Another Bed time Story......

Of all the stories I have known, I couldnt help recalling one story again and again, which my granny used to share with us at bed time,

Once upon a time ago, A king offered a large prize to the artist who could best represent the idea of peace. A lot of painters sent their works to the palace, depicting woods at dusk,waterfalls,  quiet rivers, children playing on the sand, rainbows in the sky, drops of dew on a rose petal, pleasure, merry, celebration etc.,.,

The king examined everything that was sent to him, but ended up choosing only two works.

The first showed a beautiful landscape, scenery lake that perfectly mirrored the displaying mountains surrounding it and the blue sky above. The sky was dotted with small white clouds and, and when one looked closely, in the left-hand corner of the lake there stood a small house with one window open and smoke rising from the chimney – the sign that a frugal but tasty dinner/dish was being prepared.

The second painting was also of mountains, but these were bleak and stony with sharp, sheer peaks, not very scenic. Above the mountains, the sky was implacably dark, and from the heavy clouds fell lightning, hail and torrential rain.

The painting was totally out of harmony with the other submissions. However, a closer look revealed a bird’s nest lodged in a crack in one of those inhospitable rocks. In the midst of the violent roaring of the storm, a swallow was calmly sitting on its nest.

When he gathered his court together, the king chose the second picture as the one that best expressed the idea of peace. He explained:

‘Peace is not what we find in a place that is free of noise, problems and hard work; peace is what allows us to preserve the calm in our hearts, even in the most adverse situations. That is its true and only meaning.

Howz Married Life?

I got married 3months and 3 days ago from the time I am writing this blog. And, many, in fact, most of my friends, before they ask me "How are you?" ask me "Howz Married life?". Not to blame them, I guess, in their minds, both these questions are linked into eachother, perhaps they may be. And, when they pop that question up, funny thing is that they are looking for a Whacky answer! Something that would tickle their bones and get them to giggle and some expect a disastrous sad story and expect me to say "Bachelor life was better then Married life"! 


          Does life really change after marriage?. I remember having this very doubt the day I got engaged. Does life really change? Will I get time to do the things I like after tieing the knot? I'm not an experienced person, haven't spent years of married life, but if you are looking for true facts from a newlywed, then, this is the post for you! On May 16th we got engaged and Nov 14th we were married and its been the Best Part of my life. Its not always about finding the right mate, its about being the right mate and in my case, we both are right for eachother! I mean, she is great, she is the best in everything she is and I will always remain crazy about her since day 1 I saw her. 
Well I do have a romantic side of my story but I am focusing on my wedding experience alone here.
Yep, Life does Change! - Whether you like it or not, life changes big time after marriage. You don't really get time to do things you like -- or maybe you can if you squeeze out enough time in between all the chores. But then again, you feel too exhausted by the end of the day to enjoy these things that you feel so passionate about! I'm working from home and at the same time I have to do my everyday chores which doesn't leave me with much time for my hobbies like reading. I still want to finish the book "Fountainhead" and trying to finish it since a month and still i havent made much progress. 


LAZYNESS CREEPS IN: Yes I wake up late, in my bachelor days I used to wake up early and head for my classes on time, office on time, cook on time etc.,., but now, my wife wakes up at 6 while I am still lazing on the bed till 9 AM. After returning from work, I want to just lie around, not do anything, this has been the case since my bachelorhood,and this has been the same even now.  


KICKSTART LEARNING - LEARN Cleaning and Cooking - 2 MAJOR activities take up a MAJOR part of ur time and interest. I am very bad at cleaning. The first time I walked into my house after wedding, i was in a doubt for a while and was not sure if I walked into the right house or if my house got taken over by somebody else. Everything was so neat and tidy, arranged, well kept, decorated etc.,.,! I could see my marble floor sparkling which it never did when I was staying alone! Well, thanks to my wife, she had done up the house so really neat, I am learning to keep it that way, and I think I am halfway there.
Cooking - its natural forme when I get hungry I cook the way  I want, but, my lil wife doesnt like all the greasy spicy junk mix I make. Nor do I help her when she cooks. I have to learn to be more co operative, hopefully I will be :)


Sometimes It's Better to Agree with Your Wife Even if You're Right - We all whine when we are sick, all men do. Even if its cold we cry, unlike women who make tough times look easy. All our whining gets women to care for us more, love more, and we get all the affection that way. When we are getting so much, just agree to whatever your wife says. She is anyday the best person in the whole world rightafter your mom! yes she is!!Or As its say "Agree to Disagree", but whatever you do, try to agree as many times as possible. 


Dont Expect Coffeees in the morning - Oh come on, atleast not when you are a newly wed! you are not in a Hotel Lodge and dont expect your wife who is getting up early for you, cooking for you, keeping your house neat n clean, folding your clothes, who has left all her parents and house just for you and is already doing so much for you, to also get you a bed coffee!


These are the few things I think are what I feel so far, but, its always amazing to be together, dream together and live together! its superb isnt it that you get to end the day on the same pillow and the magic it is that you also get a chance to be YOU in someone else's eyes who is also doing the same thing from the other end? 


Even after 25 yrs from now, I will say "Our wedding was many years ago.  The celebration continues to this day"as I continue to celebrate my marriage! I love my wife, love everything about her and being with her, I know there wouldnt be any day, second, or a moment that would seem impossible to handle.
Be Happy.... :)

Valentine's Day in Indian Culture

Its that time of the year again and we see the celebrations seeping into almost everyone and everything. Decorated Restaurants, advertisements and hoardings on Valentine's day dinner and events, red roses, heart shaped balloons and many gift shops selling a lot of stuff under this concept. Even TV programs gearing up for the occasion, spreading this culture, deriding our own Values for this western junk culture, Love and romance is in the air all around. Wow, this feels good while a smart businessman sees it as an opportunity to make a quick buck, and some silly youngsters see it in the Bollywood/Tollywood world and see it as a Dream in their eyes with the rose they chose is in the hands of the charming girl they dreamt of!


    Our youngsters look upto some of the smartass khans in the movie world and always imbibe them in their mirrors. They desperately want to be like them and get the kind of girls they want! Such is our Patriotism and Culture which is the next on the verge to be corrupted. Some activist groups go against them, beat them up, get them married trying to teach them a lesson! But what are they going to do about the Virus of Valentine and the Western diseased culture that spreads from all over?


      I was reading an article where Yoga, Parenthood etc.,., are practised now a days in all western Countries. Indian child psychology is studied everywhere as the way our parents bring us up is known to be the best as our Culture lays all the foundation. The meanings of Indian Ancient Vedas and Upanishads are adopted by many companies, political parties, countries!


    Look at China, Japan etc.,., they care a damn abt West! They still follow their own culture, their own systems and so, they are one of the most successful countries in the world. Here is what i read in another blog somewhere....Some of the reasons given to oppose Valentine's Day are that it is not part of our culture and is an import from the west. The day is overly commercialized and has become an excuse for big corporations to mint money. Some claim that there's more indecent behavior in public on this day and some others say that women are harassed more on the fourteenth of February. Agreed, some of it might be true, it's definitely an import. But does this justify getting down to violence and vandalism?

Culture, as anything else in this world, is dynamic. It never remains the same. What was culture earlier, like sati and child marriage, is a crime today. Something that a lot of people in a society do and accept becomes culture. We should not, and cannot, prevent changes in our culture. It's inevitable.

We have a rich heritage and culture as a nation. But at the same time people need to realize that in today's age, a culture cannot be isolated from the rest of the world. The protesters aren't the only ones who have a sense of right and wrong, who have strong ethics and moral values. Most of the people whom they beat up also have it. They aren't stupid! They should be left to decide what's good or bad for them. If VHP and Shiv Sena have a problem with Valentine's Day, they need not celebrate it. Nobody is forcing them to. They can protect and maintain the "Indian Culture" amongst themselves. They have no right to dictate what I should or shouldn't do.

We claim to be a free democratic nation. But when such thugs are allowed to vandalize property and assault people and go scot-free, then it means that they are allowed to curb my freedom of expression and freedom to choose. And that just isn't acceptable.