The wedding night is over and my bidaai is done. Yes, it has happened. And I am a ‘married woman’ now. Oh Gosh! In no words can I ever describe the huddles-puddles of emotions and feelings which were going on in me on the very first day of my wedding. Getting rokafied was like having butterflies in my tummy but getting married is like having elephant in it (for those who have been through it, would definitely agree with me, and for those who are soon going to be a bride- you will see my darling 😀) We all girls go through a similar kind of emotions and this time is so beautiful that these moments give us a lifetime of memories. As I moved from the wedding venue to the hotel (apparently, my new family was residing in a hotel as there were a lot of out station relatives, so it was decided that the muh-dikhai rasam will happen there itself first and then in my new house), it was a strange feeling. The first thing I wanted to do was to get away with all my heavy wedding jewellery, the tightly made hair bun and my 50 kg ka lehenga 😉(but I just love it). However, before that there were a few rituals to be done before I could change and get into some comfy and light clothes. Everything was just happening, and I had no time to think about anything. There was warmth in the room as all the close relatives were trying to comfort me in their own ways. As we ( I and my husband, sounds weird na, I know 😋) started playing the first game, the first ritual (where we had to open the thread from each other’s wrist), a few of my sister-in-laws came to me and softly told me’ ‘bhabhi, we know you are uncomfortable and we will ensure that all this is done super-fast, just bear with it for some more time”. I was so relieved to hear that. The fact that some people were there to understand my situation, who could realize the discomfort I was in, was in itself very calming. The gaming sessions continued from one to another. After that, the muh-dikhai rasam started where everybody came to meet and bless us with their love and gifts. Those were some of the precious moments of my life. Even though my ears were excruciating, my head was aching, and my body wanted to get away from the heavy attire, I was feeling super happy within to have such loving family. Deep inside, I was enjoying all the love showered upon me. My sister-in-laws tried their best to fasten the complete process and as soon as it got over, they took me to my room and helped me to open all the locks 😉 including the jooda and those thousands of pins on my lehenga which the parlour-wali had put. I could not have done it on my own. Not even in my greatest dreams. Never. At all. It was just impossible. I could have spent days in trying to remove all that but still would have failed in it. They did it. Quickly and softly. This is my way of thanking them for everything they did on that day. I love them-forever! We all relaxed for a while after which I slept. No fear of unknown, no awkwardness, I just slept because I was super tired. My brain was dead, and I could not think of anything but sleep. After that, the day in my actual new house was equally beautiful. When I went there, the house was beautifully decorated with lights and flowers and everybody was waiting for me with music, happiness and love all around. As soon as I came out of the car, they started dancing. These kinds of emotions can never be described in words. There is just one word for them- beautiful! It was strange, of course, entering a new family, trying to believe and accept that this is the place where I will live for the rest of my life but I didn’t think much. I just enjoyed the moments as they came. It was all so lovely. All the rasams and the efforts to make me comfortable was lovely. I purely enjoyed without any kind of thought in my mind. At that time and on that day, I didn’t realize how my life will change entirely and how it will be after that. The marriage jitters didn’t give me enough time to think about the time when I will be stepping into a new house with new people where I will have to stay with them from that day. Neither did I want to think about it. I just had faith that whatever will happen, will be for the good only. That’s what I personally believe in. (and its pretty good, it’s been 6 months now 😁- I will be writing about in in my upcoming blogs) Did I remind you of your first day in your new house? How was your experience? Or, have you also started thinking about how will your first day be when you will get married? What are you expecting it to be? Do share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Who does not love to travel? I guess hardly any one of us would disagree to this famous quote: “If travelling was free, you would never see me again” But how many of us have thought or have been on an unplanned trip? Booking in advance may contradict some of the greatest pearls of traveling. Naturally, we all like to travel to escape our day-to-day routine, break the mold for a while and leave the ever-so-cozy comfort zone. When we plan and book in advance, we play safe and do not open ourselves to the boundless opportunities that travel allows us. However, being unorganised and unprepared sometimes for not-so-planned trips can give us our great travel experiences. I truly believe that the best travel experiences cannot be found in itinerary. Even though I have never been on an unplanned trip, but I would love to go and explore the unknown. And it is just so amazing that travelling blindly to an unknown place is on my bucket list too! Unplanned trips aren’t something which any travel magazine, guidebook or even a blog-post can tell us. In fact, they are a result of a silly, wrong turn, a random conversation with a stranger, or faltering upon something unexpected. That’s what is so magnificent about a blind trip to an unknown place. Blind trips take us away from the usual accustomed and trickles us down into the unfamiliar, where our five senses are heightened. Another thing which plays an important role in the blind trips is the company. It does not matter where you are going, what matters is with whom you are going (though solo trips can be fun too!). An unplanned trip can be a real thrill. Going to the airport, buying a ticket without knowing the destination. Could there be anything better than that? Unknown places can help you learn so many real-life skills which one may never experience if not traveled much. “Life is a book and those who do not travel, read only page”. Unplanned trips may give us the best lessons of our life. They are less complicated (because they do not involve any pre-planning and preparations), bring spontaneity and keeps the element of surprise, they help us to travel light 😉, encounters us to new people which opens gateways for new friends, are full of excitement, gives us the local knowledge of a place and are more memorable. They open us to the new perspectives and also gives us a deeper meaning of life. I am eagerly waiting for a chance to go on a blind date with the world. What if you get a chance to go on a trip which is completely unplanned to a completely unknown place? How would you feel? What would you do? You can share your ideas and thoughts in the comment section below. This blog post is a part of Indiblogger contest #TheBlindList and #SayYesToTheWorld, Lufthansa’s exciting new campaign.

Google maps! Oh Gosh- they are the life saviors, isn’t it? How many of you do not agree with me? Umm, I doubt there would be anyone these days who travels without using google maps. No matter where we have to go- from finding the nearest chaat wala to the farthest chachi ji ka ghar, from our own nani ji ka house to papa-ke-mama-ki-poti ka ghar, we are not worried about finding the location anymore. We do not have to stay in constant touch with someone to understand the routes unlike old times, but we have our own genie with us. Yayay! Google maps- they are quick and easy- thanks to Lars Rasmussen, its designer😄 A tool who has made our life so easy that finding a place is no more a hassle 😄 Google maps has been around for a while, but too many people are unaware of the full extent of the services that it provides. Here I have tried to collate some beneficial facts about google maps which I am sure will be helpful to all. Though the uses are immense, however, I have categorized it into 3 areas: 1. How does it help us? But it does not end here. It helps us in location as well. 2. Fun facts: 3. Daily life uses: I hope these facts will be useful to you. If so, do share where and how did this information helped you in the comments section below.

“Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite”. And our story began. The feelings started to flow, and everything was just so lovely. After the beautiful beginning of the new feelings, love was blossoming, and he gave me a fairy tale life. Before I could even understand what exactly I was feeling, valentine’s day came. He planned a day out with me (being a weekday, we both had to take a day off from our work :P). Starting from taking permission from his family to meet me and then my family to take me out, everything was done by him. All I had to do was to plan what will I wear on that special day :P along with what am I going to gift him. So, I decided to make it extra special for him. Instead of just being usual and boring by gifting him something, I thought of giving him a hand-made card which took me so many hours to work on it (special thanks to my bhai, Shivam for helping me in cutting and pasting as I am very bad at it). I poured all my feelings in that card just to see how he will react on reading it. It was delightful to see that happiness on his face when he read the card. I was so excited and waiting eagerly for the valentine’s day. It was a perfect day. We met in the morning when he came to pick me from my home when I didn’t know that he had planned a surprise for me (as the day was planned by both of us). As soon as I opened the car, I saw how it was so beautifully decorated with my pictures everywhere. I was aw-struck. I had no words. The feelings and emotions which I had at that moment can never be described in words. It was mesmerising to see how much he has fallen for me in just few days. I was super happy. From a long drive to Murthal with singing songs and dancing in the car, to our chit chat sessions during breakfast time, to photo sessions at all the possible places we could think of, to again a long drive back to Delhi, to a stoppage at an unknown point and talking about stupid things for hours, to going to BOA village and spend the beautiful evening, I didn’t even realize where and how the day just passed. The day was full of emotions as we shared everything we could, from best moments to funny ones, from making fun of each other to getting clicked together, from adoring each other (he does that more often :P) to just being silent for some time, the day was an assurance that the decision taken by us to spend our lives with each other was the right decision. Our first valentine’s day and those moments will always remain close to my heart and I thank Akshay for giving me the magnificent time of my life. It is a blessing to get a partner who loves you for who you are without judging you. I am glad I found my gem. If you also have that special one in your life, tell him/her today how and what you feel. Any day can be valentine’s day if you wish to make it, the only thing is- your feelings must be true and pure!

“You feel alive to the degree that you feel you can help others.” – John Travolta Rain, rain and lots and lots of rain. We all are aware of the natural disaster which happened in Kerala, God’s own country. Dozens of people were missing, hundreds were dead and more than a million displaced in the worst flooding to hit Kerala, the southern Indian state of India..!! Continuous rains over the past few weeks caused destruction in Kerala leaving so many dead and thousands of locals and tourists stranded without shelter, access clean water and medical facilities. The state has been through a lot during the flood times but now the rains have stopped. Does that give them a sigh of relief? Not really. Should these people be forgotten now? Is the problem resolved? On asking people to come together and support, I have seen a lot of reluctance in providing the support which our own people need now in this difficult time. Not that people are not ready to help, there are many people who are doing whatever they can (or may be more than they can) but there are still many out there who have questions. Questions like: what can we do about it? Why should we do charity? Who are they to us? How do we help? What will we get out of it? And what not. For those who do not know much about the current situation- the water level in flood-hit Kerala has started to recede but rebuilding the state will take many years. In real sense- many many years! After all, the calamity, the worst Kerala has seen in a century, has displaced over a million people who are currently staying at relief camps. As the rain ease, the focus is going to be on aiding those whose houses and livelihood were destroyed, a scale of rebuilding which will require billions and trillions of rupees. Do we still need to ask- why should we help? Period. “Helping others without expecting anything in return is what true self-worth is all about.” – Gavin Bird For those of us who are safe at our places and are living a life with our loved ones, we should be grateful that we are not a part of such an aching disaster. Our little contribution will not affect us at all, but you never know, how much is it going to help those who are in need. It is rightly said by Anne Frank- “No one has ever become poor by giving.” So, without much ado, without thinking about who those people are, whether they are related to us or not, let us come together and take a small step to give life to many people who need us, badly. They are our people and let us be generous enough to show that we are there for them. Since, after a few conversations with my relatives and near ones, I realized that many of us do not know how to help even though we really wish to, I have tried to collate a list of ways through which the help can be provided to Kerala people. You may choose whichever option is convenient to you. Disclaimer: While many of the below mentioned are doing a commendable work, every initiative may not be authentic. Hence, I advise you all to verify things on your part before making any contribution. 1. For monetary contributions: Chief minister’s distress relief fund- Contributions related to money can be transferred directly to Kerala government bank’s account with the State bank of India. Account holder name: Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund Bank: State bank of India Account number: 67319948232 IFSC: SBIN0070028 Branch: City Branch, Trivandrum UPI: keralacmdrf@sbi You can make your donation as per your convenience: cards, UPI, mobile wallets (like mobikwik, my airtel app etc), internet banking, cheques, demand drafts or real-time mobile payments interface. Just choose and you are good to help! And it does not end here- There are online donation channels as well created by Kerala government which accepts Mastercard, VISA, Rupay and other international cards, besides net banking. Apart from this, you can also transfer money via mobile-payments platform Paytm. Paytm has added a new icon ‘donate’ on the home screen of its app and website and the money can be transferred through that. The company also claims that Paytm will make equal donation as that of each user from its side. And yes- good news- contributions to the relief fund are exempt from taxation under India’s income tax act. 2. For those who believe in donating supplies over money, e-commerce is a great way: Online retailers such as BigBasket and Amazon.in are great platforms for providing supplies to the Kerala people. These portals will allow you to choose items for donation, pay for them and place the order. The e-tailors will do the rest and that too free of cost. The grocery shopping app BigBasket has tied up with Goonj whereas Amazon India has tied up with many other relief organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, World Vision, Oxfam India and Goonj. The website allows donations from even those people who are not residing in India. The portals also assist you in understanding and deciding what you can donate (the desperately needed items by the victims) as they have made a list of products such as soap, batteries, sanitary napkins and water purifiers. And yes- BigBasket is also offering a 20% discount on next orders for shoppers who donate for the Kerala floods- an initiative and support from their end, how are you supporting? 3. Relief groups: If you want to directly connect and donate to the relief organizations in Kerala, it can also be done through the following relief groups- a. Goonj accepts donations to its bank and through its Ketto fundraising drive. b. Oxfam India accepts donations through its fundraising campaign on crowdfunding platform Ketto. c. Milaan has launched a campaign for the Kerala floods. d. Habitat for Humanity Rapid Response and Indo-Global Social Service Society, too, are running fundraising drives. e. HelpAge India, a non-profit for disadvantaged senior citizens, is also accepting contributions. You can read about them in detail on their websites, if you wish to donate directly through them. So, what are you waiting for? Do it now. Donate for your own people. They need you and your support- NOW!

I was rokafied (26 January, 2018) and the wedding date was fixed. I was going to be someone’s wife in next 4 months and 7 days. I was already tagged as bhabhi, chachi, mami and what not. I needed to behave responsibly because I was going to be a daughter-in-law (luckily, I am a daughter, thanks to mumma and papa J ), how was I expected to not have jitters? Obviously, I was super anxious, nervous and worried. I used to get panic attacks so often that I didn’t know what was happening to me? Was that a right decision? Was it too early? What was I supposed to do? What the hell was I supposed to feel? And that’s how my journey began. From Ms. Aakansha Dhingra to suddenly the would-be-bride. Everything changed but beautifully J I was super nervous, but my fiancé made me so comfortable that I forgot all the anxiety and nervousness in a small period of time. But somewhere I was sure that everything will sink in and I will gradually get comfortable with all the new relationships. My courtship was so beautiful that I never wanted it to end. My fiancé (okay, husband now :P) made it a point to make every moment special for me. He gave me many surprise visits, planned a lot of surprises for me, we went for many outings, ate our heart outs, laughed madly, shared so many secrets, argued on stupid things, had a few tough talks and with all that happening, fell in love with each other. How he made me see the world differently couldn’t stop me but fall for him. The initial days of courtship period are those days when you don’t realize what is going on. From being single to hitched, there is a huge change which is felt after a few weeks. Same were mine. Those were the most beautiful days. It was the time when I didn’t know what do I need to do? Do I need to start shopping? What do I shop, from where and what all do I shop? Should we start looking for the venue? Let’s prepare the guest list- etc etc etc. But wait, is it too early for all these? Should I just wait for some more time? For those of you who have been through this- will understand what all am I talking about and for those who are going through this- Pretty girls- take a break, breathe! A deep breathe. Smile and enjoy. Feel it. Feel that you are hitched. Be happy that you have got a partner for life. Forget everything else. You will have to do a lot of work, but not for now. Live in the moment. Now is the best time to know your partner and spend quality time with him over any other thing. Find joy in simple things. Each text will make you smile. His call will give you a happy break in your busy work schedule. I will speak from my experience- you will love each moment if you just go with the flow. Don’t over think, just don’t! I would also love to share my most favorite moment here when my fiancé gave me a surprise proposal. The moment which will always be extremely close to my heart. He ensured to show me how and what he felt for me before giving our relationship a new name. It was a moment which cannot be described in words. A restaurant fully booked and a corner table beautifully decorated with red roses (I still don’t know how he knew about my mad love for red roses), heart shaped balloons with all my pictures, a tiara for me, red velvet cake, a coke and both of us. As soon as I entered, I was amazed and surprised. I felt as if my heart stopped for a while. As I walked closer, he went on his knees and proposed me with a bracelet (he cannot be usual, ring was boring for him), asked me if I will be his partner-in-crime forever (in his own unique way ofcourse, where he said “ main puri duniya sort kr skta hoon, kya tum mujhe sort krke rakhogi?”). at that moment, I saw the honesty in his eyes and I just fell for him. I had tears of happiness in my eyes and I said nothing but yes! Moments of happiness and joy :) We had a great time together and that’s how we began our beautifully journey from you and me to us. For those who are already hitched, what is your special moment? For those who are waiting/about to be hitched- trust me, the wait is worth it. A penny for your thoughts about the starting days of courtship period? Do share your views in the comment section below until next time. P.S. Thanks Akshay :)

“Who runs the world?? It’s Girls (aka Ladies)!!!” Well, of course Beyoncé has put it rightly. It could not have been put in a better way! They rule the world and that too like a total boss. It is the spirit of womanhood that is to be celebrated each day. Their wild streaks, carefree nature, the pampering and the indulgence, their care and innocence, their perseverance and devotion, every color of their emotional canvas is so pretty that it must be cherished every day. But, unfortunately, somewhere the reality has overpowered the free soul, the daily lives have taken a front seat and sadly the ladies have stopped treating themselves first (they have forgotten themselves for that matter). Well, no no, not anymore. On this International day, I would like to do two important things: 1. Show my gratitude to all the lovely ladies in my life who have affected me in such a positive way that I will always be grateful to them. 2. I have some ideas… Yayayayay! Some ideas for you to pamper your ladies (all the ladies:P) Shout out loud for all the ladies- because it is your day. A day to remind yourself- how beautiful and amazing you are, just the way you are! And, here you go: Before I go ahead, I would really to thank all these beautiful ladies for loving me, inspiring me, motivating me and always being on my side whenever I needed them. They have (intentionally or unintentionally) changed my life for good. If I start writing about each one of them, I will never be able to finish as the amount of love and respect which I have for all of them is immeasurable. So, thank you ladies- for being you and for being in my life. Thanks a lot! Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to thank two most special ladies of my life (I would not miss the chance: P): 1. My pretty mom (the one in light blue saree): She is my life. I am what I am because of her and in no words I can ever thank her for tolerating me during my bad times, loving me endlessly, understanding me, listening to my non-stop stupid talks, inspiring me and giving me wings to fly and do what I wanted to. She has been a pillar of support to all my bad times. Thank you mummy- you are the best. 2. My lovely mom-in-law (I don’t like the term in-law so I would rather write mum to show the difference:P) (the one in dark blue saree): I love you my mum. Thank you for everything. Thank you accepting me. I want to do a special thanks to you for giving me the love of my life, for making him a gentleman. These are the values which you have given to him which makes him so special. Thanks for being so lovely. And yes, to all the ladies who I know- personally or professionally, even if I could not post your picture, you have been special to me in many ways. Thanks for being awesome! And now comes the time for some self-love or some love for your ladies. So ladies, please don’t spend this day just like you spend all the other days. You need to feel special and you deserve it. And to all the guys- c’mon, it is your responsibility to make them feel special, all the ladies in your life (your mother, daughter, sister, girlfriend, fiancé, wife, grandmother- everyone) need to know how much you love them. Here are some very quick and simple things which can make their day special (considering that they may have work too): 1. Take them for a family dinner: A dinner out with a family in a peaceful place is a bliss in itself. It will rejuvenate you all for sure. 2. Cook for her at home: It is indeed special when you put in efforts for your lady by doing something out of your way. Today is the day. Do it. Cook for her. Something special, be it easy. She will love it, trust me! 3. Give her your time: Spend some quality time with her in a coffee shop or on a walk in a garden. She just loves time and nothing else. 4. Arrange an all-ladies-dinner for her: It is a good idea to make your lady connect with her ladies. She does not get time otherwise, isn’t it? You do it. 5. Watch a movie with her: A movie which is ruled by a woman will really give spark in her eyes. Watch it with her. What are you going to celebrate this valuable day? Are you going to do something different? Do share your thoughts in the comment section below. P.S. Purple color has been associated with women power even since International women day is celebrated (8th March). It is my way of showing the world that I believe in the power of women. Happy Women’s day!

Aaah- Holi is back..!! Holi- a festival of colors, time to spread some love and happiness all around. Holi is a festival of colour, of fun frolic and letting your inner crazy out. While for some of us, it is the most awaited time of the year, well for others it is not. For them, it is the most annoying, messy and filthy festival of all. I have seen all types of people around me from the two extremes: varying from Holi lovers (its Holi- yayayayayay) per say- the most enthusiastic ones (having their complete arsenal of water balloons, pakka rang and somehow, an unlimited supply of colored water. They will drag you and dunk you in) to rang-me-not (the cutie pies: who tries to hide inside their homes and make excuses ranging from examinations to allergies to how much they hate Holi. But of course, they are dragged by the enthu-cutlets in the wild world of colors, hahaha) to main sharaabi (the ones who are dancing away to glory because of every source of intoxication they have consumed to the fullest- be it alcohol, thandai or bhaang k pakode) to the silver squad (the ones who look more like robots with the silver paint covering every visible inch of their skin. Moreover, they break the monotony by adding dashes of grease and muck as well). At the same time, the other extreme- It’s Holi-eeewwww: the exact opposites of the above ones, who brings down the entire energy level created by the above ones. The idea of getting wet with different colors on the skin does not seem appealing to them, so you will see them at home watching television all day, judging people on the streets. However, the matter of the fact is that a very few people are involved in these two groups. Most of the people around me and you are quite normal about this day and don’t have any hard feelings for it, neither do they have any love for the same (just saying: P). For them, (or to be precise, to us, as I am a part of this bigger gang), it is a holiday J and it itself is a celebration time. We are happy that it is an extra day off from work (especially when it comes on a weekday, wow) and that is it. So when all the other people are busy enjoying or cribbing about this day, here we are who are still thinking of what they can be done today. Here is a small list of how this day can be celebrated/enjoyed without getting involved in the above two groups: 1. Eat-sleep-repeat: This is my all-time favorite mantra for any holiday J the best time to enjoy your holiday and rejuvenate yourself. Eat your favorite food (also when it is festival time, you have plenty of gujiyas at home:P), sleep, rest and repeat. You will be amazed to see your energy the next day because you had the most relaxing time of your life. 2. Go gardening: Yes-yes, of course after all the Holi lovers are done with their celebrations, go to your garden to enjoy with your plants. Your plants also need your time and care. Since you have got this time, why not spend it with them and give them some love. 3. Clean your wardrobe and room: It’s been long that your wardrobe is in a mess and you are not getting any time to clean it and weekends are for sure not made for cleaning, please! Hence, today is the right time. Clean your wardrobe and your room. 4. Invite your friends and family: What is better than spending your day with your loved ones and enjoying some games? Call your friends and close family members. Enjoy a good meal with them and play some Ludo or carom or may be cards? Who’s stopping you from being a child again? 5. Read a novel: Oh yes, utilize this time and read the book you have been delaying from a long time because you were not getting any time. You have it today, sit on a comfortable couch, and enjoy your novel with a cup of coffee and some snacks. Trust me- heaven it is..!! Do you think these ideas are useful? What are your plans for Holi? How are you going to spend it? Do share your thoughts and plans in the comment section below.

“There is always a reason to smile, you just have to find it.” Smile. Before you read ahead, Pause and smile J We are living in 21st century where all of us are so busy in our works that we forget simple things in life which gives us the most joyful moments. Simple things like- to smile (of course for no reason, after all what’s wrong in smiling?) Recently I had been to a few places where somehow I observed something so common and not-so-good that I could not resist myself and thought of writing it down. I am a people observer (at least that’s what I believe). I observe how people around me are, how they behave. There is no specific reason for it, it is just out of habit. Lately, I have observed that many of us have forgotten to actually smile. Smile at simple things, smile at people around us, smile for no reason. I completely understand that life these days is extremely complex and we are all messed up in our heads, but trust me, smiling won’t take much and it will certainly give you a lot! Is it really that difficult to smile, c’mon, let us see it- To start with- how do you spot a genuine smile? Umm may be genuine smile is evident from crinkly eyes, isn’t it? I strongly believe that we all are sensitive and true people, then why is it that when we cross paths with strangers or casual acquaintance in the mall, we give them a ‘fake smile’? Yes, that polite smile. Don’t get me wrong, you know what I am talking about (I do that too sometimes, especially while waiting for someone) Smile with your eyes, feel it from your heart and trust me, it will come out naturally. A smile can be so powerful that it can turn your worst day into the best day and some noticeable effects will be- 1. Optimism in you- you will feel more positive about yourself and everything around you. 2. Healthy you- a smile can affect your internal state of mind and hence the physical state in a positive manner. 3. Attractive you- smile brings positive energy which draws the attention of people to you. Who does not want to be around the cheerful ones, after all? 4. Smiles are contagious- you never know how your smile can make someone else too smile, in their difficult day, may be! And here I am, asking you to take up a smile challenge and see how much difference it will bring in the life of your own self and the people around you. (Mind it, don’t fake it, just feel it) 1. Smile at strangers: You know those times when we cross paths with a stranger or accidentally catch someone’s gaze, and we (both) would suddenly look away in awkwardness and pretend we are looking at something else? Well, the challenge is to give them a big smile. A genuine smile, showing teeth and everything. Give each person you encounter-a small gift. I do this with a smile. Why not? It doesn’t cost us anything. Plus, it’s a lot more fun than feeling awkward and pretending you’re not there. I also love to see people’s reactions when you smile at them, and they aren’t expecting it. Some blush, and others are surprised and smile back, which makes me feel all warm inside. 2. Smile at work: Living under a routine, we can easily be in a zombie-like state when coming into work. We zip into work quickly following the same routines we’ve habituated. Our target is to get to work, and we can sometimes forget about the people around us, in other cubes/rooms/departments. So, the challenge is to practice beaming with smile as you come into work. Smile genuinely with people you meet. Be completely pleased to see them. Make it a focus for the day, to bring more happiness into the lives of others. Ask them genuinely and infused with energy, “How are you?” “How was your weekend?” Watch the smiles surface on their face. (Again, don’t fake it, please..!) 3. Smile Fully -You know that half smile we give people when we’re trying to be polite? Like on an elevator, bumping in someone at the front door, or waiting in line. Why not practice giving them a real smile? It’ll be less awkward and you can potentially make someone’s day, or a new friend! 4. A Small Compliment with Your Smile -When meeting or encountering people. Look for things you admire or like about them, however small, let them know. A small genuine compliment can go a long way to lift people’s spirits. I have really found it useful to be mindful of things that make me smile. You can also spend/spare some minutes (for your own self) and make a list of things that brings a smile to your face. However, if you are still stuck and are not able to find the right reason which gives you a big smile on your face, I am sharing a few tips which might help you out: 1. Write it down- Before you sleep, genuinely think of those moments when you actually smiled, from within and write them down in a journal, may be. Repeat it for 10 days and see the change. It could be difficult in the beginning, but you will surely have at least one reason to smile everyday (which will increase when you will consciously smile) 2. Bring humor in your life- Make a habit of watching a good comedy show, of your choice. Hang out with people who make you laugh. 3. Treat yourself- go on a self-date. When you are happy with yourself, your smile with be visible automatically. 4. Look for innocence- Observe a small child or a pet at play with total ease and freedom. Watch their innocence, enjoy their presence and yours. Are you smiling? Do you feel happy for them? That’s because you are connecting with the same innocence within yourself. What makes you smile? Who made you smile today? Share your moments of happiness in the comment section below. *smile* *smile* P.S. I am smiling as I am writing this down. I love it! Thank you for giving your time and reading it, thank you for allowing me to express myself!

Love can happen in arranged marriage as well- a statement I have been listening to, from quite some time (since the time my family started thinking that I have reached the ‘right ‘ age to get married now), with all the stories of my parents and grandparents attached to it explaining to me and convincing me about arranged love. And I never believed in it, till I met my arranged love (there is more to it, keep reading)J Yes, it happened. I am rokafied and it is completely an arranged set-up by our parents (I have been asked this question by surprisingly many people around and hence I decided to mention it here). I never believed in arranged love. The only thing I could understand was arranged-marriage-without-love. Arranged love-ahaan, so basically you are supposed to meet a complete stranger in a cafe amongst his and your families, get some ten-fifteen minutes of awkward conversation with him and say yes? Say yes to a marriage- a commitment for a lifetime which changes the course of your entire life and restructure everything, c’mon, this is insane? And, what essential piece of information will you get to decide that you are going to marry him in those 15 minutes of planned first meet when every person would try to put his best foot forward? Well at the same time, what will you share about yourself? Moreover, how will anyone guarantee that the decision taken (if it is a YES) is going to be right? These questions always used to haunt me. How can I blindly jump into a bottomless well and trust the whole process of choosing a life-partner believing that everything will turn out well for me (and perhaps for him as well)? However, things turned out in a way, I could never even imagine. And I am proudly sharing it here for two reasons: 1. Showing my gratitude and love to my fiance and my new family for giving me all the love, warmth and comfort in such a short period of time, for which my thanking words will never be enough. 2. For those who are still going through the process of looking-for-a-suitable-match, trust me- things will happen when they are destined to happen-in a right way at the right time with the right person. Just keep the faith and be YOU, real YOU. And so here is a speak peek into how it began and how everything just fell into place: Like all the previous set-ups, this was also arranged by his and my parents where we met with our families and were asked to sit on another table to discuss about each other’s likes and dislikes and see if we would like to go ahead. It was extremely awkward in the beginning but then everybody on the table was so warm that the awkwardness disappeared very soon. When I sat with him, the only thing I knew was that I will be ‘real’ me, no pretension and no falseness. So I was quite comfortably talking about how I am and what I am. He, at the same time, was (probably) looking for someone who does not have to showcase her qualities and can be original, whatever it be. He seemed to be a nice man in the first go as he had shown chivalry (had this not happened, I would not have said ‘nice’). The conversation lasted for around twenty minutes where we shared who are and what are our expectations from our life, I believe quite honestly (unexpectedly) without the thought of being ‘judged’. When we came back to our parents, we were asked how the meeting was. Though the small chit chat session did not give me a clear reason to say yes, it did not give me any reason to say NO either. There was nothing strikingly inappropriate that we could sense in each other, nor did any bit of the talk seem inappropriate. However, somehow, be it the conversation or the way he was, or the way he treated me, I don’t know exactly what, I wanted to become a little open and believe that there might be a slight chance that everything is not so twisted and things might turn out well here. After all, what good has ever come out of being extremely negative and pessimistic? So I decided to give it a chance (he might have thought the same) and our phone numbers were exchanged. Starting from small texts to long chats and then longer chat sessions, we became comfortable with each other in a very short period of time. Texting and phone calls became regular where honestly our major discussions were about the common topic-‘food’:P . The discussions steered in a direction where we both decided that it would make sense to meet again and then make a decision. We planned to meet again where we discussed in detail about how we are looking forward to our lives- individually. A lot of things matched between us. Somehow, in the middle of all the conversations, we clicked and our frequencies matched. This might sound weird but that’s how it was. All my apprehensions were vanished. I still cannot explain it but yes that’s how it was. We shared our greatest laughs and deepest sorrows. Everything was just real. I was raw me and he was real him. The conversations continued and we finally knew what we want. The families decided to tie our knot. From completely unknown strangers to being comfortable to friends to fiance- we now are hitched and ready to be happily imprisoned with each other. We now feel happily prepared to take on this new chapter in our lives in its full stride. The precursors including the dress code, type and place of meeting, the pressure of being judged and apparent absurdity of the whole concept is immaterial to me now. I am just glad that I found my gem. After the formal roka ceremony, started our long phone marathons (and of course sleep deprivations), facetime and WhatsApp chats during work hours, the eagerness to meet for days in a row, needless to say- the life is brimming with joy. We had a head-on-collision with love and all I can say is YES- without a doubt- a million times YES..! Amen to us! There is nothing called love at first sight and the process of finding love is still a dark path where you cannot see what’s ahead, but if he is indeed the one for you, no amount of feelings in the world can define that abundance of love, happiness and companionship this bond will bring to you. “Sometimes, the best thing that you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, and not obsess. Just breathe and have faith that everything will work out for the best.” How did you find your life partner? Has anything like this (unbelievable like stories) ever happened to you? Do share your story in the comment section below.

“The New Year means nothing if you are still in love with your comfort zone.” This New Year-2018- be your own inspiration..!! From motivational slogans and manifestos to inspirational ads and hoardings, there is no shortage of inspiration to keep our health routines strong. Especially, when New Year is around the corner. This is the best time for making resolutions (and of course breaking them quite soon) like losing weight, getting those ribbed muscles and six-pack abs and the list is never-ending. Any New Year is incomplete without making the resolution about losing weight and getting into shape. You cannot deny the fact that this is one resolution which all of us make every year and the ritual continues forever. Most of us take New Year as an opportunity as a fresh start including hitting the gym or going for a regular jog with a lot of enthusiasm, energy and positivity but gradually (to be precise, very soon) we all go back to our same normal routine forgetting about our goals and resolutions. Have you ever thought why the inspirational boards and the quotations on the walls of the gym are not powerful enough to keep us on track? Why do we lose that spirit of achieving the goal we had planned for ourselves in the beginning of the year? What goes wrong, every year? It’s not just you: Many people are turned off by actually going through the process of exercising and healthy eating, not because it is difficult but because it is different. It changes your lifestyle, brings you out of your comfort zone and as rightly said by someone- “change always brings turbulence.” Also, most of us somehow believe that age is a dominating factor which decides the amount of exercise we can do and our body can tolerate. I have heard a lot of ladies (aging from 30-50) talking about how exercise is for the young people and that one should better start walking rather than actually hitting the gym. Use of dumb bells and weight machines is a big no-no for most of the middle ages ladies around us. However, at the same time, people who are considered to be young also lose their motivation because they do not have anyone who continues to do a better job in front of them. Fortunately, a few days back, I met a lady- Ms Mamta Matta- whose dedication and hard work influenced me so much that I decided to dedicate a blog to her because I strongly believe that she is actually a true inspiration to many of us. So today, without talking about the same old things again, I will share the story of this beautiful lady who is a real example of fat to fit and who candidly proves that age has nothing to do with staying fit. Ms Mamta Matta, a simple housewife never knew anything about gym and weight loss and dumb bells till the age of 41. She was a normal happy-go-lucky lady who was quite content with her body and lifestyle until one day when she was told by someone that she was incapable of losing weight and getting into shape. This statement pinched her so hard that she decided to work on herself and prove that she is capable of achieving anything she decides to. She joined the gym after that and from day 1 was super active and energetic. She worked hard, very hard. It took her a lot of time to get comfortable with the fitness routine but her beauty is- she always changed her routine once she got comfortable with the previous one. She did not require any motivation from anywhere, she became her own inspiration. And today, when she is 46, she has ripped muscles and amazingly toned body. Not just this, it is extremely impressive to see her when she works out. She is always energetic, super active, enthusiastic to learn new steps in aerobics, hardens her weight training sessions and gives real fitness goals to people around her. “She believed she could so she did.” And I believe that each one of us have the ability to push ourselves and be what we want to be. Fitness can have different meanings for all of us. For some it means losing weight whereas for others it might be just maintaining where we are, for some it can be getting that toned body but can be just staying active for others. It is not about going to the gym and doing intense training for long hours, it is about keeping yourself active and energetic by any which ways you feel you would be happy to start and continue to follow. There are immense options- gymming, swimming, jogging, dancing or may be yoga. The purpose is to come out of your comfort zone and do something which you have never done without stopping. And whenever you feel like quitting, pause and think about this lady, I am sure you would not want to stop after that. It is time to be your own inspiration. I hope this story will help you to keep your New Year resolutions for long times and you will be able to achieve your goal-may be not soon but eventually- for sure. Happy New Year to everyone. P.S. Thanks to Ms Mamta Matta for letting me write about her personal drive and allowing me to use her amazing pictures. More power to her!

All right, so 2017 is going to end soon. We are almost approaching the end of December, a month of making resolutions, a month of contemplation. And on top of that comes our own, very lovely social media. It has made everyone insecure. No, no, no- please don’t get me wrong on this. I really enjoy using various platforms because they entertain me (with jokes and wonderful memes), provides me a lot of information (regarding anything and everything I need or want to know) and are pretty useful/entertaining at times when I am unable to find anybody to guide me or help me pass my time :P. But the flip side is that social media also exposes us to what everyone else around us is doing. And let me do some reality check here: according to Facebook- everyone we know is happy, getting married, enjoying their vacations at the most beautiful places of the world, always dressed to impress, at the gym, eating right, politically correct, and constantly in a state of love and affection from near and dear ones (especially cuddling the puppy). And the same goes with Instagram and the people you follow here. And now, specifically in December, people are constantly pouting and posing sharing how happy they are in their favorite month of the year (I really don’t understand what’s so different), showing their excitement about Christmas and New Year and what their plans are, I sometimes tend to think as to what is going on. When you are going through a rough patch and doubting your very own existence, seeing Manisha from your maths class on the beach with vodka and a hot boyfriend (or husband) isn’t very helpful. That’s because we compare other people’s highlight reels to our blooper reel and believe that illusion is reality (which apparently is not so). We all do it. There have been so many times when I have had a day full of rejection and failure and then I sign in to Facebook only to see that two of my high school friends just got married. I am sitting there, single, trying to complete my never ending work, alone in my house, eating some stupid daal chawal and just staring at this wedding reception album and thinking- “what the hell am I doing with my life? Am I completely delusional? Should I be getting married? I am precisely not doing my life correctly.” However, this is just one of the epic examples of our thoughts through which we all go through because we don’t realize what we are feeling and what do we need to do about it. Hence, when everybody else is doing the best they can in their lives (at least that’s how it looks like- virtually), I strongly believe it is the right time for us to have a reality check. An emotional self-awareness check to understand our own emotions. And what better than a new year to start reconnecting with your own self, what’s say? Understanding emotions is extremely important especially for today’s generation when every second person is facing depression or anxiety. Only when we know what we feel, we will be able to reflect and work on it. Each emotion wants to say something, indicates something so powerful that it is time for us to listen carefully. Here after a lot of pondering over my own thoughts and brain racking about their meaning, struggling to find out what and how should I pen down my thoughts,  I have collated the list of what I feel these emotions mean to each one of us. I hope these will help you to reflect and be happy with your self. P.S. I am not against celebrating Christmas or New Year or any occasion for that matter, but I think that we must not be affected by the illusions and virtual life of social media and anything around us and must listen to our own emotions for our own betterment. “When you know yourself you are EMPOWERED, when you accept yourself, you are INVINCIBLE.” – Tina Lifford Wish you all Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2018. May you all be blessed with peace and contentment in the years to come. J Please do let me know how do you like this blog. Would be waiting for your feedback in the comments section below.