So far so good.

I like waking up in the middle of the night when it is still dark outside. I like waking up to this feeling that I have a few more hours to sleep before I leave for work. It's been almost three months since I began my professional career as a lawyer and I am still getting the hang of it. Every now and then,  some of my colleagues come up to me to share their wise suggestions on how to survive in this field and how to deal with office politics. It is not as unusual as I used to think initially, but there is one common thing which I've been told too many times: Not to trust anyone here. 

It is funny because whenever someone tells me this, the first thing that comes to my mind is "Okay, so I shouldn't trust you too right!." For now, I think I am doing fine by not getting too involved in the world of so called smart people. I like being detached. It is so much better than indulging myself in forced office camaraderie. 

But you know what there are good things too. Like:

a. I have full independence to splurge and it is hundred times more satisfying when you do that with your self-earned money.

b. I can't wait to start travelling without any guilt because again, this independence is sweeter than I could've ever imagined and also because, travel is the only thing I know that can keep me sane apart from poetry, of course.

c. I love it when someone asks whether I am a student and how surprised they look when I tell them that no, I'm a lawyer. Needless to say, five years of law college were totally worth it.

In other news, I am obsessing over the latest album Honeymoon by Lana Del Rey and High by the beach is my favorite of all, especially because of this badass music video. 

________

How are you all doing?

xo

Things I have been wanting to share.

• I started this blog just a week before stepping into law school and that was five long years ago. My college life is over, I'm officially a graduate. I'm officially a lawyer!
• I'm growing up too fast and I don't like it at all. Adulthood is scary, it is messed up and there is always too much to do. It's been more than a month since I turned 23 and it is as crazy as it was last year or the year before that. Honestly, I think in my head, I stopped growing up after 16.
• I got a job, like a real job in the real world and I am not yet accustomed to this feeling of having my own visiting cards that say that I'm an Associate. It is a lot to take in and I think I'm going to forget about it for a while.
• My brother visited us in June and gave my parents an out of this world surprise just by appearing one night. It was such a beautiful moment when I saw my mom scream and burst into tears as bhaiya walked in. Dad was in another city, so he refused to believe till we made a video call. And I.. well I managed the whole surprise by keeping the news with myself for two weeks, which was undoubtedly the toughest task. Somebody appreciate me please.
• A few days back, I received a mail which said that in some survey, Mirage has been selected among the Top 15 Personal Blogs in India, and that left me thrilled. To read somebody else's thoughts on my blog, on Mirage, it is a beautiful feeling. Of course, those thoughts have to be beautiful to make that feeling beautiful. eeeeep!
• And and, I'm going to bed now. I wanted to watch Game of Thrones today, but I couldn't because like I said, in grown-ups world, there is always too much to do and it is already midnight. And I have office tomorrow. Uh! Why can't I just refuse to grow up.
• Anyway, it feels great to share this with you.
• Thank you for reading.
• I love you.
• Here's a goodnight kiss.
• Go now.
• Shooo.

Hibernation level - Complete

So my blog missed more than a month's update on my shitty life. Hmph. That is one long break!

February is here already, winters have started to turn around, giving way to the lovely spring season and I too have decided to end my prolonged hiatus and come out of the blanket. There wasn't any specific reason as to why or how this hiatus began in the first place. But anyway, I'm glad that it's finally over. 

You know one of the scariest revelations that I've had recently is that most of this life which we proudly call ours is beyond our control, driven by things like fate. It is so annoying that even after giving your one hundred percent, you can never be sure of anything. That is just how life is. Blatantly random! 

The dream on which I was working on since quite a long time got bulldozed by fate. I fell, I hit the ground hard, I got up, brushed the dirt off my skin, covered the bleeding wound on my knee and I think, I think I'm ready to walk again.

Because I'm done mulling over the loss and feeling helpless all the time. I'm done reminiscing about the thing which never belonged to me. It gets boring after a while, you know.

So I'm back here in the blogosphere and since I needed a push for myself to take charge of certain things, I gave Mirage a complete makeover while playing at high volume, my favorite pop music of the evergreen 90's, de-stressed myself by dancing to the tunes of Coco Jumbo and Macarena, ordered a big box of protein shake (no idea, how i will finish it), played Coldplay and Lana Del Rey on repeat, practiced yoga and prepared myself to be mind blowing once again.

Let's see how far this mind-blowing girl can go before the randomness of life strikes again.

Meanwhile, listen to this,

Lana Del Rey - I can fly

___________

Mad race.

I have slowed down

but i'm still

running,

making my every step,

my every breath

count

in this unfair mad race

that i am a part of

since the day i opened this heart

for you, for him, for her

for them to watch it start

pumping sense 

to my brain and then

steer it

again, again,

time and again

amidst a crowd of hopes

crushed by weak, ailing feet

of envy, of lust,

of betrayal, of greed

running together in semblance

of monsters and angels.

Yes, there are dreams too

there are things like

rains and rainbows,

poems of love and fires of the stars

but they found their home long ago

leaving behind

just these numbed scars.

And now the light is yellow,

we are all on our toes

ready to run faster..

faster than before.

So let's take a moment here

and feel sorry for ourselves.

How beautifully this mad race

has turned us into a mess.

________

Because even angels fall

After days of working towards my dream, I have finally got a chance to write, to share, to update my little world out here.

It is very weird.. my current state of mind is totally confused. I am confused. I'm so confused! At one moment I feel extremely ecstatic to watch reality, gradually impersonating my most beautiful dream and then in a snap, I come out of it with unbearable stress.

Today, in the morning while I was going to college, my shuffled playlist played a song which I used to listen during the first year. It was one of my favorites back then and needless to say, I used to play it on repeat. The song is 'Even Angels Fall' by Jessica Riddle. It got famous from the movie '10 Things I Hate About You.' and I'm quite sure you must have heard it. If not, then please do listen. It is beautiful!

Anyway, there is this line in the lyrics - "One day it's heaven, one day it's hell" I have heard this song a gazillion times and never before did this line hit me. I cannot begin to express how perfectly it fits my current situation and how I'm in love with this song all over again.

Because you don't always need motivational quotes of great philosophers to heal, there are times when life's randomness makes you feel much much better. So, maybe the next time or the next next time you hear from me, my mind will be more clear with a dream in hand and better words to share.

Till then, keep loving me, will you?

Mirage.

_____

...

And then one day I will brush off the splintered pieces of storm that was once my whole life and gradually crawl away.. uncovered, unguarded but not vulnerable. because fighting fear is the most beautiful yet terrifying way to know that you are strong and that you always have been.

______

Picture Source: unknown

...

When you have bruises on the knee,

there are stories to tell

and a world to inspire.
_____

Let's sit together and talk for a while.

It is one of those phases when you know you want to write, when you know what you want to write, when it is clear and succinct in your head that you want to write but lethargy takes over and you surrender.

Slow but smooth.. that's life these days.

It's been more than a month since my brother moved to US and I'd assumed that the presence of an empty room upstairs would be unnerving but we are gradually getting used to it. I haven't told this to anyone but there are days when I go to his room, switch on the lights, no fan, just sit in his chair and do nothing. Absolutely nothing! I don't know why but this activity has become the easiest way to feel at peace on a rough day or on any other day.

College is nearing it's end. I will be a lawyer in less than twelve months! Even after four years, the question about my future - life after college has not found an answer. But the good thing is that I have made peace with the eternally confused state of mind.

It is unreal that I survived college so far. I'd never thought that I would say this but yes, I don't want this to end! After four years of struggling to sail through law college, I feel a lot less burdened, a lot more confident and a lot happier by not carrying the unnecessary weight of people's expectations on me. Life is so much easier when you live only for yourself and for those who honestly care for you. It is so much more vibrant when you are surrounded by warm and positive people. If I were to give someone advice on how to be happy, I'd say be real to yourself and the worldly facade will disappear on its own.

In another news, Tamarind Rice, a wonderful literary magazine has put me up on their regulars' feature page. I haven't gotten over this dreamy news yet and every now and then I visit their website just to see my name and smile for a while. Click on the link right now!!! Thank you.

To add on, more publications came my way. Few of my haiku poems got published in two journals. It is a superbly awesome feeling when you notice that you are the only person from your country to get published in international journals and that is the moment when patriotism awash your heart.

After around 7-8 years, I gave up my long straight hair to treat myself with a much needed change. Sadly, the cut now looks like before and the length is gone! Whoever says that having naturally straight hair is a boon should come and talk to me. A little bummed over this fact but also, my mood is going happily up because the beautiful season of festivals is approaching. The annual Diwali wali feeling is already here and I am just too happy to be free of any worry.

Okay, that's a lot of talking for now.

Now let's hear how your life is going.. shall we?!

Love
Mirage
______

You will always have you to be with.

It is okay to not do the thing
you want to do for days
at a stretch,
wonder while staring
at the tangerine paint on your pretty feet,
of words
you want to vomit,
of thoughts
you want to
share
with the world that pretends to listen
to care, to love, to smile, to give a fuck.
It is okay to not do the thing
and spend days reading
dirty old notes
of a dirty old man
and not struggle
to breathe through
the serpentine locks of
melancholy
and just be there for a while longer
still, unloving, undying.

It is okay to think of it as a lie,
a joke maybe
just maybe
this could be unreal
But what is the thing
you want it to be.
what is the thing you dearly seek.
a peaceful sleep,
an honest talk,
some mad people to share the madness.

There is always a reason, love
there is always a reason which makes
writers crazy
and when there is none,
they slyly create one.
______

Dance Away.

On the delicate notes of life, I dance away

gradually unfastening

the mismatched ties..

I loose these limbs, open the eyes

shedding dried thoughts on this brightly lit day,

on the delicate notes of life, I lift my head up and dance away.

I lift my head up, they watch me and talk

as the lines on my feet

rub against the cold concrete;

I'm not a puppet honey,

you are a part of my play

on the delicate notes of life, I smirk and dance away.

I swirl around like smoke,

or a gorgeous stroke of brush

softening the wounded area

where the blood once rushed.

Don't stop.. this girl might go astray,

on the delicate notes of this thing called life, I dance away.

_______

Picture Source

The Chapter of My Life - Twenty Thirteen.

As the curtains are being drawn and the year is nearing its end, I curl up in my blanket, play my favorite music and flip back the pages of this chapter of my life.

The story of getting published for the first time and watching my name on paper back gleaming silently among big reputed names. That pride which pervaded on my mother's face when I stood on the stage with many other talented poets. Ah! It was priceless.

The story of pestering my parents to allow me to live my passion to travel and experiencing some of the most breathtaking moments of my life. My first vacation with a bunch of friends!

The story of wearing a scarred face that wrested my confidence and crushed it to death and then gradually walking on the road of recovery and coming out as an even more beautiful person. I can look into the mirror and feel good about myself, again. And by all means, I have deserved it.

The story of watching a loved one turn into a wisp of memory lingering in our lives and learning that this reality is just as transient as you, me, our smiles and tears are. I learned that you don't have to be old to be strong and wise, you can be as young as nine and be stronger and wiser than all around you. The time when I watched my brother breathe his last breaths with unflinching calmness, I felt my heart pump nothing but sheer dread in my veins. I watched him lie there, fighting with fucking cancer while I curled up in agony within my fragmented sighs because I could do nothing. I was but a helpless soul flapping restlessly to find some solace, just a little scoop of solace to comprehend what was happening around.

I wish that day was a haze to me. I so wish!

This life, it is a big, scary labyrinth. We are but puppets crawling around in spirals which ultimately ends up in the same destination. I was literally surprised to see that people who call themselves my close friends, lurked behind the facade of a busy life or some other make believe crap when I badly needed a shoulder to cry on, when I wanted to kill my daunting fears and give an outlet to my feelings, layer by layer. I never confronted them. Never felt the need to do so!

-Charles Bukowski

It's really funny how the aftermath of one big accident can strip off so many beguiling lies which you've been living for long. But then again, isn't it better that those beguiling lies finally stand naked and one can leave them all behind and start afresh? Well, yes, it sure is.

With nth number of ups and downs, this chapter of my life comes to an end. Hope for a less bumpy new year for myself and for you dear reader. I never say this but you are way better than many of these people around because you listen to my woes and musings with utmost patience and stay by my side always.

Thank you for being real to me.

A very happy new year.

Love
Mirage
_____

Tell Me Your Story

While we lie down together on the light creases of bedsheet. I have never liked creases. And I would never do. But when you tell me your story, there is not a thing in this world which can strip me off the attention. I lie close to you, our heads touching slightly, as you whisper your story in my ear. I listen raptly. My arms are stretched upright in the blackness, with a slight bend and fingers dance artlessly, the way I do a lot, while my mind tries to picture your words and the people living in those words, giving them countenances and enlivening them in the nicest manner. 

So tell me more.

Tell me the things which made you the happiest when you were as young as five, the fears, the inhibitions which you had and how you nipped them off as you grew up, the dormant moments of embarrassment which nobody else knows or remembers apart from you. Those cute little lies, those wicked ideas which popped in your head almost all the time. Share with me how you spent the evenings when you were young and alone, a lifetime ago. What kept you busy, I would so love to know. How you devised new pranks and how you executed them. I want to know it all. I want to laugh with you till my stomach hurts and hear the subtle confluence of our echoes. So tell me your story.

The labyrinth of adventures and misadventures, the snippets of love and hate, the unfathomable bouts of melancholy and the ethereal moments of breaking free, the times you failed to devolve coherence out of life, and the times of incessant rush of butterflies in your stomach.

Tell me as we sit here in the sun and I tilt my head slightly to the right, resting the temple on the palm of my hand because I'm so engrossed in those words pouring out of your mouth, those profound and resonating words. I want to keep them with me, some place surreptitiously close so that I can read them again and again. I'm so engrossed in your story that I forget about the hot tea which has been sitting amidst us, for a while. It has lost its steam and now rests still, like a warrior without his armor. You stop for a while to tell me that my eyes are glinting like a kid's. You stop, to push back a few strands of hair hanging with svelte along my left cheek. I smile.

Tell me your story.

And maybe I could be a part of it too. When you struggle in times of making delicate decisions, I could share my thoughts with you. When after an infinitely long day of hopelessness, you come home, I could make you lie on my lap and move my hands smoothly through your hair. When you are in one of the happy moments of your life, I could be there and be a part of your happiness or even better, I could be the reason lurking behind your happiness. Or in those times when you stay up all night and cry to yourself. I could be there to offer you a shoulder. And hush you back to sleep. And silently, I would watch your eyeballs move to and fro as you dream and a smile would slyly place itself on my lips. You'd snore and I would smile a little more.

And years later, when you are old, with grey hair and a fragile body and would sit with your children, your beautiful daughter and handsome son, tell them about me. Would you? About my idiosyncrasies, about my veiled passions, about my habit to make my fingers dance artlessly in the air, about the glint in my eyes and about the sound of my giggle. Because that day my story would begin.

From you.

In your words.

______

Words

Let's collect words. Let's collect words of mesmerism and passion. Of how a soft rush of wind plays with a tuft of hair coming out of the woolen cap. Of being tucked away from the world's madness for a while, closely in the arms of the mother. Of the moment cold feet gently kisses the warm grass beneath. Of holding tight a hot cup of tea with cold, slender fingers. Of taking in the intoxicating smell of books, stories and snippets, old and new. Of enjoying breath vapors on a chilly winter day. Of basking in the sunshine and watching your pet keep its head on your lap. Of the first few driblets of water that touch the parched palate. Of the insignificant laughter and echoes that follow you in the depth of the night. Of being a daisy while everyone else is just a rose! Of leaving blissful imprints in others' lives. Of those few moments of peace when you saunter slowly down the street, sublimely soaked in the rain. Of talking about epiphanies of our lives with people who belong to us, only us. Of the overwhelming aftermath of making sweet love and sinking in his chest to hear the deep pulsating sound. Of feeling beautiful even though you see a scarred face, smiling back innocently in the mirror.

Of unbeknownst miseries that may lie ahead and also, of the cloudless yet surreal present that has been unwrapped for you to give life another chance.

So shall we, love?

_____

Image Source

You are More Than an Inspiration, Brother.

I visited him yesterday. He is very weak, fragile and unconscious. His eyes are yellow because of Jaundice and are open since many days. He can't close them as the brain has almost stopped functioning. The doctors have discharged him from the hospital because they say that they have no idea how long he would be in this coma-like state and that there is nothing more they can do. No treatment, nothing!

The one thing which is good, is that he is no more in excruciating pain.

Earlier, I was told that I shouldn't see him in this condition as it would be too much to handle and this glum picture of his would be stuck in my memory forever. But they were wrong! It gave me so much satisfaction just to watch him there, lying in calmness and peace. Yes, he looked extremely delicate and frail but I did not fear even a bit. Why would I? He is my brother after all. So what, if at 40, his body is as weak as that of an old man's. It narrates a tale of his brave and valiant battle with the world's most dangerous form of cancer. It narrates a tale of his determination with which he tried his best to quell the bitch. Nobody could ever portray the kind of mettle spirit he did, during the past one year. 

He is a lot more than an inspiration! To me, to the family and to his friends.

All through the months, even in immense pain, he always cradled a positive outlook. Having learnt the art of meditation, he detached himself from trivial, flimsy and all other kind of worries of the world.

Day before yesterday, my mother told me that out of many, the last thing which he taught her was not to love his body but his soul, his teachings and his way of life. For he will always be there in the heart.

Death has nothing to do with going away.

The sun sets

The moon sets

But they are not gone.

~ Rumi

For both his daughters, he has left something so beautiful which I cannot put into fine words. He has written a diary filled with so many precious teachings for life. It is hard for me to express how moved I was when yesterday, I sat down in a room all alone, and read those pages. They gave me goosebumps! All I wanted to do was just read them over and over again and cry to them forever. I can only imagine how relieving those tears would be. Even now, while I'm making an attempt to tell you how soothing it was, I can't fight back this urge to read it once more. For that is the one thing which would be the most priceless asset: An exquisite father-daughter thing!

Here is a picture which I clicked sneakily.

We don't know how much time is left now. We don't know when we would get the impending news. Hope has faded into sheer nothingness. And yes! We all are preparing ourselves for the worst. Even his wife, the strongest of all, who always greets us with a big smile, has become the pillar of the family. She is a brave woman and doesn't stand a tinge of pity from anyone. Last evening, she told us how dearly my brother wished to have a little get-together with family and friends but his deteriorating condition disallowed him.

Sigh!

Anyway, as the day ended, I made a promise to myself to learn the art of meditation. I have already added it to my wish list and shall soon work towards fulfilling the same. As he, in the diary, wrote to his daughters that whenever life gets tough, just meditate and face it and it will be good again.

Love you beyond everything, brother!

On a lighter note, last evening, I received a lot of appreciation for my recently published poems. Of course, I, without a fail, kept flying higher and higher.

Wait, haven't I told you that I got published again? Yes!!! And this time it is an online magazine Tamarind Rice. Go search me and read my poems.

What a Hoax.

This life which you and I are living, is a picture of some ugly art. It has a few little soothing shades placed on some portions, here and there. But overall, the picture is glum, ugly and a lot bitter. And we are nothing but a part of this ugliness. Or perhaps, some other world's hell.

But what if this picture does not even exist? What if the soothing shades are a charade, a deception, a lie? What if this life is a lie? A fucking big lie.

How sad! It sucks both ways. We are either surviving in a hell or living a life which is an illusion, a mirage.

Live it Sweetheart. Don't Just Survive!

I have heard people say that one should live each day to the fullest. I have heard dialogues in inspirational movies guiding us to make every day count, for life is too short. And as a child, teenager and an adult too, I have always had this strong will not to have any regrets in life. That regrets wouldn't fall on our way if we do what our heart seeks and if we give every little opportunity a shot to comfort us and to immaculately craft new memories for us.

And as I write this post, all I have is sheer amazement in my heart. I am amazed how immensely my belief is now resting in the most unfathomable part of me.

There is a huge difference when you hear such heart-warming teachings of life from just another person and from someone who is facing death right in the face. The impact is deep! So much so that it makes you feel pretty small and all you can do is admire the person's strength and caliber while innocently trying to grab a look at life from his mettle eyes.

And he says that even if he has a year left, he can make every day count and live longer than those who die at 80 or 90. Because 'it's not the years in life, but life in those years that counts'. He says that one should not fall in love with one's body but with one's soul, the beauty that prevails forever. For his soul shall always be with his loved ones.

He is not afraid of life or death. He is not afraid of anything! For he has stepped onto a higher level where he is able to comprehend the absurdity in chasing the shadows of dented desires. The dented desires which we all keep on bringing out from our baggage, thinking that this is what we are supposed to do, uncovering the disturbed thoughts and cursing the life. I too get indulged in issues of everyday that I forget my own pledge. And this is what I have planned to change. Not that I am going to give up my studies and go on a world trip right away. But I will definitely work on things like me getting too much affected by stupid little matters.

I will smile more, laugh more and love more. All in all, I'll live more. And this is the final plan.

Because I too want to step onto that higher platform where my brother believes that trivial qualms cannot penetrate the walls of peace, where he has gathered contentment with the undying and unflinching support of his wife and where he smiles when he watches his little daughters sketch some amazingly gorgeous pictures, telling him how much they love their father who is but a hero.

So the next time if somebody asks me have you ever met a real life hero....

*smiles*

_______________

Escapism, Not now.

It is pungent.
The after smell of escapism.
It sways all around.
Teases, smirks and plays.
But oh it attracts. Strongly!
Some artificial sweetness.
Should I give in?
Who knows? The greened breaths? Nah!
Act smart and forget it.
You are not a bitch, dear life.
So don't be one.
_______

Nothing much to say. Surrounded by bliss and gloom at the same time. Total confusion. And thus the above lines. Mere lines! Haphazardly crawling in indecipherable patterns.

Uh...total confusion.

Pepper.

Peppering all over

Happy and sad, Laughter and tears

On the sheet called life.

________

Written for: Haiku Heights #Day 10

P.S: The word 'pepper' has been used to denote sprinkle or diffuse.

When Cancer Frowns, We Smile. Smile Big!

“Switch off the lights when you walk out of the room. We have to save money for Papa’s treatment.” His nine year old daughter told the three year old one.

___________

April 2012

It was a juggle among thousands of crawling seconds. Heavy! Every minute fraction was adding to the anxiety and apprehension. Prayers kept swaying. We knew nothing bad could happen. We were not hoping, we were confident. Things could go a little off the way. But not much. This is what each one of us kept telling to ourselves. With fingers crossed, all portions of love and faith concatenated to God.

However, the worst nightmare came true. It was Pancreatic Cancer.

You know there are times when you try to step into the shoes of someone else so as to experience what he might have experienced. And you just cannot. But when it happens, you’re so overwhelmed with grief and angst that all of the jumbled pieces of doubts sprinkled and scattered in your mind, align in a portrayal of a clear and distinct picture. Needless to say, that was one moment.

The world indeed crushed down to crumbles of sorrow and misery and encompassed us within the thorny walls of unpleasing reality. If it was tough for us, it was much beyond for the man, much beyond the sweep of our thoughts which are filled with trivial and insignificant qualms. It was but inconceivable. It took only a few seconds for life to come to a halt, to a sudden halt and jolt us all with a rough hand to confront the unfathomable truth.

In the initial days of the long journey, believing that the worst nightmare came true was the hardest thing. Let alone gathering strength to begin the battle. I remember watching him on the day the news broke. He had lost quite a lot of weight and looked fragile. My eyes were wet. I smiled and he smiled back. There wasn’t much to say. There wasn’t anything to say.

More than four months have passed since that fateful day. Cancer is now a settled part. We have acquiesced to its presence. But the fight hasn't stopped becuase the man knows that he has to kick cancer’s ass. To say that he is positive or has a strong will, would definitely be an understatement. He has a zest for life. He always had, even before this whole thing came to light. He is one of the few persons in my life who ‘actually’ believes in relishing the present and not getting caught in the web of inane expectations. He is passionate. I see him battling the disease with commendable positive attitude filled with wondrous moments of laughter and glee and tied on a sturdy hook of an amalgamation, of unflinching faith and love.

And somewhere down the line we all are quite affirmative that things are going to be back on track. That this is just a bump on our way to a higher journey. That it wants us to hunt down the real meaning of life which usually lurks somewhere behind the loose notes of a facade. That when it is all over, he will rise up with much stronger wings, teaching us with his grandiosity, to add meaning to our lives.

Because no matter how hard this journey seems now, in the end it will be worth the fight.

(Proudly stolen from his Facebook wall.)

******

P.S: 1. I am glad to have gathered strength to vent out the brimming respect which I have for this man, my cousin, my brother.

2. No pity please.

3. I missed Mirage's second birthday. Uhh..what a doofus I am. Ahem! C'mon people, wish it now.

4. And smile for heavens sake. :-)

Dear 1st March'12, You Have Been Formally Placed in My Memory Box. Congratulations!

What if I say that I do believe in days full of enchantment and that some random impossible things do happen? Would you make a mockery of my childish belief or would you jump into the free cab that will take us on a beautiful ride?

Well, you better believe me darling!

I have always adorned a dream with wide open myopic eyes, to go on a trip with my friends and no person falling in the category of the boring or strict or irksome elders. My simple mind and its simpler dream received an unexpected warm welcome by 1st March 2012 in a very hatke (different) style. The day which is now nearing its end, was intact and dressed with little boxes of surprise which were impeccably placed on different hours.

And the best thing is that every single strand of me is glowing with the element of satisfaction and happiness and with a sense of achievement. (Achievement because the following was almost impossible for me to happen.)

*Gleaming eyes*

To cut the not-so-long story short, I went on a half-day road trip with my friends to a mind-blowing heritage hotel called Neemrana in Alwar district, Rajasthan. 

And before moving further let me share a very interesting fact- Being a resident of Greater Noida, I traveled four states to make the trip successful namely Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and of course Rajasthan. (Ignoring the fact that these four are consecutively joined, it sounds so cool na!)

And following is a glimpse of the day:-

(Every nook and cranny of this place astounded me)

(It is like a maze. And we explored it like we have been Spirited Away.)

(Who cannot fall in love with this place?)

The day started with a group session of yawning and rubbing eyes and sleep-deprived brain working at four in the morning and yawning some more and ended with a heart full of moments which shall be cherished for life.

C'mon, it was my first trip with friends, after all. And you know what, I can now proudly strike off the second entry on my wish list.

*Collars up* =]