An Experience that made me a patron!

Horns are blasting, and brakes are screeching as I swear, pray, urge to my cab driver while constantly glaring at my watch.

Finally, we reached the destination. I had the exact change, tossed it at him, and dashed towards the airline check-in. In spite of my repeated pleas, the lady at the reception kept saying sorry!

Finally, I give in!

I accepted that I missed my flight.

Now what!

I take a few sips of water from the faucet, and pull out my phone and dial my travel agent's number. It was late, but since she was my neighbor, I could disturb her any hour, after all that's what neighbors are for: to be of help when in need!

She seemed half asleep, and honestly I was downright rude and came to the point, "Sarita, I have missed my flight, thanks to some rally of some minister. I need to reach Los-Angeles and what are my options?"

"Well, good morning to you too!" she was blunt.

I did not care.

After a pause, she started looking up for the next available flight.

"I have Lufthansa leaving in approximately 4 hours. They have only a few seats available. Should I book you on that?"

"Hello! you did not get me? I want to go to the city in America not in Germany." I blasted my voice into the phone thinking that she must be half asleep.

"Pervez, I know where you have to go!" she shouted back.

I realized we both were not going anywhere with these loud outcries. I took a deep breath and apologized. She narrated the itinerary to me, while texting me at the same time. I was directed to go to the airline to check in after completing the obligation of booking, payment and confirmation.

I checked in with a heavy heart while only eyeing at the destination. 

After the customs, I went in a cafe and bought all the vegetarian items I could see at that hour. A German flight could not cater to my needs, I thought so it is better to armor myself with lots of food so that I don't keep waging my tongue at my companion's tray, I thought.

After waiting in the lounge for an another thirty minutes, I was asked to board the flight.

I got up like a kid thumping my foot, not wanting to go, but then after realizing my important meeting in L.A I thought of letting this phase out and just focus on my goal.

As I entered the aircraft, I was greeted in a local language, I was quick to turn and saw the air hostess with a smile and hands joined together as a courtesy. I could not resist; I did the same.

Such is the power of a namaste!

I felt so much lighter.

After being assisted to my seat, I sank in, more so cause I realized how tired I was after the running, shouting, and coming to terms with destiny!

After the short video of safety and all, the flight departed from the soils of Delhi, India.

While rubbing the temples of the forehead, I was lazily clicking through their channels, and to my delight saw many movies and shows that were known to me. I sat up straight as if life had sprung into me, and as I put on the earphones, I started opening the wrapping of one of my eats that I purchased from the bistro.

Just then I was interrupted by a gentle "Excuse me" I looked up to see a plate of food. The aroma and the distinctive smell seemed well-known, and that made me peep into the contents of the tray, and was delighted to see vegetarian food.

"What! You serve Asian vegetarian food?" I said out loud.

The air hostess's expression was priceless, but I did not care.

I quickly opened my table tray, and starting digging in. Did not realize I was famished until that spoon of basmati rice with the delectable garbanzo beans went into my mouth.

Ummm!

What was I thinking? This flight is more Indian that I could think of!

An individual when in the air, just longs for smiles, friendliness, comfort food, entertainment that is closer to his heart, and a cordial ambience. The fares are reasonable with just a halt of ~2-3 hours thus making a traveller reach his destination in comfort without missing his home! 

Lufthansa, you have a patron here!

Mantra for today: Never evaluate a book by its cover!

More Indian than you think

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Relationship Choices

Relationships can be very complicated in this age since no one has time to communicate, and, unfortunately, for any relationship to survive conversation makes it complete. 

All relationships need amiability, but with our egos clashing at every second of the way, staying in an accord can not only be a torture to oneself, but also to another body who is punching you with words that tend to injure one's self esteem.
While the other side of a relationship is rapprochement, peace, which  is thy name of it. But these days when an individual tends to choose qualifications in person for a relationship and then when strong heads collide...who is to be blamed?

Live-in and marriage are two words that are losing ground more so cause people are spending 10-12 hours at work, and no time to devote to their partners. However, when lust and love start to mingle, a live in relationship is born. Sure, there is no harm to it cause two individuals are trying and testing each other out in all possible ways. These days even retail stores give you 30 days to keep the product before returning it so, there is no harm done.

Marriage is a full commitment and sure it needs a lot of work from both ends, but the benefits it reaps is bountiful especially when an individual turns old and ragged. It's like working hard for many years and saving money in the bank, and then enjoying life with the interest gained from it each month. Result is a carefree life cause you worked hard towards that relationship in all areas thus, understanding and tolerance has been developed between partners as it has been tried and tested over the years. Thus, when it comes to reaping benefits there you are laying back on a reclining chair and enjoying with a mock-tail or a cocktail more so to pacify the heat that envelopes you since appreciation, and an informal agreement has been already been charted out.

Seeing today's trend, any relationship is fine as long as man is communicating and can renew, recharge each morning by talking out his problems to someone rather than taking on the burden to work the next day.

My 2 cents
Since Time is money, why doesn't man walk steadily towards a long term relationship, aka marriage cause why waste time over a short term thing.

Mantra for today: A closed relationship can help find a special friend.

From Serious to Mellow...

This takes me back to the years when I was working on my graduate thesis in one of the universities in the States.

It was like me, and my advisor was a match made in heaven!

My professor Mr X was formally from Yugoslavia but had been living in the States for over a decade, and he was very particular about spoken dialect. 

Alas! Little did I know what the future was in store for me?

  But, it was not so bad in the beginning since our meetings would purely consist of exchanging journal papers and would usually conclude by exchanging common pleasantries such as "Thank you" and "Yeah! no problem"

His smile was pleasant and accepting and that made me confident since I could foresee a smooth ride ahead. (Yeah, right!)

Days turned into a month when I was supposed to give him an overview of the project prior to start working on it.

We were supposed to meet for this meeting in the Teacher's Lounge according to him, which I referred to as a Staff room according to British English.

During our session, my English was scorned upon since he had a particular understanding of certain words and their pronunciations. The scheduled hour long presentation turned into a gruesome three long hours of exchanging words for clarification. I don't know if I learnt much about Biochemistry, but my knowledge on American Language sure increased; as I was taking notes vigorously just to avoid a re-take on this situation in the near future. 

Since our meeting went longer than anticipated; the department was unaware of it and had dimmed the lights of the corridors. The result was panicking especially since I started looking for a torch and he kept referring to a flashlight. 

One day he finally realized how unnerving our meetings turn out to be. Thus, asked me to meet in the cafeteria so that the mood lightens up a little over food. I immediately agreed.  

Alas, when we sat down with our respective trays that contained chips, flapjacks according to me to which he kept referring to as fries and pancakes. It was another moment where I could not resist rolling my eyes.

My advisor's seriousness and articulation towards each spoken word made me adapt the American English in a couple of months since having a conversation with him was a challenge, and in order to move ahead in my research, that was the only road map I could see.

After a few years, when I had to defend my thesis, my friends and family noted a strange observation. 

I was speaking the American English, and he had a tinge of British English while delivering his conclusion speech!!

This new attribute of Mr. X unknowingly made him quite popular amongst International Students since, he had already got a taste of having a serious condition of being meticulous about American English and its accent.

His humorless act of correcting me all the time used to give me the creeps, but I would obediently follow. Although, needless to say, I had a tough time reporting my data to him even though it was all graphed out. 

I am happy that his condition of being serious all the time, fizzled off eventually and unknowingly; cause there is so little in life that is worth it!!

Mantra for today: The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” 

― Albert Einstein

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This post is written for Indiblogger.in for #Condition Serious hain.

Platinum day of love

Research has indicated that, "Adversity can either bring couples closer together or break them apart."

I am glad we faced such a situation where our relationship was tested, and we passed with flying colors.

The changes that came in my life is a blessing in disguise, and it makes us celebrate our love each day as understanding and respect are at all time peak.

It started 10 years back when I did my usual workout and retired for the day. The next morning was not the usual one; I had to make an effort to get up from my bed as all my joints were very stiff. I could not understand what happened.

Thoughts were coming and going in my mind, "Did I exercise too much?" "Did I sprain something unusual?"

I called in sick from work. Relaxed at home but could not figure out the cause of my pains. It made me restless the whole day, even though I was stationed at one place, my mind was disturbed as I was researching all sorts of things on the internet. Found many diseases which had such symptoms and that made me force to breathe.

Sun sets and as the world is coming home to retire. I was not ready to give in. I had expected all that pain and swelling to subside, but there comes the fever. I realize I was getting the shivers. My world was turning upside down. For a person who had never been sick her whole student life, this kind of pain was an irritation to me, and I wanted it to go away! 

Alas! what we wish does not happen.

My better half arrives from work with a take out, and we discuss our prognosis.

After popping in some more pain killers, we retired for that evening with the hope of a better tomorrow.

Alarm clock rings, I start moving my limbs in my bed just to make sure that the nightmare was over. Nah! I was wrong.

Days turned into weeks and months.

After several pokes in my vein and confused looks from doctor to doctor. I was diagnosed with Arthritis.

Well that was not the end of the road. Some of relatives and friends instead of showing sympathy over the ailment were curious, "OMG, how can arthritis strike a young person like you?"

Initially, when I did not embrace this ailment myself. I would burst into tears and ask for sympathy as if their empathy would make this disease go away.

I was wrong.

My better half stepped in and was my crutch during these awkward times. His constant beckoning to be strong and that age are just a number made my neurons finally absorb it.

I stopped whining and started living a LIFE.

A LIFE, which is today filled with laughter and tears along with some occasional swelling of joints as we trudge along the path surrounded by humans who can sometimes make life  sweet hell or a sanctuary.

That moment was my platinum day of love where I realized my shortcomings, my true love, and my adoration.

Mantra for today: Relationships are fragile. Even a slight brunt can burn it; if the couple do not take the time to repair it.

The following post was written for Indiblogger, Platinum Day of Love