Ladders and Snakes

As we all know, as the above picture says it is “Snakes and Ladders” but, in my life it is always “Ladders and Snakes”. Wondering why it is Ladders and then Snakes for me? Let me take you guys through my life’s journey so far on how this worked on me.

As a Kid:-

Ladder: - Met a friend, who after sometime became a best friend, thought he was the best friend for life.

Snake: - His dad had a transferable job; he went to some place, undiscovered till now, coz we were in Standard 1 when we last saw him and then, we dint have any social networking sites or cell phones to track him and he is undiscovered till now as we remember only his baby looks.

As a teen:-

Ladder: - Saw a heavenly handsome guy in my class 9, had a great lasting crush, got a chance to act as a heroine with him in my school drama competition, became friends, thought he was the one in my life.

Snake: - He expressed what I wanted to hear, Yes!! It was those magical words…. But it was magical for my best friend who played a vamp in my school drama.

As an adult: -

Ladder: - Fresh faces, new beginnings, new life… aha!! It was college days, indeed it was colourful days!! Good looking girls are often admired and I was very proud as I was on the guy’s hit list, thought I was the most wanted.

Snake: - None of them came and told anything to me. They didn’t even talk to me though other girls got many proposals. This was because; my dad was a prof in the same college. Probably this was the most disappointing of all.

As a dream chaser:-

Ladder: - I act, therefore I am. Acting is one thing which drives me crazy. Got a chance to act for a renowned theatre group, rehearsals were on day in and out, worked hard on expressions, we had a very good show at the end in which I held two roles. Thought this would be my first show to die for.

Snake: - An epic ride which left my collar bone into pieces. This was a day before my first show. I was just a spectator in my first show.

These were few incidents of Ladders and Snakes in my life. I can go on and on.

Life is a roller coaster ride is what I have learnt.

Ranju…

DI v/s MI

DISCLAIMAR: - All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

You must be wondering about the “Disclaimer”. Hmmmm, that’s very important for this piece. Let me hit the nail now. DI and MI sounds weird isn’t it? “DI = Daughter In Law and MI= Mother In Law”. In real life even the characters are little weird. For those who got offended please go back to the “Disclaimer”.

I know!! I was lazy these many days not to write something and just relax. But that was not the reason. I was watching a nice flick between DI’s and MI’s and was lost by looking these bunch of talented people who are capable of bull fighting with a laughing face. These are few incidents which I came across recently and I was provoked to write about this.

INCIDENTS:-

1.     In a house party: - There was this collection of paintings put up in one of my friend’s place and this friend of mine is a DI. She had a bunch of awesome paintings by many great artists like Raja Ravi Varma, Jamini Roy, Picasso, Titian etc. The crowd was keen to see these wonderful paintings. There arrives my friend’s MI. Dressed modest, sparkling high heels; her perfume fragrance was spread across the room. My friend invites her MI with a grinning face. But, I could see the cold war between them pouring out of their kindness towards each other. Here starts the real story. “MI to her fellow MI- The paintings are up to the mark. My daughter paints so well you know… She got first place in her college talents day this time. That doesn’t mean that my DI is not great. But, she could have taken some guidance from my daughter before she painted these canvases. Anyway next time she does the same, I am going to suggest her.” This is how MI in this incident ended her criticism on the paintings. Do you think I have to end this incident by giving a conclusion?  I will leave it on you folks. I had a comic blast that evening. And the award for the best criticism on paintings goes to my friend’s foolish… sorry, sorry “STYLISH MI”.

2.    Out in the bright: - A lousy bright morning, holding my hot cup of coffee I went out, as I heard strong voices. It was a usual fight between a DI and MI. I really enjoy watching these fights. It feels like I am wearing 3D glasses with nachos in my hand and witnessing the last scene of Karate Kid. Pushing my witty thoughts aside, I was enjoying the show. I loved MI’s cleverness in this scene. You know why? Wait for this incident to end. Even you will fall in love. Fight starts with DI shouting to the loudest of her voice. She made common people see god’s that day, as her voice was reaching those heights.(Even they, I mean god’s must be enjoying the show and would have thought why disturb them and kept quiet putting their 3D glasses and nachos back, as I did. ) DI in this case was a short female and opposite was her very tall MI. As I noticed and up to my limited knowledge DI had finished all most all the fantastic words in her dictionary. Fight was a very short one according to me. Because it’s called a proper fight only when both the opponents do justice to their roles. In this case only DI was doing her bit and MI says only one sentence after her DI is done and that is… “MI looks horizontally and says I think some dog is barking out my dear DI, I can’t see it. Can you please go out and throw a stone at him?” DI was creeped out. MI was a real sarcastic female as she pretended as if she can’t see her short DI who sounded like a dog. Though I enjoyed the show for a short while, I had a treat seeing this clever MI. Hope you guys fell in love with this lady’s cleverness aswell. And the award for the best background score goes to my neighbour’s harsh voiced… sorry, sorry “SWEET VOICED DI”.

3.    The Wedding Saga: - Generally, attending weddings is not at all my cup of tea, coffee or anything HOT for that matter. But, poor me was forced to attend some weddings because of 101 reasons of daily life which even you folks would have come across by now. Enjoy what you do is simultaneously equal to Enjoy what you see in my case. First thing I do in weddings is standing in queue to wish the couple so that my next target of eating the humongous spread hits accordingly. As the family of the couple were famous in the city the hall was crowded and I had to wait for some time to get on stage. Meanwhile, I started noticing this     DI and MI who were up next to wish the couple. Both were very well dressed and seemed like they were more interested in photographs than wishing the newly wed. Both had a still camera each in their hands and went up on stage. My concentration deviated as I met an old friend and we both were in conversation for at least 20 minutes. I was happy as the crowed moved and was also depressed as I missed this self-obsessed DI and MI’s scene. Guess what? Couple were out of the scene, I panicked.  I thought couple were done with the wishers and went back to rest. But, scene there was different. The so called self-obsessed DI and MI were busy striking poses and clicking their own pictures. Bride and Groom were out of my sight down stage fed-up of this DI and MI couple. I somehow started liking attending weddings from then on as I had an evening filled with funny scene around me. Hope even you guys would explore something like this. So, please attend weddings or family functions. And the award for the best pose goes to…. God, I am so confused and yet to decide as the poses of both

DI and MI were spectacular and I feel the award should be shared between them.

The STAGE is all yours, pose please….

I really thank each DI and MI who gave me an opportunity to write this piece and kept me entertained these many days. “Thanks again”.

Think of a life, with a “View Mode”

The name says it all….. Yes! You guessed it right. “This is an absolute answer for all of your question marks?”  We all can have a greedy wish for this. But, never expect this.

CUT TO-----Intro

Intro-

Easily explainable things are most complicated to achieve. I have this attitude of explaining things in an easy way. Understand the rest of my expressions!!! I love leaving “the end” to the audience conclusion, let me start, by saying conclude the intro yourselves for this situation- “I started a game in my cell phone and noticed an interesting option “VIEW NEXT LEVEL”. Hope you guys completed guessing what I wanted to conclude. Let’s go Scene wise.

CUT TO-----Scene 1 “Please get ready, please don’t come”

It’s a lazy day. You get up late. There is a strong voice downstairs which says, “For god sake get ready and come soon. Don’t you remember? We have to attend Meenakshi’s wedding”. You are pissed you go crazy and shout back “Please do the honours yourselves. I am not at all interested”. By then, you get a creepy idea of switching on your view mode. View mode is activated and you see Handsome Hunks or Hot chicks in Meenakshi’s wedding and you get ready in no time. By then your parents would themselves say “Please don’t come”. Even Parents can get creepy ideas. Hope you guys completed guessing what I wanted to conclude. Let’s go to the next scene.

CUT TO-----Scene 2 “I have got it!!!”

Skinny jeans, cool tees and sunglasses, you look shiny. You start your Dad’s bike with a big smile to meet your special someone. Dad with a concerned voice says, wear the helmet. Ah! Dad, my hairstyle, think about it! Don’t you think it’s more important? I don’t wana wear…. You hear your dad’s curse “That’s fine, my money will be paid to the Government in the offence of not wearing the helmet, how can I stop you!!!” You get creepy and switch on your View mode. View mode is activated, you see a cop stopping you. You rush in, wear the helmet and start. You are very happy of what you did. Cop stops you and you say “I have got it”. Cop with a sarcastic voice says, you look young, show me your licence… You realise that in a hurry to meet your special someone, you forgot to see your view mode properly. Hope you guys completed guessing what cop would have done. Let’s go to the next scene.

CUT TO-----Scene 3 “I am not at home today.”

Hot coffee, beautiful wife what else does someone expect other than this on a holiday….?  You plan a day out with your loved one. Sketch a beautiful day for her. You plan to surprise her with your fantastic day out plan. Phone rings, with a strong voice, you answer the call. Your voice soothes after a while, Boss online, “you have to come to office today an urgent meeting with the client”. Your day is crashed. You suddenly make a plan and say, Sir, as it was a long weekend; I am not at home today. Boss says, I am in front of your home I am able to see you. Don’t fool me. Boss was creepy this time. Hope you guys completed guessing what boss would have done. Let’s go to the next scene.

CUT TO-----Scene 4 “I conclude”

What would have really happened with “view mode”? On a serious note. Many lives would have saved, many things could have changed and many disasters could have stopped.  But, what is life, if you get to know things in advance? What is life without thrill? So, let’s take life as it comes. There is a reason for everything in this world. Cheers to this puzzled life.

Ranju….

You, Me and the beautiful night.

You started it! You always do it! You never listen to me! You irritate me! GO AWAY….. This was how he started his monologue. Loneliness was his only companion. He blew his heart, to throw out the loneliness which was a part of him. Never could he be successful.

“She was beside me, where is she now? Though I can’t see her, I can feel her around me forever”- I sat beside him when he just finished saying this. I held his hand which was tender, the hand which was in hers a while ago. Consoling him with many untrue words was the only approach I knew. But, he was not one among them who heeded what I said.

He went back to that night where they had one of the lovely conversations of their lives.

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Why do I feel like kissing and caressing you all the time? Those enigmatic eyes of yours, drives me into some unknown world. Why didn’t I become that good god who created you? Why was his touch the first one on you? Am I unlucky to have you so late in my world? Oh! My darling doll, I am still fortunate to have been gifted you as my love. Her elegant eyes opened up as he mumbled these words.

She heard all these exaggeration of him. Opening her eyes gently with those dimpled smile on her curvy lips and told “Stop being poetic on me my lord, you embarrass me” with her soothing voice, which was in competition with all the nightingales. I know you love me and I do not need any decorative statements to understand your pure love towards me. She knew that I was the only person who could feel her always.

I did not know this was our last conversation, a conversation which left me lonely. That night she was afraid, she was betrayed by something, her eyes were dusky, she didn’t want to sleep. Like a child who is not willing to sleep until her bed time story, she pestered me too much for the unfulfilled promises. Those promises which both of us knew that it was beyond our reach. She was poetic that night.

She started the talk with the most romantic speech, with her sweet voice. Those lines about me were the ones I always wanted to hear from her, from the beginning of our relationship. I was lost in her arms with her comforting sentences, which did not make me realise that this was my last chat with the person whom I always imagined a life with. 

“Hold my hands my lord; your lady will be no more with you after this night”. This night is her dream night, in which she is with her beloved person. Whom she always loved to be with, with whom she was most comfortable, with whom she fought utmost and with that person who she looked more than that almighty….

By closing her lips softly with a kiss, I said, you are being poetic my lady.  With a painful laugh she said. “I always loved the way you expressed yourself and your love my lord. I was hesitant of that love and thought of you every time.”  I was surprised to know that she was fearful for me. The answer came from her with those big tears rolling from her eyes.

“I miss you after this night. But, I go to the world where no one knows what happens and you are the one who will stay here and think of me every moment. We have prints of our love in nook and corner of this home. In this home, where I first stepped in with you, where I had my most romantic days with you. Where we both thought entire life together. How will you live my lord? I am scared to leave you like this.”

With all untruthful gestures, I grabbed her in my arms, which was the most hurting moment of all. I promised her to feel her around always and make her proud in the world she is in. Controlling my bundle of tears, I said, we know that we are not together after this night, my lady, but you are in me for whole of my life. Poetic love in me is expressed only to you my life…..

Saying this I made her sleep in my arms for the last time and told her, don’t be hesitant my lady there is no one around, it’s only “YOU ME and THE BEAUTIFUL NIGHT”….

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Coming back to present, with his hands off from mine, he wiped his wet eyes. He asked me for a promise, a promise to love someone till eternity. As a writer, I virtually saw this unconditional love between them and I attribute this write-up to this man, who shared his story and gave a wonderful title to his love….

Ranju…

I love you...

I have told I love you for many people, don’t mistake me, not in the way you are thinking. But, now genuinely I would like to say “I love you” to someone. Someone who has made my life better, splendid, spectacular… too less to expound about how miraculous my life has been because of this “someone”.

There is a famous saying in Sanskrit which says “Mounam saamathi lakshanam” means silence is the answer for acceptance. Like the saying goes, my acceptance was silence which made us go hand in hand. Same was the reaction from my “someone”.

Aren’t you folks little curious to know who this special “someone” of mine is? Okay, before I get beaten up black and blue, let me tell who this “someone” is. Oh, come on, not that person, not the other one too, not even him, or him. Actually that “Someone” is not a “He”!  Stop thinking weird about me please. This “Someone” is my cell phone’s “SILENT MODE”.

I know, I know… Silent mode can never become someone, it’s something. But this something became someone to me as this helped me too much in my life’s upcoming. This was my companion in my office meetings where I silently without anyone’s knowledge sneaked into my cell phone. It helped me to keep myself busy during boring weddings.

It took care of me when I was sleeping, by taking all my calls and messages silently. In cinema hall, in the classes I attended, in any situation I was in, my silent companion was with me to support me. To whom else will I say “I love you” other than this silent friend of mine?

I also learnt many things from this love of mine. He taught me to be silent to feel myself, to be silent when people are talking something which you have no idea about, to be silent when you are doing something very important. He taught me to be elegant enough.

Common question is, how will I be elegant, if I am silent? I was named ‘Elegant’ when I sat on a dinner table with so called high society people and had no clue about their conversation and picked up the wine glass with my hands sophisticatedly twisted exposing a fake smirk and silently muttered   “hmmmm…yes…exactly”…. People there esteemed my presence though I was silent.

Thanks to my latest love “Mr Silent mode” for his iconic presence in my life and making me blossom in midst of many, though I was Silent. As always... I love you -“Silent mode”.

Ranju….

My First Crush

Ah! Look at that blush on your face when you see this. I was once possessed by the same. Everyone, at least once till date, would have had crush on someone. OMG! Come back to present and concentrate on my post now. But, how many of you remember your first crush out of so many crushes you have had till date?

Ask me. I remember my first crush.  It’s very rare that we get to hear about this concept nowadays. That is “Boy meets girl, there is some spark between them, and they love each other and live happily ever after”. Trust me, long back in my higher primary, I experienced this concept. And it was just a wonderful experience if I recollect it now.

It was my school annual day celebration. I was in a play with a leading role and I was playing the role of a very beautiful lady called “Shakuntala”. You can’t see me blushing now but actually I’m. Okay, with not too many diversions let me get into the actual ‘What happened’ in my past.

Here enters the King “Dhushyantha”. This is the moment I had my first crush. We had daily rehearsals and we both hardly spoke when we were out of the character. Till the day when I saw him on stage, I dint realise he was my first crush. Oh! His charm in King’s costume is inexplicable. A perfect picture of a Greek god was on my mind. Totally I fell for him that day.

I don’t know what it was called. I was too young to do that kind of math then. That day was an awesome shocker of my life time. He came up to me and started the conversation. He said many things like- I looked pretty, I am a good actor and so on and so forth in which few are confidential.

Next day onwards we were very good pals and now I thought the concept of “Boy meets girl….” Which I told earlier, was working with me. It was hard to believe that my first crush was my first love. But, one-way traffic is always bad in case of crush or love. This went on for few days where I enjoyed my days of walking in a dream.

These creamy days of mine had to end. I told you guys that, this remained an experience to me. One day, after school it was again a rehearsal for an inter school competition. As usual I was eager to see him. He looked mesmerising even in school uniform after the annual day. He called me and told something for which, for a moment I was dumbstruck. He said it. The same thing, which I had. Yes, yes… it is the same thing. He had a “Crush” but I never heard it fully.

Finally! I said to my soul. Oh, I knew you would say this… I knew you have a crush. He accepted and said yes! I have a crush and I think it’s my first love as well. I had goose bumps when he said this. I was curious to hear my own name. Then he told, Listen! I need your help in this success of mine. I was going out of control. All my enthusiasm came down to ground zero when he told with the loudest of his voice “I have a crush with the girl who played “Sakhi (assistant of Shakuntala)” in our play.

Poor me! I stood crumpled. Didn’t have any reaction for a moment. I was his Shakuntala only in the play and not in real life. As all sad love stories, mine also ended supporting him for getting my friend. Doing favour’s for him to make her feel good. Seeing them from far and getting jealous. My entire higher primary I spent days doing this.

It was a fresh leap all together. I mean, it was my college days. I left all my sad crush story back and from there till now… I don’t know how many crushes I have had. Today, once you are done reading this post, go back and remember all those crushes in your life, smile at them. Come back and start counting new one’s guys…..

Ranju….

So….. What’s next?

I am typing this post in one hand. What? Did you guys ask why? Coz I am posting this just a week after I broke my collar bone. So, please ignore my mistakes…

People, what do you think on the title of this post? I dint even think before deciding on this title. For that matter I don’t think at all. But, this is the common question asked whenever I feel I have achieved something.

Right from my play home to my graduation, I’m hearing this. I am sure even you guys have faced the same. I finished my play home, I was asked. So cute! You finished your play home? So, what next? Man! How would have my parents felt for this question? Sure thing. Irritating right? If I could answer, I would have told, yes. I finished my play home and my next plan is to join IIM for my PG. Though I wished, I was not allowed to.

After I finished my 10^th grade, second year PU, B.COM I was surrounded by hundreds of what’s next? But, I selected the field which I always loved. Whenever I was asked this, back of my mind was only one thing. Bloody! Enjoy the success man then let’s decide what’s next….

But somewhere in the corner of my heart, I was not different compared to any of those hundred people who asked me “so, what’s next? “. After I felt I achieved something which has to be enjoyed for quite some time, the very next moment I asked myself was…. “So… what next?”

Ranju….