June 1st week
It was summer again and it was getting hotter and hotter by the day! I just wished I could fit inside a cooler!! Now that really was impossible. The only option was to move to some cooler place for a few days. So I discussed it with my dad, who gave me quite a few options viz. Pune-Shirdi, Kolkatta, Bangalore-Cauvery, Amritsar, Hong Kong-Macau, Bangkok-Phuket, etc. But I wanted to go to a hill station. Ooty was the place that came to my mind first, as it had been over 15 years since I'd last been there. I stressed on that point, and also mentioned that it was raining everywhere else. Somehow I managed to convince dad, and he booked our trip for the very next week i.e. June 13-16, 2009.
June 13, 2009
Our flight was at 11:25am. We arrived at Chennai airport by 9:30am. I was all excited and didn't even realise how those 2 hours in the airport went by. There we were finally in the aircraft, bidding adieu to the heat! What a relief! It was an hour's journey to Coimbatore. From there, we went by car (Lancer) towards Ooty. It was kind of my dad's friend to lend us his car, which made our trip quite comfortable.
We were quite hungry as we weren't served any food on the flight. So on the way we stopped by at Nilgiris dept. store to pick up some food stuff and drinks to have on the way, as it was a 3-hours long journey. So we headed straight to Ooty from there without stopping at any other point. At first, we were listening to my favourite Mohd.Rafi songs in the car. They were so soothing. But once we started climbing the hills, I felt the need to change the mood. So I then played Jab We Met songs. They made the hills come alive, besides me ofcourse! I felt like I was in the same place as Aditya and Geet were... dancing to the tunes of "Yeh ishq haaye baithe bithaaye jannat dikhaaye haaye..." That's the perfect song for anyone to hear while travelling along the hills. I was in love with nature even more at that point of time because of that song :) It was an enjoyable drive.
Around 4:30pm we reached our hotel - Fortune Sullivan Court. It was quite nice and the room was quite cozy. The view outside was amazing! We had some snacks and then set off for a walk by the lakeside. It was quite chilly outside and I was really enjoying the weather. We didn't go in for boating then as it was closing time. We just walked around. There were a few rides and video games too. I dragged along my brother for a ride called the "Break Dance". It was fun. All those twists and turns were actually like energy boosters :) We then walked out of that area. Opposite the lake was a Thread Garden. We got in there and were totally amused to see plants made of thread! It took 12 years and 50 people to get that garden ready. It was wonderful! We even bought a souvenir. All the flowers looked so real!
It was dark by the time we left the garden. So we went back to the hotel and had dinner after a while in the restaurant. By 10:30pm we were off to bed.
June 14, 2009
The hotel had organised a car for us for sight-seeing. So we got ready early and had our breakfast by 9:30am. By 10am the car was there at our service. We were barely a few metres away from the hotel when the driver received calls from someone. He then told us he had to meet a customer urgently. We said okay and he drove along there. He was having a long discussion with the customer, who actually wanted that driver to take him around. Growing impatient, my dad told him we would not wait anymore and we got off the car. We took an auto-rickshaw back to the hotel. My dad complained to the Manager, who then arranged for another car. Finally by 10:45am we set off to Doddabetta Peak, which is the highest peak in the Nilgiris range. It was amazing out there! The blue sky, the hills, the clouds, the flowers, made it look like Heaven on Earth! The only hindrance was that the place was over-crowded, especially 'cause it was the weekend. Anyway, it was a beautiful place. While gettin back to the car, I picked up a nice hat for myself from one of the stalls there, which I made use of in all the gardens we roamed therefater :)
We then visited the Tea Factory, where we got to see the whole process of Tea Manufacture. Closeby was the Chocolate Factory. A wide variety of chocolates were kept for sale. Again it was too crowded there, so I couldn't pick up any.
The Wax Museum was next in our itinerary. There were wax statues of our great poliitical leaders like Manmohan Singh, Gandhiji, Abdul Kalam Azad, etc. The other statues included those of Jesus Christ, Sai Baba, Mother Teresa, man injured because of drunken driving and Veerappan. All statues were wonderful and looked quite real from a short distance.
Next, we headed towards the Botanical Garden. It was a lovely place, especially for a picnic with family/friends. The trees and flowers were so lovely to look at. All types and colours of flowers could be seen. We took a stroll around the park and I managed to click some beautiful pictures too :)
Around 1:45pm we were back to the hotel for lunch. Dad's friends were coming there to take us to Mudumalai for a night jungle safari. So we quickly had lunch and packed up our bag for that night. By 3:30pm they were there, and we left for Mudumalai after a few minutes.
We reached Mudumalai around 5pm. We were staying at a resort called the "Jungle Retreat". There were 2 huge dogs at the reception, 1 of them being a Labrador. Surprisingly I wasn't scared, as they seemed to be calm and friendly. We met our guide there. He showed us to our rooms, which were huge and pretty clean, something I actually didn't expect. We then thought of going for a small drive around that area and come back for dinner, after which we would go for the night safari. The scenery around was beautiful. There was a light shower just when we had arrived. The leaves on the trees and the flowers were all shining with the rain drops still perched on them. We were just passing by a river when we noticed an elephant quenching his thirst. It was a beautiful sight indeed. Suddenly our car's tyre seemed to have some problem. So we went to the mechanic's. He said it would take a while. So all of us started walking down the road, leaving the driver and the guide behind, who would bring the car to us once it was ready. We noticed the wide blue-grey open sky, some haunting trees, low lying mist at a distance, quite a few varieties of flowers. It's rare to see such things in a city!
Finally after about half an hour the car was with us. We then carried on with our drive to the jungle, instead of getting back to the resort. We saw many elephants, bison, deer, huge beetles, fireflies. We could even smell freshly killed prey and started looking for a tiger around, in vain. I loved watching the elephants the most, especially the babies. They were just too cute!! :) There was a particular elephant who enjoyed posing in front of my camera with the car's headlights flashing on him! :) It was an amazing experience to catch the wild animals so close! I felt like just hanging around there itself! We even crossed the border into Karnataka to reach the Bandipur sanctuary.
By 10pm, we got back to the resort. The guide asked us if we were interested in going for early morning trekking and the elephant safari. I really wanted to go, but my brother didn't want to, as it was difficult to wake up so soon, that too after a tiring day. So we dropped the idea. We had dinner quickly and were off to bed.
June 15, 2009
We woke up early and got ready quickly, as we had to leave back to Ooty. We had our breakfast in the resort, and also climbed up the tree-house. That was really nice, but climbing up was a bit scary! Then we walked by the pool too. The weather was amazing once again. Soon we left from there. The drive back to Ooty was wonderful again, as I was listening to all my favourite tracks. The song I enjoyed the most at that time was "Jhirmir jhirmir megha barse o rama, mann pyasa kaahe tarse o rama...". I loved one particular line in the song "Bheege hue mausam ka mazaa loot le aa ja..." :) That song suited the mood and the surroundings perfectly! I was feeling so in love yet again!! :)
In about an hour we were in Ooty. Dad's friends bid farewell to us as they had to get back to work. We reached our hotel by 10:45am. After about an hour's rest, we headed towards the lake for boating. We took the Rowing boat for just the 3 of us and the rower. It was a half an hour ride. The water was quite dirty as we could see all food pkts and bottles lying around the corners of the lake. Wish the place was more well-maintained and kept devoid of plastics. After the boat-ride, I wished to go for a horse-ride. I forced my bro to join me. So we got onto our respective horses, mine being a white pretty one, and my bro on a black handsome one. My horse was named Rohan. It was a nice smooth ride, but really short. After that I wanted to buy some chocolates, for which Ooty is famous. So we drove along to a department store where we got some home-made chocolates. By 1pm we were back to the hotel. We had our lunch and took a short nap.
Around 4:30pm we set off to the Rose Garden, which was located right opposite the hotel we stayed in. But it was a long walk to the entrance, quite tiring actually. Dad preferred to stay near the entrance. Bro and I walked along the garden which was huge. We covered maybe about 60% of it only after which we got back. We still had quite alot of time left before dinner. So we decided to check out the Pykara Falls too. It was an hour's drive. We were again listening to Jab We Met songs, which enlivened us up again.It was closing time when we reached the entrance to the Falls. But somehow we got in and walked down the hill right upto the river. Those steps were life-taking!! We barely reached down and clicked a few pictures, when we were asked to leave. Again we had to climb up all those steps. It was a difficult task indeed!
We drove back towards the hotel. It was quite windy outside and our faces were getting frozen up. All i needed was a hot cappuccino! So I asked dad to stop by Cafe Coffee Day, my favourite coffee place. We got in there, and dad and I had cappuccino, while my bro had iced coffee! Wonder how he could actually have that in the cold!!
Once we were done with our coffee, we got back to the hotel. We had our dinner in the restaurant. The food was delicious that night. We'd ordered for Dal makhani, Panneer makhani, Chicken makhani, Kheema mutter, Onion Raita along with Naans. It was a royal feast indeed. I wish I had more place in my stomach to literally empty those vessels! :) After that heavy meal, we retired to bed.
June 16, 2009
It was time to get back home. I really wished it didn't have to happen so soon! I was just beginning to enjoy life once again; did it really have to end here so soon? Well I had no options. We all woke up early and got ready. Breakfast was done with soon, and we got our bags packed. I took a horse-ride once again from the hotel to the Rose Garden. It was more enjoyable this time. I was on a black horse, named Amazing Boy! He was quite amazing and playful too. This time I got to ride the horse myself. It was quite difficult actually, with the horse making his own movements from one side to the other. But it was a nice way to the end this wonderful trip!
By 11:30am we left the hotel and drove down to Coimbatore. We reached the airport around 2pm. We still had over 2 hours for our flight to Chennai. So we had our lunch in a restaurant there, after which I again had a cappuccino at the Cafe Coffee Day, situated inside the airport. It was time to board the flight soon. That was the end of my family trip, possibly the last one! You never know...!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Believe no one, but yourself...!! Or get... Duped!!
May 18, 2009
I received a mail in response to the advt. I'd given in the paper, in the matrimonial section. The boy's profile was impressive, and so was his outer appearance in the photograph attached. He was a Pilot by profession, while his dad was an ex-Army Officer. His mom had expired a few years ago. His twin sister was married and settled in the US. The mail gave me an impression that this is the kind of family I was looking for - cultured, and loving. So without any hesitation, I sent them my profile too.
Within a few hours, my father received a mail from them stating that they liked my profile and would like to communicate further. My dad replied to the mail providing his contact no. therein. A few minutes later, my dad received a call from the boy's dad, who asked if his son could directly talk to me first, before the parents start discussing things. So my father said okay and then called and told me about it. I was at a friend's place then. Just a few minutes passed by, and my phone rang again! This time it was the boy himself! He introduced himself. I was impressed by the way he spoke, but I was also wondering if he was the show-off type, because of his accent.
Then came the biggest shock of my life - He said his grandfather was the very own brother of our Bollywood actor Prithviraj Kapoor!! Which meant that this guy was Kareena & Karisma Kapoor's cousin! I was dumbstruck! I kept rather quiet. I was excited from within, but more than that, I was wondering if this was really true! I was thinking if this guy is really who he claims to be, why would he be calling me at all? There are so many girls out there, those of his league! Then why me? So I bluntly asked him that. He said he didnt want anyone from the industry. He was looking for a more simple and down-to-earth person. His words were a bit convincing, but I still couldn't believe him completely. He said that he owned a house in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh. He mentioned that Sachin Tendulkar was his good friend as they stayed in the same building in Mumbai! I just kept listening as if he were telling me some story. After about half an hour, I hung up saying I had to head back home. He said he would mail me a few more pictures of himself and his family.
I rushed back home. I barely reached and he called me back again to ask if I had checked the pictures. I checked them then. He had sent his grandfather's, dad's, mom's, sister's and dogs' pictures, along with a childhood picture of himself. He spoke quite alot about his family and about his interests. He even sang to me some old classic songs! I was indeed flattered, and started believing he was the man of my dreams!! At the same time I feared I wouldn't fit into his family. I never wanted to be a part of a very wealthy family. Just a comfortable living, bound by love and trust, is all I want. I even said this to him. But he shut me up by saying that I am wealth myself, into which ever family I go! Oh man! His words were like arrows straight to my heart! He mentioned that his dad had got our horoscopes matched, which was 27/36. That was quite good. Well then he asked me to send a few pictures of mine in western wear, which I'd obliged to with immediate effect.
May 19, 2009
I got a call from him in the morning. We spoke a bit. He then mailed me his Pune bungalow's pictures. They were amazing, but I still doubted if all this was real. A little while later he called me again. He spoke about his work routine. He would be flying to Dubai, London and New York at regular intervals. I, if things clicked, would have to accompany him atleast for 1 year after marriage, after which I could decide whether to fly with him or stay back home. He spoke romantically and also dragged me into romantic situations. He spoke about his ideal Honeymoon destination. Oh it all seemed too sweet to be true!!!
That day I even got to speak to his dad, who seemed rather strict, yet the fun type. He said that he had already accepted me as his daughter, whether or not I marry his son. If I do join their family, I would have to plan conspiracies with him against his son to make a fool out of him. All this sounded so much fun.
The guy then told me he would be flying again after 3 days. So most probably once he's back, after a week or so, we could meet up. I told him to let our parents talk and decide the date. Suddenly that evening he called up again and said that they want to meet up after 2 days, before he could fly! His dad spoke to my dad about it and it was confirmed. They were coming to Chennai to meet us on 22nd May! After which, if all was fine, we would have to go to Pune to their place.
This was the first day of my life I stepped into a gym! I wanted to be in good shape when I meet him. Yeah it was quite late, but I still made the effort.
I was too nervous. All this was happening too fast! Yes I did speak alot to the guy. But was meeting so soon necessary? Why did he suddenly change it to this week from the next? I was lost in wonderland. That night, I made my brother also talk to him on the phone, just casually.
May 20, 2009
That morning I got a call from him. He told me that the astrologer had asked them to do a havan before the boy could meet me, so that some baadha could be removed. He said that we would have twins and 1 of them would die. So for that havan, both families needed to contribute money. His dad asked me to send some money through the bank. Most importantly, he asked me not to tell dad about it then. He would tell my dad himself the day we all meet. I was confused. They're asking for money, and they dont want me to tell dad. But then the amount was relatively small, so it shouldn't be a fraud case. I was wondering if they were really doing a havan, or were they just trying to see how responsible I am, if I could do something on my own. With alot of confusion and hesitation, I went to the bank and transferred 1.6k in the name of that astrologer. This was the first time ever I went into a bank alone! I knew not how to go about it. With the help of my friend over the phone, I somehow managed to complete the transaction. It was quite easy though.
I then went to meet my aunt. I was telling her about the guy, when again he called. I made him speak to her too. They spoke as if they knew each other for long. She was really impressed too by the way he spoke; how cultured and religious he seemed, at such a young age. Aunty was so happy for me that I might have just found the best guy! But at the same time she felt sad about me going to leave her soon. She already was upset about the fact that her son was leaving that weekend to another city for higher studies.
Back home, I started getting the house in shape, leaving no mess around. My dad called me up later and said that my uncle from Bangalore would be coming here the next day, so that he too can come with us to see the guy. I was really happy about that.
I visited the gym in the evening. I spoke to the guy again that night. I told him I had no idea about the rituals and customs. He explained to me everything that I needed to know at that moment. I was happy that he could understand that without my mother around, it was tough for me. He suddenly surprised me by saying that even his sister and her husband would be coming here to meet me, all the way from the US! It was hard to believe!!
May 21, 2009
Just 1 more day to go! I woke up early and went to the gym. Then I went to the parlour to get my face glowing, something I never did before in my life! Got my hair all set too. I then received a call from my dad, who gave me another shocking news. He said that he just got our horoscope checked from his astrologer, who said that this marriage is not preferable! It showed just 12/36 gunas matching. Dad was wondering if they had lied to us. I was again confused, what to believe and what not to! Praise God! What do i do now?? My head was bursting. My mind wasn't at peace. I told my brother and aunty about this. They got it checked with their astrologers, and both were negative again! By the time I reached home, I was devoid of any excitement. My servants were engaged in cleaning the house. I'd even got some new furnishings that morning. It all seemed unworthy suddenly.
All this while, I was having that guilt of not telling my dad about the money I sent them. I suddenly called up my aunt in the evening and told her about it. She advised me to tell dad about it immediately, as it would be better for him to know it through me, rather than them. After all, he's my dad, and they're still just strangers.
The boy's dad suddenly called me up in the afternoon and asked me why my dad isn't calling him up to talk, or rather not showing any interest. I said he might have been occupied with something else. He told me to ask dad to call him after 5pm. So I told dad about it. Around 5pm dad called up, but there was no answer. A few minutes later, the guy called me up. He said that their flight would depart at 8:30pm from Delhi. He then made me speak to his sister over the phone. We spoke pretty casually. Suddenly she laughed at some joke. I realised it was exactly the same as the guy's laugh! I exclaimed that I have a doubt! The guy asked me what it was, and I bluntly said that "I doubt you were pretending to be your sister!" He was quite wild at that. He said he would talk to me later. It seemed to me as if he was actually caught! Oh yeah, he said that he got a call from his dad who said that he was busy in a meeting and would call my dad back later.
It was already 8:30pm. No call from the boy, nor his dad. I finally dialed his no. around 8:40pm. It was ringing. I was wondering if he's on the flight, is it possible for the mobile to be switched on? I doubted it.
That night, dad came home with uncle. We sat down and had a long discussion about the whole thing, which lasted for about 3 hours. We spoke about how my life would be if I got into their family, and guess what! We were only talking of everything that could possibly go wrong there! We could hardly think of anything good! I was totally demoralised. My aunt called up then. She said she wished she could come with me to see the guy, but then she had to leave at the very same time to see off her son. I said it was absolutely okay and that her son was more important then.
We then sat down to dinner. I just swallowed up some food forcibly. We again sat down to talk. I then finally gathered guts to tell dad about the money factor. I told them all and they were completely zapped!! Dad was furious with me. He said that there's no way I could go and meet the guy. Only dad and uncle would go and meet them. How could they even ask me to do something like that? That's exactly what even I thought earlier, but still I did that stupid act. Anyway, I was kinda happy that I didnt have to go in front of the guy. I couldn't sleep all night though, out of guilt. Why did I have to do what they asked me to, when they were still strangers?!?
May 22, 2009
The day had arrived. Dad went to office as usual in the morning. Uncle, bro and I were just sitting and talking. We were expecting a call from them, but there wasn't any! I was growing curious by the minute! "Why didnt they call yet? Have they come here or not? Did they take the flight or not? Are they waiting for us to call them?" Oh I was just so restless!! The whole day just passed by without any signs of them. We finally understood that they were nothing but cheats! If they weren't, atleast they would've called and said that they weren't coming or they weren't interested or whatever it was. But no!!
I couldn't believe that they would play with a girl's emotions just for 1.6k bucks!!! That too with a girl who's looking for her life-partner! How easy is it for a person to take advantage of that fact! How easy it is for someone to make a fool out of another! I still wonder, all those sweet talks were worth 1.6k bucks for him??? For me they were worth my life!!! my dreams!!!
There's no way I can trust anyone now. I dont even trust the people I know now, forget about strangers!!! What's this world coming to?? Evil prevails everywhere...!!! How could any angel survive here???
There's no place for innocence in this world!! You need to be clever, mean and selfish to exist here!!! Listen to your conscience. Do what brings good to you, not to others! (I cant believe I'm saying this!)
The worst part - me being a big Bollywood Freak, I see Kareena and Karisma on-screen so often, but now on seeing them I only think of this guy!!! On seeing any pilot or aircraft, I only think of this guy!!! I wish someday I can forget about this whole incident completely, but at the same time I dont want to forget it, as it's taught me a good lesson!!!
I received a mail in response to the advt. I'd given in the paper, in the matrimonial section. The boy's profile was impressive, and so was his outer appearance in the photograph attached. He was a Pilot by profession, while his dad was an ex-Army Officer. His mom had expired a few years ago. His twin sister was married and settled in the US. The mail gave me an impression that this is the kind of family I was looking for - cultured, and loving. So without any hesitation, I sent them my profile too.
Within a few hours, my father received a mail from them stating that they liked my profile and would like to communicate further. My dad replied to the mail providing his contact no. therein. A few minutes later, my dad received a call from the boy's dad, who asked if his son could directly talk to me first, before the parents start discussing things. So my father said okay and then called and told me about it. I was at a friend's place then. Just a few minutes passed by, and my phone rang again! This time it was the boy himself! He introduced himself. I was impressed by the way he spoke, but I was also wondering if he was the show-off type, because of his accent.
Then came the biggest shock of my life - He said his grandfather was the very own brother of our Bollywood actor Prithviraj Kapoor!! Which meant that this guy was Kareena & Karisma Kapoor's cousin! I was dumbstruck! I kept rather quiet. I was excited from within, but more than that, I was wondering if this was really true! I was thinking if this guy is really who he claims to be, why would he be calling me at all? There are so many girls out there, those of his league! Then why me? So I bluntly asked him that. He said he didnt want anyone from the industry. He was looking for a more simple and down-to-earth person. His words were a bit convincing, but I still couldn't believe him completely. He said that he owned a house in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh. He mentioned that Sachin Tendulkar was his good friend as they stayed in the same building in Mumbai! I just kept listening as if he were telling me some story. After about half an hour, I hung up saying I had to head back home. He said he would mail me a few more pictures of himself and his family.
I rushed back home. I barely reached and he called me back again to ask if I had checked the pictures. I checked them then. He had sent his grandfather's, dad's, mom's, sister's and dogs' pictures, along with a childhood picture of himself. He spoke quite alot about his family and about his interests. He even sang to me some old classic songs! I was indeed flattered, and started believing he was the man of my dreams!! At the same time I feared I wouldn't fit into his family. I never wanted to be a part of a very wealthy family. Just a comfortable living, bound by love and trust, is all I want. I even said this to him. But he shut me up by saying that I am wealth myself, into which ever family I go! Oh man! His words were like arrows straight to my heart! He mentioned that his dad had got our horoscopes matched, which was 27/36. That was quite good. Well then he asked me to send a few pictures of mine in western wear, which I'd obliged to with immediate effect.
May 19, 2009
I got a call from him in the morning. We spoke a bit. He then mailed me his Pune bungalow's pictures. They were amazing, but I still doubted if all this was real. A little while later he called me again. He spoke about his work routine. He would be flying to Dubai, London and New York at regular intervals. I, if things clicked, would have to accompany him atleast for 1 year after marriage, after which I could decide whether to fly with him or stay back home. He spoke romantically and also dragged me into romantic situations. He spoke about his ideal Honeymoon destination. Oh it all seemed too sweet to be true!!!
That day I even got to speak to his dad, who seemed rather strict, yet the fun type. He said that he had already accepted me as his daughter, whether or not I marry his son. If I do join their family, I would have to plan conspiracies with him against his son to make a fool out of him. All this sounded so much fun.
The guy then told me he would be flying again after 3 days. So most probably once he's back, after a week or so, we could meet up. I told him to let our parents talk and decide the date. Suddenly that evening he called up again and said that they want to meet up after 2 days, before he could fly! His dad spoke to my dad about it and it was confirmed. They were coming to Chennai to meet us on 22nd May! After which, if all was fine, we would have to go to Pune to their place.
This was the first day of my life I stepped into a gym! I wanted to be in good shape when I meet him. Yeah it was quite late, but I still made the effort.
I was too nervous. All this was happening too fast! Yes I did speak alot to the guy. But was meeting so soon necessary? Why did he suddenly change it to this week from the next? I was lost in wonderland. That night, I made my brother also talk to him on the phone, just casually.
May 20, 2009
That morning I got a call from him. He told me that the astrologer had asked them to do a havan before the boy could meet me, so that some baadha could be removed. He said that we would have twins and 1 of them would die. So for that havan, both families needed to contribute money. His dad asked me to send some money through the bank. Most importantly, he asked me not to tell dad about it then. He would tell my dad himself the day we all meet. I was confused. They're asking for money, and they dont want me to tell dad. But then the amount was relatively small, so it shouldn't be a fraud case. I was wondering if they were really doing a havan, or were they just trying to see how responsible I am, if I could do something on my own. With alot of confusion and hesitation, I went to the bank and transferred 1.6k in the name of that astrologer. This was the first time ever I went into a bank alone! I knew not how to go about it. With the help of my friend over the phone, I somehow managed to complete the transaction. It was quite easy though.
I then went to meet my aunt. I was telling her about the guy, when again he called. I made him speak to her too. They spoke as if they knew each other for long. She was really impressed too by the way he spoke; how cultured and religious he seemed, at such a young age. Aunty was so happy for me that I might have just found the best guy! But at the same time she felt sad about me going to leave her soon. She already was upset about the fact that her son was leaving that weekend to another city for higher studies.
Back home, I started getting the house in shape, leaving no mess around. My dad called me up later and said that my uncle from Bangalore would be coming here the next day, so that he too can come with us to see the guy. I was really happy about that.
I visited the gym in the evening. I spoke to the guy again that night. I told him I had no idea about the rituals and customs. He explained to me everything that I needed to know at that moment. I was happy that he could understand that without my mother around, it was tough for me. He suddenly surprised me by saying that even his sister and her husband would be coming here to meet me, all the way from the US! It was hard to believe!!
May 21, 2009
Just 1 more day to go! I woke up early and went to the gym. Then I went to the parlour to get my face glowing, something I never did before in my life! Got my hair all set too. I then received a call from my dad, who gave me another shocking news. He said that he just got our horoscope checked from his astrologer, who said that this marriage is not preferable! It showed just 12/36 gunas matching. Dad was wondering if they had lied to us. I was again confused, what to believe and what not to! Praise God! What do i do now?? My head was bursting. My mind wasn't at peace. I told my brother and aunty about this. They got it checked with their astrologers, and both were negative again! By the time I reached home, I was devoid of any excitement. My servants were engaged in cleaning the house. I'd even got some new furnishings that morning. It all seemed unworthy suddenly.
All this while, I was having that guilt of not telling my dad about the money I sent them. I suddenly called up my aunt in the evening and told her about it. She advised me to tell dad about it immediately, as it would be better for him to know it through me, rather than them. After all, he's my dad, and they're still just strangers.
The boy's dad suddenly called me up in the afternoon and asked me why my dad isn't calling him up to talk, or rather not showing any interest. I said he might have been occupied with something else. He told me to ask dad to call him after 5pm. So I told dad about it. Around 5pm dad called up, but there was no answer. A few minutes later, the guy called me up. He said that their flight would depart at 8:30pm from Delhi. He then made me speak to his sister over the phone. We spoke pretty casually. Suddenly she laughed at some joke. I realised it was exactly the same as the guy's laugh! I exclaimed that I have a doubt! The guy asked me what it was, and I bluntly said that "I doubt you were pretending to be your sister!" He was quite wild at that. He said he would talk to me later. It seemed to me as if he was actually caught! Oh yeah, he said that he got a call from his dad who said that he was busy in a meeting and would call my dad back later.
It was already 8:30pm. No call from the boy, nor his dad. I finally dialed his no. around 8:40pm. It was ringing. I was wondering if he's on the flight, is it possible for the mobile to be switched on? I doubted it.
That night, dad came home with uncle. We sat down and had a long discussion about the whole thing, which lasted for about 3 hours. We spoke about how my life would be if I got into their family, and guess what! We were only talking of everything that could possibly go wrong there! We could hardly think of anything good! I was totally demoralised. My aunt called up then. She said she wished she could come with me to see the guy, but then she had to leave at the very same time to see off her son. I said it was absolutely okay and that her son was more important then.
We then sat down to dinner. I just swallowed up some food forcibly. We again sat down to talk. I then finally gathered guts to tell dad about the money factor. I told them all and they were completely zapped!! Dad was furious with me. He said that there's no way I could go and meet the guy. Only dad and uncle would go and meet them. How could they even ask me to do something like that? That's exactly what even I thought earlier, but still I did that stupid act. Anyway, I was kinda happy that I didnt have to go in front of the guy. I couldn't sleep all night though, out of guilt. Why did I have to do what they asked me to, when they were still strangers?!?
May 22, 2009
The day had arrived. Dad went to office as usual in the morning. Uncle, bro and I were just sitting and talking. We were expecting a call from them, but there wasn't any! I was growing curious by the minute! "Why didnt they call yet? Have they come here or not? Did they take the flight or not? Are they waiting for us to call them?" Oh I was just so restless!! The whole day just passed by without any signs of them. We finally understood that they were nothing but cheats! If they weren't, atleast they would've called and said that they weren't coming or they weren't interested or whatever it was. But no!!
I couldn't believe that they would play with a girl's emotions just for 1.6k bucks!!! That too with a girl who's looking for her life-partner! How easy is it for a person to take advantage of that fact! How easy it is for someone to make a fool out of another! I still wonder, all those sweet talks were worth 1.6k bucks for him??? For me they were worth my life!!! my dreams!!!
There's no way I can trust anyone now. I dont even trust the people I know now, forget about strangers!!! What's this world coming to?? Evil prevails everywhere...!!! How could any angel survive here???
There's no place for innocence in this world!! You need to be clever, mean and selfish to exist here!!! Listen to your conscience. Do what brings good to you, not to others! (I cant believe I'm saying this!)
The worst part - me being a big Bollywood Freak, I see Kareena and Karisma on-screen so often, but now on seeing them I only think of this guy!!! On seeing any pilot or aircraft, I only think of this guy!!! I wish someday I can forget about this whole incident completely, but at the same time I dont want to forget it, as it's taught me a good lesson!!!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My Friend's Wedding in... Tirupur!
It was announced a few months back, that my friend Nisha would tie the knot with Mayur on 17th April, 2009. I was damn excited for her, at the same time I had this grief within me that she was going far away from me. She was the last one before me to get married - those among my school mates. I started feeling lonely even before she left. But I still tried to enjoy my last few days with her to the maximum.
Time flies so fast! It was 15th April already! I'd gone to her house in the morning for Mehendi. I got some beautiful designs on my hands and then was watching Nisha get her's done. It was then we both realised that this is it! The days of fun n frolic, giggles and tears, stupid little fights, regular lunch and dinner outside, coffee and cakes, have ended. Though we may have that in future too, but there would still be some reservations. I just gave her a hug, thinking it would be the last time I could actually give her 'cause she would get busy once the functions begin, and then went home.
That night, I had to leave for Tirupur by train, with Nisha's family and friends. Nisha would be reaching there directly the next morning with her dad. So for company, I had Sudha and Manju. We took our respective places in the train. I was so damn excited to be in a train after over 10 years!!! I just wanted to sit and talk away all night. But I missed Nisha alot :( It would have been great fun with her. But anyway, Sudha, Manju and I tried to keep the conversation going, while Nisha's relatives kept popping in with some snacks every few minutes. We were hungry, but still denied them. Later when all others were asleep, we climbed to the top berth (that was a tough task for me - I forgot how to climb up!!) :D I took out my pkt of Lays and we started munching silently on the wafers while talking. Soon, we decided to sleep 'cause the next day might be too tiring.
In about 3 hours, we'd been woken up as the train was about to arrive at Tirupur station. We reached there and headed straight towards the hotel where all the guests would be staying. I met Varun, Mayur's friend, over there, who was taking care of the guests. He was the only person I knew there, besides Nisha's family. In a few minutes, we were allotted our room. We 3 had just hit the bed, when we again started feeling hungry. Sudha exclaimed "I feel like eating Chicken legs!!!" We roared in laughter!! :D Chicken legs at 6am?!? Never heard that before. :D
After an hour, Nisha's friend Navya had arrived from Bangalore. She joined us in the room. Soon, Nisha gave us a call asking us to get ready and meet her in 2 hours from then. So one by one, we got ready and went to meet the bride.
There was a function around 12pm, before which we had some time to spend with Nisha. She was all excited, not realising that she was actually gonna leave us all soon. After the function, we all had lunch together and then went to get some rest. In the evening there was the Sangeet function. So by 5 we all got ready. Nisha was looking great, but really different than her usual self! The programme was a visual treat with family members and friends from both sides dancing to Bollywood tunes. By this time, Diana and her husband had also joined us. Later we all had dinner together. It was kind of Nisha's mom to join us at the table :) I had a short 'n' sweet chat with Varun too and got introduced to his sister as well. Mayur jiju was too occupied. Couldn't have a word even with him. We got back to our rooms.
I was just about to fall asleep, when Nisha called and asked me to stay in her room that night. We spoke alot about our past and also thought about the future. She was really worried then, as she finally realised that she was getting married! How would it be at her new home? Would her in-laws love her as much? Would she be able to live upto their expectations? These questions linger in the mind of every girl who has to step into a new home some day or the other in her life. It was tough. We finally slept after all the discussion.
The next morning I woke up early. But Nisha wanted to sleep more and tried to get me to do that too. By 9 we were out of the bed. I was about to go back to my room, when Nisha had been told to get ready for the function immediately. So i waited till she got ready. Diana called up to say that Manju wasn't keeping well and they wouldn't join us in the morning. Sudha and Navya came there, and then the 3 of us went to have breakfast, while Nisha was busy in the function. Then we got back to our room again. I got ready and then we went back to the hall. Soon, it was lunch time. We hogged and then went along with Nisha to her room. We were trying to relaxe, but again Nisha had to leave for her make-up, as she had just 2 hours in hand to get ready for the big moment! So we got going too. After a short nap, we all got ready and by 7 we left for the venue.
The Reception began by 8pm. We were just sitting and gazing at the couple, and at times looking here and there as well :) We just wished someone would come and speak to us or get us introduced to more people, as the 3 of us didn't have much to talk about. Varun kept checking on us though :P He even managed to get me introduced to his mom. Diana and Manju also joined us soon. We then went to have dinner. Later the couple and their relatives had dinner, after which the marriage ceremony began. That was around 1am. It went on till about 3am, after which we got to spend our last few moments with Nisha. She was in tears :( While trying to pacify her, our tears began to flow too :( By 4am it was time for her Bidaai. I was hoping for one last hug, but that couldn't happen :( We could just see her move away from us in the car :(
We got back to the hotel and had no time to rest. We had to pack up our bags as we had to leave for the station immediately. Bidding farewell to everyone, we set off from there. There was still some time to go before we got into the train. Varun landed up there and gave us company. He scared the hell out of Sudha by his sudden appearance :P
Well, that was it! We got into the train and immediately went to sleep. After about 3 hours we woke up and had lunch. We had a long chat and finally arrived at Chennai station!
I was happy to be back home, but sad that I had left behind someone close to me... Anyway, whatever happens is for good :) Hope Nisha has a great life ahead, and yeah, hope she never forgets me! :)
Time flies so fast! It was 15th April already! I'd gone to her house in the morning for Mehendi. I got some beautiful designs on my hands and then was watching Nisha get her's done. It was then we both realised that this is it! The days of fun n frolic, giggles and tears, stupid little fights, regular lunch and dinner outside, coffee and cakes, have ended. Though we may have that in future too, but there would still be some reservations. I just gave her a hug, thinking it would be the last time I could actually give her 'cause she would get busy once the functions begin, and then went home.
That night, I had to leave for Tirupur by train, with Nisha's family and friends. Nisha would be reaching there directly the next morning with her dad. So for company, I had Sudha and Manju. We took our respective places in the train. I was so damn excited to be in a train after over 10 years!!! I just wanted to sit and talk away all night. But I missed Nisha alot :( It would have been great fun with her. But anyway, Sudha, Manju and I tried to keep the conversation going, while Nisha's relatives kept popping in with some snacks every few minutes. We were hungry, but still denied them. Later when all others were asleep, we climbed to the top berth (that was a tough task for me - I forgot how to climb up!!) :D I took out my pkt of Lays and we started munching silently on the wafers while talking. Soon, we decided to sleep 'cause the next day might be too tiring.
In about 3 hours, we'd been woken up as the train was about to arrive at Tirupur station. We reached there and headed straight towards the hotel where all the guests would be staying. I met Varun, Mayur's friend, over there, who was taking care of the guests. He was the only person I knew there, besides Nisha's family. In a few minutes, we were allotted our room. We 3 had just hit the bed, when we again started feeling hungry. Sudha exclaimed "I feel like eating Chicken legs!!!" We roared in laughter!! :D Chicken legs at 6am?!? Never heard that before. :D
After an hour, Nisha's friend Navya had arrived from Bangalore. She joined us in the room. Soon, Nisha gave us a call asking us to get ready and meet her in 2 hours from then. So one by one, we got ready and went to meet the bride.
There was a function around 12pm, before which we had some time to spend with Nisha. She was all excited, not realising that she was actually gonna leave us all soon. After the function, we all had lunch together and then went to get some rest. In the evening there was the Sangeet function. So by 5 we all got ready. Nisha was looking great, but really different than her usual self! The programme was a visual treat with family members and friends from both sides dancing to Bollywood tunes. By this time, Diana and her husband had also joined us. Later we all had dinner together. It was kind of Nisha's mom to join us at the table :) I had a short 'n' sweet chat with Varun too and got introduced to his sister as well. Mayur jiju was too occupied. Couldn't have a word even with him. We got back to our rooms.
I was just about to fall asleep, when Nisha called and asked me to stay in her room that night. We spoke alot about our past and also thought about the future. She was really worried then, as she finally realised that she was getting married! How would it be at her new home? Would her in-laws love her as much? Would she be able to live upto their expectations? These questions linger in the mind of every girl who has to step into a new home some day or the other in her life. It was tough. We finally slept after all the discussion.
The next morning I woke up early. But Nisha wanted to sleep more and tried to get me to do that too. By 9 we were out of the bed. I was about to go back to my room, when Nisha had been told to get ready for the function immediately. So i waited till she got ready. Diana called up to say that Manju wasn't keeping well and they wouldn't join us in the morning. Sudha and Navya came there, and then the 3 of us went to have breakfast, while Nisha was busy in the function. Then we got back to our room again. I got ready and then we went back to the hall. Soon, it was lunch time. We hogged and then went along with Nisha to her room. We were trying to relaxe, but again Nisha had to leave for her make-up, as she had just 2 hours in hand to get ready for the big moment! So we got going too. After a short nap, we all got ready and by 7 we left for the venue.
The Reception began by 8pm. We were just sitting and gazing at the couple, and at times looking here and there as well :) We just wished someone would come and speak to us or get us introduced to more people, as the 3 of us didn't have much to talk about. Varun kept checking on us though :P He even managed to get me introduced to his mom. Diana and Manju also joined us soon. We then went to have dinner. Later the couple and their relatives had dinner, after which the marriage ceremony began. That was around 1am. It went on till about 3am, after which we got to spend our last few moments with Nisha. She was in tears :( While trying to pacify her, our tears began to flow too :( By 4am it was time for her Bidaai. I was hoping for one last hug, but that couldn't happen :( We could just see her move away from us in the car :(
We got back to the hotel and had no time to rest. We had to pack up our bags as we had to leave for the station immediately. Bidding farewell to everyone, we set off from there. There was still some time to go before we got into the train. Varun landed up there and gave us company. He scared the hell out of Sudha by his sudden appearance :P
Well, that was it! We got into the train and immediately went to sleep. After about 3 hours we woke up and had lunch. We had a long chat and finally arrived at Chennai station!
I was happy to be back home, but sad that I had left behind someone close to me... Anyway, whatever happens is for good :) Hope Nisha has a great life ahead, and yeah, hope she never forgets me! :)
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