One more year's passing

16th March, 2011 is coming up! There I go again! One more year added in my age. Days passed so swift and nights swifter. It seems as if last was the month I celebrated my birthday and it again arrived so soon! So many things done and many were yet to be done in the whole year which passed. As I look back, I can see countless moments of celebration and few worth remembering, moments those drastically changed many lives and those which never mattered for some, places visited and parties attended. Much to tell and so much to describe!


My last birthday was co-incidentally falling on the same day of “Gudhi-Padva”. As I do it every year, I made many resolutions on that day too; e.g. being regular in gym, more outings, be expert in cooking, movies, music, etc! Today when the year is over, not all, but I would say, I was successful in achieving some of them! Thinking of having a quick look at the passing year, I would merrily write my experiences!


As my motto says, excursions keep your spirit and smile alive. In the beginning of month of April I spent a weekend in Mahabaleshwar with my friends. A bike trip in the land of strawberries was much refreshing. The sun in the sky was trying to scorch people on earth, whilst we were happily eating stomach full of strawberries free of cost, as there was a strawberry festival going on in the Mapro Garden. Following the trend I had a bike trip to Mumbai on forthcoming weekend, only to realize some relations are to be preserved and nurtured, for they are the fuel for the flame of your life.


The month of May was started by a joyous visit to much-appreciated Chokhi-Dhani on Maharashtra Day. A series of altogether exciting events happened that day! The performances from the staff of Chokhi- Dhani were worth remembering. A plate full of delicious food items is their specialty too. I indeed had a great time.


Soon the monsoon arrived and for people like me it’s a genuine treat offered by nature. With the promising heavy footsteps of it, the dreams of more outings were shaping up in our minds. We started with the trek to fort “Purandar”. It’s definitely a pleasure to go on trekking in rains on bikes. It was an eventful trek that we had. Not knowing the definite route to reach the top of the fort, we were climbing up and down several times and eventually arriving on the same paths. Finally after asking couple of co- trekkers, we found the correct route. I can still feel the mist and fog experienced that day. A ghat road with curves and misty rains pouring the rain drops fondly on them. A photogenic view offered by the fort and its surroundings was surely captured in our minds.


Monsoon in Maharashtra is presumed as a season of god and festivals. One of them is Ganeshotsav. This year too we visited “Five Ganesh idols of honor” in Pune. To avoid the crowd and mess, we selected a night time. A calm and assuring face of Lord Ganesha seemed to be blessing people with satisfaction and happiness. This Ganeshotsav also inspired me to learn and memorize the Atharvashirsham, which now I daily pray to the lord with.


This year or its journey, so to speak, was worth remembering, for one transformation of my life from one state to another, took place. The time was pressing and a change in job profile was needed. Luckily (read unluckily) I got an opportunity and claimed it for success. So this year’s Diwali festival went in designing hopes and ambitions to be marked in this new errand. Oft they say all that glitters is not gold. The new opportunity, though offered money, was not so challenging. All the excitement and designs were blown off. But sometimes, you find blooms in thatches too! So did I find a friend for life time. She whiffed off my pains by her convincing thoughts and sweet talks.


Meanwhile we were consistent in our outing trend. We had journey to Kas in Satara district. It has got  seasonal wild flowers in the month of September and October.We did visit fort Raigad in the October end. An excellent but a tiring trip it was. Friends who have fled abroad for studies or work, when came back for a visit, joined us for a trip to Alibaug. Now an unforgettable event happened here for the 1st time. We got robbed for money, without our knowing. This was quite disheartening, but it didn’t deteriorate the fun by even a single percent. In the month of February we arranged not just one but two trips; one to Daman and another to Bhimashankar. Both of them were equally great and happening. And now when the year is coming to an end, another heartening this has happened. I have found another opportunity to venture on a new path of my career.


There were many nice movies seen in this gone year; some worth watching and some not to be seen even a single time. The number of Marathi plays seen was greater than the one for last year. Not to mention, all the plays were worth watching. I ought to mention one more thing here; I got my second niece Gauri this year, who is way too sweet and adorable.


You don’t get anything you desire for, they say. It took these many years for me to realize this. But yes, hope for better future keeps your lamp of life glowing. This year was seemed to be dedicated for friendship and much more. I rejoiced with old friends, tighten the bonds with present friends and hope to find new friends, for friends are the only ones, without whom my life reduces to naught! I learned lot many things in this wonderful year. I learned to laugh out loud for no reason, to love and care unselfishly, to take wise decisions, to cook new recipes and much more. The last days of this fantastic year are now passing and waving me a good – bye. They presented me with new hopes and desires for the upcoming year. May I be successful in achieving things that I seek for. Amen!

Grow Up Wise

It might be too early to write this! Because when you are in your twenties, the world around is as jubilant and carefree as you are! I am no exception too! If given a chance I would also plan and execute a trip in an hour or spend a quality time with loved ones; or can just go around for shopping; try new recipes and what not! Lot many things to do in a short span of time! Not that difficult, right? Not just me, many of us are as enthusiastic as I am or maybe more! But when this age of enthusiasm starts passing by and we slowly start bending towards the ‘old age’ physically as well as mentally, it’s certainly not easy to accomplish the aforementioned things!

The other day I saw a very old man, maybe in his 80s, begging on a crowded street! Surely, money would have pleased him temporarily at that time. Even I did what a socially responsible person was expected to do! He might not be too rich or a well organized person in his young age, which probably caused him to spend his last days on streets and suffer much more than he can afford. But if we peer around us properly, we can figure out many such men and women, who unluckily endure much more than their capacity and finally abide for their last day on the earth. I wish to give it a try to find the root cause of it.

From my personal experience, I can surely announce that parents are 0% selfish, when it comes to bright future of their children. Right from their nourishment, education, medicines to their weddings, jobs etc; parents support financially as well as emotionally to the children till their last breathe! While doing this, many of them easily or conveniently forget the ‘future planning’ and blindly go on providing money to their loving children. Till their children grow up, parents are to get retired. And it’s a well known fact that, after retirement what you get is just peanuts. And these peanuts, when kept in a convenient black box called banks’ fixed deposit, return you hardly few bucks to spend rest of the life. A surprising fact is that their children become too busy to support them financially or emotionally.

Another thing which I perceived is there are some people, though the number is small, who trust others blindly. This hesitance to thoroughly examine the case eventually brings a person in peril. Not just relatives or friends, but own children of a man sometimes don’t care for him too! Sad but true! The one who nurtured and fed them become trivial. The so called friends or relatives become age enemies in cases which are like of these. Is money worth these fights? Some may answer ‘No’ and some would go with even ‘Yes’.

If money was not that important, why would have we such a long discussion? Definitely, money is important, but not at the cost of lovely relationships! It takes ages to grow bond with people and a single word is more than enough to break a strong bond too! Knowingly or unknowingly we oft face such situations and easily ignore them, because they might not be happening to us. But you never know; the situation might be waiting at your doorstep to knock on your door!

One more reason that I strongly feel causes these misfortunes is luxury. A huge score of people has frenzy of luxury! The basic requirements to live are changed from ‘food, clothes and shelter’ to ‘fast food, branded clothes, posh house, big car, expensive hobbies, etc’ .. The list is unending. Luxuries at young age sometimes leave poverty in old age. Nine out of ten guys, when asked about their future plans, answer that they wish to buy a big house and a brand new car. It doesn’t matter if they don’t have money to buy these expensive objects, as co-operative banks are at their service anytime. Short term planning might fail in this case to fulfill the old age requirements.

There might be lot many reasons other than the ones discussed above. But as I said earlier, it’s too early for me to discuss this. Experiences and theory are way different from each other. Though not everything, old age planning is worth a shot! For it will be the only time of your life, when you will be all alone, in the crowd of humans and emotions! So don’t you fail to plan, or you may plan to fail!

Mother Earth

Green was her stole

And blue gown she wore

blue were her eyes too

that all used to adore

She was the queen of all

And proud she felt

Behold the beauty of hers

before her all knelt

Alas! Moments of happiness

Didn’t last long

taken for granted she was

caused it all go wrong

The gown was ruined

with muddy colors

And stole was severed

for even a single dollar

Soon she looked a begger

and was cared no more

Her kids were unthankful

still them she bore

The sun and moon are brazening 

upon mounds and ridges of her

Maybe trying to console

for no escape is there

Did she ask too much?

Was her love so folly?

Nothing that she expected

save being jolly

Swards turned thatching

and seas are now gutters

such a treachery they played

wearily she utters

With hope she revolves now

that they would pay regards

for time is pressing and

more are the hazards