A silent partner

Few years back...

One late evening, I was all exhausted and tired due to indigestion. I had been to loo several times; which made me irritated. I was quite fussed about a simple indigestion and was blaming God for it. I am really surprised now, on that thought, as God was not the one who gave me those tasty oily foods, but my sweet relatives had showered it for my arrival when I had visited them. Going on, as everyone would have suggested, this is one of those times where we just have to lie down & doze off. But I instead was all tensed up; indigestion mood swings I believe. 

Anyways, this had happened while  I was in my native with my parents. As a home remedy, mom had prepared a bitter kashayam and I had just finished having it. She suggested to have a quick nap and not to think about it. But I was just adamant not to sleep. Finally, after several convincing minutes, I decided to take a quick 5 min nap where I was seated. I was even lazy and frustrated to move. I was on my sofa & as I was worn out, I quickly dozed off. 

A Few minutes passed by & I regained my consciousness to realize that, one of our house cat, was sitting beside me on the sofa. As usual, it was sleeping & making some annoying sound. As I was still exhausted and had those irritating mood swings I started murmuring & scolding at the cat. It made the cat awake. 

Suddenly something unusual occurred  which I will never forget. As if it was waiting for me to wake up,  it pushed its right paw forward towards me, as if asking me to hold its paw. Unconsciously I took it's paw in my hand. It closed its eyes & opened again. It repeated the same gesture twice & then as if nothing has happened, it went back to sleep. Shocked & Surprised I just stared at my Cat for around 2 minutes and then went on to take another couple of minute sleep.

So what just happened?

Was it a dream? No...As I was still holding its paw when I woke up completely after an hour. 

This incident created a connection which I felt emotionally. "Don't worry, this exhausting time will pass by soon" was what I felt it conveyed. Scientifically, I would have to do some survey on my cat's behavior, but emotionally I was touched. Unknowingly, it gave me a strength which I needed so badly. It acted as a silent partner which sat beside me when I am down and told me to relax myself.

Of course my stomach ache was not cured by my cat peculiar behavior, but it surely did bring in some positive vibe. I relaxed myself compelling myself that it is just an indigestion and not an end of the world. Sometimes I think, we just need that little nudge to get back on track, like a hug or a cold breeze or as my cat did a hand so that we relax, get our mind straight & think; 'it is not worth worrying as every dark night is followed by a bright sunny day'. 

At the end -

 "An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language - Martin Buber"

In my case, So true... isn't it!!

This topic is an initiation (#together) from  housing.com ( https://housing.com/ ) , a new online real estate space.

An Independent Life

"What will be your story when asked about the bold move which resulted in a big change in your life?"

Ask me, and it takes me to 2007. It was the year when I took a crucial decision, which I am proud of and sometimes even makes me wonder 'how did I do it!!'.

To be frank, most of my dear ones & close friends are aware of my struggle, but revisiting & writing about it gives comfort & drives me to move forward. Hope it encourages you too.


2007 - #StartANewLife Career

Yes, 2007 is the year when I started my career in one of the Top IT company. I got this opportunity in college by means of campus drive in 2006 and when they announced my name that I was selected I was thrilled. Perhaps, if I think now, this excitement is one of the reasons which changed my life.

To tell you about the company, this 'XYZ' company is situated all around India. And, consequentially  flourishes a policy where employers were transferred to different cities other than their own, as they believed that every new bee should be able to adopt to the new environment, able to interact with different people & indulge with others culture. This will aid employers in improving socializing skills resulting in getting things done better was the strategy.

My Dad was aware of their policy and he began telling me that I should not have opted this company in the first place. 

This made my excitement vulnerable as a question raised in my mind -

"Can a 21 year girl, pampered at home, never been outside of her hometown; stay all alone in a new, strange town?"

To combat, I decided I need to make plans on how to go ahead. My parents were comfortable with Bangalore location as most of my relatives stay there.  Hence, I planned that I will opt Bangalore as my preferred Location once the training is completed. 

But before that I had to go to 3 months training program in Trivandrum. I was relaxed in the 3 months as I had my college friends with me, even though I had to work with different region students/freshers. But this relaxed stipulation soon changed when I was transferred to Mumbai.

When I came back from Trivandrum to home, my parents had already decided that I would be resigning and will not be going further as Mumbai is not the place for me.

My Bold Move:

At the Beginning, I agreed and stayed at home for 2 days. During these 2 days I thought about my future. The same question "Can a 21 year girl, pampered at home, never been outside of her hometown stay all alone in a new, strange town?" reflected back.

I knew my plans had not worked but if I gave up, I may not get any second chance to prove myself. I called up many of my friends & relatives as I was not able to decide myself. Everyone gave different suggestions. I realized, it can only be decided by me. 

Finally, I told my parents - " Resigning can be a very good reason, but I want to experience the reason behind my resign. I would like to try out and if I feel I can't succeed, then immediately I will do as you say and resign. So please let me try. Please let me go to Mumbai".

This is certainly the hardest move, as when I think now, I was young and didn't have any experience; it might have been very difficult to convenience myself & also go against or partially against my parents will.

My Modified Life

I stayed in Mumbai for almost 6 months with few difficulties at the beginning, but now it is all a sweet memory.

Later in 2008, I  was transferred to Bangalore, which made my parents relaxed. My decision made me a confident person, as my bold move was worth a fruitful result. Over the course of my life, I believe, It has also helped me to move forward and overcome even more difficult tasks in work & personal life.

Now its 7+years and I am still working for the same company. The big chance which follows is, I am independent now. I take major decisions without any hinge. The work also helped me to take financial decisions.. To give you an example, I am now a proud landlord of 5000 sq-ft residential land. I am also more communal as I have not only worked with people belonging to different parts of India and but also with non Indians. 

My big move has made me an independent socialized human being.

A Quote to summarize -

"Good change signifies that we're moving forward, living better, and giving ourselves the chance to be the best we can possibly be." 

 This topic is an initiation from housing.com ( https://housing.com/) , a new online real estate space.

To know more watch this embedded video 

Dry Baby Happy Baby

Radhika was shopping in a Mall when she saw her best friend, Namratha. 

Radhika : hey Namratha, how are you?

Namratha: Hii Radhika. Long time. I am fine. How about you?  how is Anjali, your daughter. how old she is now?

Radhika: She is fine. She is nearing 2 now. what about your son. I think he would be completing 1 year soon. Is he as naughty as Anjali (winking)

Namratha: Yes Radhika, Amog is becoming naughty day by day. But there is something about him which I wanted to talk. Hey, are you free now? Can we go somewhere and have a chat?

Radhika: Yeah, sure, why not!. I just saw a coffee shop outside. Lets go there. We can have some snacks if you don't mind. All this shopping is making me hungry.

Namratha: I don't mind. Yes, this shopping has made me hungry too. Lets have that famous Pav Bajji which they serve!

At the coffee shop,

Radhika: So now when we have ordered our Pav Bajji, tell me Namratha what do you need from me? What is about Amog which is  worrying you?

Namratha:  Radhika, I don't know where to start. Amog is always crying. I can't find out what's wrong with him. It's usually during the morning hours, just after he wakes up. It's annoying & hurtful to watch him cry. I think he has started to get rashes.

Radhika: Oh gosh! Aren't you using Pampers dry pants? These are amazing diapers, especially during nights. They have dryness control gel lock system which avoids accumulation of moisture & hence reduces rashes. I assure you Namratha, this will reduce the crying. Also, as he is now above 6 months old, start feeding him with healthy food. This will make him more energetic & you can see the difference.


I remember with Anjali too, I had a similar issue. Its those difficult times where it is hard to decide from where to start. Anyways, when Anjali was 4 months old, I had to come to Bangalore to stay with my husband. I had to manage myself without any support or help. From the day I had come to Bangalore, Anjali became more silent. She used to enjoy 'Gagam style' songs & dance to that tune. But after she came to Bangalore, she started crying even when she heard the song. First, I thought that she missed my parents. But when my parents came during our holidays, her crying never stopped. My Parents got their pet dog 'Rocky' with them. She just loves him. But there was no reaction. And one morning I noticed it was the rashes which was creating this behavior. Then my doctor advised Pamper dry pants. It was amazing and I could feel the difference in a day or two. She started interacting and murmuring a lot. She even started interacting with our neighbor's kids. Even when she started crawling, I could see her eagerness on wanting to come to the kitchen where I am and wanting to do things as I do. 

Also Namratha, do check on Amog's eating habit. Make his tummy full. Few times kids act weirdly when hungry. They become restless due to it. Anjali used to throw stuff when she was hungry and it was a signal for us.

But once they are happy you can really see their fun activity & it can be sometime really funny.

I can reside you once such incident. My husband reads newspaper with his reading glasses on. He drinks his morning Tea with his paper. My daughter took her bangles; put it on her face as if wearing reading glasses, ordered me to get a cup of Tea (murmuring of course) and started reading the paper. She was not talking then & hence she started murmuring as if reading aloud from the paper.  Myself & my husband had a great laugh. When our kids are happy it's the precious time in our life. Isn't it?

Namirtha: So true Radhika.  I think I need to take your suggestion on the diapers. It might be the rashes which are making him cry. Because once I change the diaper he is fully active. He loves cricket & cars. He keeps playing with them if he is happy. But if he is crying, he throws it around. I surely will try your advice on using Pampers. Oh, what say, I will buy from that baby shop we just saw on the way.

Radhika : Sounds great. Do let me know the results.

Both Namratha & Radhika left the mall after few hours.

After a month, Both of them had planned to meet at the same coffee shop. Now Namratha was all happy

Namratha: Radhika!! Seriously, thanks for the advice. You were so true. It was the diapers, which were creating this restlessness. Now I can see Amog playing with his toys; murmuring with his dad and having a great time. He has started playing with water in the bathroom, which is a headache for me, but seeing him happy splashing all the water makes my heart bliss.

I think I soon will have  lots of happy fun stories to reside.

Radhika: Yes Namratha. You sure will.

This  blog post is written as a part of  a campaign held from Pampers (http://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers.) 

Look up blissfully

Mrs. Anita Rao has been working in our software company for past 15 years. Currently, she is heading the Retail department as 'Account Manager' in Bangalore location.

As aware, the retail sector is now catching up, utilizing IT division, to make their world much more comfortable & reachable. This results in more projects to fly in & hence more work for us.

As and when new projects or new development activity arise, Anita has to travel from one location to another. Travelling increases based on the assignments & sometimes she has to fly from India to London and then to US quenching her personal life.

Anita's husband, Mr. Alok Rao also has a similar work schedule. This results in them having a very hard time catching up on their son's life, Aniket. 

This was during a program, we came to know about Anita & her family;  how she has managed to stay optimistic despite her tough work culture.

"So how do you manage & stay energetic. Aren't you working for your family?" is what we asked

"My Son's smile makes it all happen. I, along with my husband has teamed up to manage this by impressing him despite being far away due to the work."

"Work culture now has become pathetic. There had been times when I was a kid, where I spent most of my time with my mother in the kitchen, chit chatting about nonproductive information, but now when I am a parent myself, I don't even have time to scroll into my own kitchen. Even if I am at heart of Bangalore, reaching home on time is a challenge in itself. Few a time, when I reached home my son would be sleeping and wakes up only to see me gone. My heart sinks when I think about it. "

"There has been times when I taught that I would quit my job and be at home to take care of the house. But due to  financial situations I was made to think twice." Also, she adds up saying "I enjoy my work, meeting up new people and my promptness & dedication has made me popular enough, such that even  if I want to quit it would be difficult."

"One of the tactics to Stay positive is to indulge yourself to be actively participating in our interest rather than worrying about difficulties." is her motto

So to enjoy the joyfulness of both the world, both of them has made arrangement for their son so that he doesn't complain. Due to their busy schedule, they have asked Anita's mother & father to stay with them to look after Aniket during their absence. Whenever she is in Bangalore on Sunday's, it is always 'family time'. No work can peep in. At home, her parents and son make her comfortable,  understands her and makes her feel that she has not missed any days.

To the times when they are not in town, both parents have promised their son; whatever is the situation & whichever location they are, both of them will be there beside their son if there is any event. Be it Diwali or son's birthday, no matter where they are, they will be in Bangalore for that event.

We asked "didn't you had any tough time to fulfill this?"

She says "Of course, I had and I can narrate you an incident."

She was in London and after two days It was their son's 7th birthday. Her husband too was out of station, but was bound to arrive on birthday with no issues. But for her it was a challenge. Her flight was at 9 clock and her meeting, which started at 5 clock in the evening was in no mood to end. She was panicking that she might miss her flight and break the promise. She says more than the promise, my son's smiling face, which gets lifted when he sees both his parents, is priceless & sure enough is a moment not to lose. So she called up her colleague and informed about the problem. Being in a managerial position, people have good contacts with the transportation department. Immediately, 9 clock flight was cancelled and 11 clock flight was arranged such that Anita could reach on her son's birthday on time.

She says as she ends her note that there has several such times where she has to jumble up, but at the end, it's her son's happy face is what makes her eager to reach.

Anita is one of the top executive in my company. Aniket, Mr & Mrs Rao only son is of age 13 now. Despite having such a hassle life, they have managed to build their own house in  Indranagar, Bangalore & a good education to their son which she is proud of.

She told this story which really inspired me and have remained as one of my favorites. As Anita's  inspiration is her son, everyone should search for that positive vibe which will help us to drive ahead of the rough edges of life. 

To end,  I really liked her story as, despite her hassle, she stands optimistic for those Sundays where she feels loved and cared.

This  blog post is written as a part of  a campaign held from Housing.com (https://housing.com/lookup) on topic " Tel us a story around a moment that filled you with optimism and hope for the future" 

-Prathi

Being Self-sustain

Dr Anjali, one of the top most doctors of Mumbai were on the dais along with her other fellow top doctors of the city. They had gathered around to collect a memento from the Chief Minster for saving 1000's of life from the cyclone which had made a catastrophic effect on Maharashtra few weeks back.

Despite being a hero herself, Anjali did not look very happy. Instead, she was searching for some familiar face in the crowd below. She looked disappointed. But suddenly something caught her eye, which made her smile.

At the end of the hall, she noticed a lady hiding herself behind a pillar; trying to get a glance of the stage set up. Anjali was about to call her assistance,when her name was called out to make a speech.

The Speech -

The day when the cyclone struck many people asked me, 'why are you leaving a safe hospital and going to that relief camp to save people?'.

Aren't you scared? Why risk life for others?

During the time I was in relief camp many of the survivors who needed medical treatment were shouting, saying "Please don't save me. My husband is no more or my children is no more. I don't need to live", Many became handicapped and didn't want to lead a life. A disaster doesn't only take life but, it can make few lives more difficult to lead. This is where we as a public servant need to build confidence; & serve our duty is what I believe.

You would ask me, it's easy to be a hero.

No...I know the pain as I lost my family in a cyclone, but more than that I know what is the mindset of people who has survived. I am the best example.

In 1998, when Mumbai was charged by the cyclone, we lost our family & wealth. My mom was the only one to take care. I was in my 12th then.My dad had a dream, he wanted me to be a doctor from day one of my birth. But due to disaster, I lost my way. I failed in my board exam. Unable to fulfill my dream & not able to cope up with the situation, I wanted to commit suicide. Unless it was not my mom, I would not be standing here. 

She took me to a nearby garden. There was a dog which stood with only 3 legs. It had broken its leg in a cyclone. It was trying to chase its tail in-spite of becoming handicapped. 

My Mom said, "Don't depict life as If God has taken away one leg from that dog's life. Watch life as God has kept 3 legs to enjoy" "It can now only hop and will have difficulty to walk, but it's purpose is to survive and it can do so with 4 or 3 legs. So why worry about the lost when it can't be returned!"

Ever since then, we have faced a lot of challenges in life, but never gave up & never allowed anyone else to give up. And, I am not here to boost about it too.

I just want to convey to the survivors who have lost hope, who have lost interest; please don't be so.  There are only few who gets a second chance, please don't crave yourself. There will be a silver lining which will make you charge up and make you self-confident. Wait for it.

Anjali called her assistance and murmured something on his ear & then she continued.

Myself Dr Anjali, probably known as a top surgeon in town. But many don't know that I am Kammini Devi's Daughter. Kammini Devi, a  servant at the age of 35 due to our circumstance had to wash dishes, clothes & cleaned houses in many middle class houses in Thane. She is my  guider. She has made me a self sustained person as I am now.

I would like to give this memento to her

& she pointed at that pillar.

Kammini Devi was the lady who was standing near the pillar and was brought by Anjali's assistance to the dais.

Both Anjali & Kammini Devi received a grand applause from the audience.

The End

This Blog is written as a part of a Happy Hours campaign held by Indiblogger & HDFC ( http://www.hdfclife.com/) on topic " how a family member has guided and encouraged you to grow into a better, more self-reliant person"