15 Things 2015 has taught me...

1. No matter how rich you are, how many cars and houses you own, you cannot eat money.
   
   
   
   
2. The best investment is to invest your time on the right people.
3. This!
   
   
   
   
4. Books are the best stress busters. Feeling frustrated? Lock your room, grab a book and get lost in that heavenly dream.
   
   
   
   
5. There is no such thing as keep in touch forever. 
6. 22 to 27 is the age when we meet many temporary people in our life.
7. Time erases everything, I mean everything. Even the worst wounds inflicted on us heal with time. 
8. Everyone is right in their own perspective. There is no such thing as winning an argument. You only lose a friend. 
9. A year can turn strangers into best buddies and best buddies into complete strangers.
10. There is no problem that cannot be solved by your parents' advice.
11. It is better to be alone than with unpleasant company.
    
    
    
12. When you have moved on,  the golden past fades away into a dream-like fog.
13. Fail -> learn ->  get up -> dust yourself -> succeed ->  repeat. There is no other shortcut.
14. Life is a long journey. Take one step at a time. 
15. It takes a fraction of a second for all of it to end. Be thankful to be alive. 

Welcome 2016!

Chennai - December 1, 2015...

          Never has the sound of rain drop been scarier. When the first drop hit the floor,  it was a welcome relief to a city after a dry spell. By the time the last drop came down,  the whole city was a disaster. People lost their lives,  their houses,  their belongings and their loved ones to the horror. It was nearly 30 hours of incessant rains coming down on an unsuspecting city. Mother nature came down with all her fury and washed away everything that came her way.

          It was a disaster, a true one!  Everywhere you turn,  there was water. Railway tracks were broken, telephone lines were damaged,  streets and roads were rendered impassable and bridges collapsed. When all hopes were lost, humanity rose from the debris like a Phoenix bird. Yes,  humans stood for each other.

          The true heroes of the city looked up from their phones. They had a job in hand and they went about it without a fuss. The social media turned from being a 'waste of time ' to a life-saver for once. Facebook status updates were used for distress calls and troll pages turned into help pages. People became one in the event of distress and religion,  cast and class were swept away by the raging floods.

          An RJ turned from being an entertainer to being the face of the youth and a cine actor freaked out on losing his home and came out to help the people in need. Many other silent heroes worked day and night to restore the lives of those affected. An auto-wala refused to get paid for the ride and instead requested the passenger to donate it to the affected. An old woman cooked 7 days straight for the homeless. Theaters, shopping malls and IT companies threw open their doors - this time without parking charge! Hotels and restaurants offered food - this time without a bill at the end. Cab and auto-drivers offered to drop people at their homes - this time without meter. Help also poured in from other cities, other states and even other countries. Within 7 days, the city was almost back to normal.

          But there is a marked change in the people after the disaster. They are more considerate to their fellow beings. They honk less (we can't stop honking because honking is in our genes!) and wait for an elderly to get to the other side of the road safely. Thank you rain, for showing humans their human side. Thank you rain, for showing us our true heroes. Thank you rain, for reminding us of nature and her power. Thank you rain, for washing our ignorance, hatred and greed off us.

          We have risen from the water like the Phoenix rose from the ashes - stronger!

A Trip to Goa

              Ever since my childhood, I've always lived in a hot place where sweat forms a daily ingredient in most of your food. The Sun shares such a deep bond with my town that it loves smiling at us with all its teeth glittering. During the evenings, the Sun reluctantly retires and the people look forward to a breezy night. But more often than not, they get disappointed as the night becomes even more humid and leaves us people sultry and wishing for the day where atleast the wind shows mercy. So, born and brought up in such a place where the Sun never takes a holiday, I usually long for trips to faraway locations, where I could find myself a room with a view of the lake, where I could use the room heater instead of the Air Conditioner, where I could cover myself from head to toe with a blanket to shied myself from the cool and icy fingers.

           But that dream still remains a far cry, though I must say, a part of that dream was fulfilled when, atlast, I stepped out of my town and went on a trip to Goa - one of the most exotic places India offers. My school is not known for excursions, and the best they could arrange so far, was a trip to a nearby temple on a Sunday morning. So it was nothing less than a pleasant surprise when my teachers said that we are going on a 7 day trip to Goa - the land of the beaches. I was so excited and at the same time nervous, since this was my first trip faraway from home. I have heard a lot of interesting titbits about Goa, the beautiful beaches there, the gorgeous girls complimenting the beaches, the views and sea-food restaurants. To me, Goa was more of a place of my dreams, and to really go to such a place, with my beast pals was something I could not miss out.

           And off we went, first to Bangalore, from where we boarded a train to Goa. Ever since I reached the outskirts of the city, I knew I was going to have a terrific time. Even from the train, the beautiful mountains, the broad landscape stretching as far as the horizon, provided breathtaking sight-seeing. Once we landed in the city, we could feel ourselves energized by the air, by the greenery everywhere and most importantly, nature's splendid beauty. The city was so refreshing, so charming, and so soothing that I could hardly believe such a place existed on earth. We visited around 4 or 5 beaches and every beach had its own tale to tell. The sea, so calm and yet so beautiful in its own way, was very welcoming indeed. The cool touch of the beach sand, the gentle kiss of the waves and the melody of the sea are feelings to behold. You just can't hate this city.

          While the beaches enthralled us, the food delighted us. Such was the variety of the food that was being served, that I had real difficulty choosing which to eat and which to ignore. Crabs, lobsters and fresh fish - my favorites - formed the major portion of most of the dish. On top of all this, I was with my best pals! There is a saying that you can never appreciate the true beauty of something unless you have someone to share the joy with. And the company I had, such great company it was - my sweet friends who have shaped and moulded my life right from kindergarten were there with me right beside me to share my delight. Ah! How lucky I was!

           And then, there was another surprise in store for me. My school had arranged a boat-ride! What a huge boat that was, fully equipped with a bar, hotel and a stage. People who have never before danced in their life started dancing to the boat's rhythm. And I've got to say, the views from the boat, the islands and the shore are all sights you should never miss!

           It did not stop with the beaches, the food and the boats. There were so many small things, so cute and so sweet, that served to make my day. The chirping of the birds, the dancing of the palm trees to the tune of the wind, the refreshing air and the smell of sea-food...the list goes on.

           And I went mad about taking photos. I clicked somewhere around 2000 snaps and I could never get enough. Memories form an important part of one's life as they are the only remainder of one's past, however sad or happy it may be. And memories are never in your control, you can never erase bad memories, nor can you suppress them. And that is precisely why I love saving memories of my happy days. Even now, when I see the photos, I could almost smell the beach air and feel the waves happily lapping my feet. I never believed heaven and hell, but after visiting this place, I had to change my view. Heaven does exist, and you don't need to get killed to see it. Those seven days were days I'll never forget in my life, the sweet memories etched in my heart in golden letters, reminding me of the fantastic time I had, for years to come.