Chatting with an old friend the other day, he asked me hows the married life rocking. Although life is rocking well, but hubby dearest has indeed changed from the days of early matrimony.
He laughed and so did I, for its the expected thats always surprisingly unexpected. When we fall in love, we promise to ourselves that our relationship would be the most different from the others. We would never stop writing poems, or holding doors, or buying flowers for each other. We would always take out time from our busiest of schedules and remain lovers first - everything else later.

And then we get married.

Writing poems is infantile, gatemen are there to hold the doors, flowers are too darn expensive, time is money and love is a funny new definition.
And thats when one realizes, we're not that different at all...

Vague as it seems, and fishy as it smells - the Lakme India Fashion Week 2006 sure has a bit too many co-incidences. When the first story hit the media, the wave took on two days of Primetime news slots conveniently pushing the mainstream idea of 'fashion' in LIFW into the ever-popular body show.
And when Gauhar Khan was zapped by the faulty zipper, it rose a few brows. Of course, only after watching repeated telecasts over different news-channels with different agles for your viewing pleasure only.
Suddenly, it makes one question whether the body really sells, or are we only trying to convince ourselves? Fashion TV has already given the Indian viewers an overdoze on bikini-clad bombshells and see-through tops. So are we really overjoyed when we see just another model - show just another body part?
And although it may just be a pretty innocent blooper, why are we trying so hard on making it an agenda?
For a glimpse of something we've seen a million times, for the kick of seeing someone embarassed or for the break in the fashionable monotony?
The answers are coming our way...

Sumit came back home early yesterday from work. Quite unused to the spare time, he figured we'd be better off watching a movie or something. When the offer was not supported by his friends, he retired to the bed with his beloved laptop. Still not being able to digest the ticking clock, he asked me to accompany him to the local fish store.
I, personally, am not a great fan of pets even though he is so religious to aquatic life, being the Piscean he is. There is one thing I immensely enjoy with the fish though - I name them!
So we have a 'Dulaari' for the one who stays near the glass, the 'Natkhat' for the one who bites at everyone's tails, 'Angie' and 'Angela' for the two Angelfish, 'Pankhuri' for the Featherfish and a weird chick called 'Gursimran' who happens to be the only one to find them funny ;)

Isn't it real strange that the dryclean bill added up - ends up being more costly than the garment itself? Is maintainance really more expensive than acquisition itself? And do we really consider that when we splurge money to buy something?
Come to think of it, we do spend much more in the average lifetime of a car than the price of the car itself. Similar cases for a house, electronics or any business.

I'm quite sure my husband would agree. My maintainance is certainly shaking his sensibilities.

It is kind of spooky how you think you've come real far in life, and realize you're standing just where you were before. Kind of like a hindi movie, where the movie starts with two people in love, goes on for three hours about a lot of other things, but ends up with two people in love.
Well, anyway - after the rejection in 2004, I was real scared about even thinking about appearing again. I guess I couldn't really decide whether the risk was worth it. Sumit has been a part of his life in California and he talks about it with great fondness (even more fondness than our courtship days, but thats besides the point - although that is a major point.. hmm...).
So one fine morning, he wakes up with the thought of U.S. in his head and a funny smile on his face. "You know, I dreamed about my school last night?", he informed me. I thought it was a good opportunity to tell him about my nightmare the night before, but he cut me and went on about how much he missed it all.
"Well, why don't you just apply?", I asked, half giggling to myself. I think it was the air - he kind of liked the idea.
And off we were researching, working and dreaming about something that seemed next to impossible. On the 17th of this month, we had our interview, and they thought we were good enough this time around.
Infact only yesterday, our passports came through with a 10-year Visa.

Dreams do come true...

The art of Living has generated a substantial amount of fan following, and why not - it promotes healthy eating, shun materialism, maintains its dignity as an essential course and well - teaches you to 'live'.
My friend heard of this 'have-to-do' course and decided to indulge herself in all its nirvanic beauty. Two days of yoga and constant lectures, she thinks otherwise. She complains how much the lady talks, how little there is to learn, how good it feels to finally come back and what a waste it was of time and money.
I know someone else who took the course and refrained from junk food and television for a full week before realizing thats where the true beauty of her life lives - and came back to it all eventually.
Makes me wonder whether there really is an 'art' to living. Can anyone really define your life for you, and even if they do - can life be more satisfying following someone else's words? Can the true sense of being or living be achieved just by enrolling in a course?
Each one to his own, but to those who think lecturing young women for two hours straight in a shrill voice can give someone's life a new meaning - get a life!