The ladies washroom is an extremely interesting place. Even more educational than an hour of economics. You get to see how much powder it takes for them to reach that perfect level of fairness. You witness the transformation of an otherwise ordinary girl to a happening chick. You battle it out for a chance at the mirror.
And if its not your day, you might even figure out what someone had for breakfast...

Suddenly romantic...

This diwali brought with it astounding levels of noise and air pollution. Not only did the ceremonious bursting of crackers last for a full week before diwali, it also continued afterwords.
I can almost imagine why people would find pleasure burning money in anticipation of diwali, but why after is much beyond my understanding. I personally strongly advocate the no crackers movement but I've realized for every few people who realize the error of their ways, a few gain pleasure teasing the neighbor's daughter with bombs right below her window.
I know when I'm actually going to revel in bursting crackers... sometime in January.

Me: Hello?
+: Hey, I'll have to call you tomorrow. Won't be talking tonight.
Me: Err... why?
+: Well, I'm sleeping over at my friend's place tonight.
Me: Err... why?
+: What do you mean why? I feel like it, thats why.
Me: Uhh, still. You don't do this, you know. Really, why?
+: Well, he's gonna be home alone tonight and I offered to sleep over for company.
Me: Hmm, so why don't you call him over to your place. Why do you have to go?
+: Because he can't leave his place alone.
(Me snickers at the thought.. then the home would be alone. Thats a problem too, eh!)
Me: Okay.. but what about your other friends? Why don't they sleep over too?
+: (thinking) Err.. yea, they're sleeping over too.
Me:Well, then I guess he won't be home alone anymore. So why do you have to go again?
+: (confused) Look, I just feel like it okay. We have to watch this movie.
Me: What movie?
+: Fahrenheit 9/11
Me: I thought I told you I wanted to see it with you.
+: Err.. okay, we'll see something else.
Me: But really, what are you going to do?
+: What do you mean, we'll just have fun.
Me: Hmm, alright. But you have to talk to me for fifteen minutes before you leave for his place.
+: I'll talk to you on the way, it'll take me ten minutes anyway.
Me: No, you have to talk to me for fifteen minutes before you leave.
(+ leaves anyway)
(+ reaches destination)
+: Okay, I have to go.
Me: Hey, you have to give me fifteen minutes. Else you can forget about talking with me for a week.
(+ gulps nervously)
+: Look, this is embarassing. I'm over at his place, I need to talk to him - not you.
Me: Look, I asked for fifteen minutes. Its your problem you reached his place before the time ends.
(some argument about how much time has it been)
(some more threatening about not talking for a week)
+: Are you like a little baby? I'm talking to you nicely and -
Me: You can not talk to me nicely. But you have to give me fifteen minutes. Or no talking for a week.

He settled for not talking for a week...
Men!

The first day of the no-talking week was pretty alright. + called half a dozen times all day to find me not replying at my end of the phone. Finally giving up, he told me he won't call anymore, lest I should seek the error of my ways.
So on day two, he really didn't call. It was then that I realized life is much of a waste without + and called him on day three to ask why the hell didn't he call me the day before.
All said and done, I hope this will keep my threats in genuine condition. Next time I warn about not talking for a week, he can be rest assured I'd keep it halfway.
My computer conked out because I was too lazy to get a new UPS. Conked out as in dead. The motherboard and hard disk climbed the stairs to heaven leaving me in sheer hell. The hard drive was like my oxygen cylinder. I was in delusioned panic. Ultimately, the hard-disk recovery worked, but had to shell out a hefty amount for the same. Also, of the 20gb storage, I could only recover 1.20gb. So I lost on a lot of cool stuff I had.
So I've been bestowed daddy's computer for the timebeing. So hello XP! I've obviously lost on all my softwares, so I would have to download 151mb of Photoshop. Gross!
Can I shut up already...

+'s friend H, when in town in September, had the exciting adventure of waiting at a long red traffic light. While we were stuck there and lost in deep conversation, he witnessed many hawkers convincingly trying to sell magazines. As they made attempts to allure him with magazines ranging from Filmfare to India Today, he suddenly turned towards + and blurted, "Wow man, what a country. These guys don't even have product differentiation. If one guy's selling magazines, the other ones should sell something else, you know!"
Well, marketing is not one of our strong points...

Kisi ki jald hi,
Barbadi ho rahi hai,
Kisi kuwaare ki ab,
Aazadi kho rahi hai.

Rut khoobsurat ab,
Barsaati ho rahi hai,
Kisi bechare ke dukh mein,
Ye waadi ro rahi hai.

Aap soch rahe honge,
Yeh kya nonsense bol rahi hai,
Huzoor, mubarak deejiye,
Meri shaadi ho rahi hai...

Yesterday was a day of revelation for friends at college. The news broke to them in a secretive suspenseful environment. Although I was expecting them to burst into fits of laughter, surprisingly they instead dropped their jaws in perfect synchronization.
I rushed through my story of getting engaged, the grand ceremony and the upcoming extravagenza and they rushed through their hearty congratulations mixed with angry words about breaking the news so darn late. Then, almost at once, everyone begged me to bless them - for they were dying to get married.
That was my time to burst into fits of laughter. Half-envious, half-humored, they left me at the college gates for probably one of the last times they saw me.
Leaving a city, leaving a lifestyle, leaving a life behind... its like dying and being born again as a completely different person...

Preet was there for the engagement party and he took some interesting pictures of me as the make-up artist did her job. He said he's doing so, so that I could post them on my blog explaining the transformation from a simple girl to the star of the night.
I hate to disappoint you but that just ain't happening. Instead you can just see the final product.
And yes Patrix, + is the lucky (?) guy!

Distributing wedding cards is an extremely tedious task. First on, you have to drink a lot of Coke. As in, a lot of pesticide liquid. That too, which is endorsed by the six-fingered freak who likes to call himself Hrithik Roshan.
Second on, you have to answer a lot of stupid questions.
Q: So, your daughter's getting married?"
A: "No, we're playing dollhouse and was wondering if you'd like to join in"
Q: "So, when is the wedding?"
A: "I'm really sorry I wasted a card on you when you can't even read English!"
Q: "So, we'd have to go to Jalandhar, so far away?"
A: "No, you can stay here in Delhi and join us over the web broadcast, you jerk!"
Q: "So whose she getting married to?"
A: "We don't know! Do you?"
Q: "Its going to be cold, eh?"
A: "January's predicted to be warm this year, lets hope for the best!"
Q: "Oh, how nice, isn't she really young though?"
A: "We were afraid she'd run away, so better do it ourselves!"

Now, third on, the rulebook says the girl/guy can't go to invite anyone for their own wedding. What nonsense. Why can't I invite some uncle to my own wedding - how can you take that basic right away from me?
And finally, you have to do it. I mean why the heck do you have to print cards and send them to people. Why can't you just call them and threaten their lives if they don't appear for the wedding?
Huh!

LimeIce.com has finally completed 200 posts while the comment count has almost reached a 2000 figure. So I guess we've all ascertained who has been more active around here.
Thanks to everyone - Dhaval, Rohit, Kushagra, Kartik, Amrita, Patrix, Abhi, Linus, , Harry, Sarthak, KD and all you other nice people who drop in all the time and leave behind your precious feedback on whatever crap I have on the platter.
As Dhaval fondly puts in, we're the LimeIce team - each one frigidly sour in their own lives towards things un-understandable and unachievable. We're human in every way, so even though our brains have attained that level of understanding, our emotions in their own special way compare to those of animals and even fruits.
So smile, if you please, because in fifteen months we've scrutinized a few of our beliefs and passions and asked questions which hold no answers. Cheers to our friendship and here's hoping another 200 are right around the corner!