7 things you don't know about me

Finally, you get a chance to delve deeper into this "CONUNDRUM" called Prerna! :):)

1. "A BLABBER"- I am not a glib speaker but a rambler who is too explicit. "I love calling a spade,a spade."

However, I prefer being reticent or diplomatic (at the most) when I am asked to comment on some sensitive issues. :)

2. "RESTLESS & FIDGETY" :- "Dear God, give me PATIENCE & give it to me right NOW!"

Hope, the one-liner sums it all up!:P

3. "WAY TOO MUCH OF A PERFECTIONIST" :- I am too particular about the things I am involved in. I keep ironing my clothes until all the wrinkles (even the minutest ones) disappear . "A CLEANING FREAK" I am. At times, my mom even feels that I have "OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER" :D

I start whining if I see things not happening the way I want them to happen.

I am too particular about my "punctuation marks" , "Grammar" etc. A minor grammatical error is enough to agitate me!:P

4. "TOO LOYAL A FRIEND" :- Utter some non-sense about my friends & you shall breathe your last!:D

STATUTORY WARNING:- "Don't ever try this when I am around."

5. " A KAJOL ZEALOT " :- I am a walking Kajol encyclopedia. "BEKHUDI" to "My name is Khan" , I have slurped it all! :D "MAVERICK FAN" !

6. "EFFERVESCENT & A HEDONIST" :- "Dull" ,"Mundane","Lugubrious" etc are the words that seldom appear in my dictionary.

I love my ever-green smiley :):). Come what may, but my smile never ceases!

I have no qualms in accepting the fact that I am a pathetic humorist & an even worse satirist. As I have said earlier,I love being straight forward. Sarcasm isn't my cup of tea & I hate it!

7. "AN UNBEATABLE DAY DREAMER, A 24*7 SINGER & AN AVID ANIMAL LOVER" :- I have a long wishlist that gets renewed almost everyday.

I want to learn Salsa someday, want to be a painter (preferably after the age of 40). I wish to adopt a baby girl when I am 25 (irrespective of my marital status).

I wish to live independently throughout my life with my head held high up in the air.

This is ME & I LOVE BEING ME! :):)

P.S. :- I had been tagged by Aditya to write this post. I thank him for passing the baton to me. "7 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME!" is an attempt to know each other this way. I shall now pass the baton to :-

1. Soul Blogger

2.Rajiv Bhaiya

Physiognomy. Part-1 "THE EYES"

I have had immense interest in the Paranormal. Physiognomy or the science of reading faces is one of it's integral parts.

Here, I have decided to start a series titled under "PHYSIOGNOMY",wherein I would talk about a specific facial feature , it's varied shapes,sizes etc & what it symbolizes.

So, I set the ball rolling with the most "catchy" feature of the face..... "THE EYES!"

"EYES NEVER LIE" goes the old aphorism. True that! Your eyes reflect your character in it's true sense.

Eye & it's color.

1. Deep black eyes:- Such eyes are often said to be "SMOLDERING".The traits that I commonly associate with deep black eyed people are :-

A.He/she should be a Passionate Lover :- (Whatsoever,be the love interest--->family,career,spouse,partner,offspring et al) . He/she is expected to do everything passionately,they can give their eye & tooth to achieve what they will.

B. Angry & restless :- They can be ferocious , brutal if in case they ever face a betrayal. They believe in vengeance.

2.Hazel eyes :-

A. Warm,easy going & affable.

B. may be simpletons, too much gullible & guileless.

C. have less consistency.

3. Brown eyes :-

A. "Fidelity" is their biggest trait .

B. can be great friends & good life-partners.

C. are Prudent!

4. Green eyes :-

A. are Cunning

B. are quite innovative.

C. trustworthy but to a little extent.

5. Grey eyes :-

A. Intelligent & sagacious .

B. can't be ardent lovers

C. high on their coolness quotient! :D

Always remember, dark colors of the eyes signify PASSION,STRENGTH & ALACRITY OF THE MIND, ENVIOUSNESS !

While light colors usually symbolize :- A PASSION SUBDUED, AFFABILITY & LESS CONSISTENCY .

P.S.:- All these are my generalizations based on my past experiences & observations. I have been a keen observer ever since I developed interest in the paranormal (I might have been 14-15 then) .I do not intend to thrust these deductions of mine on my readers. Exceptions are quite possible , these are mere generalizations.

P.S.S :- People who have no interest in the subject & believe Parapsychology contradicts the theories of Science are earnestly requested to refrain themselves from commenting . :):) This is MY belief & my conviction towards the subject has led me start this series! :):) Hope you understand.

The Man in my life......

Who else other than YOU,

had acted as an usher to me

when I was ensnared by the abyss?

Who else other than YOU,

had sung me a lullaby

when I was spending sleepless nights?

-----------------------

Who else other than YOU,

has bore my tantrums

with a smiling face?

Who else other than YOU,

has motivated me even when

I finished last in a race?

------------------------

Who else other than YOU

has comforted my falling tears?

Who else other than YOU

has taught me to differentiate between foes & peers?

-------------------------

Who else other than YOU

did I hold tight while undergoing

minor stitches on my fore-head?

Who else other than YOU

had taught me the subjects

that I used to dread?

-----------------------

Who else other than YOU

has appreciated my drawings

that were sheer grotesques?

Who else other than YOU

has told me the stories of

Dracula,vampires,dragons & drakes?

--------------------------

Who else other than YOU

feels proud on my winning at college?

Who else other than YOU

can pacify my simmering rage?

----------------------------

Who else other than YOU

has dared to eat my chapatis-

polygonal & half-baked?

Who else other than YOU

caught me when I

lied & faked?

---------------------------

The answer to these questions is "NO-ONE BUT YOU!"

LOVE YOU BABA,

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! :):)

How to combat "STRESS"? 10 effective ways!

1."Never strive to attain the unattainable."

- The practice endows nothing but "STRESS" which further bogs down your efficiency!

2."Never say YES to alcohol."

-"Alcohol is one of the most effective stress busters."

BULLSHIT!

Alcohol serves no purpose.It aggravates your "stress" nonetheless. "HEALTH HAZARDS" are other freebies that alcohol often brings with it!

3."Unnecessary competition.........EVADE,EVADE,EVADE!"

-This is one of the precursors of stress. The temperament "Oh Gosh, he/she has it, I too need to have it" shall lead you nowhere.

4."Try appreciating others as much as you can."

- A heart-felt appreciation is a genuine thing. I am NOT encouraging sycophancy. Flattery ----> a BIG NO-NO! Be genuinely appreciative.If you feel someone has done a commendable job,then go forth & pat his back :)

5. "Nothing kills stress better than a cat purring on your lap or a dog wagging it's tail & licking your face"

- If you aren't zoophobic,then try snuggling a kitten or a pup.........Cuts stress effectively!

6."Try confiding in someone."

-Share your angst with someone who you rely on.It might be a piece of paper too. Scribble your exasperation & tear it asunder , it will surely help you feel good since it's a cathartic practice.

If you have a confidante in your life, then nothing can be better than that.

7."Music or a book or a movie of your choice"

-It would just be hackneyed if I start listing down the positive effects of Music. Avoid listening to a cacophonous number. A soft rhapsody with meaningful lyrics should be preferred.

8."Never pay heed to criticisms meant to intimidate you."

-People who criticize in order to dampen your spirit are BIG TIME LOSERS themselves. Michael Flatley had once rightly said :- " Whenever I hear, "It can't be done," I know I'm close to success."

9."Try meditating."

- Simple breath regulating exercises like Pranayam serve the purpose. Here,I would suggest you all a simple exercise that will take 2-3 minutes.

1. Sit on the ground or on a chair & keep your spine straight.

2. Breathe in & fill your lungs with air, so that your chest expands & your stomach contracts.

3. Hold your breath for a second or two.

4. Now exhale & utter "AUM". Be soft & audible. "Aaaauuuuuuummmmmm" . The exhaled air carries out with it all your anxieties, your worries & your qualms.

10. " Sleep/ gorge on your favorite dessert."

Finally,I would say "Life is bland without worries." Had life been plain & smooth, the spirit to live it would have died. "A status-quo life is the least desirable one" in fact, it's worthless!

"Stress" is just a transient thing,face it with a smiling face,never let it overpower you & that's the MANTRA of eternal happiness.

My Shangri-La

I had always detested my room....for it is a dungeon,a dimly lit architecture surrounded by four walls & a roof atop.....that was all that made the structure qualify as a "ROOM"! It stands in the farthest corner of the house,adjacent to my balcony.

No A.C, no cooler, just a simple fan rotating overhead & making a "GRR-GRR" sound. The room gets heated up like a brick kiln during the sweltering summers & becomes the Arctic pole during the harsh arid winters! The walls are damp & hence the paint falls off as flakes & lies scattered all over the floor.I broom & dust it all off at-least thrice a day....."PHEW!!!!!"

I've a wooden table & a gigantic cupboard where all my books & other paraphernalia are dumped. I spend half the day clearing away the clutter & the very next day,the clutter magically re-appears!:-|

The colossal bed occupies most of the space in my small room & therefore,there ain't any area(not even the minutest) to make any more additions.

The only thing that I like about my room is it's WINDOW. A ridiculously over sized window that helps me view the world. However, the window for the most part of the day remains tightly shut & the curtains are drawn over. It's only in the evenings when I open the window with full throttle & the pneumatic hinge makes a squeaky,irritating sound....."churrrrrrrrr" .

I've always loved the window view , that shows a dreary,old lane running amidst the houses & I always watch it for as long as I can.

My parents have asked me a myriad times to shift in a bigger & a better room but I always decline their alluring offer saying "There are so many things that need to be shifted! It will take a long time & I do not have the patience ,so Ma,Papa let it be!"

Besides the window, I loved nothing about my room,until yesterday,when after a tiring day at college,I came back home, dragged my feet to my room & ensconced on the bed.The scorching sun had drained out all my energy & I had succumbed to weariness. As soon as I closed my eyes,I found myself floating on the clouds of slumber. I slept like a baby for around 2-3 hours ,then woke up.....refreshed & rejuvenated.

I changed my clothes,splashed my face with water & felt recharged. I entered my room with gratitude in my heart.

I had never missed a single opportunity to curse my room but yesterday,I realized it's importance in my life. I thought about the people who don't have roofs overhead,stay bare or in tatters & live a crippled life on streets like stray animals.....people who consider themselves fortunate to have found a single morsel of food to combat their groaning hunger..... kids who gambol with fervor if they find a dried loaf of bread to appease their Hunger pangs ........ "DEPLORABLE,isn't it?"

I felt my eyes moist & thanked God for all the prerogatives that he had bestowed on me! My perception about my room has completely changed. It's indeed my world,my Utopia where there's no filth, no ostentation but just a ray of positivity that lingers throughout. :)

Vanity Bag (Part-2)

The next morning when Sana woke up, she brusquely grasped her phone & made Siddhartha a call.

Before she could utter anything, Siddhartha started "I am coming to your place in an hour.I gotta talk to you!"

Siddhartha entered her apartment. Sana was still simmering with rage & asked him "So,how was your last night?"

He frowned & bluntly replied "How does it matter to you?"

Sana shot "Didn't you enjoy sleeping with your bit** wife?"

He scowled & slapped Sana. She looked at him with her fiery,red eyes,smothered with tears & she yapped "How dare you?! I shall drag you to the court,you lying -two timing son of a bit**!"

Siddhartha gave a wry smile & continued "Do whatever you want to.I just have to say STOP! Building castles in the air.I've dated many wannabes like you but I am committed to my family! Don't you dare forget the fact that YOU are just a MISTRESS of mine. Do you know what a mistress means? The society will look down upon you, it will spit on you! You won't do anybody any wrong by dragging me to the court but YOURSELF!" saying these ,he slammed the door of her apartment & went away.

Thwarted Sana, on hearing the word "MISTRESS" felt as if she has been torn asunder. Her big lavish apartment started appearing like a dungeon to her. She felt claustrophobic. She darted towards her bedroom,bolted herself in & ripped off her radial artery with a honed razor.Thick red blood gushed out of that deep excoriation & made little pools on the ground. She moaned & felt a sense of relief.Her sight was weakening & she lost her balance. All her energy had drained out & with all her might she gazed at a photo-frame bearing Siddhartha's picture. She could no longer hold her eyelids at an open position & lay on her bed like an inanimate object.

The next day, the headlines read" Sana Sayeed commits suicide under strange circumstances."

A small article somewhere in the corner read "Vanity has an awful end!"

Vanity Bag (Part-1)

"'Wajood' embarks on a record-breaking start!Sana Sayeed yet again proves her prowess as the leading actress of the Indian celluloid."

read the headlines of all the Page threes.Phone calls,e-mails,gifts,wishes from admirers from every nook & corner in the world kept pouring in for Sana incessantly. Undoubtedly, she was the "QUEEN" of the silver screen. "Wajood" was yet another feather in her hat- a laurel that hardly made any difference to her.

Media avidly hankered for her interviews. Columns featuring her were boisterously published everywhere. She was now a household name.

Sana was fed up of this cult-status. In fact, she detested her ever-growing fame,she abhorred the paparazzi & made every attempt to prevent her private life from being sneak-peaked.

But as they say, "Popularity has it's own set of pratfalls",she,being the nation's heartthrob could no longer help herself from the media speculations. She was allegedly having an affair with Siddhartha Vrajesh -the famous & a much married industrialist!

It was true that Sana had a lonely life. She was abandoned by her family for her "liberal ways". Being a part of a conservative Muslim clan,Sana's ambitions were strongly opposed by her family. At the age of 19, she left her house & ventured to change her dreams of being a TOP-ACTRESS into reality. She set her foot in Mumbai & being a novice,she had faced many a set-backs but none could deter her spirit. Slowly & steadily,she grasped the attention of all the big-banners. Her unusual cinematic presence & her spontaneity earned her some note-worthy scripts. Producers confidently invested in her rare melancholic look & as they say the rest is History.

She kept ascending & now she was a "HIGH-PROFILE" celebrity charging a whopping seven digit figure for each project.

Sana would never let people intrude in her personal life. As soon as the director would clamor "PACK-UP",Sana would at once take long strides to her Vanity Van, shut the door,draw the curtains & sequester herself form the mad-bad ,avaricious world.She would undo her make-up,throw away her jewelry recklessly & thump in her chair. Anxiously, she would look for her cell-phone & make her much-needed call.

"Hello!" said a joyous Sana.

"Hi!Honey,how was your day?" replied the man on the other side of the phone.

"Tiring,I am sick of all this honey! All I need is YOU! When are we meeting?"

"In a day or two, honey.I am a bit busy with my clients.As you know business knows nothing except PROFIT!" answered a languid Siddhartha Vrajesh.

"I know Sid, you are busy with your business,your wife & family. But,you love me,don't you? It's been long since we had last met. I need YOU dear,I really need you"

"Hey,Sana! I've got some urgent work.I shall call you up in the evening" & with these words Siddhartha hung up.

Sana could feel a lump in her throat.This was not the first time when Siddhartha had hung up the phone in the middle of a conversation. She rubbed off her tears & went to her apartment. She stayed in a lavish apartment in one of the poshest areas of Mumbai.All through these years,she had started to dread "LONELINESS".It was dusk & Sana waited for Siddhartha's call with baited breath.But,he didn't turn up. She waited till midnight & then decided to give him a call.

"Hey,there! I was waiting for your call but you didn't make any.So,I decided to give you one! I hope it's alright with you?!"

"Of-course,it's NOT!" whispered an angry Siddhartha. "I've asked you many a times not to call at this time of the night.How many times do you want me to repeat the same thing God-damn-it!"

"I am really sorry Sid but since I desperately wanted to have a word with you,I called you up." Saying these, Sana twitched her quivering lips & she broke down into tears.

"Listen Sana,for God's sake don't cry.Sleep now,we shall talk in the morning" said a strident voice of Siddhartha & he hung up.

Sana gawked at the phone for a while & threw it away.She lividly hurled the glass vase which shattered into pieces. She desperately opened her cupboard, ransacked the clutter to find her hypodermic syringe & a small bottle. She filled up the syringe with the liquid content in the bottle & punctured it into her fore-arm. Within moments,Sana was calm,as calm as a night after a raging storm is.She lay on the floor in a supine position......sedated & still.....

A Contemplation

"A CYNIC IS A MAN WHO KNOWS THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING BUT THE VALUE OF NOTHING" - Oscar Wilde

I couldn't agree with him more on this. A cynic is an automaton- a "living calculating machine".

There is a very fine line that demarcates "PRICE" and "Value". Their literal meaning is more or less the same but they are perceived differently.

"Price":- On hearing this, the first word that strikes me is "Materialism" . A material is always estimated by it's Price.

"Value" on the other hand, has an "emotional" touch to it .

As far as I am concerned, I place "Emotion" on a much higher pedestal (in fact the highest) than anything "Materialistic".

A Cynic often turns apathetic to emotions for he tries to find out a reason behind everything. Here, I must clarify that I am NOT against "Reasoning & Radical thinking". To be able to reason with a logic is one of those unique attributes that sets an individual a class apart.

A Cynic finds "faults" in everything. "FAULT-FINDING" should never be misinterpreted as a "Good analysis" . While the latter, encompasses both the positives & the negatives & it clearly mentions a scope for improvement, the former is only about the negatives & it deters the spirit to improve.

A Cynic has a ruffled state of mind. He doesn't understand the "JOY" in loving something,the joy in sharing,the joy in letting one self feel free . He just remains fettered to his ramshackle thoughts & never wants to come out of his shell. He is reluctant to "Newness".

I've a simple message for all the cynics in the world :- "Set your minds free & you'll see how beautiful the world is! It's not as bad as you think. "THINKING" matters..... I dwell in the same world & I find it different , far different from your perceptions."

An unfulfilled passion......

"A manifestation of the divine" often would reiterate the mother of a five year old Riya while looking into her child's deep hazel eyes. Indeed,Riya's eyes were heavenly, so soulful. Those bushy yet arched eyebrows & dense black eye-lashes just added to the etherealness of her starry eyes.

As & when Riya grew up, she turned more tantalizing than ever. A glinting rotund face with rosy cheeks & subtle dimples engraved on them. Gradually, she attained her nubile age & she would love to adorn herself. Her mother with great zest would embellish her daughter with the finest jewelery & would drape her in a white chiffon saree, perfectly accentuating Riya's curves.

Bejeweled Riya, standing in front of the mirror would ask, "MA, how do I look?"

"Perfect Honey! You look like a princess."

Riya standing gracefully like a demure,reticent damsel would again ask "Ma,will anyone ever marry me?"

"Why not honey? You are such a beautiful soul!" pat would come her mother's reply.

On hearing this, Riya would simper & thrust her face against her mother's bosom in order to hide her blushing face.

--------x---------x----------

Riya's mother had put up an advertisement for a paying guest & very soon a man in his late twenties called Nikhil , moved into the upper-storey of their building as their new tenant.

On a fine morning,when he was whiling around in his balcony ,he saw Riya sitting on a cane chair in the courtyard. His eyes got fixed upon Riya's countenance for never in his life had he seen a prettier creation of God than her. He went downstairs to have a closer glimpse of that rare beauty.Tiptoeing, he proceeded towards the cane chair & stood for a minute or two savoring the fragrance of Riya's loosely knotted hair. Riya had fallen asleep by then. A whiff of wind went past her face ,her waist-long hair got undone & fell like a cascade . Her tresses lay across her face & Riya was sleeping like an innocuous child who knows nothing about the world.

Suddenly, Nikhil felt himself overpowered by a passion , a passion to protect & love that girl forever. He was lost in his imagination when Riya gently opened her eyes. Nikhil was startled to see those shimmering hazel eyes & he quickly moved away his sight from her.

Riya, pulled out a small white stick from beneath the cane chair,stretched it to make it longer & walked her way, tapping the stick on the ground with every step of hers.

Nikhil thought "What beautiful eyes but so useless. I wish she were not blind!" & heaved a sigh of disappointment.