Alone but not lonely!

I  stand in the midst of nowhere and yet I stand amidst beauty. ~ Wizard Island

This is the beautiful Crater Lake (Southern Oregon) in black and white, with Wizard Island in the centre.

P.S. This post is written for That Tuesday Thingy, an *IndiBlogeshwaris* initiative. 

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Road less travelled...

The road less travelled is the one that is filled with beauty!

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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Food gyaan...

Food teaches us one thing - we can be sweet, salty, spicy, sour and bitter. But, only when these are in the right proportion, we appear more appealing.

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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Now you see me and now you don't !

The mountain may appear green to you and the same might appear brown to me. What I see might not be the same as what you see, because, we might be viewing it from different angles, and sometimes that makes a hell lot of difference. In such cases, there is nothing right nor is there anything wrong. It is all about perception, my friend, it is all about perception.

P.S. They say "A picture is worth a thousand words". So, this week, I am going to speak the language of a few pictures clicked by me.

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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ಉತ್ತರವಿಲ್ಲದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು(Unanswered questions)...

ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು,
ಇವು ಉತ್ತರವಿಲ್ಲದ  ಬಿರುಸಿನ ಅಲೆಗಳು.

Translation:

A number of questions in mind,
Which are nothing but unanswered stormy tides.

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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Achooo...

I remember having written a post before where I said that I hate having cold. But, now that am jobless, it is fun when I catch cold. I can sit and spend time peeling off the dry skin from my nose. Nah, don't gross out; am sure you all have done it atleast once in your life. If you haven't, you should try it once, it is fun. :D

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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Dreams...

I don't know if I dream every day. But, I dream regularly. I remember some of them and some, I don't. Some dreams are funny, some are weird and some incomplete. I hate it when I get incomplete dreams. They make me cranky. I always feel the urge to go back to sleep and complete such dreams and I have tried doing it a lot many times but to no avail. Now, I realise that when we get an incomplete dream, it just means that we can go ahead and choose the ending we want, because, after all, we know better than anyone else as to what we want from our dreams.

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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Feeling blue...

A part of me died today. Probably, for the fourth time. How many parts make me is a question I cannot answer. I think I expect a little too much from life or do I? I know myself much better than anyone else. I know that I was always cheerful. That person probably died a long time back. I dont know if anyone will ever understand me. I dont want to keep anyone unhappy. I, probably, dont mean the same thing they mean to me. I feel worthless. I feel alone. I feel like a nobody. I should have died all those times when I was so near death. It would have been much better then, than to face so many parts of me dying slowly before my ultimate death beckons me. Until then, I continue to kill a part of me every time.

Disclaimer: This is a very negative post. It doesn't, in anyway, concern me inspite of the suicidal weather we have here. This is just a part of some manuscript am working on. :)

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge !

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I wander...

Time Traveller by Rahul Sharma

Leaving my mortal self alone,

I wander to places once unknown.

I look for faces familiar,

Among things that remain unclear.

I search and search,

For something, that makes me lurch.

I smile now,

For I know how.

Whatever I am searching for is here with me,

It is my soul that lets me be.

P.S. This post is written for That Tuesday Thingy, an *IndiBlogeshwaris* initiative. 

P.P.S. This is my 50th post and it, for sure, will remain special. :)

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Who am I?

There are some days in our lives when we are more introspective than we are on other days. For me, today proved to be one such day. 

It has been four months since we moved out of India. I spend a lot of time here, alone, thinking of endless possibilities, both positive and negative. Some excite me and some shake me up.

The other day, as we were preparing for a hike, my eyes fell on a packet of m&m's we had in our refrigerator. I looked at those colourful, tiny, chocolate buttons. They looked so inviting. I picked a blue coloured one and put it into my mouth. Next, I ate a red one followed by one of each colour. Then, I looked at my hand. It had all the colours of all the m&m's I had eaten. They had left a mark on my hand which obviously was the food colour that had been used to make them bright and colourful. But, they all tasted the same. My philosophical mind was, by then, working overtime. 

Today, a thought pricked me - Do the m&m's define who I am? I think the answer is a yes. I will explain how. Considering the whole packet of m&m's to be "me", the different coloured buttons have been "the different roles" I have played in my life - the role of being a daughter, a student, a employee, a wife, etc. I have donned different hats to cater to everyone's needs. I have left my mark in every role I have played till now. But, like the candies, my core essence remains the same - my soul is what defines me and gives me the unique flavour of being me. 

I now know who I am and I now feel peaceful.

*As a part of Ultimate Blog Challenge!

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Raindrops...

As I sit here looking outside the window, I see the raindrops on the green grass. I look at them with more intent, urging them to tell me their story.
Do they have a story? A story of being a raindrop? They seem happy. I ask them, "Are you not afraid? In a matter of few seconds, you will be gone." They look at me and say, "That is the reason we are happy. Happy till we are gone."

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Milk and me…

Crazy title? Not really, there are so many underlying emotions associated with "milk". Sic sic.

Err..I will stop being a shitty piece of melodramatic fur ball that I am and tell you why I hate milk ! Wait a minute, from the title, did you by any chance think that I love milk? No, not even in my dreams can I love milk.  And when I say milk, I refer to the white, frothy, plain, liquid source of the so called "very important calcium". 

It all started 27 years ago, (I will be 27 this August, wish me "Happy B'day", ok? *Rolls her eyes and thinks how much more lame can she get*) , when I was a baby. I don't remember if I hated milk then but my mommy tells me that I was a terror to be breastfed. I realise it is such a pain for the small babies to drink the same plain milk for months together. I would have preferred atleast flavored milk, or say, a pizza to munch along with it, but, I don't know why, mommy doesn't agree. Mommies, I say, are very stubborn.

The hatred grew stronger with age. My mom would run behind me with a glass of milk every single day. She tried to feed me plain milk, Complan, Horlicks, Bournvita, Boost, etc but I wouldn't budge. I cried, wailed, woke up the neighbours but I refused to drink milk. One day she asked me as to why I hated milk so much. I told her, "I can smell the cow/buffalo in the milk and it stinks so horribly that my nose wants to go hide somewhere at the sight of milk". Wait a minute, does nose see? Forget it, let me continue. So, according to her, the problem was the smell. Wrong. The problem was bigger. It was the smell, the taste and the texture. 

My mom couldn't cope up with the tantrum I threw on seeing milk. So, she decided to leave me and the milk alone so that we could bond over time. She was wrong. I was elated when she left me alone with the milk. I found so many new ways to dispose off the milk that my mom didn't know what method I would use next. When mom wasn't around, I would pour the milk in the sink, sometimes, in the bathroom. But she found out. I wasn't the one to give up. I found a new way to dispose it off. I would go feed the milk to our "Sapota/ Chikoo" tree. Believe me, I am responsible for the ever sweet, most tasty fruits we get every year from that tree. I fed it the nutrition it wanted, depriving myself of it. I am so proud of my sacrifice.

Mom stopped telling me to drink milk as I grew older. She started giving me curd, buttermilk, ice creams, milkshakes, flavoured milk as substitutes which I enjoyed. I hated only plain milk you see.  Only if she had thought of all this before, she would have freed herself from so much hassle. 

Present day situation is no different. They say "In life, opposites attract". It is true. My husband loves milk. I can't appreciate the fact for reasons you already know. But, he hates fruit. So, now we have found a way where both of us drink milk and eat fruit without cribbing - thanks to milkshake. I drink milkshake thinking it has fruits and my husband drinks milkshake thinking it has milk. It is all about perception you see.

P.S. : I have no idea why there is no connection between the various paragraphs of this post. *Realises that it is the same with all her posts and smirks.*

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Restless…

After a long hiatus, I am back. I feel very rusty now. My fingers tremble a little when I sit to write this post.

Past few months have been kind of a roller coaster ride – ups and downs, hair raising situations, scream your lungs out kind of situations, and then, ultimately the feeling of 'What happened just now?’

I am a firm believer of “Be yourself” in any and every situation. Life certainly is not a cakewalk all the time. Each one of us react in different ways  to various situations, each one right in their own way! I think most of the times, we blame the other person because we have no one to blame and blaming ourselves seems so not right. Sometimes, we blame the situation. Sometimes, we blame ourselves. But, there is no point in blaming anyone, be it the other person, be it the situation or be it yourself. I think I have blamed myself for the past few days. Coming to think of it now, I wonder why. I would have, anyway, done what I did or react the way I did. I have no regrets, no qualms. I sound too philosophical, don’t I? Darn! I told you I am a bit rusty!

My philosophy of life is very simple – “Be yourself. Do what you feel is right. Never hide your feelings, emotions, fears – make them heard. Fear what you have to. Get angry when you want to. Ask questions, expect answers and then accept them with an open mind. Don’t fear the consequences when you think what you are doing is right, or be scared, but always be ready to face the consequences. Break down when you want to. Be strong when you have to, if not for yourself, atleast for others who are near and dear to you; you will eventually learn to be strong for yourself. Don’t repent anything when you think what you did was what you would have done anyways. Never lose hope. Be yourself and be awesome. Never lie to yourself . Just be “you” for you are awesome!"

Uff! I get so philosophical sometimes. Funny. I can see parts of my life before my eyes. Nostalgia creeping in. Memories making their presence felt. I treasure them, however good or bad, because, they have been a part of me. No qualms, no regrets…just a few awesome memories. I, often wonder why a few things, a few people, a few instances don’t last forever in our lives. I think everything happens for a reason. I think every person enters and leaves one’s life for a reason – a reason unknown. Treasure them, miss them, but be happy that they did come and make you happy for that short period of time in your life.

Oops..too much philosophy again. Funny. By the way, I plan to write a book and name it “It’s funny!” My friend, the other day, observed that I find a lot of things funny (including the “pants on fire” kind of situations). Funny.

As I end this post, a few lines resonate in my mind. Lines from November Rain(Guns N Roses) and Lost(Coldplay):

'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain
(November Rain)

                                                

You might be a big fish
In a little pond
Doesn't mean you've won
'Cause along may come
A bigger one
And you'll be lost

(Lost)

We will meet again…Till then, goodbye and happy life!!

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Enough is enough!!

I have been in quite an irritated frame of mind from past two days. Nothing great, just quarter life crisis . I know life plays its own game and we are just mere players who most of the times have to abide by the rules of the game and me being such a devout follower of rules, I tend to over-follow the rules sometimes . I do wonder why I am like this.  Why can I not just override the rules like few others and still be happy and peaceful. Or is it just that “The grass is always greener on the other side”?

I don’t understand why few people don’t understand that I have my own life, my own choices, my own expectations and my own dreams and I so well know that they are nothing unrealistic. Forget unrealistic, they are just basic necessities and yet people sulk and make me feel like a loser sometimes. I wouldn’t have cared a damn if those people meant nothing to me, but when they are people who do mean a lot to me than they think they do, it hurts.  Do they think I am immature enough not to understand what I want in life? Don’t they see that I am suffering too because they are suffering, maybe more than them since “I am the player here” and “I am playing the game of life”? I don’t want to feel the way I am currently feeling. I want to live life as it comes and not worry too much about things I don’t have a control on. I know they care very much but I know now that over caring and over worrying is not the way to get things done in life.  It just makes the person in question and people around more worried and more pessimistic and I hate pessimism to the core.

I know it is not something to even get tensed about. Everyone’s life is not the same. Some people’s wishes are granted soon enough and some people may have to wait a little longer, but is it even a reason to lose faith and sulk all day long and make others feel worse than they already are feeling? People have bigger problems in life - problems that might not even have solutions but do they sulk? Nah.. they just go on with life because every problem in life teaches us one new thing about ourselves.

I currently love my life and I want it to remain. I have overcome so many crises before and I know that life is not easy for everyone every single day and I love my life with all its ups and downs. So stop sulking and enjoy the life you have got for you never know what you have got till you lose one – be it life, love or respect.

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Free! Free! Free!

I am not here to sell anything.  I am just here to present my views on something. Anything free grabs the attention of the readers, hence the title.

It is Independence Day today and ,yet , after 64 years of independence, we still ask if we are truly independent? Every year during this time, there is one hot topic of discussion everywhere, be it print media, electronic media, social networking sites  ,or even the blog world- are we truly free?  People have their own views , but most of them feel that we would not be truly independent till we get rid of poverty, corruption, violence, reservations, gender biases, so on and so forth.

Agreed to everything that is said above-freedom from corruption, poverty, reservations, etc etc etc. But one question, is Independence Day really meant to discuss the above said issues or is it to celebrate the fact that as a united nation we could free ourselves  from being ruled by another nation? The essence of celebrating Independence Day seems to have been lost somewhere in between thinking and bringing forth the negativities that the country is currently facing. I am not against discussing the problems; infact, I feel the more discussions we have, the more solutions we would have to solve the problem.

But, come on guys, give me a break. We discuss our problems as a country everyday of our lives irrespective of the fact that we might be contributing very little to get India into a league of its own in terms if economy, military, and other major areas.  Why not spend just one day ‘not’ discussing such issues? Is it so difficult for our politicians to stop blaming the ruling party or the opposition party for the state we are in....just for one day? Is it so difficult to spend the day with fellow beings peacefully....just for one day? Spend one day doing it, you will feel so nice and relaxed and you might want to do it everyday and gradually it will be become a habit.

Every country has its own problems just like every house in which you and  I stay. We do not discuss our problems everyday of our lives, instead, we focus on solving it. Why not use the same strategy in solving the country’s problems? I strongly feel we are on the right road. We are learning fast as a country and we will be there one day where we ought to be. Till then, we need to just put an effort to do how much ever we can to rebuild India the way we want to see it.

  

One last thing, I truly feel liberated, free and independent in my own country!!

Happy Independence Day to all of you. Jai Hind.

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Inspiration…

From past few days, a thought has been repetitively playing on my mind, something I knew, but  didn’t realize soon enough-the fact that we keep waiting to find an inspiration when it is always round the corner, just like opportunity,waiting to be found.

We get so bogged down by our everyday problems that we forget to look at the bigger picture. We crib about such miniscule problems everyday that we become blind to the “actual” issues people around us face every single day. It had been the same with me not a long time ago. But, life finds a way to teach us lessons when it is most needed. I have learnt a few lessons that way and they form important chapters in my book of life. The bottom line is that I now realize that every situation has a silver lining, we just need to find it.

The transformation of a person from what he/she was to what he/she is now doesn’t happen instantly. It happens gradually and knowingly or unknowingly many people inspire us along the way. The beauty lies in the fact that the person who is an inspiration to us might not even have the faintest of idea that he/she has transformed our lives into a better one without even trying much. If we could personify inspiration, then for sure, we would not find anyone else with more humility and modesty. People come into our lives, they might or might know us, yet, they leave behind a trail of inspirational impression that helps us one way or the other in life. Happens all the time I guess, we just don’t realize it then.

Imagine a baby  learning to walk . It falls many a times, then learns to crawl  and eventually learns to walk. Same with life. Problems bog us down, yet, we learn to crawl out of it and then walk over it rather than running away from it. Is it our nature, are we tuned to do it or is it just a bout of inspiration from someone who has undergone the same situation or a much worse situation previously? Do we fail to see the inspiration because it is so well gelled into what we call ‘anyone would have done the same in this situation’?

Ok, won’t bore you much(for people who bother reading every post of mine), I just get this bouts of self realization stuff every now and then. Just taking this opportunity to thank all those people who have inspired me, won’t name any since the list is long. Thank you guys for being around.

Currently being inspired from a lot many people. Would want to be an inspiration someday. Chao….

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Flip-A-Page

My first ever story for the blog. After writing it, I don't seem to like it much. I feel it is bit of a drag. Anways, spent so much of time writing it, so will be posting it nonetheless.

Disclaimer: Not related to anything or anyone. It is purely a work of fiction. If there are any similarities with anything, then my apologies. It is purely unintentional.

Flip-A-Page

Ziva found herself flipping through the pages of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’. She had made it a part of her everyday routine- the first five minutes of her visit to Flip-A-Page, a bookstore cum reading centre, was spent flipping through the pages of this evergreen classic.

Uncle Anwar, as he was fondly called by the readers who visited his store, had been noticing Ziva everyday and her ‘five minute routine’ seemed to amaze him. Here was a girl who was in her early 20s’ and the first thing she would do after visiting the store was to pick up ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and sit at the corner table and flip through the pages. He wondered what this was all about. How could someone read the same book everyday, that to only for five minutes? Strange.

After about a month of noticing Ziva everyday, he decided to shun his curiosity and ask her the reason for this strange routine. 

Ziva was sitting at her place with her favourite book in hand when Uncle Anwar approached her.

“Hello young lady”, said Uncle Anwar in a tone that was reminiscent of the teacher in him.

 “Oh! Hello Uncle Anwar”, said Ziva, slightly taken aback by his sudden presence.

“Can I sit here if you don’t mind?”

“Sure Uncle Anwar”, saying which she moved the chair towards him.

Uncle Anwar aka Mr.Raza Anwar was in his early 60’s, a happy-go-lucky kind of a man. He retired as the principal of a well-known school in the city of Bangalore. Being a teacher all his life, his love for books was only natural. So, after his retirement, this T-shirt-jeans clad man opened Flip-A-Page to fulfill his dream of being surrounded by the two most important things in his life-books and youngsters.

He wanted Flip-A-Page to be a class apart and so he made it a bookstore cum reading centre where people could buy books as well as read them in the store for as much time as they liked. The store was a huge one, spread across an area of 7000sq.ft. Painted in red and white, it bore a look of a vintage building with stories waiting to be told. It was well equipped with all kinds of books and was a reader’s paradise. Uncle Anwar had put in a lot of money and time to make it what it was today- a one-stop destination for books.

“What is your name?” asked Uncle Anwar.

“Ziva” came back the reply.

“Whoa!! That is a nice name and quite an unusual one. So, how do you like my store?”

“Thanks uncle. And your store is just awesome. The books, the atmosphere, the vibrancy, it is all so cool.”

“So what do you do Ziva? Are you in college or are you working somewhere?”

“I am in my final year. I am pursuing my Masters in English literature.”

“Did you say English literature? Now that is interesting. In times when people only take up either science or commerce, it is nice to see someone pursue their post-graduation in Arts. Very good. Ah, now I think I know the reason behind your ‘five minute routine’ and I kept wondering what might be the reason behind it.”

Ziva seemed surprised. “Sorry Uncle Anwar. I didn’t quite get your point. Five minute routine? What is that you are talking about?”

Uncle Anwar gave a hearty laugh. “Yes my child, your ‘five minute routine’. This is what I have named your everyday routine of flipping through the pages of ‘Pride and Prejudice’. I have seen you do that everyday and it amused me. Now that you have told me that you are an English literature student, I seem to understand the reason behind it. So, how is your project coming along?”

Ziva gave Uncle Anwar a tongue in cheek smile. “Project? What project uncle? I am not working on any project.”

Uncle Anwar’s face bore a confused look. “You mean you are not working on any project?”

“No uncle, not any I know of.”

“The more I talk to you, the more you seem to amuse me. You are not doing any project and yet everyday you spend time flipping through the same book? May I know why? I am just curious. You can choose not to tell me. But I am amazed.”

It was now Ziva’s turn to laugh. She knew how it was to be on the other side of the table.

“Ofcourse uncle, I will tell you the reason behind it. It is not something that is worth hiding.” Thus began the revelation.

“I read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ for the first time when I was a 16yr old. And from that day till today, my love for the book just keeps growing. I started believing in the characters and for me, Elizabeth and Darcy existed somewhere for real. Love stories became a way of life.”

Uncle Anwar interrupted her. “But what about the ‘five minute routine’? It can’t be just your love for the book.”

“Yes uncle. You are right. The reason behind what you call the ‘five minute routine’ is that I find solutions to my everyday unanswered questions in the book. Questions about my life, my relationships, my search for that perfect Darcy kind of a guy. I know it sounds crazy but I believe destiny plays a great role in finding one’s love and I am trying to find answers as to what my destiny has in store for me. Everyone who believes in Hinduism believes that they can find the answers to their life’s problems in a book called Ramcharitramanas. ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is my personal Ramcharitramanas. And you won’t believe me but the fact is that this book has helped me unlock so many of my life’s mysteries. I know you must be feeling how someone can be so impractical in life, trying to find answers in a fictional book. This book is a peek into what my destiny has in offer for me and till now it has held me in a good stead.”

Uncle Anwar could not stop smiling. “Hmmm!! I don’t believe what I just heard. I don’t believe is that it is happening all over again.”

“What is happening again Uncle Anwar? I know it is hard for you to believe whatever I have just said but it is just how it is with me.”

Uncle Anwar said in a serious tone. “You are right. I wouldn’t believe a word of whatever you have said if it was a year ago. But now, I believe every word of it. I have no option but to believe in it after being a witness to Aarav and Tvisha’s story.”

Ziva’s ears twitched like a dog’s and she sat upright in her chair. “Aarav and Tvisha?”

“Yes. Aarav and Tvisha’s love story. The crazy two and their crazy yet unique love story.”

“Oh!! Uncle do tell me the story. Please please please.”

“It is a long story. It is already 7 in the evening. Aren’t you supposed to go home?”

“It is Saturday today. I have nothing to do going back home before 9 and I stay in the building that is at the end of this road. So it is not a problem for me. If it is ok with you uncle, please tell me their story. If not today, maybe some other day, but please do.” pleaded Ziva.

Uncle Anwar thought for a while. “Ok my dear curious cat, I will tell you the story. I know you will not sleep peacefully tonight if I don’t tell you the story now. So here you go. This happened a year ago.”

Uncle Anwar’s tone had now changed to that of a story teller’s.

“Aarav was a 26yr old, smart and pretty good looking boy. He personified the quoted quote ‘Talking to some people is like tight-rope walking, you either fall for them or fall out with them.’ He had completed his MBA and worked as a HR head in a leading software company. On the other hand, Tvisha was a 24yr old simple girl. She was not one would call beautiful but nonetheless she was cute to look at and had a very vibrant personality, always smiling. She had completed her Masters in advertising and was working as a creative associate for an advertising firm. The two of them were a world apart and the only common string between the two was that they both were abibliophobes. They were such voracious readers that even with their busy schedules; I always found them here at 8PM.”

“So that is how they fell in love? Here at the bookstore? Was it love at first sight? Who proposed first?”

“Uh oh!! Wait Ziva. Take a breath.”

“Oh am so sorry uncle. I just get carried away sometimes. You please continue.”

Uncle Anwar smiled. “They had been visiting this place from the time they were in college and I had never seen them speak to each other anytime in those many years. An occasional smile, maybe yes, but nothing more. Therefore, that cold and breezy night in mid-December, when I saw them deep in conversation, I was surprised. Not much of a surprise though because from past few weeks before that particular day, I had seen them come together to the store and engage in a long conversation over books. I thought it was just two people who had found a common topic to discuss-books. Only later did I come to know the real reason.”

Both of them were of marriageable age and their parents were looking for alliances. It so happened that their families got to know each other and they decided to consider the other’s proposals. The horoscopes were matched and it proved to be a good match. Tvisha’s photo was shown to Aarav and he instantly recognized her though he kept the fact away from his parents. He gave a go-ahead and decided to meet Tvisha and her family.

Tvisha was unaware of the fact that Aarav was the guy who was coming to see her. She hadn’t seen his photo since it was not asked for and so none was provided. The day came and she was all decked up and she felt the same way a goat feels before it comes under the butcher’s knife. She thought it was strange that she was feeling this way instead of feeling excited since she was waiting for this moment from a long time.

Aarav and his family came at the ‘allotted’ time and the conversations began between the elders. The girl was called for and the moment Tvisha saw Aarav, only one thing came into her mind-No, not him. No ways!! The usual things that happen when a guy comes to see a girl happened and after an hour when Aarav and his family had left, Tvisha’s parents asked her about her opinion. Her parents were very happy with the guy and his family. Tvisha hesitated and then said, “I don’t think I can marry him. He is everything I always wanted in a life partner but he is not the one. He seems to be a completely different person than I am. I have been seeing him from many years at Flip-A-Page and I don’t think we are compatible.”

“Compatible?” screamed Tvisha’s mother. “How do you decide if you are compatible or not by just seeing a person everyday for an hour? He is everything you ever wanted and to know if you guys are compatible, you need to converse with him at a personal level. You can’t have pre-conceived notions about every person and judge a person that way. You must to learn to give every person a fair chance before saying no. And I hope you will do just that because he will prove to be a good husband and you better come to a decision only after you have met him a couple of times and not now without giving it much of a thought.”

Silence is golden and Tvisha was now getting to know why. But, Tvisha knew what her mother had said made perfect sense.

On the other hand, Aarav had liked Tvisha but wanted to come to a decision only after meeting her a couple of times.

So, they met in the bookstore everyday after that day and Tvisha seemed to like him but she still couldn’t get rid of the voice in her head that kept telling her that she still needed a confirmation, a go-ahead sign. Whereas for Aarav, he was sure he had fallen in love with her. But, he didn’t want to confess till she had said a ‘yes’ to the marriage proposal because he knew a ‘no‘from her would hurt him badly.

On that cold, breezy night in December, Aarav decided to pop up the question. They were sitting at their usual table with a book in their hands when Aarav suddenly broke his silence. “So Tvisha, what is the plan?”

Tvisha knew what he was hinting at and yet she tried being ignorant about it. “Plan? Nothing great. I will go home, have dinner, watch television and then go to bed.”

“That is not what I am asking. It has been two months now that we first came to see you. So, what is your decision? I would like to spend my entire life with you. But, that is not important. I want to know your decision. Both our families want to know our decisions by this weekend so that they can fix up a date for our engagement if it is a yes from both our sides. I have told you my opinion. Now it is your turn.”

Tvisha was confused. Her parents had been asking her for a decision and she was putting it off giving lame excuses. She knew it wouldn’t work with Aarav. He could read through her. She decided to tell him the truth. “Aarav, am confused. I like you very much as a person. But, I am not able to decide if you are the one for me. Sometimes I feel you are the one and at other times, I feel I need a go-ahead signal from God. I need the destiny to decide for us. I know it is sounds so impractical and foolish to leave it all to destiny but I always wanted it that way. I always felt something will help me decide but nothing of that sort has happened till now and I want to wait.”

Aarav knew she was just being herself and that is what he loved the most about her. But, he had to come to a decision soon. “Ok Tvisha. You believe that if we are destined to be together, we’ll be together no matter what happens, right?”

“Right.”

“Ok, so be it. Let the destiny decide. But, let the destiny decide at this very moment as to where we are headed.”

Tvisha sounded nervous. “Am sorry. I didn’t quite get you.”

“I am just saying let us push destiny to decide our fates today,right here,right now.”

“How do you do that?” questioned Tvisha.

“Simple. Both of us adore books. So these will help you come to a decision. Pick up your favourite ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Close your eyes and I will close mine. We will place the book on the table and turn it upside down several times, and the moment I say stop, you stop and open the cover sheet. If it is the start of the book, you know it is a positive sign that we should go ahead and get married. If it is the end of the book, then it is the end of our story. But let me clarify, I don’t believe in all this and my decision to marry you will remain no matter what the book says. Fair enough?”

“Fair???” screamed Tvisha. “You think this is ‘Dil to pagal hain’ or ‘Kismat Konnection’ or something??Dude, this is real life.

“Tvisha!!Don’t contradict your own statements. You are the one who is confused. Now that am giving you an idea of how destiny can divide for you, you seem to back-off. I don’t like being in a confused state. So come to a decision!! If you feel destiny can lead you onto a right path, then why hesitate?”

“Alright. I’ll do it. Makes sense.”

Tvisha’s hands were sweating whereas Aarav seemed to be unusually calm. Tvisha wondered why.

The book was brought down onto the table. Both of them closed their eyes and turned the book upside down several times and then Aarav said “Stop”. Tvisha stopped and opened the book. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the page she had opened. It was the end page of the book. She saw Aarav and he seemed to have no expressions on his face. He just left the place without saying a word.

Tvisha just sank into her chair. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind. She knew something wasn’t right. She ran out of the bookstore and found Aarav standing on the deserted road, almost deserted with only an old couple strolling down the pavement.

She ran to Aarav and hugged him tight. “I don’t care what the destiny has decided Aarav. I don’t mind going against it for you. I love you. I love you very much.”

Aarav held her tight and said “I love you too Tvisha. I have loved you from the time I first came to see you and I will always love you. Am sorry I had to do this. I had to make you realize somehow that you too loved me from a very long time. I had no option but to pull the last straw. But, there is something I have to tell you- destiny did decide right. You opened the last page and it meant the end but it also meant, most importantly, a start of a new story- the story of our lives together.”

Tvisha knew he was right and tears rolled down her cheeks.

“And the rest is history”, said Uncle Anwar sounding very happy. “They are now happily married and are settled in Delhi. They do make it a point to visit us everytime they are in town. Quite obvious since their love story saw the daylight here in the bookstore. A very nice couple indeed”, saying which he turned to Ziva but she was busy doing what she always did- flip through the pages of 'Pride and Prejudice'.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

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