Agni's watermelon brithday! :)

The whole of last week has been fun. Real fun. Agni's brithday made it fun all the more.

Last tuesday was Agni's brithday like for everyone among Kats's friends he was made to cut cake at the stoke of midnight.(I learnt to use 'at the stroke of midnight' from Cinderella's story you see.) Every brithday is celebrated ina different way. The cake is made differently for different people, like Agni likes watermelon, so for him a cake in the shape of watermelon, with a red top made from jam with chocolate droplets as seeds was made. For Shanti and Kats the first time they celebrated their birthday it was a litchi cake, with Happy Brithday future chemists written on it.(They were born on the same day, just a year apart and many many miles apart.)

Celebrating birthdays togehter by invitng the whole class started with Agni's brithday a year back. Agni and Kats were not good friends back then you see. But Kats decided to attend his birthday-I was pushing her too, I wanted to see what could happen-cause she believed that if by being there it might make him happy she'd do it. I remember her helping her friends and giving crazy ideas for his 'fake' gift. Some which are my favourites are stuffing empty cookie packets with paper and sticking them with cellotape so that it looked like it had cookies in it, wrapping chilli flakes packet in layers of newspapers and putting it inside another cover for a chocolate, a stuffed surgical glove that poped out the moment you opened the box and guess what, the glove also has a mystery gift,more chilly flakes packets. :p After Agni was let to open this 'mystery box' he was later chased with eggs. Yes it was holi, but in March at mid night with yellow greasy eggs. Poor Agni he was soaked in smelly yellow egg. I guess by the times all the eggs were over he might have been stuck to one place, or rather frozen like a statue.

His hair I remember was stuck in one place like the hair of the clay dolls that you get in the mela. And he smelled real bad. He must have been upset, becuase he was never given his actual gifts then at the time he was made to cut the cake. It was hidden under the huge mess in his room and he was made to find it. Becuase girls and boys live in different hostels we are not allowed to go there. They were supposed to use skype to show us how he searched for them. But they couldn't connect and we were angry. Becuase after all the egg holi Agni was too tried to even thank his friends and class mates who had come. Kats was very angry, I was angry too; but Kats was very angry. The next day he did give a chocolate to make up for his not saying thank you and it worked for me, but didn't work completely for Kats.

This year Agni's brithday was differnt. Himadrija and Indigo's room was like a far off uncle's house on a cousin's wedding. Fullf of activity, full of people laughing, talking. Like in all the weddings and functions where the whole family the far off and the direct ones meet, Agni's brithday this time was like the entire family of friends meeting after a year.(Their hostels had been split in July last year you see.) Everyone had a new story to share, a new song to sing and still it didn't seem like there was a year between that day when they had all, together, last met and that day. Every one was doing something for Agni, Vidya and Himadrija were working on the wrapping and decoration of Agni's gift, Kats and Indigo on the brithday card.. when it was 11:30 pm all ran down stairs togther.

I don't know wether Kats and her friends are lucky or wether Agni's lucky, but it is on his brithday both last year and this year everyone came togehter. Happy Birthday Agni! Grow older and never forget to give the chocolate you gave the last year again for your next birthday. Yes, you read it right, he didn't give a chocolate for this year's birthday.

Kats goes to college...Chulbuli observes

Hi everyone! it's such a relief to talk(literally) to you all after such a long time.Soooooo much has happened over the past few weeks that it may take over a series of blogs to tell you all everything.

The good news is Kats is doing what she wanted to do,study chemistry.

Its a long,long story,but finally it does have a very very lovely ending.
As you all might remember Plan B was going to be taken up by our dearest Kats.But the great Bhaggu above had other intentions. Kats was living an life of uncertainty,not that life isn't uncertain,but for poor Kats life was more uncertain then than ever. On 6th of August Plan B ws posponted,i.e. the Plan B place postponed it joining date.Our dear Kats was on the "Waiting list" for the University of Bucca Urbs.It was on 6th evening itself that Kat's father decided to attend the waiting list counseling.

The wait at the counseling was phenomenal.Finally at around 4:30 pm on 9th inside a tin hall with hot winds blowing in and out of the window the vacancies in Chemistry were announced.There were 5 vacancies in the "General" category (these elder people are odd they categorize people as well,thats really odd and funny),Kats is general.Out of those from the waiting list who had reported Kats was no.2.So if you do the math,even if the girl above her took chem(which she actually did,she would get chem). After announcing the vacancies they called out all the names in the waitlist (that was really funny because they had the list of students who had reported) maybe they just wanted to increase the wait.It was like as a lolly pop was moving back and forth in front of her mouth the moment she began to move closer towards it,it moved away from her.

Finally when Kats's name was announced she got up from the milkly white chair on which she was seated.She was sitting in one of the last few rows of the tin box room.When she rose from her chair she made expression similar to the women receiving the title of Miss World or Miss Universe(not Miss.Country because in the titles I've stated they literally weep quite loudly,she was almost going to to the same,that was really funny though). And finally after 7:30 pm Kats was a bonafied student of University of Bucca Urbs.

And the journey continues...

Chulbuli is dazed by the colours...Kats visits a fair

DAY I 

18th July 2010, the first time in 2010 Kats visited Jagannathpuri(It's a place in 'here').What’s special about Jagannathpuri you may ask, my reply would be (the same  as Kats) "What not so special about it ?".No truly on an ordinary day maybe I wouldn't like the place one bit, same not being applicable to Kats, but that day, rather those set of days it was one of the nicest places to be. Many may not being knowing about "Rath Yatra"(The chariot festival), but since I've given the link you can go check it out! It is one of the most fun festivals, you know why? Because it mostly accompanies a fair with it! 

I suppose all of you know what a fair is....isn't it? Even though you may know what it is I'll tell you what it means to me; it is a treat to all my senses sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. It's like the rainbow captured into a box for a few days. Everyone is invited and you don’t necessarily need to buy something for the fair, you don’t even need to pay an entry fee. It’s free or all.

It was for the first time is the so many years Kats had spent on earth she visited the fair with a friend. And the lucky friend with whom she visited the fair for the first time was Indulekha. Since she had promised and to Indulekha that she would arrive by 5:30 pm our darling Kats left home without much money. She had 20 rupees (0.43 $) in her wallet!
But well she was so happy (like I was that she forgot ask her daddy for money).

This wasn't the first time she was visiting Indulekha but it was the first time that Indulekha didn't meet her half way to her house. Our darling was all on her own to find her way to Indulekha’s house. Initially Kats wastrel tensed as she had been through that maze before, so she was sure that if she saw the buildings etc. she would surely make her way to Indulekha’s house. After days Kats was on the cycle(her daddy's cycle more precisely) it was a different feeling, the breeze blowing through her hairs the duppata of her salwar flapping like the wings of a bat. It felt great trying to beat the wind's speed.
All of sudden she realized that she was already in Jagannathpuri, in the maze. She took a turn towards the left that looked familiar, but the narrow lane that it lead to was pretty unfamiliar and scary. Kats parked her cycle and instinctively picked her cell phone and dialled the person who would best know the way out of the maze, Baawara. He finally gave our lady directions and then finally she did reach Induleka’s house. She could have called Bawaara in the beginning itself, but I am glad she tried to explore. Like she used to when I was in control of her. Don't you think so that is not at all bad to explore a little ?

And then what happened next was the best. They visited the fair for the first time together. Everything was enchanting. There were stalls selling everything possible that a human being would require. There were stalls with beautiful toys of all colours , toys that could perform a variety of tasks or maybe just sit in one place yet amuse you with the expression on its face. Those stalls were the best in my opinion. Even though Kats didn't have enough money she went all around the fair saw all stalls. There were many stalls for women selling colourful bangles, jewellery, hair accessories etc.   

I liked many of the bangles but due to storage of money Kats didn’t buy them (even though I did influence her).She also wanted to buy some bracelets (I didn't influence her this time). “Sometimes some things look best when not with us” Kats muttered this very sentence then, I couldn't understand why she said so…

She was saving her 20 rupees (0.43 $) for something, she didn't tell Induleka what it was, but I knew it! Just 10 minutes before leaving Indulekha and Kats walked towards a potter who sat on the ground, all the items that were up for sale were on display in front of him on a plastic sheet. And then suddenly Kats pounced towards a Ganesha Idol.When she looked at it, she felt like it waited for her all this while to be picked. After making her choice as always she bargained. Bargaining is like one of her hobbies though she isn't very good at it she desperately tries to bargain and with each attempt she improves a little.

After her little purchase she ran home. It was a different feeling, after days she didn't for a few moments think how her actions now  could modify the future, she was happy and I was moderately happy (as she didn't try the tempting cotton candy nor did she buy the following balloon ).

  

Day II 

19th July 2010,not a very momentums day in world history  but definitely one for myself and Kats.It was this very day she was given a lot of money(can't say how much) to spend at the fair in Jagannathpuri.No she didn't ask for more money but her daddy just gave her as he felt that she had the right to spend it.But today though she knew what all she had to buy she didn't find a single thing as appealing as the previous day without money,god knows why!? Despite that she did buy things that she had planned to buy like nail polish and bangles for little Gunna(Kats's mum's friend's daughter ),a incense stick holder and a pair of must-have earrings!

This time though because she had the money that could buy her whatever she wanted she spent a lot of time.It got dark....

Jagannathpuri has one big problem ELECTRICITY.It was well past 7:00 pm the sky had turned greyish-blue and some stars was already on their duty.Despite that is was quite difficult for any human being to distinguish between the gutter and the road.Oh I forgot to mention Indulekha was with her today as well.And with her things was much more difficult."Indulekha's mere presence deteriorates the possibilities to achieving the target for that moment" these are definitely not my words but I totally agree to them! Things got worse the narrow lane in front of Indulekha's house had just a single bulb that too it was mid-way somewhere,hanging away from a rusted iron pole all alone...Indulekha's father guided her till the end of Jagannathpuri and then Kats took off on her cycle. 

It was such a relief to see the place disappearing away as she moved forward.Inside the fair everything was so enchanting,the rest of Jagannathpuri was scarier that a graveyard at 12:00 midnight.It was only for those few days of the Rath yatra the place was so colourful,but the rest of the year it was a scary place(not just after nightfall but also during the day).

Are people like the places where they stay ? Something for a few days and something else the rest of time ? 

Kushi is going away...Kats is so very lazy...CHulbuli is observing it all

Well again for a few days we were lost, both myself and Kats.
 No, we were not on an all expense trip to Egypt unravelling the secrets of king Tutankhamen or on an all expense trip to Disney world or to the wonderful wizarding world of harry potter (which we would appreciate if any of you could manage one for us :P ), we were just lazing around and for a change, simply watching  the rain fall, wind low, clouds thunder and mangoes fall off the tree. 

 

In the past three years or so Kats used to just manage to sleep for 6 hours a day or so, but for the past few she has been sleeping for more 12 hours a day. What does she do the rest 12 hours you may ask and you'll be surely amused and amazed on ‘uncovering’ the secret of the order in which she does things the entire day. Well she reads, writes, sings (pathetically in the bathroom, Indian Idol dreams are still awake maybe somewhere.. ref: And…Chulbuli is back….Kats decides…. ),cooks food, watches FIFA matches and post 5:30 pm roams around the entire ‘here’. I'm glad that an unplanned day isn't that hard for her any more.

 

Some more results are awaited, but now she has reached such a level of saturation that she is ready to take almost anything.

 

Khushi is going away. She is moving to ‘Redivivus urbs’, a very nice city. One big city with lots of people, lots to places to go to, many things to learn, most importantly a gazillion times better than 'here'.But as expected both Kats and Khushi are upset.But nothing can be done.This day was to come, its just that it feels that its a little too soon. Recently Khushi ‘threw' a party for all her friends (I don't know why people use the word 'threw', but they do,I find it odd, don't you?).All her friends had come.It wasn't exactly like the way myself or Kats expected it to be.We thought that it would be emotional and some, if not all would break down,none except for one did breakdown.Though Kats often says that "Sorrow and grief can not always be expressed through tears." I feel that when you really feel for someone,you can see it.I couldn't see much on many of the faces.Isn't it sad that everything is so hollow nowadays ? 

Kats,Kats oh Kats,I must write an ode on her laziness someday.She so the queen of this empire (the empire of laziness) as well.It's been ages since she cleaned her table or every cleaned the cupboard  containing her books.Maybe lazy isn't the word to describe her now,as she says she is 'relaxing'.But relaxing doesn't mean you sit on a pile of dirt does it? 

I know I've complained a lot about  Kats already.And I may seem like an ever complaining pest. So I think I must share some of my other observations about Kats and the people around her.

Kats has suddenly become a topic of interest for all her neighbours and the people around her.Everyone wants to know how much she scored in various exams,where does she intend to study,what does she intend to study,etc. Those people who never even acknowledged her existence  have suddenly got interested in her 'future'.I find it amusing.The poor girl has to answer every odd question a passer-by on the street asks her.She may choose not to answer but sadly she does mind her manners.

Amidst all of this no one has for once though of what poor Kats is going through.I know Kats hasn't done somethings in the way she was supposed to,but the things which she has done as one is supposed to, haven't given her what she wants.

I can see the disappointment in her eyes,the loss of the will to do her best.She is sad,not because she has to answer everyone,but because she couldn't do what maybe she could have.

Now for a change I feel she shouldn't answer any more questions.
She does feel like yelling on the faces of the passers by to "mind their own business".But again,the word  'manners' comes in the way.

Maybe sometime I should take over and say so,what do you think? 

Whatever maybe your answer Kats isn't that happy now,I'm trying my best to cheer her,lets see whether I succeed.  

Kats goes out...all Thanks to Sakhi...Chubuli is happy

Another day,the sun rises,bird fly out of their nest in search for food chirping,the hen cookadokoos.
But this day is a little different from the others,for a change our darling Kats has no plan or schedule for the day.
No topics to revise,no problems in physics or maths to solve or reaction mechanism  to revise.
After months years comes a day in her ever-so-busy-busy life where she has no plan in place.Where she doesn't know what to do next.

Isn't it strange? When I was in complete control of her(i.e. when she was a child) everyday was like this,like a unknown parcel.Nothing was planned,everything just happened and despite that every single day was unique.

Today she felt so totally lost.After months years of 'focus' here come a time where you have to do nothing.It's like working in the army for years at the border,then suddenly being dropped off on to some exotic island and being told to 'enjoy'.It's hard. 

It's more like you go to school everyday,suddenly one fine day the horrible horrible monster called cold takes over you and you can't go to school.

Sometimes you also feel like that during the beginning of vacation. 

Poor Kats.This is like one long summer vacation. 

For a change Kats calls up Sakhi her 'kwel' friend out for a walk in the evening and Sakhi agrees.
The entire day just simply goes by.Kats makes an attempt to pick her books up:but no.... they seem so much heavier  than before.So drops the plan to study. 

She picks up her all time favourate writer Agatha Cristie's book,Passenger to Frankfurt  .

She  has many books of Agatha Cristie.But I fail to understand how blood shed,disputes,dead bodies,death, and so many more dark things interest her.Because all Agatha Cristie's books have all the above mentioned dark things. I think she should read something like 'The wizard of Oz'.
Though it gets a little scary after the witch comes into the picture in the book,I like it because it has a happy ending. 

I've heard Kats say this a lot,"Real life stories have no happy endings".But is it true? I don't think so.Maybe she just doesn't know what happy means. 

The day progressed.She progressed through the pages of that book.

She fell asleep in the afternoon.
Got up to see that Sakhi has come to her place with a 'gang' of girls.Kats knows all of them well,very well.But neither I nor Kats get along well with them.I don't know why!Both myself anf Kats make such huge efforts to build a bridge to their hearts,but it just doesn't stand the test of time.I simply took over Kats the moment I saw them,made her say that she'll come out in an hour.

Kats ran in.Choose an outfit.Cleansed herself. And viola she is ready. 
But after an hour when Sakhi comes with them it starts to rain rather it was drizzling. Plan almost got canceled.Then Sakhi promises that she'll take her to the market place after it stops.
And guess what? unlike the other friends of Kats Skahi is really "kwel".She has a scooty,a real one.

It stopped drizzling and off they went on Skahi's scooty. I'd rather call it her dragon.I like dragons,and would love to pet one, as it would serve multiple purposes.
The cool wind was gushing past their ears,everything around felt like as if it were falling behind.
The entire road was empty,there was fresh breeze of freedom,it smelled different,felt different.Kats forgot everything, all she did was flap her hands like birds would do to fly. 

 

And then suddenly it stared to rain again. 

   

Kats had a shopping bag in her hand then.She covered Sakhi's head and tried to cover her head with it as well.But purposely choose not to cover her head much as getting wet in rain was fun in a different way. It was after ages that Kats got wet in the rain.

The entire atmosphere smelt different.She all her tension,anxiety,stress was washed away by the rain.And all that was left was the same old Kats; happy,cheerful and hopeful of brighter day,all thanks to Sakhi.

And…Chulbuli is back….Kats decides….

First of all apologies for not being able to stay in touch with you all, due Kats and her ever so busy life I was lost. 

So much has happened that the account of all the incidents would take the next week totally. Nothing very adventurous has happened (if you consider cycling around the locality as adventurous then, there was some adventure.)

As the results started pouring in the Kat's skin colour changed as follows: 

 

 

And after the result this is what used to happen :

 

Kats isn’t exactly unpredictable; it’s just her mood that is unpredictable. If you know her mood you know she’ll do next.

Amidst all these exams, results and more exams suddenly Kats has woken up.
Woken up from deep slumber. And no there was fairy tale like reason for the same.

It’s just that, it has happened. 

 

When I was in complete control of her she wanted to be 14 different things.

(I don’t even remember all the 14 ironically.)But as she grew older there were only a few options that were left with her.

 

When all she was me, that is she was reaaally young she wanted to be a dancer.
She loved dancing, wasn’t very good at it but loved and tried to dance away with lots of joy. But as she grew older and older she learnt that dancing isn’t job. I don’t know why elders say so….? I don’t know why then do they allow us (children) to learn all these?
I wonder what makes something a job and what doesn’t!

Then some where in class 4 or before she wanted to be a doctor, the old nanny who took care of her wanted her to become one. Her parents wanted the same too.

But then she learnt that she had to sit in a dark place with dead bodies. OMG!
And that very day she decided not to become a doctor!

Then what next you may ask? 
I warn you Kats is one heck of a girl! Very indecisive….

Then what! Then came the era of singing reality shows. And yes! SHE WANTED TO BECOME A SINGER! She still has a penchant for singing.

I can challenge you that if a person can listen to her sing ‘Yeh Ishq hai’ from Jab We Met and not leave by the end of the 2^nd line, that person is deaf. Her ‘sur’ is like Kashmir and the original ‘sur’ of the song Kanyakumari!

Then what, when she came to class 9, ’the most interesting year in her life’ as she says (and even I agree!) she had four proper options, architect/interior designer, lawyer, researcher and politician .

 

Architecture was dropped midway in class 9 itself as she learn that one need to draw really well for that. And I can assure you that even the egg she draws isn’t a perfect oval! The human figures he draws look like Lord Voldemort’s distorted form. And if age were estimated by the way one fills colours she’s be aged 2 or maybe less! 

 

Lawyer was dropped as well. Because right in front of Kats’s grandfather’s house was lawyer and he used to get all kinds of 'dangerous guests' at odd times. There used to stand a white omni just like ones used in movies to kidnap right in front of his house. It was one creepy house! 

Politician was again labeled as ‘not a job’.

 

Yes, from then to this date all that has stood the test of time in her heart is research.

She likes it. She enjoys it and she doesn't need a smile to do it, but while doing it a smile sprouts on her face.  

She says she wants to study chemistry.

Chemistry is fun! So many colours, so many odours (ranging from rotten egg to rotten fish to scent of flowers), so much of activity and so much of drama, even I like it!

 

So finally for now research in chemistry has been frozen. Let’s see what happens next.

Whether she sticks to it or whether she finds something else.

At the end of the day she is the great Kats, queen of the land of the lost!

 

Expectations reduce joy, Chulbuli thinks so…

“Expectations reduce joy” these words aren’t mine but of the great Sri Sri Ravishankar. Quite true I must say. Though initially it is quite difficult for a child like myself to understand, but surely with experience it begins seep in. 

Kats was exposed to these words when I was in complete control of her (i.e. when she was a child) and as expected I wanted to question the meaning of the same. But examples were given soon after she first heard it. One of the examples was that when you are expecting your father back from a long trip  a gift is an obvious expectation for most children (unlike myself) but say this time father brings back nothing, most children are angry, irritated and hence forget to soak in the joy of their father coming back.

Kats has undergone the same ‘reduction of joy’ quite a few times. There have been moments where she had expectations from friends or family members to behave in a certain manner and the exact opposite taking place, hence reducing the joy of the moment.
 

But there have also been moments where she has expected nothing and enjoyed the little she got. For example in her 10^th standard board examination Kats got an aggregate of 87% , since she didn't have any expectation at all and was ready to take anything that comes her way hence she was happy. But there were cases, many cases, of her friends who were dissatisfied even after topping the school and the region.

 

The question is whether they were dissatisfied with their own perseverance and effort or by the outcome. The ones dissatisfied by the outcome as expected simply kept sulking where as the ones dissatisfied by their efforts critically analysed their own mistakes and developed a better POA (Plan Of Action) for the future.

The ones dissatisfied by the outcome couldn’t even enjoy the fruits of their own labour, where as the ones dissatisfied by their own persevence moved on with a smile, lots of happiness and a hope to better.

 

It is left to the individual to choose between being happy under any circumstance (for which many use the word content, which I do not agree wholly to) or to be upset, sad and sulky. If one wants to be upset and drowned in the pits of depression none can stop that person, not even God. For one can always find excuses to be so.

This reminds of these lines:
I was crying for a pair of shoes when I saw a boy without legs.

Till one sees people with more reasons to be sad than oneself and yet choosing to be happy one doesn’t realise the finite probability of one being happy irrespective of the condition.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining, but it won’t reveal itself always.
How ever thin it maybe (in Fermi meters {10 ^-15} of thickness say), it is left to you to find it. Though there are some ever so pessimistic people who always manage to search for the dark side to every given situation. My sincere suggestion to you is to not do so.

The best is to keep it blank. Approach every situation as a visit to your neighbourhood ice cream parlour (or Shop, if you don’t have a parlour in your neighbourhood), where you are ready to taste any other flavour if the flavour of your choice isn’t available. Though you may be forced to accept some flavour you’ve never tasted and it may initially annoy you. But the moment the first spoon (or lick if it’s a cone ice cream) of ice cream melts in your mouth, the joy of the ice cream precides over all other emotions.