‘you have done a brilliant work Rajesh. You have been given….rrrrhhhhh……Raaaajjjeeeessshhhh………… Raaaajjjeeeessshhhh.’- what!! I woke up from a sudden jerk. ‘Raaajeeessshhh….’…I heard my wife yelling.
What’s wrong with her? Always yelling for something or the other. I can’t be in peace even in my dreams. Shucks!! Angrily, I kicked my blanket and got down. ‘Raaajesssh….’ ‘Coming Meera..what’s wron with you. Why are you shouting like this..’.
I hurried down the stairs. I saw Meera, my sweet(??!!) wife, sitting in the couch giving breakfast to my 7yr old daughter Achala. Both looked happy, watching TV. I got confused at the whole scenario. I came running down, expecting some kind of earthquake, but instead here everything was in place. I looked at my wife & daughter. She smiled at me back. Now, I more got confused, what’s happening here? Am I in a dream?
‘Meera…’
‘Yeah Rajesh…’
‘You called me. In fact yelled.’
‘Yes. You are right!’
‘Everything is fine here right? Why you screamed like that then…’
‘It’s ‘cos it’s going to be 8am now.’
I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say. Is she playing some kind of prank? Is this the time for all these? I have to be in office by 9am for a meeting.
‘Yes. It’s going to be 8am.Right! So…?’
‘Rajesh, don’t tell me, you forgot…today is 27th ‘
‘27th..What 27th?
‘Don’t tell me you don’t remember?’
Meera gave me an ‘I’ll kill you’ look. Is it her birthday? No it’s somewhere at the year end. Is it my daughter’s? No no , we celebrated last month only right. Got it. Should be our Anniversary.
‘Hey Meera, How will I forget our Anniversary…’
‘Whaattttttt????….Anniversaryyyyy???…..’
Got it. It’s not our anniversary. Before I get killed…What’s w/ 27th. What ?? what?? Come on Rajesh!! Think. Nothing hit my mind. I looked at my daughter for a clue. She turned her face away. What’s with all women? Why can’t they be straight forward & say things. With so much work pressure, how on earth I am supposed to remember all the dates?. If I say something, then Meera will pick up a fight, and I will miss the meeting, my whole day will be gone. I made up my mind to surrender.
‘Meera, Sorry, I don’t remember. This medicine I am taking for cough, Something happened..my memory is deteriorating ..What’s today?’ Meera doesn’t seem like buying that excuse from me.
’Meera, please tell me’ I asked in a pitiable tone..
‘Rajesh..You don’t remember at all?’ I moved my head left & right meaning NO. I kept my face like I am a patient suffering from ‘amnesia'.
'Rajesh, As part of annual day celebrations, today is 'Daddy's Day' in Acchu's school. I have been telling you for the past 3 weeks. Now don’t tell me you forgot. You already promised that you will go with her to her school'
I couldn’t believe that I accepted for something like that. 'Meeraa..did I??'
'Yes. You did'
‘at what time it starts..?'
'By 8:30am and ends at 1pm'.
Gosh!! 9am!! I have such a critical meeting. How I will attend all these.
“Meera, you could have reminded me yesterday right?’
‘Oh I didn’t remind you? Great. I didn’t call to your office. Or remind you in the evening and before going to bed’
Might be I wouldn’t have heard it. Or slipped out of my memory. What ever!!
'Meera! Can’t you attend all these. Why should I??'
"Rajesh. It’s Daddy's Day!...DADDY'ss!!!!!'
'Oh yeah....but...'
'But what????...'
'errrh....might be some other day...'
'What? You want the school to postpone the function?'
'No..No…actually..what..I am saying is..'
'What Rajesh??? What?? Tell me. You promised Acchu and are you going to disappoint her? '
I stood there totally helpless. I looked at my daughter. She was all dressed up and ready to go. She looked like, she will cry any time. I saw Meera. She gave me a murderous look. I thought for a moment and my mind raced with many calculations. Important meeting. I can’t miss for sure. Half a day is too much. So many deliverables will get affected. I can’t face Meera again if I don’t go. Might be I can postpone the meeting by an hour and for name sake visit that function and escape to office.
'Meera, I will go, but I can spend only 1 hour..'
'No...that’s not..'
Before Meera finished the sentence, Acchu rushed to me 'Thanks daddy. 1hour. Mom, 1hour is enough mom. Please don’t fight mom. Daddy, get ready soon..' she nudged me.
‘Do you know her school name and the route for the school or you want me to tell???’ Asking that Meera threw me an angry look and left the living room. I rushed up, got ready. Called my manager & told that I got stuck in traffic jam and postponed the meeting to 10am.
I took Achala to her school. I felt somehow entering the school, ‘cos it’s the 2nd time, I am entering her school. In fact 1st time. I once dropped her outside her school gate. The school had a big playground,
‘Are you achala’s daddy?’ – A small kid asked. She had curly hair and bubbly smile.
‘Yes,,,My Daddy..…’ – Achala responded in an excited tone. And some kids ran towards me and Achala started introducing everyone.
‘Daddy! this is Rohit, this is zakir, Anis, Sylvia, Divya..’ – I told hello to everyone.
‘Daddy, Daddy, Zakir is my best friend.’ – I smiled at that cute blue eyed boy.
‘Uncle, Acchu told that you have so much work and you won’t be able to come. She told she won’t come in today. You don’t have work Uncle?’ – Zakir asked me.
I suddenly felt very bad on how my daughter has understood me. ‘No Zakir, I don’t have work’
‘Daddy, they are calling for the games. ‘ . Zakir ran to his father and waved his hands at me & achala. I took achala by hand and walked towards the stage. They were announcing the 1st game. Fathers will be given a sheet containing questions about their kids. Fathers have to fill about their kids which will be verified with the kids response.
Achala was all excited about the game and she was all set to go. But I felt shivers. I looked at my daughter. Suddenly, I felt very far from her, and the reality hit me, that I don’t know anything about my very own daughter. I blurted out ‘Acchu..we will attend the next game..This one ..’ She gave me a deep stare. I thought she is going to cry or shout or do something. But instead she pulled out a small paper from her jeans pocket and gave it to me. Completely baffled, I opened the sheet.
My name is Achala. My birthday March 21st. I am 7yrs old. I like butterfly. Superman. Dairy milk. painting. dancing. I am in 1st standard A section. I like Dora. Mango. Apple. Fried rice. Jelly. I don’t like banana. I drink boost.. I like yellow color. My nick name is ‘Honey dew’
And the list went on with small, small spelling mistakes. I looked at Acchu. ‘Daddy, read it, I know they will keep this game. So I wrote it 2 days back itself, to give you if you come. If they ask anything about me, write there. Ok Now go & attend the game’. Most of the things, my daughter has written & gave me, I never knew anything about it. I suddenly felt a lump in my throat. I went to the stage waved my hand to Acchu and got the question sheet. Since Acchu gave the sheet, I came to know about her & I answered almost all the questions. Then they asked Acchu on stage and asked the questions to her. We got the 2nd highest mark in that game. Acchu came running towards me and hugged me. They gave a ‘toy guitar’. Everyone congratulated us. Thou’ I won that game, I felt like a loser. I know, I don’t deserve this. I don’t know anything about my daughter.
She looked very happy showing that guitar to her best friend, zakir. What a kid she is. Understanding that her dad is totally hopeless and don’t want to let her dad down, before others she prepared that sheet and gave to me. The lump in my throat started getting bigger and my heart became heavy. I caressed her hair. What a beautiful smile she has and such big eyes. Does she miss a wing to get qualified as an angel? I have never admired my daughter or even watched her in all these years. She has that cute dimple of Meera’s as well as her eyes. Does that curling lip edges when she smiles, is mine? How I missed all this in my life.
Achala pulled me to the stalls there and I got some eatables and balloons for her and zakir.. She kept talking about the next game and suddenly my mobile rang. Oops!! Is it already 10am. I looked at Acchu . Suddenly her face became dark. She looked totally upset and asked in an low voice ‘Daddy! You have to leave now?’
I looked at my mobile. My manager was calling. It’s already 10am. I looked at Acchu. I looked around. All those happy kids with their fathers. I thought about my school days, where my dad used to come for all sports day, annual day, sit with me, cheer me up. Every day morning, while dropping me to school, he will wait near the gate until my head disappear. Evening, he will come & pick me up in his cycle, and I will be telling him all the stories that happened that day in school.
I saw Acchu. How many untold stories my daughter has kept in her heart to say me? I thought about all those days, where I yearned for a girl child and I wonder, how much of my time I gave her.
I pulled her closer, gave a kiss on her fore head ‘No Honey! I am not going. I will be here only…we will attend all games and roam around whole day.ok?’
‘Really?’ – She asked in an unbelievable tone.
‘Yes sweetz’
‘Thank you Daddy!’ – Achala kissed my cheeks and ran to her friends. School teaches you something or the other always. This time, ‘back to school’ has taught me a wonderful life’s lesson. I called my manager & told that am running high fever and can’t come in today. I know, I can handle things tomorrow. Today my daughter needs me more than anyone can need me in this world. With a lighter heart, I got up; ran towards Acchu, lifted her and gave her a big swing. She erupted into an uncontrollable laughter.
The lump in my throat started melting away.
Look At The Food They Bought For One Week and The Number Of Persons In The Family
GERMANY:
The Melander family of Bargteheide - 2 adults , 2 teenagers
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 
UNITED STATES:
The Revis family of North Carolina - 2 adults , 2 teenagers
Food expenditure for one week: $341.98 
JAPAN:
The Ukita family of Kodaira City - 2 adults , 2 teenagers
Food expenditure for one week: 37 , 699 Yen or $317.25 
ITALY:
The Manzo family of Sicily - 2 adults , 3 kids
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11 
MEXICO:
The Casales family of Cuernavaca - 2 adults , 3 kids
Food expenditure for one week: 1 , 862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09 
POLAND:
The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna - 4 adults , 1 teenager
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27 
EGYPT:
The Ahmed family of Cairo - 7 adults , 5 kids
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53 
ECUADOR:
The Ayme family of Tingo - 4 adults , 5 teenagers
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55 
BHUTAN:
The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village - 7 adults , 6 kids
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03 
CHAD:
The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp - 3 adults , 3 kids
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
It Happens!!
.
.
.
I was in flight, was going to onsite once again. and as usual i was very happy… plane took me to the sky. i looked outside the window, nice evening scene, feels like heaven.
i just lost myself in that beauty.
Someone's voice disturbed me "excuse me sir, would you like to have something?" i turned back, and was surprise to see my beautiful old schoolmate, Saakshi.
"Hey Saakshi, is that you, how come you... wow, you looks still the same, pretty.. in this Air-hostess suit"
"Saurabh, wo.....w, I cant believe this is you.. ohh sorry I am on my job, will talk to you later"
She left smile on my face.
I couldn't believe in my eyes, It reminded me my school days memories. How crazy i was about her, always followed her after the school, wrote love letters, but never dared to give one of them. Always looking at her in the class, from last bench. she was the queen of our class. I fought with 2-3 other guys for her, how stupid I was. I couldn't stop myself, looking at her again, I was amazed to see that, she became more beautiful then she were at school. she too looked at me and smile, then she said something to her fellow air-hostess, then they both started smiling.
I was clueless that what happened. her colleague was also damn pretty. Oh my god, today you fulfil one of my dream. I thought of going there and having chat with her, but i knew that, its her job, so I stopped myself.
again started looking outside the window. we were above the clouds making an awesome scene outside, also inside, because of her smile.
I got some courage, and pretended that I am going towards toilet. I looked at her, she understood what I desired. she came toward me and said : "extremely sorry yaar, I couldn't talk to you much, so say how are you, where have you been these many years, and what's your success story? for what purpose you are going?"
"hmmm... i was always there, it was you who left everything after school, i searched you, so many places wherever i could, but no existence of you. then i completed my college, got a job in such a nice company, i didn't know, my company will give me this much, still i m going for an onsite job, don't know when will return back. you know, i got everything in my life except someone, with whom i can actually share my world, my success.
Someone..."
I looked straight into her eyes.. those blue eyes, i think she got the answer, who is that 'someone'
with some pain in her eyes, she said, "sorry got to go,will give you my number"
I again, sat back to my seat,very silent, looking outside, and hoping some answer.
it was dark outside by that time, some thunder in cloud, just like inside my heart. then suddenly, plane started getting hiccups.. everyone got scared.. i saw Saakshi running towards mic, she made an announcement, that don't be panic as they are facing a storm outside. but plane started shaking badly, everyone started feeling its the last moment of their lives...
I keep on watching Saakshi, and she to me...
Then something hit my back hard.. and there was a complete darkness in front of me..
deep silent, but i could still feel the shaking plane, and people's scream..
then someone shouted... 'Saaaauuuuraaabhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!'
"Saurabh, wake up you are again sleeping in office, wake up, i need that report urgently"
Damn.. I looked here-there, same ODC, no Onsite, no plane.. no Saakshi..
I stared at my PM in anger.. Because of you only, that plane crashed!!
I STILL DONT KNOW, WHY IT HAPPENS DAILY BETWEEN 2PM TO 3PM!!!.
Need time to relax?
Need time to yourself?
Want to go shopping?
Image via Wikipedia“Yesterday, I was driving, and the FM radio went off for few seconds. I thought, I should have an iPod. Then suddenly I realized that I have not used my iPod in last 6 months. And then… more things, Handy cam in last 2 years, Digital Camera in last 2 months, DVD player in last 1 month and many more. Now I can say that I bought that Handy cam just out of impulse, I have used it twice only in last 4 years.
So, whats wrong and where? When I look at myself or my friends I can see it everywhere. We are not happy with what we have but all are stressed and not happy for the things we don’t have. You have a Spark, but you want Cruze… You have a Cruze, but you want Cadillac. Just after buying a new phone, we need another one. Better laptop, bigger TV, faster car, bigger house, more money… .I mean, these examples are endless. The point is, does it actually worth? Do we ever think if we actually need those things before we want them?
After this, I was forced to think what I need and what I don’t. May be I didn’t need this Handy cam or the iPod or that DVD player. When I see my father back at home. He has a simple BPL colour TV, he doesn’t need 32″ Sony LCD wall mount. He has a cell phone worth Rs 2,500. Whenever I ask him to change the phone, he always says… “Its a phone, I need this just for calls.” And believe me; he is much happier in life than me with those limited resources and simple gadgets. The very basic reason why he is happy with so little is that he doesn’t want things in life to make it luxurious, but he wants only those things which are making his life easier. It’s a very fine line between these two, but after looking my father’s life style closely, I got the point. He needs a cell phone but not the iPhone. He needs a TV but not the 32″ plasma. He needs a car but not an expensive one.
Initially I had lot of questions.
I am earning good, still I am not happy…...why ?
I have all luxuries, still I am stressed.... ....... why ?
I had a great weekend, still I am feeling tired...... why?
I met lot of people, I thought over it again and again, I still don’t know if I got the answers, but certainly figured out few things. I realize that one thing which is keeping me stressed is the “stay connected”syndrome. I realized that, at home also I am logged in on messengers, checking mails, using social networks, and on the top of that, the windows mobile is not letting me disconnected. On the weekend itself, trying to avoid unwanted calls… and that is keeping my mind always full of stress. I realized that I am spending far lesser money than what I earn, even then I am always worried about money and more money. I realized that I am saving enough money I would ever need, whenever needed. Still I am stressed about job and salary and spends.
May be, many people will call this approach “not progressive attitude“, but I want my life back. Ultimately it’s a single life, a day gone is a day gone. I believe if I am not happy tonight, I’ll never be happy tomorrow morning. I finally realized that meeting friends, spending quality time with your loved one’s; spending time with yourself is the most important thing. If on Sunday you are alone and you don’t have anybody to talk with, then all that luxuries life, all that money is wasted. May be cutting down your requirements, re-calculating your future goal in the light of today’s happiness is a worthwhile thing to do. May be selling off your Spark and buying Cruze on EMIs is not a good idea. I believe putting your happiness ahead of money is the choice we need to make.
I think, a lot can be said and done but what we need the most is re-evaluation of the value of happiness and time we are giving to our life and people associate with it.”
By an Unknown Author
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The picture tells it all.
With complete respect for all ladies, Just for fun!!!
