SNAP & SHOT

I am in my early twenties and have actually turned a way too schizophrenic…..that just can explain my long absence from blogosphere…
It could even be a PTSD(post trauma stress disorder) after what happened when I ended up in a get-to-gether (which I now so avoid..)
While my parents were busy confabulating with other folks I ran into their old friends at one table..
Mehta Uncle started off
“So, shrill what next??MBA ,IAS,GRE….???”
And as I spurt out that reply which my people so heartily dislike…
”I don’t know, ummm….have yet to figure out”
Mehta Uncle continued to proffer pearls of wisdom..“Why not try for an MBA ??”…hehe...Mediocre But Arrogant…It reminded me of..
“All engineers go for it…helps you earn manifold of what you get as an engineer. And then there is no Brand as Brand IIM…”
I wonder who created it and fanned this craze..…
“just get through this one and the world becomes your oyster..u’ll have a farmhouse in Australia,penthouse in manhattan …
I added..what else uncle…??Swimming pool in French Riviera and luxury loo in Las Vegas??...
He agreed “yes..yes..why not,why not definitely..see u already are so ambitious…just a bit disillusioned..never mind..
Know what??I’ll introduce you to my bestfriend’s brother’s wife’s sisters’s grandson who’s just got into IIM-A and already got a summer Intern at an investment bank:”
I asked…”U still think I-banks are that respectable after all that happened….”
He later added in a serious tenor “But remember smart and good looking ppl are always at an advantage in a profession like that and will have an edge over you”
I gushed out in my mind“Excuse me!!Was that supposed to be a warning or advice”
But I didn’t say anything coz it would again start that old humdrum of
“Girl you should know to respect elders….blahhh…blahh..not to argue with them and never to answer them back…Is that what ur parents have taught you??”..I’ve always seen that every elderly person be it your college admin people, the corrupt TTE in train or morally bankrupt Govt. clerk will use the above lines as their trump card when they’ll realize that there’s nothing logical they have to say against your point..
Time for the next career counseling by Mr.Sharma
“Beta, I tell u, u should join the IAS(read:Indian Artifice Services)…There is nothing like it…u’ll have a royal life..will roam in cars with beacon and sirening all about..making your way across traffic…u’ll have a retinue of staff to answer under your beck and call..people all around will salute u ..and respectably call u”MADAM…” “your children will get the best of education and yes u can also earn a lot of money if you want to(winkingly)…..Of course you’ll get to order the general public and masses and keep the entire city/state under your control……..How proud will your parents be and society will treat them with so much of izzat if only u fulfill this dream of theirs……”

Hmmm…I thought it was supposed to be UPSC..Union PUBLIC SERVICE commission but here in the above monologue there was no mere mention of the public service…what about the half-dozen of transfer and suspension orders within a month when you want things to be put right. What about feeling like a piece of trash when working with ministers who cant make a difference between a and z but are busy slicing their birthday cakes..

Why should Gupta Uncle stay shut??
”Ohhhh…No, why waste all those four years of strenuous effort u spent trying to become an engineer??”
Hmmm..I smiled…4 years of hard work…my room mate back in colg will start rolling on the floor with laughter if she gets to know the existence of this statement in my context..
Uncle continued “Our research facilities in India are in shambolic condition…write GRE(Great Racism Experience)…Its damn easy I tell you..and go get an M.S and continue it up to Ph.D in US…join some research lab..Life of a scientist is so convenient..All day in lab…you wont even have to work in the smoke effusing Steel Plants...Who knows you could be our next Madame Curie??”
This is what was going in my mind..Thank you uncle for such great expectations,but I am too restless to stay and sit in the lab..restless and cursed enough to break or damage any experiment results’…and far too DESI to leave the country..I have no characteristics of a great scientist…I don’t get involved in numbers and figures,and magical solutions to complicated problems in the bathroom and I love snoring at night for hours.
And just then a voice descended which I thought was God sent; of a lady who shouted out my name aloud from the other end of the lawn…
In no time I excused myself from the league of extra-ordinary gentlemen and approached the desperate housewives…The bevy of women whom I offered a polite Namaste to… were desperate for a different reason
For quite sometime It had seemed to me that the entire universe had only one thing to say to me ever since I joined college and here it went again with Mehta Aunty ”Ohhhh…shrill how thin have you grown…Diet??? U girls today all wanting to attain size zero….how dark has your complexion become??”
The same IVRS like reponse from my side
“Ohhhh…Aunty the Goddamn MESS food is the reason for all this..raison d’etre”
This is how Sharma aunty started..words pouring out from those heavily lipsticked pout ”Arey Beta..Ditch what uncles say…A girl however bristling with degrees is incomplete if she doesn’t find a suitable match..education and ambition is fine but not too the extent that you fall short of good guys in the community…remember no guy would ever like a girl more qualified,educated or rich than him…”
“She should know to cook,sew and be polite and courteous to all and look after the house..”
God!!From frying pan to fire!!! I was better off with Uncles there,so what if it came at the cost of passive smoking and choking my lungs…
I was now in a brain haywire situation….
Adding to all this..Gupta aunty delivered the coup de grace by saying..
“Ohh dear you’ve become so pretty..and in about a year u’ll even start to work…wow!! U remember my son Mohan..yeah he’s a doctor in the army now..he’s here why don’t the two of U meet sometime..look!!he’s right there…”
SOS I messaged mom and pressed the panic button on my cell..
“DAD,you’ll have to take me out of this place..right now”
To be continued..........

EYES WIDE SHUT!

often I have tried pinching myself..or asked others to pinch me
often I have tried to jerk my legs vigorously..
often I have rocketed to the nearest water point, splashed water on my face,wet my eyes
All in an attempt to remain awake in the class..

In many cases the above operations have been doomed..
What follows is..
*continuous batting of eyelids(as a tube light in a voltage fluctuation)
*the smudge like marks or the running ant like handwriting on the notebook in front of me...followed by the slipping of pen from my hand..
the handwriting turns good,bad and then ugly...and then blank....
Note the way my handwriting deteriorates..(not a drunken driving add!)







How often have you been caught stretching arms..and opening that big mouth with the annoying(to others) AWWHHHHHHHH..sound..
then find some weird muscle in your neck stretched beyond repair and paining like hell..
or even worst you find that the entire class is suddenly looking at you..making you realise..hey!whats so special abt me today!!
Assess the situation and curse yourself for sleeping or curse the external disturbing/waking agent..

The next time any one of us is nabbed yawning
in the class by the teacher..and asked "how dare you yawn in my class?"

here's what you can explain to him...
You can try to explain to your teacher"Sir I was Just yawning ,not sleeping..
The primary reason behind yawning is to control brain temperature. It cools off your brain, much like a fan cools off the inside of a computer.Also, that yawning is caused by lack of

oxygen not necessarily lack of sleep or boredom. Another speculated reason for yawning is nervousness and is also claimed to help increase the state of alertness of a person—paratroopers have been noted to yawn in the moments before they exit the aircraft."
Also tell him...that it has been established by Science that Yawning reflex is contagious and spreads.. if one person yawns, this may cause another person to "sympathetically" yawn.

Observing another person's yawning face (especially his/her eyes), even reading, or thinking about yawning, can cause a person to yawn...
So you see its not all your fault,Prof!!!nor should you be conscious or guilty or indignant that you made us yawn...

.
Pretty often you might be surreptitious in your attempts pretending to be hiding behind the book,or resting your face,hiding those guilty sleepy eyes just behind the back of your hand...when you realise that you've succeeded in fooling the prof...and enjoyed those few moments of spiritual bliss,dreaming about the best food,outfits,places,crushes in sleep..away

from all those shady free body diagarams, puzzling circuits and mystifying equations...
I have taken such "power naps" in the midst of a classical concerts...
and trust me!! also in the midst of an electrifying rock concerts.
I have dozed off in bathrooms,in the midst of telephonic conversations,meals,even face to face conversations...


Well most of the times I have been successful in my super slumbers..
but many times not...
Like in the first year when the class was held in the huge lecture hall with 120 students..people used to make a beeline for the farthest benches..read a book,spot others upto something

while I busy in SLEEP

tragedy struck when we shifted to a smaller classroom with a strength of about 60..
Diplomatic immunity as my frnd calls it is "sitting on the first bench,you can just sleep by covering your face,manoj kumar style..and go unnoticed,while prof will be busy casting a suspicious glance at the back benchers"

I guess it worked
It was just one day when I failed to sit on the first bench when some overtly strict(read:nutty) professor..whose class was always marked by pin drop silence lulled me to sleep...
Zzzzzzzzz...Zzzzzzz....
suddenly I listen to Ravana roaring..
and there he was standing with arms akimbo,like any jailor at guantanamo bay..ready to take me to task..



In reflex I sprang out of my seat to stand and save my life
The Prof asked me what he had been teaching...i glance at the board ,..clueless i muttered letters written on the board..
The next I hear is a crackling 100 decibel"GET OUT OF THE CLASS"
Man..I did something exceptionally "coool" in college..got thrown out of the class..

days continued..while I tried hard not to sleep in his class..his terror reigned...

Semester changed and so did teachers.. so I was back to my business..
On a kinder occassion a highly esteemed Prof caught me in the act
One fine day in His usual lectures..My vertebrael column was closing in from the 90 deg. to the table to 60..45..and finally approaching to 0 deg to the table
when he points me out.."and there we have someone sleeping...Tell me do I sound like your dad who probably had been a good bed time storyteller or lullabye singer to you in your hey

days???"
I just tried to figure some excuse but mumbled a sheepish apology...

He saw me sleeping in his class even after that day when he had given me his "piece of mind"...but I think he'd given up on me...
some people are just too impossible,irreparable,incorrigible....he must have thought


Its not that I am nocturnal and suffer from a sleep deficit...I have slept in class even after having 10 hrs sleep at night..
So you know its not all my fault!

I didnt much like the movie SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE but as a little girl I always fancied SLEEPING BEAUTY..
During summers you can blame the sweltering heat and the sleep inducing heat wave that keeps you confined in your nest...thus leaving you with no option but to sleep..
During rains..the weather becomes so gloomy and mundane that its hard to stay active...so sleep..
During winters its so comfortable to be wrapped us and cozily sleep..
But just a Word:
"NO Dream comes True untill we Wake Up and goto work"..
Having said that..my blog uploaded..my job done...Off I go...Zzzzzz
While you can YAAWWWNN as the blog entry ends!!

A LOT LIKE LOVE

I used to trace this route everyday...returning from the public library,which was a respite for me during those days when one starts getting bored of vacations..
There was this couple whom I saw..they used to frequent the library very often..
While the girl unearthed books in those sections where i found my fiction collection,the guy kept himself busy with newspapers,history and magazine section..
At the eatery close by they would sit and devour snacks..feeding tit-bits to each other..breaking into chuckles...at times even ended fighting,slapping each other in jest......

As the road forked into two separate streets..the boy and girl parted..said goodbyes to each other..
They moved a few steps away...and turned back,to get a final glimpse of each other .
I could sense their longingness for each other...they didn’t want to leave ...
Until the guy uttered the words from a distance..”I LOVE YOU”...
She stood there smiling,frozen,blushing only to wave her hand out to him.....and perhaps became conscious of a third person observer(me) who was an eye witness to the sweet adieu...and all she could do was tap herself on her head...as if feeling stupid....All I did was gave the girl a smile............
The next time I saw them..they were sharing the same umbrella...on a rainy,windy evening...
Much as i would not have liked to look at them,The romantic in me couldn’t resist.
For the sake of vicarious pleasure I looked at them..
In a tizzy the guy was on his knees,hands folded as if praying to the girl,serenading her..
“WEIRD??? CRAZY.....FOOLISHLY ROMANTIC....”
Then why was it making me smile,and why did I not turn my gaze away from them??
Maybe that’s the stuff dreams are made of..............
Only later did the girl box his ears,and they started to walk to the fork where they parted,smiled,waved......turned and looked back at each other..again and again...


Days passed by,and my long vacation was coming to an end..
I didn’t get to see them again..
It was only a few days back that I saw them together again at a Gift Shop.....
Buying each other valentine’s gift...probably

But alas!their day will be ruined!
In a country where the vanguards of “culture” are the youth who are unemployed,and who have nothing to do.....
Honestly the only identity about BAJRANG DAL I am aware of is their protests against Valentine’s Day on the pretext of safeguarding our culture....
Awww Come’on!
Do I need to mention the Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150AD??

Don’t we know how Lord Rama won Sita’s heart or for that matter Arjun wooed Draupadi in a Swayamvar..... the Girl had her own choice even then you see!!
And who needs to tell them about the God who portrayed various roles: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being.Lord Krishna .The stories of his play with the gopis (milkmaids) of Vrindavana became known as the Rasa Lila.These became important as part of the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions worshiping Radha Krishna. Krishna and Radha have been epitomised by Hindu Mythology as eternal lovers...who never really married each other...
Our Indian culture in the antiquity has been liberal and very frankly open minded..
Parvati is depicted as interested in Shiva's tales and appearance from her very birth and finally remembering her last life as Sati. As Parvati grew into a young woman, she began tapas (austerities) to please Shiva to grant her wish to reunite with him. She is portrayed as surpassing all other ascetics in penance, undergoing mortifications. Finally, Shiva tests her devotion by sending an attendant or appearing himself in disguise to criticize Shiva. Untouched by the act, Parvati retains her desire for Shiva compelling him to marry her. After the marriage, Parvati moves to mount Kailash, the residence of Shiva.
Now who says that a girl and guy should tie(the knot) or else die??
So why see a girl meeting a boy as a taboo??
Why go about hitting women who are dancing in pubs??
Why go inside head post offices and vandalize it because postal department has been selling and conveying Valentine’s greetings??(Atleast that’s generating some revenue for the postal dept.)
Agreed most of us celebrate the day without actually knowing the history behind the day....
What’s the harm in spending a day of fun and frolic with the special one in the lovely spring??
Calling it a money spinning iniative by Archies,Hallmark,florists,bakeries...
We need a running economy...dont we??
So
My dear Moral police officers,custodians of “culture”..
Please use whatever sense u have left,or better seek an asylum..
Let us live in love and peace....
As for my valentine wish goes...
These lines from Beautiful Mind quoted by John Nash say it all



“i have always believed in numbers and equations and logics that lead to reason..
And after a lifetime of such pursuits i ask what truly is logic who decides reason...
my quest has taken me to the physical ,metaphysical..delusional and back...
And I have made the most important discovery of my career..most important discovery of my life...
It is only in the mysterious equations of love that analogical reasons can be found..
I am only here because of you..
You are the reason I am..You’re all my reasons...Thank you”

Ho!Ho!Ho!

EVENT: MOOD INDIGO 2008(Asia's Largest Cultural College Fest)
VENUE: SJM School Of management,IIT POWAI,IC 3
DATE: 21st december 2008
COMPETITION's NAME: 'TWAS BRILLIG(CREATIVE WRITING)
TOPIC:"Ho!Ho!Ho!"
TIME:10 a.m
RULES:1)write your details,reg no.,college's name,phone no. on the postcard.
2)The creative writing entry should not extend 55 words.
3)articles,1-2 lettered words to be considered in the total count of words.
4)Multiple entries from a single participant is welcome.



ENTRY NO.1

Ho!Ho!Ho!




She ran from streets to stations,
selling her handmade creations,
shouting "Ho!Ho!Ho!" as if to boast,
the christmasness of red Santa-caps,worn in parties they host.

Then came a man who went gunning down,
everyone in that town
She asked "What you from this bloodshed gain?"
Her "Ho!Ho!Ho!" never heard again......
(55 words exactly,In wake of terrorist attacks on innocent citizens of Mumbai)

ENTRY NO.2

Ho!Ho!Ho!





Its Christmas in the air,
but there's recession and despair,
I've been fired from my job
left only to sob!sob!

I see children hosting a party,
and spring at this opportunity,
Rs 100 I get per hour,
to dress as Santa Claus in the bazaar,
"Ho!Ho!Ho!" I Scream
Is this a Dream????........
(55 words exactly,in wake of recession and job cuts)

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS......

PROLOGUE
october 31st:
This is something people don't generally expect from pretty damsels in college,as these are the wonder years,
girls titivate in a bid to become the next beauty pageant winner..(atleast this is what one draws from
the movies.)
Girls turned up at 12 in the common room not to sashay and sway,dressed in attire of Dracula, Noorie ,Satan and some Pillow ghost monsters..
but to dance deviously and to mumbo jumbo to
the tunes of "du hast mish".."aaja gufaaon mein aa"
HALLOWEEN they call it in the west,just gave another of those countless reasons to act whacky
see it to believe it!




sweet november 1:
" you play cricket?"asked R
my reply"oh yeah"
"then come ,we should form a team"said R.
my reply" excuse me! i thought you just asked if I booked the tickets?"
I've not followed cricket since 2003 world cup..ever since the entire batting line up was gobbled up by the aussies in my jinxed presence.
But never mind..Inspired.."this googlied maiden decided to slip in the cricket gully and give a full toss to the game knowing fully well that she is as
blind as a bat"
well,apparently my cricket knowledge is limited to the hero worshipping by my friends.

outcome:
Guys in the audience shout,nag aloud!
the all girls team "Just Chamka" wins the league match heroinically with a misfielding from miss fielding(yours truly).

November 2(the real halloween strikes 2 days later):
As a part of our sunday fitness regime,my friend Lax asked if we could just take a walk!I ditched my plan of jogging,and joined her on our way to the sports complex.
We spot the same profs with milk cans in their hand coming down the way,discussing their usual topics"socio-political scenario of India"
The sports complex has its shutter closed as its "getting prepared for the sports event in the evening"(trust me it isn't a venue for any celebrity wedding!)
Sighing!on our way back the OC road,(also referred to as the lovers' lane).
The the picturesque landscape is breathtaking..the jungle and river on one side and the college campus on the other.
But this day was not the same..
A few paces away from the OC,near the crest,just where the serene road starts we look back as we have an eerie sense of being followed.
Lax and I look back to see a man who seem to have appeared behind us from nowhere..
The two of us gave each other strange looks,as we were disconcerted by what we saw..
we could read each others' mind which was like asking each other"Are you seeing the same thing that I am?"
We realised what we saw,enough to make a chill run down our spine.
The man was 10 feet away and a thin built,a localite tresspasser,height 5'5",wearing a blue green jacket,and pants,fiddling with his genitals.
The next moment we heard someone blabber something vaguely from behind.
The sheer presence of mind on the part of Lax,as she raised her I-POD,to catch a reflection of what was behind.
And She screamed"Shrill,he's closing in on us"
My reflex,I start running,frantically,as I think Lax too will do the same.
It's then that Lax shouts and yells"shrill stop,don't run"!
I see Lax with her arms akimbo,facing him,growling at him.
I did exactly the same.Growled like an animal at the highest possible decibels.
The stalker runs back into the wild,hopping and running,like a steeplechase sprinter.
For a minute i was only convulsing.It was then that Lax told me that he had reached barely 2-3 feet behind us with his pants down!
I could only marvel at my friend's presence of mind as she worked the self defence tactics in a jiffy.
"since the guy was not too tall and muscular,he could not have done much harm to both of us,and sprinting would not have been a good solution as the
road was long and desolate,the only way to defend would in this case be to overpower with confidence.
our immediate reaction was to report it to the chief guard as it could be averted had a guard been in sight.
the chief guard's response was "What is meant to happen will happen,it s not within our wishes,We'll station a guard there,from 6 to 7,though he's always there at that spot noon onwards"

As we narrated this account in the hostel,some of the girls shied away thinking it was a "dirty talk",while I was just indebted to Lax and was in awe of her courage.

EPILOGUE
Folks will still romanticize the OC way,I will take time to appreciate the beauty of the place.
Had we gone to our Hstl. supdt. her obvious reaction would be"Girls should not go jogging,so no more jogging on that way"
MY REQUEST TO MY READERS:
"It can happen to anyone,anytime,anywhere,SO please do raise a voice,become aware,take self defence lessons"

FANaticism

What makes Pappu sardar celebrate Madhuri Dikshit's birthday by distributing sweets free of cost in Jamshedpur??MF hussain making her the theme of his paintings??

Why was Sourabh Dada forced to take the visage of a Sikh turbaned man last year during Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata so that he goes unrecognised??

What makes Beatles,Pink Floyd legends??

What makes Shah Rukh Khan movies hit??

What makes hundreds of people sit,scream,cry outside the Kodak theatre,as the stars afoot the red carpet when the Oscar Awards are about to start??

Worse...
This incident shocked the tennis world on April 30, 1993. During a quarterfinal in which Monica Seles was leading 6–4, 4–3, a 38-year-old deranged fan of SteffiGraf, Günter Parche, ran from the middle of the crowd to the edge of the court during a break between games and plunged a boning knife between Seles's shoulder blades. She was quickly rushed to a hospital. She did not return to competitive tennis for over two years.Parche was charged following the incident but was not jailed because he was found to be psychologically abnormal and was instead sentenced to two years' probation and psychological treatment.

A personal account:

When at all,I come across him on screen my eyes pop out to scan as much of him I can...to see as much of him I can..
If there's any distant song of his playing,I feel like springing on my feet,hopping around...
Is he an Eye candy??
No...
Am I just his fan??
Dont know..
Not that I think of him day and night...
How often have we been taken over by some phenomenal ,larger than life person in our life??
A person who means a demi-God to us!!
I know all the while people have thought him to be my one obsession..
but I wont denigrate it to something like "obsession"
neither do I want to extol it to "love"...much as i would love to...
It could be an admiration..a big one..hard to explain..

This feeling that made me buy his posters...
cut out any trivia/pictures related to him from the newspapers.
I remember asking mom to buy that Filmfare issue which had special portfolio shoots of his and I still treasure it somewhere away from dad's eyes..
It made me download his uncountable pictures..
Not to mention I keep them as screensavers/wallpapers ..
It made me wait anxiously for Fridays as his movies released,even when exams were in close proximity..
I once coaxed and pestered my cable operator to air his movie,and he did,a day before my 10th board exams,and much to my parents' horror I watched it...
Then getting highest in that subject,I credited it not that much to my teachers and my hard work,but to the fact that I had seen my "HERO" a day before the exam...

I've prayed for him,celebrated his birthday,been gifted his cds' by my friends..
I am proud to assert that he has been the only On-screen star i've owed my allegiance to..
I've been loyal to him and this loyalty has only grown with time..
Back in school he became my identity,people identified me as his "FAN/some called me his AC"..
While a teacher kept a watchful eye on the love-birds in the school..she never bothered about me even though she knew fully well about my crush on him..
since his first movie when critics wrote him off for his inept acting skills..I stood by him..
I have been compared to the character of Guddi played by Jaya Bhaduri in the eponymous movie...
Friends have tried irritating,teasing me saying"He doesn't know to act"..
In defense I could only say"he's learning..."
"Isn't he too old for you,he has daughters??"
In retort"No plans of marrying him,by the way I can be a good baby sitter"
I however considered him flawless...impeccable and impervious to any criticism..
the perfectly chiseled frame,the baritone voice,the rigorous effort he put into his acting..
I have waited and watched..No Hollywood Hunk for me...Desi Rules me..
And when i went to see his latest ;that has swayed the nation and made the audience swoon..
I felt like jumping out of my seat each time he came on screen..shout for him..cheer for him..
And in the scene where he gets a tepid response from his onscreen love,even after serenading her with a beautiful song ..i was almost choked...
"What an obnoxious,heartless woman can one be"I shouted it all aloud in the theatre.
Only to be glared angrily by onlookers..

Anyways,abandoning all that SHRILLONOMICS,I for the first time spent Rs.12 and downloaded that same song and have it as my hello tune today.
At the end of the movie however,my friends congratulated me..joined me in cheeing for him.."ROCK ON ARJUN"

Someday even my spouse will know that he can only play second fiddle to this great guy we know as ARJUN RAMPAL.



**Shrill:Arjun::shrill's mom:Dharamendra

KISMET CONNECTION

Even as this movie rakes "not so good" reviews(sorry for the euphemism),I certainly have no interest in naming my blog afer it..
nor am i writing a review on it..

But the only strand that can relate this movie to the blog is the actor...
Each time my Mom sees the poor cute boy on screen she utters sympathetically "poor boy,Miss size 0 dumped him..bad luck!!"
LUCK!and I aver..whose bad luck is my mom worried about ...the cute boy,the Miss size 0 or Chhote Nawab??

celebrities luck apart coming to the real frame....
one sunday morning:3rd aug.2008
Ganesha says by Mr.B. Daruwalla,(Is Mr.B. Daruwalla nicknamed Ganesha??The sole similarity between the deity and his disciple
being their tummy sizes)
Taurus:
This is a week of tensions,worries,unplanned demand and unforeseen expenses.pets children dependents,older relatives will cause anxiety.you need to cope up.your partner too does cavill at pitching in.

exasperated I venture online and make a frantic effort to log on to another(rival) newspaper website with a hope of something better for me in the offing...
eventually the rivalry between the two publishing houses pays off..

Yippey! this one was directly the opposite!
Taurus:
the tree of life an ancient egyptian hieroglyph brings satiety
and pleasure to your life as family and personal relationships come together happily.your family and professional roots are strong and
you could further build upon them with the help of your spouse.Buying and selling is gainful at present.

Come what may..im least bothered,atleast a good horoscope heals like a placebo(physical healing caused due to mental healing)
Provides a feel good factor..
But not in every case..
as an e.g. this guy's case i know who is sick and tired of the falsifying optimism he's pushed into each time he reads his horoscope...
supposed to be a true virgo..he complains how very cliched and untrue horoscopes can be..as they promise him "love in the air,companionship,romantic getaway,
candlelight dinner,happiness and harmony,relationship,spouse support" lined up each week
none of them materialise..
the obvious reason:
he's single,trying and has been waiting since a long time..Good Luck buddy!

And how often have i seen we friends in the hostel pouncing onto a single paper..
No not to see our hearthrobs!not to read comics..Naah!!not to know about the weather report and
definitely not to know about what's going on where...
but to see to what soothsayers have said for us!
one asking the other.."hey!read mine"
The horoscope horror reaches an all time high when there's an exam,viva-voce round the corner..and at times even a scuffle with one's loved one.
Remember the soothsayer warning the mighty Julius Caesar about the Ides(15th) of March!asking him to not step out to senate lest he be killed..

Or the mighty Notradamus predicting doomsday!
Panditji asking Ash to mangle her "manglik" status by undergoing special rituals to ward off the imminent danger from her married life.

Ever tried zapping through breakfast news in the innumerable news channels/radio stations??
in case you havn't.. Do.
because the early morning the news channel has tarot card readers/crystal ball witches
soaked in jarring make up that leaves my aunty wondering"how could they be perfect such a make up early morning"
I jibe.."after all they've got kismet in their hands"

But one fine thing that leaves me amused is numerology..
ok..i am shrill..my bday falls on 11 th May 19*#
I am a no.2 person according to numerology(as they say 1+1=2).
So how is my current spate of bad-luck gonna change??
i know this is how a numerologist would answer:
since its the 8th month of the year..and your birthday falls on the 5th month i.e may..
so 8-5=3...
wait untill the next month i.e 9th untill it becomes 9-5=4..and things will be just fine..
since 3 is not in accordance with your lucky number 2 so this is a bad time for you..
Had i told him that this month is turning out absolutely fantastic for me..
A numerologist's explanation would be :
absolutely..ur name is shrill..a 6 lettered name.
8th month it is...
so 8-6= 2 your lucky number..so things have to be fine.

Hmmm..does that mean i change my name to shriell(7 lettered) in the coming month??.
so that next month (9-7=2)proves lucky!
I should go ask Suniel(prior sunil)Shetty or viveik(prior vivek) oberoi that!

And have we not been mystified by luck charms??
Horseshoes,fortune cookies and mascots in the west,and of course the drawing up of "kundalis" and prescribing gems for vicissitude here..
So much so some even attributed Princess Diana's accident to the diamond rock she had on her finger at the time of her death..
on a serious note i have seen people suffering from severe depressions,and taking such silly prophecies a bit too seriously..
Kismet...Science or superstition ??
U can take your pick..call it fate or fatality...

"Fate is a term concocted by people of dim intellect to give them momentary relief during their period of trial"-Sage Vishwamitra
"The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars but in our selves "-Julius Caesar
"may be ive been at the right place at the right time"-Bill Gates
"Wait till i refer to the almanac for the auspicious launch for my next post"-Shrill