5 years

http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_archive.html

This was exactly 5 years ago.

I was then in 2nd year engg.So much has happened since then. I finished Engg, got 2 job offers, got thru a decent b school, left home, did MBA, finished MBA, got a job, started working for the first time, got married, moved to another country, started work again.

Almost everything has changed in the last 5 years.

Some things have not.

One of them is you. So thank you and a very very happy 5th birthday.

As my readers, a know a lot of visit regularly who do not leave a comment- as a gift to my blog, leave a comment- I want to know who you are. Just say hi.

Love

RP

Post 17

Ma

I have been lucky enough to receive unadulterated, unquestioned love from my mother. She is the centre of my world.

Today I was lying down when I suddenly recalled the few days at home when I was working in India. I had fallen very sick and sid was due in a few days to come pick me up. I was kind of happy to fall ill- be pampered one last time before I left her. All about how she took care of me, how concerned she was and how just being around her felt so nice- all of this came back to me.

Sometimes, now, when I think about how she used to be worried about every little thing about me , it brings me close to tears. I survived the whole of today on two breads. Maybe when you are hungry the whole world seems more mean than it actually is. But I kept thinking about her.

How she made life so easy for me in India, how both my Mom and dad would ensure that I was picked and dropped each day to work. How she would be concerned if I seemed even a little upset and how far away she is from me now.

The sheer physical distance.

How tough it is to be away from people you love. From the one person you love the most.

Post 16
Best Holiday ever!

So its been almost 4 long weeks since I started working. So it is high time that I start dreaming of holidays.

Because of work and the fact that I am now quite busy, I often find myself thinking of the best holiday I have ever had.

We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon. It was by far the best holiday I have ever had. We stayed one the Taj hotels and chose one that was far far away from the main city of Mahe. The place for very beautiful- breath takingly so. I was newly married. After that holiday I was to go back to my folks for atleast a month which ensured that I did not feel senti about leaving my folks and all that.

We took a water villa. The steps would lead out into the sea the water of which was so very clear that you could see everything on the sea bed and the fishes deep down (not that the water was very deep)

It was here that we spent hours in the water- snorkeling with the fish, checking out the corals- it was just fantastic.

Here is a pic of the sea and the water villa stairs.




Another one :




I loved the blue and the green. The staff was very nice, they spoke kindly to us, helped us whenever they could and tried their best to ensure that we have a good holiday.
The food was excellent and one of the reasons why we chose Taj was because Taj is a company of Indian origin we would have some vegetarian options as well. I still remember the tiramisu- you had to eat it to believe it!

I made friends with some other honeymooning couples as well. Sat in an underwater submarine, tried out my hand at water sports, swam with the fishes, had a beach candle lit dinner, ate pizza baked in front of my eyes, ran in the sand, played with the water- was treated like a princes!

What’s your favourite holiday?
Love
RP

Post 15

Second!
For all that it is worth I got a second job offer today. You remember the internship I was doing before I got this job offer (http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2010/04/job-hunt-i-have-been-avoiding-writing.html ) , well the Europe president mailed me today.

He has asked me to come back to them, this time for a permanent role with a proper salary. Point to be noted is that when I was working with him and asked him if there were any chances of getting a permanent role ( I was desparate for a job) he had told me that the two of us will discuss it after I would have worked with them for 6 months. I had agreed to it.

It has been a month since I left the internship.

I will refuse. For a variety of reasons.

1st My current work place is like 20 minutes from where I live. The internship work place is about 2 hours of travelling in 3 trains and a bus and some walking. That for me is a deal breaker actually!

2nd the role that I am doing right now might not have tremendous growth potential but is a decent one for the time being. Though on paper the role is bigger at the internship- I am still not very convinced

3rd added to point 2 my current job is with a MUCH bigger company!

4th I have spent almost 4 weeks of intense self motivated learning. Now is when I am getting the hang of things! I honestly do not want to let go of this profile right now

5th I had a sales and marketing managerial role in India. With due respect to all the sales managers in the world( I am married to one as well), I never really felt that that role used my brain. Here I am doing complex analysis and if I can find enough enthusiasm, people are very willing to let me take up even more challenging roles

6th My husband works in the same company. Though this seemed like a problem in the very beginning, I don’t mind it now – infact even like it. Its good to get a glimpse of the other one. I don’t really feel alone ever. I know he is there to take of things even though I also know that my stuff is my stuff and his is his.

7th I do not believe my internship people will give me as big a salary as I am getting here. And for all it is worth- money does matter.

So that is it. I am not joining. I am going to say no to a job offer. Do you know whats the coolest thing about this. I spent 5 months believing that this day will never come (http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2010/03/maybe-that-day-will-never-come.html ). And that is exactly why they tell you to never say never!

Love

RP

Post 14

Tickets booked!

So, we have booked tickets to go to the A R Rahman music concert in London on the 24th of July 2010. I am not a big music fan but I really love it when Rahman’s music falls on my ears!

I am very very excited about the show! This is going to be my first proper concert!! Yeaaaayyyyy!

Other AR Rahman fans can feel as jealous as they deem fit!

Love
RP

Post 13

Grief

I went home for the first time after coming to London in May. I had been in London for 4 months by then and I had just found a job. The first thing I did when I got my job was to book tickets to India. However, even though I went to India just one month back, I am already very homesick.

Anyways, that is besides the point. I am now going to talk of just one aspect about the India trip- the time I was leaving my home to go and spend a day with my in laws before taking the flight back to London.

I have never left my parents and not cried. That’s not me. Each time I left for B school I cried like crazy in the train. This time was no different.

No, it was. I cannot put in words the amount of grief I felt as the train moved out of the platform. It was such immense grief, such unadulterated grief that it hit me like a rock. I did not even realize it but there I was standing next to my berth and crying so bitterly without a care of who was looking.Crying with sobs and with big fat tears streaming down my face. I don’t know for how long I stood there crying. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. A kind looking aunty asked me if all was ok.

I hurriedly wiped my tears, nodded a weak smile at her and climbed into m y berth and drew the curtains. And burst into tears again.

The grief was a physical pain. I just could not bear the thought of going away from them. I started finding it difficult to breathe and found myself totally unable to stop my tears. I had Twilight in my hands, and some pages are still soiled because of my big fat tears that fell on the pages of the open book.

I have never felt such immense grief. I am an emotional girl but I am reasonably sensible. I have not forgotten how it felt to leave my folks once again to go live in a foreign country. Leave the comforts of familiarity for the discomfort of things new and still alien.

If you are a girl who is not married, I have this to say to you : I love my husband. My in laws treat me like their daughter and my MIL will not stop gushing about how perfect her Daughter in law is. Yet. There is nothing like home. Nothing like your own Ma and your own dad. No matter how modern your thinking is, a part of you does get divided once you get married. You are part of two families. So all you unmarried girls- you belong 100% to your mum and dad. Please love them. Please cherish each moment you have with them. Please.

Day 12

Of a Very Special Day

I did MBA from one of the top 10 Bschools in India. That was the first time I moved out of my city. I went there very scared – I had heard enough stories of how cut throat the competition was, how you got to sleep for only 4-3 hours in one day and how tough it was to give all the exams and presentations etc etc.

I finished MBA in the March of 2009. I did so with tremendous lessons in life. And three gold medals. With 3 out of the 4 medals awarded that day. With all three academic ones open for the grab that day.

That day- the convocation - was undoubtedly the proudest moment in my life and I doubt if there will be one that will out do this one. I was rank one in engg also but I was never awarded a gold medal in front of sooo many people. So this was bigger and more special.

My brother had promised me that he will take leave from his med school (where leaves were very scarce) and attend my convocation if I were getting one medal. So, on that fine day, my brother came from his med school, my parents from my home city and Sid came from London to be with me on my very special day. Every one who mattered was there and that really mattered the most.

I knew I was the gold medallist for the batch that year because the results had been declared a couple of days back. Early that day I went to the section where the medal winners were supposed to line up for their cloaks and gowns. There was a list of medal winners there. I picked it up just to check if I was indeed getting the gold medal.

Gold Medal- My name.
I turned the next page and was about to keep the sheet down when my name caught my attention .

I read carefully.

The XYZ Special Prize for Best Student in Economics: My name.

I remember how I stopped breathing for a second. I had not even known that such an award existed.

And that was when I saw my name in another place.

The ABC award for Best Outgoing Student for the Batch of 2009 : My name.

I fail short of words here. I honestly do. You know I think there is such an amzing ring to the sound of the words- Best outgoing student of the year. It sounds so BIG. So final. So very absolutely unbeatable.

As I was jostled around by batchmates trying to get their robes , I recall being transported into a different world.

I had just realised- some one hour before the award ceremony , that I was going to get ALL academic gold medals open for my entire batch of 178 students..

I wore a green and pink saree that day along with a Gold watch and a string of pearls.

The saree was an ancient one belonging to my mother. I had often seen her in it and I felt that she looked fabulous each time she wore it. It did not look half as great on me (infact it looked quite horrible) but I wanted to wear something so very hers on my special day. It was my way of saying, I am yours and each achievement of mine is as yours as it is mine.

The string of pearls- My Mum and Dad gifted those to me on my 18th birthday. And as I opened my gift that day so many years ago I saw a piece of paper fall off. They had left a note inside the jewellery box. It said, in my fathers beautiful hand writing that I should have a focus in my life and give my all to achieve it.

The gold watch was a gift from my Grandfather. He takes immense pride in any academic achievement I have ever had and had gifted this watch to me when I had scored 92% in class ten. The Box reads—Merit award from my grand daughter. May you achieve many more, bigger, grander things.

I have often felt that that one day was my day. Absolutely , totally my day. I remember the collective gasp of the audience as my name was announced for the 3 rd consecutive gold medal and I knew each and every eye was on me as I made my third quick trip to the stage.

I remember the multitude of back slaps, the way a reporter came and asked me , before he interviewed me, if I were single. I remember how some random woman came and congratulated me and said, ‘ you seem to be the brightest around! And I am so proud you are girl’

I felt so blessed and so lucky. It was like all the hard work had paid off. I knew my parents would be the proudest set of parents sitting in that auditorium. I knew I had achieved something I had till now only dreamt of.

Why do I speak of that day today? I don’t know. This is one big experience that I had never shared with my blog readers and I wanted to let you guys be a part of my biggest day- that happened a long time back. The following is the link to the post that has me announce my Rank one but not the other things
:http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

I am putting up a pic as well. It is a hideous pic but it shows you the saree and if you look closely the watch and the string of pearls as well:)





Love
RP

Post 11
First salary in Pounds

Hi,

Today is an important day. I got my first salary in pounds. The pay slip shows an amount thats bigger than I had thought it will be but thats not the point. The point is that I have a job. a job that pays me for the work I do.

I have now known Sid for more than 2 years (I realized that right now!!) and from the moment I met him first my job had been a concern. I spent hours debating marriage with sid thinking about my career (Dont get me wrong, I love him to bits and a million times more than any stupid career )and I spent hours after my wedding crying because I had not gotten through yet another interview.

I am truly grateful for work right now. Its not the money that matters , though ofcourse it is important, but it is just the thrill of earning again. I got my last salary cheque in December. It has been 6 months. Six long months

Job hunting was not easy. I have never had anything this difficult and I have not forgotten the tears and the tension. The depression, the ‘we-are-sorry-but-best-of-luck-for-your-job-hunt’ emails, the interviews, the waiting, the hoping that this would be the one…..

I never really valued work before this, and never valued my ability to earn. I do so now-
very humbly so.

I am therefore truly greatful that I am lucky enough to have a job. This experience has really made me appreciate work like I have never done before and I hope I do not forget this lesson life has in its own way taught me in a hurry.

If you work, think that you hate it- change jobs if you can, but please appreciate the fact that you have work. There are millions in this part of the world who do not.

Love
RP

Day 10

My bottle of Pure fruit smoothie :)

I love this one brand of fruit smoothies that I get near my office, not just for the taste and for the fruits that it claims are in it but for the nonsense they write on it.

Enjoy:


Ingredients:
9 crushed strawberries
1.5 pressed apple
½ mashed banana
½ squeezed orange
5 pressed red and white grapes
0 1950s bunglow*
And a squeeze of fresh lime



*or stairs of any description


This kind of nonsense always makes me smile and the first thing I do when I buy my smoothie is to read all thats written on it. I always find something stupid somewhere:)

RP

Day 9

Blog readers

It is weird- the kind of relationship you develop over time with the readers of your blog.

Sometimes you get to know them really well, sometimes they are blog writers that you feel you know well because you read their blog regularly.

In the last 5 years I have been blogging, I have actually met 2 people through this blog. Two wonderful people- one I am still friends with, the other a fellow blogger was a very good friend at one point in time but we kind of lost touch along the way.

Since I am quite fiercely protective of my anonymity in the blog world ( in fact it is only now that I mention my city on the blog before this I never did that also!) - so this is quite a large number.

Apart from these two I have spoken on the phone to one and exchanged emails with atleast 3 others (I do not have a separate id for my blog)

Why do I suddenly talk about this?

Well there is indeed a reason. It’s the Girl series.

I started writing the Girl series about 4 years back- that was when I used to have a much bigger reader base and frankly was more enthusiastic about blogging too. Shekar, a fellow blogger and a voracious reader was one of those who used to follow my blog quite regulary. His comments for the Girl series were very encouraging and even now I remember one of his comments verbatim.

So 4 long years later, as part of this marathon, I decided to restart the Girl series.

To catch up on what all I had written I sifted through the previous 4 parts and spent some time going through the comments as well. And there I found the comment that Shekhar had left for me all those years ago. I smiled as I read it, promising to def mail/ scrap shekhar that I have put the next part of this story, he so keenly followed.

I wrote part 5 2-3 days back and was postponing the next post simply because I had to let him know that I had written part 5. It was a weird thing in my head- its not like we speak/ chat often. Infact we have never spoken/ met each other or are even really aware of what the oher one is upto.

But I just felt like doing it this way- one of the weird things you know, letting him know of the post. He does not follow my blog now, so he would not know of the post on his own.....I mean I have had no contact with him in months!

Anyways today I changed my status on FB. Shekhar who has most prolly never commented on any of my FB statuses , commented this:

“Speaking of which, we, the readers of ur blog, have been kept away from your own power of story-telling, especially 'the girl' series”

I was blown away by the co incidence. That he should remember that particular post after 4 long years in between of which we have hardly ever had any communication except his occassional comments on my blogs ( which have stopped as he stopped reading my blog sometime back- fault is mine though, I really had stopped writing) and maybe one email. At max 2.

So I immediately informed him to go read my blog and told him how I had been not writing the blog marathon because I wanted to let him know of the latest post.

Its funny, how we connect people with things in life and how they connect/ associate us with the same!

Love
RP

Day 8

Apologies & Redemption: It has been four years since I last wrote what I very unimaginatively called “The Girl Series”. For various reasons I stopped mid way. I still have a lot to say and many stories to tell about 'The Girl'.

Over years, I often thought about finishing this series but never had reason enough to do it. The blog Marathon is the perfect excuse.

Very few of those readers who encouraged me through the first 4 parts now remain on my blog. But for those who might be interested the following are links to the previous 4 parts:

Part 1:
http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2006/08/added-later-at-104511th-day-of-august.html

Part 2:
http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2006/08/dadi-update-well.html

Part 3:
http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2006/08/dadi-update-well.html

Part 4:
http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2006/09/girl-part-4.html

Also if you see the Right pane you will see these (in a section called Girl Series) linked directly to the posts

And now for Part Five :)


Part Five:

The last time, my readers and I met Girl, and that was almost 4 years ago, we left her outside her eldest son’s class room where after doing away with each bit of pride, the daughter of one of richest zamindaars of Calcutta was born with, she had just asked her son’s teacher if she would help Girl get an education she could at that point in time only dream of.

“….I don’t have money. I cannot pay for your help. I can only give you my word that I will be an honest student….” Girl muttered hesitatingly. From the corner of her eye she could see her son crane his neck from where he was sitting in the class wondering why his mother had come to meet his teacher.

Seeing Girl’s twitching hands and uneasy, scared smile Teacher understood the internal struggle the girl was going through- what it had taken for to come and do this.

“ What a strange thing to ask for?”, thought Teacher to herself as she studied the woman with jet black hair that almost reached her knees, honest eyes and rough-over worked hands.

Teacher debated silently. This was against the school rules, she anyways had enough students to teach and certainly did not need another one without any extra salary. Obviously she should politely refuse such a strange request. Certainly, she made up her mind.

“Yes, I will help you….”, said Teacher surprising herself much more than she surprised the woman infront of her who now folded her hands in a mark of gratitude as words failed her and tears of relief and hope began their happy journey down her beautiful face.

This was, readers, no ordinary moment.

Not, if you think friendships are ordinary. How could this moment which silently, with tears and smiles and wonder, marked the beginning of one that would last more than half a century be anything but extra ordinary ??

Thus started a unique long distance learning programe . Teacher would use, FB’s copy, turn it upside down and on the last page write down small words that she knew FB knew.

“Explain what each word means to your mother. Tell your mother to write these words again in the space below 5 times. It is her homework. Be a good teacher.”, she would smile.

FB would come home and tell his mother what her homework was for the day and Girl would spend the afternoon studying along with her two sons.

This period marked an important phase in Girl’s life. She had now set on a journey to achieve her biggest dream. A dream to learn-to be educated- to not be the illiterate wife of a famous doctor. A secret dream. A clandestine effort. An effort with 2 accomplices apart from Teacher- her two lovely sons.

Imagine a small house in a city in India 50 odd years ago. Imagine the summer heat. Imagine three people in that one room. One woman and her two sons. Sitting on the floor. Imagine the woman fanning her sons and herself intermittently with a hand made fan. Imagine three dark heads bent over three different sets of books. Doing different things but united and tied to each other in a way only a mother and her children can be. In a way only a student and her two tiny teachers can be.

Love
RP

Day 7

The Pleasures of Not Having a Blender.

Case 1:
Sid: How about Rajma?
Me: No baby! How can we make Rajma, we need blender na…..
Sid: yeah ofcourse

Case 2:
Sid: Should we try making Chhole?
Me: Baby, we don’t have a blender naaa…..
Sid: Ohhhh, ofcourse!

Case 3:
Sid: How about Luaki ki sabzi?
Me: We don’t have a blender na…
Sid: Are you sure we need one for sabzi also?
Me: Ofcourse! Do you know how to make lauki ki sabzi without a blender?
Sid*downcast*: No

Case 4:
Sid: How about a glass of milk?
Me: Baby, we don’t have a blen……..yeah babby, ofcourse, hot or cold?

:P


RP

Day 6


So I am in office and sid is working from home. It’s a lazy Friday afternoon and I am amongst the very few people in office. I get this email from Sid’s office id to mine:

“Message from Sid:
Hey, can you please pick up the courier package? Get it home.

Forwarded message from C:
Hey Sid,
These guys have left a courier package for you on your desk. Thought would let you know!
Cheers
C”

So C sits right next to Sid’s desk. I craned my neck to get a view of Sid’s desk and yes, I could easily see the brown packages.

So, in the next few minutes, I sauntered to his place and casually picked up the package from Sid’s desk and sat down back at my place to work.

A couple of minutes later I got another forwarded mail from Sid:

“Message from Sid:
:D.Enjoy!

Forwarded message from C:
Sid!
Some girl came and nicked your courier packets! I thought you should know!!!!!!!
C”

Sid then sent him a mail telling him that the girl who came nicked his packages is his wife! And just to rub it in a little bit more, I went up to him today.

“Hi C”, I said extending my hand.

“Hi”, he smiled sheepishly.

“I am the girl who nicked the courier packages”, I said.

“Yeah!”, he grinned, “ I got to know you kinda know him”.

This is my favourite work place story right now!! Thought would share it with you guys!

Love
RP

Day 5:
Good News!!
I shall now share some good news with you.

I have a job! Tadddaaaaa. It took me some 5 months, lots of rona dhona and many many interviews including three at the firm I am with right now.

I have now been working for a week and apart from the fact that I have had to come face to face with an avalanche of information, things have been good.. And whats the twist in the tale?? I work in the same company and office as Sid!
That seems quite werid to think of. But Sid often goes for client meeting s and can easily work from home. Infact I realized today that it will be very easy for me to work from home as well! The profile is such that it does not matter from where I work.

There is a long story about how this job happened. I am still on leave from company X (which took me on a great salary in the midst of severe recession!). Sid and I collectively decided that I had time till 4th of July 2010 to figure out a job for myself else we will both move to India.

As he told his boss this and the HR head heard that in passing, things started happening. There was this role available for which they had been passively head hunting for over an year. Would I be interesred in interviewing for it, they asked!

Hell yes!

So then followed 3 rounds of interviews.

And on 5th of May 2010 I was offered employment.

As an MBA I am indeed a little over qualified for this role, so they are happy with who they have on board and I have a job which is what I have been craving for for so so so so long that I don’t care about the role ( which btw is quite decent)
So I have started work now. I hope I do a decent job here-I want to work hard and to do well. Wish me luck!

Love
RP

Day 4
A Tale of summer coats.

We had a mini school reunion a couple of days back in London. School reunions of this kind are so much fun. There are teachers you talk about, classmates, ice cream walah, chane wala – just so much that no one else but an old school friend can think of.

There were 4 of us. N (http://smilethesmile.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-friends-i-dont-know-if-any-of.html) who is fashion designer in London, S who is a lawyer in London, myself and then a girl called D who was visiting from India on work.

So we met at the Waterloo station at 7 in the evening. As I saw N my jaw dropped. She and I had both bought new summer coats in the last 3-4 days and guess what?!! They were just slightly different makes from the same company!

The same colour, a very slight difference in cut and the same size!

So we would be walking round the city in almost identical summer coats? We questioned each other.

Making peace with the absurd situation at hand, we deicided to concentrate on meeting the other two girls we would be seeing after almost a decade.

We were, however, still reeling from this coincidence as we hunted for the other two at the hugeness the Waterloo station is.

And as the clouds parted I could see D & S standing at a little distance from us. I was seeing D after 10 years- she left our school when her father, an IAS officer of prominence, shifted base to Delhi and she joined DPS thereafter. We were good friends and used to sit close by. I was going to meet S after 8 years! I was the Vice Captain of my house and she was the head girl. Nice girl, good speaker and a very good head girl. I do not think I ever got a chance to meet/ speak to her after she passed out of school.

So there should have been so many things I should have noticed about S. How thin/ fat she ad become. How her hair was . How she walked, how she talked. But that’s not what I noticed. What I noticed was the S was wearing EXACTLY the same coat as the one I was wearing!!

Call that a coincidence or what!!!

Such is life

RP.

I never thought I would post a pic of girls coats! But here you go! Have a look at the coats, the tale of which this post was!

Day 3

Internet Savvy Dad.

So my Dad has just discovered the internet. Okay he knew it existed but it is only now that he has figured that it is no rocket science.

One day he sets an FB account.
The next day he puts up a display pic .
The third day he starts emailing people from his gmail account.
The fourth day he has put a video on his FB page.
The fifth day he has changed his gmail password.
The sixth day he has sent my brother’s girlfriend a FB friend request.



The following is an email he sent to me before I went to India early last month.

dear rp,

We are very happy about your forthcoming visit. What we have to finalize in the meanwhile is the preparation we have to have. We can have 3 boxes of famous home made laddus,one each for sis-in-law, mummy ji & sid. I made a very low calory cake today. yu can have 2 large tasty(non healthy)cakes. We can keep on updating our list. Yr interview was fabulous. This will keep yur schdul vry tight.its interview ,india visit, sis-in-laws visit,then start of job. All this will keep yu on yr toes. All the best
bye
chacha

Why I call my Dad, chacha is a long story and shall be dealt with in some other post.

In the meanwhile enjoy Da’s email.

Love
RP

Nani

Post 2

I talked about my grandmother some days back. She has been in a very delicate stage of late. The hospitals and the doctors were helping little. So Nani was brought home with oxygen mask and cylinders et al.

Last morning, Nani got really unwell. She was unable to breathe even for 5 minutes on her own. Things started getting very hysterical. I gather now that all of Nani’s 6 children ( the 7 th is in the USA and is on his way as I speak) were is various stages of utter despair early yesterday morning.

A big meeting was called to decide what the next step has to be. My uncle and aunt are doctors and they were both discussing which hospital would suit Nani best when , I gather my Grand dad, put his foot down. No one would touch Nani now, he said. What ever has to happen will happen at home. If she has to go away, we will respect that and let her be in peace.

So Nani was kept at home. Things started worsening. A doctor friend of my Uncle came over. He is a heart and lung specialist and gave Nani some injection. That was considered useless as all believed that Nani had a few minutes or hours at most. Nani had not eaten ANYTHING in the last 2 days and internal septicemia was making her body burn internally that would make her cry out in pain. She had a huge bed sore and was, as I said unable to breathe. Her skin had patches of blue and doctors could no longer find any vein for injections.

Half an hour later, my 86 year old nani was up. Sitting in bed after a long time and aksing for food. Trust me, I am not exaggerating one bit.

Of all things, the random injection had worked wonders.

Nnai was bathed, she got all the family round her , she spoke to her 2 month old great grand son in the US and told him how beautiful he is. She called my little sister and congratulated her for getting through every bloody medical entrance exam in the country and 95.5 % in the boards. Hoarding with her pictures are all around the city. They were shown to Nani. Arcticles in the newspapers where my cousin had dedicated her success to her grand parents were read out to her. Some 20-25 surrounded Nani’s bed for hours as she asked for food. Nani voiced concerns about what would be cooked that day for all her kids. My Mum dressed up nani, out a bindi on her forehead, combed her hair and made her sit.

My grand dad was in the room near by. As Nani sat dressed on her bed, mum asked all the other people to move a bit so that Dada ( my grandfather) could see her from where he sat. As people parted, Dada craned his neck to have a look at his wife of over 50 years.
Nani smiled a shy smile. Dada smiled an encouraging smile.

Mum says that was the most special smile she has ever seen in her life. She says it brought tears in her eyes.

This is certainly a miracle. For the time being. We do not how many hours this will last. It si certainly not a permanent solution. My Mum apparently has been feeding, bathing, and cleaning my Nani for the last 10-12 days and has aged about 10-12 years in the process. She says her biggest wish was to see happy for some time. She had seen Nani cry in pain non stop like a 3 year old. She has been so frustrated with Nani’s suffering that all she had started wishing for was for God to give Nani peace what ever that meant.

Nani had a lovely day yesterday. I have not heard my mothers happy voice in a long time. It is nothing short of a miracle to have Nani back for a few hours with us.

I don’t know what this incident means but all I know is that you do NOT know what life has in store for you round the next bend.

Love
RP

PS Blog Marathon is on. I have the posts written. Will post them once I am able to. I should be able to put all the remaining posts by the end of day BST.

Important Notice

Day One

Hi

Inspired by Preeti Shenoy ( www.justamotheroftwo.blogspot.com) whose blog I follow quite regularly now, with this post I have jumped into a blog marathon.

This means there will be one post each day for the next 30 days. Hopefully without fail. My only exceptions will be allowed when I have no access to internet, in which case I shall make up with two posts the next day.

Why am I doing this?

I have been thinking about this so often now. There is so much I want to blog about but end up not doing anything at all. Maybe this will help!

There is another bigger reason why I am doing this. This I shall reveal to the few who read my blog as I reach the end of the marathon.

I can do this much for Blogging all the way 

Sleep tight

RP