The Best - through the Worst of times !

There was a girl in school who used to be known for her silence and hard work. She was quite good at studies and at sports too. I remember she always used to write on blackboards, whenever notes were to be written, and she never hesitated. Initially she didn't like studies, but she started feeling the need to do well. She also took part in alot of sports activities like Shuttle Badminton, Ball Badminton, Gymnastics, Martial Arts (Tai Chi) and a few others. She loved to March Past too!

Years passed by, and then came a turning point in her life. When she was in the 9th standard, suddenly she started getting comments like "You're not standing straight", "You're not walking straight" and so on. She observed her own posture as well, but never really found it a major concern. She just ignored all those comments.

Concentrating only on her studies, and her short-lived career in Badminton, she ignored everything else. She was going through some tough situations at home as well. But that didn't really affect her studies. Time passed by and she wrote her +2 board examinations. She then gave a thought about all that occurred in the last few years. She wondered if something was really wrong with her that she actually received such personal comments, time and again. She then decided she would tell her folks about it. Sensing some kind of a problem, she went to the doctor, who made her take a few scans, etc.

She got the biggest shock of her life! She had Scoliosis! She hadn't even heard of such a thing before. Her spine was curved as the doctor put it. That needed rectification by inserting rods and screws to straighten the spine! She did alot of research on it, and also watched a video of the actual surgery to be done. It was like a horror film. Her folks discouraged her, as even the doctor warned her of paralysis or something even worse than that! She was going to be the first once in the state to have such an operation. The doctor even suggested she could do it in another country. But she was brave enough and decided she would take a chance here only, so that she could have her loved ones around her.

The doctor announced the surgery date, which would be after a month. The entire last week, just before the operation, she had the time of her life, as if it were her last few days on earth! She had a caretaker-cum-friend, of her age almost, who was her partner in all the fun she had.

The day arrived. She was lying there in the operation theater, being cut open, where the titanium rods could be fitted. I believe the operation lasted for about 8 hours, after which she regained half consciousness, when she was being hit to find out if she was in good condition or paralyzed!! Ahh that was something scary. By God's grace, she responded which meant she was absolutely fine.

She had to stay in the hospital for about 11 days. Again, those were few of the best days of her life. She received so much care and affection from most people she knew, including her friends and school teachers! Even the doctors and nurses were so friendly. She had a gala time! I remember, the teachers were so affectionate, they even fed her an apple, which took her almost one hour to finish! What patience they had!! Phew! Yeah but she had to sacrifice on her normal diet of junk food like French Fries and Pani Puri, which were her favourites. Her friends did let her have a bit of them though. That was really sweet. Not to forget, her caretaker did a wonderful job giving her everything she wanted and taking such good care of her.

Meanwhile, the doctors were doing their job as well. Her lungs had become weak. She had to do some breathing exercises to become absolutely normal. That didn't take long. She also had to wear braces around her torso, which would give support to her back, until it became rigid enough. She started walking, initially with some support. She soon was able to stand on her on feet, and could return home. She was elated to get back to normal life again, though she would miss those hospital times!

Back home, she had a really warm welcome, like it was her second birth! She was lucky she had her loved ones around her(though not all), for it was they who helped her through those hard times.

What's more? Her exam results were out and she faired very well! Despite the worries she had from all sides, she made her folks, friends and teachers proud of her, which in turn was a proud moment for her! Well done, my girl... :)

One thing she still misses is the Badminton tournaments. She wanted to make it real big on that front, but it couldn't happen as the doctor warned her against it. Nevertheless, she still continues to play now and then, as a part of leisure. Her folks are just worried if this surgery would prove to be a hindrance in her marital alliance. Is it really that big a concern, when she's absolutely normal now? I guess only guys can answer this...

Marriage - The best gamble of life! Play to Win...

"Marriage is a book of which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters in prose" said Beverley Nichols. How true is that?!?!?!?!?

The thought of marriage itself gives creeps, yet it gives a sort of comfort especially to the one who has nothing to lose! For those who really haven't led a good childhood or a peaceful life back home, marriage is something they look forward to, with the hope of having a better life. At the same time, there is the fear of leading the same life as in the past.

There's no bigger gamble in life than Marriage! Whether you marry a person you know or you don't know, it still is a huge gamble! A person can change within a flash of a moment. What if the one you love, doesn't love you anymore? What if his interest in you doesn't last any longer than a gold fish?!? Is it easy to live your entire life with a person who isn't as loyal to you as before? Are you ready for compromises? Are you ready to leave your past behind, and make a beautiful future? Are you ready to sacrifice your personal interests in order to have a peaceful home? Are you willing to take up all the responsibilities of a home-maker? All such questions keep hitting the mind hard, until you have a concrete answer. Once you have positive answers to these questions, marriage may seem a bit easier.

Someone rightly proclaimed "An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit." So it is important to keep that interest everlasting. Success in marriage is not finding the right mate, it is instead being the right mate. Sharing the same wavelength with your partner is the most important ingredient for success. More than love or anything else, it is the understanding that counts. If the two fail to understand and support each other, love fades out eventually. But when you respect one another's feelings, love seems to grow even more.

Marriage could be Arranged or a result of True Love. Love Marriage is where two people find their soul-mates themselves and are ready to get united. Arranged Marriage is where after being pronounced man and wife, you learn to love and respect each other. Actually speaking, there's not much of a difference. Some people might say it's better to know a person before you marry him/her. But it's a known fact that change is inevitable. Everyone changes in some way or the other, from time to time. It's just important that the change is for the better. Yes if you dont know the person you're married to, and he turns out to be a bitter person, it gets real tough. But love can change anything in this world. You only need patience and courage to get through tough situations. 'Love unconditionally' is all that it takes to make a happy marriage.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" said Mignon McLaughlin. This is one of the best quotes I've ever heard. So simple and true.

I believe Marriage is essential and a lovely institution created on earth, inspite of all the negativities we get to see/hear these days.

Love Crushed ?!?

'SHE' was an innocent little girl, who tried her best to keep everyone around her happy. She seldom said 'No' to anyone for anything. She laughed and cried along with others, whatever mood She may have been in.

While struggling through a crisis situation, She was approached by this seemingly charming guy who indirectly claimed to be in love with her. When He confessed his feelings for her, She could not deny them. She felt a strong connection between them and wanted to take it further.

She and He spent every single day sharing so much love and happiness with each other. He made her feel wanted, and filled up that empty space in her life. She had blind faith in him. She started dreaming of her future with him, how life would be one...two...three years and so on... down the lane.

He established upon her a sense of security and promised to be with her through thick and thin. He showed her the way of living, what was required of her after they would officially be announced man and wife. She was excited, yet scared and perplexed. A whole new life was ahead of her. Would She able to live upto his expectations? Can She keep him happy for life? Such questions kept arising in her mind. She was determined to do her best for him.

A couple of months later, She had to go on a vacation with her family. She was upset about the fact that She could not see him for so many days. But she took her dreams along with her. All along the trip, she made plans for the future, both near and far. She was so fond of romantic songs, she used to hear them all day and fantasize about him! Days passed by somehow and it was time to return back to him! She was never more excited.

As soon as She got back, She rang him up. He spoke a few words and hung up. She called back a couple of times more, to be turned down again. She had no clue about what was going on. She waited and tried calling, at regular intervals. No answer!

A couple of months passed by, and then She learn't from someone else, he was just a crook who liked playing with hearts! She was completely shattered and lost faith in herself, besides the world around her. She knew not where to go, whom to talk to. She was absolutely lost and broken, just like when a baby is separated from his parents and is so helpless that he can only cry!

She was lucky to have a couple of friends by her side who helped her through this rough phase of life! When She lost him, She thought She wouldn't find happiness again. But thanks to her loved ones, She managed to walk out of it and move on, though it took quite a while.

Later She got a call from him saying that He was confused and didn't know where his heart lay! This time she didn't hesitate to tell him to get out of her life! This whole incident made her strong and She now could reason out things before actually giving into them.

What's ironic is: He is now married to someone else who has the same name as She!!

How could I "Screw it up" ?!?

College days have been few of the most memorable days of most people's lives, more for good reasons. But I have one such experience which makes the same days memorable for the wrong reason.

Our college was about to launch it's own radio channel on air. Few classes were selected, where all students had to form groups and write up programmes with the appropriate timing, description and the title. Fortunately or unfortunately, my class was selected too. We formed our groups, and I was part of one of the most naughtiest gangs in class! The word 'naughty' was just the opposite of what I was though.

So we had about 40 minutes to write the whole thing. I was chosen to write down whatever was discussed, as people consider my handwriting to be very good. So we discussed, and I, hardly giving any input as usual, was writing down everything. Soon, the time was up and we had to submit our papers. But we hadn't thought of a title yet!! So all had brainstormed and brought out weird titles. Finally someone said "Screw it up" it is! All agreed thinking it did suit the programme, and somehow, without giving it another thought, I merely wrote it down on the paper.

Few months passed, it was the final year of college, when suddenly one day the Head of our Department walked into class and called me outside. All were wondering what's goin on. And here I was, standing outside, being yelled at! I was blamed for writing that title, for having thought of screwing up the Radio channel!! I was in a state of shock and tried explaining that it wasn't my idea at all. I have never used the term "Screw it up" ever in my life. It just does not exist in my vocabulary. But no one would understand, and I stood there just shedding away tears. I apologised repeatedly, but in vain.

I then got to hear from them that I was the only student who was so good-natured, and now I had also joined the 'rowdy' gang! I was told that I had almost been selected for the 'Student of the Year Award', but now due to this cheap act of mine, I would have to forego it! I couldn't believe my ears. I wished it wasn't for real. All i could think of was why did I ever write that without even thinking once!

That was the last I ever wrote on behalf of anyone else, infact I wrote nothing which wasn't for my own use. I just couldn't bear that shock. One mistake had spoilt almost three years of my good reputation in college.

Lost and Found!

I was looking forward to meeting a few people who became close to my heart, who shared similar interests as mine, and whom i could confide in. The day came soon. I was there, looking at them in amazement, wondering whether I really made it or was I dreaming!

Being the only girl, I did feel odd at times. But since we all were good friends by then, it made things easier for me. We did have a blast together. Yeah they found me lost in some other world occasionally, when i was either cherishing old memories or when i was merely looking at the clock ticking. Anyway, everything went on smoothly, until a few words did us apart. Bound by expectations from all sides, I had to make a compromise, which was misunderstood. Sorting that out didn't take too much time, though the whole thing was quite hard on all of us. Trying to be normal again, things turned out for the worse. A bigger misunderstanding occurred, which left us all shattered. We all had our own set of grudges and grievances. Little did we think from the other's perspective. It all seemed to be over.

Back at my place, a few days passed by and I realised what went wrong. I took the initiative to bring us all back together, just like good old times. Be it an apology or 'Gandhigiri', emotional blackmail or pure begging, I tried my hand at everything. It took a short while to convince a few, while it took ages to make others realise it wasn't worth losing everything we had! Thanks to the people who helped me with this.

Now the most important thing here is I don't regret going there at all. It was a great experience overall to meet some dear ones, and a special mention to the person who made it there for me to make my special day worth alot more. I do regret committing a few mistakes, but then they happened unintentionally. This whole trip has taught me many things which I can take care of in future, in order to avoid losing close ones!

I am grateful to everyone for giving me another chance to be a good friend and try in my own little way to keep them happy.

Just a little thought that appeared in my mind now:
What is life without friends? A film without a crew! What could the actors do without people to show them the way?!

What I need is what I got!!

Some said dumb, some useless, while others said good-for-nothing or plain incapable. Boy! Didn't i believe that!

I was living, but living how? The thought of never being able to stand on my own feet, and that I needed some kind of a support to hold me up, almost shattered me. The fear of loneliness, abandonment and all that goes with it wasn't enough, that I had to even fear my means of livelihood. What if one day I have no one? What if one day I am responsible for someone's bread and butter? Could I do it? Am i capable of taking up such responsibilities? Can I be the one to support someone some day? Can i earn a single penny even?

That's when March 6, 2008 came in and brought me some hope. Hope, which turned into encouragement. I got my first pay ever, for something I did which seemed to be a minor thing to most people. But I do believe in 'something is better than nothing'. That work could mean nothing to a few people, that pay close to nothing. But it's the sense of accomplishment that has now got me geared up to achieve even more.

I am thankful to all those people involved in making me realise what I'm worthy of. If it weren't for them, I would have still been living in a world of fear. I needed some sort of a boost, and I got just that! I'm now confident of pulling through ages to come.