10 Things that will make you fall in love with Bangalore

Leaving the canopy of our home and setting sail off to some far away land is never easy. We fight with memories, we battle xenophobia, we combat our tear glands, our hands shake to cut the umbilical cord, and we struggle with every inch of our soul. But life, like they say, goes on. We do win over our insecurities and set foot on a journey to a new place where we meet new people and make new memories. Slowly and steadily the new place grows into us. We fall for it. We make it our second home because it embraces us with tender care and embalms our reluctance to end the war wedged within ourselves. Like Bangalore did to me.

Here are ten reasons why anybody would fall for Bangalore.

The seasons and the sun:

Like wise men say, “Weather is unpredictable. You can never be sure of it.” But I am sure you most definitely would fall in love with the Bangalore weather. If you ask me to describe it in a word I would fetch ‘addictive’ from my bag of smart words. It is always autumn in Bangalore. As a citizen of a tropical country that would most definitely sound fetching to you, wouldn’t it?

Source: en.wikipedia.org

 Coming Clean:

Well being one of the cleanest and greenest India cities definitely helps the cause of making Bangalore your second home. According to reports, Bangalore off late has been suffering a lot in this end with sky-scarpers and industries changing the equation in rapid progression, however you cannot take the glory away completely yet. With particulate matter count less than any other metropolitan city it is still good to go.

Source: www.weather-forecast.com

Foster the people:

Bangalore like any other metropolitan city is everyone’s and no one’s city just at the same time. But what makes it sweeter are the localites. Bangaloreans are hustle-free (except for the few shrewd landlords and their female counterparts who would knock you off your senses), easy going and lovable. They aren’t fiercely competitive and have a very disarming laid-back attitude towards life which would make you like them instantly.

Their innocence and charm would never go unnoticed. The roads in Bangalore may have holes but Bangaloreans have a wholesome heart.

Source: luc.lukephoto.org

I am sensing the location:

With Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Chennai located in close proximity Bangalore is a traveler’s paradise. With KSRTC plying in every possible route and keeping itself abreast of modern technologies you could be anywhere during weekends. In Bangalore, you would never feel stuck no matter how deep a hole you have dug for yourself otherwise.

Source: www.indianredcross.org

Taking all of my Energy:

Bangalore is bustling with energy and it isn’t hard to guess the ‘why’. With educated Indian youth driven by career opportunities migrating to Bangalore from all over, Bangalore is all set to become the youngest city in the country. So if you are single and the thirty TNT is hovering over your head ready to blow off anytime you better start your journey of discovery and adventure by moving your lazy ass (and your baggage) to this youthful city. You might not fall in love with the city but your chances of falling in love with someone in this city is rather high.

Source: loveizlyf.blogspot.com

 Land of opportunity:

And, statistics would nod its head. Besides being the IT Hub that it is, Bangalore houses 885 colleges (highest in India as of Nov, 2013) and a plethora of prestigious higher education institutes and research labs. Oh! You can choose to hate Bangalore but you definitely cannot ignore it.

Source: www.chemistryviews.org

All I want is Something New:

If you have a penchant for being your own boss you definitely would choose Bangalore over any other city in India. With its startup ecosystem ranked among the top 20 in the world and with a glorious history like Flipkart, Make my Trip, Tally, India hikes to boast of, it definitely has a lot to offer to the hot-blooded entrepreneurs who can “Make India”.

 

Source: itcnews.vn

Food, Glorious Food:

Bangalore isn’t the restaurant capital of India yet but it isn’t far behind. According to mathematical figures, a new eatery comes up every other day in Bangalore. You have the luxurious of restaurants together with budget friendly ones existing in perfect harmony. You have the illustrious chains and the experimental ones fitted in unimpeachable order. And nobody is complaining. When you are spoilt for choice you really cannot, can you?

Source: www.buzzintown.com

Passion Pit:

Bangalore is a city where passion is given that much-needed second chance. Bangalore has an answer for all kinds of enthusiasts. It is a Mecca for trekkers, cyclists, footballers, swimmers, athletes, potters, painters and you can go on. If you aren’t a foodie this would definitely trap you to fall in love with the garden city.

Source: bangalore.citizenmatters.in

Drunk out loud, Safe & Sound:

Bangalore sleeps early but it gets drunk before going to bed. With a whole range of pubs and bars to choose from and cheap alcohol at hand you have no much option, do you? And what comes handy is

 Bangalore’s safety quotient. According to a recent survey, it is the third safest city in the country (yes, one place above Mumbai) and you cannot deny the intoxication hidden in the edgy cocktail I just threw at you. Drunk and safe definitely makes a heady concoction.

Aren’t you drunk already?

Source: www.whatshelikes.in

An Ardent Letter of a Loving Wife to her Husband

Dear Love,

I thought of writing to you for a long long time now. But somehow every time the zeal got lost somewhere in there. Sometimes sleeping together takes its toll on creativity. Sometimes being there for each other all the time make us take things for granted. Every pat on the back, every tear wiped, every hug given, every cup of tea made, every dish washed just seems meant to be.

 But today I would like to take time out and thank you for all the countless little things you do round the clock that go unnoticed and unappreciated because you make them look like your duty. But now when I contemplate I surprisingly dawn upon the fact that they aren’t (and silently I fall in love with you all the more).

Every day in a married life isn’t Diwali. There are fair shares of ups and downs and there are days when you wish things weren’t the way they actually are. But the intent of reaching the finishing line holding each other’s hands is so strong that we are being able to make it through each day taking them one at a time. We fight almost every day. But deep down we aren’t fighting against each other, we are fighting it out for each other and that is our little well-kept secret behind getting stronger with each passing day. Sometimes I am crazily angry with you. I attempt hurling things at you, I shout incessantly but the way you hug me tight throughout the entire ordeal just lets me know we are here to stay. Sometimes you shout at me when the floodgates of your patience are broken apart by my childishness but in between all of that when you break into your signature wicked grin I know the storm is over and unguarded love is on its way.

Sometimes I struggle to understand us. But every time you make me realize it isn’t that difficult. It is about loving each other, having faith that we can make it together, having patience with each other and accepting each other. Sceptics would say that it’s easier said than done but you make it easier for me any which way. It’s seems easy probably because we really intend to make it work and we never give up on each other. You have taught me to accept things as they are and not expect them to be the way we want them to be. And that probably helps us to give each other that space where the ‘us’ can breathe. You have taught me that A will not be in A’s position all the time and so is with B. They will get jumbled up and A will end up in B’s place and vice versa. But that is when we have to hold each other’s hands tight and clean up the mess. No journey is a smooth sail. Every journey has its own adversity. A journey without adversity isn’t a journey at all. It is a conducted tour. You have taught me to enjoy the troughs and the crests. You have taught me to find a rhythm in the ups and downs and let my hair lose with the tune. And that is why I find journey so beautiful and seamless.

Every morning I wake up beside you. It is a comforting feeling. I know the day ahead wouldn’t be the way I want it to be; I would get delayed to office, I would not get the results I direly wanted to, I would break down under pressure, I would not get the time to grab my lunch, I would fight with people, but right at that moment when I open my eyes to your face all my creases get smoothened. That is the magic they say exist. Every day it isn’t perfect but nevertheless it feels perfect right at that moment. We have stark differences. You abhor reading books, I so love to. You love watching sci-fi, I love romantic comedies. You love scotch, I love wine. You love blue, I love black. But right at that moment everything seems at sync. Right at that moment every cosmic plan to bring us together seems divine.

People say that when you are about to get married your world seems to crumble, you get cold feet, you seem to lose sanity but none of that happened to me. Your assuring gaze told me all would be ok. Things will change but only for the better. I knew I would have four feet instead of two to walk towards success. I would now have four hands instead of two to guard my dreams from breaking. I just felt at ease with the transition that was unfolding in front of me with the promise to be there shining bright in your eyes.  The enormous and unbridled wave from your sea of love safely swept me over to the other side of marriage. I was aware that it would not be a happily ever after but I knew I was embarking on a roller coaster ride that cannot overthrow us. That’s what gave me strength to take on the war. The war we are fighting every single day, yesterday and today. I only hope we would raise the winning trophy together some fine day.

All Yours Truly,

Wife.

Book Review: Fall Like a Rose Petal

Self-help has never been my genre. I never championed the idea of getting hold of one.  If it is called self-help, why do we really need a book to help us? Why do we really need an author to tell us how to live life? Self-help books are a contradictory concept, I had always thought. Until I chanced upon “Fall Like a Rose Petal”. The subtitle, “A father’s lesson on how to be happy and content while living without money” caught my attention. I have this deep-rooted desire to travel the world without money (Well, obviously because I don’t have enough money to travel the world with it) and I thought AVIS (Viswanathan, the author) could really help me figure out a way. He did. Not the way I wanted him to but nevertheless I learnt my lesson. Like he says, “You will find Beauty in Unexpected Places.”

Well, this is a self-help book with a difference. This is no “guru-speak” like AVIS claims. I didn’t really struggle to reach page 290 (Yeah, the last page but I like numbers more) and hence you can safely conclude this is no Gita. It doesn’t leave you high and dry like your Moral Science classes back in school. This book is an earnest attempt to share the myriad of experiences the author had been through his journey down the lanes of ‘Life’. This book doesn’t tell you what to do in life but rather how to do what you want to do. And AVIS does a good job by keeping every bit of it personal and not preachy. This book is definitely old wine packed in a new bottle. You have heard all that AVIS wants to tell you a thousand times over maybe but the way he tells you makes you want to listen to him. And that’s where he wins the battle.

The book is a series of letters between January, 2007 and October, 2013 that AVIS wrote to his then teenage children Aashirwad and Aanchal about the way his life was unfolding and how he was transforming through the experiences. Through these letters AVIS helps his readers to understand the four-lettered word called ‘life’ and that’s how he makes it easier. Through a personal touch. He attempts to present to his reader a guru who practices what he preaches. And that surely works for him. The only thing I did not like about the book were the silly footnotes (No, it’s not a spoiler alert). I have no idea why those were even included. They weren’t much informative (and completely unnecessary) and they somewhat spoilt the flow.

The book helps you deal with the crisis you exaggeratedly call ‘life’. It helps you to restore faith in the magic that happens to you every day but you so ignorantly overlook. It tries to show you the bigger picture that flutters around you but you never succeed to catch a glance of.  It aims to give you a head-start if you had dug a pit for yourself and you are deep down there. And it wonderfully does all of that without you even realizing it. Isn’t that appealing? A self-help book that isn’t sententious? A self-help book that has a story to tell? And that’s what makes this book stand apart. I started the book with “Money (no money rather) on my mind” but ended with “Laughing my life away”.

Wish you a happy me-time.

I am Mr. Lonely- 10 Best ways to beat loneliness

Are you the slightly offbeat sociable type but you often find yourself stuck in the wrong place where you don’t actually fit in? Are there a thousand words crumpled inside your small intestine but you don’t have a like-minded ear to pour them into? Are there zillion unhinged ideas running steadfast in your cerebrum and hitting the proverbial dead end because you don’t have the perfect (read lunatic) partner in crime to execute them? Are there myriad of  far-out things you want to try out, an equal number of intriguing places you want to visit and another handful of queer cuisines you want to lap up and then you bundle those deep-seated desires inside the crevices of your soul because no one around you is as weird?

Well, it happens. And it happens to all of us at some point of time in our lives. We find ourselves immiscible, we try our best to harmonize but all our efforts fall out of tune. And that is exactly the orifice through which loneliness creeps in slowly and steadily into our lives.

If you find yourself in a similar soup right now or you find yourself in it more often in your path towards the who-knows-what you got to read this because I can assure you this is exactly what you have been looking for. For you I jot down ten cool ways to battle the blue bug we sometimes call “loneliness”.

1.  Loneliness and desperation over the ages have given us the best of literary pieces. When you are down, when you find yourself trying too hard to fit in, give up your efforts on being just one among them and  be a writer instead.

Well every story is not meant to be told, every poem isn't heart-rendering, some pieces are just meant to be drafted to tear them into pieces and aim them at the nearest dustbin the very next moment.

The best way to channelize your loneliness is through your pen. Trust me, there is some magical balm that oozes out of your pen every time it touches its soul mate (we

cliched “ly” call paper). Well, you don’t need to know your grammar, your vocabulary can be a skimpily clad super model but how does it matter?

P.S.: If you are just as bad as bad can be, make a to-do list (at the ‘least’). It will help and you can take my word on that.

2.  Binge on delicacies. A mango cheesecake, hot and steamy aloo paratha or a plate of tangy pani puri can be it.

Go out and treat yourself. No, it is not weird to go to a restaurant and gorge on the best things it has on its menu with no one by your side. But you worry not. I have a trick up my sleeve for you too. Yes, cook delicacies instead. I do it all the time and every time it works wonder.

Bake a cake, make an exotic dish, create your own trade-mark flavour.

The entire process is so exhilarating that you would never run out of fizz.

3.  Exercise. No, neither am I a Gym Manager nor I am the Yoga Guru. But it does help and I can assure you that. Metabolism, blood circulation is passe. Exercise can heal your heart (and the good thing is literally too). You can vent your loneliness through a little hop and run.

And when you are in good shape you feel better too.

4. Pack your bag and go hiking. Yes, in India travelling alone is a pain in the ass (especially for girls, I know) and you may not be a pro either. For you, there are a lot of associations and clubs who organize hiking and camping. You just need to stuff in your absolutely-musts and get set go. That’s easy and to top it all it will leave you wanting for more.

A tryst with nature is all that you can ask for to kill your loneliness. Amidst nature, you need no one (and it is better that way, trust me. Who wants a nagging partner or a wailing baby in the thick of a serene jungle. Not me, not you either).

5.  If you are a lazy ass, you too can go places without really going through all that trouble. Pick up a book. OK, you aren't the reader type? Watch a phantasmagorical movie instead. And immediately you will be flown off to a different world. Your own imaginary world and you will be lonely no more.

6.  Stand in front of a mirror and talk to yourself. I know you must be giggling. But it works. We talk to the newspaper man, the milkman, the pesky neighbour but never to ourselves. It is a healthy exercise. We try to understand the world around us but we hardly try to understand ourselves. We live our entire life trying to make people happy, people we don’t talk to, people we dislike, people we don’t even know exists. However, we rarely work for our happiness. And we don’t because we don’t know what makes us happy. And we don’t know because we have a communication gap with ourselves.

If you don’t have people to talk to what the heck. Talk to yourself. About things you want, about places you want to be in, about food you want to gulp down, about people you want to hug and then about people whose noses you want to break. Enact the dream that may be a dream forever. Play-act the conversation that you know would never happen. Communicate with yourself. That is the key.

7.  Tend to something. Yes, a pet may be.

If you aren't a pet person resort to gardening instead. Taking care of plants and animals is far more rewarding than a fruitless party with poppycock people. You will know once you start doing it.

8.  Take a ride. In your car, on your bike or  your bicycle. Any damn thing you have. Let the air flow through your hair and enter into your soul.

OK, you don’t have any vehicle to carry you? Carry yourself. Plug in your earphones and go zoom. Take a walk, run through or jog your way. Cleanse your mind, purify your soul and push out the lonely demon inside you.

9.  Pursue your passion. Take up salsa classes you so wanted to. Learn pottery, paint the canvas red, let some music play,go click click. To vent away loneliness through creative avenues is the best thing that can happen. At the end of the day you will feel so satiated with the entire experience that you will want to be lonely for the rest of your life.

10.  If all else fails, take the road most travelled. Go shopping. Go on a date with yourself. Buy yourself nice things. Make yourself look good just for nothing or none for that matter. Give yourself time. Fall in love with yourself all over again. Rediscover yourself. Be your own darling.

When you become perfectly comfortable with yourself you will need no company.

Well, we don’t invite loneliness. But when it slowly casts its shadow on you, you should not panic but be prepared to fight. And now I am sure you are, aren't you?

Now happily sing to yourself, “I am Mr Lonely and I need nobody.”

  

www.writersmelon.com: 4. The Blue Window -- By Nivedita Basu (Thriller)

www.writersmelon.com: 

4. The Blue Window -- By Nivedita Basu (Thriller):

If you like the story of this beauty and the beast Suri Chacha, vote for ‘ The Blue Window .’  The story with highest votes will win the Reader's Choice Award at Melonade'4

A know-all list to become the "Shonar Chele" (Literal English translation: Golden Boy)

Well, it has been documented over and over again. It has been illustrated with apt pictures and equally apt examples. However, none could really light up that 1000 Watt bulb in the cerebral cortex. And so I thought why not. Something that has already been written can always be rewritten, so says the wise man.

Things have changed more or less too much over the years. The waves of globalization have struck the shores of India and Bengal has not been left behind and the effect has been catastrophic (and this is no exaggeration). The stereotypical images that have been painted over the years hold good no longer. A Bengali girl’s “Knight in shining armor” is no more the “Feesh” conquering, bespectacled frog prince in bad shape and the thinking cap put on in great panache. He got to be little more (yes, Bengali girls love to play with paradoxes) than that. The following is an extensive list of what Bengali girls look out for in their potential partner. So, if your eyes are on that sexy bong babe (Yeah, Bengali girls are sexy in their heads) in your office or your neighborhood, you now know what to do (Yeah, of course, learn this list by heart, to begin with).

1. If male chauvinism is your forte you are straight away out of the race (If you still gotta try you sure gonna retire hurt).

When it comes to relationships Bengali girls love to be bossy (Yeah, don’t fall into the trap of their more-than-required innocent eyes and start presuming a thing or two). They can go back home with equality, but chauvinism will never ever go down their system.

1. If you aren’t a fish enthusiast you are still bearable but if you aren’t aware of the magic of fishes you are dead.

Bengali girls have learnt to pardon guys who cannot tell “rui” from “katla” over the years (with a heavy heart though) but those who cannot understand their larger-than-life emotions attached to this particular aquatic species are heartlessly butchered (Yeah, Bengali girls don’t mince their words really when it comes down to fishes.)

1. If you haven’t heard a single Rabindrasangeet in your life you still have your chances notwithstanding how miserable you are but if you are not prepared to hear it over the years to come you better hang yourself (before she does).

Well Rabindranath Tagore has been the heartthrob since time immemorial. He had been a woman’s man in the true sense and a Bengali damsel will not let you go without filling in your Rabi Thakur (that’s what they lovingly call) vacuum.

1. If you cannot hold a political debate your existence (in her life) becomes debatable on the spot.

How I wish things were different but with a lady ruling the state the situation has worsened for you guys. You gotta get your political stats in place before you want other things to fall in place.

1. If you don’t understand the power of red and white together she will refuse to understand you straightaway.

Bengali bombshells always have this enormous fetish for anything white with red borders, be it their sarees or their suites or even their ever glorified “Sakha Pola”. You never mess with their “red and white saga”. You dare not.

1. If you remain bewildered about the entire hullabaloo over a female deity with ten hands and all the crazy shit that starts even before she arrives, well, remain so. Don’t you dare question.

Durga Puja a Bengali’s religion and you don’t question anybody’s religion right?

1. If you are a control freak and you have this fetish to control everything in your girl’s life you can let the Bengali mademoiselle of your dreams stay just there. In your dreams, that is.

Well, Bengali girls are a tad bit independent than their contemporaries. They are a bit on the wilder side and that is what makes them so covetous. You cannot agree more.

1. If you are not very comfortable conversing in the heritage the British people left behind, you need not. But don’t you try too hard. Because you will not like the booby trap awaiting you once you start.

Well, Bengali girls know their ABCDs a little too well and they don’t mind if you are ignorant. However, don’t piss them off with unnecessary display of wrong English. Let me tell you it isn’t helping your case in any which way.

1. Bengali babes aren’t the money types. They are more the art types. So when you are trying to impress her with gifts, you got to spend less of money and more of time.

Well, I am not saying that Gucci bag or a Zara dress won’t go down well. However, all said and done, she will rave more over a well-written letter, a wisely chosen book or a hand-made card. So guys, now you know. You got to have a little art in you.

1. If you got to know her better you got to appreciate her fancy for sweeter things in life. Like a bhar of misti doi or piping hot nolen gur er rosogolla, or anything for that matter.

 You cannot overrule any ‘mishti’ that takes you to heaven and back. It cannot harm much right? Yes, I know you are screaming ‘Diabetes mellitus’, but who said too much?

And I would probably end on a sweet note.

Before I sign off, the numbers are all same because they don’t indicate priority. Like you know, we all set our own priorities and I cannot take such a huge responsibility on my tender shoulders. And if the list above does not work, don’t blame me because at the end of the day, girl, no matter where they hail from, will remain this mysterious species, eluding and enchanting you to ecstasy.