A Prayer

O God, please bless me because I pray you every morning after bath but without offering you flowers. Please also bless all those who pray you offering variety of flowers stolen from my garden. After all, what is important is that YOU get the flowers no matter who cultivated them and who stolen them but ultimately offered to YOU. If caught, they shamelessly say "it's Shravan!' Our politicians are not different than this! So, sabki Jai Ho!

Bas itna sa hi gunaah hain…………:)

Life put apart by 30+ years is a feeling which really leaves bad taste in mouth!

In late 1970's and early 1980's we used to relish deep fried full "paaplet", one full plate of deep fried prawns and 'murgi parotha' all in one go at Sion Koliwada. To top all this, we used to have apples near Shanmukhanada Hall and after getting down at Wadala Station, one full glass of boiling hot milk! All this is still there! But the time has torn me 30+ years apart!

So now what? After hectic week, I reached Sion Koliwada this evening to try my luck!!! I thought that let's enjoy the week end over the same menu! The unpardonable mistake I committed is that, at some innocent moment, I disclosed my plan to elder dotty!!! Big mistake indeed! Frankly, this mobile phones are greatest curse and mood spoilers! I started receiving calls on my mobile warning against many things! Wify and elder dotty in particular! Since elder dotty joined LTMMC at Sion Hospital, all the charm of going to Sion Koliwada has vanished!

So what ultimately what I had this evening? Went to Sion Koliwada, but could not order a single dish! The very sight of 'kadais' full of oil frightened me! So came down to Vile Parle, seated in the same sophisticated hotel. (with AC 'on' etc. etc.) The menu : Tandoori Prawns (with instruction "no oil"), half veg. spring roll (wrapped in tissues for 15 mints; so again, no oil) one veg. sandwich with liberal dose of tomato ketchup and pudina chutny!

The only crime I committed is that I had one portion of kulfi! Bas itna sa hi gunaah hain…………:)

Purviben

There is this little girl presently at Surat. Purviben. My brother in law's daughter. Purvi. I call her Purviben because she is fluent in Gujarati and she lives in Surat. I am her greatest fan since 2001; the year she was born. The reason is very simple and natural. She looks largely like my wife and her complexion is exactly like my wife! Whenever I touch her, I recall the touch of my wife! God is great! HE is who decides everything about us. Who, what and how we are. In Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta, the Lord said, it is HE who decides the destiny of all of us. We all owe our existence to HIM! Purvi and my wife! Niece and aunt! The similarity is striking!

One more thing about Purviben. She is the only person who was the reason of joy for my mother in her last few days. My mother was on her death bed. I mean, she was facing her terminal illness. It was Purvi, who gave joy and pleasure to my mother. My mother often said; Mama has very pretty daughter! Indeed, Purvi was very very pretty then. Still she is. I used to take Purvi in my lap inside the ICU to please my mother. Those three or four last days of her life were pleasurable because of Purvi. And obviously, since then, Purvi became the angel of my eyes.

Now I hear from her mother, that they are shifting to Pune! I am happy because Purviben shall be near to me and I can meet her often. Surat in Gujarat was really an alien place!!!

Recently, about a month ago, I met Purviben at Surat. The night, when we went out for dinner is unforgettable throughout my life. We were walking down the footpath. Talking, Purviben telling me stories of her school and in between, we both were jumping and circling around ourselves! What a joy!

In 2001-02, she was living in Pune. Then the family shifted to Surat. Now Purviben is settling down at Pune in near future. I hoped this to happen long ago. It is now that her parents decided to do so. There is one lovely Marathi poem ....कधीतरी एकटे उगाचच फ़िरले पाहिजे..........तलावाच्या काठावर उताणे पडले पाहिजे........ Similarly, I would say, kadhitari ekte ugachach phirle pahije.............Purviben barobar unaadle pahije!

Yes, that's the right word! unaadle pahije! :))). The circle is complete! 2001 to 2011. Full ten years circled around and now I will have Purviben near to me at Pune!

Facebook

I am often amused. How this facebook has changed our lives! I got Mechanical Engg. in the second year Engg. based on my first year marks as was the practice then. I wrote postal inland letters to my parents informing them this 'good' news! I received their replies after one and half week by their postal inland letters! Now? Just post it on facebook and you get instant response! Bacche aur maa-baap, all are on facebook! Jai Ho ! :)

Fun in washing utensils

There are many pleasures in life for which we hardly get a chance to enjoy. To all my male buddies : have you ever tried washing utensils when your wife is out of station? If not try it.

Procedure : Put on your Bermuda with round neck T shirt. Arrange utensil soap, shampoo and scrubbers; both soft and metal. See that the sink is full of utensils. Now get your iphone/ipod/mp3 player or mobile. Fix the earphones. Now start 'ghisaai'. Important Note : You should do this with some mid 1985's Jitendra-Sreedevi numbers e.g. : taki o taki o taki taki taki re jabse tu dil main jhaanki, aapas main tak dhin tak ho gaya ab kya reh gaya baaki......or similar ones. Its great fun buddy! Honestly :)

Resuming Back

Resuming back to blog writing. I have many topics in mind to write about. But due to pressure of work and above that my laziness prevents me from writing. After the day's work, I often like to just lay down and do nothing. I try to keep mind empty. That is not always possible. But I do try. I wrote many wall posts on facebook. But there is a restriction on number words. Here it is not. That is one of the plus point here. Tomorrow is Aashadhi Ekadashi. On the auspicious occasion, let me resume back.

Today is Gita Jayanti. I used to read Gita whenever time permitted. Since last December, I have started reading regularly. I read one or two shlokas every day and try to understand them. Trying since last 29 years. :) One thing I certainly understood is that; this Eternal Song of Hindus is nothing but Karmayogshastra. I believe it should be studied by young men and women in their 20's rather than by older people.