Anaya...... freedom

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Her wedding dress laid discarded on the floor. It was time..... time to act on her decision that she had contemplated about for so long.

As she walked out of the room, she went back in time when all of it started.

Anaya was a simple, educated and a very care-free girl who believed in enjoying life to the fullest. As per her desires, she had graduated from a very reupted college in the city and had been immeditely picked up by the top most designing boutique. She had explored her creativity and designed clothes creating her own signature style.

One thing led to another and before she knew her parents were talking about her wedding. She met Adarsh in one such traditional match fixing date and had instantly taken a liking towards his straight forward and down to earth nature. She had given her approval to her parents and the prepareations for her wedding started. Her parents were exicted about their only daughter's wedding and being very wealthy did not want to leave any stone unturned for her wedding. They had spent a lot of money and had only the grandest & finest things arranged for her wedding.

Vermilion

She woke up to the early morning sun rays playing hide and seek with her bedroom's curtains. She turned to look at the face sleeping next to her and smiled a lazy smile wondering on how life had been throwing surprises at her when she least expected it.

She drifted back in time, when things were not so pleasant as they seem and she had gone to the extent of contemplating suicide.

Purvi hailed from an economically backward village situated in the remotest corner of Karnataka where girls were married of even before they achieved puberty. She was the first one to defy the culture of the village and stalled getting married till she completed her tenth. This was completely unheard of in her village and she was already the target of the village elders because of this act of hers!

Although her parents supported her decision initially, they couldn't do so for long and had to bow down to the wish of the elders of the village. Her wedding was fixed with a guy from neighboring village who was employed in the city.

Her marriage we performed in the village according to the customs & traditions. She hadn’t even met her husband before the wedding and was scared on what was in store for her.

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Deceit.............

Bhishma laid on his bed of arrows. Just two days since he fell to the prowess of his grandson Arjun and his charioteer Krishna. He had sworn that he would not leave the Earthly plane till the Kuru dynasty was in safe hands. He had no choice but to wait for the outcome of the war of Kurukshetra.

From the camps of the Kauravas he could hear loud noises and sounds of elation. While the Pandavas camp was quiet and mournful. Something terrible had happened, of that he was certain. He asked his torch-bearer if he knew what the commotion was about. The torch-bearer nodded and hung his head in shame. "Looks like the war is over Pitamah, the Kauravas have won."

Bhishma creased his brow and narrowed his eyes,"Tell me what has happened Manav," he asked his torch-bearer.

"It is the thirteenth day of the war, as you know Pitamah, but a day that will go down as the most shameful day in the history of the Kuru," the torch-bearer said sorrowfully. "They have killed a hapless sixteen year old boy today Pitamah, the Kauravas have."

"Don't mince your words boy, tell me what is it?!!" thundered the Pitamah.

A modern twist to the ancient Dashavataram

Things were going exactly as Srinivasan had feared, his Mother would come in from India and crush his American way of life under her strong South Indian influence. For a genetic scientist like Vasu, as Srinivasan was called by his friends, the only kind of order was disorder. So consumed he was by his research that the world and it's affairs mattered little to him. When his last girlfriend walked out on him, "Find a girl on planet Srinivasan," she had screamed as she stomped out.

Now Vasu's Mother had taken over the administration of the planet. It irritated him, this milk at night and chywanprash every morning. "Have you been wearing the same pair of Jeans for the past three days?" Mother was beginning her morning interrogation.

Vasu stared at the hot idlis in front of him, the chywanprash to follow and the wardrobe interrogation that had begun. Something snapped in his mind. "Mom I love you and I love that you come all the way from India to take care of me but plesse don't fuss over me! It irritates me! And then I cannot work!"

His Mother did not really care if Vasu was upset, "The idlis are getting cold," was her matter of fact response.

"You don't really care, do you Mom?"

"I care about you Vasu. The work you do is alright. If you don't do it, someone else will do it."

My life my rulez!!!

A mother of a 25 year old Indian woman went to a party.

She was welcomed by the host, who promptly asked her, 'We look forward to the next big event now- your daughter's wedding!', to which the mother replied, 'Why? What is so great about that?'

To which the other lady replied, 'Are you not bothered? She is already 'settled' in a stable job, you should look for someone now, she should marry by the time she is 27-28 at least!'

The mother, who had been asked the same question everywhere she went, took a deep breath. She replied, 'Wouldn't it be a big event if my daughter won the Pulitzer? Or if she cracked the UPSC? Or even if she received a promotion in her job and became a Manager at the young age of 27-28? Or even if she decides to live her life to the fullest and take a vacation on her own, travelling the world, wouldn't that be a big event?'

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Are you a carrot, egg or a coffee bean?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

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He loves me, He loves me not

My husband is an Engineer by profession, I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit, that I am getting tired of it. The reasons of me loving him before, has now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness.

I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship and my feelings, I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy. My husband is my complete opposite, his lack of sensitivity, and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me about love.

One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce.

“Why?” he asked, shocked. “I am tired; there are no reasons for everything in the world!” I answered. He kept silent the whole night, seems to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only increased, here was a man who can’t even express his predicament, what else can I hope from him? And finally he asked me:” What can I do to change your mind?”

Somebody said it right, it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him. Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered : “Here is the question, if you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind, Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death, will you do it for me?” He said :” I will give you your answer tomorrow….” My hopes just sank by listening to his response.

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The Scion of Ikshavaku

Reading books is was and will be the best way i can possibly spend my time.

Now a days, reading books have had the most profound impact on me. There are some books that I am in such a hurry to finish that even after 4 - 5 readings I barely manage to remember the outline of the plot, and there are some that with just reading a parah it sets me thinking ...

I have just started reading the latest book by Amish Tripati- The Scion of Ikshavaku which is about Lord Ram - supposedly another version of The Ramayana made reachable and readable to laymen.

There are many writers of late who look like they have done a lot of research into the ancient works of Ramayana & Mahabharata, but are out there just to deframe the very God they worship.

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Choice......

With trembling hands she started to apply make up to the scars that marked her face – a gift her husband had given for their 5^th anniversary. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw empty grey eyes looking back at her with a lost look.  Her hair was a mess, cut roughly – yet another gift by her husband.

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As she applied make up absent mindedly, she drifted back into time when things were all rosy and nice.

Unconditional Love

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A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.

"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."

"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."

"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."

"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime

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People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realise is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . . Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. 

~ Borrowed from the internet

The Great Greek king, Alexander

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The great Greek king, Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and he was bedridden for months. With death drawing close, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no use.

He called his generals and said, “I will depart from this world soon. But I have three wishes. Please fulfill my wishes without fail.” With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king’s last wishes.

“My first desire is that,” said Alexander, “my physicians alone must carry my coffin. Secondly, when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard should be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury. My third and last wish is that both my hands should be kept dangling out of my coffin.” The people who had gathered there wondered at the king’s strange wishes. But no one dared to question. Alexander’s favorite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. “O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said, “I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt.

I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So let not people take life for granted.

The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell people that not even a fraction of gold can be taken by me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I want people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world.”

Alexander’s last words: “Bury my body, do not build any monument, keep my hands outside so that the world knows the person who won the world had nothing in his hands when dying.”

~ Borrowed from the internet

It hurts............. but do 'You' realise that it does???

Given the kind of human beings we are, one of the things that would hurt us the most is Differentiation!

Having known that do we stop others from doing it to us? No! Do we stop ourselves from doing it to others? No! Yet, if there's something that hurts us the maximum its differentiation! And its probably the most widely used tool too - the Power to differentiate!