As I try to recall memories of Daddy when he were younger, my mind conjures up a hazy picture of a skinny man in bell-bottoms. Thick unruly hair, dark skin, prominent moustache - my mind's eye can see way beyond that. Captivated in the recesses of my memories is the steely resolve in the honey coloured eyes, the veins jutting out at the back of his palm(the result of relentless hard work) and a bright, heart warming smile, which even in this day & age reveals the child within him. And it comes even more so to the fore when he talks about his childhood. Daddy had the kind of childhood that kids of the present generation can only read about. His eyes sparkle some more when he narrates his childhood capers and before your eyes unfolds a man whose soul seems connected to the elements of nature.

Listening to his animated talks of his childhood adventures easily drifts you to a world which you would've loved to be a part of. Hunting, fishing, swimming, rowing - he seems to have done it all!We could never overlook the mischievous gleam in his eyes that shone to the hilt when he spoke of how he, along with his bunch of friends used to steal fruits from people's backyards. My didi would often ask him as to how he got the time to study amidst all this. He would laugh in reply. As if to say that in time you will realise that life's lessons are not to be learned within the four walls of a classroom.

Certain people exhibit certain qualities that helps them stand out from the rest. When it comes to Dad it is his optimism. From the time I came of age I never saw him in a pessimistic frame of mind. He might've had self doubts in moments of privacy (Although I can't bring myself to believe that). Every task, however big or small, that he has undertaken, he has fulfilled it successfully with a positive frame of mind. It took me a while to realize that such positivity stems from a firm belief in GOD. In good times and bad his trust in HIM never faded, in fact it increased manifold. It is this devotion that must've helped him see thru' the toughest time of his life during which he saw major upheavals in his personal and professional life. I've seen him stand like a rock amongst a financial crisis. At the age of 50 when many would relax and reminisce about the life they've had I've seen my father restart his life.And thru' the trying times he has had, he never lost his sense of humour.

Principled, witty and charming - today my father stands tall before me as my life's greatest inspiration. And for all the years that I've walked on this earth I've yet to come across anyone who can measure up to my father - my hero!

The setting is so perfect..life seems like a dream. My bag of goodies is full, its flowing over the brim. What then does my heart yearn for..the craving has begun to hurt....I seem to be searching for someone, people mill around me but...

There is a voice I need to hear, a hand I want to hold..I want to live a lifetime with you...With you I want to watch sunsets gold...its the circle of your arms that I'm yearning for, not these wordly snares. If you come back to me again.....my heart I promise I'll bare...the feelings that I have left unexpressed, I'll give them the form of words, your love has taught me the meaning of life.I love you so much it hurts....

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Dubai is not the same old place some said, the standard of living has increased by leaps and bounds and it is not so easy to find the right kind of jobs nemore.....Despite the warnings I left the carefree, happy-go-lucky goan life miles behind n found myself trapped in a not so exciting life behind a closed door flat.....Two months of struggling helped me land a job as a Network Engineer in Sony Gulf....my folks were thrilled at my new found success and compliments flowed in like wine from heaven.....
So, i had finally made it !!! The crème de la crème of shopping malls to choose from, the view of the Burj-al-Arab while on my way for work, an MNC to work in........well can life get any better???
Surprisingly yes...........I happened to speak to a fellow Indian and he put in words what had been on my mind since the time I came here.......he said, "This place has everything to offer, except that lil something and even after years of living here u realize that it is that lil something that is absolutely essential to live life........." By that he probably meant the feeling of belonging to ur family, ur people n ur country. The feeling of walking down the street and knowing that u'll come across a couple of familiar faces and stop to enquire how they are doing..knowing that u never have to renew a visa that decides whether u stay or leave...knowing that 15^th August and 26^th January are a celebration..(sigh!)

Well we all are like migratory birds here...we'll return to our nests when the sun sets..home is where the heart is folks!

Yet another Maa's day is here and I'm wrecking my brains trying to figure out what to gift my mom....Jus had a tiff with her this morning (one in a list of many ). I know what she would like as a gift but I can't afford it. Bcoz I jus can't avoid arguing with her and its been aeons (yawn!....) since I gave up trying to explain to her the new mantra's of the 21st century. We share a normal mother-daughter relationship. She's not my best friend. I've never gone running to her to tell her of my first crush or the first valentine's card I received.

She finds my choice of clothes unimpressive, my hairstyles always look like disasters to her (she's literally told me more than once that my hair look like the rats have nibbled at them). She would gladly hide my cell-phone in a place where i won't find it for ages coz she can't stand me chatting with my friends for hours. She's always complaining about what a spendthrift I am (my friends wonder how I manage to save more than they do!). She goes bonkers coz I haven't yet learned from her the tricks to prepare mouth-watering biryani's (Oh! they r a must u see to qualify me as the ideal muslim girl). I have to beg, plead and cry to convince her to let me hang out with my friends...........So by these standards the gift(s) that she would want from me is waaaaay beyond my reach.

But hey!there's one that'll more than make up for it I think!! It's inexpensive and yet the costliest, and it seems trivial but I know it'll be the most special one for her.......For, this year I'll gift her a "Thank You".....for standing by me, as professionally I treaded through a path that was supposed to be a man's domain, for waking up early in the morning to prepare my breakfast, for encouraging me throughout my school n college to participate in extra-curricular activities (so what if that meant a dip in the rankings). For being there despite our differences, for helping me grow into a strong, independent woman. And also for grudging at my faults n mistakes n blunders ( n there've been many of those I tell u........). For loving me despite the number of times I've hurt her n fought with her n back-answered her...............And most of all for being "my" exclusive "Mom/Mummy/Ammu/Ammi".....the most special miracle in my life........