Bare Beginnings II

Seems it’s been a while I was here! Feels good though. Same old me with some new escapades. I was not lost but then I didn’t get the chance to venture into one of my favourite escapes. Don’t know where to start and what to write as my mind is going through a myriad range of emotions. But yes, there are lot’s of things to write and I shall again head to this escape of mine, soon! For everything else, there is Himalayas. 

Last few days have been emotionally grinding or rather drenching. I was hoping to start the new year on a happy note, just like the way I have been since last 6 years. I remember, 2011 was one year I wanted to get rid of in hurry. It came with a lot’s of hiccups but then it gave me many savouring memories as well. Last 5 years been very rewarding though (I shall come back soon to reveal some tiny details about them). But then yes, 2017 so far has tested my patience like never before but at the same time, taking all the positives out of it, I stand here…Upbeat! Spirited!

Just to kick start and break the shackles I’m jotting down these words. 2011 to 2016 to 2017 …it’s been a great transition. Let me tell you a few things that inspired this journey but with a warning that I can draw inspiration from tiniest or strangest of things and I am glad, I can. 

July 2011, it was the beginning of my fightback as I saw a struggling Indian Cricket Team going down. What inspired me there was a gentleman named Rahul Dravid who stood still in between all the ruins and defied defeat as long as possible. Talk about patience, perseverance and focus or may be poise, grace and determination? Talk about this man. I knew I could never replicate his cricketing talent or feats but I also knew what I could learn from him. 

August 2011, Jill! Her arrival changed many things as I found a new meaning of the word Zeal. 

November 2011, the Movie Rock Star and it’s Music. I was reading an interview by A.R. Rahman where he mentioned how he struggled to get the Music right as it had a lot of pain involved. It was about how he drenched himself emotionally to get the Music right. Talk about passion? Then talk about this man. Ever since it’s been ‘Sadda Haq Aithe Rakh’ and ‘Nadan Parinde’. 

December 2011, another incident of Indian Test Team struggling. This time it was Australia. India lost 0-4 and ended the year 0-8. What was positive there was a man named Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Talk about staying calm, staying composed and dealing all the pressure of a losing team and being aggressive? Talk about this man. He’s someone very contemporary, yet I look upto him for being level headed and witty at the same time. 

Probably all these won’t make any sense to many of us, but then I think a few would take the positives out of this just like I did. The journey of last 5 years have been very intriguing also very very struggling at times. It’s not so easy to be 'Arpan' (A few would surely understand what I mean here). 

Today as I start 2017 on a happy note, I would like to thank every person I’ve come across, the good, the bad and the ugly, the old and the new ones. Also the ones who came with vested benefits and the ones who came and stayed back forever. Thanks to every organisation I have been a part of, Enajori, Metropolis, Photography Club of Assam, WildTrail for being the integral part of this journey. I must mention, Muse & Memories, my teammates both past and present, it’s because of you all MnM is spreading happiness today. Keep shining in all you do. 

As I promise to keep coming back to write a few (mis)adventures, I hope that the days to follow will have bright lights ahead and life will keep smiling at us in all we do and deserve, here’s to a Happy 2017. 

Unleash! Let’s celebrate all we have and say yes to ‘Life’! 

...onset of a story

They say each friend represents a world in us! A statement we all can vow for and have experienced throughout our lives. Little did we knew this the first time we four met, that someday we all will be a part of something that will be probably a topic of mass affection, love and discussion ( for good reasons of course).  And as every story has a story behind it, here is my part of the story...

When we met for the first time, all we had in common is the passion for photography and the hunger to make it bigger. And what we had uncommon was lot’s of if’s and buts’, different backgrounds and different genres (of photography). I clearly remember the conversation I had with Nandini during the Wall Art Project for Metropolis’13. We had a deal, that if I get any Fashion related query I shall forward it to her and if she gets any Travel related query she will forward it to me.

Then a few things happened coincidentally. A friend calling me from Delhi to ask about a good Wedding Photographer in Guwahati, Nandini uploading photographs of a wedding they were covering in Golaghat at the same time, and that smile saying, aah! My friends (acquaintance then) are so talented and the lazy me deciding right then to meet up, discuss and plan if we can do something together. By then it was in first week of February ’13. Soon, three of us met (Me, Rejaul, Nandini) and tried to decide on something, Rj (our little Rup) entered the scene but one question still remained, what we are going to do. One thing we were sure that it is going to be something with photography, but what? Again four different people, different genres and one common passion! Photography? Ok, Final! What next? Who will do what? If Nandini, Rejaul and Rj are comfortable shooting people, or with people around, I prefer shooting in a calm environment. So? Finally we zeroed into a plan. Nandini will shoot Fashion & Wedding. Rejaul will shoot Wedding and Concerts. Rj will shoot Wedding. I will shoot Products and Concerts.

Next Step! Probably the most rigorous phase of this story! What will be the name? We tried to search small words, to be paired as two which will be easy to remember and have resemblance with what we do. Many words were taken into account, but again the fact that four us will work in different genres made our task quite tough. Finally we zeroed into the words Muse & Memories for it being easy to remember, easy to pronounce (ask us how tough it is!) and for both the words having relevance with our work.  If the word ‘Muse’ would reflect something that we want to ponder or that would reflect on something we do, then every wedding, fashion portfolio, product or concert we will shoot,  will be our muse, the word ‘Memories’ would always keep people feel special with the memoirs they have with them as photographs.

Then came the moment of creating the identity! It all happened suddenly, in the evening we finalised the name, and by night I created logo options. And by next evening we finalised and agreed to disagree that we will have two logos, as two of us liked one and other two liked the other one. That was the inception of Muse & Memories. And the rest is a fairytale!

The making of Muse & Memories was one fun part, we agreed, we disagreed, we agreed to disagree and vice versa. We still do, at times we are so rigid and times soft. We fight with each other, we fight for each other. We laugh, we cry together and most of all we love and celebrate what we are and what we do. From the very first like on our page to the 6000^th (probably we already have added many more till now and we want it to keep adding), every single like means a lot. Every single message we got from you, every call we received; every smile we could feel when we say, “yes! we are available.” or every disappointment you have shown when we say, “sorry! we are booked.”, made our journey so unforgettable. The journey started by we four, is today companioned by a 6000 plus more.

And as we turn One today, thank you for the warmth and love you have shared back. Thank you for believing in us, for making us a part of your life, your memories and Thank you for making us, Muse & Memories, what we are today. So, we Dream On and wish to continue what we love to do, creating memories and spreading smiles the Muse & Memories way! 

The Big Leap!

Questions!!! Questions I ask myself, questions others make me think about.

Am I Good? Am I Bad? Is my work hated? Is my work loved?

It’s obvious; we try to imitate others, whoever they are. We fear elimination, we also fear being mocked. Definitely, may be, the scariest thing in the world, is to love yourself; to believe enough in who you are to stand tall and proud and to tell the world, 'hey, this is who I am’.

They say, ‘Hold the vision, Trust the process!’ and while all these apprehensions tried to cloud my mind, I silently kept pushing myself, to my own limits. Then came the time for the big leap and back were the questions. Am I good enough? Am I ready? Being me, even though I kept my calm, I also wanted the answer. The big leap should be big enough and also timely. The brainstorming during this phase was actually more mind-numbing than walking in the wild with the backpack. But then, I came out smiling, well I don’t know, its strange feeling. It’s that happy feeling which will not let me sleep; will not calculate my dreams and won’t let me limit myself. This feeling is something that will linger with me for a long long time.

And while I celebrate this little success of mine, I also want to make sure to thank each and everyone who made this journey wonderful. Yes, I’m no celebrity and neither I have a podium for a speech, all I have is a heart filled with gratitude and a promise to be better in due time. Though a plain ‘thank you’ is not enough, am honoured to be blessed with the best bunch of people.

Probably I’ll play safe here and won’t mention names; you people anyways know whom I mean. Firstly, thank you almighty, for the wonderful gift of nature and for blessing me with my best bunch. This is for you my little angels, Jill, Mamunu, Pakhi, Barbie, Buki, Suki, Tora and Jiya for being my dream catchers, for I could look up to you, smile and set sail for new dream. Dita, Maa, Baa, Sasanka Da for all your love and support, for never stopping me from going to any trip and for always welcoming me home with a smile and the eagerness to see what I was up to. Also sorry, for the all your altered plans because of my travel schedules. Cousins, Family Members, thank you for being there and also understanding my absence during family functions! For you, friends in Pune, who made this effort more winning, it was because of you all, everything went so smoothly. Each and every one of my Pune friends, roommates, seniors, juniors, I wish you all were there. Pune was not the same without you people around. For you, my school friends, where ever you are. For you friends in Assam and other parts of North East, friends in Delhi (East, West, North, South, Gurgaon, and Noida), Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and every other part of India, friends in US, UK, UAE, Singapore and everywhere else. Thank you for your companionship, your stamina, your wisdom and the smiles, delivered right at the doorstep. Thank you everyone in the photography fraternity, elders, friends and young ones, for all those awe inspiring clicks of yours. For you, my partners in creative crime, for all the fun time, it’s actually fun to commit those crimes with you guys around. My gang, as I call it, thank you for always egging me up, for all the love, and sorry for you had to face the wrath of seeing every click, and to answer stupid options I used (which I will continue)  to give for selecting photographs. And off course, my ‘Bachha Party’, thank you for all the liveliness, the love you spread around. For all my critique, without your valuable words, my work would have been incomplete, thank you! And last (also the least), big thank you to all you people (you know whom I mean) out there, (I know, am not meant to say negative things here), this is for you, for all your mockeries, for all your behind the back discussions, and for your belief that I’m actually nothing. I won’t claim, I’m the best, but yes, I’m something.

Thanks are in order, thank you everyone who flocked in to the exhibition, everyone who couldn’t coz of geographical limitations, everyone who stayed glued for the tiniest update, everyone in the media, everyone at Grubshup, for making things so comfortable. Thank you everyone for making this journey of last one and half year so memorable. While the feeling of contentment refuses to fade away and I’m almost about to leave for my next voyage, take a bow! 

The Unnoticed Tales!

Study while others are sleeping, work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing ~~ William Arthur Ward

The after effects of the year 2011 are yet to fade. I waited and waited long for that ripple, that little shift that would help me get back on track. And one fine day, when this opportunity knocked I actually had that apprehension whether I could do justice to the task I’m assigned. For a social animal like me, it was tough to stay away from any public appearance for 3 months. Karbi Youth Festival turned out to be a life changing experience for me. When I was asked to join the team as one of the official photographers I was both excited and nervous at the same time. Only thing that came to my mind is, I need to do well, if not for me, then for the people who wants me to do good. And to my awe, I actually did a good job. And as I am no celebrity, I don’t have a podium to address a crowd and thank the people who stood by me, all I would like to say is my world is a beautiful place because of you all, only a mere ‘thank you’ is not enough to express what you people mean to me. I won’t say this is the best I can do, but with you people around I can always compete myself.  One unnoticed tale of my life and I vow, it won’t go unnoticed.

This is for you Santanu, Kasturi, Angana, for being there during tough times. I still remember the day when I dropped my camera and every word you said to make me calm down, remember how you people pepped me up saying positive things. Santa, I wish you were there beside me clicking all those amazing memories. Kastu, Angu...I have no words to appreciate the angelic ways you cared for me.  This is for you Ranjan, for believing in my abilities and going ahead with my plans. Together we’ll weave many more dreams. This is for you Him, for being there always in your own ways. This is for you Audi, I still remember that chat we had at the Brahmaputra riverside and you were so clear always that you wanted me back on track. For you Achyut, while you are busy thanking others for liking your work, I thank you for all those inspiring clicks of yours. For you Jumi, for all those awe inspiring chats we had. For you Kaku, for you always wanted the smiling me back, and here I am. Remember, you promised a photo shoot of you and Jiya. For you Sima, situations made me so reluctant of making any public appearance that I missed your Big Day. I can’t compensate for that, but then I know, you would understand my plea. For you Alok, Pallav... many things would not have been possible without you two around. For you Kulajit, Krishanu, Bhavita, Sakshi, Shweta and Kalyan. I remember Kalyan saying, “naya chonga (lens) liya hain, agar photo kharab ayaa, toh chonga le lunga.” For you my partners in creative crimes Rassmin Da, Bhaskar, Bitupon, Sudipto, Sweta. For you Palki, Pallavi, Pallabi(Maina) for always inducting the faith in me, for being tough when I was stupid and for all the care you have shown. For you Jipi, Liza...for I can always look up to you and you whisper the reality to me. For you Yashomana, for all those did you get my mail? Did you check the photos? Are they good? And for always coming up with an inspiring reply. For you Pallabi (Siku), for all the fables and conversations. I can’t hate destiny more for allowing me to spend so less time with you ‘soul sister’.

...and to all of u people who loved my work, inspired me and also criticised me when needed! You people make me what I am.

Mud and Glory

So the first quarter of the year 2012 is already gone, and as usual I’m not up to the promise I made myself, that I’ll make sure to write at least a note every month. Finally it’s time to jot down what made my 2011 memorable and not so memorable.

Oh!! What a roller coaster ride it was! Another year is gone by in a whim. It is actually amazing, to see where life makes you stand at different times, seems like sci-fi movie. In a moment you are here, in a moment you are gone. It takes a fraction of a second to turn super zero from super hero. So much so like our Indian Cricket Team. We bleed blue, when they brought the World Cup home, and when they toured England/Australia and lost, it was again the same us, who wrote them down. It is indeed the sarcasm of human life, Mud and Glory; both are integral and corresponding part of our life. The year 2011 was more of low than the high. At times life appeared to be so empty, I’ve learned how it feels to hit rock bottom and still push hard to survive. As if life is a patch of quicksand, the more I tried to come out, and the more it gulped me in. Time, things, people never seemed to be cascading. Thoughts strayed, questions unanswered.

But consequently, there is also a good side of it. May be not in the best order, but things happened.

There are many people I need to thank for last year’s journey, without you people around it would have been more uneven.

Thank you Kulajit, Krishanu, Bhabita, Shweta, Sakshi & Kalyan. Minutes turned into hours, and hours into day, days into month. Never knew, time could fly so fast. Courtesy you people! Leg pulling sessions, movies and off course a thousand unexecuted plans became part of life. Thank you Kasturi, Santanu, Angana, Kalyan, Achyut, Kaku, Himjyoti, Maina Da. All the rooftop parties, the conversations, the cooking sessions, the laugh riot, pranks, photo sessions made my Delhi stay real special. Jumi, Audi your presence was royally missed. Love you all! Thank you Jiya. Can’t thank and love you enough angel, surely you are one. It was only after talking to you; I could complete my project on the stipulated timeline.  Wish I could spend more time with you. Thank you Mukuta. For being the silence on my bad days and my raving fan on my good days. Thank you Tusti. Loved calling you ‘Puwali’ and glad to see you grow up, also learned that I should not hide behind my smile often. Thank you Sneha. Tikli, that’s what I call you. But most of the time, it was you, who guided me like an elder sis. Thank you for being the illumination whenever I needed. Thank you Pallabi for making me believe that I could tell stories that people would want to hear. My creativity may have strayed, but at least the writer in me is still on pursuit. Thank you Pallavi for all the pep talk, food talk, unending chats, laugh riot and off course the odd tough words to push me forward. Thank you Alok, Anannya, Debasish, Debarsish, Liza, Jipi, Sima, Mitu, Pallav, Siba, Sang, Plabita, Palki, Bhaskar, Bitupon, Shamim, Sweta. Can’t thank you enough my lazy angels, my punching bags and what not. You people always let me see myself through you. Loved looking back at you. Thank you Baa, for blessing us with Jill. It’s amazing to see you taking care of your bundle of joy with so much love and care. Thank you Ritu. For all the support and encouragement, because of you DEF happened to me. How can I forget my ‘Baccha Party’! Thank you Babu, Bablu, Nayana, Sanskriti, Abhinab, Augustya, Nandita & Gargee. You people never failed to make me feel young. Loved being your cook.

Under the circumstances, best wishes hardly seem enough. Thanks are in order. Thank you for your companionship, for your stamina, your wisdom, and a hundred and one laughs. I also enjoyed looking back at you and your shining face.

Never was so excited to let go something. 2011, now that you are finally gone, along with all the hiccups, you also gave some savouring memories. Hope the days to follow will have bright lights ahead and life will keep smiling at us in all we do and deserve. Grateful for my family, for my true friends and for all the love I receive. So much more than I deserve, or can ever repay. Happy 2012.

Because We Ended As Lovers!

The myth continues...so does the argument. A boy and a girl can never be friends!!! People say, friends who are of the opposite sex truly and entirely confuse them. They don't understand how two people of opposite genders can be best friends. But then, as they say...friendship is the first step of love. So to be in love at first the boy and the girl needs to be friends, they need to know each other. They need to develop liking for each other. Two people of opposite genders don't usually hang out that much unless they're dating.

Well, I can already predict myself being very, very self-contradictory, but that's because I'm just so confused! The confusion induces from the term "Just friends". Probably it is the cloudiest term in the universe. Truthfully, how do you go from feeling for someone romantically to agreeing wholeheartedly that friendship is the only thing connecting you? The reality is, you don't. Romantic feelings persist; love is the most stubborn kind.

You meet someone. You become friends, you start knowing each other closely. And slowly you develop feelings for her. You go on a few dates. You have long talks and small adventures together. You start to fall for each other. You agree to be exclusive. You learn more and more about each others' lives, and the people in it. And as they say, there is not always a fairytale ending, things fall apart. You part your ways. You decide to remain friends. Time passes. Things change and gets complicated. We learn that the friend has moved to the city for the summer, and they are hanging out, playing music together while you are working. The more you hear about this friend, the more the realization hits you: you are still very much in love with her. You discover that in being in that kind of a relationship, you have actually lost parts of your friendship that you had really enjoyed. In the end, you just wanted to be friends. But ‘because you ended as lovers’, you can never actually go back to the way things used to be.

Through The Wits And Smiles...

Over the last few months I have realised that finding things to write about isn’t as difficult as it’s made out to be, especially irrelevant ones. To write about the year 2010 in a little note, I have to go down memory lane. Things at times were too dark to go alone and perplexingly long too. But at times it was amazingly easy. A year full of fun, thrill, happiness, excitement, association, reunion, creativity along with little bit of the necessary evil s, tears, sadness and dejection.

A year, which converted many social networking friends real ones, re united with many old long lost friends. Enajori.com, a dream so distant yet so close became a part of my life. Thanks to Himjyoti, Auditya, Santanu. New ventures seemed to follow me even to a shop, was offered my first professional photo shoot while buying the camera, without even knowing what functions my camera has. Thanks to all the Folkcult people, for believing in my abilities. People turned from acquaintances to friends, to ‘creative crime partners’, can’t resist mentioning your names, thank u Bhaskar, Bitupon & Shamim, many a times you people made life look so easy. Many a times, you actually made me feel like a ‘Superhero’. Chandralika, Priyankee, Sanghamitra...thank u, for always listening to all my woes with a smile. How can I forget my lazy angels, Alok, Debasish, Debarsish, Kabandi, Pallav, Purabi , Sima, & Sukanya, so lazy they are that they don’t carry their wings. I should not forget AIM, or the AIM Quest Team, one event so special and close to my heart, Himadri for making AIM a part of my life and all the friends I made there. All my Pune friends, especially Debraj, Prachurjya & Nandana, the geographical distance seemed so little every time we had a chat, thank you for being there always. Big thank you to my little friends, ‘bachha party’ as I call them, Darpan, Nayana, Sanskriti for always pepping me up. To all my new friends, a special thank you, for tolerating me, the way I am, yet helping me in the making of a better me.

The year, 2011 is actually almost one month old now (I being so laidback to write), all I would like to say is the 2010 was so wonderful with you people around, I wish the year 2011 be go fast through the evils of tears & negativity (nullify?) to be more happy, more fun & more creative through the wits and smiles...

Ain’t No Sunshine Without You!

‘Isn’t a friend a necessity in life? Assume yourself without a true, sincere friend. How would you feel at your college? What about functions, parties? Events especially your birthday. Who will ask you about your worries, who is going to tell you his/her worries?? How you will laugh with a high five, who will tease you pairing with others, who will care, miss and irritate you.’

We can’t pick our family, and we are sorely limited in the number of them. Society and more (and often our own conscience) dictate we select a single mate. But our friends can be as diverse as we decide to choose. Our friends in a very real sense reflect the choice we make in!

Sometimes friendships extend beyond this realm into another world. Do you believe in angels? At times I do believe that there are beings sent from heaven to watch over us. Each and everyday, at every stage of life God sends his angels to guide us, to company us, to pamper us, to push us, to stop us, to inspire us. I don’t expect to see them with wings or with halo flying above their heads. Instead they come in disguise, and they are called friends.

They accept me the way I am, believes in me for what I do, doesn’t give up on me, envision the whole of me, forgive me, help me quit my fears, lift my spirits, understand me, value me, walk by me, explain things that I don’t understand, yell at me when needed.

Friends, am no literary whiz to write great notes about friendship, just on the eve of another ‘Friendship Day’ in our lives, I want to let you people know that because of you life’s been a wonderful expedition, a journey I wish to continue ever and ever with you by my side. Few unwanted gifts of my life, and yet I want to treasure them forever and ever.

Pages Of The Past

“When I was a child I used to run around the butterflies as they flew about collecting nectar…and now as I grew up, I am running after my dreams hoping to see them turn into reality someday”

The voyage started way back in 2002, I left home for Pune. We go out of our home, our own native land…to a place unfamiliar, to make our own self, to stand on our own. We dream, we aspire…we live. Have seen dreams fulfilled, dreams broken. Ever since I landed in Pune, I had a dream…to do a bit for our own people, to build a common platform for them, especially for people living outside their home, to created one place of affinity and global participation for our fellow people. My whole voyage in Pune is something I can’t explain in words, something I’ll value lifelong. Days past, years past…spent as many as 7 years there…but that dream of a common platform of global participation for our fellow people still lingered in my mind. After many unsuccessful attempts, financial hiccups and trusted people who actually didn’t have faith in me…I almost gave up. When I came back home, to look after family business and also start up something on my own…that dream never seemed to leave me. Just waited for the day to get established, to fulfill that dream on my own. Luckily I wasn’t ordained to wait for long…

One fine day it happened! One of my friends suggested me to go through ‘www.enajori.com’. It was like a dream….revived!! Otherwise a very laidback me, promptly wrote a mail to the ‘enajori’ team. And now after 3 months of joining the ‘enajori’ team I proudly say it to be a integral part of my life, for making my distant dream a reality, for giving me exposure and not to forget a ‘friend’ whom I’ll cherish a lifetime.

Thank you Sang, for your suggestion to go through ‘enajori’, thank you to the team, for making me a part of it, thank you Him, for being such a wonderful team member, friend and a constant support. And thank you, all my ‘invisible forces’, my friends…for being there always. The word ‘enajori’ imply...bonding, may my bond with it, its team members and all my friends stay integral, for eternity.

I Will Learn To Breathe, Again!

"They build us up and put us on the tallest pedestal, only to break us down, make us fall from the greatest heights. But it's okay. We pick ourselves up again and build ourselves up, without their help. And if we fall again, it doesn't hurt so much."

In anything in life, when we fall down, first and foremost, we should to try to congregate ourselves back. It's no certainty that someone's going to always be there to pick us up; at times we need to do it our self. Life always is a roller coaster, at times up and at times down and down. But the past is the past. Can't change it. You can't be held down because of it.

Now, just going to try to live life to the fullest, and if it was meant to be, it will be. With a little push of course. But for now, maybe it's not the best time for it. So the past can go suck it and stop bothering you.

People make mistakes. But if people are meant to be together, things may possibly fall into place. But also, a lot of times, we take people for granted. If they're always there, we take their presence for granted which is bad. I don't think you should punish yourself for mistakes. It’s not worth it. People make mistakes, learn from it. Your happiness, your happiness doesn't necessarily need to involve that person being back into your life. Don’t beat yourself over it.

You are unwritten, you are undefined. You are just beginning. Open up the porthole; allow the sun to light up your world. Release your inhibitions, experience the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, drench yourself, live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.

P.S.: This note is especially dedicated to you, you, you and you (you people know whom I mean!). Do the things that you always wanted to, without anyone there to hold you back. Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag &..."Smile Smile Smile..."

Partners In Rhyme !!!

‘Lucky’ is one word for someone who has in fact found a real friend, a person one can hope for. Someone who is there not only to spend happy times with us, but more on our appalling times. But having a real best friend whom you relate your secrets to, talk about how boring your day at work was up to, your whining about the new dress you just bought from the store. Someone whom you share your thoughts or plans to. It’s because they know who we really are, through the worst things we did to them and they still stood by us and still love us, that’s a friend to keep.

What do we owe our friends? Friends owe each other their friendship, their help in times of need, their companionship when we are lonely. A friend owes nothing more or less then what they receive from you. You need to have an equal amount of respect for each other. Sometimes we make choices that our friends don't agree with but in the end a true friend understands we must make our own choices and gives us the time and space we need to in order do so. Personally, I owe my friends a lot simply because they put up with my shit. In return I put up with shit I wouldn't normally take from, say, an everyday correlate.

In how many ways have friends enriched our lives and made us feel loved, accepted, respected and cared for? Probably, too many to list and the list grows daily. Friends...but I deviate, that’s why all friends are so different...each one is your friend for similar and different reasons, just like you are a friend to them for whatever encircling reasons they feel. We each give and take, and when there is a balance…yes it's wonderful, but at times one might need more than the other, and it's under the premise that, if I was in that situation you would have done the same thing. That might seem to be an expectation of a friend, but it's more like it's the thought that counts.

A lot of people go through life with only a few friends. It seems that some have less than that. They have no one on whom they can call in good times or bad. There is no one with whom to bounce ideas around, or to talk about deep and troubling subjects. They have no one to call in times of need or difficulty. They are at the mercy of life, standing alone. Others seem to have a multitude of friends. Wherever they go, people know them, and like to be around them. Should trouble strike, their biggest hesitation might be over which friend to call. They know exactly the person with whom to discuss the topics of inquiry and debate. Life is full of entertaining and invigorating relationships because it is full of friends.

It is safe to say that when God shaped the world and all the splendid things in it, when he streaked the heavens with radiant shades and the earth with grand mountains and awe-inspiring canyons, when he painted the plains with waving grassland and erected gracious woods of towering foliage, he outdid it all by creating friends. Why not take a moment or two and thank someone today for being a friend to you?

Droplets of Life...

The backdrop:

“Deba: Arpan da…aji office’r pora ahute khub titilu…bhal lagile.

Me: boroxunor’r kotha nokoba...beya lagi jai…Pune’t thakile etiyale sage flat tu tita kapuror gundhot bhori gol hoi.

Deba: ha ha...hei smell tu. aru ehoptah man ekeloge beli nedekha..office-le jaute boroxun..Office-r pora ulaute boroxun...eibilak pisot bhabile birat bhal lage. apuni likhibo try diyok..bhal hobo !!

Me: boroxun’t ulai jaute saba…tumar cell tu…juwa bosor ki hoisile monot ase nohoi??

Deba: bag eta kinisu..tar bhitorot eta polythene ..tar bhitoror cell aru purse ..eibar risk nolou...:)

Me: aru aji khana ki…??

Deba: khana aaji soya beanor kheti...aru papad…”

The memories…they keep on coming back; touch me again and again. Reminds me papon da singing…”fagunore bauli baa…loi jaa muk loi jaa”

I slipped out into the open…barefoot. The night air is cooling but not cold. Goodness it’s raining! I stand there gently…looking at the stars. I love rainy nights...love listening to the rain singing me a lullaby...love the ambience, the romance, the sadness, the beauty, the stories behind the rain. Rain makes me nostalgic…make me soak in memories…something I’ll cherish for a lifetime…and beyond, if allowed.

Rain reminds me of Pune. My second home…it owns a ‘Lions Share’ of being me. The knowledge, the molding, the bike rides, the ‘Dhaba’ trips at midnight when its 4°c outside, those "night outs", the ‘rescue’ missions, those midnight tease, birthday bumps, old torn jeans, late night walks, long chats and conversations, cooking sessions, crushes, getting kicked out of the class, the project time, struggle for marks, writing on desks, fighting with friends, tears for love, just anything and everything...unique and unmatched.

Well, I am back in and feel sleepy and fairly at peace with tomorrow's uncertainty and its prospects. And I am grateful for the unexpected gifts of yesterday. There are some things you don't have to say but are just understood. But then, why not stretch these things out as long as possible, right?

Night-Night!

P.S.: dedicated to all my Pune friends, seniors, juniors, classmates and colleagues. You people made life such a wonderful voyage.

Life's Bookmark !

How life changes, suddenly from a sluggish black and white movie to one of zipping fast ones where the music is just blaring in your ears. And the irony is that you always want to be on the other side…definitely grass is always greener on the other side. It’s all momentary; the only thing that is constant is change. Life everyday is a new frontier. It was time to start from the scratch again and as I was looking for my maiden assignment AIM Quest happened to me.

This story may seem common to most of the people. People even have more or less the same chapter in their life. No words to describe, I actually can’t pour all my emotions this way...this is amazing...I don’t have words to let u know how it made me feel...I’m touched. In life, we hardly take opportunity to thank people who have really made a difference and are the unsung heroes of our life. Small things usually go unnoticed but they make great sense and they are the one who make life so easy and cheerful.

I felt elated when my name was called on the stage and I was flooded with appreciation and gifts. Thank you all at Assam Institute of Management (AIM). Thank you for believing in my abilities, having patience with me and mostly for making things so comfortable for me. I never felt that I was not a student of the institute.

The sound of claps will always linger on my mind. And will be something I’ll go back every time I’m down or lack in zeal. No matter, even if someday I may reach the zenith of supremacy AIM, AIM Quest 2009, its memories and all the people at AIM will always remain special for me. I will always specially bookmark this chapter of my life. Thank you for making my maiden solo assignment so unforgettable.

Thank you Himadri, for asking me if I can help and introducing me to AIM. Thank you Shruti, for all the creative inputs, thank you (in alphabetical order) Anakshi, Bidisha, Jayasweta, Lakshya, Manab, Mrinal, Neel, Rahul, Ritu, Shraddha, Smita, Sukanya, Zubeen, thank you the 14th batch of AIM, you people simply rock !!!