Happiness is Mommade!!

Maa ke haath ka khaana holds a special place in everybody’s heart, and often it is the dishes that takes you back to your childhood days. Out of all the dishes from mommy’s kitchen pickles are always on my top list. The very mention of achaar (pickles in India) not only triggers my taste buds and i start drooling but also brings a plethora of childhood memories. 

My childhood memories goes back to when we used to help mom make different varieties of pickles in our summer holidays. Belonging to a family where pickle is the soul of any meal, different kinds of pickles were a regular at our dining table. In addition to the seasonal or instant vegetable pickles green mango, jackfruit, lemon, chili, tomatoes and gooseberry were common in our house which has longer shelf life. 

Being born and raised up in northern part of India and moving to telangana after marriage my mother picked up the art of making both North India and Telangana Pickles. Even today, she prepares variety of pickles for everyone in the family.

Interestingly In my life it was only after moving to United States when cooking became a integral part of my life  i realised that how pickle was a savior. Back home I never felt the urge of making pickles as it was readily available for me from mommy's kitchen. Here we usually pick some up from Indian stores. But those factory made recipes do not match up to the flavour and taste of handmade pickle. 

So when my parents were finally flying to US I started making my bucket list.  I was going to meet them after six long years (yeah I know its been a long time) and one thing I was sure about it’s going to be a emotional ride for us. I was excited to meet them but also nervous about how they are going to react seeing me living with a autoimmune disease. I was afraid, anxious, worried, or sad all at the same time and it was nearly impossible to predict how they will feel. 

Finally the  day was here and as I met my parents we hugged each other. My mom hugged me tightly and the warmth of her hug made me feel like a kid again and i snugged around her,never wanting to let go off her. I felt overwhelmed. 

Well will leave this part of my story for another time let’s get back to our pickle storyline. Out of my bucket list one was learning the art of making pickle from my mom. 

Mostly Indian families have dozens of pickles at their disposal but the king of fruits mango is the most famous among the lot. So i knew from where I am going to start my class. So in addition to mango pickle I have learnt a few other pickles too in the hope that I will be well armed to survive my own cooking. 

Now every time opening a jar of pickles is euphoric for me. Sharing a short video of mommy making my all time favorite “Aam ka Achaar” and some other pickles we made. 

Social Distancing

Like every other day today too my usual morning started with chitchatting with my friends on whatsapp about Covid-19 situation in India. There were lot of forward messages on my group and one of them was migrant workers flocking to there native places amidst India's lock-down. At first my thought was how come they are careless to walk in crowds and risking their lives but thanks to

my friend for correcting me asking what's there fault? he said, They are daily wage laborers who earn daily to buy food. With sudden lock-down they have no where to work and stay so they are heading out to their natives.I believe every human would do that in such situation. Better to die with virus than hunger. I am not writing this post to pin point or justify what government is doing in India. I just want to pen down my feelings about the situation of these people. Hope you all can relate to it and do your bit of contribution towards them in which ever way possible.

What does social distancing mean when hundred's people live in a slum or shack?
when loosing work is a death throes or when death is standing a corner of their room lurking at them.

When you walk too long for your survival the blisters of your feet refuse to heal and the pain in your heart is never ending.
when starving brings you close to death saving yours and yours family's life is all you care.

For many of us life goes on behind the closed doors and windows, while some of them are walking barefoot 1000 of miles from days for their survival.
while some of us us are busy piling stock for unseen future others are just filled with stock of fears and tears.
while some were privileged to come back home by air others are walking under the sun with no food and water for days with just hopes of building more homes for us to work from.
They are walking along the same roads and buildings or towers they once helped to
In a country with millions of population and tons of infrastructure they are left on their own and they know a lot more can kill them than just their fear of virus.


Can they really dream about a better tomorrow?when they are not even sure if they can afford food for one more day?
If God is still with them or busy maintaining a social distance or will they find him in up in the sky or in Ramyana on TV?

Social Media the new Judicial Board of country

Social networking sites have become important part of our life especially with the youngsters. Uploading a video of traffic police taking challan or running a campaign or raising fund or the recent one uploading pic of a man and accusing him of eve teasing and harassing is all just in a matter of click.  Most of us must have read or seen the story of 20 year old Jasleen kaur blaming Sarvjeet singh of abusing and accusing her on road.

I am not here to say who is right or wrong but it's with the media. The moment the video was uploaded the media brigade started interviewing the girl and named Sarvjeet as accused. The overwhelming noise in the media resulted in the boy getting arrested. But even before he was arrested he was labelled as pervert, criminal, molester, abuser and what not by the media and the social media too. On the other hand Jasleen was named as brave heart of India and even rewarded and praised by the Delhi chief minister.  

Dear Media and public he is still not proven guilty so why are you naming him as a molester or pervert. I am not here take anyone's side but then it's' not right to name him as accused till the time he is proven . Instant accusations results in Instant verdict while this is good for the man who really don't deserve to get away but what about the person who is misunderstood or caught in a flood of anger. In the recent times when this kind of cases go viral on social media, most of the times it is seen that no one is interested in knowing the other side of the story. Mostly the other person don't' even get a chance to speak or give clarification of the incident.

During my Journalism days i was always taught when covering a news item get all versions of an incident. Collect facts and figure talking to as many people or witness of incidents and very importantly verify the facts at-least twice.  However i see a totally different scenario here forget about verifying the facts with the people present there none of the media channels or news reporters bothered to take the version of the guy involved. Shockingly national television channels were seen doing character assassination of the Saravjeet, even asking him to apologize while calling Jasleen, a brave-heart of the nation.

The eyewitnesses who came on the camera or gave their quotes clearly states that it was a miscommunication and the guy is not at fault but at one point the girl is wrong. Now the point is whom to believe or whom not. Well in that case let the police do it's work and punish the culprit. Just because a girl posted his pic on social media and accused him of abusing him doesn't make him criminal .

On one side when Jasleen is praised and rewarded the family of Sarvjeet is being accused and humiliated  and all thanks to the social media who have already announced him as culprit and trolling him in every possible way. It's very shameful to see the Media proving him guilty and making opinions without checking the facts. These days Justice seems to be just a click of a button. 

This kind of posts which goes viral on social networking sites raises a vital question: Should we decide the fate of any person on the basis of a social media post?

Always Remember to Love Yourself

Always remember to love yourself,
For the person that you are,
Put all doubts and fears upon the shelf,
And from them you'll go far.

Seek out positive people for friends,
That you enjoy to be around,
For true bonds of friendship never ends,
Once it has been found.

Learn to forgive yourself,
As well as friend and foe,
Mistakes we make is how we learn,
And from them we can grow.

Always pursue happiness,
But never lose touch from Base,
The pursuit you'll find, is a state of mind,
And may be a life long chase.

Where You come from
Is not that Important,
What matters is always knowing,
The past is gone, the future is now,
And the future is where you'll be going.

Always try and keep your word,
Try not to ever lie,
Don't repeat bad things you've heard,
Karma comes back by.

If you worry about what might be,
And wonder what might have been,
You'll blind the thoughts that help you see
What is...and where to begin

Take or make time for a sunset,
Or perhaps a walk on the beach,
Peace of mind, you'll often find,
Is always quite within reach.

Always be strong and face your fear,
If you want that fear to disappear,
For if You turn and run away,
That fear within you is there to stay...

And before you bed down each night
Remember to say:

"LIFE LOVES ME AND I LOVE LIFE,
TOMORROWS GOING TO BE
A FANTASTIC DAY!"

Extorting dowry in the name of shagun!!!

TV, AC, washing machine, Dressing table, Sofa, Jewelry, Car, House hold items… the list is endless!!!!!

The nauseating dowry system is still prevalent in the society we live. Extorting dowry from the bride’s family is downright cheap. And extorting dowry in the name of shagun is even more disgusting. The proverbial institution of marriage is turning out to be a modified form of extortion.

Why do Indian families expect dowry… What kind of a man is he who asks for dowry…? Isn’t it enough that the girl is leaving behind her entire family to tread into a relatively unknown territory?

India is obsessed with ‘dowry’ as it is with ‘marriage’. Budgeting for wedding is one of the hardest things to do. A father feels obligated to spend lakhs of money while the girl is made to feel like a liability.

The most important thing for Indian dowry system is that the voice against it should come from the guys not the gals…but most of the guys have two reasons…

· Why should I say no if her parents are willing to?...I asked this question to my dad jokingly ones…and he said…Who on earth do you think is WILLING to give his hard earned money to somebody else?
· I don’t want to take it but my parents won’t agree…Alright, now is it you or your parents who are getting married here? When you can stand up for you education, your career, your car, and even for your mobile phone, u cant stand up for the gal who agrees to suffer you for the rest of your life??…exercise you freedom MAN…

Dowry equals bride-price. It is no less than the barter system. I'M WORTH A TV AND A REFRIGERATOR. PLEASE BUY ME, Should I put this up on my Bio-Data? No, actually this sounds more enticing- I'M WORTH A MERCEDES-BENZ. HURRY UP! OFFER VALID TILL MARCH.The dowry drama goes on. It is next to impossible to abolish dowry in our Country. If taking dowry is a crime, so is giving. The giver and the taker, both are party to the crime.

The so called Men of today's gen need to understand : A man is truly a man when he wins the love of a good woman earns her respect and keeps her trust. Until you do that you are not a man

Be The Perfect Mate!!!!

Marriage can be a wonderful experience. It can be painful, frustrating, hilarious, comforting, annoying and tender. How much it leans to either end of the happiness spectrum depends on making a good choice of partner at the beginning.

Generation after generation, women are making the same mistakes when it comes to marriage. This could be avoided, to some extent, if we keep some important points in mind before getting married.

Romance is not enough this is most common mistake especially a woman makes getting married because you are in love! Being in love in it is not a good enough reason to marry. Women fall in love for many reasons – it doesn't mean the man they have fallen in love with will be a good partner. Choosing a good partner makes all the difference between having a harmonious marriage and a difficult marriage.

A going to be married couple seriously need to question how well they can work together for a lifetime. Do they complement each other?

Many women believe in the "and they lived happily ever after" ending. Women are fed romantic ideals from the day they are born. Books and movies aimed at girls invariably promote the big wedding to the perfect man as the ideal ending.

Women believe that he will always be as romantic as he is now. That doesn't mean women have to give up on romance, just that they shouldn't expect a "grand gesture" every day.

They often give up their friends and interests when they fall in love with the one whom they are getting married especially in case of arrange marriages. With the thrill of being in love, it is too easy for women to put friends and family, hobbies and sports on the backburner.

Women lose their sense of "self". Getting into an intense relationship before they've developed a clear sense of their own identity is another common mistake young women make. Without a clear sense of self, women identify overly with their partner and find it difficult to stand up for themselves and their own needs.


They don't have conversations about serious issues before getting married. An Engaged Couple need to talk about where they both stand on issues that can make or break a marriage. They need to talk about where each person's priorities lie, spending styles, dreams and goals, where they see themselves 20 years from now, parenting styles, sharing of responsibilities, etc. They should know beforehand if their beliefs are incompatible with each other. This alone can determine how happy or conflicted a marriage is.


Women have a tendency to gloss over qualities they don't like in a man, telling themselves "Oh, he'll change" or "I'll work on that". Women need to either accept and enjoy the differences between them or create an environment that encourages the man to want to change for the woman.

Note: Marriage is that relation between man and woman in which the independence is equal, the dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal. Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get, It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day.

Everything happens for a reason?

Every time I hear this quote “Everything happens for a reason! Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck” I start thinking does it really?


Then one night I got a phone call from one of my guru from whom I use to learn meditation and yoga when I was in Delhi. She means a lot to me as she is always there with me to help me out in any situation. In short words she is my role model. We were just having regular gossips then I queried her till what extend it is true that everything happens for a reason?


As usual with her sweet voice she explained me…. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

Everything happens for a reason, what’s supposed to happen will happen… if things don’t go your way, it can be stressful, painful, and hard, but you don’t always have to be in control. It’s all just a part of the grand scheme of things. Don’t let your emotions cloud your vision. Don’t ever fail to see the bigger picture. You may not understand why things are happening the way they are, but soon enough you’ll know.

When negative things are going on around you, it’s easier to focus on them rather than positives, even though things haven't been going to well in your life make sure you remember to keep searching for the positives. They are there; just when you’re so caught up in the negatives it’s not as easy to see them. Sounds like you have a lot going on, but it’s a good thing you’re talking about it.


The successes and downfalls that you experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from.... In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. No matter what your problem is, big or small, it usually entails a portion of your heart getting broken. Sometimes, it’s only a bruise, sometimes it feels like it’s shattered into a million pieces.


Problems will always be a part of life, and at times when you’re down, when you’re at your lowest point, talk to God. If you ask sincerely, he will enlighten you, clear your confusion, ease your pain, calm your fears, and heal your heart. It’s not going to provide you an instant solution to your problem, but God works in mysterious ways, and as long as you walk with Him, and just trust and believe, the sooner you’ll get to that place where you’ll see everything clearly, and you’ll finally begin to understand. Everything happens for a reason. You may not understand the reason now, but you will when the time is right


So break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life then LET GO and LIVE IT!


And then I got answers of all the queries which were revolving round my head since years!!!!

Make Your Vote Count !!!!!!!!

While political parties are gearing up for elections, garnering the attention of the people are thought provoking and crisp television ads urging them to vote and vote responsibly.

Voting is a responsibility and an action that every member of society must participate in, local Government Elections are the grassroots of politics. As the youth, who wish to progress in lives, find good job’s, leave in safe & healthy environments and ultimately make certain that our elderly, our parents, our siblings and our future families live in secure and safe environments, where our elderly are not mugged, our parents are not hijacked, our siblings are not influenced to do and sell drugs, shot and robbed, it becomes our duty to vote intelligently and to provide them with a safe, secure and healthy environment.

Campaigns like Lead India 09, Tata Tea 'Jaago re' and UTV Bindass 'Ungli Utha Vote Kar' are aimed at motivating Indians to vote in the coming elections starting April 16. With a change in people's mindsets and a growing urge to be more participative, especially after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, there wouldn't have been a better time to give airtime to these ads which stimulate the feeling that one should vote. Also, these ads that primarily target youth reaffirm the growing dominance of the youth population of the country. It is the young people who have the power to transform society with their passion and energy.

The local band in Bangalore they came in droves and jived to popular rock beats that had a blunt message - "Shut up and vote". Swayed by the power of music, they promised to do so in the coming elections. Through voting and electing quality leaders, the youth can strengthen the roots of Indian democracy. So put that index finger to good use - shut up and vote! urged, carrying forward the campaign to enthuse the apathetic Indian youth to participate in the world's biggest battle of the ballots.

The Jaago Re campaign was launched six months ago. As a part of the campaign, a dedicated website www.jaagore.com was started, where would-be voters could register online and get directions for the registration process. Around 5, 45,000 youth across the country have registered with the site.

But for the youths in nation it is not ideologies that matter, or basic mudslinging that political parties love indulging in. It is the on ground improvement in their lives that matters the most. This is an issue that plays out at state and central level elections. The events of 26 /11 changed an entire perception of how we viewed our security. The most up market places were attacked, giving everyone the notion that no place, including your house is safe.

With the global economic downturn, and the liquidity crises, it has hit the youth in a major way. College placements and the offer packages have been hit severely. The pay packages have reduced and the jobs available are much lesser in comparison to last year, if not available at all. Many college fests faced a shortage of funds, due to lack of sponsorships. Those organizing fests have had a harrowing time finding sponsors with almost every prospective sponsor having no money.

Unfortunately it’s not about choices. It’s about, having the strongest wrist of Iron. There are goons; there are criminals, illiterate and absolute morons who nominate themselves for elections. These are the people who represent the ‘aam aadmi’ of India, in the Parliament and then in the world. Ask the ‘aam aadmi', and he will say that, he had no choice; it was either bad or worse. And between the two, there is no one who would even make these politicians the chowkidaar of their house… let alone them becoming the watchdogs of the country and the constitution.

It’s the great irony of Indian elections that every five years we are told to exercise our fundamental rights to go and vote, only to find that it’s again the bad and the worse fighting for their survival instead of the good and the best working towards running the country. It has to be between the bad, the worse and the worst…!!! God Bless India.

But lets hope for the best and cast our vote and make our vote count!!!!!!!

Office Stress

No matter how heavy your resume may appear and how many zeroes you have in your CTC, it is a wide known fact that your mettle will only get tested in the periods of pressure and tough office situations. If you fail to fight against this period and fail to come up with flying colors, then all your efforts will be futile.

Stress is something which we all experience in our life. Owing to hectic life and rise in competition, stress levels are on a constant high. These not only have adverse effect on our health, but also reduce one’s efficiency levels. How to deal with office stress is one of the prime questions which need an effective answer. After all, most of the stress in a man’s life stems from office problems and pressures. If you are stressed about meeting your performance objectives, then unfortunately stress won’t let you achieve that.

The time is very critical, when you work under constant pressure. So better you focus all your energies on these activities that have direct link with immediate objectives. Before deciding on the best course of action, take a set back and analyze the situation smartly. Keep yourself all the information that may be required along with the various resources that will be needed to accomplish the task. Remember by thinking tactfully, and making a map, you can spot the potential hurdles before they slow you down.


If you are constantly stressed due to your inability to meet strict deadlines, then you need to follow the golden rule of planning, organizing and prioritizing work. Make time lines for yourself, plan out your schedule, prioritize work according to importance and follow your self-created schedule to experience a vast difference

Do take a break, and de-stress yourself. Once you think with a cool and calm mind, things will automatically fall in place. It has been found that coffee aggravates stress and thus you must minimize or stop its consumption if you are frequently stressed out. Instead you can switch to the healthy option of green tea. Find satisfaction at your current job as that is very important to avoid stress at work. If you are happy with your job, you will no longer consider it as a burden thereby automatically reducing stress. Last but not the least, have a positive approach as optimism has the power to overcome all obstacles.

I love the rain….don’t you?

I still remember that beautiful day in my life….. I woke up happy, the sky was grey but yet beautiful it was about to rain and I love to walk in rain as everyone do…..Its the perfect weather calm and cold especially when……I have got no worries, I feel no pain but I just wanna take a walk in the rain…..A walk in the rain and myfeet in the mud, a patter of raindrops fall on my face as I look above…….the streets of Delhi were flooded I wade my way through like a little kid lost in wonder and I was feeling if I can dance without tripping, if I can just sing one more time…then I thank the rain for washing my face with the chilling water which u can feel through your soul and then i walked on and on and on…….

As the water drop was falling down my face I felt as nothing can touch me, I kept walking as if I have no place to be I was wishing it could last forever the feeling of complete warmness. I felt that every drop that fell on surface of my skin has some plan of its own, no matter how fast I was walking it was catching me….No matter how hard my day was but still I felt great and that day I came to know that I love the rain…...don’t you?

I Miss Those Days..........

Here I am sitting in my office @ night…Thinking hard about life....How it changed from a college life to strict professional life…...How tiny pocket money changed to huge monthly pay checks but then why it gives less happiness? How a few local denim jeans changed to new branded wardrobe, but then why’s there less time to use them?How a single plate of samosa changed to a full Pizza or burger, but then why there is less hunger? How a small coffee shop changed to cafe coffee day, but then why its feels like shop is far away?

How a limited prepaid card changed to postpaid package, but then why there are less calls & more messages? How a general class journey changed to Flight journey, but then why there are less vacations for enjoyment?.How a old assembled desktop changed to new branded laptop, but then why there is less time to put it on? How a big bunch of friends changed to office mate, but then why we always feel lonely n miss those college frnz?

As much as I love the fact that I am done with school and College it makes me sad as I miss those days the most, I absolutely loved it when I was there. I learned a lot about life, give and take, friendship, priorities, but most importantly I gained trust and faith in myself.

I am very grateful for the experiences I had at that time and the friends that I still continue to have in my life. Not to mention, the obvious, a degree that I am able to put to good use.

Now my life is about News, Reporting, Home, etc...In short, A lot more responsibility. So, every now and again, I enjoy a walk down memory lane. That's one thing about experiences, you can relive them as often as you like.

Then came the loveliest part of my life the 3 years of graduation and 1 year of Journalism from a small college but with big dreams. Even though they were the toughest, the hard parts had nothing to do with the academics though. I did a lot of growing, changing and learning when I was in college But I do miss being able to see my friends basically whenever I wanted to,


I miss dancing with the naughtiest team in college and going to random places without any prior planning, I miss all the free food events, I miss meeting great people during my journalism session. I miss those small parties at Eat Street, Café coffee Day, DurgamChevurulu. I miss conversations about how Tuesdays turned into the new Thursday, how Thursday turned into the new Friday, and how Friday and Saturday nights started to suck.


I miss those times waiting for bus,
I miss bunking the college nd watching movie,
I miss the imitating session of our teachers,
I miss those silly fights at coffee day,
I miss the time I felt love for the first time,
I miss fresher and farewell parties,
I miss the silly panipuri race.

And I actually miss being so so so so busy. Working now I'm not as busy as I was when I was still in college......
n

A Nice Article about Life!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me.

Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love."

This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds

This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you .

For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings.

Give and don't expect.
Advise, but don't order.
Ask, but never demand.

It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly
practice. It is the secret to true love.. To truly practice it, you must
sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an
unconditional caring."

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly,
Love truly, Laugh constantly, And never stop smiling,
No matter how strange life is, Life is not always the party we expected to be
But as long as we are here, we should smile and be grateful.

Passing thought... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take;
but by the moments that take our breath away.....

Life is beautiful, Live it!!!!

Child Labour in Country

Child labourers in the country is the major concern in today’s scenario despite of government introducing ban on child labour in country still nothing has been done in real terms. There is no question of the ban being successful or unsuccessful when the required amount of effort is not in place. The government is misleading the people because they have not completed their side of the work. We don’t know how many children are working in dhabas or the informal sector. Many children are still involved in hazardous activities, such as firework and matchmaking industries.

Now the changing trend is not to get caught with the police these young kids work as servants. Parents send off these kids, working at their residences or shops, to their native places to avoid getting caught. Domestic work follows the rising trend in the middle class of taking on young girls and boys as servants.

I don’t understand the way government works on this issue. Believe me you cannot eradicate child labour in isolation and by simply banning it. A multi-pronged approach to the problem is what is needed to bring relief to these children. Child labour is just a symptom; it is not the problem. The problem lies elsewhere and unless the problem itself is addressed, merely addressing the symptom makes the situation immensely worse for the victim children. It is dire necessity, poverty that forces them to take that drastic step. It is a rational response to an unbearable condition.

These kids are not doing any crime or illicit activity behind closed doors; instead they are forced into doing something all of us would not do even if offered lakhs. The government should understand that it should not only introduce ban but also implement it. As a citizen of democratic country its also our prime responsibility to come forward and help these children’s who are in need then only child labour problem can be eradicated from the country