Pages From Her Diary

                       I am not who I think I am I am not who you think I am I am who I think You I think I am The concept of Looking Glass self is a sociological theory that describes how our perception of ourselves is shaped by the feedback we receive from others. According to this theory, we develop an understanding of ourselves based on how we believe others perceive us.this blog is an attempt to  explore the concept of Looking Glass self, its relevance in today's world, and how it affects our interactions with others. What is Looking Glass self? Looking Glass self is a theory developed by Charles Horton Cooley, an American sociologist in the early 1900s. Cooley suggested that we imagine how we appear to others, then use the reactions of others to our appearance to form an opinion about ourselves. Essentially, we are constructing an image of ourselves based on how we think others see us. Relevance in today's ...

Speechless ! As I finished reading the book “ Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom , I could only marvel at the way how the book represented life lessons thru experiences it kind of made me question my own life made me cry and left me in awe . I just couldn’t get over a line from the book …” The truth is, once you learn to die , you learn how to live : which formed a trigger for today’s blog …. Death is a topic that many of us tend to avoid or fear. It is the ultimate unknown and final destination that we cannot escape. Yet to many of us it’s a taboo subject even though it impacts our lives. Scientifically speaking, death is the end of our physical body. It is a natural process that we cannot control. However, spiritually, death is seen as another dimension, and we are not just our body or mind but something more. Despite this perspective, death still brings grief and loss to those who are left behind. The first layer of death ("la muerte chiquita,") is when we become aware o...

So thats all team for the day, as my Manager concluded the team meet. A quick glance at the watch it was past 10.35 pm, wrapped up in a jiffy to dash out of the office building.  The walk outside the lane off to the road always fascinated me .. tall buildings lit up beautifully in the backdrop of the sky and the exquisite Powai lake gleaming in the reflection of the lights is a treat of the eyes and soul !!   Built around the serene Powai Lake, with scenic lake view residences, abundant greens, wide roads, vibrant energy.. Powai’s reputation precedes itself as the most desirable neighborhood to call home. A childhood dream to reside in this beautiful place which I had always nurtured . The lake looks majestically beautiful during dawn & twilight hours and ofcourse it's the mountains that i see each day as I walk out of my office building always fascinated me and would get me in to the day dreaming mode !! A dream house in the midst of this beautiful place to settle do...

In our society, we often shy away from openly expressing love. We treat it as an obscenity, something to be whispered and hidden away. We fear that saying the word too often will lessen its power, as though we instinctively understand its weight and meaning. But love is not just a word. Love is action . It is the willingness to be gentle, patient, caring, and understanding. It is the ability to put aside pride and self-interest for the one we love. It is the willingness to bear our most vulnerable selves and entrust them to another, knowing that they will be tender with our delicate hearts. To truly love another, we must first love and understand ourselves . It is only then that we can choose to love another, to challenge them to be a better person, to help each other heal, grow, and encourage each other. Love is not just about the butterflies in our stomachs or the feverish infatuation we feel in the beginning. It is about creating a safe haven for each other's hearts and being w...

"Why doesn't this girl speak her mind" ...Rahul kept checking for her reply. He called up his close friend, Nikhil and shared the entire happenings to him. Nikhil after a patient hearing was also of the opinion that the girl's take matters in this situation. So, there was no option but to wait for her reply. Meanwhile, at home things were moving at a different speed which made Rahul all the more uncomfortable. He knew anything that he would say will be held against him. " Even I too think that we need to meet up again before we take a decision " ... finally a ping from Shruti. Now, this got him relieved to some extent.  " Sure, I am glad even u think so, but as you must be aware, our parents have already made plans to take this forward " . So we need to inform them too.  There was a silence from her side, Rahul was now sure that she has no say in these matters at home. A big psyche of AM from the parents perspective is if the boy wants to me...

Wasn't this edgy even when I gave my exams and interviews ...Rahul was in an array of thoughts as he drove back home. He wanted to make an honest impression on the girl, the sight of her father dashed all of that ...and all her dad had to say was a stoic " Hi".  Why is this process of Arranged Marriage highly flawed, all he wanted to create a soothing atmosphere for both so that they can bond well but now he was not sure how the scene at her home would be ...did he commit a mistake by asking the girl out without parents consent !? Will it cause trouble for her? He was genuinely rattled. Mom had already sounded him off that the girl's parents were quite orthodox and now if they come to know that not only he met the girl secretly but also landed right in front of her dad ... well, hell would break loose... Thoughts kept swirling in Rahul's mind as he was imagining the chaos at home if Shruti's dad would call up home and update about their meeting...

The scene at home was as expected .. just after an exam, parents would ask how was the paper, will you pass, etc ..this event was no different. Questions were being gunned at Rahul as soon as he reached home. He was quite cheesed off with the questions being hurled at him by his parents about the meet ." How did you find the girl, what did you all talk, what do you think the girl will say yes?  " Now how do I know a girl in a first meet in an hour? Rahul found it too stupid to answer these questions. Mom's next question...hope u all ate something. Yes, we had coffee. Only coffee? Yes, at Starbucks, coffee costs Rs 600. Mom fell silent, and Rahul added on ..by the way, she paid for her coffee. Mom was shocked, she felt this didn't sound too positive .her expressions said it all. After a while, the interrogation stopped. Rahul had this habit of capturing the happenings on his notepad, perks of being a blogger. Glances on my cell To see her ping... ...

Love Marriages …A lot has been written about these time and again ...boy meets girl, love at first sight, parental opposition, triumph against odds, blah blah  ...the clichéd stories & outcomes! Let's spare a thought for an age-old institution of Arranged Marriages….Like every ancient stuff, these too have undergone a world of change from yester years. Gone are the days where parents used to arrange the match and the boy n girl get hitched. Well, today there is a complete makeover ....it's quite quirky, fascinating, practical and at times quite funny too. An arranged marriage is not the diktat it once was. It has evolved over the years into a meeting of mutual consent between both parties.  My parents, products of an arranged marriage, had outlined the same process for me as well.   As parents, their pressures are too many  ...education, raise the child to be independent and self-sufficient. And now to get married was their last major responsibility. I ...

So here we are...celebrating yet another  माँ    Day. Social media and posts are buzzing with the 24×7 selfless gigs of ತಾಯಿ which is a  template repeat of each year. Cards, gifts, treating our mom to a nice restaurant ...everyone's bucket list for celebrating this day is ready. For most of us, this is our way of showing appreciation and thanking them for making us a part of this world and for taking care of us and our homes and preserving our memories..every victory and heartbreak. But is it ok to acknowledge mom just a single day!? Seriously, I wonder. So, why don't we do something special for  आई  today ...for all the moments she so curated for us day after day. Let's look at HER bucket list and gift her,... HER LIFE . For all the things that she wanted to do, let's not limit the gifting and celebrations to a single day. Spend some time with her each day, Ask her how her day was, learn from her a favorite recipe & cook for her, help he...

Hmm… How do I make her watch a movie? Ayan’s mind was racing at the thought. Naina always comes up with a totally different perspective. After a lot of deliberation, he thought of something unusual to pass of the entire movie to her in "triggers". He dialed her after a couple of days. “Hey Naina, just get ready your first wish to see a movie on this Saturday” Ayan told her excitedly. “Oh, it's a surprise, that you remembered “ Naina chided him. “I will pick you up from your office”  said Ayan. “Sure, I will wait for you. Better be on time if we are to watch the full movie “ she laughed. Saturday . Ayan got ready before time and reached Naina’s office. He was determined that everything should be as he decided, even reaching on time. Naina was pleasantly surprised though she didn’t mention it.  As they drove in the Uber, they chatted happily. Am really stumped by your this wish Naina, I kind of expected you to say “ I wish I c...

The wait ends ... Ayan deferred his 2  client meetings just to be with Naina, somehow he kinda liked the time spent with her and the fun repertoire they had. Despite his best attempts, he reached the place a good thirty minutes behind of schedule. Oh ! so Naina's taken up a project at this Orphanage, he was not at all amused! He walked in and asked for Naina the official directed him towards the music room. As he walked towards it, he could hear Naina's singing and children singing along.  He stood at the entrance and watched her. Wow! She just seemed sexier. She wore a red dress with a Santa cap to match. Her pearl necklace added charm to her face, her hair up in a bun with a couple of stray strands falling on her face. As the song ended, children rallied around her as she spoke to them. There's one thing common among these children which Ayan noticed  - a big bright smile. "Hey Naina, Am sorry am late. But just in time to hear your song. Imagi...

2 months,1 week, 4 days -  Life for Ayan  was busy  juggling work  and his various personal projects with a tunnel vision focus  of “ life ko set karna hai by 40” Somehow Naina featured in his head off & on. There was something angelic about her and no matter how much he tried,  Ayan could not get her off his head. As he lay on  his couch browsing  her cell number thinking how she would react if he called; will she even remember me ? He rolled over the couch  with these thoughts …down to the floor ! He smiled and thought “ Now this must be Falling in love “    Ok enough of this thinking . Off to sleep!! “Hey, today is the meeting with the HR head, have no clue what the new assignment  he’s gonna doll out to us “ said Ayan to his colleagues. “Hi Team, as a part of our Company’s CSR, I want you to please check out a few places with whom we can be associated with.The HR head announced. Omg, such a...

Ayan  paced up and down the long corridor, his hands tucked deep into his pockets. His face was lined with irritation, had a disheveled air about him as if he had dressed up in a hurry, which he had. His mobile phone had low charge as he was impatiently waiting for Rahul at the hall for an event of Make a Wish foundation. Rahul had pinged him around midnight, waking him up “ Saale , waise bhi tu soyega din bhar, chal mere saath , got passes for an event tomorrow “.  Ayan was least interested but Rahul kind of bulldozed him to saying yes in deep sleep. And now he himself has not yet arrived , thought  Ayan. He watched people walking in and some of them occasionally shot him a look without breaking their stride as they walked in. He hated waiting ,nothing to do, so he just gazed across the people walking in to the auditorium – some in deep conversation , some uninterested some excited – till a sweet voice  fell on his ears “ Of course everything will be fine,don’t b...

As she wrapped up her work and hopped into the cab Neha wondered “ why the same CCD“  ? There was a huge smile on her face as she remembered their first meet at the CCD . This time, she had no clue why Adi had called her there, maybe has just bagged another big contract, she thought . As she walked into the CCD towards the table, she saw Adi  in conversation with another guy at the table. Neha had never seen him before with Adi .  “ Hey Neha, wanted you to meet a friend of mine. Adi said as he got up and pulled up a chair for Neha . This is RD , Rahul Dsouza …  Met him thru a common friend at a Concert. As RD shook hands with Neha , he said … “ A writer's hand “ and smiled . Neha was amused at the comment. Adi explained “Neha RD is a big time book publisher. I happened to share  with him some extracts of your dairy and he thinks it's awesome. Neha was kind of stumped at this sudden spotlight on her and her writings. She ...

Mira looked lost as Adi and his friends reached her place. Adi himself was worried on his way thinking about whats up with Neha that Mira was concerned about . Hey Mira, What happened ? Where is Neha ? Is she alright ?   Adi asked all in one breath . Mira was somber as she picked up a Diary and handed it over to Adi  and said .  “ I just found Neha’s writings . Managed to browse thru a few pages and was really choked with emotions . Hence called you to share this with you .  We all were so busy with our lives our dreams that we didn’t even pay attention to Neha’s creative pursuits while she quietly sponged all her emotions into this book .  This has your journey too Adi !! Mira had tears in her eyes . Adi was too stumped to react to this situation as he consoled Mira and took the Diary from her slightly baffled . He anxiously  opened  and flipped pages of her dairy. Sometimes  the pages over filled some days a little less with sh...

The concert day…. for  Adi it was the most important day of his life . A gamut of feelings swept past him – excitement, nervousness – as he geared up for the event.  Too many things at stake,  I can’t let myself down, I can’t let the people close to me who stood by me to see this day, down - Adi’s mind was filled with these thoughts . “ Hey, Rockstar, all set ?  Am waiting to see your performance and that sexy smile of yours on the stage . My Adi is gonna rock “ Neha’s message made him smile .    “Yeah, the smile will be there , only for you, Be there ”  . he replied . It was a star-studded magical evening. This is going to the highlight of Adi’s musical career. All top 5 finalists were there in all their glory. As the performances started one after the other, Neha’s heartbeats went faster as she heard Adi’s name being announced.  She saw Adi walking up to the center stage, spotlights on him. He looked awesome, his silky hair fal...