To the man I met during my train journey in France.. (1)

First of all, I dedicate this post to Fabrice whom I had a chance to know for a brief period of 2 hours.

For the first time when I arrived at a railway station in France, I felt totally lost. My being near-fluent (!) in their language didn't help and I realized I still need to learn a lot about how native French people speak french.

Despite the handicap I felt in explaining my queries regarding my train, I somehow was enjoying being lost in Europe. It all seemed liked an adventure where I was the protagonist. I talked to four people about the whereabouts of my train and way to the platform. One old French lady couldn't understand what I was asking exactly but still tried explaining me pointing towards the screen. She seemed as helpless as me. But she kept asking others what I had asked her and then directed me towards a 'personnelle' of SNCF train.  I wasn't somehow convinced what the local people tried making me understand or may be I failed to make them understand what I was asking (And here I was thinking I am near-fluent in french!)
After talking to the different people of SNCF twice and thrice, I finally managed to get to the right  platform, right train and right seat!

*While all this was going on, on the back of my mind I was wondering that Simran had met Raj on a similar setting in a European Train (That's what DDLJ does to your mind when you watch too much of it).*

I finally found my seat number by the window. And I see a French guy seating on the aisle seat and I ask him if thats the right seat number ..? "Bah.. oui!" , he replies.
Geeky. specky. slender.

I looked at my big valise and wondered where to keep that and how. Before I could say anything about valise being heavy, I think he read my mind for a moment and swiftly picked my valise
and put it on the upper deck and I noticed his athletic strong arms and that he was quite tall.

*Quel gentilhomme!* (What a gentleman!) I regaled in my heart.

I could just murmur merci beaucoup.

A little part of my heart was smitten. Also I was smitten by the beauty of the landscapes I saw through my window.

Through the corner of my eyes I saw him checking his phone and I was eager to talk to him. I checked my ticket again and asked him if this is the right train.

*Ne vous inquietez pas! (Dont worry!) This is the right train and seat* He said smilingly....

.. to be continued

'Diary entry of a rain-lover'

It rained today..

It wasn't the first time that it rained here. But this time it seemed special.. the tapping of rain drops on the ground felt musical. Why is it that rain is so loved by so many people? 

Does it invigorate some kind of chemical reaction in the human brain or does it create some kind of magical spell?
It makes people nostalgic, romantic and fills them with tranquility. And the ones of my kind become poetic awakening the writer within. One can't help but scrawl on paper whatever comes to mind.

With rain, comes the raining memories of years gone by. A love lost, a love found, the childhood paper boats, the snacks and coffee, the rain songs, carefree dancing in the rain, cuddling with your favorite book at the window side and musical rain in the background or just simply watching the rain drenching everything..
You think of the rainy days in the school.. the pitty-pat..how happy it made children. And in college, how you would miss the class just to gorge on hot samosas and coffee with the company of friends.

You don't think of the days to come but enjoy the present looking at the sky.
The pleasure is all you feel.. doesn't matter you are alone or in company.

The petrichor fills up your senses.The rainy fragrance makes every breath you take delicious. You want to breathe deep. You don't want to blink even for a moment. You don't wish anything more but you wonder about nature's beauty. While watching the beautiful ripples made by raindrops, you think of love and life.

Even the departure of rain leaves you with rejuvenated self. For it's all drenched. There's a new you.

The ambient air is cool and fresh.

You breathe deep and you don't want to blink...
You don't want to close your eyes..
For rain has made ever

ything afresh..

And your heart smiles..
You can feel it smiling...

Mission 'Le chocolat'

happy-family.org

" O yes! She's not home! She'll definitely take minimum 3 hours to come back. Now is our chance!"
 We were a team, atleast in such cases. It was as if  we'd waited for this opportunity since eternity. Our plan was set. My 7 year old Sherlock Holmes knew all the nooks and corners of the home. He knew all the places where she could have hidden that treasure.
Like all typical mothers, our mother thought it's not good for our health. So with all our arms which consisted of a torch, a little stool and a small bag, we headed towards the most probable area where our treasure could be found. We felt no less than FBI agents. Deftly he kept the stool above the shelf and mounted over it to reach the top shelf of the closed almirah. And I am made to grasp the stool tightly.
" Yayyy! WE DID IT!" The eureka moment, when my brother screamed at the top of his voice on having discovered the treasure of chocolates in a brown packet.
As soon as he came down, we engorged on it voraciously without leaving any trace of its existence.
We were absolutely full!
We cleaned the area so skillfully like nothing happened. When she came back we acted like we were those innocent kids who always did as Momma said!!
But she wondered why we were smiling so much.
Perhaps she knew or she didn't. But we were all smiles that our Mission 'Le chocolat' was finally accomplished!

To a bully, With love.

Is it possible?
Like I totally can't believe it.
I can't just get this fact out of my head that may be i'm in love with him. Sometimes I think may be I thought so much about hating him that my brain has started to believe that I actually like him. I mean after coming back from school I'd think about how he teased me, how badly he behaved, how I should have responded, how I would respond the next day, etc..etc.. He actually occupied my most of the time. I'd tell my mother how a certain guy teases me at school and my mother would say may be he likes you that's why he does so. 'huh! Not even in my wildest dreams!' I'd think.
I wonder could you hate someone so much that ultimately it converts to love?
Yes, it's difficult to live with so much hatred in one's heart. Your heart just bursts out. May be that's why it converted into love. When and how did it happen I don't know. As the Bible says, "Bless those who curse you!". May be it happened when I prayed to God every night to give me strength to tackle with so much of hatred which I didn't want to feel. I prayed to God to bless you abundantly. May be it happened when I decided to forgive you with all my heart so that I can live in peace. 'Cause as they say hatred burns one's own heart more. And may be you didn't have a clue.
Yes, I still pray for you at times. Don't know why. May be because somewhere I'm hoping you'd have changed. You'd have realized how I'd have felt. You'd have felt the way I felt. You'd have felt sorry.
Sometimes I wonder if we ever meet again, would I smile or would I cry or would I be so overwhelmed to speak? My heart would be gushing with emotions which can't be explained. Would you feel how i'd felt? I'd be relieved for sure. Would you know or would you not? I wonder sometimes if somebody can affect a person so much. This love-hate feeling just wouldn't go.
I really want to love someone now with all my heart and soul. No, not anger converted into love. But love! just love because I want to love!

My Random list of happiness...

Inspired by the happy page, I've made my personal list of happiness...

Happiness is...

...warmth of a sweater knit by Ma.

...old friends.

...when you find money in the pocket of your old jeans.

...hugs from little kids.

...watching sun set /sun rise in the hills.

...a walk in the fog.

...the calm sunshine at 4'O clock in the evening.

...that twinkle in the eyes.

...an unexpected act of kindness.

...quand on parle francais couramment. (when one speaks french fluently.)

...having people who can handle the angry 'you'.

...warm-hearted people.

...people whose eyes shine with the zest for life.

...a good night sleep after a tiring day.

...people who have seen it all and yet they smile!

...people who never quit.

...people in love.

...a sharpened pencil.

...new diary.

...people who help without any expectation.

...a smile! (specially when you're having a bad day and somebody gives you that calm smile!)

...a kind look by a stranger.

...mother's hug.

...honest people.

...laughing because you didn't understand the joke.

....

 

A Verse from the 'GITA' in which lies the whole essential message of the 'GITA' ~ Meaning in English and French

A remarkable verse from the Holy book "Gita"~

      Klaibyam ma sma gamah Partha
      naitat tvayy upadyate!
      ksudram hrdaya- daurbalyam
      tyaktv'ottistha parantapa !!

O Partha! Yield not to unmanliness! It befits thee not. Abandoning this base faint-heartedness, rise up, O dreaded hero!

If one reads this one shloka one gets all the merits of reading the entire Gita; for in this one shloka lies imbedded the whole message of the Gita... Stand up and fight! Not one step back, that is the idea.. fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere!.. Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming coward. Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune.
- Swami Vivekananda

En Francais,
Si on lit cette strophe, on reçoit toutes les mérites de lire l'entier Gita; Car cette strophe est comprise du sens entier de Gita... Levez-vous et se battre! Ne bouge pas un pas en arrière! c'est l'idée! Se battre tout ce qui vient. Laissez les étoiles se déplacent de la sphere! Ainsi, se battre! Vous ne gagnez rien en devenant lâche. Quand vous prenez un recul, ce n'est pas une malchance.
- Swami Vivekananda

*The English version is by courtesy of Shri Ram Krishna Math, Chennai.

Tu dil mein to aata hai.. You come into my heart.. (Urdu sher)

Tu dil mein to aata hai..

Samajh mein nahi aata..

Bas jaan gaya teri pehchaan yahi hai..


You come into my heart..

But my mind can't comprehend you..

I understand this is the only way to know you..


The English translation is by Indian Writer Khushwant Singh.