The Designer (Drabble #2)

Alex: what a graceful walk.

Bindu: It is not difficult to see why you are enamored of their walk.

Alex: What do you mean?

Bindu: Did you really mean they walk gracefully?

Alex: Don't you think so?

Bindu: The exuberance you are hinding under those words indicate something else .

Alex: You mean?

Bindu: I meant you are taking pride in the designs they are wearing and not
       them.

Alex: May be, a little.


(The announcer: And now please welcome the proud designer Alex Mittal onto the ramp)

As Alex proceeds, he reveals Bindu " may be more than a little ".

Drabble #1

Drabble is a story written in 100 words. It can be a memoir, a description, a conversation or a meaningful poem.
As a response to the Drabble Dare contest held by the Burrowers, another galaxy of writers from blogverse, i wrote my first ever Drabble and first entry to Drabble Dare.


The Burrowers coined "Drabble" and have been writing them since two years. Much to my surprise, i never thought that a story can be told in 100 words and with so much imagination. But for me it was tough to tell a story in 100 words in first attempt so i choose to write a memoir based on the picture below that features a cat sitting on a temple wall in the city of Mumbai. This picture was the prompt for  Drabble Dare # 2 challenge.

As i sit on the temple compound wall for my daily prayers, once again 

i see devotees throwing coconut pieces at Monkeys and hitting stray 
Dogs with coconut shells.While i pity their ignorance and perform my 
rituals, i see them shoo-ing  and throwing pebbles at me. Why do 
Humans always go by the fundamental character of animals and 
never think that animals also have some individuality. I am here 
searching for enlightment and not to ruin the milk offered to
 God.Thinking this i pray along "Dear God, give us our rightful 
place to live peacefully on this earth".

When Confused....

This week i made in time for the poetry bus...may be more early than in time. The theme being Confusion by Niamh Bagnello. I started out thinking about things that confuse us the most, on routine. But nothing seemed to attract creative part of my brain. Without much racking and getting confused, i decided to write about the anxiety we go through each time we get confused. The result is a straight and simple poem with no complexities and of course no confusion :)

When confused,
you drown in a sea of wilderness,
thoughts surge like gigantic waves,
emotions battle against strong winds,
stress creates small ripples
paving way for a big whirlpool
sucking rationale from the roots


When confused,
you experience a free fall from clouds,
sweating profusely at a breakneck speed
as wind gusts hit the face,
confidence evaporates in mid air
and fear forms the rocky surface
in preparation for your crash landing


When confused,
calm down and be aplomb,
faux pas are done here and there,
anticipation seems palpable,
but do not listen to rehtoric voices,
meditate for the sound of pure thought,
discover the truth behind the veil of perturb

Wish from a Shooting Star..........

Why did destiny coaxed into granting
a freedom fogged from unseen failure
Why did widened horizons gave an enormous vision
only to get blinded by the false aura of personalities
World, how can you not be a better place for me to live
inspite of accommodating innumerable lives
May be you are worn out too by the ugly fumes
emerging from back stabbing games, finger pointing plays and murder statistics
So many dreams were about to turn into reality
as of now they are stuck in sand dunes like oasis
Enormous energy which was poured into happy living
burned out to empty making life a long trudge
Enough sulking and crying in private,
took notes from this life-sponsored rehabilitation.
Just waiting for adamant dark clouds blocking night sky
clear the path for twinkling blanket of moon's world.
I can trade one enduring wish with magical shooting star
and get back the past glory shelled out from me

Poetry Bus Dramedy!!

Hey guys!
I am little late for the bus this week. I hope there is a seat left. Argent is driving the bus this week and has a superb prompt. You can compile a thought on either comedy or unrequited love into poetry. (Unrequited love is a love that is not openly reciprocated or understood by the beloved.)Argent also pointed out that we can also combine the two challenges into one and pour out our hard work into beautiful lines. I normally would go with writing something about love since that is my forte (Forte only in terms of writing and not literally:)). But this time i thought to write something based on  unrequited love + comedy and i finally ended up writing one,
"A Dramedy"

This is about a girl who fell for a CIA officer(ficitional) and tells the story of her unrequited love in a comical way.


I am flattery at its most dangerous,
yet i could not make you love me.
You dont marvel at this tremendous beauty,
but gaze at wacky inventivness of gadgets
I am not a super hit brand like Jolie
If i was, i would have adopted you my Brad.
I may look like absurdity of premise,
but please try to unfold the crazy plot beyond.
When a trouble brews inside protective walls of the nation
you bring it under control with enormous style and sophistication
While i take pride in your victory,
you laugh out loud and mark me being childishly.
Your talks are dreadfully stuffy in any case
irritatingly officious too.....
And if i ask your opinion on love,
you bring out brusqueness and be short with me
Whole world is paranoia about finding Laden
instead they find you and inject some emotion
So you can sense my obvious dissappointment
and feel the love enchantment!!!

Loner.........

This poem is about a person who made Edison train station in New Jersey  his home in the past. An year ago, when i used to commute to New York from Edison on NJTransit, i used to see this person in a small waiting room that accommodated four benches. He used to sit on one of the benches and hence no one else bothered to sit on the same bench each day because of his odor and bad attire. Although pitiful looking, he did not care  about who was coming and who was going nor did he begged for money. All he used to do is to stare into vacuum and sometimes gave a huge grin. But he managed to get food somehow each day ( I am sure not by begging). He was just a loner in the huge crowd that commuted to and fro NYC everyday. But one day, all of a sudden he disappeared and never returned to the station again. I wonder what had happened to him and felt bad for not helping him out(at least giving him some food).We were and still are that busy chasing our lives, pity us!!.

This poem is in remembrance of him  injected with my imagination about his state of mind.


Why do you focus into emptiness each day ?
Is this a display of temerity or timidity ?
Have you reached a terminal boredom in life?
Since when have you lapsed into stupefied silence?
How could you let your life to be nightmarish?
Thinking that fate has bestowed this upon you
or waiting for someone to lift your spirits?

You are not wasted, you are not arty,
you are not pretentious,
yet no one care to acknowledge your sorrows.
I see, this station harboring busy crowds each day
has lent a deaf ear to your corrugated past.
No one, no one but you can bring yourself out
of whatever that is happening within you

Do not expect pity from the moving crowd
They gasp at the absurdity of your life's content (how do they know?)
but never lure themselves to offer some help.
All i can see is their disgust for your stinking odor
Your maligned clothes make a miss in
the vapors of early hour pressures .
Late evenings also carry list of social commitments
but no one's list has your name for a rendezvous.
Your death does not create avalanche of muck raking
except for a small line in the local newspapers.


So Mr. Unknown,

Uncertainty is the charm of the life
Do not waste your life in the boredom of solitude.
Do not limit your existence,
between the train tracks and parking lots.
Trigger yourself to a working mode,
look at galore oppurtunities life throws at you
pick one and pack the past beyond today.
Ascend from the bottom of the pit
and catch a train that could lead you to your destination.

Love of signs or signs of Love?

DFTP is driving this week's Poetry Bus and has an interesting prompt for us. Roads, signs, imagination and lot more.

And here is my response to get onto the poetry bus. Lets feed the pixies!

A divine angel flew to
no parking any time earth zone
Seeing her descend into the woods
my sharp and subtle senses
evaporated like dew drops under sun
The immense ocean of love asked
my heart to stop there on red
and the speed limit went down to zero
I realised a rail road crossing
had in store for me this day
Hiding from her eyes,
i followed her onto a winding road
and onto a slippery road until she disappeared
and the blissful detour ended abrupt
Dejected from the road closed
I took one way ride for several years
until one day my destiny road narrowed
and i got a ticket to meet her again
We met, we spoke like divided highways
long waited to meet....
Then came a day when divided road ended
and the two lanes merged into a wedlock.

As the World Turns.............

As the world turns, Shilpa is happy for 2 reasons:
1) She is eating, praying and living her dream job.
2)She has completed the first chapter of her novel.

She is completely immersed in the beauty of the city she is working in now. And her protagonist (female) from her novel has also landed a job in a big city and admiring it so far. Although one might think that Shilpa is injecting her identity into the character's identity,  it is not completely true. May be few shades of the character ( Neha Reddy ) are borrowed from the author herself but Neha Reddy has a different persona all together. Drifting from comparisons between Neha Reddy and her author, this novel has an intense plot, a clear picture of circumstances that will shape every day life of Neha. Her struggle to put up with her Love, her Friends, her Family and above all her diminishing Virtues to get that perfect life. A life which seems hopeless once she gets to live it.

Wow...speaking in third person always makes me feel special. Anyways, so that was the extremely skimmed version of my novel. My research for novel is becoming crucial these days. I am studying the character/attitude of every girl/woman i come across with. I am recording my own instincts that generated out of though process on a certain issue. I chose four famous females from four different expertise to extract and refine the qualities onto my protagonist's character. Little did i realise that apart from being an author, i need to be a model, a teacher, a doctor, a mother, a man, a child and  a beggar who day dreams riches, in order to bring life into my characters.

But connecting with my characters is so enthralling that i am developing a  motherly love towards them. For instance I feel so sad whenever i write about the beggar (an important character) because i have to keep him starving and make him feel miserable. But then at the end of the day i realize he is fictional.

An author should definitely bond with his/her characters. She should walk with them, live with them, talk with them and embrace good and bad associated with them. When my characters took life with a medium(pen) that connected my brain and my paper, i felt satiated like a mother did after giving birth to her child. The energy flow from pen to paper was non-stop driven with brain's processes. And with similar experiences for almost a month, i was driven to my goal of finishing the first chapter. And this post is the review of what went behind the scenes and a sneak peak into the story. May be i should post details of every chapter i finish, in future.

And as for the update on my Orbis Terrarum challenge, i am getting absorbed by Afghanistan's  blaze with " A 1000 Splendid Suns". And i also am  living amongst ancient Indian epic characters from Mahabharata with Chitra Divakaruni's "The Palace of Illusions". This book is not my entry in Orbis Terrarum but recommended by a fellow blogger friend. For me Mahabharata has always been an  intense saga which created a curiosity every time i indulged in it. Chitra surely filled that curiosity of mine once again .....

Books for Orbis Terrarum

Here is my list for Orbis Terrarum 2010

1) A 1000 Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini ( Afghanistan)
2) Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup ( India)
3) Metroland  by Julian Barnes (UK)
4) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (USA)
5) Departure Land by Chad Taylor (New Zealand)
6) Heaven's Edge by  Romesh Gunasekera (Sri Lanka)
7) Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
8) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho ( Brazil)

These are the books on my list right now. I will update the changes if  i stumble upon and read other books from same countries.

Tip of The Day 1

The whole long weekend for me was filled with Boston, Long drive, Friends and Fun . As much as i loved my weekend escape, i am little guilty about not concentrating on my WIP. And now i am back on track with my novel. Although i missed my writing time past 3 days,  i managed to finish reading the book " The 3 Mistakes of My Life " by Chetan Bhagat, an Indian Writer. 

Chetan's characters are young, ambitious and passionate and have the same moral, social and religious dilemmas as many of the young Indians today. At the same time their context and sensibility too is unabashedly Indian.

You can find more information about Chetan and his works at http://chetanbhagat.com/

Chetan's light weight, vivid story telling in this book extracted few extra hours out of my vacation time. The book indeed was worth it. I am planning to finish other 3 books from the author in near future.

And moving on, I am starting a new post from today. I will be posting " Tip of The Day" for writers frequently. I made this necessary initiative to keep my writing on track without any long breaks. I will be more than happy if these tips helps other writers too. 

Here is the first TIP of The Day from Paul Raymond Martin:

" I used to preach that a writer must be disciplined. Seat of the pants to seat of the chair. Write every day. Blah, blah, blah. I no longer believe that.

Writing is a matter of desire, not discipline. If you want to write, that's what you'll do. If you want to write you'll rearrange the circumstances of your life to make it possible.

If you want to write, you can't not write! "

So friends, did you read any interesting book over the long weekend. Do you have any writing tips ? 

Share your thoughts!!!

The dress that is me

Hey all. Monday evenings are so relieving. They are like the wake up calls from a nightmare of  leftover work from the last week. So, to make this Monday evening even more fun, i wanted to share the pictures from this year's JD Institute of Fashion Technology Calender, with you. One of my dearest friends is attending this institute. Thanks to her, i got a chance to sneak peak into the pictures. Prashant Chikodi is the photographer behind these fantabulous pictures. The theme of this photo shoot basically tells a story of your search for a social identity that one of these dresses reflect.

1) Adventure

2)  Amazon

3) Coffee Devotee

4) Fear Factor

5) Gambler

6) Harmony

7) Leisure

8) Maayan

9) Imperfect

10) Plus size Fashionista 

11) Victoria

12) Tatoo

My social identity is defined by "Leisure". I am more of a day dreamer, an emotional being. I can spend hours starting at nature, articles in museums, historical sights or travel back in time contemplating about my past deeds or write poetry in absolute solitude. 

So friends, which Picture/Dress defines your social identity??  Share your thoughts!!

A Firefly

Hi friends,

Here is my latest poem for a weekly poetry challenge held by Totalfeckineejit on the name " Poetry Bus".(for more information please click on the link) . One of the beautiful bloggers'  Terresa Wellborn is driving  this week's TFE's Poetry Bus. You can find more information at Driving the poetry bus about Terresa and about the participation details.


As a part of this competition, she included a Poetry Prompt which is a picture by Keith Carter from his book, Fireflies. Here is that Picture:

And here is my poem in response to the picture. Wish me luck!

The Initiative

I am so happy to write this post. As i proceed on, i started this blog to post my views and my poetry for a specific group of audience who can share the passion that i crawl for. But little did i realized that this blogging world has pumped the much needed fuel into my ambition of writing a book. Evidently, a novel. Initially i was much more focused on compiling a book that portrays  my verses. This book is in its early stage now and it would definitely take some more time till i can see the finished product. But now i am very happy to share the news that i am diving into an ocean of creative writing that can help me deliver a beautiful novel. For this thing to happen i really need support of all the novel writers, publishers, critics and much importantly friends who can guide me, support me, advice me and warn about the potholes in this journey.

There are lot of people who helped me to nurture this idea. And i thank all of them starting with,

1)Mom: She is the most important part of my life, who constantly encouraged reading and supported financially to fill in my library with the most magnificent books on the planet.

2) My school: For all those literary competitions viz lyric writing, debates, essay writing etc

3)My Friends: For pulling out time to listen to my works even though they were never interested.

4)My blogger Buddy Saumya: She is a true inspiration, very talented and a good soul.Though i knew her only few months now, she gave me much needed push without her knowledge.

5)Ooha(means Imagination in my native language): This is the name i gave to my alterego. She is much more bolder and risk taker than i am. She constantly wants to do something different, something worthwhile that gives this life an added value.

My work will fall in the Genre which includes works by Jhumpa Lahari, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai  and Arundhati Roy. No comparison with  these legends but i am giving an idea about my style of story telling.

So, I welcome all of you who visit my blog, to post your suggestions/experiences and share the fun and frolic each day. Do watch me starting out, getting marinated, plunging in, getting deep fried, tumble washed and hung out dry. Enjoy.

Back from Hiatus

I was filling up my spare time with my new addiction "Heroes" all these days. Now that i happened to cover all the seasons, i am finally back. The last episode of Heroes season 4 or chapter 5 as it is called, had some cliffhanging moments. While i was looking forward for a new season, i was astonished with the news that the series has been called off by NBC this week. That came in a  surprise for me and made me sad. But they are going to wrap up with a 2-3 hour show in near future.All my life, I have been a big fan of super hero stories. As a kid i watched super hero cartoons, as a teenager i indulged in super hero and science fiction novels and here i am still satisfying those interests.

Heroes is paramount story about ordinary people contended with the fact that they had extraordinary powers. Some think it is a curse, some think they are destined to have them and some think they are angels of god to rule the earth. Heroes apparently gave me a different perspective on super hero talent. All the movies and cartoons just depict how the good super hero hunts down the bad one and saves the world. But Heroes is not about one super power story. It is about ordinary people, it is about how want to get rid of these powers but convince themselves to lead a normal life with these powers. It is about readjusting to the life handling abnormal changes which affect their loved ones and their surroundings. It showed how world is not a safe place even for the gifted ones and how they unintentionally embark a risky journey to protect themselves from the bad. 

Of all, it gave a perfect message that Love is the only emotion that can conquer any super power, as opposed to regular shows of that genre. A character called "Peter Patrelli", who is a hospice nurse/ paramedic, uses his powers to save the dying. Another character "Sylar" is a serial killer always targeting evolved humans with abilities. However in the end he realizes how he lost himself in the quest of some craziness, after saving a lady.  

On the whole this series gives an idea how super powers can be painful, depressive and can ruin lives in spite of the common notion of coolness associated with them.  So people, when ever you think about having two extra hands or being invisible or can time travel, just think you are just awesome the way you are, being normal. 

For me this week had send offs in store for every show that is on my list. Gossip Girl finale was an epic. But the character   "Jenny" had crossed the extremes of being a spoiled brat and accumulated hatred among most followers. In spite of Blair giving a second chance, it was sad to see Chuck could not come clean. And the writers should take the edge off of Serena's character on being confused, gullible and lack of direction. 

On the other hand 90210 finale was a complete disappointment. There were like a zillion cliffhanger moments and we have to wait till September 2010 to watch. But it is good to see Annie and Liam together. All the characters of 90210 have some serious work as a part of their lives as opposed to characters of Gossip Girl (except for Vanessa and Chuck).

And this season also saw Ugly Betty's exit. Ugly Betty always brought itself a positive energy of what all can an ordinary girl accomplishes. And it is set up in NYC background. I always have a soft corner for any series which has NYC backdrop.

Now that I am done with Heroes and not getting to watch either Gossip Girl or 90210 till September, I wanted to get hooked up with another series. I tried watching Glee but I could not able to connect with it. Then I had some kind of poll on Lost vs.  Dexter amongst my friends and the winner turns out to be Lost. I had a quick review of Lost in Time's “Lost in 108 seconds". Loved it so far and will update my experiences with Lost in near future.

Till then XOXO (Gossip Girl style ;))

The color Hot Pink

Pink is the color that represents femininity. Pink adorns the curves of women when it flows along with the fabric they wear. Pink enlightens our world when it spreads on the walls of our room. Pink creates a wave of happiness when it decorates woman's lips, pink is a quiet color that makes a huge statement when we carry it in any form. pink is all babies, little girls, candies and breast cancer awareness. 

Spring is all about bright colors and pink is bright. Hot pink is even brighter. I am having this "fashion craving" for all that is hot pink this spring.

It all started after seeing this picture of Jennifer Garner. Ms Garner is one such a lady, who can pull of any color with any fabric. And this hot pink Christian Dior dress brings out sheer elegance that competes with her smile to greet the viewers first. A hot pink dress like this will definitely make my day.

 Hot pink can make any one at any age look elegant and chic.

While talking about Hot Pink, i remember Bollywood heroine Katrina Kaif, who looks absolutely stunning in all that is Hot Pink.

This pink Saree is just near to plain but because of the color, it looks mesmerizing on her. 

I would not write this post had i not come across these Givenchy Cut- Out Shoe Boots, online. A sheer stunner, potential enough for a crime that can be avoided if i ignore them ( crime here refers to swiping my card to buy these shoes). It is hard to resist them but i better look for a cheaper alternative.

My choice for nail polish is becoming bolder and bolder. Eventually, i am now known as " the girl with weird nail polish colors" in my close circuit.(Bold=weird? seriously?). But my thirst for bolder colors is on the rise which is proved by the color that i absolutely want to decorate my nails now. Hot Pink by OPI. 


I welcome all women to embrace the color this spring. Have a bright-HotPink-full day!

Give me some sunshine....Give me some rain........

As soon as i escaped India's scorching heat flying to US, i thought NJ would welcome me with a lively spring weather it presents every year. But how would i ever thought my plea for "some rain" while i was in India would dramatically become reality in US. Now i am clinging to the phrase " give me some sunshine" cause i want to step out every day with a smile.  Tired to see this gloomy weather when one still has those beautiful and fresh memories of outings in India. Armed with a pair of flip flops, a pony tail, a skirt and top, small clutch and a pair of shades, i can roam around the city with bunch of girl friends all day long. No car, no parking issues, no week before plans/ appointments for the coming weekend, no hassles with jackets/umbrellas/gloves not sure of when the weather would change. Rarely, one would check for weather online to plan something as the seasons always remain obedient to us.

A Saturday in India:

I want to share one of the Saturdays during my stay in India. The morning started waking up along with grand mom to get ready for puja. A head bath followed by picking up flowers and sitting at puja filled the early hours of Saturday. Then read the local newspaper sipping coffee( no online news). After that randomly made up my mind to visit our ancestral home which was built by my great grandfather and was like 10 km away from my home ( This house is like more than 100 years old and i spent a small part of my life growing up there). I took my Honda Activa bike, picked up my cousin and drove all the way. Being at that place had made my mind to rewind the memories that got stored over the years and i was a child all over again. I happened to visit a  small shop in the same place where we used to buy chocolates. After spending 2 hours, we returned back home and had lunch. The menu consisted of home made tamarind pickle and tomato daal. Though these do not make it to the list of Mogul in NJ or the Cheese Cake Factory, they have their own reputation as comfort foods. Then after tried watching TV which kind of sucked as my grand mom did not let me switch the channels as the daily soaps pour in all the day long. So i pressed buttons on my cell phone and called my cousins ( One being in medical college, one working and one looking for jobs in IT) and planned to meet up for a movie ( the medical college one had to bunk the class). We drove in a car to big cinemas and watched a Telugu movie " Leader". ( I wanted to give a review for this amazing movie here but apparently it distracts the topic). Then, after a hour long journey in the traffic we reached home, got freshened up and hit the road again for shopping. This time we hired an auto rickshaw, which gave a pleasant ride to the shopping center of the city. The air along the road filled up with all kinds of smells where the smell of soot coming out from automobiles dominated all. We all got down and hit the dress store, where a shop boy brought  dresses and opened up in front of us so that we can select a dress. After making that guy to literally open up  all the dresses the store got, we finally zeroed up on 5 dresses.( Thanks to his patience).  After the fun and exhausting shopping, we wanted to feed our stomachs and found a cart selling Pani Puris on the other side of the street. These Pani Puris had the authentic taste which the "Bombay Chaat" on Oak Tree Road killed. After that we strolled along the street and made frequent stops at bangle carts, jewelery carts and shoe stores. The best part one should not miss out while enjoying shopping in Indian streets is bargaining.You can almost get like 50% discount if you bargain. And if you walk out of the store when you are not satisfied with the price, the shopkeeper wont let you go empty handed and chances are high he will agree to your price ( of course with a marginal profit for him).  From there we hired an auto rickshaw to the local exhibition (the mini version of  Six Flags). The not so adventurous rides drove us through comedic situations. We then managed to grab some chili bajjis and headed back home. No matter how far i live from my city, the motherly love it displays in which ever way i interact with it is amazing. But i can clearly admit New Jersey has been and will be my home away from home. At the end we had a girls night out enjoying the "Super Bowl" of gossips while Saturday closed its doors and Sunday opened its for yet another fun filled extravaganza.

A Saturday in US  might be the same but most of the times you get to enjoy alone and fun always seems to be a need to keep ourselves busy over the weekends. Sincerely, there is a need for sunshine in the weather and sunshine in the routine we Indians do in the US.

UNO and friends

It has been almost (edited this post after realizing it is exactly a month!) a month since my last post. Do not know why i was away but yeah time really slipped away.
Did not even get a chance to pen down lyrics. Anyways, i tried new software to implement this font on my blog which caught my eye like crazy. I hope it suits well.
My recent activity, well , past few days i did lot of stuff that in some way related to my childhood. I found all the pictures from school and class group photos. It is both funny and interesting to see how one would grow through the years.

Here is a picture from my 9th grade in India.

During weekend, i bumped into card and board games which are also connected to my childhood. Gone were the birthdays where i used to receive gifts, majority of which were the board games and interesting card games.  My all time favorite is Monopoly cause it never seemed to end once we start it. I can recollect an instance where we sat down the previous day evening for a game and continued playing till the next day evening( of course there were breaks now and then).

This Saturday, i enjoyed the glory of the card games again by playing UNO. It might come as a surprise but yeah this was the first time i tried my hand at UNO. An initial clueless followed by confusion leading to excitement left me in the second place( we were four players). Hmmm......it wasn't a bad victory after all :D

Childhood is indeed a gift wrapped up with those early moments where we learn, fail, smile, succeed, cry  but wont care what all these mean to us when we grow up. So preserving this time is very important in every person's life.For most of us, dreams come true only after they do not matter, Only in childhood do we ever have the chance of making dreams come true when they mean everything.

If one gets time, please relive your childhood. May be a high school reunion or a garage search or a Facebook meet up or buzz on the favorite teacher's doors or open the album that gathered dust over the years!

The background score for all my musings about my childhood : Secrets by One Republic

"Tell me what you want hear, i am gonna give all my secrets away................"

A trail long gone cold

This poem is about the current situation that is prevailing in India. I am really tired of reading corrupt stories, murder articles, a cult's(Shiv Sena) obsessiveness for one religion to exist in a secular India and Andhra's youth claiming their lives for a cause. All Indians who are enjoying the fruits of  freedom bought by our beloved leaders, have forgotten the means and purpose of this freedom. The true sense of Democracy  "By the people, to the people, for the people" is now confined to classroom teachings in schools. Freedom to live, freedom of speech are still a dream for most of the Indians.

Did we ever practice getting things done in peaceful way since Independence?. The only peaceful way we follow these days is bribery. We forgot teachings of Gandhi, we forgot how Ahimsa has led to the greatest victory the country ever experienced. This situation should change.

I wish every Indian should pledge this: We will fight for our causes in a peaceful way by not giving up our lives. We will discourage corruption and get things done in a "peaceful" way. We will not encourage hatred, fight and murder each other. We will not exchange words criticizing other religions, as we are the people who have to carry legacy of  father of the nation. A legacy that should set a good example to rest of the world.


I see a dizzy pace of upheaval in today's India
tough out there for a leader with an ideology
an ideology that Buddha preached
an ideology that Gandhi practiced
The country finds itself on the cusp of confusion,
chaos and dissolution brought by
greed, power and crime.
Frustrated souls not willing to take
this time for glum acceptance
nor clinging to fight for peace with peace


He who parlayed a problem
into a thriving social expression
He who with a stick and a vision
drove entire nation for freedom
had a glorious prophecy for future India
But generations, since, diluted his aura,
brushed off  his principles
The foot prints that brought freedom
have faded in the wheel of time
Ahimsa, on the verge of extinction,
is now a trail long gone cold


Sure we live in a time of innovation and expansion
but prizes always go to shrewd politicians
who can stake out new territory, define boundaries,
even set new rules for the game
a game giving illusions of freedom
for the nameless hundreds
a game exploiting the true
sense of  Democracy

We are approaching a tipping point
in attitudes and behaviors towards the downturn
A country promised to be united even diversified
is breathing hatred and division
is claiming lives of youth
is suffering the loss of  resources
i can see millions of Gandhis
on currencies that fill the pockets
and i wonder if they are just  images
not a reminder of glory, truth and non-violence

I want to see the situation unfreeze
let all portray Ahimsa in a new context,
a new reality, not a return to the world as we knew it
but become a part of dream envisioned by the greatest leader
Let us walk the trail he walked

Oscars Twenty Ten

I felt bad missing Oscars for awards presentation. But not for fashion 'cause when it comes to fashion, it is better applauded on a still screen than on a motion screen.So, i scooped out much fun in helping my eyes gleam with hollywood glam on internet. First, i congratulate all the winners and nominees as well. The most covoted Best Actress is finally won by Sandra Bullock as i wished.While watching the movie " The Blind Side", i could not help but admire the real life character " Leigh Anne Touey" portrayed by Sandra Bullock. A strong, possesive white mother adopting a black child, who eventually brings his talent to limelight, made Bullock an oscar winner. And Bullock's Silver Marchesa dress for the evening, has given us another reason to glee for her.

By the way, what's with the silver, gold, metallic shimmery shades on the red carpet? I can clearly see hollywood welcomed summer before spring with those pale textured dresses. Even Kristen Stewart's midnight blue,Penelope Cruz's dusky red did not brighten up the red carpet as different tones of silver did.

My personal favourites from this Oscars: Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lopez, Elisebeth Banks and Cameroon Diaz. J Lo worked the dress with her flaunting curves while Diaz looked whimsical in champagne tulle gown. The cascading ruffles on Elizabeth Banks created a ripple of envy in me.Sighh....

A top nod goes to Demi Moore, not only for her red carpet fashion but also for her ever lasting beauty. This lady belongs to my mom's generation. Yet she makes all the young ladies give Oh-my-how can she get/look/make/dress/Blah fashion lingo and all the men go weak on their knees. She looked extraordinarily stunning in Versace's strapless silk organza for her age(47).

And finally it is sad for me that Anne Hathaway is not spotted anywhere near oscars. No nominations and no presentations. Well, i can wait for Oscars'11. Mean while, i will catch up with her on other red carpets!

Old, yet refreshing

This is about a poem i wrote in 1997. I totally forgot this even exists. Found it at my home recently, when i was in India trip. Thanks to mom for preserving my early work :) I was so glad i found it and amused while going through it. I wrote it when Titanic movie had released , when whole world went crazy over it.

This poem describes about Rose's feelings for her love Jack, after his death. There is nothing great about this poem except it connects me to my past self. It is sort of like a page from a personal diary. I always wanted to maintain one personal diary but  feared it might fall into some random hands. With a diary like that you can always fall back in your free time, ponder over and re live your past. I should start writing a personal journal (not referring to a blog here) at least from now since every thing is digital and secured. So that, in future when i have no one to talk to or when i am tired of talking to people around me, i can travel back in time and talk to my past self. Hellooo Shilpa =]

okaaaayyy.....here's the poem..

Jack, its me Rose,
Your hand in my hand
indeed was a big hope
When i looked at you
your eyes were filled with my image
I can clearly not miss you
But i had to leave you in those chilled waters

Years passed on by
But my love for you hasnt gone dry
My promise to you
has not missed its reality
"Rose" with all her color put on,
Waited everyday for
rain to shower on it

You are far away from me
playing with stars
singing along with moon
But you are in my breath
going into my heart and pumping out strength

That night,
While others struggled for their lives
you rescued my lilfe
yes, you rescued, my life, your soul

I owe you for everything
And i promise to repay
waiting for a warm welcome from you......

Way to go Anne Hathaway

Kudos to Anne Hathaway for her fashion choices. Dressed in short hemlines, flirty silhouettes and sophisticated dresses, her elegance halts the media firestorm surrounding her, catapulting Anne into a new, bolder fashion sense. I have been following her movies and her fashion since age 16. I cannot pick a better female star who is so "evolved" for our generation. Be it acting, be it fashion, she always amuses me.  No matter what designer she's wearing, she looks so simple and great in all colors. Yet the best colors that suit her are black, dark shade of red, dark blue, and reddish-brown. In the beauty department, Anne's best features are undoubtedly her full lips, large brown eyes and porcelain skin, which give her a classic Hollywood look.From the clumsy Mia Thermopolis in Princess Dairies to the White Queen in Alice in the Wonderland, she managed to grab a big fan following for her style both on -screen and off-screen.

How can one forget her costume in the last scene of  Princess Dairies movie. Girls must had envied Anne a zillion times for the off white satin dress.

From the massive wardrobe of Anne for Princess Dairies 2, i got instant gratification to my eyes when i saw the red ball gown. I felt red gets extra Royal when it is on Anne. She even wanted to keep the dress for herself, but Disney would not allow her to do so :(

One cannot miss out Devil wears prada when talking about Anne's on screen fashion. While the movie itself  is based on fashion, Anne's boring first scenes are metamorphosed into a Fashionista's lifestyle. Here, i cannot help but remember Miranda presley's pro-fashion argument. This one scene has increased my respect for fashion immensely.

Miranda Priestly: [Miranda and some assistants are deciding between two similar belts for an outfit. Andy sniggers because she thinks they look exactly the same] Something funny?
Andy Sachs: No, no, nothing. Y'know, it's just that both those belts look exactly the same to me. Y'know, I'm still learning about all this stuff.
Miranda Priestly: This... 'stuff'? Oh... ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff....

This movie has changed my outlook on fashion as a whole. Earlier, i was the one would say  "How come a lady ends up with numerous accessories and why cannot my friend gets satisfied with two or may be three pairs of shoes". Now i understand the urge and my thirst for fashion  rose since then ( I own more than 15 pairs of shoes now, although it is comparatively less for a twenty something lady :))

(Okaaay, moving on, totally not going there!) my personal favorite look from the movie is the black boat neck top by David Rodriguez worn over a white shirt from Miu Miu ( I love layers). The costume was completed with Anne wearing a Chanel newsboy cap and white pearls necklace.

The frosting on the cake is the leather jacket seen on her in the movie before closing credits. (I got hold of similar jacket from GAP!)

Not only movies but her red carpet style is also equally stunning. Though her Oscars'07 appearance wasn't appreciated that much, her emergence on '08 carpet as a goddess is breath taking. She wore a goddess-style red gown by Marchesa.  One would definitely wonder if the gown added glamor to her or she added glamor to the gown.

And she did not stop giving surprises on Oscar red carpet since then. Oscars '09 has seen her in a silver Armani Prive gown as she walked the red carpet in Casadei 1616 pumps in a custom silver tone. This look was completed by a beautiful smile brought by her nomination in Best Actress category for her role in Rachel Getting Married.( loved her acting in the movie)

Recently, she has been spotted in London for the Royal world premiere of Alice in wonderland. I could not help but soak up in Anne's shimmering bronze Vivienne Westwood. What a vision! There is no second thought in saying that she can pull off almost anything.

Here is a picture of her from The Met's Costume Institute Gala. Anne looks quite the bombshell in her purple poofed and zippered frock. The dress is OK but her bouffant '60s hair and smoky eyes are what really stand out(though i think the hair is just not right). Love the silver criss-cross sandals.

And now the Oscars'10 is round the corner i can barely wait to watch her spread the magic yet again.She can truly claim the red carpet diva status. In my view she epitomizes "comfortable yet sophisticated fashion". There are only two people who can carry on the "Modern Day Audrey Hepburn" image. One being Leighton Meester, other, of course, is Anne Hathaway.

Inspired by David Choi music

You need unconditional love from me
but disregard to reciprocate
I want to chagrin your ignorance
when my feelings lose dignity in your thought
But cannot help stumble upon your smile
I knew it is not fake,
but it is not what you are for me

I am all that you've wanted,
a girl attributed to undiscovered pearl
You bask in the delight of my presence
finding me in every woman you come across
you wont deny experiencing these and i don't
deny sensing "conditional"

You worry about me but you are fractious
You groom me in your world
but shut your doors on me deliberately
And you come bursting sympathy on me,
an untouchable care, a solitary banter.

Do you make your heart up to break mine
the next time,When i am on top of the world,
when i forbear my logic and believe your eyes
not knowing when the love carousel pauses again

Your love for me is so intense, i know
But why visualize me as an obligation
when i am your prerogative in your dominion
I paint the moments of togetherness but you
welcome a time that makes me ambisinister


Impulsive or premeditated
what ever you name it
your behavior makes and breaks my heart
I am love struck and don't care if i am down
I will take care of the unconditional love for you
until i leave this world......

Meluko (Telugu)

Neelo manchini penchi, maanavathvanni panchi,
Nava ramayanamunkai nandi ni paluku
Neelo kutilatvanni vanchinchi, pogarunu khandinchi
Bharatamlo nutana adyananni likhinchu
Nee Mansunu aadeshinchi, Indriyaalani vasaparuchu
Ee shatabdam Buddhuniga avatarinchu

Manishini muripinche maya prapancham adi
Anthu leni korikalaku puttinillu adi
"Manasu" ane danini madinchaga
Nivuru gappina nippu udbhavinchu
Amruthamu ani dani ni vembadinchaku o agyani
Miguluthundi neeku neellu leni o endamaavi


Alalake rekkalosthe teerame daatava
kalalake kadalikosthe manugade maaripoda
Maikame nee madini mandaginchaga
Manasulo korikale ninu bandhini chesenu
Nee aashayalane aaviri cheyaka
Manasunu adupucheyavale o neestama

Newton's philosophy

While reading a magazine on management education, i came
across an article that featured interesting moments from
great scientists' lives. I found this piece on Newton
very fascinating where, for the first time i read about a
scientist concluding God and Science belonged to the same
side of a coin.

It featured a conversation between Newton and an atheist
friend of Newton. Once he knocked on the door and came in
after Newton had just finished making his solar system
machine(i.e. one of the machines like the one in the
science museum where you crank the handle and the planets
and moons move round). The man saw the machine and said
'how wonderful' and went over to it and started cranking
the handle and the planets went round. As he was doing
this, he asked " who made this?"

Newton, writing on something, looked up and said "nobody did".

The man said "you didn't hear me. Who made the machine"?

Newton replied, " I told you. Nobody did".

He stopped cranking and turned to Newton," Now listen Isaac, this
marvelous machine must have been made by somebody-don't keep
saying that nobody made it".

At which point Newton stopped writing and got up. He looked at
him and said,"Now isn't it amazing. I tell you that nobody
made a simple toy like that and you don't believe me. Yet you
gaze out into the solar system- the intricate marvelous machine
that is around you- and you dare say to me that none made that.
I don't believe it".

As far as the record goes the atheist went away and he was no
longer an atheist. He was suddenly converted to the idea that
God was behind the laws that were found in creation.

Break Through

Have you reached a deadlock
with a bargaining impasse..
Is unfair climate cursing
you with tears of rain..
Has your faith slide down
from being strong to being vulnerable..

Don’t fade away with time
All those should haves and would haves are worthless
Say goodbye to your paralyzed judgments,
for its time to....
dump all those fractured thoughts,
into an abyss of unwanted sorrows.
vivify those brown grasslands,
that stand lifeless in your mind.
pull yourself apart from this rubble
and try for a Break Through in life..


Become torpor of pain.
Countervail all the barricades.
Perambulate through intangible fears.
Show fervid to live everyday.
And feel the new you


Enough living in penury of courage
Doughty is what you need now
Rampart your weak spirit
It is not too much to ask
And this aplomb will make you Sui Generis

news news.....

I want to quote about two news articles that caught my eye today....One being John Thain's reemergence as a new CEO of CIT Group Inc. How ironically pathetic that they have set his salary to $6 million/yr with 1.5 million in bonuses which is by all means low according to wall street standards. How can some one forget what turmoil he has left behind with Merrill.Nonetheless, CIT also was at a brink of dissolution but took a safe ride with taxpayers money. So, indeed it is Thain who is taking more risk in investing his prestige and time in CIT than the other way round. We had seen enough destruction and hope this time we see the growth graphs with positive results.

The other news begin Kodaali Nani's not-so-sensible take on Telangana issue in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Comparing Telangana activists to dogs is so humiliating. I wonder what was going through his mind while he made his statement but his apology wont do any good for his now running film and his future releases in Telangana region. His allegations against KCR and Prof. Kodandaram are lunatic. Earlier, telanganites respected Jr.NTR's plea for release of his new movie. But Nani totally do not deserve those respects(Jr. NTR is the hero and Nani is the producer of a movie called Adhurs(telugu)). He can feel the pulse of Telangana movement only if he can be a part of it which, obviously, he is incapable of. So it is useless in taking some random person's mindless talks into consideration and mislead the movement.

Jai Telangana!

A sonnet with 2 extra lines(if i can say that!)

First impressions are so superficial,
for the way I have known you through the years.
Deliberation has never been this tardy,
as I had to know me to know you.
The hubris in my mind’s eye drew a hyperbole,
made me think you are just another obvious character.
Found a huge paucity of muse for my life,
for too many analogies reflected in men around me.
I could only make allusions to kings, knights and heroes
and squeezed catharsis out of these..
Though my jargon sounds bohemian,
it is an archetype of woman's intuition.
If it wasn’t for my canniness,
you would still be flying under the radar
If it wasn’t for my intuition’s growing inclination towards you
The references I made in my dreams would never come true

Gelupu (Telugu)

Hrudayam paade aa jeevagaano evaru chepparu
Paapayi vese aa tholi adugulane evaru nerparu
Teeram cheralane aaratam
Aa alake kaaleda spoorthi
Gaayale adugunu venakaku laguthunna
Aashayanni aaradhisthu munduku naduvu
Nelalu nindina aa badhalanundi
Putte kyathe nee gelupante !

Gossip Girl

Even in snowy climate,
you make a bright fire with your presence.
Even while wind gusts,
you do not leave air to breath.
Always quick off the mark,
creating ruckus and ruins.
And when things take a turn for better,
there you are again cultivating a clutter.
Someone is returning from gloom
and you remind worse is yet to come.
Are you imaginative, are you journalistic,
are you the scholar who graduated without any degree.
Always make me wonder why your id,
does not clash with your superego.
There are times you are low on momentum,
is it the wait for news which makes you blithesome?
Dear gossip girls of Manhattan or Madagascar,
time is life and life is not rife,
so, get a life and get out of others life.

Nanna Prema (Telugu)

aadi vishnuvunu vedukonaga,
aadi lakshmivayi naa inta velasavu.
aalakimpaga nee moomunu,
aadmarachipoyanu anni odududukulu.

bosinavvula pasi paapavai,
naa nattinta paaradaga,
eedu varnala indradanasse,
naa intlone stira padipoyindi kada.

chiru paadala pattila savvaditho,
alupe theilyaka ade aatala sanditho,
velakattaleni koti sambaralane, naa
inti gummaniki toranaluga alankarinchavu.

goru muddalane neekandichga,
gundelloni baadhalu gnapthileve.
nee pavalimpuku naa bujamandinchga,
aa roju padina kastamantha kanumarugaaye.

koothuri aata paatalatho,
maare ruthuvulane gamaninchaledu.
padaharella nindina naa papayiki,
pelli cheyyalani palike peddalu.

naa chitti talli ni veeda,
manasu angeekarimpaledu.
kani adapilla eppudu "aadapille"
oka ayya chethaki andichalsina pille.

ooru vada jai jai lu palukaga,
jarigindi maa siri laxmi parinayam.
kanta thaditho tanani saaganampaga,
koranu devudini oka kaanukani,
naa ee janmaku ika selavu ippinchamani,
marujanmake talliga tanani prasadinchamani