"Dil toh bacha hai jee...

...Thoda kacha hai jee!"

Ishqiya - one of the most awaited films this year, sums up the life and times of a lot of us - it is about love yes, but also confusion, deceit, anger, frustration, expectations, unexpressed emotions, the power of a good meal, stealth and hope...surprisingly the cutest couple to me in the film was Mamta and her lover - that seemed to define the simplicity of love in a morass of utter, total societal and institutional chaos!

Not surprisingly then, this was one of the lessons I learnt this week which seemed to have everything - a sprained ankle to start with, the magic of end-of-season sales, a mid-week holiday, the illusion of romance and the disillusionment of dependence...

U know, sometimes we expect...We expect people to be predictable, available, dependable, (either/or as applicable), but that doesn't mean they have to be. On the other hand, them not being so doesn't mean one should stop expecting..Ok, maybe you withdraw from a certain person but you may then latch on to another one! Its a loop but its neither as crazy as it sounds nor as helpless. Simple hai na, aap expect karo, koi expectation pe khara utarta hai ya nahi - yeh lekin control karne ki koshish mat karo - bas ki itna yaad rakho ki yeh aapke haath mein nahi hai. Somewhat akin to the basic ideology outlined in the Bhagwad Gita - "abandon all attachment to the results of action" but act you must. Expectation is passive action and it is something you are choosing to do.

So go on, aspire, expect, make demands on your friends and family, or even random strangers if you please - the urchin on the street does! coz even if it seems we may not get what we want, we just may...so why give up!;-)

From masala dosa to cutting chai....

Did i mention how crazy the past few days have been? I have a feeling this enrty is gonna sound more like a travelogue than the signature randomization I tend to end up with but I'll try!:D

Ok, lets start at the beginning. The 3rd of Jan - the last day of my winter break. For me, the holiday season literally ended on a holy note - with a visit to Akshardham in Delhi- from stunning sculptures, sound and light exhibitions, a boat ride through the history of India (this was my fave part!:D) to a simply delightful meal at the food court - it was literally, as they call it, a divine experience and a feast for the senses! A walk through the whole complex in semi-rainy, semi-foggy, near-zzero conditions(I exagerate but it was definitely 6 degrees C if not lower!)was best followed by a near-perfect masala dosa - with the best sambar I have had the north of Maharashtra! Actually, Bombay is where I think they make the best sambar (I know that sounds blasphemous to any true-blue Tam but i like it best here!) but that's digressing..

The fourth of Jan saw me back in Mumbai - my adopted city. And the temperature difference came as a shock to say the least. The week went by in a whirl and suddenly there was the weekend - a nice late night chat girly chat session was topped only by a brunch get-together with some friends - some old, some new...That I guess is the circle of life, U may think u have moved away but old friends have a habit of just popping right back in your life. Good for me, I love yapping;-)))

Btw, Sherlock Holmes is a must watch - for a riveting feel of how the detective could have been - its more sinister, morbid and stylized take than I could have imagined any of the original stories to have been had any of those been adapted! Though nobody can beat Doyle at his own game, ever, the film is an engaging watch on its own steam:-)

Ok am tired now, sprained my ankle this morning at Kanheri caves, but more on that later..cutting chai abhi baaki hai mere dost:D

meow!

A coat, beret and muffler - yes its cold!!

Its freezing! Don't believe me? come to Delhi!!

Ok, so maybe not literally but its quite quite cold...brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The funny thing is, just last week - when I landed here - I coolly walked out of the airport without even the customary shawl on. It was a bit chilly but nothing that a dilli di kudi can't handle. The only hiccup - I was hit by sudden nausea when the flight landed; something I had happily forgotten 5 minutes into the house and three bear hugs from ma later...clearly though, the weather Gods were not happy with this blatant lack of respect for Dilli ki sardi!

2010 will be ours - seems to be their new year resolution. As a result, my social life - aka whatever semblance of going for a evening walk I used to muster for the benefit of others (read the health conscious ma, papa and sis) sadly lies in shambles. Add to that the pleasures of a blasted heater and bam, "dinner order kar lete hain na" takes over as the catch phrase of the season!

Thankfully, I am not as gone a case so lunches and coffee plans are definitely on thanks to some very sweet (I am just being nice), enthu (ok, this one's true)and friendly souls.

Thank God for friends!:D

And thank God for Mumbai, am back tomorrow;-))