

·          Much awaited tour to Malaysia. Since I do not consider UAE as foreign land, this is my first foreign visit and regretted for not visiting earlier. Lush green country & colorful people made the trip an unforgettable outing. If my mood lets, a post exclusive for this trip will follow.

·         Vacation in India, dad’s 60^th year celebration (Sashti Poorthi) @ temple in home town, pilgrimage, unlimited gobbling of food, shopping & new year celebration at home with the loved ones.

·         Unexpected hike at most unlikely time of the year brought the joy of guilt free spending.

·         Super flop show of karaoke singing at a project get together. My skills are not to be blamed but the drunken colleagues who spoiled the charm of my songs L I’m cremating the memory of this incident right here.

·         Rags falling sick exactly on day of Deepawali scaring me to death. Took a month & more to recover but no worries, all izz well now.

·         Ended 2012 with a bang. Literally. With no external force applied, I fell flat on the road on the last day of 2012. Miraculously a cake in one hand and bag of flowers in other were safe but my bum had a bash… seems like there was some sin left even after visiting so many temples and it washed away thus.

·         Turned to reading Kushwant Singh books as time pass during journey and started liking his writings now. Reading is a new passion which I lately discovered & am hooked to it. I try more books at a bookshop than I did previously at Max or Splash for clothes!

That’s all for now. I wish all my readers a year ahead full of love, prosperity, peace and more of patience to read my torturing future posts J

Love,

Ashwini.