Magic Moments

Framed Moments HAPPY NEW YEAR 2K17 The Year 2016 was awesome. The first half was all struggles, embarrassments, disappointments and trouble for me. But the second half was unexpectedly better- that Pune trip with best buddies, that family trip in October, the Ultimate Blogging Challenge, the immense growth that I saw in my personality and all the life wisdom that I learned!! I struck off many a wish-list this year. I did convert many a dream into reality this very year. Looking back, connecting the dots, I can see what a phenomenal year it was. I came across so many new people, established new friendships that do mean a lot to me, and I connected with the people who inspire me in one way or the other. I do have some New Year Resolutions , well, let’s call them New Year Goals. I don’t really connect with the word ‘resolution’. 1. Be more visible- accept vulnerability, accept imperfection . Aim growth not perfection. Be               ...

I thank Richa to have passed the wand of festive cheer to me. So I here #UnWrapChristmas with the flavors that this day gave me over the years since childhood. When in school, Christmas for me was winter vacation, making greeting cards with ‘Merry Christmas’ on the top in red, buying small to tiny cards from the roadside stalls costing something between two to five rupees each, visiting the church in the school, admiring the beautiful decorations and the big red star perched atop the church, and finally, and most importantly having that delicious piece of cake from Sister Margaret before leaving. It was no Christmas if there was no cake. In that transition between school and college, Christmas became just another holiday to pass my time home. Moving from the familiar surroundings of a small town like Keonjhar to the capital city of Bhubaneswar was nothing short of a tumultuous tectonic shift for me. It was a tough period and I had resisted the change as much as I could...

Scarlet Heart has been one of the best romantic tales of the year in Asian Dramas, not just in Korean Drama. With an ensemble cast, it was sure to win hearts from the very beginning. It was the first series that I didn’t binge watch, rather I chose to wait every week and watched only two episodes that were available the respective Mondays and Tuesdays. I had never ever waited for any episode so impatiently. I watched the episodes again and again during the wait, read forums on it, listened to the songs from the series, watched the cast’s interviews, and still missed it like hell. I missed the characters for the five days that I waited every week for the next episode to be broadcast and be available with subtitles. The strategy used by the directors and writers of this phenomenal series is one of sheer torture for the fans. They introduce so many characters worth meeting- some so adorable, some hard on the exterior hiding a painful past, some charming and kind and some wi...

Preeti Shenoy has been breaking stereotypes through her writing since long. Her books have stories around tough female leads, unconventional themes and focused on breaking the prejudiced image that the society holds. There are those characters who believe in breaking off a year old engagement with their fiancés when out of love, rather than carrying on with marriage as their parents or society would want. And there are those who believe that living-in is a multiple time better than marriage. You’ll find proposals where the girl proposes her beloved move in with her and he replies with a yes. There are unconventional characters and their happy lives which are away from the societal norms. ‘It happens for a reason’ had an unmarried single mother raising her son amidst tough circumstances away from family and all natural support systems. ‘The secret wishlist’ – it is bold when it says that housewives can have dreams and wishlists too. Wanting to do Salsa dance isn’t being an i...

George’s life is beautiful. We are introduced to a happy family, a loving younger brother, true friends, prospective lovers, friendly townsfolk and an average career in the Building and Loan.  “I know what I’m gonna do tomorrow and the next day and the next year and the year after that. I’m shaking the dust of this crummy little town off my feet, and I’m gonna see the world. And then I’m gonna build things. I’m gonna build airfields. I’m gonna build sky-scrappers a hundred stories high. I’m gonna build a bridge a mile long.”   Such are George Bailey’s dreams- but he ends up living in the town Belford Falls running the small Building and Loans, helping the townsfolk have their own homes, giving up his higher study plans for that of his brother’s, living in an old dilapidated abandoned house with his wife, earning a meager income just to survive decently. A greater tragedy hits when he loses a large sum of money owed to the bank. He is devastated by the bankrup...

Dear Sugar, I must urge you to get up now. Right now. Do as I say. Get up, brush your teeth, fill the water jugs up, sweep the floors with the new broom, and make yourself an omelette. I won't give you the vague advice of getting a hold on yourself and your situation. I will walk with you through it all. Trust me. This will soon be over. Now look at the mirror while you brush. Look at what a mess you have made of yourself. Your eyes look bloated, yes, and ugly. It's ok- you just have to pamper your face now. Common now don't stop to think about last night's cry fest and heart break. You know you deserve better. Rinse that face and that self pity away. Dear Honey , do you know that cleaning works wonders for the aching heart. Clean the floors thoroughly, every nook and corner. Yes, that's right. Arrange the clothes on the hanger neatly. Ya babe, that's right. You're good at this. Now throw all the garbage away- all the letters, greeting cards and ...

My Dear Wedding Photographer, I wish to acquaint with you before my D-day. I wish to be familiar with you and break that ice as soon as possible so that I am not awkward when you click my pics throughout my wedding week. I want my pictures beautiful and natural, happy and full of glee, not reserved and stoic as they usually are. I find myself smiling and looking at the camera when asked to pose for any click but I would like you to know that I  am cringing deep inside. I am fidgeting in my mind and wishing to vanish from the spot before the flash can light my face up. I am embarrassed at not knowing how to pose. I am awkward at not knowing how and where to look, how to tilt my head so that I don't look stoic or bored, and how to place my hair strands so my smile doesn't look forced. I don't know a thing about what to do with my hands and legs while posing- they seem to be extras sticking out of my body. I don't know a thing about makeup either. So you can imagi...