A Letter to myself

Picture Credits: Paydayloansonline

Dear 24 year old me,

First of all, a very Happy  Birthday to you! I know your birthday was yesterday, but people are still celebrating it in some parts of the world. So, Happy Birthday. Now that you are about to start a whole new year, I would like to part some knowledge to you.

Make memories.
Say Yes. Take chances. Act weird. Do random shit. Make memories. There should be a whole set of new stories to narrate!

Love the people back.
There would always be people who will love you no matter what. Love them back. Don’t take their love for granted because sometimes that’s all you got.

Seize opportunities.
Don’t just lay back and look at the ceiling. Spot an opportunity, grab it, sit on it and never let it go. It’s quite possible you might regret it but it’s always better to regret it than never experience it at all!

Take selfies.
While you make those memories, take selfies. Let people judge you. Alone selfies, selfies with friends, selfies with building, be creative! The entire world is your stage, pose with every goddamn thing!

You are deeper than your clothes.
People will judge. They will always do and you are not what you wear! You are much much deeper than that. Find yourself. Stick to it.

Remember your old friends.
They are still a part of your amazing stories. Remember them.

Make new friends.
Get new stories.

Get drunk.
It’s fine to get sloshed once in a while! Get drunk.

Listen.
Not just sound, music and words. Listen what’s inside you. The wordless speech. They call it a gut feeling for a reason.

Comfort zone.
Well, get out of it! Feels crazy? Do it!

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Keep this in the active spot of your head.

Smile.
That curve sets everything straight! Smile more often. Let this one contagious thing spread.

Call home.
They wait for it impatiently, you know that. Call them more often.

Vacations.
Go around the world. Get as many Emigration stamps you can get. Everybody needs a blue sky holiday, so do you. Choose different destinations.

I hope this year be a one awesome year of awesomeness! Happy New Year 🙂

Lots of Love,
23 year old me

Janmashtmi Tales

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

“Haathi Ghoda Paalki, Jai Kanhaiya Laal Ki“, we would scream as the day would start with the room filled with flowers and mom would make garlands and the smell of sweets would blend perfectly with the fragrance already present. Schools used to give us the privilege to sleep a little extra that day but who wanted to! Janmashtami, it used to be!

The evening was the most awaited part of the day. In Delhi, scenes from Krishna’s life were enacted and portrayed on streets. Children would dress up as Krishna and Radha and as other various characters. Scenes from Mahabharata would adorn the street. Such colours and vibrance put altogether for Krishna’s birthday! Too much fun! Icecreams, Chole Bhature, Gol Gappe, Balloons; your every minute delighted with something or the other. Krishna sitting with Ray Ban while Radha would be sipping her Coco Cola. Gathered crowd only to swing the cradle of baby Krishna idol (that’s where I actually understood the phrase “never give up”)…

…and here I am sitting in my office, deadlines to kill; face resting on the palm; looking at the clock ticking and gazing outside the window (I have a huge ass window) … I wish I could have been a part of the parade back at home.

Nonetheless, Happy Birthday Gopala! 🙂

Butter treats tonight.

Note to friends

I have always quoted, that you can’t choose your relatives but thank goodness you can always choose your friends! Today on this day, the first Sunday of August; the friendship day, I would like to raise my head up high and thank you all (well, right after I would have crushed you with a hug)!

Thank you.

It’s been 23 years of my life and I know I couldn’t have done it any better without you guys! When I look back, I have this box full of bizarre-funny-emotion-rolled memories which unleashes itself on me and (yes I admit) leaves my eyelashes moist with a stupid smile on my face and thoughts that floods my head with an exclamation of “hey! I can’t believe I did that!”
Those ruled pages, pens borrowed, those tea breaks, those bitchy fights, the singing sessions, the school bunks, the college lectures, those pity blames on each other, proxies, the late night assignments,  booze, mocking each other, that first rain, to bring that one smile, look-your-crush-is-there hoots, embarrassing each other yet being there for one another even when it meant to hunt the spider down together and squash it at 4 am.

Well, what can I say, friends don’t let you do the stupid things. Alone.

Happy friendship day! *cheers*

The Dilli playlist

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

ओ तेरी पैनचड़!!  Its been 11 months that I have not been to Delhi. And it has freaked me out so much that I have been listening to Dilli songs since I woke up (or rather realized). Why? Oh Caamaawn! Its Dilli! No, its not a rape capital. First and foremost, you need to understand that men don’t get a license to rape just because they are in Delhi. So, stop addressing Delhi as a “Rape Capital”. Why Dilli is special? I have my reasons and Delhi has its own.

PS – Dilli is the nickname for Delhi, in case you are wondering 😛

Delhi has been the core to many cultures from all over India. People have migrated from everywhere and anywhere to get a part of it. A capital so diverse yet binds everything together. We have all complained about the hot summers while slurping the ice lollies; checked out every possible person while sipping adrak chai (ginger tea); those camp fires with neighbors every January. Imagine those long drives on the highways, pouring heavily or eyeing your crush from the terrace. The shopping sprees in Sarojini, Lajpat and Janpat. The monuments who have witnessed it all, be it the Mughal romance or the hiding-from-the-parents romance. The chaat stalls flooded with the requests of another extra papdi or the quarrels where the entire colony rushes in. The ladies bargaining and oh! never forget the free dhaniya and mirchi (coriander and chilies) while the gents laughing out loud on the terrace with every sip of rum as the night settles in. Dilli ki kudiyaan te Munde (Delhi’s girls and boys), Dhabbas on the highways or just the highways, Dilli ka jugaad, the big fat weddings, Delhi University – South and North campus and Oooh! Delhi’s favorite dailouge – “Tu jaanta nahi mera baap kaun hai?” (you dont know who my father is)! …and there is much more to it… Now that I have been listening to Delhi songs for so long, time for another playlist people!

Presenting to you the दिल्ली playlist! 18 songs to fall for Dilli, all over again.

18. Main toh Dilli se dulhan laya re (Film: Jhoola – 1941)

This is a rare Dilli song from 1941 before our Independence.

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17. Kya Dilli kya Jalandar (Film: Pyaar deewana hota hai)

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16. Dilli da sharab (Artist: Aman Amanat)

The typical Dilli song played during weddings! And yes, people do dance on it while drunk on dilli da sharab!

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15. Dilwalo ki Dilli (Band: Ahhiran)

Yes. We are the studs! We don’t care what people think about us, we are just cool as Antarctica! 😀

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14. Dilli (D’elusive)

दिल्ली ने बनाया मन्ने… चू ना बना तू | 😀

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 13. Dilli (Film: Mishawr Rawhoshyo | Artist: Arijit Singh)

The lyrics are so cute 🙂 So is Arijit Singh 😛

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12. Chalo Dilli (Film: Chalo Dilli | Artist: Raja Hasan)

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11. Dilli ke Deewane (Badshaah ft. Honey Singh)

सोला आने सच है ये बात, जुड़े जज़बात मेरे दिल्ली के साथ ❤

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10. Ghagra (Film: Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani)

TV pe breaking news haye re mera Ghagra, Bagdad se leke DILLI via Agra! 😛

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9. Chandni Chowk to China (Artist: Bohemia ft. Akshay Kumar)

किथे चलिये गोभी दा फूल बनके कुड़ीए बदामी !!

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8. Delhi Destiny (Film: 99)

This is one of my favorite song! Such a happy song it its! Makes me dance (and yes! I am dancing… tuu ruu ruuu)

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7. Dilli (Artist: Rabbi Shergill)

और मैं हूँ.. तू है.. और है दिल्ली बस 🙂

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6. Delhi sheher mein maaro ghaagro (Artist: Ila Arun)

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5. Dilli wali Girlfriend (Film: Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani)

Oh yes yes! How can I miss Ranbir Kapoor ❤

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4. Chor Bazari (Film: Love Aaj Kal)

तू ना बदली मैं ना बदला दिल्ली सारी देख बदल गयी… This song never fails to bring a smile on my face 🙂

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3. Dilli ki Sardi (Film: Zameen)

प्यार तेरा दिल्ली की सर्दी 😉

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2. Dilli 6 (Film: Delhi 6)

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1. Dilli (Film: No One Killed Jessica)

मेरा काट कलेजा दिल्ली ले गयी !!

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Delhi is home ❤

 

Ole Ole

Hahaha! Okay, now that Delhi has done with the ‘ओले’ (Hailstorm), its time for the ‘Ole Playlist’. Yes Of course! You thought I would let this opportunity go, did you? Enjoy. 😉

5. We are One (Ole Ola) – Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez & Claudia Leitte

Of course ! The FIFA 2014 is here!

4. Follow the Leader – Wisin & Yandel ft. Jennifer Lopez

3. The Merrymen – Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Another Version – Ofcourse the Indian Version!!

2. Cup of Life – Ricky Martin

Last but not the least, my personal favourite… 😀

1. Ole Ole – Ye Dilagi

Happy Ole Ole-ing! :*

An Open Letter

This letter goes out to the people who have discriminated me because I did not fit into their dress size.To all the people who have called me fat over the years.

Courtesy: http://visceral.deviantart.com/

The first such remark I remember is when I was in class four, among short and skinny little girls while I was tall and quite large. The people who have insinuated it all in a harmless joke or an unoriginal on my face “the ground will crack when you fall” joke. To all the guys who said they loved me, my ‘personality’, my wit and how easy I was to be with and yet couldn’t like me because I was one or two sizes too big. This one is for you.

Though till now I may have always got hurt by your lewd remarks and snide comments but now I understand that its either because of your low self esteem or your overconfidence. Thanks to you, I would rather stay alone in my room reading a good book or watching an even better movie than come out and be a part of your plastic existence. When I am decent enough not to talk about your crooked noses, your wispy hair or patchy skin. Your inability to put two words in a sentence together. You have no right to give me a judgmental monologue from your shallow books.

Written by: A.B. 

 

Worst day of my life

courtesy: http://queenofcaramel.blogspot.ae/

“Worst day of my life.”

 

What an idiotic sentence this is. How can you even be sure of your worst day? How can it be the worst day of your life when you are still alive. Very much. Breathing. How can you attest that further there won’t be any days worse than your current [pseudo] “worst day of your life”? Hence how can you just conclude that its the worst day of your life not knowing what will happen next. This sentence could [actually] be rather used when you are dying; when you can rewind and have a look at the fast-forwarded version of your life and can then conclude , “oh! this is the worst day of my life!” But here is the twist, what if you do not die then and there and maybe tomorrow is the actual worst day, then? You did a wrong conclusion, didn’t you? But you are dying, will it really matter which was the worst day of your life? Why would anyone be remembering their worst days during the last days? What about the best days?

“This was the best day of my life” – is actually a funny sentence too…

5 Steps to Catch the Toy

Minion Claw Dispenser and Yes! I have got a Minion from that! ❤

We at some point of our life have come across this CLAW CRANE MACHINE hoping to win something!!! I already have splurged a fortune on these machines and mind you, theses are super addictive! They sort of bewitch you, those toys, those pretty toys! Sounds creepy, eh? Well an addiction is much creepier, I can assure you that! Now that I am over that ‘addiction phase’ (I was my own rehab!), I still play and win sometimes, I just follow few steps of precaution! Hope it helps!

5 Steps to Catch that Toy!

1. MONEY LIMIT

Image Source : Tumblr

Always, Always have limited money to splurge on these machines as you can go and on and on! Fix an amount, maybe five coins or two and do not go beyond that money because lets face it, you are simply wasting them (until you really get the toy).

2. DECIDE!

Image Source : Tumblr

After you have spotted one machine, spot what you wanna have, as sometimes these Claw Cranes are timed and you can waste your one and only chance deciding. So just figure out what you want.

3. WATCH CLOSELY

Image Source : Tumblr

Obviously! you cannot get the toy you want. Look closely if they are stuffed between other toys or not. Look for the ones which are just lying at the top as the pick up strength of the claw are kept low. Evil Machine owners, eh? Well, can’t really blame. Its a business (evil business). If possible, watch others play, in that way you’ll know which toys are out of reach. Eliminate them.

4. GO FOR THE LIGHT ONES

Image Source : Tumblr

Again its so obvious, the owner of these machines are not fools to have just kept the machines like that for everyone to pick a toy! Of course not!  You may find that one huge Pooh Bear in a peach night suit just lying there and you think that you can pick it, HELL NO! That Pooh Bear is super heavy and will never be picked by that claw. N-E-V-E-R! Look out for the lighter ones (tiny ones), you might still have a chance to pick it up.

5. ATTACK!

Image Source : Tumblr

Now everything is set. You are ready soldier! Go grab the toy! But just remember that do not exceed the money limit because that machine is a money eater!

Image Source : Tumblr

P.S. Luck helps sometimes, but these steps will always do! 😉

Stalking Penn Masala

Yes! Yes, Now my ever-never-ending stalking list has another add on -Penn Masala. The Penn Masala is the world’s first Cappella group and guess what! it was started by a bunch of Indian students at the University of Pennsylvania ! HAAH! *just proud* 

Looks like you can take the Indians out of India but you just cannot take the India out of the Indians! For Indians, our TV channels will just shuffle between Cricket or anything Bollywood. We are just C-R-A-Z-Y for it (now I strongly believe that our DNA must have been modified by now).

I happened to stumble upon them through the recommended list by YouTube. ❤

Source: http://www.pennmasala.com

Few fact checks (of course! I had to Google them!), Formed in 1996, the music is an amalgamation of ‘East meets West’. They are already eight albums old and have had numerous music tours all over the world and met a lot of famous personalities; well, lets just say that they are now one of them.

Penn Masala with US President Obama

Though its just that they mix the songs pretty well, I mean any disc jock can do that. What’s so special? I don’t know, its maybe how they sing without any instruments (Cappella), you can totally feel the soul of that particular song! I personally like to put my earphones on (and increase the bacteria in my ears).

This one was the song I stumbled upon. It shows the evolution of Bollywood like nothing else. All famous songs put together in the 5 minutes’ compose. And guess what! I knew all the songs! 😀

Now I’ll just go back and stalk them some more till the battery of my laptop dies.

Time and Tide

Courtesy : wallpaperscraft.com

“That’s it! I am done sitting alone at home”, were the words of a girl in pyajama looking at the clock, the laptop and the mess around her. It was already 5.15pm and all she did was oversleeping and eating that day. Yes, it was her day off (the only day off in the entire fucking long week!), so sleeping and eating are essential but she had been doing this for over a month now. It was the usual office-overdose with no social life scenario. She would usually sleep again when such thoughts creep-ed in, but not that day. She got up, dressed up and within 10 minutes she was down on the road. The roads were familiar, they were the same for the past six months. The restaurants on the left, the dry cleaner, even the cats were recognizable now, after all she occasionally meow-ed to them. She walked along the pavement, crossing the road with music plugged in, which was a relief, though she would frequently change the songs. The day was mundane, until she saw a road which she had never noticed before. It was a small lane, a detour, between the buildings. She stopped. Changed the song again and walked. 

The lane was deserted except for some pigeon poops that jazzed up the tiled road all along. When she reached the end of the lane, a huge smile had hit her across the face; ‘Flowerhorn Pets Trading‘, the board on the door of the shop beamed at her. She had never noticed that shop before and of course she almost barged in! The shop was adorned with turtles, tortoises (Yes! there is a difference between tortoises and turtles and they are not the same), parrots, love birds (varieties of love birds chirping), fishes (small cups with colorful fighter fishes and other kinds) and BUNNIES!

Five Small, tiny ball of fur crawling in the cage, consuming what ever was kept, cuddling into each other, totally an Awww-moment. Two were as white as snow, other two were grey and one was white with black odd patches. She bent down to have a better look; seeing the attention he was getting, the black and white bunny rose up on his two feet, twitched his nose.

“May I help you?”, the keeper of the shop asked. 

“Errmm… Can I have a look at that?”, she pointed at the black and white bunny. 

The next moment she was cuddling the bunny and walking all around the store with him in her arms. Hours passed by, the keeper of the shop was polite, did not mind much as long as she and the bunny behaved well. Somehow, she never had the courage to buy the bunnies no matter how desperately she wanted one, because it was a huge responsibility and with her lifestyle, she did not want the bunny to suffer.  Although she visited them on a regular basis and each time it was a new group of bunnies to be cuddled. 

She was glad she went out that day; you see, sometimes we care about the bigger picture so much, that we forget that the tiny details are also very important in it. 

 

P.S. – For all those who thought, its was an autobiographical, I’ll be off now. 😀 I can’t wait to meet the bunnies ❤