Chetan Bhagat’s 2 states - The Story Of My Marriage

This is Chetan’s 4th book which is about the love story of a Punjabi guy Krish and a Tamil girl Ananya. Their first meet is in IIM, they fall in love, try to make their families accept their love. The families do not accept and they both try hard for them to say yes. The families meet but their different culture, language etc make them feel as alien. The story ends with how they win the hearts of their in laws and get married.
I have read his ‘3 mistakes of my life’ and ‘One night at the call center‘. I felt nothing much in them, but a time pass to read. But this one I liked because of a different story. None of the incidents was boring. An interesting novel, could not put the book down until I finished it. He has narrated the whole story in his own way of writing in comical words. He refers tamils as madrasis who are dark complexioned, wearing traditional lungi, with 3 white stripes on forehead and so on..................... sometimes I was tempered with those referring. But those are true in view of an outsider of tamilnadu. Without taking this serious it can be read and it is a total entertainment for sure.
Thamilazhgala evalavu mudiumo avalavu damage panitaru

Puchka

Originated from north India, this amazing tasty small puris are quite popular all over with the migration of north Indians. Wherever we go in Bangalore, every street has a puchka stall with the gathering always surrounded.
When friends eat this with so much of interest I use to stand near by n wonder what is there to enjoy, though I have tasted 1 or 2. Recently even I m addicted and go crazy about it. Small puris stuffed with aloo masala, dipped in tamarind n sweet pani, decorated with chat n other spicy masalas attracts with its taste. People sell them without degrading the art and tradition. They have a nicely designed stand especially for selling puchka with all the ingredients in it make it one by one while we consume 1 full puri in single go. Final touch is given by a dry puri topped with all ingredients along with chick pea. it is served in a small palmleaf plate which contains 6-10 pieces, kind of evening snack can be enjoyed even before dinner. It is being referred with different names like Pani puri, puchka, golgappa, gupchup in different parts. The real taste in it lies only if it is made instantly and consumed in the puchka stall. It loses the taste once parcelled and had later. The mouth watering puchkas in road side are indeed a boon for chat lovers and non chat lovers like me.

Finding Nemo

Happened to watch a wonderful movie showing a father’s journey in search of his lost son nemo. They both live peacefully in an ocean and the father pampers his son with so much care and affection. Anxious nemo wanted to swim independently and father dint even want him to go a litttle far from him. Fate plays its role in their beautiful life when a diver finds this cute looking fish and takes away with him. Caring father shouts and cries not wanting someone to kidnap his kid. Now nemo is no more with him he s gone. Brilliant father now finds the address of the diver in the water mask he left while leaving the ocean. He along with his friend starts for Sydney searching nemo। The kidnapped son now lives in an aquarium in a dental clinic. He is scared of new place. But his neighbours are friendly with him ,introduces themselves to new member. They get astonished when they come to know nemo is from ocean and they want to know about the ocean how it would be. They help him in escaping from there. The remaining scenes tell the story of how the worried father finds his son.
Movie is so colourful and different beautiful colours fill the screen. Nemo and his father are so beautiful even I want to see them alive. The movie relaxes our mind when the director shows the emotions and love between a father and son. This Walt Disneys' oscar winning movie released in 2003 altogether is a feast for eyes, ears and mind.

Cup of coffee

It s a pleasure for us when our mom or sister keeps everything ready when we need. Especially food. Even if the taste s ok kind they make good food. We realize it when we ourself have to do everything for us when they are not near by. I m in this situation now want someone to cook for me. Earlier even if I m late back to home I need not worry when my family fed me. Aromatic food pulls me inside when I reach doorstep. Now a days I come home late have to cook or sometime have outside food. I can cook for myself or can even get from nearby hotels. But how long will this last... so boring. Yesterday when I finished my work and reached home late I wanted to have something. Milk was there and I could make coffee but the aroma and the life inside was missing since I was longing for someone else to make for me and I dint want to have alone. The coffee indeed tastes good when we have in a porcelain cup rather than a normal tumbler. I enjoyed this earlier on weekends when I had a companion to munch something along with coffee, chat with her, watch movie . I miss those days. All for a cup of coffee...

Homage

Yesterday it was shocking to listen to the news of the sad demise of Mr.YSR. Earlier I knew him only as the CM of Andhra. But for the people of Andhra he was a family member.His death caused whole state to mourn. Everyone cries, one died in heart attack, one committed suicide more than 200 died either in heart attack/suicide. He was not only a great political leader, an example for other CMs to be. In the past decades we have heard of great leaders like Rajiv Gandhi, MGR, Kamarajar for whose death people of the country felt they have lost someone close to their heart. But in this century where almost all leaders utilise the power for self, YSR was great to have taken care of poor people and farmers. Medical Insurance has been given and Engineering still a rich one's course in other parts of India have been made free of cost in Andhra and the list include lot more. This made the people to remember him forever. No one can replace him. People all over who don’t know much about him also worry for the loss hearing that he was good to all. Love of Andhrites is always with YSR. We send him off with crores of people's affection and cry and he leaves the earth having done good for his people. His absence has impact in everyone's heart...

Kandasamy

Kanadasamy- a movie with lot of expectations. Happened to watch in theatre spending 300. The movie started with a trick of super natural power helping a poor family and the consequent scenes confused me if it was Anniyan part2.
The introduction scene for kanadasamy was a biggggggggggg stunt which gave me feel of climax.

We could guess the movie is all about a super hero doing social reformation. The movie goes like this:
People write their problem in a piece of paper and stick to the tree in kandasamy temple. Our super hero in the name of Kandasamy along with his team reads and resolves the problem. They do this by looting the black money from big shots and distributing them to the poor. Police dept with an Intelligent team (?!) starts the hunting in search of the mind behind the super heroism. The highlight is Shreya, daughter of big shot whose black money was looted in the opertion could find who kandasamy is but not the police. What is behind the operation, why hero does this, the romance for vikram with shreya, disturbing noise behind the music fills the remaining movie.

The mexican scenes, gangster, Shreya-Vikram’s cheating love story are quite interesting. When i felt kokaraako to be magic scene and they try to put flower on ear, director’s presence is shown when he explains how the opearation is carried out. Good some logic ... Other than this same masalas in other tamil movies and Vadivel’s comedy irritates. Vikram is so handsome and he looks very trim n slim. Purposefully film roles are used for showing his arms only.... Shreya’s costumes give feel of watching bollywood movie. I think glamour was not this bad in any previous tamil movies and the credit goes to her for this beginning. I have read some where Vikram saying this to be a children’s movie ... oh god this cant be watched with family. Finally a feel of wasting money and time in watching this 3.5 hr movie and nothing special to say.

Master's Birthday

Recently I had to attend a function conducted by the SahajMarg Spirituality foundation where in I am a part of it. It was my Master- Guru's 83rd birthday. Birthday function is not like cutting cakes, enjoying dinner, party.... It purely contained spiritual values. Apart from Guru poornima Master's birthday is celebrated in a grand manner. The organization starts planning for the function 1 year in advance like where to happen, function plan, programmes etc. This time the 3 day function was in Tiruppur . On all the 3 days satsangh was conducted every morning and evening . I had stayed there for 2 days, such a wonderful experience- the peace and in turn happiness I never had in my life. We never gave much importance to food/accomodation but we had them in enough. Caterers have prepared food and we the abhyasis involve voluntarily in serving other abhyasis. The abhyasis I have seen were nice ,spoke with love and care to all. Volunteers served food, cleaned plates, disposed garbage, arranged the meditation hall, registration, surroundings cleaning, and transport and so on. Early morning we had to wake up stand in queues to take bath and get ready. We had to do meditation by attending satsangh, read the spiritual books, do voluntary work and stay in the accommodation provided by the ashram. Around 1000 tents were arranged and each tent included around 200 abhyasis. We got to know about other abhyasis who were our tent mates. We could see people from all over the world gathered together. The food they served was like amirdham even when it was the normal rice, sweet we prepare at home and we had only little amount which made us feel tummy full. For the 75,000 + people food was available. It was amazing how they could prepare for such a huge no of people and serve them. All arrangements were pakka.
Children's park was there where parents let their kid play when they go for satsangh. We gave chocolates to those kids and happy to see the smile on their faces. After the function got over they dint miss to arrange for transport and abhyasis were dropped in Railway station/busstand wherever they wanted to go.
Satsangh was so nice and I involved myself in participating in meditation. Though I dont practice it regularly I could feel a change inside when I was in mid of 1000s of abhyasis. I was longing to see my Master, who I love the most. This 83 yr old grandpa is still active in doing spiritual activities. After meditation was over Master gave speech, conducted marriage ceremony, which was very simple, music programme- instruments like flute, sitar.. were played. Fully charged with spiritual thoughts and mind we came out of the meditation hall and then back to home. Waiting for another such participation.

Still in darkness!!

World is changing everyday. People start worrying about a child's life rite when it is born- to put in which school, college etc,etc... There is one side where children are brought up with extreme richness, immense knowledge, lot many extra activities apart from studies. There is also another side of the world - particularly in India, where children from very very poor family are put up in school rarely. Even if they go to school they are in a position to discontinue in sometime considering their family economic situation. Only few people enjoy schooling.
Sukenya-a 14 yr old girl with smiling face and cheeriness always, daughter of a woman who does the house hold work in almost all houses in the street.

As usual I was leaving for office by 7 in the morning. I saw her with drowsy eyes, bringing vessels at her boss’s house for washing. Only then I came to know she stopped going school.
From then my mind was around her wanting to help her out. When I decided to speak with her and pay fees or get whatever she needs to continue studies, she said-'Amma cant manage the family. We are in need of money. Drunkard appa always quarrels with ma. I work in 5 houses and earn 2k/month. I want to study but ma does not leave me.'
This brilliant student, favorite of school teachers use to score 1st grade in class.
Who should be blamed for this... her father who is irresponsible to run the family?? mother who has to send her school when everyone in the street is ready to help her in all ways but does not want to lose her dignity??
What kind of thought she has, what she feels when she sees other kids of her age go to school, come back and play. Kids in families of such kind who has to earn daily for filling their tummy - education, jolly trip, going out for cinema or somewhere are still like fruits far away from them.
I wish kids to have education and fun at this age. But how many are there who do not have basic education and become child labors. How long will they suffer, When will they come out of darkness and see light in their life...

Sleepless nights...

It happened to me to travel in train that night. I packed my bags tightly so the regular resident of train will not visit my bag , yeah the plump mouse. After 3 days stay, with heavy heart I left my native, Somehow I managed to lie down in my berth. Suddenly I felt something itching my hands...yaaa kiiiiii it was cockroach, whole family halted in the train it seems that too in the compartment I boarded. I could see cockroach of all sizes right from small baby to grand grand pa...I moved away a little from the window side and covered my face and ears fearing it would enter my ears. Everytime I woke up to see if it was sitting over me and playing with its family. The whole journey was horrible. But how could others sleep without bothering these animal planet??!!. Sleepless night came to an end when I reached Bangalore.

10 days later again I had sleepless night but this time not in fear of cockroaches...I was wondering at the facilities IRCTC provides in ac compartments.Only 4 were there and I myself felt like a princess lying with neat blanket, quilt, pillow, screens.... It was so cold in the hot summer that made me feel sleepless and enjoyed chillness. A question raised in my mind when I saw good latrine and water facility compared to sleeper class, cup attached with a chain(irctc's awareness!!!) - people in sleeper class won’t need this basic facility or what? But the good feel I got in sleeper seeing people of all kind, their conversations about native, cinema, job, future, studies were missing here where none spoke with each other.
Though train is filled with healthy looking rats, cockroaches staying with family each compartment is filled with memories of people's sorrow, joy, crying faces leaving their dear ones,students going for higher studies, business people with much hopes, crying baby sound.... train journey is always memorable. Train its koo kuch kuch music with in-built cradle has become part of my life.

In a Hurry

Today morning I missed to catch the company cab in the bus stop.
I asked the driver of an auto which passed that way if he can follow the cab, I got into auto. He was riding very fast but the cab was there in the other end of the road. Once he said he couldn’t catch I asked him to drop me in the next bus stop. In the meanwhile he asked me if I have money and I should pay Rs.30. normally it takes only Rs.20. then I thought of affording that much coz he took so much effort to help me. The cab caught stuck up in the traffic and the driver managed to go near the cab. Nearing the cab he asked the cab driver to stop. Unknowing that I am a company employee the cleaner was not ready to let the driver stop the cab. When the auto driver slowed down I immediately jumped out of it, gave the money, got the change and finally got into the cab. After resting myself only I realized I dint even thank the auto driver in that 5-7 minutes travel. Even now I am feeling so bad for that. Where will I find him to say thanks… only thing I feel now is ‘God bless him’.