Gratitude

There are times when I think what’s the need of writing an acknowledgement note. People, who know me, know that I am forever grateful for their help, motivation and encouragement. They don’t need an external endorsement or proof of my sentiments.

But—there is always a ‘but’ to any argument :) —I have realized (I’m glad not too late) that I want to capture the nuanced feelings and emotions that are going through me as the book continues climb the Amazon bestseller chart and maintains its position in its genre.
So here I am writing the ‘acknowledgement’ for this close-to-my-heart novel; ‘The Bodyguard’ after one month as I hit the ‘publish’ button on Amazon KDP, and I hope my well-wishers will forgive me for this delay.

The story wouldn’t have been possible without the priceless feedback from my beta-readers Neelesh Inamdaar, Preethi Venugopala and Ruchira Khanna.

I would like to thank Neelesh for his insightful evaluation of the manuscript. This story would not have been what it is without his hard hitting email which made me realize that exceeding readers expectations is of paramount importance than publishing a half-baked product for a contest. Neelesh, God must be watching over me the day I thought of you as my beta reader for both Jugnu and The Bodyguard and you agreed. I really thank you for taking out time from your busy schedule and showing me the mirror.

Experts say whatever is visible sells, and that has been proven true with my new release. Thank you Manoj Vijayan for such a fabulous cover. You have captured the essence of the story so beautifully in just one frame.

Shantala, my last-minute goto morale-booster. If you have given a green signal to my story then I’m sure it’ll be a sure success. Thank you Nikita, for coming to my rescue at the last moment.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank my Rock of Gibraltar, my friends; Adite, Upreet, Sue, Preethi, Sai, Devika, Esha, Paromita, Rubina, and Sundari, who are always there to advise, encourage and motivate me to move forward in life.

And thank you my creator, for being with me in everything I do.

Cheers!

Helicopter Parenting

I was next to meet the class teacher during the PTM, for my seven year old, but the mother sitting with the teacher, it seemed, was glued to the tiny chair in front of the low table. I was sure the chair was groaning under the weight of worries the mother seem to carry for her second grader.

For the initial five minutes (I believe that should be the maximum time a parent should spend during a PTM), I sat patiently waiting for my turn, admiring the various posters adorning the class walls. Every now and then, the lady moved a little and I would think that she was finished and pull myself on the toes. But she would ask another question, and I would settle again on my chair, two rows behind her. 

After five minutes, I got curious and tuned to the conversation between the teacher and her. My respect for today’s teachers went up another notch as she patiently answered, explained, assured the lady that everything that her child is doing is absolutely normal for a seven year old. I sighed and looked at the father sitting to my right, who was next after me, and we shared a painful smile.

For the first time I understood the meaning of ‘helicopter mom’. I had heard about this phrase in one of the ‘whatsapp’ messages, which I later googled and found it existed in Wikipedia as well!

Quoting from Wiki: A helicopter parent (also called a cosseting parent or simply a cosseter) is a parent who pays extremely close attention to a child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they hover overhead.

The conversation went something like this:

Helicopter Mom: ‘…doesn’t eat at home… very frustrating…’

Teacher: ‘Ya… the kids her age are like that, but if they are active then it is fine. Riya is fine, very active in all the things… don’t worry…’

Me (silently): ‘so what could the poor teacher do, if you can’t plan a tasty, healthy food!’

Helicopter Mom: ‘Do you think I should allow her to join the taekwondo classes, after her painting class…? For, you know, some physical exercise.’

Teacher: ‘Ya… that would be good… but she is interested in dance---’

Helicopter Mom: ‘No… no… her father doesn’t want her to learn dance…’

Teacher: *nods and wisely keeps quiet*

Me (silently): ‘then why did you ask if you didn’t even want to consider her opinion…’

Helicopter Mom: ‘Yeah one more thing, could you change her seat to sit beside Harsh, I want her to sit beside children who are doing well in the class… it will keep her also motivated…’

Me (silently): ‘And what about Harsh?’

Teacher: *now a bit restless* ‘I don’t think it would be possible, we have a system in the class, where all the kids keep rotating the seating position, so that they are friends with everyone and none of them always sit at the same place.’

I silently saluted the teacher and decided she needs rescuing more than anything else. I stood up and parked myself near the mother and teacher’s table, hoping she would get a hint. But no!

Helicopter Mom: ‘Oh yes, one more thing… do you think it is possible for me to come to the annual function practice?’

Teacher: *incredulously glances at me then at her* ‘Everyday?’

Helicopter Mom: ‘Yes, of course. I would then be able to make her practice at home’

Teacher: ‘Thank you so much, Mrs. XXX, but it’s our responsibility. Now if you’ll excuse me, there are other parents waiting.’

Finally it was my turn, I had my standard two dialogues interaction with the teacher about my son, how is he doing and hope he has not done anything naughty and we were finished. The teacher told me to get the form for change in bus route from the bus-incharge in the staff room. 

As I reached the staff room, I noticed the same lady sitting in front of another teacher, jabbering away about poor Riya and I did an about-turn… 

Year 2014: Discovered Passion

Image courtesy venues.meraevents.com

The year 2014 was a happening year, as any year is… the family was in good health, there were some career progression, a few personal targets were achieved, on the down side I gained a few kilos instead of losing them, why let’s see…

Year 2013 left a void in my life when my elder one left the nest, and joined college. After months of pre-occupation with board exams, the entrance exams and the admissions, I was left with nothing to think or aim at.

I have always been reading… and reading a lot. My mother used to threaten that she would burn my books and my husband is still jealous of the time I am with books. But, how many books one can read without any real work?

It was then someone suggested writing. Being a process consultant I know there are many books, in fact good books in the field of process consulting. So non-fiction was a no-no. It was then my jealous husband said, why don’t you write fiction, since you relish them so much?

Read more...

This post was written as a guest post on Devika Fernando's blog. I would like to thank Devika for inviting me to share my thoughts about year 2014. Check out the complete post here. 

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Hollywood Recalibrated... what do you think fellow Indians?

New Jersey, USA 1998

Excited I sat there with my friend, ready for my first movie experience in US of A.
It was in one of the theatres, which had eight movie halls (a unique thing in 1998, for a person who was abroad for the very first time). Noida, where I was based, was about to boast its image by planning to have a three hall movie experience in Centre Stage Mall at Sector – 18.

But I digress; the movie was ‘Armageddon’ with my favorite Bruce Willis starring in it. The film was wonderful through and through. It had that typical flavor of USA smugness (we didn’t mind, as long as we were entertained), that predicted doomsday for entire earth and only Americans can, somehow save the world.

Towards the climax, we came to one particular scene, a two-second frame that made me cringe, as if one had encountered a speck of dust in the wonderful American stew. A little, tiny, speck of dust which grinds between your teeth, sending shivers down your body and spoils a tasty dish, you were relishing.

The scene was something like this; the whole world is looking up to Sceintists at NASA, Bruce Willis and team, to rescue them from the catastrophe. At the background the ominous music played, a glimpse of every part of the world is shown, people are watching, praying, waiting. And in that two-second frame we glimpse our India. In the backdrop of the seventh wonder of the world, Taj Mahal, the camera focuses on an emaciated man in white dhoti and turban, with cataract eyes and behind him several such men are shown bowing down.

My friend and I, in choreographed movements, turned towards each other. Sitting there in jeans, eating popcorn and sipping coke, both of us had the same question in our eyes. Is this what the world perceives India to be, even now, in spite of all our efforts? She being intelligent enough to study in USA with full scholarship. And me, thought worthy enough to be sent there for the final integration testing phase, for one of the company’s IT projects.

Anyway the climax was quite emotional and action packed, so we ignored our peeve, and enjoyed the last part (after all we had paid for the movie) :-)

Cut to Noida, India 2014  

Hearing great reviews by everyone, including Rajiv Masand (who I have never seen happy with any movie), my family and me were looking forward to ‘Interstellar’ that Friday in November. 

The hero, the handsome Matthew McConaughey (who at times I felt like was copying Tom Cruise. Fans, girls, please pardon me) chases a drone, stating it has been developed in Delhi…something… something, because in that stunned moment I couldn’t hear a single dialogue after he uttered Delhi. Only after confirming from my husband (had he heard what I have heard), I could sit and concentrate on the next scene.

Oh my! what a feeling… what a 360 degree change… 

In sixteen years, from that turban clad old man to a data collecting drone, designed by scientists in Delhi, being studied by an excited Mr. Cooper. 

You have indeed corrected your course, Hollywood. It was high time… What do you think, fellow Indians?

Images: Courtsey google images, IMDb
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Gratitude List

I am inspired by Nabanita, my fellow blogger, to pen down a gratitude list to join Laurel in this week’s Gratitude Linkup.  

So here is my list on this day, in no particular order.

I’m Grateful…

• To my friends who provided great support, when I got a discouraging personal message on FB yesterday. I never realized I had so many friends, who were more upset than me by those messages. Believe me there are wonderful positive people out there because of whom the world is what it is today.

My Top Ten Favourite Books

Random 

Following are the list of the books which have had a deep influence on my formative years and have given me the love of good stories and rich life experience. These are in the choronological order as I read over the years.

1. Noddy and his adventures by Enid Blyton - was the first one which opened the world of imagination for me. I would quickly read the story once. Then would try to match the words with pictures. If the cap was written 'red', was it of red colour or not :) The green colour fence or the rainbow and of course his car.

Recruits and Riots!

Random 

We started off to Lansdowne, a picturesque hill station in Uttarakhand, on 2^nd April (Good Friday). We were four families, all in their own cars. Four hours later, just before Najibabad, on a good empty road we were cruising merrily at 90kmph with my husband at the wheel.

I was half-asleep enjoying the music and heard my husband curse, honk and brake. Startled, I opened my eyes and saw a three people on a motorbike, cutting across the road just twenty meters ahead. The tires screeched on the road and I braced myself for a collision, both hands on the dashboard and heart beating madly.

White Canvas

Random

This is a real incident, which forced me to pen down this post. I had taken my daughter to the park in our residential society. I sat and watched the children play while my daughter was on the jungle gym.

One of the boys, hefty little fellow (let’s call him Sunny) was playing at the swing for a long time and was not allowing others a chance. The kids had this method of making a line and swing for five minutes. After much cajoling and pleading Sunny got off the swing and went to slide.

Apparently sliding was not fun for our Sunny, so he came back to his mother and complained about the long line for the swing. To my surprise she told him to go and stand first in the line and ignore everyone. Sunny’s mind, like white canvas, absorbed his mother’s instructions and followed them.

Addiction

Random  

I am an addict!

It all started because of the stupid (my favorite word at that age) school library rule. We had to issue at least one book every week. Little did I know the stupid rule was about to change my life. The magic must have been in the air when I found Nancy Drew ‘The Mystery of 99 steps’. Though I don’t remember the entire story, but I can still feel the lingering euphoria when the mystery was solved. Nancy Drew was my first mystery/ suspense heroine.

The second wave of magic weaved its spell when I issued Georgette Heyer’s ‘The Reluctant Widow’ from the senior library, which was the only novel in the library apart from classics. With Lord Carlyon the handsome hero and Miss Rochdale a courageous heroine, I was hurled into the world of adventure, suspense and romance, in that order.

I was addicted!

Wise Person in a Fool’s House!

Random 

‘Fools build houses and wise live in them!’ A friend stated when I was planning to build my own house. I never gave any importance to the wisdom of the proverb or her advice. For the next three years that it took me to construct the house, I was in complete agreement with what she had said that fated day!

I finally moved into THE house, the result of my endless hours of frustrated, exasperated, helpless and almost penniless state. I cribbed about the electrician not giving adequate number of plugs, the plumber for that leakage and subsequent repairs, unknown neighbors for the seepage on the common wall from their construction. I got all the more convinced that indeed I was a fool…