Day 11 :: Recipe Post - Dahi Idli

Dahi idli has to be one of my most favorite food item. 1. It tastes yum. 2. It is so simple to make, that even I make it!

Dahi idli is also called Rava Idli by some. The ready-to-make rava idlis are real sad excuses! I prefer to make them, fresh and so instant! Yes, instant! When guests arrive at a short notice, Dahi Idlis are a quick fix for me. They can be eaten anytime - for breakfast, a healthy snack and for me, it is a pick me up!

These Idlis are so flavourful that they can be eaten as they are, without any accompaniments like chutney or sambar. Nevertheless, they go very well with tomato rasam, chutney, sambar and pickles even!

I usually make it a day in advance so that it serves as breakfast for the next day! So without further ado, the recipe.

Ingredients 

Again, eyeballing the measurements. 

Dahi/ Curds at room temperature - 1/2 kg

Bombay Rava/ Sooji/ Jada Rava - I took about 300 gms, I think :P

Oil - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds - 2-3 tsp

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Roughly chopped Curry Leaves - as much or as little as you like it. But trust me, the more the merrier

Finely Chopped green chillies - again according to your tastes, and depending on the mirchi itself

Lots and lots of roughly chopped Cashew nuts

Finely Chopped Coriander leaves - Optional. I skip it.

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp or less

Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a wide kadhai and add the mustard seeds to it.

• As soon as those lovelies start to splutter, add urad dal. Stay put till they turn a tinge brown.

• Add the curry leaves, chopped green chilles and cashew nuts.

• Turn the flame to low and saute the ingredients till the cashews develop a slight brownish colour. Make sure you turn the flame low or else you will have burnt tadka and black cashews, which obviously won't look and taste that great.
• By now the aroma should be wafting in your entire house.
• Add the sooji and toast it, as you would for upma, till it slightly changes colour and gives off a toasty smell. Switch off gas and set aside to cool off.

• At this stage you can add the chopped coriander, if you have opted for it.
• When the mixture cools off, add salt, baking soda and curds.
•  Don't add too much curd at one go. Add as much is needed to soak up the mixture and let it rest for 3-5 mins. Add more curd if the mixture is too dry.
• The final consistency of the batter should be paste-y and not runny.

• Grease the cups in which you are going to steam the idlis with a little oil. Add the batter but not upto the brim.

• Steam them in your idli steamer on high for 10 mins and then on sim for around 5 mins.

• Peel them off the cups and enjoy them steaming hot!
  
  
  
  

  

  Do you see a smiley face?

  
  

Their "Us" Moment

They were driving back from a get together at a friend's house. The pitter-patter of the raindrops on the windshield was like a rhythm to their year old toddler's continuous babbles.

Suddenly he said something funny which made her laugh.

"I am happy that I can still make you laugh." he said, smiling at her earnestly.

"Mnh-hnn" She smiled back at him, reached for his hand and entwined her fingers in his.

A moment of silence later she responded, "You can make me cry too."

"I was thinking the same. And I am sorry for such times!"

... and just like that, they had their "Us" moment which they hadn't had in a very very long time.

;)

Why I Don't Have A Pet

I have already once written about my pet parrot in my blog that I deleted. I feel the need to write about it once again. One of my favourite author, Preeti Shenoy, often writes about her pet dog. Yesterday's post was one such (rather her pic with Lostris, her pet Dob), which made my mind track back to the time when I had my own pet.

I do not remember the details very correctly, but I am going to narrate as I remember it. I was around 6 - 7 years of age when this parrot entered into our lives. My maternal grandma had recently expired. (I don't recall if it was days/ weeks or months before) The environment in the house was generally subdued. One day while returning from our grocery shopping, we found a wounded parrot in the semi-parking duct space. As kids, myself and V were very excited and wanted to nurse it back to health. We pleaded our parents to let us take it home, which they gladly accepted. My mother instantly related this to my grandma's return in another form.

We kept him warm and gave it some fruit and water. The next day my father got him a cage where he could perch. We always kept the cage door open, lest he wanted to fly away. Myself and V being happy at his arrival, spent all our free time with him. We tried to teach him to talk. (He was a grown bird and we were unaware that the best time to teach them to talk is when they are babies) Despite his inability to catch up on words, we loved feeding him soaked lentils out of our palms. We loved watching him flap his wings. In fact, we just loved the idea of him being there. It also seemed like he was getting better every hour.

Every morning after waking up, I would go pet him (even before I brushed my teeth)! Every noon when I came home from school, I wanted to feed him (even before I changed into my pjs)! I was smitten by this new entrant.

It was one of the weekend days, I guess, because that day we woke up late. My mother was trying not to get me near the cage. She was adamant that I brush my teeth and get done with the breakfast. I don't know if I obeyed her. All I remember is seeing my parrot lying lifeless in the cage. His eyes shut tight. (It was just a week or so after we got him home) We cried the whole day. My father buried him in the garden at the backside of our building. I cried throughout the burial uncontrollably. V tried to console me but he was tearing up too. I didn't eat anything for several hours. Mom had to coax me into having something.

After that, even though I did ask my parents to buy me a pet, I did not mean it. I did not try to convince them or beg them because I did not have the courage to face another separation. Till date I do not think I have it in me. It is wrong and morbid to think of separation even before I get one. But that's how it is with me. When I think of a pet, all I think is "how do I deal with its loss?" With that thought, I back off.

Whenever I see someone with their pet; how much love they share, the camaraderie; I flirt with the idea of how it would be if I had one. Now that I have a kid, I realise that in a few years she might demand for a pet. I am still unsure of how to deal with that. It would be unfair for me to devoid her of a friend and beautiful companionship just because I am averse to it. I know for sure that I cannot remain aloof and show no emotion towards it.

I don't know if I'll ever be ready to allow a pet to steal my heart and then have it hurt and broken because of loss/ separation. Perhaps I still have a long time to prepare myself for it. It'd be great if I have a change of heart and turn this reluctance into surety.

Marriage is a Three-Legged Race

 Isn't it? Two individuals, countless dreams, varied thoughts, myriad opinions, different strategies, but one goal. Tied at the feet, two individuals have to cross the finish line without tripping over. Sounds like an easy one, but many are stumped over it. Communication, co-ordination, communication is necessary. Likewise one cannot discount understanding, trust and the will to make it happen.

Tomorrow we are completing three years of married life. (Hence, the title) Our journey for these three years have been with its highs and lows. We have had a lot of wonderful moments that will remain etched in our memories till forever. And there were not so great moments too. Nothing out of ordinary, but everything is still special.

People change, relationships evolve and our whole world metamorphoses. In fact it keeps changing, at every event, every incident - big or small. We have too. Looking back at how we started off and seeing how we are today, has many differences. Fortunately those differences are not undesirable. I'd like to believe that we are wiser, have a better understanding of ourselves and people around us. We have learnt lessons together. Lessons that were harshly taught by others and situations. We have a better understanding of our life goals.

All these happened only after we made mistakes. As individuals, we did wrong and stumbled. While the other did get angry and frustrated, amends were made and a loving helping hand was always offered to the one on the ground. We have fought about things, bickered at each other's errors. But in the end, we did look beyond the ugly. I think that matters the most. In fact, on a personal note, I think fights are refreshing. They push out all the hostilities and you can start anew.

We have a beautiful daughter and we have enjoyed every bit of her. We loved bringing her up together, and with no help from anyone. It was something we shared. We have been able to relish every part of her first year. I cannot thank Kiran enough for being there for me at all those times and for not giving up on me during that times I felt like I was an undeserving mother. He took care of situations where I was insecure and scared. When no one supported me or my decisions, he told me to believe in myself and my maternal instinct.

We sat up all night when Aarnavi was unwell. Both clueless on how to go by the night. We have taken turns holding and soothing her when she cried on endlessly for reasons that were never revealed. The whole of last year has been "We". We worked as a team. Pushing away individual wishes, ignoring individual needs, we have worked in tune. It is a good thing when you are not alone in the sacrificing bit. Aarnavi's arrival gave a whole new meaning to our relationship. Agreed we have too little time for each other now, but whenever we do, it is special.

Three years is not such a long time. But for me it was, as every minute counted. And it still does. There is a big, winding road ahead of us and a lot more to be explored in this journey. I want my marriage to work and not in a compromising way. I want it to be at the center of my world.

This is the moment that I treasure the most... 

Kanyadaan

December!

I have always loved the month of December. The merriment of Christmas mixed in with the chilly Pune air is, for me, a feel good factor. In years that went by, many happy moments (and thus, memories now) are associated with this month. Isn't it great to end a year with some happiness?

One of my most happiest moments lie in December. I would perhaps rate this day on a higher rank than my wedding day. Wedding is just a celebration to stamp the decision that we make. Making a decision to commit your life to one person for better or for worse is another league totally. This is where a person is right or wrong. I am glad I took a wise decision and hitch-hiked on this road called marriage to the person I loved and still do.

Well, in case you are wondering, there were no celebrations, nothing hunky dory. Guess what? The husband had even forgotten about it. When I reminded, he says "Oh yeah, isn't it?" But I am not mad at him. He remembers to change diapers,  I never have to remind him to refill baby formula and doesn't forget Aa's doctor appointment. I cannot be mad at him for something so frugal when I can see the efforts he's putting into being a wonderful, perfect daddy.

I swear, it has got nothing to do with the amazing gifts he showered on me for Thanksgiving. Take a look.

:) Got an amazing deal for the Notebook and the Galaxy Tab together, and the camera too came in with a case and 8 GB card. I have been craving for an DSLR since a long time, but looking at it from the price point, I found it too expensive. KK wasn't all too in love with any DSLR, because camera for him is a camera, what more could you get? But he took a look at one of our snap clicked at a friend's house in a dark setting and he was sold to my idea. The pic was bright, colourful and looked like it was a pro shot. Hence the camera was included into this year's buying list.

 The Samsung Notebook is gorgeous. I did not want anything fancy. As long I can check my emails and Facebook and blog, I am good to go. I love it! 

The Tab however is for KK. And he is in love with it. In his own words "It's like being newly wed!" :)

That said, every year I have something to look forward to in this last month. This year, V is gonna be visiting us and I am super excited! His visit although a short one is gonna be fun... I know it. :)

December for me is not just stock take of the year's events and making new resolutions. It is when I feel warm and special from within, no matter how chilly it is on the outside. Cozing up to my near and dear ones, knowing that they'll be there for me, feeling safe, secure and loved, is what I look forward to. If the whole year is "exercising" then December is my "meditation". :)

Day 30 :: Reason for feeling alive and tired

Today was one of the days when you truly feel alive. Well nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a normal routine day, just that Aa is getting active by the day and naughty may I add?!

Now since she is used to me for the majority of the day, she screams even if I enter the kitchen to pour myself some coffee. She plays silently if I am sitting there, right next to her. If not, the banshee sounds. As a solution, I ask my mom to be online and video chat for the whole morning (which is comfortably after dinner time for her).

Aa's started to crawl and I don't blame her for wanting to explore every nook and cranny. From the day she started rolling over, I have been dreaming of seeing her crawl. And to whoever I mentioned this dream of mine would say "Just watch your words."

I feel like eating my words! It is wonderful to see her mobile but when I have to cook and clean and sundry, it makes me tear my hair. She loves the wires, chargers, cable, telephone, anything.

So today was one such day. Each time I moved away from her, she lunged towards the laptop or the cell phone or the wires or the sliding table and I had to come running to pick her and relocate the girl, only to repeat the procedure again. And again. And again. It really got to me today! Mommy was having a time of her life looking at her daughter's daughter trouble her daughter as such.

I take it back if it sounded like a complaint. I am so looking forward to another day, where Aa makes me run and turns me mad.

That's the thing about kiddos. No matter what, you fall in love with them.

P.S. Been long since I posted some good pictures of my darling. Will do it soon. ;)

Day 28 :: Throwing Out the "In-laws"

Scandalous, I know! ;)

Relations become complicated when "in-laws" follow the words mother, father, brother or sister. Often they are considered secondary, for all the natural reasons. Blood is thicker than water. A daughter in law can never replace a daughter, or a father in law can never hold the same place in your heart as your father.

That said, it is not impossible to bring the ties any closer. Most marriageable girls are vary of their in-laws. So was I. Getting married and going to another household was such an imaginable nightmare for me!

In our society, everyone expects the girl tomake most of the adjustments and compromises. No one bothers to think that the girl requires some time to get out of the mental shock of being married and catapulted into a sea of new people. All a girl needs at such times is a lot of understanding and loving words to convey that she is in good hands.

When I met my in laws for the first time, for all the understandable reasons, I was a nervous wreck. The almost engagement ceremony came to an end and we went to see them off, when my (then) would be father in law says "Dear, do come to visit us,. You are always welcome there."

When we did go after a few days, I was feeling odd sitting in their house. Again my father in law, sensing my discomfort says, "Go ahead dear. See your home. It's all yours now."

That instant I felt the ice melt in me. There was this warmth of being accepted. But still there was this spike in mind, I was not yet married. People are known to be extra kind before marriage and the scene changes drastically afterwards. Yes, I am a suspicious woman that way.

Not so soon after, I was to live with my in laws in my pregnant days. That was the time I got to bond with them closely that too without KK in the vicinity. The day KK went back to the US, mother in law said "Please don't hesitate to ask me for anything. If you feel like eating anything or if you need anything, ask freely. Think of me as your mother." I was already in tears but this statement teared me up freshly.

Since then there was no looking back. I found them easy to talk to. I have shared jokes with my father in law like I never thought I could. I found a younger sister in my sister in law who chose me to unburden all her worries. She was fun and mostly proved to be a cusion in the initial days of my stay there. And my mother in law, although is soft spoken and seems naive can make me a victim of a real naughty comment when least expected.

I cannot think of replacing them with my own parents or my sibling but they hold equal importance, love and respect in my heart.

Me, I couldn't possibly think of throwing out the "in laws" part in these relations, But I have certainly come close.

Day 26 :: First sounds and laughter

I shall let this speak for itself.

Day 24 :: Latest from Aa world

We know that every child meets its milestone at its own pace. Even then it is difficult not to compare baby achievements.

When I saw Avi, My friend Shweta's kiddo, sit unsupported when he was mere 6 months old, I was surprised! Aa was not even close. I wondered how long will she take to sit. She has started sitting unsupported since 15 days now. Since then, I have seen huge developments in her activities. I think she is undergoing growth spurts.

She understands a lot more than she did a fortnight back. A slightly high pitched "NO" and she stops in her tracks to the wires. She associates voice with the person; can recognise lullabys from reprimands; screams in my absence; cries when a toy she is playing with, is taken away from her.

And physically too, she is pacing up. She sat, rocked and crawled (like full lenghts without falling) within 2-3 days. Now she finds sitting and crawling boring, so she holds me for support and stands up!! And here I was wondering when she will sit. In a blink of an eye she has done all this.

She is getting verbal too. Since yesterday she has started to make more meaningful sounds, not just gurgles. She started repeating "bababababababa" and "papapapapapa" all of a sudden yesterday evening! When we repeated the same to her, she found it immensly funny and burst into peels of laughter. Would have loved to upload the same. Maybe tomorrow.

I am sure all the babies are as smart and must be doing the same thing world wide. But that's the thing about your "own" baby, anything it does, you find it fascinating and boast worthy. Every parent feels proud of his/ her child's milestones. Hell, it is exciting even if it poops a different colour one day!

I am proud! Yes. Very. Very. Very!

However tired I may be, I look forward to the next day. Waiting for Aa to do something new, make a new face, try a new trick.

Aa, mommy looooooooooves you! Muah!

Day 22 :: Reunited!

Deepak and Shweta were the first friends in US with whom we hit off instantly. We have spent many happy hours in each others company.

Shweta made my life livable here. With such dearth of good friends, I found solace in her. We ranted, bitched, complained, laughed and shopped together. Our happiness knew no bounds when we broke the news of our respective pregnancies. We had the same due dates. And no, we hadn't planned that.

Now they live in a different area, a little far from where we live. But that didn't stop us from having a good time. We loved their company after a very long time and this time with our kids trying to pull each other's hair, lord! did we enjoy! Posting some snaps of the two "new" friends.

Happy Aarnavi! Happy to see some new faces!!!

"Look mama! Even I can pull her hair." - Avi

"Dadddy look, tongue comes out when avi pulls my hair!" - Aarnavi

"Yay!!!" - Avi

"Am I supposed to clap too?" - Aarnavi

Day 14 :: How did you know my name?

Priest : Your name?

Me : Pu.... (realizing it's a pooja on the husband's side) No, Kavya.

Priest : So your name's Purnima.

Me : Eh? How did you know? I didn't tell you that.

Priest : I saw the tattoo on your husband's arm!

Day 11 :: Unearthing Love

It was their 11th wedding anniversary. Yet none of them was in a mood to celebrate. Nikhil and Shilpa had been fighting for over a month now. They had bought a new apartment and their squabble was over the shifting day. Shilpa wanted to celebrate their anniversary in their new home, while Nikhil wanted to stay in their old house clinging to the last bits of memories in the house. It had been their home for 8 years.

Adamant as she was, Shilpa’d won the round. She decided she’ll take up the whole responsibility, whether Nikhil lends a hand or not.

They’d been like this; fighting on and off, back slapping, pulling each other’s leg. At first glance, they looked like cousins and not a couple. Their camaraderie was adored by every one. This was probably because they were friends since college times. They got married a few months after their convocation ceremony. Fortunately for them they had no parental issues. Their wedding was a smooth affair.

It was the life after that taught them some important lessons. Both were ambitious and both had the will to study further. With immense moral and financial support from Nikhil’s father, they had been able to achieve what they’d aimed for. Nikhil was a successful Chartered Accountant, working in one of the prestigious firms. Shilpa got a Masters degree in Mass communication, and was drawing a six figure salary.

They were happy with their DINK status. Lately, life was stressful. There were days when they didn’t even see each other despite living under the same roof. And when they did, there was constant bickering and frustration to unload. Arguments were a daily affair. ‘You don’t understand me!’ was a common statement. Cold wars and silent stares started to seem more appealing than making an effort to exchange words. Worse was when they accepted and settled into this life. None seemed to discuss the rift, none wanted to complain.

They were battling one such situation now - shifting the house. Shilpa tried to make Nikhil understand her reason. However, they had grown beyond the point where compromise was acceptable. They were at logger heads at each other since a month now.

‘Phew! Finally!!’ Shilpa sighed. Nikhil grunted his approval.

‘What?’ Shilpa asked.

‘You very well know what. Now don’t start all that again.’

‘It isn’t me, Nikhil. Try and be more practical... and a bit sensitive to my needs, if possible’ she gave back tearfully.

‘Don’t you even try that on me. It’s disgusting enough to fight on our anniversary, please don’t bring in your messy tears.’

‘Why are you so hurtful, Nikhil? I don’t want all this any more than you do!’

To avoid any more confrontation, Nikhil moved out of the room and started sorting the labelled boxes. Shilpa shed a few more tears; decided it wasn’t worth it and then headed towards the kitchen.

A few moments later Nikhil bellowed, ‘Shilpa, come here.’

‘Why?... Is there something more hurtful that you thought of?’ she uttered through clenched teeth.

‘Just come here, will you?’

She went into the sitting room reluctantly..

‘What’s in this box?’

‘Why? Can’t you read? I have labelled every box.’

'No, this one is not. Take a look.’ he said trying very hard to control his anger at her reproach. ‘It must be one of the boxes from the store room, in which you kept your ratty old clothes and other knick-knacks. I say, throw it out. If you unpack this, you’ll start feeling sappy and keep them in the house. We have no use for any of it.’

‘Nothing I keep is useless. And I am not going to throw anything away without even glancing at it. If you do not want to help, I am quite capable myself. Find yourself some friends and get entertained. I will set up my house.’

‘It’s my house too.’ he shouted.

‘I thought so too, until you showed no inclination to come here.’

‘It is worthless to talk to you.’

‘You should have realised that 11 years back.’ she said, while driving the pen knife into the tape that closed the box in argument. While she busied herself into prodding over the contents of the box, Nikhil grabbed some old newspaper and sat in the same room. Although he would have liked to stay away from her, there was no option as the other rooms laid strewn of painting material and shifted furniture.

Shilpa tore off the remainder tape. A familiar whiff of sogginess hit her as she opened the box. There was an old bed sheet covering the contents. She was puzzled. Slowly she pulled the cover away, careful not to break anything fragile. There was a stack of her college books. It looked like a huge pile.

‘Nikhil was right. I have no need for these books any more.’ she thought and pulled out one book after another. The books were only half way through the box. She found another box inside it. It was a big wooden box with intricate carved designs on it. It was gifted by her mother on her 16th birthday. She took it out lovingly, still wondering what lay inside.

She flipped the metallic latch and the contents took her breath away. They were memories. Memories of good times. Her heart beat fast. The first thing she took out of it was a small Mickey Mouse pocket watch. Nikhil had gifted it to her. He’d pleaded his uncle who lived in States to bring one for her.

As other things came out, memories flooded through her.

‘Nikhil!’ she called out timidly. ‘Look.’

He came close to inspect. His voice cracked as he said ‘You still have all this? It’s been years since I saw them... I’d forgotten about them!’

Together they sat sifting through their old life. Their first pink rose, a ruby pendant, a piece of paper on which Shilpa had smeared some of their Valentine cake, a vial of sand as honeymoon nostalgia, his first SIM card, a photograph clicked during the college annual fest with their common friends, Shilpa’s torn scarf and so many other things that they had tears in their eyes and a smile on their lips each time they said ‘Remember this one?’

The last thing that Nikhil pulled out was a ruled notebook page, folded neatly. It was a written conversation made by them during Financial Management lecture. It read -

N : I have to ask you something.

S : The answer is NO.

N: You haven’t even heard what I want to say.

S : I know you are going to ask me for the notes of Costing lecture, which you bunked yesterday.

N : No re baba! I got them photocopied in the morning.

S : It is still a NO-NO. I know you are going to ask me for a treat. I am all washed out. And now stop this nonsense. Don’t disturb, the prof is saying something!!

N : Marry me no please? I love you.

S : Shut up, idiot! Can’t you see... the prof is looking here. You and your stupid jokes!

N : I am not jok

With this the professor had caught them red handed with the letter and asked the parents to come and meet him.

As soon as Shilpa finished reading the conversation aloud, Nikhil pulled her close to him. He saw the girl with whom he had fallen in love with... just older. He pulled her tear-streaked face close to him and kissed her lips tenderly. All the love that was bottled up somewhere came oozing out. The passion was igniting, the love was glowing, the intimacy was returning.

'I have missed you, Shilpa.’ he whispered between the kiss.

Day 9 :: When little things make you smile...

Despite a long, rainy, gloomy and chilly day, when I see my child sleeping, it brought an instant smile on my face! Sigh!

*Sorry about that! Dunno how I made my post disappear. Had to re post this one. Hence the change in date*

Day 6 :: And what they said...

As soon as I lay my eyes on the tattoo, I was welling up with emotions. I was feeling honoured, although I did realise that he must have had to go through a lot of pain for that. I wasn't really thrilled with the thought.

Like I said, with that "I don't care what others think about it." dialogue, I knew that he must have gotten a tattoo. (And there were other clues too, like one day over video chat, he said he was feeling cold and wore a long sleeved shirt. And he is not the one who feels cold so easily!) He wanted to do it long back; even before we got married. I had told him not to. I have heard that it is way too painful,. And let's just face it, there isn't a dearth of people who would have thought I made him do it.

And neither was I expecting it to be this large. It was fairly new and hence the skin was a bit raw and swollen. You can imagine the melange of feel-good and feel-bad emotions that I was experiencing!

That episode elicits a wide range of reactions from people.

Reaction by 

Mom-in-law : She just smiled.

Sister-in-law : WOW, Brother!

Father-in-law : Love birds. Do what you please, you both!

Hubby's aunt : (jaw dropping) Did it pain? Why did you do this?
 - Hubby's reply : Because I love her!

Hubby's maami :Oh! You shouldn't have!
 -Hubby's reply : Oh! But I wanted to!

My mom : Is that permanent?

My dad : (Raises eyebrows with a smile)

V : !!!!!!!

N : (Playfully looks daggers at V)

My younger cousin brothers : Awesome, bhavaji!!! Even I wanted to do, but mom doesn't let me!
 -Hubby's reply : Earn and do it with your own money. No one will say anything.

Our Friend, T :Yaar, tune toh hadd kardi. You shouldn't do such things. It gets the rest of us in trouble with our wives!!!

:) :) :)

The next day was my baby shower, where my Parents-in-law had arranged for a Pooja (Sheemantha) and about a hundred people where invited. No points for guessing, I was NOT the centre of attraction!

And then there are some more reactions, each qualifying for a separate post for themselves. Wait for them.

;)

Day 5 : Knight in Shining ARMor

Every girl has at least once in her life time fantasized about her knight in the shining armor. Like a typical Bollywood movie, she wonders what out of the world thing her man would do for her. And she wishes - wishes that her fantasy does come true.

Now, what was my fantasy? Well, I wanted a memorable proposal. Nothing too elaborate or expensive, but something that would be etched in my mind forever. Something sweet, something special. I didn't want a going down on the knees bit. That is too cliched and unoriginal. I'd have preferred him (I didn't have KK in mind then) to unexpectedly pop the ring, or the question when I was with my friends. 

But as you possibly know already, my story was entirely different! Fantasy indeed!

KK, however, had other plans.

Last year in October, he told me he was coming back from the US with a nice little surprise for me. He has this very bad habit. He knows I am a curious cat and still he has to tell me that there is a surprise. I kept guessing. 'Something awesome, for you.' he assured each time we spoke. 

I kept guessing. Is it a Solitaire?, a car? a villa? Swarovski? Apple?? Each time the response was negative. 'You shall see, and keep seeing'

There was nothing I could do other than wait patiently for him to come. 

In a few days, one of is colleagues wife pinged me and eventually said "Bhaiyya ne aapke liye kuch kiya hai. Aapko bahut accha lagega. Lekin please unhein mat bolna ki maine apko yeh bola hai." (Your husband has done something really very nice for you. You will like it. But please don't tell him that I said this to you")

She knows what he bought for me?? I mean, why would KK want to tell the whole world what he does for me?? And again a few days later, my best friend in Germany pings me and says, "KK is absolutely amazing re! He loves you so much!! He has a nice surprise for you!" She too??!  I was getting a little irritated and impatient. How dare he keep me in the dark?

When I got confrontational, he took another way out by getting all mushy and emotional. "You know, I don't care what people say or relatives think. I just did it for me and for you." Now this dialogue, I had heard before. I started getting a whiff of what he might have got for me. 

He came to India on 16th October. And he was supposed to attend his cousin's wedding and only then come home. On his way back, he refused to even tell it any of his relatives. He wanted me to be the first one to know. (Yeah, right!!!)

The moment I saw him, I pulled him into the bedroom. Even before I asked him how the journey was, I wanted to know what my gift was! 

He pulled up his shirt sleeve and showed me 

I know! Sweet! 

More about this later...

Day 2 :: When Ties Run Deeper

I hardly realised it was Raksha Bandhan today until I saw some FB wishes. A day when a sister ties a sacred thread onto her brothers' arms and asks for love and protection for a lifetime.

Like every brother sister duo, V and me have also celebrated this day since childhood. Of late we haven't been together on this day. However, I remember all our childhood antics, fights and fun. I particularly remember one day when we fought so badly that I refused to tie him my Rakhi. Every year that's the day I keep replaying in my mind. :)

Today evening, being alone at home with Aa, I was generally feeling lonely and depressed. Suddenly when I heard the knock on the door, i wondered if it was my friend here. It wasn't. It was a kind lady with a huge box in her hand and asked me if I was the person mentioned as addressee. I was.

I cried as I took it in my hands. I was crying and hysterically telling Aa that her mama has sent me flowers for Rakshabandhan!! Aa must have thought I was all gone. I leave you with the pictures.

I thank the lady who was concerned enough to bring the flowers up to me because she thought they might wither. Bless her!

Vinayak anna, I love you! Even though you make me cry.

Multiplied Smiles

My Aa completed 6 months yesterday. Half a year already??! That's fast! It's like I have blinked and suddenly she's this big. This is what happens with kids, eh? They grow up? Just like that?

The months that have gone by since January have been life changing for me. I have experienced pain, love, fear, sorrow, joy, and many ups and downs. I have learnt what sacrifice means. I'd never imagined that I'd survive sleepless nights. Or that I'd send the weight machine panting under my kilos. Parenthood can change a person in so many ways!

SO,


we thought of celebrating Aa's 1/2 birthday with some fruit cake, which obviously was gonna be gulped down by her parents and grandparents.

  

But since I am such a sweetie mommy, I decided that Aa does deserve a piece of her cake for all the hard work she puts in for rolling over and trying to crawl.

and she is happy about it too!

and so are her parents - happy, proud and smiling!

For more pictures and better captions, I hope you are connected to me on Fb! (This is not an open invitation to those who are not! :P)

Blogathon update : Was toying around with the idea of staring the blog marathon with this post. That's when I decided to go ahead with it and conveyed my intention to the husband. As thoughtful as ever (and perhaps a better analyst of situations), he said I should wait since we are planning a trip to St Louis, MO (YAY!!) this weekend. "And I am in no way guaranteeing you the Wi-fi connectivity there. You might not be lucky always." 

So yes, I too agree with that. I am in no mood to disappoint myself and readers. In fact, I am gonna start with the month long commitment on 1st August 2012 - 31st August 2012 . How's that now? No estimates! Only promised dates! (Yeah I sound like some side-y advertisement) 

P.S. Parents are leaving on 31st July. I am hoping that doing a blogathon then will be thereupatic.

Siigh!

She : Why are you staring at me now?

He : Just...

She : You stared at me 1.5 years back and that was understandable... Stop it, please! It feels awkward.

He : I'm looking at you, who was once a girl, then girlfriend, a wife and now a beautiful mother! What an amazing transformation!

... and once again, he steals her heart!

It Takes Two to Tango

This Valentine's day, it wasn't about red roses or cute teddy bears... We have gone through that. I cannot say we have outgrown that phase or that we find it teenager-ish to express emotions through flowers and cakes. I can say, "far yet so near" was our theme for this Valentine's. It's all about love, and whether expressed with gifts or without them hardly matters.

2 years back when our "lhau" was new-new, that bouquet of roses and cake felt mushy. My heart would melt thinking about him. It'd whirl, skip a beat and swell with such novel emotion lately tasted. Prospects of starting an exciting life with a person who you loved and who loved you back (so dearly) made me go weak in knees.

The previous year's V-day was special too; that which was celebrated as a romantic double date with friends! We never thought what future would hold for us - all we knew was that it was time we enjoyed each other's company. Hand in hand, each time that our eyes met, we knew we were not perfect beings but we have our tuning in sync and wavelengths ebb and surge at the same level.

Having taken our relationship to an altogether different platform, today I realise that love can have different shades and shadows. It can change forms, it can evolve for the better. Perhaps I can no longer call it new love, but it still is fresh, thriving and blossoming. I got the customary roses and cake for my birthday. However, this time around, I couldn't fuss much over them. I'd a much more important souvenir of love to look after.

Our life has metamorphosed - for the better - through rough patches and smooth ends. If I had to allot a colour to my life, I'd say it was pink earlier, now it is a tinge darker. Today, I find myself embraced in the warmth of his love and care. I'm sure in the coming years it is going to transform into deeper shades of pink, into red to blazing red and finally there'll be a glow that'll never faze out. The journey till there will demand a lot from us individually. We are ready - in fact looking forward to so many things in life.

From the day I got married, I have known what "plenitude" means. And I have never looked back. I have never missed parents' love or their care or even my freedom. I haven't missed friends' support, I have never found myself lacking in anything. Not that I'm saying I don't need them anymore; but there's always been more than I have asked for.

This year we have lived in installments. Together for 3 months, apart for next 3 - for the whole year. It has also been full of conflicting emotions. Tears reigned. For I've felt like a messy, emotional blob. I have missed him like I never thought I could miss anyone. I craved for his banter, complaints, and also his weird choices of movies. I still do.

If he can turn me from a stubborn-unromantic-who-hates-gooey-love to a hopelessly-head-over-heels-in-love-with-him, then he can do anything under the sun. Being miles away, he still sends my breath for a toss, he has the power to bring happy tears to my eyes. Just like right now.

Sometimes, I love him so much that I hate him. And he knows exactly what I mean by that. ;) ;)

That's us! On 14th February 2011

My Babe...

I'm at loss of words when I try to say something about my daughter. It sounds vague but I still have phases of disbelief that I have given birth to a baby. She is miraculous, angelic and devilish at the same time.

I had a planned C -section. I was admitted to the hospital the night before, and what a night that was! Full of anticipation, excitement, and relief that finally those 9 months have gone by. Fear was overshadowed by all these emotions. In fact, I even took permission to take a look at the OT. The wide array of neatly kept instruments and vials of medicines looked appealing. 

The next day, in semi conscious state, I saw the nurse take my baby away for cleaning. I was surprised even then, like I never expected a baby to come out of me!!

'That's it? Done?' I asked the doctors.

'Yes. Of course.' one of them replied and smiled.

'So, is it a girl or a boy?'

'What did you want?'

'Umm... let's see... my husband wanted a boy and I wanted a girl. Who won?'

'You did. It's a girl.'

I was stupefied... for all those experienced ladies'(including my mom and MIL) predictions that I was gonna have a baby boy, I had pink in store for me. I was proud... I was super happy. My deep,secretly hidden wish to bear a daughter was fulfilled. 

That's her! Crying in full glory!

We named her 'Aarnavi', which means as large hearted as an ocean. The name was decided by me and KK, long time back. We loved the meaning and the way it sounded. 

Mothering is not an easy task. Just because moms make it look simple, doesn't mean it is a cake walk. There have been times when I have broken down and cried over not being able to be a perfect mom. I realise that even I need time to get adjusted to the baby. Physically as well as emotionally. 

I was in huge emotional mess due to physical constraints. Delivering C section came with its disadvantages. Initially, limited mobility, absolute necessity of rest, the twitching and the heaviness kept me from caring for my baby. And I am not the most ideal person with patience in hand. I thought everything falls into place once the baby is out. I was mistaken. I had to learn everything.

Mothering is a natural instinct, everyone said. Perhaps only the emotional part comes naturally. Everything else, needs to be learnt from the scratch. From how to hold the baby to breastfeeding it, requires some time and technique.

No two days are similar for me. There are ups and downs. And I am trying to learn on how to increase my patience level, and not feel demotivated each time I fail to do something perfectly.

As my child teaches new lessons everyday, I am coming to learn those big and small aspects of motherhood. It's difficult but not impossible. 

My darling has brought me and KK even closer. We both are amazed at her little antics. The sudden smile, the loud wail, she has your nose, she has my feet, she stays up all night- must be your trait...

Husband's already in the US. Waiting for us to join him there. Till then we both are trying to get to know each other. :)

Blissfully unaware of the circus she creates around the house, she sleeps!

P.S. More posts in line. Kindly check.