Growing young.

As we grow old so do our parents and a lot of people around. Apart from growing old physically there's a stage after which their mental growth ceases. Call it the early 70's or mid 70's. This is a time when the brain stops developing any more, rather it slowly starts switching off it's sections. To put it in a simple way, after that peak period everyone starts growing young. They start their journey towards becoming a child again, naïvely enjoying everyday as a new one.

There are short term and long term memory losses. Listening to and focusing on normal conversations could be a problem. Vision starts to die away. The body has already started giving up. They are going to be slow now. Don't expect them to have the same reaction time as you. This is the period when you have to be patient... as patient as your mom and dad were when you were a baby or sometimes even more patient than that. Think of them as children.

But can I even compare them with a child? A child is so full of energy. Everyone around them is delighted, overjoyed with their presence and entertained by their monkeying around. Well, obviously don't expect that from the old timers. But ask them about their college days or workplace memories and see them amaze you. Oh and if you think they are not as cute as a child, just go back in time for a moment. Think of those days when your mom/dad used to tell people how cute, sweet and intelligent you were even if you were slow amongst most of the kids, dark in complexion, too fat to run or too skinny like a dry twig. They don't even expect you to give any accolades, although one or two wouldn't really hurt ;) But at least don't look at them as if they have committed a crime.

Go slow with them on certain matters. Getting pissed off won't do the work faster, would it now?! Do you remember how often they used to repeat stuff till you got it right or till you were satisfied. They would do all that with a childish and godly tone.

For some time forget they are your mom and dad or uncle and aunts or a random person you met at the bank! She’s the most beautiful, sweetest girl; he’s a bit boyish at times but still your chubby, cute boy. They are like kids now! :)

And for those who don't want to accept this fact, remember that life is a cycle and you are going to be old too. What goes around comes around!

There's only 1 Formula!

My idea of a perfect sport is one which has power, team work, style, strategy, thrills, full of surprises & demands a lot of passion from you. If you know what I am talking about you must be a die hard Formula 1 fan. I had a craze for cars as all boys would, but I never thought I would end up like this, trying to recognize every car that passes by. I am a freak they say, hell yeah I am and I am proud of that. Gasoline runs through my veins not blood!
F1 has been in my life when they started showing it on DD Metro, thanks to Mr. Mallya and then came the problem of no alcohol advertisements on DD. No more F1 broadcasting. But I have my resources and am happy to be still in it!

Tell me one sport which gives the sports person more power than a 800bhp F1 car. Although the whole team is never in lime light, a F1 team has the most number of members related to it...more than even a Football team. You don't know when your car might give up or someone behind you might crash into you. The driver has to focus so much for the whole race, no breaks, no points in between, its a race to the end. If you survive you win, there's no second chance. And do I need to say anything about style? F1 drivers define the most powerful, stylish & inspiring people. For auto enthus the car in itself is a style quotient.

All this said Formula 1 has its share of downs, some badly written rules & some not at all sporty drivers. Who cares, its those drivers who make their way from the rear of the grid to the podium that make F1 what it is today!


If there's one sport I love & haven't still tried, its Formula 1 racing. "Ofcourse!" you would say. But its one thing I live for and want to try before I die, drive a F1 car, atleast for half a mile. You know what try this, put some fast music once you are in your car or on your bike and rev your babe each time the song goes upbeat, feel it, live it, and believe me its worth dying for! This video should help ;)

25 years of Togetherness

Some lines about Mom Dad's 25yrs journey together...

2+5 is seven,
seems like a road to heaven

But the path is full of thorns
to teach you many a norms

Step on them with love in your heart
and each one will blossom like a flower

Take turns to clear the road
because sacrifices will be core

Take pains to understand the other
and gains my dear will be forever

Reach the end of this path
the 7 colors of life will brighten your heart

And you will think again that 2+5 is 7
and yes it was a road to heaven!

More years to come

Falling Colors

Its fall now & nature has started changing colors. Pink, red, Maroon, yellow, green as if the trees are showing off their mood. I look out of the window and I see trees in red, trees in yellow & yes trees in green too! The sky isn’t dark today its bright & blue, making sure the trees can flaunt their colors easily. They look like a bouquet made of Red lilacs reaching for the sky & Yellow roses gazing at them. The greener trees as if helping the red & yellow look even more distinct. I am on the highest floor of the stone ‘CoRE’d tower & all this seems so small from up here that I feel like taking out the whole bunch of 'flowers' with my hand and giving it to you....if only you were here! ;)

Aaji...

Swimming & me!

I still remember how I used to be frightened of baba when it was Sunday, it was swimming time then and luckily (for him) he used to take time off his business and swimming to teach me and little amruta. Amruta as usual was excited and raring to go. Dads favorite, daughters generally are! And I used to be as far away from baba as I could.

Its true, if your dad is damn good at something he wishes you could be like him too. I was never in harmony with this. What could I possibly do? The first race of my life at the age of 5 and I could hardly complete half of the 50mts. I knew baba lost whatever hope he had of training me into a swimmer that he was, the fame he earned. But Amruta never stopped. With the great reflexes that she had and a lot of practice she made it to the Junior Asian Games as the goal keeper of the Indian team. She was the one who proved to me that nothing is impossible, you just have to try it, do it. And that's why even today I keep trying different things, you cannot decide that you do not fit in a activity, the activity tells you!

Many years down the line, during the 3^rd year of engineering something came into me and I thought this is the time, its now or never. Baba was always excited about me becoming a Mechanical Engineer, the first engineer in the family. But I knew he still wanted to see me swim like a Pro. Aai, baba and Amruta had a hearty laugh when I told them I wanted to take part in the 50 Free event. “..5-5 taas practice kartat sagley swimmers. But I won’t stop you” said baba. I could see that even he was excited about me finally getting in, but he wasn’t showing it at all.

1 month and 5hrs per week is what I had along with my Engineering studies. I did whatever I was made to do by god. Judgement Day was here. At the competition baba was giving me last minute tips, stroke correction but all I could see at that moment was his excitement.

“Competitors on the deck please” came the call. I was nervous. Its been more than 10yrs since I have been on the starting blocks where each and everyone's eyes are glued. “Take your marks…......GO!” went the whistle. For a moment I literally felt the world freeze. I saw all the years baba had taught me swimming go through my mind in a second. “SPLASH” my whole body plunged into the water. Swimming as if I was being followed by a shark, I swear I was pushing my hands so hard I thought I was gonna rip them apart. Touching the end of the pool, I was breathless like an asthama patient.

I looked up to find baba standing near the ladder. “Tuzhya heat madhe pahila alas tu (you came first in your heat). You timed 30secs”. He was jubilant, very happy. Timing wise I didn’t even make up to the first 5 swimmers, still it made a big difference to him. Imagine how happy baba was. The guy who held the 100mtrs butterfly national record for 10 yrs, telling his friends at the swim meet that his son got a timing of 30s in 50Free. Believe me this was not at all anything even near "good", 24seconds was the National Record , and people get there after years and years of practice. But this was the moment I was waiting for, to see baba being proud of me for swimming and not studies. Then there was no turning back. The same day for the 50m Breast Stroke I came 5^th amongst 18 swimmers. That was it, he felt on cloud nine now. This was the first achievement in my whole life, which made me really really happy!