Revisiting 16 year old life

We all have heard the phrase "Sweet Sixteen". The phase where you exist your childhood and enter teenage to mould your life into an Adult. Apart from the sweetness, we see a side of confusion, anxiety and anger.  

This also reminds me of a Bollywood song: 

Chocolate, lime juice, ice cream, toffeeya
Pehle jaise abb mere shauk hain kaha
Gudiya khilone meree saheliya
Abb mujhe lagatee hain saree paheliya
Yeh kaun sa mod hai umrr kaa...

In the movie the actress Madhuri Dixit refers this to adulthood and nearing marriage age. But I think, entering teenage makes you feel somewhat same. Your choices and thoughts change. You are  confused about the sudden attention from the society. The sudden mood swings and frequent anger and hyper mood are the signs of this new phase. And then, the line “Yeh kaun sa mod hai umrr kaa...” keeps playing the the background. 

I am revisiting my “sweet 16”, through a letter.


Dear 16 year old me,

I am feeling so happy to write to you. Memories of you are still so fresh in my mind. The 16th Birthday, when you made your first public appearance in a knee length dress. The shy you thought so much even before buying it. But, when the day came and you were being clicked by your elder who complimented without making fun of you. Ahh, that was the moment of change. You suddenly wanted to look good and dress up. 

Remember, how without thinking you take part in your high school elections and won it too. You were high on confidence to try out anything. It felt like you were on Sugar rush. The truth is, you were also loving the new you. Fun in the school bus with your girl gang and those stupid mcdonalds plans. Waking up in the morning to realise you haven't completed your physics journal, made you feel like you would be hanged. You would secretly hoped that the teacher failed to catch her bus and you are saved. 

Seeing you crush would make your day and you had a topic to discuss with your bestie for a week. The pressure of scoring good to impress him was more than scoring for your future. You must admit, you were given so much freedom unlike your others friends. You were not forced into any classes nor asked to wake up at 4.am everyday. To become a doctor or an engineer was not a compulsion. 

Inspite of all understanding you were so concerned about your future. It's was more of confusion, where you dint know what to do in life after completing high school. You selected the subject exactly opposite to what you thought you would always choose. Those last min changes made everyone worry about you. Any new field would attract you. Let me tell a secret to you, even today it's the same. I haven't changed myself on that. I mean I am unable to change. That's such a natural habit of mine only you can understand. Bitter and sweet memories have made me wise. Every decision which I thought I would regret became a learning. The confidence you had then is still the same. You don't fail to attract people even today. I am sure you are so happy to know that I haven't become boring and old people type in all these years. I am living you always inside my heart. 

Bubble, talkative and humorous you. 

Do write to me if you think I am acting too mature and have forgot to live life in amidst of what they call as “Building a life”. 


Love and Nominal regret,
Your orderly you. 

Linking this post with - Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by Blogadda

My High Heel Affair

There is always that one thing you like the most as a kid and your mom says “no” for it. When I was a kid, I was very attracted to wearing high heels. I would always end up scrolling the heels section at the shoe shop. God knows, how many times my mom must have dragged me off there.

When I was 9 years old, I remember going on a trip to Chennai to attend a family friend’s wedding. That was my first flight experience. I was on cloud nine to seat in an Airplane. I had spread the news to all my friends a couple of weeks ago. It was super exciting. Bunk school for a week plus the air travel. It felt like I had won a jackpot.  I can never forget, that the first flight decided my career. After seeing the Air hostess walking in heels I knew what I wanted to do in life, which will let me wear high heels forever. After we were back, one day I decided tell my mom about my decision. I went to her and said, “I will become an Air hostess when I grow up and you can never stop me from wearing heels”.

The Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training was a big boom during the early 2000’s. Those full page newspaper ads kept me high spirited.   Later, I started convincing mom that I need to buy heels and practice walking. I even managed to buy one after a lot of buttering. How I wish I has clicked a picture of my First heels. Once I had them I began to practice the right walk. Slowly, the craze for heels faded. I can’t remember what took over but I stopped thinking about it completely. 

As I grew up, my liking's changed and so did my decision
about my career. I never thought I would end up as a Content Writer. I am happy I realized what I wanted to do quite early. I am not very patient who could have handled the passengers well if I went with my Air hostess dream. And to talk about wearing heels all the time, it would be so painful. I love and enjoy working as a creative person. But today, my high heel affair is over! I don’t have a single heel. That childhood attraction has disappeared somewhere.

We all have such stories from our childhood. A few things we still continue to do and some just fade away with time. Even today, when I am traveling and see an Air hostess, I remember when I was a kid my first career choice was made on the basis of wearing heels. Now, I find it so funny to go back and think about how crazy I was for that one thing. 

Do share in the comment section about what you aspired to be as a Kid.

Linking this post with Write Tribe prompt of the week FridayReflections. 

Dragged Marriage Makes Your Child Suffer

Marriage unites two individuals. It is a bond that gives man and women an official and public recognition. Every girl’s happy ending is to marry her prince charming. But not all happy endings stay happy and radiant forever. Marriages fail due to numerous reasons. And once child is a part of that failed marriage, we all know how the Indians deal with it.

Several times I have heard people say, had I not had a kid I would have left him or her. Had it not been the question of my child’s life I won’t have dragged this marriage! I would have walked out if it was not about my child’s future. And the list of reasons goes on. Every parents needs to understand that what the child see and learns while you are entangled hauling your failed marriage. And the irony is that in this due process somewhere you fail as a parent. The arguments, disputes and roughhouse are what your child dwells with.

While you are busy convincing the child that mom and dad both love you, the child is occupied envisioning the reasons why mom and dad can’t love each other. The little mind can have grave impacts of disturbed family. Your child is equally suffering the failure, and is an indistinguishable part of the broken marriage.  Unlike you, he/she also wishes freedom from this turmoil and to have a secluded life.  

I think marriage should not take away the gusto from your child’s life. Continuing marriage for the sake of your child is absolutely inapt and one sided decision, where you feel the child needs parents by side in the growing stages. It is essential to give him/her a guarded and flourishing surrounding. Everlasting disturbance can trigger too many emotional and social muddles. One decision at the right time can save your child from life-long memories of disturbed childhood. For your child’s life will revolve around the bitter impressions had at early life. Don’t let your child be the part of the mess that he/she never espoused.

5 things not to miss when in Lucknow.

“Lucknow” is known as the city “Nawabs and Kababs”. Situated on the bank of River Gomti, the multicultural side of the city is reflected on the streets and the architecture speaks a lot in itself. The “Pehle aap” (You first) and “Tehzeeb” (etiquette) are the highlights of the Lucknowi culture. I visited the city in the month of October 2015. It was my first solo travel to North India. I must tell you my 4 days were most enthralling. I am a budget traveler so I use the local transport for city tour. I like to explore a city by its historical and cultural aspects. And I followed the same for my trip to LUCKNOW.

Bright colors attract me

Kabab parantha filling

Road side Pani Puri stall

Waiting for "Savari" 

Tried capturing the Taj Mahal of Lucknow

Lit up Bara Imambara

Here goes my list:

Aminabad market:

While doing my research I came  across Aminabad market several times.  This is one of the oldest markets since the rule “Nawab of Awadh”. And when it is about shopping in the local markets I never miss it. This was the first place I visited as soon as I landed in Lucknow.  I was lucky that I could see the Thursday street market. I shopped some beautiful Chikankari pieces for which market is famous. One just needs to know how to do good bargains.

Chikankari work 

Veg. Kabab Parantha:  

This is a unique parantha that I tried on a local friend’s recommendation. This was very delicious, made of Channa dal and some vegetables. Spicy and tangy in taste, comes this in the form of a Roll. Famous street food of Lucknow.

Pani Puri and Chaat: 

Having lived in Mumbai for years I never knew that “Pani Puri” came in so many different flavours. Lucknow is very well known for its “8 pani wali pani puri”. I can never have such yummy pani puri anywhere else.  Also I had mouth watering aloo chaat and Tokri chaat. This is something one cannot miss as it is found on every street of the city. I can go back again and again just to have these.

Cycle Rickshaw Ride:

Lucknow is one of the few cities still offering cycle rickshaw as means of local transportation.  They are seen in large numbers. Almost all the old areas of the city can be commuted by this. Like, Chowk to Immabara. I enjoyed several rides while touring around the city.

Bara Imamabad: 

Visit to this place is a must. Built by the fourth Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-Ud-Daula is a symbol of the Awadhi architecture. The structure is renowned for its distinctive construction – the thick domed roofs with no grin support. The roofs are supported by a unique interlocking system.  Inside is a famous Bhool Bhulaiya , a labyrinth. From the rooftop one can view a spectacular scene of the city, which is astounding. 

The 4 day trip was like a blink of an eye. Time flied by and it was time for me to get back home. It was a wonderful trip and the city gave me many reasons to travel again. The traveler in me is all set to publish and share with you all my experiences and travel stories. 

Thank you for reading!