comedy of (colourful)errors!

my super awesome white whistled merrily atop the mantelpiece.. i shrug off as my acknowledgement to its sweet whistles..

and a closer look kinda loosened me up.. meaning, i couldn't stop but grin in a real devilish manner on seeing and reading 'something'..

of well! it was a standard wish for the festival.. well, at least, its safe to assume here that that's what it was supposed to be.. but what it turned out was something like this---"happy Hoti"..

now again, this can have varied connotations.. so to each his own.. 'coz i'm fosho not divulging mine here.. but yeah, it was enough to have me grinning in that signature devilish manner..

and i was supposed to be polite.. so i was supposed to reply to the message.. and after a lot of effort, i finally managed "wish you the same"...!!!!!!

blah'd along the shitness.

the day was s***.. not that it started out that way.. no.. infact, the start-up was decently alright.. good, in fact..  waking up "earlier" than my usual schedule.. waking up "peacefully", that is to say, sans the bludgeoning by the kid.. a nagging headache, but well within the tolerable limits.. no mad rush for the bathroom.. no fights over the same with pops.. the usual cup of coffee.. the usual space and time for the newspapers.. it was going nice and smooth.. back in my room.. checking mails.. the download from last night finishing.. you see, it was decent.. even sitting down to study for the test.. and then abandoning it right at the beginning when being called by the girl friend for a movie.. morning show of a movie which was in the list to be seen.. really good movie.. coming back home in the afternoon.. a good lunch, with almost all my favourites..
so, what could possibly have gone awry that i end saying. the day was s***?

stumbling over the "chats".. those conversations.. those stupid random blabber worthy conversation.. the almost never ending ones..
and that, fucked me up! completely and in a real royal way..
and i needed to get my mind off it..

pen and paper came to my rescue.. and a lil help from the camera and instagram and other photo edit stuffs..

found this tucked away in some forgotten corner of my book.. 

i don't believe in god, but i know that you do!
i don't pray either, but i know that you do!
but i do wish!
i believe in miracles and i know you'll believe in mine!
and so i wish---

came across this photo of a muslim lady offering her prayer on a photoblog.. and for some reason, i dunno why, i started scribbling this on the paper.. and before i actually realised, the frame was done already.. i couldn't finish this.. and so, it stays like that.. a bit barren, yet, not that odd-to-the-eye..

work in progress

this is my attempt at reproducing an artist's impression of a Bandra House.. yes, this house actually exists even today.. i dunno, how close or far away i am to the original work, but atleast, it looks like a house.. and the auto too looks like an auto.. i asked for approval on this from three people.. three close people.. Pops, being the first one.. he said its good.. the next person being a school-friend of mine, because, he was fascinated with the auto in the original picture.. he gave me an 'awesome'.. and of course, i have to pass it through M.. he says he loves it.. and he also says, im a crazy artist..

maybe i am.. this sudden spurt is definitely attributable to being crazy.. 

thats how bad those erstwhile loved conversations fucked me today..

and maybe, crazy was the only way to go around that..

and yes, maybe the graphite and the paper do have the magic touch to soothe me.. and i'll say, that, its a bit better now.. after all the sudden surge of scribblings.. 

but that wont stop me from saying, even now, and still, that the day was s***!

and it stays at that..

Have I really changed?

kalke obdi it used to be only the outsiders..
such as, the colleagues, acquaintances, neighbours, friends, and the likes of them..
where, a little change of attire, on my end (read : Indian trad, further read : kurta) would result in,"wow! you look so *****y.. and you're so dressed up.."

so, the surprise comes when it's Mamma..
a plain brownish yellow kurta, was all that it took for her to say, "aajke eto sheje-guje hotath?"

so, the point--Have I really changed, that much, that even Mamma gives me such reaction?

p.s. i told Mamma, me wearing a normal kurta doesn't qualify as being "sheje-guje", unless it is accompanied by pretty earrings, wrist full of bangles and may be a bindi too!

crush-ing imperfection :)

so, we meet today.. after a real long one month.. and oh boy! ain't i happy!

he is perfect.. 

ticks off all the correct boxes of mine.. 

he is tall.. 

he is handsome.. 

he's got a good mop of hair in the desired shade, oh so perfect!

he is nicely built.. not too fat.. not too thin.. not the skinny types.. and neither the bulging types.. just the right version for me.. :)

fair doesn't apply to him.. as that's his skin..!

and absolute mesmerizing eyes.. not the poetic version, and neither the artist's version.. just the right 'eyes'..

and such a cute smile!

oh! and the way he smiles..

he rides a Bullet..

and he cleans it himself too.. with buckets, mops, waters, et al.. all serious hands down approach!

and he lives just two buildings away!

so you ask, "imperfection?"

well yeah.. meeting today.. and where? at the druggist! well, that's not too bad.. but him checking me out in my pj's.. nah! that's the embarrassing part.. at least for the time being! *chuckle!* coz, next to me, he looked super hot in his shorts-tee-loafer with his messed up hair all over the face!

so, bad dreams resulting in a morning like this? aah well! i can take the bad dreams then.. :)
as long as i get him in my mornings.. though, preferably not in a drug store and in pj's..!!!


*flying! violins!!!! reds!!! pinks!*

..and he said,"YES."

him : "we need to buy a car.."

me : (surprised look) "really?"

him : "yes, pretty much.. and i'm serious about this.."

me : "ohk.. if this is so much on the serious note, then can i chose the registration number? i already have something in my mind.."

him : "haha.. alright.. yeah.. you do that.."

(and he says yes! and he says yes! and he says yes! *jumping with joy!*)

when yours truly becomes the chef!

date : 10th March, 2013.
day : Sunday
venue : Home!

and yours truly dons the chef's hat!
occasion : ?
none special.. being Sunday is all i need! oh and yes.. no classes being added bonus! and no tests being the fringe benefits and incentive!
so, my folks decide to have me as the appointed chef for the day! the old man goes to the market.. and well, by the time he returns, im finally awake.. and the decision took place subsequently!

and so, the menu? *drum rolls!*
presenting, the Parsi staple.. Dhansak! and well, im no expert at that.. and today was only the second time that i'd be even attempting that! but yeah! thats on! and how.. :)

umm, i probably may have not followed the 'authentic' recipe or the 'way to cook'., but the end result was finger-lickin'-good.. so yeah, who cares about that, as long as it tastes awesome, such as the entire thing faces the danger of disappearing in a very short notice..!

so, the fact that it was a finger-lickin' success, i thought of putting it here..(narcissism on the high!) presenting, yours truly's version of a Parsi flavour!

and thats how i began.. well, this one is when im done with the choppings and the washings and the assemblings of the myriad ingredients..

ingredients : 

• chana dal : 1 cup
• arhar dal : 1/2 cup
• masoor dal : 1/2 cup
• mutton : 1 kg*
• oil : 2 tbsp*
• cumin seeds : 2 tsp
• green chilli slit : 8*
• ginger paste : 1 tbsp
• garlic paste : 2 tbsp
• onion chopped : 4 large
• tomato chopped : 4 medium
• salt : to taste
• red chilli powder : 4 tsp
• coriander powder : 4 tsp
• cumin powder : 4 tsp
• turmeric powder : 1 tsp
• garam masala powder : 1 tsp
• lemon juice : 2 tbsp
• fresh corriander leaves chopped : for garnishing*

*mutton can be either with/without bone.. doesnt matter!

*chillies is entirely dependent on your preference.. i tend to go very low on that..

*oil, again is something according to your preferred usage..

heat oil in a pressure cooker.. add cumin seeds and green chillies and saute till the cumin seeds start turning brown.. add ginger paste and garlic paste and saute for half a minute.. add onions and saute till golden brown.. add tomato and salt and continue to saute for 2 more minutes.. add the chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and mutton and saute for 2 minutes.. stir in the garam masala powder.. add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil.. close the lid and cook till you have 2 whistles.. when the pressure has reduced completely, add the soaked dals, and 3-4 cups of water, depending on the already existing water content in the pressure cooker.. bring it to boil (again) and cover the lid till you have 8-10 whistles.. allow the pressure to reduce completely on its own.. remove the lid.. stir and mash in the dals lightly.. stir in the lemon juice and the coriander leaves (if you wish) and simmer for 5 minutes.. and voila! you're done!

and this is how mine looked.. well yes, i havent put the coriander leaves, as i dun like the ghaas pattas! 

and so, this was out grand Sunday lunch! the one i'm proudly bragging about.. current inspiration would be the movie Julie & Julia.. and Julie being my inspiration (needless to say!)

and by the taste of it, well, me and pops literally licked off our plates clean!

so, a fuss free indulgence.. and all done in an hr! :) point of advise though, get someone to chop onions! thats a real dampener!

aah! so, after a meal like this, a Sunday, even in a shithole of a place like mine, seems grand!

well, mine sure is! at least, this Sunday!

daddy's darling

her : tora dui bon mile toh bochhor bochhor notun phone kinchhish!
me : heehee.. or ta janina.. but, for me, daddy's darling it is!

*hop-n-skip-n-jumpity-jump-jump-slip-n-slide-n-hoppity-hop!*

trigger

it was almost a lil more than three years ago, when i first wrote a pome for someone because i was asked to.. and it was supposed to be personal.. all i was told was to write something for him.. something nice.. anything..
and i did.. and it was three pages worth a marathon effort, wherein i even managed to rhyme the words and end the sentences.. and it was at 3 A.M.. and it still is personal..

and today, again, i happened to form some sentences for the very same person, even without being asked for it.. something intangibles triggered something inside me.. and the words just flowed.. and the sentences just formed.. it was surreal.. all i could do then was to grab hold of a pencil and scribble it down on any surface that will hold.. i was afraid to lose the string of sentences..

and now, i know its a wait for three months till i make that known.. three months from now, will be the perfect day.. three months from now, IS going to be the best day for it..!

****

THREE years back..

THREE in the morning..

THREE pages..

THREE years later..

THREE months till..

magic of THREE.. and whoever said THREE is a magical number, i bow to thee.. at least, you got that holding right for me..

scooter on my wall

"scooter ta o dewale lagano hoye gache?"
"haan.. tokhon-i toh lagalam.."
"kano?"
"maane?"
"ota oto bhalo hoyeni toh"
"amar ghar, amar dewal, ami ja icche lagabo.."
"tui toh er theke-o bhalo aakish.."
"haan, eta bhalo kore aakini.. maajh raastae aar eta icche korchhilo na.. tai heejeebeejee kore diechi.."
"ekta bhalo aaka-r pashe eta...."
"i dont care.. everything shouldn't be perfect.."