Sach mein Kitna chain hota hai na sachchai mein !!!

Why do we lie? ---We lie because we are afraid and aware of our own shortcomings . We are ashamed of our faults and behaviour .

 In other words we are ashamed of ourselves --we want to hide our personality from others . Yes this is the truth --that -- WE are ASHAMED  of OURSELVES .

 I know this statement is not acceptable to  you or to anyone. It has hurt you just as it  hurt me when I was made aware of this fact . Who do you think told me this stark truth "My mother " Because mothers are those who tell us about all the TRUTHS of life ,  they know how to wrap them up in layers of love and tell us in such a way that we not only accept them but also learn and start believing and become better persons in the process.

This was when I was very small must have been ten or twelve  and had a tutor who used to come every evening and teach me for two  hours he used to help me do my home work and prepare for the next days lessons to be taught in class.

It so happened  that one day my parents had to go to a relatives place and were supposed to come very late so they did  not take me with them I was left behind in the guardianship of my Grandmother   and two of my college going uncles who were like friends to me . Now it so happened that when the teacher came that evening I locked the front door from outside and went and hid myself . When Mr Das ( my teacher ) saw the door locked from out side he went back thinking that no  one was at home.

Having fooled him and with no tutions  I had a great time playing the whole evening .

When my parents came back at night I told them I would not be going to school the next day as my homework was incomplete My dad asked me the reason of my incomplete homework and  that hadn't I told Mr Das about it ?--I said he had not come that day

So here was my second victory no tuitions and no school the next day HURRAH.

But that night I could not sleep a wink, I had nightmares of Mr Das coming and telling my parents that he had come and found the house locked , the next morning too I felt as if I was a thief  I kept on looking at my granny and the two uncles --had they seen me lock the door? ,  had they seen me play the prank ? were they aware of what I had done ? I had visions of them giving me knowing glances , I even saw them smile sarcastically  and the servants !! God  why was he going into my dad's room ? is he spilling the beans ? has he told dad about what I had done !!!! No how can he. He  hadn't seen anything .... But suppose he had seen , then ?  I would look at my dad's face whenever he crossed me Does he know ? If he called me for some work I imagined he was calling me to punish me .

Gosh.. those torturous moments ----they spread out and gulped the whole 24 hours ----every second had me breathing hard , avoiding people not being able to eat or play or enjoy my off from school .

My mother sensed  something to be the matter ----she called me asked me why I was so tensed ? why was I acting the way I was ----and I wrapped my hands around her put my face in the folds of her sari and began sobbing She was so disturbed she put her arms around me wiped my tears and asked me what the matter was .I told her everything amidst sobs she din't say a word only asked me to go and tell dad the whole story ----I went to him and started crying he asked me what the matter  was mom said I wanted to tell him something , and she left the room , leaving the two of us alone .

I was sobbing uncontrollably and somehow confessed the whole situation --he didn't say anything just patted my back and asked me never ever to lie  again .I went back to mom  she asked me if I would like to eat something as I hadn't eaten the whole day I said no .Just then my granny asked me what the matter was ? was I not well ? Oh!  so she did not know anything ?!!! that means no one had seen anything .Thank God .

I went to my room and lay down on the bed somehow I was feeling much relieved and sleep overcame me . Late at night I saw mother lying beside me and kissing my forehead. I looked at her She asked me how was I feeling I said much better then she told me all that which I have narrated in the first paragraph and asked me if I had understood those words I nodded my head and asked her for forgiveness She said no pleas were needed and everyone makes mistakes of this kind but I should now learn a lesson and never  lie in future I promised her the same and asked her if dad was angry She said no, in fact he was proud of me for having the courage to go and confess to them .

I WAS SO HAPPY AND RELIEVED  ---and at that unearthly hour I asked my mom for something to eat ; and when we both sat at the dining table she looked  at me, gobbling   all the food and remarked

Kitna chain hota hai na sachchai mein   !!!

this is my entry for the Kinley   contest on Indiblogger and the link is  Kinley 2014 TVC 

Pre marital sex YES or NO

"Pre marital sex ---your YES or NO  to it" is the topic and my Answer is TO  EACH HIS/HEROWN

BECAUSE Its no longer a question based on morality or decency it is a matter of personal choice --the criteria to be brought into consideration is no longer the right or wrong but its what you think of it --everything is right and everything is wrong when the judge is your own view point .

Just as some people think medicines are the best way to treat  lifestyle  diseases like diabetes and cardiac problems while some advocate change in lifestyle be the actual cure BOTH are right as far as their abilities to follow a certain regime are the deciding factor .

Similarly SEX pre marital or extra marital or even current marital( I say this because there are cases of rape in marital relations too) depends on what the concerned parties think about it.

We in Indian society have always shied away from discussing this topic. Sex has always been a taboo for us --why !! even married couples are not expected to show their affection  we act as if babies are really brought by the stork and no physical or biological activity is responsible for it .

So  pre marital sex is really a debatable topic ---I personally feel that SEX as in a relationship between a man and a woman is and should be an off shoot of LOVE sex gives pleasure and satisfaction only when love is involved ----sex is a divine act,  a need , it is a precious gift to us it should not be made Carnal . It involves the act of giving,both by women and men .It involves making oneself  vulnerable and this should be done only when love and trust and faith are there .

Virginity is a precious gift which should be offered to him or her who loves you or whom you love Yes I say this for both men and women Because sex is not to be  squandered  it is to be savoured and enjoyed .and worshipped and this is possible only when you offer it to him/her whom you love .It is a new feeling which comes to humans on maturity it involves and gives  a lot of fine meanings to life.

I am sure even those people, men and women . girls and boys who have had many sexual experiences must have found the difference between that episode which was with the person whom they loved than with so many other multiple partners .

Coming to the actual topic about Premarital sex  I would discourage it because pre-marital sex even if it is with the person you are to marry --is done stealthily with a feeling of guilt which persists till the date you  finally tie the nuptial knot . both the partners are worried about being caught or about landing  in a soup .

And then there are instances when they start suspecting  each other if he/she could do it with me she/he must have done it with others too . and this is the cause of many a marital discord --let me say that Indian society and specially the Indian male is still not mature enough to accept and adjust to pre marital sex by his / her partner the element of suspicion is always there ---like I said earlier if it could be with me it could have been with some one else the element of possessiveness is so strong that partners at times cannot tolerate the other talking to the opposite gender . Flimsy reasons like a partner's friends or colleagues cause the spouse to become jealous.

And moreover where is the charm in getting married if you have gone and indulged in all post marriage activities beforehand --where is the thrill the novelty .?


But all said and done it is a persons own choice.



this is my entry for the contest Pre Marital Sex YES or NO   and the link

http://www.flipkart.com/passionaate-gospel-true-love-mystical-story-english/p/itmd9ybcf9qm7sca?pid=9788192105109&ref=665a3878-5c80-4a50-b0a3-c20af207cfd7&srno=t_1&otracker=from-search&query=poonaam+uppal+

 is http://www.flipkart.com/passionaate-gospel-true-love-mystical-story-english/p/itmd9ybcf9qm7sca?pid=9788192105109&ref=665a3878-5c80-4a50-b0a3-c20af207cfd7&srno=t_1&otracker=from-search&query=poonaam+uppal+

Lets play --the second innings

Vacation ----yes a much needed luxury in the hectic life schedule we follow these days .

But vacations need transportation---tickets -----and that needs PLANNING  --which again is something very difficult specially if you have a family where everyone is employed in different professions and where their are two kids studying in different schools because no two people have an off together everyone has his/her own time table .

So when a sudden weekend saw that everyone had holidays coinciding with each other we decided to make use of this sudden good luck and go for a vacation ---BUT where ???? this sudden good luck wouldn't procure tickets for us nor would it get us bookings at a resort at such short notice --had we become members of Club Mahindra  some of our problems would have been solved but the fact was that we hadn't taken a membership when the offer had come our way.

 We want to go somewhere which will let us relax in the lap of nature ---more so because the children  are  with us and these modern kids are so unlucky when it comes to watching and  feeling and enjoying the bounties of mother nature ----all they get to see are pictures on TV or images on google so we want  to make them spend sometime among the beauties of natural surroundings .

So now the question is  ---Jaye toh jaye kahaan ? '

 I am suddenly reminded  of my brother --he has  always been asking us to visit his holiday home/ farm house in the outskirts of Pench National Park now a tiger reserve too  where  we used to go so often in our young days  and I am also reminded of a vacation we had with him at this  farm house when my kids were small.  I am uploading some pictures here which belong to that vacation. He had accompanied us on this particular holiday and we had had lots of fun the kids had simply loved it all -- there were two cars and an assortment of 10 people ranging from 3 years to 66 years --and mind you all young and no oldies, all absolutely fit every one of us used to go for early morning jogs  do  Pranayam and then used to take  nimbu pani --so that should make you all understand how fit we all must have been my family , my brother's family and my parents  .

Well then two cars and 10  people had  started  early in the morning --had had  breakfast of kachori , samosa and chai at a roadside dhaba ,reached the  destination in about 2 hours My brother had christened the farm house   SECOND INNINGS meaning Life's second innings and  had dedicated it to my parents  ---that time we were still playing our first innings but this time . We have entered the second innings so I want to replay the previous  innings and enjoy before life takes a fast forward and the cassette gets over .

 second innings

The above photographs remind us of the lovely time we gave the kids they learnt and saw so many things spent two full days in the lap of mother nature ---seeing mangoes growing on trees and eating them too , seeing farms , and the herd of cows ,  a real bird house   , a pair of crows .It was a real experience and many many times better and more exciting than a visit to a garden or park which is closest to nature that children in cities can  get to . Seeing monkeys sitting under a tree or dears roaming in the open is so different from  watching them in a  zoo . Why ? even the exhilarating experience of getting up in the morning is so different from the one we have in our air conditioned bedrooms .

Here are a few more photographs --which make me want to go back and spend at least a week and the next generation kids are eager too.

                               
                           
       



                                            



The kids are so excited about the holidays  they haven't stopped talking about it --These old photographs have given them so much to look forward to. What with the cows and the crows and the dears and the monkey and the lovely makeshift barbecue on the terrace. They are so busy showing off to their friends that they will be going to a Jungle Safari  ( the older one has a lesson about Pench Reserve forest in his curriculum so .....)  .

We too feel  exonerated of the guilt of  taking the kids to shopping malls , and multiplexes .And we know it will be   an absolutely novel experience for the children to see dears and monkeys and tigers out in the open and not inside the bars of a cage in  a  Zoo.--just as it was for my kids . My grandchildren will now relish and enjoy what their parents had and we, my hubby and I and my brother and his wife will experience the same pleasures that my parents had enjoyed as grandparents .

This I know would  be  a lovely  vacation and it will provide us with a "breath of fresh" air both literally and metaphorically .




this is my entry for the Teddy Travelogues contest on indiblogger

the link being
http://membership.clubmahindra.com/TeddyTravelogues/index.html.

All pictures taken are from my personal collection and the people shown are my family members.

A Paisa Vasool flight

Why Bigger is better for Indian aviation ------Now that is not  really a difficult or Big   question to answer ---

Its all very simple the answer is ....

 We all know India is a BIG country --with,Big problems  needing Big solutions  and  the root cause of these Biig problems are  the  BiiiiiG families  which go on becoming Biiiger inspite of so many family planning programmes etc .-and even if some families are trying to curtail their size  but we still carry our legacy of travelling with Big luggage .

while travelling we like to carry .

1. food of all kinds we start preparing for the journey atleast 2 days beforehand --we take special care to take everything from salt , to sugar to raw onions and green chillies , and pickles  to puri sabzi as if we will not get any food on the route and what is more we even prepare some long forgotten delicacies just to eat them on the way --BUT we also buy the food from the vendors and the food cart.

2. Then however small the journey we always keep a needle and thread and some spare buttons  after all we may need them .

3  Some antiseptic and cotton  and bandage and paracetamol and even cotton buds ---now this is not to be blamed its okay  to carry these after all emergencies  may crop up .

4  At home we may ask granny to try and bear the pain a little but while travelling her small leg stool has to be there for her to rest her arthritic feet

5. very rarely do we travel alone except on official tours , otherwise we like to travel with the whole family and though the joint family is becoming extinct but while on a vacation we make joint ventures together with  uncles and aunts and cousins and grandparents and even a "Ramu" the ancestral servant who has been serving the family since generations and is treated like a family member  all are included --the more the merrier or the bigger the group  the better .


Its all these reasons why Bigger is better for Indian Aviation .....because its all these reasons that make us avoid air travel specially for vacations and holidays in short when we want to enjoy travelling we avoid Air Travel we don't mind spending a little more time travelling but  sitting cramped up in planes and without any proper food and not being able to chat with family or share an item is just not acceptable to us .

BUT looks like Lufthansa A380 is about to bring a change in the atmosphere ( the pun here is intended)

Its a double decker aircraft Business class seats and also Economy class have personal televisions.

Then though I have not flown in the aircraft till now,people who have used the facilities give a very bright picture of the A 380 ---flexible head rests with comfortable  and generous  reclines , extra leg room width , window seats are not necessary as there are cameras available and you can even watch the landing and the take off with the help of the three camera angles fitted outside the plane --this is a special treat for kids .The service is good and the food too is liked by all. Lufthansa first class is loved too as it has a seat and a bed per person and secondly there is convenient storage in the seat to store clothes etc and not to forget the bathroom which is very spacious and has cabinets .

The best and a unique  facility is  the Audio entertainment available with each seat in EVERY CLASS including CD and international radio channels ---now that's what I call complete Paisa Vasool .

 Paisa Vasool is a very important characteristic of us Indians 

we always keep our eyes on the perks attached more than the 
salary when we go job hunting , we go to that sale outlet which gives us ek pe ek free or to that vegetable vendor who adds that free "dhania mirchi" to our vegetable basket .Even while buying a car the one thing we are more concerned about than any other feature is---"kitna Deti Hai " meaning what is the mileage or how many kilometres per litre does it go so that we may extract the most from our rupee That according to us is the biggest perk a car can give.

So with all these added features of extra leg room , generous  reclines , good service good food extra cameras Audio entertainment , bigger bathrooms ....phew.....and so many more perks  Lufthansa A380 the largest commercial aircraft in history will be  to be a winner on the Indian sky .



This is my entry for the Lufthansa A 380 contest on Indiblogger 




hashtag  #LufthansaA380





http://a380.lufthansa.com/TAKEPART/#/DE/EN/home



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Ab Montu jor se bolega --bin bole ab nahi chalega

Don’t be a silent spectator. Raise your voice and make a difference. that's what the campaign says and I agree totally with each and every word used 

.Because Only when you speak will you be heard .and if you want to be heard you have to raise your voice .

Like they say communicating is the most important factor in a relationship .Like they say lets sit across the table and solve . 

How are products sold in the market ? with excellent ads and slogans and marketing campaigns 

How do great business houses , companies  organizations reach their target of excellence by communicating with their employees and conveying to them their strategies .

And how do leaders motivate and inspire their people ....through communication through their speeches they instil the fire in their followers through  the way they deliver their speeches and put forth their points they know how to convince. Many  a times the moral of an army is raised and a war which may have been lost is won only due to the feeling of national pride which a speech by a leader conveys.This is why good orators are always a treasure.

Fiery speeches have always been the starting point to awaken the downtrodden How do you think we started the first war of independence in 1857 speeches and messages conveyed by leaders like Rani Lakshmi bai ,Tatya Tope , Mangal Pandey etc How do you think  did  Mahatma Gandhi instil  the need to fight for freedom from the British by his speech which though not fiery in the loud sense of the word were fiery enough to strike the "Indian Heart" his WORDS convinced the average Indian that it was time to become free of foreign rule .

Similarly If we want to become free of all that is dirty in our country If we want to make India free of all forms of corruption WE will have to SPEAK and make ourselves heard .

No woman will become free of mail domination until she speaks until she tells the world what is happening with her , how  she is being ill treated no messiah no Raja Ram Mohan Roy is going to come forward until he is made aware of the happenings .SO RAISE YOUR VOICE  AND BE HEARD.

No Corrupt official is going to be brought to book until you speak and let the officials know about the bribes being demanded . SO RAISE YOUR VOICE AND  BE HEARD .

Everywhere all around if there is any injustice you have to Raise your voice and only then will you be heard .

Please don't nod in agreement with my points saying that yes these issues of Womens plights , bribery, etc  need voices to be raised as they are very important anomalies of our society and strong steps have to be taken to eradicate them EQUALLY IMPORTANT and DISGUSTING are the problems of  CLEANLINESS in our country . Aren't you ashamed of the state in which you find your roadsides littered not only with trash but also human excreta night soil etc How do you feel when you see walls painted with urine stains and paan stains , How do you feel when while walking on the road your feet fall on and stamp sputum or excreta or even a a banan skin.

Don't the rains give you the creeps if you have to go out ? first of all we are scared of the water logging and then jittery at imagining what all our  feet will come across while crossing the water .

So please don't take things lying down stand up and   Raise your voice because its our Indian mentality that unless your voice is Raised and tone and volume convey the message that you mean BUSINESS no one will pay attention We don't believe in politeness and softness WE have to hammer it into the heads of the people concerned . Why blame the authorities and the politicians even at home if I tell my children politely that they should not throw litter around , or that they should not waste electricity a sweet and polite request will not be heeded But once I raise my voice they will follow all my orders .

So friends RAISE YOUR VOICE  and free India of all that is corrupt because corruption is in our attitude our habits are a product of our attitude. Its attitudinal change which is required . 

And if while trying to Raise your voice you have some irritation or repeated endearments fail then please take some throat soother like 'strepsils'  .Because one thing is sure this cleaning of the Indian Society of all the dirt and muck of corruption  in attitude and in the minds will not be an easy job you will have to work very hard and try and convince the public This cleaning is no less important than the fight for independence from  a foreign rule Because it is a FIGHT OF INDEPENDENCE  from MENTAL SLAVERY  You will have to teach people the importance of punctuality , of cleanliness from dirt  to cleanliness from  corrupt attitudes etc etc .and this is exactly what has been shown in the video titled Ab Montu Bolega ---because it shows that in order to be heard you have to raise your voice .

So when we say "Badhega Bharat ---Swachch Banega Bhara" we mean that when we clean India of all dirt all shackles of the likes of trash , litter , rubbish and mental trash like prejudices , superstitions, wrong ideas and beliefs only then will our country proceed on the path of development.

We should not forget that Cleanliness is next to Godliness be it physical cleanliness , clean personal hygiene or be it cleanliness from mental slavery and we have to Raise our voice we have to speak out and make ourselves heard with a clear strong voice devoid of any hesitation or roadblocks of coughing and sneezing and faltering .

This is my entry for the Strepsils "Don't be a silent spectator" contest on Indiblogger 

the hashtag being ...


#AbMontuBolega--the power of voice   on Indiblogger and the links are as follows 


http://www.abmontubolega.com/---

https://www.facebook.com/StrepsilsIndia

https://twitter.com/StrepsilsIndia http://

Parachute Advansed Body Lotion - Bring Back The Touch

Varun the ever busy , successful and dedicated doctor and Rita the successful CEO of a multinational  had  married out of choice they were both deeply in love and understood each other's busy schedules    work related tensions and co-operated with each other always  . He was the understanding husband and she the never-nagging wife . These qualities  and their behaviour towards each other showed  results and both of them became very successful in their respective professions.

Both loved each other and pledged to themselves that they would always help the other---they pledged to themselves that they would always be the giver and never demand anything .  But then as we all know too much of everything is bad and their dedication towards their respective professions sort of began taking away the romance from  their relationship --- Romance which is the main ingredient of a successful Marriage .

They both realised and felt the diminishing of the feeling of  love  , even when together they were a bit apprehensive and there was some kind of hesitation in the way they talked and  behaved --they behaved more like good colleagues than like husband and wife.

In there attempt to bring back the warmth in their relationship they tried their level best He would bring flowers for her and take her out to dinner etc --she in her attempt would make the best food and prefer to  let him spend time and rest at home thinking he was tired --she would do all the jobs in the house letting him rest and attend to his work ---he in turn would never ask her to do anything for his self thus trying not to create any kind of  problems for her .

BUT then marriage is not about sacrifice it is about fulfilment , it is all about belonging ---there is that feeling of giving in the taking .It was Rita who realised this .She felt that the " something" missing in their relationship was the "touch of love " . She had noticed that they had not touched eachother since a long time --leave alone touch as in a  sensuous act --they had not touched each other even as two human beings ---even if she gave him a glass of water she would carry it in a tray and he would pick it up.

They both yearned for the brushing of their skin with each other --she was dying to be in his arms and he was longing to hold her , kiss her BUT over the years and days which they had given to their careers they had almost forgotten how to go near each other forget kissing and holding.They both wanted it badly but just did not know how to go about it ---a wall had built itself between both of them --They slept in the same room and shared their bed but it was like sleeping with a stranger ---many a times they both reached out for the other but stopped midway --not wanting to disturb .

Rita could hold it no longer and wanted to be clasped by Varun come what may.One day she  made up her mind to drop all inhibitions and run into his arms when he came home ---but as luck or bad luck would have it Varun had to go out of town for some important meeting of the medical association and  did not come home from the  hospital   he took a flight directly from the office and rang her to tell her that he would be away for five days .Rita was heart broken and spent that night languishing.

Unable to sleep she went and took out some magazines --where she saw an article about skincare.It showed  many advertisements  of products for  skin care, the one that caught her fancy belonged to Parachute It said that one can have smooth and soft skin in four days with the help of Parachute Advanced Body lotion .She immediately decided to buy this product and use it to soften her skin and then her touch  would be able give Varun the same feel as that which he was crazy about in their courting and early marriage days. She knew her skin had become dull and rough due to neglect. What made her think of using this Parachute product was their ad which said that you could see a visible change for the better in just four days and experience had taught Rita to believe whatever the Parachute people said.

 She knew and her mother had always told her that Parachute never lies it means what it says .

The next day her dressing table saw a bottle of Parachute Advanced Body Lotion and her tired skin felt rejuvenated as the first drop touched it . She applied Parachute Advanced  Body Lotion regularly for 4 days and on the fifth day when Varun returned she was waiting for him at the airport with a dazzling smile and a glowing skin . It was a pleasant surprise  for him to see her instead of the chauffeur .As he walked towards her with a smile she took his hands and wrapped it around her waist ---and trying to get as close to him  as she could in a public place she inquired about how his trip had been .He was astonished at her behaviour and when his hand went round her waist he just couldn't resist the temptation to give her a peck on her cheeks ---that was all he could do considering his post and the presence of his staff at the airport.

Giving instructions to his subordinates to proceed to the office He told them they could take the day off and to be present at the office the next day He took the car-keys from the driver and gave him a half day off too and then drove away with Rita . The driver and the staff had all seen this change in his behaviour and smiled to each other when they saw through the rear window of the car that he had pulled Rita and she had snuggled up to him . The staff  who loved him were now happy for him .

Back home they dragged each other to the bedroom and lost no time in falling into an embrace ---Oh how they had yearned for it . Later on as they lay in each others arms whispering sweet nothings  Varun could not help commenting that she was as beautiful and her touch as smooth and soft as when they had been just married .She smiled and told him about the Parachute Advanced Body Lotion  and he said ---"

Thank you Parachute for bringing my love back to me how I had missed her touch ---no amount of  silent love , talking eyes , sacrifice and understanding can bring that into a marriage what a touch can --after all marriage  was all about getting the licence to"touch and feel and become One With Each Other ".





This is my entry to Parachute Advanced body Lotion --contest

the link being http://www.pblskin.com/------the hashtag being # Bring Back the Touch.




Video

Toilet for Babli

 Babli and Bunty were two children from the same village and were bosom pals .They used to share all their games , gifts everything and understood each other very well .Both of them  grew up together and had the same dreams and the same ambitions .They were the kind of children who keep themselves abreast of the activities of the world  and both hated their village .What they hated most was the fact that their Village was so dirty ,they hated the sight of people using the roadside as a public toilet and scum and excreta lying around no place was clean what with flies and insects buzzing around and they hated the fact that they had no toilets inside their homes either.Babli was a sensitive girl and empathised with her aunts and other female friends and relatives when they talked about the discomfort of going out in the open to attend to the call of nature and the embarrassment they felt when they could sense the leering looks in the eyes of the male members of the village.

In fact Babli who was now growing up  felt very uncomfortable to go to the bushes for defecating or to the river banks for bathing having to face the remarks of young vagabonds who would not shy away from making indecent gestures using the roadside as their private toilets. Both of them decided to escape from the dirty village  and go to some big city to lead a comfortable life and they made up their minds that once they make it big in the posh ,and urban world( which their young minds thought would have clean roadsides, proper toilets and better living conditions )  they would take their parents to live with them. BUT  they found that the cities were not much different from their village as far as public toilets and cleanliness were concerned .They had to see the same sights of children sitting down and  littering the streets with their night- soil dogs loitering and flies buzzing around creating excellent   conditions for health hazards to take birth.And women facing the same problems of lack of any public toilet . In fact they were quite disillusioned and decided that they will go back to their village once they made some money and make a house of their own with better living conditions and even improve the plight of the rest of the villagers .

But as it normally happens with innocent village children who run away from home --they fell into bad company and their innocent minds began thinking in terms of making fast money .They found  opportunities and succeeded in making a name( what if slightly dubious) for themselves and earning a lot of money which is the other word for success but there was one big problem they had to face during their escapades ---that was the lack of TOILET  facilities .You can very well imagine and understand their predicament when so many of their important assignments were left in the lurch only because of inability to attend to their call of nature. Just visualize them  after a bank robbery  making good their escape  in a stolen car with no one any the wiser or having a clue to where they had vanished  but then suddenly they have to  stop because not having come across any toilets in the city they were holding their urge to attend to the call of nature and so they get down to relieve themselves in the open and then are spotted by the police .and sent to jail 

And this is exactly what happened with them on their last adventure .

Just when they had decided that they had earned enough money and also enough popularity and that the police had now become  aware that they were the couple responsible for so many bank robberies They decided to take one last chance and go back to the village with their ""earnings " when misfortune struck and they were caught while they had to get down from their stolen car in desperation to relieve themselves near some bushes on the roadside just outside the city limits.

Poor Babli and Bunty how they cursed their Kismat .They let out a lot of abuses to the lack of facilities .

But then they did not know that in  India we consider sex to be such a taboo and such a hush hush  topic that we even add the basic need of attending to the  call of nature to this category AND whereas  we don't forget to provide eateries and paan shops and even general stores all through out our travel routes ,our cities and towns and villages WE conveniently forget to provide public toilets ---but then where Bunty being a Male was free to relieve himself in the open poor Babli had to control her urge until she could find a place away from the visibility range of humans specially men .

By the way let me tell you that it is only the modern Indian authorities who ignore this important facility Because as far as history tells us our rulers of the past Sher Shah Suri , Akbar, Ashoka had all provided their subjects with inns and toilets in cities and on travel routes and even Harappa and Mohenjodaro boast of public toilets and bathing places ---BUT the modern Indian doesn't need them he is happy to use the open air and the roadsides  blissfully unaware of the pollution he is spreading .

Oh yes !! did you notice what I have written in the last line of the above paragraph ---no---well let me copy paste it for you """BUT the modern Indian doesn't need them he is happy to use the open air and the roadsides  blissfully unaware of the pollution he is spreading .""""I have used the word HE ---because the Indian male indeed is happy and relaxed, for him the whole world( country) is a toilet and he is free to use it as and when required and needed .But the poor Indian female our very own Babli !! what about her ? has any one ever thought of her dilemna ---the embarrassment she has to face looking for a place to relieve , she has to ignore the meaningful eyes of the men to reach a place  out of their visibility range ---not only on travel routes and cities but even in their"" homes""" whereas  the men brazenly walk out  whenever the need arises the women have to secretly go out pretending they are going out for some work . Because their homes are devoid of any sort of toilet or bathroom ----result they are the target of the lustful eyes of the loitering romeos and at times get molested or raped too . And if she is lucky enough not to face  these terrors she has the disadvantage of getting Urinary Tract Infections by holding her urine for too long .

It's time our government  realised the need to provide proper toilet facilities both  private and public. And saw  to it that the rules are followed  strictly.

And special importance has to be given to the need for toilets for women to protect them from many illnesses like UTIs and more importantly  from the indecent glaring gazes of menfolk moral police where are you please look into this ---or do you think women should not attend to their call of nature --kya jaroorat hai " but what to do?  ghar mei bhi toh bathroom and toilets nahi hai ---jaye toh jaye kahaan !!??

Thankfully  DOMEX has taken up the initiative to make Indian villages "open defecation free"they  have brought a change in the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa .

A Domex Toilet Academy was launched on 19th November 2013 and it aims at providing sanitation which is beneficial to the local community and to the local economy by providing facilities which make toilets affordable and accessible and it promotes  cleanliness and good hygiene  they  are now aiming at building 24000 toilets by 2015 in rural areas faced with the problem of open defecation----thus not only helping the environment to become pollution free but also helping men and women to keep their dignity intact..

Babli and Bunty would not have landed into the clutches of the police had they not left their village disgusted with lack of proper toilets ----its another story that the police let them off  when they told them that they were going back to their village with the intention of improving their living conditions there and that they had heard about the DOMEX INTIATIVE and were planning to join hands with them.


This is my entry for the Domex Intiative and the link is ----- http://www.domex.in/.

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.

A healthy child makes a happy home

A healthy child makes a happy home ----and no contradiction ---every home with a baby knows how the moods of the family and even the brick and mortar structure changes with the happiness or sadness of a child .

The moment a child gets a scratch all the members run with a helping hand antiseptic is applied , someone runs to fetch a doctor ,debates crop up weather a bandage should be applied or not people loose their cool ,arguments start taking shape animosity crops up all only because they can not see a child in pain .And the moment the kid starts feeling well every one is relaxed and they who had become enemies suddenly become the best of friends because they understand the others concern .

The brick and mortar structure too which was looking forlorn due to the reflections of the inmates moods suddenly becomes cheerful and alive .

This was when a small scratch is the cause of concern But if the anomaly is something more serious. A fever or some infectious disease the matter takes a serious turn ,an aura of gloom envelopes the household and not only the house even their friends start sharing the concern and try to do their best to help the family and the ill child. More so because as we all know with growing population and unconcerned environmental devastation resulting in pollution nearly all illnesses take a very serious turn as a health hazard.

A small fever becomes swine flu ,  another one becomes typhoid , then there is that unheard name leptospira which again is an infection leading to high fever and resulting in death at times, its  cause being adulterated food or exposure to rodents .Not to forget the latest EBOLA virus which is again a deadly infection --in fact deadliest infection at the moment .

The main reason behind this increase in infectious diseases is reduced immunity in children and adults .

Most of us have lost our ability to fight against infections which is the result of TWO main factors the increasing habit of taking medicines for the slightest discomfort or  OVER MEDICATION  and two our unhealthy eating habits and to some extent our unhealthy  habits of personal hygiene.

Over medication destroys our ability to fight diseases  it does give us immediate relief but in the long run it reduces our immunity towards diseases.

And secondly and MOST important reason is faulty eating habits which do not give us nutrition but only increase our body flab , our cholesterol and these in return increase stress and lead to a weak immune system which not only succumbs to infections but also results in Life style diseases like cardiac problems , diabetes etc .  We need some tonic which can help us revamp and rejuvenate our immune system 

We need to see smiling and dancing healthy children instead of children wrapped in shawls and waiting in hospital corridors , we need to see children running after butterflies plucking flowers in the garden instead if children sneezing and coughing and sitting indoors looking longingly at the bright sunlight , we need to see children playing football in the rain making paper boats and floating them in the rain water rather than children sitting hunched up in their parents laps and peeping at the beautiful rain outside .

Immunity is the body’s most reliable defense against diseases and it can be made stronger. by proper food habits , proper exercise and by taking some good tonic like DABUR Chyavanprash

Dabur Chyawanprash,  has a number of herbs like Amla,  one of the best antioxidants, Giloy (Guduchi), known to have immuno-modulatory properties, and many more  natural ingredients like Ashwagandha , satavari , Bala Vidarikand etc . these components of Dabur Chyawanprash increase the  immunity thus   protecting  children  against illnessess.

Another very serious anomaly is the condition of our teeth ---Oral Hygiene --and I was surprised to learn that oral hygiene plays a very important role in leading to cardiac diseases because infections from dirty teeth , enter the bloodstream, attach to blood vessels and increase clot formation.  also inflammation caused by gum disease may also trigger clot formation. and Clots decrease blood flow to the heart,and this may result in high blood pressure and heart attacks .For this the easiest cure is to keep our teeth clean and brush regularly with a good tooth paste -- not only heart disease which attacks the adults at a later stage in life BUT the sight of a child in agony with a tooth ache is no less cruel as we all know tooth ache is an absolutely  unbearable form of pain so lets put our children in the habit of brushing their teeth regularly with a good toothpaste may be like DABUR  RED TOOTH PASTE.

So friends if we want to spare our bundles of joy the agony of  heaps of pain lets give them a healthy life style .
Here's wishing you all a Happy Diwali KEEP SMILING  with those imps and chimps who matter so much to you and who are not only your heirs but heirs to the nation as well 


my entry for https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/.

Gharwali diwali

Diwali

Lord Ram together with Sita and Lakshmana came back from  exile and the people of Ayodhya lighted lamps to welcome them.


And thus it became a festival of home coming ---and to date it is exactly what it is a "festival when everyone looks forward to being with his/hers family" .A person is saddest when he/she is away from his family on Diwali night .

And here is a memoir of mine which I would like to share with all you friends.

It was four months since  we had got engaged and we still had a wait of 5 more months before we were to get married --so we would try and meet each other whenever possible his work place was 250 kms from my city and he would come over to our place at the smallest pretext ---and Diwali was a big pretext .  

By the way let me tell you in our days there were no mobiles etc and the only way of communicating used to be letters There were telephones but then no STD facilities and moreover talking to your fiance was a bit awkward so letters were more welcome and whats more we could read and re read them in the privacy of our rooms whenever we felt like .

So "He" wrote to me that he would be coming over for diwali he would reach Nagpur the day before Diwali and leave the day after  --so I was on cloud nine  busy arranging the house telling mom to make and buy his favourite sweets etc.

 Come Diwali eve and we waited and waited for him but no news We were a bit worried but couldn't do anything because as I have written earlier there were no mobiles to contact nor were P.C.Os so readily available .One had to book trunk calls and then wait for the PP to arrive So there was no way I could contact him in the middle of the night --the only option was to  see what could be done in the morning So we went off to sleep 

Suddenly the bell rang at 5 in the morning I was the first to run to the door --opened it and there HE was shivering in the cold .November in those days used to be jittery cold no Global Warming had taken place .
.I was delirious with relief and happiness but he thought I was angry for the delay and started apologizing .

He told us that he had taken the train the day before but some derailment en route had made the train cancel its journey forward so he and some other passengers had decided to share a taxi and the taxiwala too knowing their plight had demanded rupees 200. as against the normal 50.
The taxi hired by them was one of those kinds which have all parts except the horn making a noise  and midway the door gave way as a result he sat all throughout holding the door and protecting himself from falling down --what with all his co passengers piling  themselves on him in their sleep.

 He said even tulsidas would not have done so much for his wife  and tears found their way from  out of my eyes tears of concern for him and of happiness too.

Anyway came diwali night and we were all in the best mood and busy in the celebrations when my brothers and sisters lighted a bunch of ladis ( small string like crackers which make a lot of noise)" just next to where the two of us were standing and we were caught unawares result !!! the sound of those crackers made us stumble into each others arms much to the amusement of the youngsters and embarrassment for us .I went about hiding my face from him and from the elders in the house .


In fact even the elders had enjoyed and pretended to look the other way instead of scolding the naughty teenagers .

Today of course we smile when we think of that episode But that day !!! its was all embarrassment and nothing else I felt as if I had committed a crime .

Whats more my children too have been told of that incident and they tease us every diwali .

So here was my anecdote of Gharwali diwali rather his anecdote for diwali with would be Gharwali.

my entry for https://www.gharwalidiwali.com/.

   <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sQ7lMDWJOXA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>  

murder solved

This is the story
of Old Mcartney
a partner of Mcartney
& Mcartney  the firm.
He was the senior attorney
and a famous attorney
of  Mcartney & Mcartney the firm.
 

As he reached the gates
of his royal estate
he saw the gate-keeper
skimper away
Now that was unusual
so the furious septuagenarian
brought himself to open the gate

But he was unaware
this was a plot and a snare
where he was the unsuspectng bait
A bullet was shot
which went through  his heart
and he slumped on the soil
clear dead.
***
the Detective then came
with  reporters in pursuit
the news like wild fire
was spread.

The suspects were summoned,
five females ,and a son,
not  a criminal so  hardened
the son begged for  pardon
Calling his step mother on the scene.
He then spilled around all the beans.

They had hatched a plot with thoughts  of greed
 and the gate keeper ,to shoot the master agreed
It was a plotting in haste----no one was chaste
So all the three--- in the police dragnet.
were now cooling their heels



The inspector
and sleuth
were friends in their youth
they shared the applaus and accolade
the media anounced
they were better than hounds
and no crimminal would
they let escape .

My low cal anniversary dinner

My wedding  anniversary celebrations demand that I invite my brother's  and my sister's families over for dinner so it was the same this time too ---what was different was that it had to be a low cal dinner by  popular demand ---and it had to be delicious too on hubby's demand . It was as if everyone had teamed up against me to test my culinary talent ---one would ask why did I feel they were all against me !! yes!! because how can one specially a Bharatiya Naari  make a delicious celebration dinner which is  low in calories .

But I took up the challenge HUM KISI SE KUM NAHI and I teamed up with Borosil to give these people a. run for their smartness

the menu was

starters

 ---it had to be something piping hot because mine is a december wedding and 14th december is nearly always biting cold --so I had thick tomatoe soup served in borosil cup and saucer  and I had prepared it by boiling tomatoes, carrots ,onions and ginger and straining the puree twice thickened it by adding cornflour and then I heated one teaspoonful of ghee put in some very minutely chopped  onion and switched off the gas immediately ; this  was the garnish which gave the soup the desired flavour but cheated it of any calorie after all how many calories can you get by using one   tea spoonful ghee for 15 people  and just before serving I sprinkled white pepper powder and 3 drops each of cream in the soup cups ---oh yes there were croutons too not fried bread but toasted bread.


I had served this soup in my borosil cup and saucer from my tea set---I had put the croutons  in the saucer and soup naturally in the cups; everyone liked this idea as it made drinking soup easy without sitting down at the table  I had stolen  this idea from a very old Film awards function night where I had seen a picture of Dev Anand tasting the soup served in cup and saucer  It  not only keeps the soup warmer for long it is easy to drink too specially during a buffet as one can even keep the crutons  in the saucer and add them as and when required and the beautiful  Borosil transparent products always enhance the beauty of the food ----it all looked so beautiful bright red soup in transparent cups and croutons heaped alongside in the saucers.

next were the snacks

purely desi

Horse gram soaked overnight boiled with a little salt served both warm and cold with lots  of raw onion, , fresh coriander leaves and chopped tomatoes in borosil transparent bowls ---and GOD were the guests bowled over YESSS ... Chane chatpate to their hearts content I had also kept a bowl full  of salted curd churned nicely ,sweet and sour imli ( tamarind ) chutney and extra onions and tomatoes chopped in case anyone needed ---and a small borosil  katori of chopped green  chillies for hubby dear and yes lots of lemon slices looking so pretty peeping from out  of  the borosil bowls

now wasn't that healthy, low cal ,and pretty too!!


Main course


chhole---made without any oil ----it was made by boiling  soaked chick peas  with  salt and tea leaves tied in a small cloth bag  and pressure cooked  on opening  the cooker one is forced to  smile at the lovely dark brown colour of the chhole then add garam masala powder or the chhole masala powder you get in the market  and empty in a transparent borosil container keep aside ready to eat; before serving heat in a microwave add raw onions dhaniya  patti( coriander leaves) mix properly sprinkle some of these on the top just as a decorative garnish together with lime wedges and green chillies-----hai na low cal ?!!

Now I didn't want to be thought of as a desi cook who doesn't know any foreign cooking ---like the trend where every housewife must know some baked dishes etc etc so I served poached fish.

poached mackarel made with Bangda fish placed head to tail in cooker and cooked by covering with  onions, pepper corns, clove,s garlic and salt a  little  vinegar ,water and bay leaves cooked  in the pressure cooker  for about 3 mts in full pressure  removed from cooker by releasing pressure placed in  Borosil serving dish  and poured the liquid which was left in the cooker by making it into a sauce served really hot garnished with coriander leaves and slit green chillies for decoration only .---and like always borosil enhanced the beauty, what with the sauce and fish looking delicious through the transparent glass and the greens adding colour 

chicken too was made in the same way I used the same recipe and and everyone RELISHED ---only it took slightly more time and the masala had ginger too plus I did not add any green garnish .Chicken drumsticks   don't need any decoration Transparent Borosil is all that they need I had used only drumsticks the rest of the chicken was stored in the fridge for some other day



My sister in law is a vegetarian so it was hariyali gobhi for her ---cauliflower and brinjals cooked in   very little oil about 2 tablespoonfuls  which has  one spoonfull  urad  dal  mustard seeds and when it starts spluttering add chopped brinjals and cauliflower  and for the masala add a paste of green coriander leaves and green chilles cover and cook on slow heat and the aroma is heavenly ---empty this green wonder in a borosil bowl to be heated in a microwave before serving no garnishing required just  enjoy the beautiful green colour showing itself off from inside the tranparent borosil container and watch the guests attack and devour tempted by the beautiful  green colour  and tempting taste enhanced by the extraordinarry   aroma of the dhaniya patti and hari mirch combine ..

Rice was plain boiled decorated with green peas, and a dash of grated orange carrot---  and again no other decoration needed to enhance the white fluffy boiled rice except for letting the green peas and orange carrot flakes peep through transparent borosil.

Wheat was represented by  phulkas hot and fluffy coming one after the other from my kitchen thanks to the maid who had agreed to stay back and help.

There was raita too made of grated cucumber and decorated with circles of red chilly powder, roasted cumin powder , and an outer circle of green chillies very finely chopped and I had made the borosil container have an orange rim by turning it upside down and coating it with a very fine film of chilly powder --so as to not affect the taste but enough to give it a nice look ---


And now the desert ----LOW CAL one

kumdha kheer----rich ripe yellow pumpkin grated and boiled with milk you  don't have to thicken the milk the kumdha is so rich in taste that just  two or three  boils and the taste is heavenly --no need to fry the pumpkin or thicken the milk---just pour the stuff into  transparent Borosil container sprinkle some nuts and raisins for colour contrast  and keep aside so that it can be reheated in a microwave just before serving  and served without any botheration of changing vessels etc.and disturbing the garnish.

frozen cake-----for the foreign touch  ---broke a double pack of marie biscuits into big crumbs rubbed half cup of butter  and two ripe bananas into this I  added  two handfuls of almonds walnut and ,raisins and a few drops of vanilla essence and put it in the freezer it did  freeze but wasn't  very hard because I had added bananas instead of pure butter the bananas helped in binding and keeping the fat content comparatively low sprinkled with a generous amount of pomegrenate seeds just before serving.

 It was the most colourful pudding ( not exactly a cake ) showing off its pink and white hues from  inside the transparent bowl


AND


dahi panchamrit --- dahi sweetened with sugar free (the one for the kids had sugar ) had chopped basil (tulsi) leaves and chopped  apples and pomegranate seeds and this was a surprise item because it tasted heavenly and was an innovation on panchamrit which we make during puja but which has lots of dry fruits in it
The chopped basil gave it a pure and fresh aroma and the various colors of fruits a colourful hue like a rainbow  peeping from out of the borosil 

All  of these were very low calorie dishes --and the gathering agreed to it --and hubby's countenance proved  that the stuff was delicious too and the fact that I had used all transparent borosil products added so much to the looks that it  enhanced the taste . Whatever was lacking in the cooking was made up by the crockery.


Then there was coffee too brewing in the Borosil kettle and brought straight to the table for each one to help themselves .

OH What a dinner and the resulting satisfaction after the victory told me what sibling rivalry was .First they test then I win then they applaud . All in good faith


my entry for Borosil My  beautiful  food contest on indiblogger  link being

 http://www.myborosil.com/