Thank You God!

Another Sunday, a day to laze and do nothing (as if I do a lot). As I lay in bed, deciding how to spend time, my dad came and told me that there was an exam that day and a visually handicapped person was appearing in it. So they needed a scribe. He asked me if I was willing to take up the job. I thought for a while, and since there was no good movie to watch, I said yes.
I reached the exam centre and roamed around. When I told the people there as to why I had come, they all smiled. I was informed that no visually handicapped person had ever appeared for the exam and so I could just sit back and relax.
I sat down in the control room with a book. Suddenly the chief examiner told me that the candidate had arrived. So I marched into the room and sat down beside him. The man was in his late 20s and he was a teacher. He had a very high power in his eyes and he could just see the outlines of objects. He told me that his subject was mathematics and he had read everything through audio medium.
The first paper was objective. As I read out the questions, I could see him concentrating hard. I felt helpless as I saw him solve mathematics questions in his mind. It was a tedious procedure. I had to read out each question a number of times for him.
And then I realized that he had actually given his whole future in my hands. I had just come here, as I was a free. But he had come all the way from another city to write this exam, which would ascertain his whole career. If I did not put in effort to read the problems in the proper way, then he would be unable to solve them. With this thought, I resumed my work with increased effort.
The second paper was subjective which was even more difficult. I noticed that he solved only those questions where you were required to prove something. I understood that the questions, in which some value was supposed to be found, were obviously difficult for him.
At the end of the paper, he thanked me for being a good scribe. On hearing this, I felt happy. I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to help that person. The person’s determination inspired me. It was a learning experience for me.

I was reminded of these lines:

I complained that I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.

Right To Equality!

I have always believed in the equality of men and women. What a man can do, so can a woman and vice versa. And finally, the world is also realising this(especially the vice versa part).
Yesterday, as I sat and watched the idiot box(not again, you may say), my attention was caught by an advertisement. The product being endorsed was a men's sunscreen lotion. The model was shown riding a motorcycle and then applying the lotion, while a voice in the background informed us about the 5 superb effects of the lotion, and so on and so forth.
I almost did a somersault on seeing this. Men have, at last, come of age and are acceptng that they also wish (and need) to groom themselves. Countless other products have also hit the market shelves like fairness creams and shampoos which are exclusively for men. Women, it is time to be cautious. Men have also entered the arena and are enjoying it!
But I must say, that even I ( a campaigner for equality) had a heart attack, when in my first year, i saw with my very own eyes,the numerous beauty products which guys used( Shehnaz herbal creams, L'Oreal shampoos and the odd ones even owned lip gloss!) Gradually, news started trickling in about their grooming expenses which left us bewildered. And the last nail in the coffin was driven, when one of my classmates shared his acne troubles with me and suggested remedies to cure mine( and they worked!)
So, I have accepted that boys are no longer boys. They have treaded into the so-called female do main and are loving it. Right now, the trend has gained only limited acceptance, but will soon be the In-Thing. I don't like the term metrosexual, so all I would say is, Welcome, To the New Age Man.

15 Seconds Of Fame

Picture this scene- A couple take part in a reality show in which they have to stay separately for a week with other singles. When they meet after a week, the husband tells of his undying love for his wife. The wife, on the other hand, has second thoughts and tells her perplexed husband that she has found someone else. And she leaves.
Not to worry, this is just the starting scene of “The Stepford Wives”. But still with the advent of reality shows, I think that such days are not far away.
I am nowadays sitting at home, and with nothing better to do, my constant companion is the idiot box. I have come across some unusual concept shows, which force me to think about their consequences. Some of them are:
• Wife Swap: Two wives swap their dysfunctional families for two weeks and try to bring about certain changes (for better or for worse) in their new residences. I wonder as to what would happen if the wife returns and the family feel that the new wife was better or vice versa.
• Monster House: A family hands over its cherished house to the crew, which tears it apart and presents it back in a new refurnished format. What would happen if one does not like this renovation? Would they get back their cherished abode?
• What not to wear? : This is my personal favourite. Women hand over their wardrobes to two stylists, who show no mercy as they restyle everything. The end product is something, which everyone may not appreciate.
These and many other shows, force me to question their very basis. Just a single thought comes to my mind- Is the 15 seconds (minutes) of fame worth all this effort?

Leaving On A Jet Plane

If there is one word to describe life, then it is Bizarre. Life throws unexpected challenges at us and then waits to see who has the last laugh. But then, this is what makes it worth living.

I got up yesterday morning, full of enthusiasm and happiness. The reason: I was going home. After a tedious semester, I was returning back to my soil. Like Antaeus, the greek hero, I too derive strength from the soil. I had plans to rejuvenate myself and come back fresh.

I and my friend made our way to the station with some discomfort due to our luggages, and reached a bit late. Our train which has the reputation of never arriving on time, shocked us by its puctuality. We somehow managed to heave our luggages into the compartment, and sat down with a sigh of relief. We were finally, on the way home.

We arrived in Delhi right on time(another first). We had three whole hours to while away, before boarding the connecting train. After dumping our luggage in the cloak room, as we made our way towards the exit, I glanced at the train timings. Horror of horrors, our train had been rescheduled and was now leaving at midnight.

Now, what were two young and beautiful(ahem...) girls supposed to do till midnight in a big and unknown city? After a frenzy of frantic calls, we found that there was no train available before midnight. We were in a state of panic, when a brainwave hit us: Try flying. Now after this idea, all that was left was its execution.
A good samaritan (my friend's friend) helped us. He offered to get the tickets booked for us. All we were supposed to do, was to go to a cyber cafe and get a print out of the tickets. Sounds easy, but there was no internet cafe nearby. A helpful man directed us to one, about a kilometre away (Later we saw, that there was one right in front of the cloak room). We trudged to the cafe, and after waiting for an hour, we finally got tickets on a Jet airways flight(It did burn a hole in my dad's pockets, but still....).
The best part was that the flight was at 4:30, the security check began at 3:30, we were at the station and it was already 2:45. We still needed to take our luggages from the cloak room. And to top it all, we had to go the airport and we had no idea about any route in Delhi.
Somehow, we managed to reach the airport on time, without any further mishaps. I asked the security personnel for directions and managed to board the flight.
I reached home and got a sound scolding from my mother, and an elaborate lecture on the virtue of patience. But still, my holidays started with an adventure.
Some good points also stemmed out of this incident: I reached home early, I got to fly, I got a new incident to post on my blog, A new story to tell to my friends and the best part: My favorite song "Leaving on a jet plane" the OST of Armageddon suited my situation.
Life is good.:)

Requiem of Dreams

I started this semester with great plans. Enough is enough, I told myself. I decided that now it was time to take matters in my hands and show the world that I existed. I made a short term plan, which consisted of among other things, increasing my grades atleast to a respectable 8.5, learning french, updating my blog regularly and using presumptuous words so that people would have difficulty comprehending my posts.
I started working with great determination towards my goals. I attended all classes, made notes and did tutorials myself. I was very particular about my french and was a star student. I also kept the world abreast with my thought proceedings through my blog.
But how long could it last? I soon fell back to my old ways. I had other preoccupations and soon my goals went on the back burner.
Now the semester has ended and I realize that I am not a penny wiser. I am still to get my grades but I don't want to expect anything. My blog is still in a condition not worth mentioning. I have not written any brilliant posts. But the worst part of it, was when I got a participation certificate in french instead of an Excellent. Oui, Moi( Yes, me). It was the second worst day of my life. (The worst being when Rahul Dravid got married. More about it in another blog.)
My dreams have all been shattered and I am still where I started. I console myself by saying that there is always another day. And now my bags beckon me and I need to complete my packing. I will be back next semester with newer dreams.
Au revoir. Abientot.

To Mom

Amma, mamma, mummy....the names are many, but they all refer to the one special person in my life. (Dad, even you are special, but since today is Mother's Day, so this post is specially dedicated to mom.)
Each child says, " My mom is great" and I am no exception. I have seen my mom running about the house completing all the chores, getting her two angels(or may I say devils) ready for school and never even once complaining about it. Obviously, she has lost her temper many a times but still that is acceptable. As a teacher, she gives personal attention to all her students and is a counselor par excellence.
I respect her most for her gritty determination. When she came to North India, she did not know a word of hindi. But still she managed, and now I must compliment her that her hindi is quite good.
I know mom that I have not shown my appreciation as much as I would have wanted to. I have thrown innumerable tantrums and have been punished for them as well. You have helped me to become what I am (whether or not it is a compliment, I can't say).
Mom, You are The Greatest. Happy Mother's Day.

Never Say Never

Once a girl X visited her school excitedly, after clearing IIT JEE. She was being congratulated by everyone. Suddenly a cheeky junior Y walked up to her and remarked, "So, you are going to Roorkee? Didn't you get any other IIT?" X was stunned and fumed on hearing this.
3 years down the line, one fine day X received a phone call. A tame voice spoke from the other end, " Hi, this is Y. Remember me?"
X: "Oh Hi! So whassup?"
Y: " Nothing. I wanted to tell you that I am also coming to Roorkee"
X(smiling):"Welcome dear"
Y is none other than the great me and X is my lovely friend Proxy.
Experience has taught me that never to say that a thing can never happen to me. Whenever I am pretty sure that a thing will not occur, it does occur. When I first entered college, I was convinced that I could not be one of the group, which was always apprehensive about the way they looked. Vanity, I called it. But slowly I have come to accept them.
There are loads of instances which take place, that reinforce the fact that anything can happen. All of us were sure,that India would not loose to Bangladesh. But lo and behold, it did happen.
Call me a pessimist or whatever, but according to me, we must be prepared for anything.
Always hope for the best. But if something unexpected happens, don't be surprised. After all, anything can happen. That is why I say, Never say never.

Bhawan Day Time

Pre script-Please don't read this. I have just blabbered about something.

I know that have not updated my blog since a long time. I was not doing so purposefully, but I have got valid reasons for my behavior. After returning back from the hols, I was involved in many activities- cognizance, ts and of course bhawan day.
It all started from the first week of January( no need to roll your eyes). Girls had started working on their wardrobe since then. Then came the task of the bhawan mag. I was a part of the editorial team and our long hours of toil finally paid off. We received a good response from he crowd and people liked it. I must really thank all my team members for the work they all put into it. I am really grateful to my friend who patiently heard about my fears and always encouraged me.
After all this sentimental stuff, I must now come to the practical part. Our bhawan day attracts a large crowd, and passes are in great demand. All methods, including bribery, are tried to get hands on those coveted passes. I had this idea that being a volunteer, I would be able to get some passes, but it was not to be so. So I also went on a hunt for the pass and was brutally shooed off everywhere. I told my friends that they would be unable to attend the gala event. But finally I managed to lay my hands on those golden tickets and so the gates were thrown open for the guests.
The invitees were left bedazzled by the splendour seen on that day. Girls were seen flocking about looking exquisite. Little do the guests know about the night long preparations required, to achieve these effects and the amount of moolah which beauty parlors rake in during the celebrations.
But this time no one was allowed to enter the rooms due to some unpleasant incidents in the guys hostels. So the small lawn was crowded by a huge mass of people. People thronging about, wandering aimlessly. When the food was served, the queue that was seen, robbed most of our appetites. But we somehow managed to get inside the mess, and have a meal.
Despite all this, I can say that the bhawan day was quite enjoyable. One of the good things was that i did not have to clean up my room both before and afterwards. I don't know if others enjoyed it as well(lefty did not, he managed to scoot off early).
Anyway, there is always a next time. Cya then.

The Firsts

There is always a beginning...and which i believe is the most hyped. The first time I won a prize, the first time I cycled, the first time I wrote a blog...et cetra are all memorable moments. I remember the first time I came back from hostel, the atmosphere at my house was electric with excitement. My parents were very proud. Neighbours came over to talk to me and my long lost friends called me up to know about my well being. But this excitement has gradually ceased. Now my dad mostly comes and picks me up from the station. My friends call me up sometimes , but lately they have gone up to the extent to say that i come very frequently.
I agree that the first time is mostly the best time, as everything is new. But I don't think we should undermine the event just because it has occured previously. Let me illustrate with an example the afore said differences.
I got my ear pierced for the first time at the age of one in a proper hindu ritual. My parents took me to a temple on the auspicious day. After invoking God's blessings, my father held me in his lap, while the goldsmith pierced my ears. And all this was done without my consent. After that all my relatives congratulated my glowing parents while i wailed in the background.
Now the same scenario repeats after 20 years, albiet a few minor changes. This time I want to get my ears pierced and my parents are not willing. Finally after a lot of coaxing they agreed. I was taken to the local jeweller. He brought out a gun and unceremoniously fires a shot into my ear. And lo and behold, my ears were pierced. All this was done in a matter of seconds, without any fanfare. After this I was quickly whisked away by my parents for some other work.
Now wait a minute. Wasn't this supposed to be a momentous occasion? There were no congratulations, no offerings. Instead I got a blast from my brother, who is a doctor, that i had successfully mutilaged my cartilage tissue.
Well ,as I said it is the first time which counts. There is no fun in the second time. All I can do now is to wait for a new first. Till then, cya.

An "I" for an "Eye"

The day dawned bright and beautiful. I had enjoyed a lot on the previous day. The Fest was a new experience. Seeing how the campus looks like after 10 PM was an eye opener. I was at peace with the world.
That day I decided that I should grace some of the competitions with my august presence. I looked at the schedule and there it was-" DEBATE" ,the event that would cause me embarassment for a long time. But i was blissfully unaware of this fact and marched happily to the gallows.
A few bored looking people had turned up for the event with equally bored looking judges. Participants were given topics 2 mins before going on the dias. I got an absurd topic " What if I had been a judge?" and quickly floored the judges with my wit. Obviously I easily went on to the next round along with some other heavyweights.
The second round was turncoat. I was to give my views on the age old saying "An eye for an eye- is the way to go". But I am one of those who use their grey cells a lot. I interpreted the topic as " An I for an I- is the way to go"(Typical IITian- using brains for silly purposes). The best part was that I spoke eloquently, giving my views both for and against the topic( don't know what I spoke). This time as well the judges were floored albeit in the opposite sense. The few people who were watching the event, were rolling on their seats with laughter. And the best part was I realized my mistake only after completely speaking for the stipulated time.
I was embarassed and I only wished that I could disappear. The judges eyed me with displeasure and pity as if I had let them down. And once outside I realised the significance of telecommunication. The news had travelled far and wide. I could feel people smirking at me as I walked past them.
More than a year has passed since this accident occured. But still my friends remind me about it before any debate or GD. And whenever an extempore is held, the organisers make it a point to give me the topic in writing. But I must pay for what "I" have done.

All Alone

It is the rule of nature: Survival of the Fittest. Finally it does become each man for himself. All the relatives and friends whom we have succeeded in accumulating throughout this mortal life, finally leave us alone. After all what are we, but specks in the universe. In this vast cosmos, we are nothing.
It is for us to understand that one day all our beloved people will leave us. It is not only them, but we will also do the same to someone else. All the talk about relations, friendship, love et cetra about which epics have been written, will be reduced to nothingness. The sooner one understands, it is better for him.

The Female Psyche

I recently read a book "Roots and Shadows" by Shashi Deshpande. I liked the book because it was able to bring across the trials of the protaganist, Indu, very realistically.
This book was also instrumental in bringing a thought to my memory. In it, a relative of Indu, Naren gave a very thought provoking reply, when it was asked as to why he smoked? He replied that women are generally reformists at heart. He smoked because it gave the women a chance to reform him and feel elated.
A true feminist to the core, I should have felt angry on reading this. But I agree with him. On dwelling into the female psyche, I have realized that women are attracted to bad boys. There is something about them which makes us feel that they are actually very vulnerble. And then the sensitive and caring attitude of the fairer sex surfaces. We wish to save them from this big bad world and strive to bring them on the right track. It gives a sense of power which is not felt in any other situation.
If you don't agree with me then ask Ash what she saw in Salman. Else think about why women love Shoaib Akhtar.
Just think about this.

It's Birthday Time!!

It is the last week of the year and is also the best time. I say so not because it is time for Christmas or the new year, but because it is time for my birthday. This post is for my self analysis and to find out as to in what ways has my d-day changed over the years.
I am a person who tends to get muddled in numbers. I forget phone numbers and birthdays. So to help other people remember my bday I start rallying about it from at least a month before the scheduled date. I have properly etched my birth date in the minds of my relatives, so that they can forget anything but not my birthday.
I used to love to distribute sweets among my friends at school. But the trouble was that my school used to be always closed on my birthday on account of the winter vacations. But as it is rightly said, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. So I would celebrate my birthday 10 days in advance in school. I liked showing off my frilly frocks with matching sweater and bands and bellies to my friends. And on your birthday, obviously one is the star of the show. But I always had to share the limelight as some of my other fellow capricornians would also think in the same manner, and would also celebrate their birthday in advance. This fad lasted only till junior high and after that there were no such celebrations.
I would also throw the mandatory party at my house. I would start preparing from at least a week before. The guest list had to be made, the music had to be decided and new games had to be thought about. I used to make my mother (and still continue the tradition) to take a day off from work. My father would come home early with (hold your breathe) the birthday cake. I have had many shapes of birthday cakes( one cannot play with the flavour-it has to be blackforest).
Once there had been a house shaped one. Otherwise when you want to underplay it, then the normal round one would do.
Now coming to the menu, there were no options. My friends would decide that they wanted to eat only south indian cuisine and that’s it. My mom would make soft idlis, vadas, sambhar and all other titbits. Even now when my friends turn up they want to eat only south Indian food. (So much for experimentation.)
But this has also changed now. I take my friends out for a treat to some restaurant or some pizza parlour and we would hang out together and have fun.
The best part of the birthday is the gifts. As a child I would tell my parents what I wanted (most probably a Barbie or its accessories. I had about 7 of them but still they were not enough.) I used to love the gifts that my friends would give me, be it a pencil box or a sketch pen set. As one grows older, the variety of gifts that one receives greatly reduces. My friends have started gifting me some small showpieces or other stuff, which I don’t know where to put. I don’t blame them but I am better off without such gifts that have no use. Even if the hapless souls ask me now as to what I want, I can’t tell them, as I myself don’t know.
Anyways it is birthday time again! Its time to leave behind the nostalgia and to decide this year’s game plan. It’s time to get busy.
Happy Birthday To Me.

Stress Busters

The week before the dreaded exams is generally like this- Got up in the morning, tried to study but failed, then slept again, then got up and again tried to study...and the vicious cycle continues. So how to beat the stress as the D-day comes closer. Here are a few techniques to beat the heat which are regularly put to use in the girls hostel.

• Unlimited Bakar- It has been seen that the rate of bakar increases exponentialy as the exams approach closer. The topics range from global warming, the sensex to would be's and M-I-Ls. The optimum time for this is from 11 PM to 3 AM.
• Phone- The telecommunications department would be pleased by the rocketing phone bills. During the stress periods, everyone ranging from parents to cousins, whom you have never met are called. Else turn to the text messages which are a bit cheaper but still burn a hole in the pocket.
• Mess and Canteen- These are the favourite hangouts during the PLs. Girls you never know existed, turn up in the mess at 7:3o PM sharp. The bairaajis have to put in double effort in order to ward off the onslaught of girls. And if you are hungry at unearthly hours,then not to worry. For there is the friendly canteen waala bhaiyya to the rescue. The tasty paranthe and chai can put even the best hotels to shame.
• Dressing up- As the exams approach, all sorts of acessories are taken out and paraded about in- The latest Earrings to bracelets. Another good timepass is changing the nail paint colour. Wacky shades are tried( My personal favourite being Blue) and then rejected.
• Movies and songs- The 60,000 rupees lappy is now put to the best use. Movies are seen and songs are listened to, with a fervour never seen before.
• Orkut- Now is the best time to change your profile name on orkut. Names like-"AArgh...exams are here" and "I am screwed" reflect the various thought processings.

And finally, there do exist some black sheep, who study despite all this, and turn the advantages of the relative grading system into disadvantages.

When will I learn? Maybe next sem(one should always be optimistic). Till then it is time for me to enjoy and find out new and innovative ways to beat the STRESS.

Confessions Of A Bad Shopper

Finally, It is time to let the cat out of the bag-I can't shop for my life. Even if I am given the money and a free hand to pick whatever I want, still I can't do it. The latest instance to validate my point is what happened today. I went to Sarojini Nagar,New Delhi which is surely a shopper's paradise and returned almost empty handed! My friends who had earlier claimed that they were as bad as me went on a rampage and I stood there watching them like a lost puppy.
This trait of mine stems from the fact that I am who you may call a miser. IT really hurts me to take out money from my own wallet and pay. The other factor which helps(or stops me as you may call it) is my practicality. Everything that I see leads me too think whether I need it or not. Unless and until I am in dire need of a thing, my brain does not allow my hand to reachmy pocket.
I am still waiting for the day when I come home and proudly display the things which i myself have bought. Till then I can say" Mujhse shopping karwana mushkil hi nahi,namumkin hai."

Far From The Madding Crowd

Two months have passed since I came back to college. I am back to the monotony of life-Get up, go to class, come back, move around the campus for nonsensical things, eat and sleep. This is now what is left to do here. Does life always become so platitudinous after some time?
Well, the new thing now is that all students are thinking as to how to get summer projects? But according to me this is just a new fad. Everyone is doing this just because someone else is also doing the same. This is just a mad rat race in which no one knows the final destination. The amount of secrecy that is maintained and the hype that is created can even put Manoj N Shyamalan to shame. His movies don't even have half the suspence of it. Friends turn into foes and enemies become the bestest of friends just for the sake of a project.
The best part is that guys never wish to include girls in their projects. And it is obvious too. I have been told time and again by some of my friends, that my presence limits their freedom of expression. To prove my point let me tell you how two guys talk when they meet.
1st guy- Hey u A******, where have yoou been?
2nd guy-You F*****, I have been going around that professor for a project. You piece of s***, what about you?
1st guy-$#$#$***(so on and so forth)
Now if these same guys meet in front of a girl they would have to mind their tongues, which i must say is very difficult.
The other best option right now is to start looking as to how to get an internship( which is done after the third year). My department sends about 4 students every year to Sweden. And students have started thinking about it from now itself!! I don't say it is wrong or I don't think about it, but man give me a break. There is still time left for all this.
I beleive that the most dreadful part will arrive when we will reach the 4th year. Everyone will be preparing for CAT, GRE etc. and I would also have to do the same. I really feel sorry for a friend of mine who is right now in the fourth year. His GRE score did not come as well as expected( he has got a good score but no one seems to be satisfied by a score less than 1500).
Everyone comes and asks him as to why has he got such a low score and everyone consoles him that nothing happens if he does not get a call from a good university. I am a person who does not like to tell people my marks even in my test series. I don't know how I will survive the onslaught then.
Sometimes I wish to run away from all this hustle and bustle, somewhere far,where no one cares about these materialistic things. Somewhere where I can just Be Me, with no one judging my every move. Somewhere far away from this maddening crowd.
But this is life and I have got to live it. So better move along with a smile and again plunge into this race for survival.

Just for the heck of writing!

I am writing this just for the simple reason that i wish to write something today. My thoughts right now are in a haphazard manner. This may partly be due to the fact that I have been ill for the past two days and have done nothing except stare at the ceiling. It is fun to watch people's reactions when you become ill. Either it will be one of extreme concern or others may just scorn at you.
Well, i am back in college and have now adjusted back to this life. But this time around I am unable to adjust to the vagaries of weather. And I feel sick most of the time due to the great quality of the mess food.
I dont know what else to write. So see you some other time
P.S. My tone may be a bit low as right now I am reading English,August.

Jean Therapy

Children are the epitome of innocence. It is their smile that makes our heart glow. But according to me it it their logic that really makes them so special. I have an interesting anecdote to relate which tells us what is going on in a child's mind.
This happened when I was in the 9th standard. That day in school we had been taught about genes,DNA etc in biology. And i was illuminating my whole family at the dinner table,about what had I learnt. My young cousin was sitting and looking at me uninterestedly. My father wanting her to enjoy the conversation, asked her as to whose genes had she inherited-her father's or her mother's. My cousin thought for a while and replied," I have my own pair of jeans, as my father and mother don't wear jeans."
Quite a googly,isn't it?

Food For Thought

It is a dream of every child,to get into the most prestigious institute of the country-The Indian Institute of Technology. So was mine. After I got good marks in the 10th standard,I started preparing for what is the toughest exam in the country. It was generally considered that I would surely clear the exam. But that was not meant to be.
But a goal is a goal and so I again strived to join the elite institution. This time round my hard work payed off. I packed my bags and was ready to join some of the brightest minds in the country.
Now,I must tell you something about myself. I have been quite a good student through my school years. I have participated in various co-curricular activities. In general, I had quite a good opinion about myself.
But when I reached the institute, then i realised that everybody was just like me. Most of the people who came there were toppers in their school,city and even state. Everybody had come with the same opinion of themselves, as I had of myself. So it was a constant fight to prove myself.
I was quite a good quizzer in school. But here there were better people. Wherever i went, there was always someone who was better than me, be it sports,music or even playing pranks. Even in class, I no longer figure among the top students. I am just an Average Jill.
I would just like to tell all the future aspirants that "Getting into an IIT is tough, but being an IITian is tougher."

Meet The Relatives

Its Summer Time...that means time for me to go and meet my relatives who live in the land of temples and Rajnikanth, I mean Tamil Nadu. Now let me tell you that I have a very big family.
Well, quoting statistics, my grandmother has 8 children,35 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren. I am the youngest among all the grandchildren. My eldest sister has the distinction of getting married even before my parents.
Let me give you a rundown of what happens usually. Various permutations and combinations are made,in order to meet the maximum number of relatives in the least possible time. The journey begins with a 24 hr train journey to chennai and then another 8 hrs to madurai or trichy according to the plan of that year. The arrival of chennai is announced by the smell of sewage while passing Basin Bridge. Down the years, the means of transportation have also changed. Earlier we used to travel by buses and now by cars.
The testing time comes when at last we reach our relatives homes. The first statement that everyone exclaims is "Oh my god,look how thin you have become". My parents just give an apologetic shrug of their shoulders. And then my mom gives a huge explanation about how I don't eat much and so on. Now the point is that i have never been a fat kid. So why does everybody suddenly expect me to become a balloon.
The other adjustment that I have to make is to start eating idlis. I agree with the fact that south indian idlis are just out of the world.But If I have to eat them daily,then sorry to say but soon i will become out of the world.
But this does not mean that i do not enjoy my vacations. I relish eating food on a banana leaf.
How else would i be able to watch movies of my favourite movie star Vijay. It is always good to go to your grandparents house as it is fun to see your parents turn into kids. I think it is fun to see your parents to have fights with their siblings. This gives you a chance to pull their leg when at home they try to behave like Mahatma Gandhi and preach that fighting with your siblings is bad.
Well,after a quick tour that really drains you out,it is time for the best part of the whole trip-time to return home. The feeling on seeing mandideep is something that no words can describe. As I always say "There is no place like home".