A Call For Change

                         
                      Mahatma Gandhi - The Father Of Our Nation said , " Be the change you want to see in the world " . Even when the whole country is flaring up in agitation , even when younsters , men and women alike from every nook and corner of the country shout out slogans against the alarming proportion of corruption swallowing up the countries resources , i say - The change ought to begin from us ! . Here in this post , as part of the Blueprint For Change Contest organised by Blogadda , i am baring my mind of some of the atrocities that have been sharp edged enough to let their scar soaring for long.

Problem No. 1 :  Demerits Of Technology

            I happened to read an article on a journal last month which dealt with the upsurgance of technology and how the mushrooming of  social networking sites and ultra modern gadgets have almost marked a revolutionary transformation in the lives of tech savvy adolescents of this generation . In a way the change is for good , for owing to stiff competition and readily available chunks of information at a punch of the button , there is no dearth of knowledge in their lives . Having said so , i cant help but hark back those days when we , as school kids , used to go to the library with the sole aim of digging out books so that we could come up with quality matters for the presentation. Well and good that today , the children have the comfort of ' googling ' out the answers sitting slumped on their couch . It sure spares them a lot of time and maybe an  allergic rhinitis as well ! . Nevertheless , i would like to point out a few demerits of this generation of technology driven minds - 

a )  The highly satisfying and highly enlightening habit , called ' reading ' is threatening to be on the verge of extinction , blame the over indulgence in social networking sites and customised mobile phones . 

b ) The kids become the elite owners of a social profile  right from the teeny age of 13 -14 . Come holidays , they soak themselves in the heat of a laptop , rather than warming up playing in the sunny day . Gone are the days when the kids used to frequent their grand parent's house to exploit that emotional facet of a blood relation . And so also they find it meaningless to uphold the familial values and the cynosure of the world gets secluded within their self  - result - Broken Families ! 

c ) When the focus shifts to acheiving success and fame , whether be it the number of likes one garners , or be it the possession of the most trending gadget , the children are letting themselves swallowed by a whirlpool of problems . They seek solace in the virtual world to escape the adversities , instead of reaching out to their parents for guidance and eventually succumb to the pressure , sometimes sinking into depression or suicide . 

Solution : 

a ) Make library periods mandatory in schools . They can function like book clubs too where the students have discussions, debates and assignments  on a classic literature piece . The students should be encouraged to read newspaper every day . They should be enlightened about the role reading plays in shaping their language skills for if they need to go out there brimming with zeal and skill and deal with real people , not much of their virtual chat box experience is going to be of any aid ! Infact , isnt it knowledge that holds the supreme power to cleanse the society of its vices in this era plunging into darkness day by day ? 

b ) Moral science teaching  , more than ever before has become the need of the hour . Rather than restricting the class to textbooks , the teachers can evaluate the needs for upholding principles  by elaborating real life incidents with a message . 

c )  Parents should restrict their children ( i am talking about school kids ) assessing internet by offering stipulated times every day for the same and also should encourage them to indulge in sports or reading during their free time . 

                                     

Problem 2 :   Lifestyle Diseases

      As a person who witnesses people struggling to fight against diseases on every single day of my work , i feel obliged to stress on one particular health problem so rampant that it outweighs all others - and that would be life style diseases like diabetes and high cholestrol blood profile . The clinical data concerning the same shows alarming accounts , which provides sufficient impetus to ponder on the subject , dissecting all its layers . The prime reasons leading to such diseases being - 

a ) Inadequate exercise
b ) unhealthy food habits , esp junk food 
c ) Stress , basically at work in the present nail biting scene of stiff competition . 

        People forget that such lifestyle diseases act as an alluring factor for more harmful diseases like cardiac arrest, stroke and cancer. This is one point where the individual alone should undertake the most needed intervention as once smitten the person forever remains a prey to such diseases . And the situation has become grave these recent years because studies show that such diseases are not anymore restricted to old age ! 

Solution : 

a ) Insinuate regular excercise into your daily routine . 
b ) Abstain from smoking and avoid bingeing on alchohol. 
c ) Reduce the intake of high calorie food .
d ) Practise meditation or yoga to alleviate stress . 
e ) Make it a point to undergo monthly clinical check up to ensure thatyour sugar and bloodpressure count are within limits, once above 40 years .         

                                            

Problem 3 :   Safety of Women

         Being eve teased and ogled at have almost become a part of their lives for the women in our country and that includes me . Be it in salwar kameez or in a pair of jeans the situation remains the same . Being groped at in public transport and grazed at in subways have become the price we are entitled to pay for being independent . With the massive outrage post the delhi rape case , the government promises to revise the existing laws in favour of the women . But is that enough ? 

Solution : 

        School education should focus on the fitness aspects of girls in addition to the academic aspect . Sports should be made compulsory such that they remain fit . Martial arts or karate classes can be made available to the girls . Lessons in defense mechanisms to tackle an attacker also would be helpful if providing the classes prove improbable . Sex education should be inculcated into the academic curriculum for both boys and girls , which could be dealt separately . Girls should be provided proper awareness by teachers and parents regarding sexual assaults . They should be encouraged to speak up for themselves and to react if a man touches her with a wrong intention . The girl child in the families too needs to be treated with respect by letting her speak out her emotions or outrage . The boys should be provided awareness as well by teaching them to respect their gal friends and to treat them equals . 
                                                         

Problem 4 :  Religious Insecurities

                           I happened to come across an article sometime back where the writer was dissecting the many chaos that persist in our country in the name of religion . The article illustrated the example of the Kochi , a city in Kerala district , where numerous sections of society harbour in peace and harmony . Delving deeper seeking the reason behind this , the researchers came to the conclusion that the people in that city are ardent and true believers of their respective religion , and because of that they are capable of  accepting the religious sentiments of their neighbours too in equal amounts . This points to the bitter revelation that , those goons and religious fanatics who massacre their country men do so because they are insecure in their religious beliefs . The situation is far more intense than it seems . And so also believing in the idea of secularism has become the need of the hour  esp with the recent incidents related to Vishwaroopam release and about Salman Rushdie being unacceptable at Kolkata , dominating the footages !

Solution :

     -  This might be one problem where sensible thinking would prove more helpful in tackling the situation than practical intervention . The moulding of a heart which holds onto the principle of secularism ought to incept from the family . The onus of  making it happen definitely rests on the shoulders of the parents which they should inculcate in their kids right from the school days. The kids should be taught that humanity is the strongest link that connects human beings and no religion is sharp enough to saw through it . As kids imbibe whatever is taught to them esp by their parents , chances are more that the idea would get engraved in their minds . 

   -  The educational institutions should lend their support too in that matter by letting the students organise celebrations in harmony during the major festivals of all religions , such that they are provided proper awareness regarding the strength of each religious belief . 

        

Problem 5 :   Unclean Surroundings

        I had been to my aunts house last week and on the way to their lane i was welcomed by the stinking site of garbage being thrown around the road and they lay scattered on the way with foul odour of decaying food piercing through my nostrils ! I asked my aunt how they cope up with such disgusting sight and her reply was that this has become a habit and people have become used to it . Should it be so ? Haven't we all vouched to keep our country clean at one point of the time or other ? Aren't we supposed to perform our duties to the country when we are adamant that we be ranted our rights ?! Is the practice hygienic especially when our country is notorious for infectious diseases ? Given that the problem is not something without a solution , its high time the citizens worked for it . 

Solution : 

         Its the duty of the Government to make it available municipality workers to clear out the garbage flooding up . Write to the minister to take mandatory actions to bring a stop to the menace . If there is no response , write again or give a petition . If there is still no response take control over the situation . CCTV monitoring can be undertaken by the corresponding secretaries of the streets and thereby the people contributing to the crime can be caught red handed . ( This has been proved successful in a few streets of my state ) . Paste anti littering posters on the walls of your streets warning strict actions against the rule benders . Take snapshots of the littering and publish it on newspapers with a short account on the problem so that the government would sit up and notice . Make provisions for discarding the garbage in our respective homes itself - dig a small pit to bury it up or to burn paper wastes . That way the need wouldnt arise to throw it away . 

          
            I have always felt that the officers reigning the Indian Administrative Service should be loaded with greater power to control the state . The fact that they toiled for hours mastering knowledge on the veracity of the problems gnawing our country , no one but they , are armored with the perfect weapons of moral responsibility and acumen to uproot the evil over shadowing the progress of our society . Unfortunately in the present scenario , they are belittled to the role of mere puppets while the politicians and influential people enjoy the last laugh !
                                

             Having drained my mind of those fuming problems , i feel as though i did a small part to address the need for a massive cleansing starting from the base  . As the citizens of this country its the responsibility of each one of us to strive for the best of the society . Are you up for it ?

                                              ***********

Image Source : Here

This post is a part of  Weekend Contest By Blogadda in association with  chanakya-s-new-manifesto

Chained

So excited to say that this post won the Gold Batom as part of the Blog-a-Ton 36 Contest ! :) 

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 36; the thirty-fifth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "and then there were none"

                          

                   The irritating noise of a key scraping against the large metal lock snapped her awake from her sleep . Every shred of her sleep paralysed muscles urged her to drift back to that blissful state one time more . To her surprise , she realised that the nightmare which usually haunted her in her sleep never bothered her last night . It was the slight motion of her friend Rekha folding her shuffled bedspread onto a neat shack , that revived her thoughts back to the present . As if in a trance , Seema , jolted up from her cot and having hurried through her bedspread ,almost scampered herself down the stairs to take a bath . Held firmly in her arms was a saffron coloured saree which she had kept apart yearningly for this day.

Returning back to her room , Seema , brushed back her locks without checking herself on the mirror . Collecting her things , she slowed down her steps and stood silenty facing her friend .  

“  You are brave and you will always be I know “ , Rekha muttered in her breath while they shared a strong friendly hug .

As Seema walked down the corridor , its floor ice cold , she grazed her warm brown eyes over the small charming patch of garden packed with bright yellow blossoms  , now swaying gracefully in the morning breeze . All the peaceful hours in her past two years, she spent nursing these flowers , and looking with admiration at her garden that day , she felt as though her favorite flowers too were bidding her farewell in their own simple way .   

Reaching the office room functioning in the next building , she scribbled her signature on the ledger as instructed .

“ I have never seen you this pleasant Seema . Be smiling the rest of your life too ok “ , the lady at the desk showered her share of blessings too . 

Making sure she had no official procedures left , Seema started walking in small rapid steps to the gate . The loud alarming shrill by which the gate opened used to send a ruffle of emotions inside her . On the contrary , this time , she found herself trying hard to suppress her urge to yank open the gate in all its fervour for she knew that no amount of shrillness can disturb the state of mind she was in this day .

A glint of  joy started playing at the corners of her mouth as she stepped out into the sunny air . Her apprehensive gaze ,  in swift motions started scanning the surrounding .

“ Seema “

She glanced back in the opposite direction and her eyes fell on a familiar figure clad in a plain green cotton saree, a face she had been seeing every month for the past two years .

“ Where is she ? Didn’t you promise me that you would let me see her when I was released from prison ? “

“ Don’t feel sad Seema  . She was not in her right mood it seems . Come , let me take you to her “ .

The journey by car to see her seemed the longest she had travelled in her whole life . As if to sketch to life the cocktail of emotions gurgling inside her depth , the sky started transforming into an inky shade . Fresh drops of rain settled on her cheek to dissolve into a wet stain . It took little effort for her mind to slid back into that black hole of dark memories once again .

Two years back , one rainy day Seema as usual was immersed neck deep in her chores at her house . Worried and dismayed was she pondering on a means to buy text books for her sister for the 12th standard classes commencing the coming week .  Little apprehension , if at all any , fleeted through her mind , when her husband called out her from inside requesting a glass of water . Caught in the middle of chopping down the logs , she had asked her little sister to carry the glass to him . After around half an hour of seeing no sign of her sister , she had rushed inside frantically only to be welcomed by the gory sight of her drunk husband trampling her half naked barely conscious sister  . Before she could encourage a second thought , before she could come back to her normal sense , she had chopped her husband to pieces with her axe  .

Cringing her eyes as the torturing events that followed flashed across her eyes , she sank back on her seat . People did stand by her at the start of the trial , but as the procedure started heading the much feared way her neighbours too started shunning her . And then there were none , not even the law to prove her right .Her relentless pleas that her husband used to assault her as well during their married years fell on deaf years . 

For months she had been bogged down by a drilling question as to whether her killing her husband should have been averted . Didnt her sister's agony deserve justice ? The man would even have strangled her sister to death in his barbarious act if she hadnt stumbled upon them .During those hours of crying softly at night in the darkness of the dingy cell , there wasnt a moment when she hadnt cursed herself for pushing her sister's life down a horrifying abyss . If it wasnt for the kind representatives of a Mahila Mandir who promised to take care of her sister while she was in prison , she would have been left in an even melancholious situation wondering what would become of her sister during her punishment years . 

As the car came to a halt , the lady guided Seema inside the Mahila Mandir to a room at the far end of the corridor . Seema noticed that place housed an alarming number of women who , unfortunately must have ended up being homeless , maybe due to no fault of their own . A girl , around 10 years sat studying at a chair facing the window while another girl , older by a few years was engaged in cleaning small bits of cobwebs from the window pane . The place seemed to throw at her a vibe of peace and contentment. 

Seema focused her gaze on a lady walking slowly towards her from a distance . Looking intently, she realised that the lady wasnt alone . Her wide opened eyes welled up in tears as Seema watched the lady bringing along with her , the one person whom she had been yearning to see for the past one year . Folding her arms, now trembling ,Seema slowly accepted her sister’s baby onto her arms and snuggled her close to her. 

The loss of her sister in child birth one year back had devastated her already shattered life . But now , looking at the months old little bundle , the fruit of her husband's mindless act , resting peacefully in her arms she felt a surge of hope tugging at her heartstrings .  

" I will keep her safe , no matter what . " A determined decision took form in her mind .

 But the very next second , she felt the dark silhouette of a fear over shadowing her hopes while a harrowing thought passed through her mind - 

' I cannot keep her safe , never when this world is cruel . '

The rapturous chuckle of the baby brought her back to the present . She kissed the baby on her cheek and offered a silent prayer to the Almighty . 

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Image Source :  Here

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Participation Count: 03

Twilight

This post grabbed the WOW Badge as part of the Write Over The Weekend contest conducted by Blogadda .

    
   The bus came to a sudden halt with no prior hint , that I almost knocked my head against the bar .

“ Are you ok , Geetha ji “ , my maid enquired , her mellow voice genuine and concerned .

“I am fine . Almost survived if I might say “ . I replied trying to sound funny , as she wrapped her agile arms around me and swayed me back to my seat .

      Travelling by public transport is a struggle in itself , worse if your age happens to be on the unfortunate side of 60 . A cold shiver shot through my body as the chilling wind sweeped through the window in a hurry . Draping my saree around tightly I flexed my arms closer to my body . The ink blue sky was in the remarkable process of giving way to the crimson clouds. Soon darkness would embrace them . Suppressing the bout of cough which scratched me at the back of my throat , I closed my eyes .

    The day was the most tiring one in months and the most dreaded . If it wasn’t for my maid who noticed a tinge of blood on the sink a few days back , I would be on my bed reciting the Bhagavat Gita at this hour of the day . The horrendous events of the day drifted across my eyes . Alarmed was I about the whole procedure , for a person in her twilight years doesn’t deserve to perch her hopes on a higher rung . But the doctor , a compassionate human being , was persuasive as he cut out a small bit of her breast tissue for the biopsy . Breast disease and blood tinged sputum ? I was confused . It might be a secondary affecting the lungs – He disclosed the assumption through his implicit speech ,  an outright revelation would have shattered me , I was sure . The benefit of the doubt would offer me solace atleast till the biopsy report comes.

   I clinged onto the bar , as the bus paused at the next stop . A lady carrying a baby in her arms entered the bus , almost staggering as the bus resumed its journey in a hurry . I watched as my maid offered the lady her seat . Settling down next to me , the lady sighed a breath of relief and smiled at me .

   I noticed that the pretty smile which twinkled on her lips failed to brighten her eyes . Is it true or is it just me , for I have always sensed people tending to pour out their minds while conversing with an old person . So did this lady , who smiled at me oblivious of the fact that it failed to mask her sorrow.

 Her name was Sakshi and she was returning after paying a visit to her mother who resided in the next town . Sakshi’s mother used to spend her days at their house till two months back , until  her husband started getting irked at the presence of an old petite woman who threatened to fall ill anytime . Try as she might , Sakshi’s pleadings to retain her mother at their house failed to pierce her husband’s deaf ears . Her mother was ousted from their house , albeit with a permission for Sakshi to visit her mother every month .

Finishing the poignant story , Sakshi  said with a gurgle of emotions stammering her words , “ My mother is sick and I miss her so much . Every bit of my heart yearns to take her back to my home and nurse her as best as i could . Unfortunately , my hands are tied .The fear of  jeopardising my family overshadows my resposibility towards my mother . Isnt my future my husband and this child ? Cruel as it might sound , I cant lose them at any cost . “ She wiped away the stream of tear that gushed down her cheeks .

I kept looking at her till tears flooded my eyes and blinded my sight . The bus shrieked to a stop once again , only that this was where I was supposed to get down .

I walked with small slow steps to the formidable building , which has been providing me shelter for the past one year –‘  Karunya Home For The Destitute ‘ , when my maid asked hesitantly

“ When are your children coming to visit you Geeta ji ? I saw them the day you were brought here , never after . Hope they will be here to take you to the hospital for the next visit . “

My heart fluttered as I answered her question with just a slight nod of my head .

 And that was when the vague doubts that have been haunting my mind for the past few months resurfaced to confluence into an answer - Maybe they never will . 

                                    *********************** 

This post is written for Write Over The Weekend , an initiative for Indian Bloggers by blogadda.com

P.S : Image Source : Find Here . 

The Coconut Skin Care

                          Hanging up the call , i stretched my hands infront of me and started scanning the skin  . Mom was right ! Winter was never a comfortable companion for the skin . Running my fingers over my skin , i could , to my dismay , feel prickliness at places .

                     
                        I  harked back those childhood days when my mother would chase me down to the floor for her coconut oil therapy . She used to spread the luke warm oil on my hands and feet and would massage them diligently focusing on my joints , until her hands felt weak . How those therapies used to leave my skin all smooth , shiny and refreshed !  After an hour of oil massage on my scalp , my mom would let me take a bath with warm water mixed with coconut milk. Not to forget the glasses of coconut water which would leave behind an admirable glow on my skin ! 

                          As taught in Community Medicine Classes ,

1 . The coconut  fruit , water and milk , contain anti oxidants , thus supplementing the skin with anti ageing and anti cancerous properties along with vitamin E and minerals like magnesium and potassium .  

2. The coconut milk  rich in lipid content ,helps in  maintaining the moisture of the skin , as it would seep into the skin deeper , thereby sealing the pores and making the skin smooth .The coconut oil when applied to the heel cracks and frayed skin  recharges the skin and thus it regains its vitality and suppleness .

3 . When massaged onto the scalp , coconut oil acts as a stress buster  removing dandruff  and dirt from the hair roots,  leaving behind a fresh feel  

4 . Coconut water is great to replenish the water content of the body . 

                      
                                Cursing my hectic schedule as a house surgeon, I pondered on a way to pamper my skin with the greatness of coconut without affecting my hospital duties . Maybe a moisturizer enriched with coconut milk ?  Surfing the net , my eyes fell on a Parachute ad :


 

                                   The widest grin adorned my face as I found the perfect solution to my problem  - ' The Parachute Advansed Body Lotion ' , available in two varieties - Parachute Soft Touch for dry skin and Parachute Deep Nourish for extremely dry skin . I learnt that they were available in 400ml bottles with a remarkably reasonable price of Rs 160 !

                               I could use it every single day , even on duty days , rather than squeezing in hours every week for the coconut oil therapy . It , coming in a small PumFp bottle further adds to the portability as well . The brand being Parachute , there was absolutely no space for any doubts or worries regarding the quality ! 

                        I beamed with happiness on adding a task to my To -Do list - ' Buy Parachute Advansed Deep Nourish   tomorrow itself ' !

                                  ********************************

P.S : Word Count - 500 Words . This  post has been written for the Parachute Advansed goodnessofcoconut  Contest  , conducted by Parachute in association with  Women's Web . Check out the facebook fan page of Parachute Advansed Body Lotion  HERE . Follow on Twitter HERE

Amidst The Chimes

This post grabbed the WOW Badge as part of the Write Over The Weekend Contest conducted by Blogadda

                                It was the relentless shrieking of the alarm clock that snapped her awake from her slumber . Through the narrow slit of her half open eyes , she could see the warm rays of the blazing sun gliding their way through the window in layers . Yanking her hand onto the table , she clutched the alarm clock and pushed the button down . The clutter and clamour of the outside world slowly drifted to her ears once the alarm retreated back to the snooze mode . Sweeping away the layers of bedspreads draped over her , she gathered herself up from her bed . The moment her feet touched the ice cold marble slabs of the floor , she felt an invigorating rush race through her skin . The urge wasnt new to her . It wouldnt be a tad bit over emphasising to state that she has been living a passionate slave to this emotion over the past 30 years of her life . The fact that she never got tired of chasing her dreams remained indigestable for many . To this day , her admirers who witness her charismatic performance on stage continue to drown her in praise and honour . 

                          Shivering , she entered the bathroom and sliding the tap open , let the cold water run through her hands . Splashing a handful of water on her face , she kept looking at the mirror as if to study the subtle details of the face staring back at her . Tracing the narrow lines of wrinkles clustered near her eyes , she continued to gaze back at the ageing beauty that she has become over the years .

Image Source : Flickriver.com

                               Life has never been a  journey sprinkled with rozy petals for her , let alone being normal . Her eventful life as an actress started to blossom at the tender age of 16 . The vagaries of pursuing a career in the cine world dawned on her much later , after 8 years when she let her head droop before a man who waited eagerly before her with a golden chain in his hands . Promising him to try her best to shuttle between acting and managing her family , she retreated back to the film sets gayily to do the one thing which kept her smiling all those years . Slowly she came to terms with the fact that the act of juggling the two was almost as close to being impossible . Realising this in a matter of 6 months , she decided to say adieu to the world of glamour even though it was the hardest decision she had to undertake . Ten years of faithful married life after that , she traversed the most colourful and pompous moments with her husband . 

                            Unfortunate as she might be , the fate had darker days in store for her down the years . The day she stumbled upon her husband sprangled on a bed with her friend  , the sparkling castle of her dreams shattered to shreds infront of her . Yet another couple of years of solitude restricted to the four walls of her immaculate house transformed her into something she never was before - a soul drained of pride and smiles . 

                              Her parents drifted their way back to her tormented life and consoled her like they used to do as she was a child . Finding their words of advice fell on the dead ears of their daughter , they were dejected . Still , they continued to whimper , and as days passed they shouted , yelled and shook her back to her senses . When her mother confronted her one day with a piece of her thought to have her slide into her dance costumes after a sabbatical lasting many years , she , to her surprise , felt a spark for a peaceful existence rekindle at the back of her heart . 

                           Now after ten years of  performing on stage , at the age of fourty,  as she stood staring at her face , the wrinkles started to fade away at the mere touch of her fingers . The eighteen year old girl who stormed into the world of fame with eyes sparkling with passion , smiled back at her from the mirror through a veneer of hazy mist . A voice , strong and driven , whispered to her from the deepest recess of her mind -  " The sun sets , but with a promise to rise back brighter ". Her mind was still young and she still had an endless road stretching before her . The thought seeped into her mind leaving behind a glow on her skin , as she brushed away the droplets clinging to her face .  

~ Maliny Mohan

This post is a part of  Write Over The Weekend  , an inititive for Indian bloggers by blogadda.com

Satin Secret !

9.00 A.M

  Entered Prof Maya for the one session we dreaded ,

        Turning to the board , muttering something she scribbled
The air so vapid , on a paper with my pen i doodled 

             Some yawned , some snored , yes the transition was rapid !  

                       Reclining back on my chair , i glanced proudly at the the picture of a black swan i managed to doodle during the class . Darkening the shade with a black Pinpoint pen , i checked on Sreya , who sat beside me , her eyes immersed on the last few pages of Kane And Abel , but her right hand scribbling some undeciphered language on her notebook . I couldnt let out a chuckle watching her clever ploy to evade Prof Maya's  frequent furtive glances . Bending my shoulder slowly to her chair , i nudged her with my arm , with an intention to share my art without drawing Prof . Maya's attention . 

 " Ouchh ! " 

              The Girl who sat snoring on the chair next to Sreya snapped open from her nap , ( rather a slumber !) .

What just happened ? , enquired Prof Maya

An ant bit me , lied my dear friend Sreya

In haste to finish her class , she said , “ Alright “

Sreya stared at me , certain ! something wasn’t right !

“ What is the matter ? “ . I pried concerned .

“ Your arm hurt me ! “ . Sreya exclaimed in hushed tones .

                   Left in a dilemma , because i had had my arm hair removed just a week back , I made a mental note to discuss it with her after the class .

10 .00 a.m

                   Clamour erupted when Prof .Maya walked out  , like the suppressed air forcing outside from a soda . Snatching my bag , I scampered past the celebrating girls to join Sreya , who was already halfway to the auditorium . Today was the day , the dance group from their class was supposed to perform infront of the college panel . The ultimate decision as to which group would grab the opportunity to perform at the intercollegiate fest lay on the hands of those at the helm . We joined the rest of the group , retreated to the backstage and started changing into the dance costume .  With the song to which we were dancing being a western one , the costume was chosen to be a tank top and black laced knee length pants .

  “ Hurry up Riya ! We are to be onstage in 20 minutes . ! “

                     I looked up at Sreya , not quite hiding the sullen look on my face .

“  I wish i had opted for my hair removal at the parlour yesterday instead of a haircut . I forgot to deal with my legs last week when i rushed through my arms with an old razor of mine . Maybe thats why my arm hurt you when i brushed it against you today ! All pricky and weathered . That crude 'contraption' transformed my skin into something awful !. Forget that . What about my legs ?! What am I to do now ? Do I have time to rush back to the hostel and return ? “ . Throwing a guilty face , I looked at Sreya .

“ No , you don’t . Do one thing . Here take this razor . I bought it yesterday , but left it in my bag absent mindedly . Make it fast ok , Riya . This performance is really important , you know right “ . She threw a small blue razor at me , still unused , with a kind smile that friends pass each other when in need .  In a few quick smooth strokes my legs were left shiny and smooth in a matter of less than 5 minutes . It dawned on me after the process that i did manage to manoeuvre the little wonder of a razor around my ankles too in a swerve !  

12 .00  p.m

                   The results were declared . Our team made it to the final list ! Joy knew no boundaries . We decided to bunk the afternoon classes and headed to the city  to celebrate the good news .

After two days

               Life was too hectic the past two days ,with our room packed with batchmates helping us out with the dance steps . It was that evening sometime that the incident during Prof Maya’s class resurfaced in my mind .

               While snacking with Sreya at the coffee house that evening , I let the topic spring up .

“ Hey Sreya , just touch my arm now. Does it hurt ? “

              Sreya , pretended to be terrified , but laughed and scrolled her finger across my arm after that . ‘ Oh my God , how did this happen ?! Its soft !‘. She almost shrieked in my ears . “ You used my razor on your arms , didn’t you ? “ . She quipped excitedly .

“ Yes I did . “  I said that and giggled .

“  Oh dear , what have we got here ,

   A girl with pricky skin and fussy hair

   Bruised by her skin , her boyfriend worried ;

   Hurt by her arms , her best friend sweared.

   A little blue marvel turned her life around !

   GILLETTE SATIN CARE , the name so profound

   With a skin so soft , her boyfriend beamed

   Smiling at her , her best friend winked . 

   Life turned happy , one smooth soft ride

   To think wise and right is all you need “

                  I could almost imagine her singing this in her mind when she winked at me from across the table . With the relief that a problem which kept poking me for an immediate action found solution , i sipped on my coffee happily.


This post is a part of  the Gillette Satin Care contest  in association with blogadda.com

    

It Happens For A Reason

                      
                   ' You go home and check your emails. You read the second mail and freeze ! .'

                       Shikha wished upon Gods if what she was dealing now could be replaced by the above scenario . For she was freezed to the core , so much is true , but on reading the second unopened mail on her mother's inbox instead of her's !
  

                       She didn’t have to cringe her eyes or strain harder to recognize the girl and boy cuddling cozily on that peach coloured couch , so engrossed in each other that they seemed oblivious of the fact that it was already 1a.m on the frog faced time piece which adorned the book shelf beside .  The picture was taken on a summer night one year back , when she with her boyfriend Sameer and another couple had crashed on his house after their twelfth standard school farewell party . Wait . What had she lied to her parents the next day about not returning home after the party ? ‘ The function stretched for a few hours more Ma , instead of winding up at 10 P.M . Shruti’s home is just a couple of blocks away from school , you know right . Her parents were out of town ; but her grandma was there . Shruti urged me to stay at her place for the night , said it was not safe to wander back alone. ‘

                     She hadn’t expected her parents to buy such a cleverly construed story , where there was almost nil scope for an eye witness , given that Shruti’s grandma was half blind ! Yet they never bothered to scrutinize the story further .

                    Now , after one long and eventful year , she was jolted up , rather heavily , on being stumbling upon this picture , fortunately unopened , on her mother’s Gmail inbox page . 

                  She turned 19 a month back , but her mother had already registered her profile on the most sought after matrimonial site available. If it wasn’t for the occasional tryst of her mother with her laptop , surfing the matrimonial site for new proposals , she wouldn’t have had a clue as to what Sameer , her ex – boyfriend now , was upto . Her mother never cared to log out of her gmail account even . Srolling the page further down she noticed a message emboldened in large red print which read ,

“ You must have got a hint as to why I sent you this brazen picture of your daughter and me . No , as you fear in shock , I wouldn’t stoop that low to indulge in a frantic mania of spreading an online scoop linking me and your daughter . This serves as the perfect revenge for me to tear away the mask of reclusiveness she fakes in front of you guys . Like what you must be expecting , she is not just a diligent student , but a reckless woman as well . “

                   She  stared in disbelief at those words , her heart wrenching in spite at how he could muster the courage to come lashing back at her , through her mother , after all those mind boggling  days of fight they dragged  through 6 months back . His egregious words soaked in the stench of booze and smoke echoed shrill in her ears , like they had deafened her on that God forbidden day,

“ There is more to being in a relationship than sharing the soul Shikha , You better beat it into your rotten brain .  Strange enough , the surge of emotional vent that I used to feel in your presence has drained empty . Pardon me for being candid , but you owe me big time for all those fruitless hours of comfort and consolation I showered on you while you were wrecking your head pondering your life problems ! “

                    She felt a shiver run down her spine harking back those minutes when she had scampered past his living room and garden , crying ,  to reach the safety of the four walls of her house .  She had let herself take the brunt for being nice to him for the whole two years they had gone out . But not anymore .

                    Shikha swiftly moving to the door , glanced out to check on her mother . Not seeing her , letting out a sigh , she closed her door behind her slowly . Returning to her laptop she began typing frantically , swiping away the beads of sweat clouding on her forehead . Leaning back to scan the message one last time , with no tad of doubt , she pressed the SENT option . Going back to the SENT messages folder of her mother’s account , she reread the message she had sent Sameer, a minute back .

 “ Sameer , if you expected me to thrash my little girl and ground her forever on seeing this picture , you are wrong Son . I am well aware of the nasty break up you two had . Shikha , though late , fed me with the details ; the poor girl suffered a lot trying to hide it from me for months . As her mother , and as a Government Employee I warn you against further misbehaviour of this sort to my daughter . I hope you are aware of the unpleasant consequences of the crime you just did by sending me this obscene picture of her's. My conscience urges me to grant you a second chance . Don’t ever message to my email or my daughter’s . Let us consider the chapter closed . “  Shikha deftly cleared both Sameer’s message and the message she just sent , from the history so that her mother wouldn’t come to know about her prying into her  Gmail page .

                      Shikha reclined back on her pillow , her eyes grazing a picture frilled by a pretty pink photo frame - A picture of the 2 year old she nestling against her mother’s neck . Gazing into her mother’s face , she recognized the warm , affectionate person her mother used to be in her thoughts . Has her mother changed ? Or is it she who had  let her mother’s love slip out of her life when she got so busy sewing up the broken pieces of her life . How could she let the half boiled words of Sameer drown her mother’s pleas to be careful while selecting friends ? How come she never think about nestling against her mother  to share her little secrets now a days , even when she could undoubtedly feel her mother’s heart breaking to bits knowing her daughter’s reticence ?

 “ Shikha , open this door baby . Hot crispy chips just out of the frying pan reckon you ! Come taste it . “ .

                   Her mother’s exhuberent , albeit worried voice snapped her back to the present . She felt a pang of remorse stabbing at the back of her heart . She knew she needed help . Can any other person in the whole world understand her in as much depth and perfection as the warm voice which just called out to her ?

                 Opening the door , Shikha softly let out those heavy words which possessed infinite power to seal the silence they shared for months .

   ‘ Ma , I need to tell you something .‘ 

                                       *******************

This post is a part of  write-over-the-weekend  , an initiative for indian bloggers by  www.blogadda.com