Is not equal to being voluptuous.
During one of my talks with ex Miss India Gul Panag she said, “Not doing anything about one’s excess weight is plain laziness. It shows that the nature of the person. Of the laziness and carelessness.” I agree.
Did not realise the 32 year age difference. That it is a huge age cum generation gap.
Fought. Hurled verbal stones. Rebelled. Tried to run away. But the basic values were ingrained long ago. Could not fight that out of my system even then. I dont want to either now.
Today I love and adore him.
We have made our peace.
Beyond understanding for the ones who still consider having a mind of one’s own to be the same as being an outcast from the social systems.
We may not agree on everything. We dont need to. There is mutual respect and understanding and that is a great milestone achieved.
Forgive. Forget. Learn. Move on.
There are great memories cherished of everything.
I am. Because you are…
Love you papa.
Happy Birthday.
Earthquake
The minor earthquake in Ahmedbad yesterday night
[see http://worldnews.rediffiland.com/scripts/xanadu_diary_view.php?postId=1141815971]
brought memories of Gujarat Earthquake of January 26, 2001 back.
Back then; I was a 19 year old in 2nd year college. It was the Republic Day and I was supposed to be attending the NCC Parade
but found solace in my room waiting for mum to call me for tea. I was still in bed and my family was having breakfast. I had a saucer filled with tea in my hand when the earth began to shake. I thought I was still asleep. Till then I had never known what an earthquake is, how it happens, what are the indications and the zing bang about it.
By evening, the ones who were alive and fortunate were out in their cars trying to take a look at the fallen buildings.
Pictures of the aftermath
Till next day however we couldnt sleep. Everyone was talkign about it and the channels were flashing all the gory details.
The next day there was a call from NCC, they wanted some volunteers to help people in distress. With some reluctance mom allowed. Was stationed at V S Hospital to talk to the families, counsel them and help them get anything they might need. Each passing hour, saw more than 10-15 people breathing their last. Apart from grandpa’s dead body, I had seen no other. Needless to say, cadets lost their appetite, some fainted and were sent back home. The ones who stayed got into arguments with the media, who were trying to get their precious bytes/quotes[5 yrs down the line, i did not know i will be doing the same, for me it was covering the collapses that rocked Mumbai post 26/7 deluge... without any heart i would be probing them while they lay in bed tring to overcome the pain and suffering they are going thru... didnt know the conscience would be lost in the competitive edge]
Collapses
Home-wreaked
http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/august/117360.htm
After Sadaf, another bldg collapses
http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/august/117072.htm
This woman saved 24 lives
http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/august/116963.htm
Third collapse in 10 days
http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/august/115831.htm
but back then i got into a major argument with a senior reporter from indian express [back then i was a full timer with Indian Express] who was doing his job. I was angry and tears ran down my cheeks as i argued with him. He backed off. Then came the politicians. All that drama was too much to take. Things have remained the same.
Though my home on the 3rd floor was intact, I still feel giddy when I look down from a tall storeyed building. My cousin who stays on the 13th floor often complains that I rarely visit her. In Mumbai however, tall buildings are favored by many. However I cant seem to over come my phobia of sky scrapers. Both my rented accomodations here thankfully have been on the first floor of a 3 storey building. And the new one is a ground floor tenament with a small garden.
Thank God for small mercy’s.
