Endnotes!!!

• Poor Hrithik Roshan!!! He has to dance even to sell biscuits. Dont get what i am saying?? You will have to watch the latest Bourbon Biscuit tv advertisement. Saw him gyrating to his histrionic moves fervently for some few seconds... and then suddenly from nowhere emerges a biscuit packet from his hand... and he mutters something... it happens really quickly to even register anything. What hits you though is that poor Hrithik is being typecast as a dancer... and he has to break into his fervid item everytime he endorses a product. Come on Bourbon ppl... you guys can do much better... so can Hrithik. Spare his flexile body.

End Note: Has anyone seen Hrehaan??? He is Hrithik's elder son. Recently saw him perched in his mumma's lap at some award function. Cute is the word. But think no further.... Have booked him for Aara. Aara too broke into giggles when i put Hrehaan's photo in front of her. She broke into her little chiggy wiggy dance as soon as she set her sight upon him. Double thumbs up!!! :)

• Irrespective of all the hype and hoopla that surrounded Jaswant Singh's book 0n Jinnah... its a delight to read it. Its a well-researched, well thought out and well spaced book that documents how Jinnah went onto become Quaid e Azam of Pakistan. This well researched book has been put together with great care too. It has references to several books and has brief explanation on various events and people who made history as end notes. Someone who enjoys reading history and is curious about India, should read this book.

End Note: Just as a precaution... dont hold the book with one hand and lie on your back, while you read it. Its heavy. My wrist is furious with me and is making its feelings evident since two days.

• Just as Ishrat Jahan encounter case grabbed the headlines, driving both the central and the state government into a frenzy... stories from all quarters started coming in about various other fake encounters carried out by police officers across India. While Gujarat Government dug out records to show.. how poor seventh or eighth Gujarat fared at killing people in encounters, compared to UP or Rajasthan, Chidambaram took the matter on international stage. Made a comment on Gujarat Government and Ishrat killing in the Washington. CNN and BBC which hadnt bothered so far, too took attention. Better late than never, CNN too has reported about it now. Its an interesting report from an international point of view. Can be read at: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/11/india.shooting.probe/

Talk about going international Mr. Modi!!!

End Note: The encounter feeling engulfed the city to such an extent that even local cable operators put up 'Ab Tak Chappan' - a hindi movie on the backdrop of encounter killings by police officers, featuring Nana Patekar, in their prime time movie slot.

• And when the encounters, war and crimes are grabbing headlines all over the world... and one is tired of listening to all the noise that comes with the chaos... here's a break. Photographs by Emilio Morenatti. He has travelled extensively in the middle east and has captured Afghanistan and Pakistan for Associated Press. He has also been conferred the award of Newspaper Photographer of the Year 2008. Once while on an assignment in Gaza, he was kidnapped by gunmen but later released without any harm. The reason why i am building up so much is because the photos that he took left me spell bound. These are riveting photos... something that will linger on even as you move onto the next one. "A picture says a thousand words." - it was never so true before. You can take a glimpse of his work at http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/03/23/photographer-collection-emilio-morenatti/

End Note: Its 12th September. My Momma Jani In Law's birthday. But even as we set out to celebrate her birthday today evening... Amul just mentioned in the car today morning saying: 'Mos, exactly three more months to go." 12th Dec is nearing. The countdown is drawing close. :) The room is under construction. Clothes and venue and functions are decided. Navarati is approaching and Diwali will be here soon. And within no time... it will be time to get invitation cards printed..... phew.... God!! Be there!!!

Till the next post.... tata!!!

August Diary

There's always a reason behind everything. I have many behind not blogging in the month of August. Inspite of it being one of the longest months of the year, i was too busy and hassled to even drop in a word. Imagine... how occupied i must have been.

So i am going to pen... rather type... my August Diary in September.

• Work has been defining my life these days. Have been extremely busy with work... so much so that sometimes i feel i am doing a job of four ppl put together. Follow ups, confirming a report, reporting, travelling, special stories, forward planning and day plans and events... god, its been too much. I have fed NewsX so much in last month that i am not only tired of cooking but am sure they have developed an indigestion too. I have had no time to send bills, reimburse my expenses or even take Sundays off. Swine flu deaths, book ban, spurious liquor and poor BJP...

• When i am not working... i am occupied with Amul. His birthday falls in August and we took a three day off to go to POLO forests. Its one of the most beautiful landscape in Gujarat. It was a good break... a much needed one and it couldnt have come at a better time than his birthday. Wont reveal the details too much... but it was high time i put aside work and spent time relaxing... and thats exactly what i did. Packed, took three days off, spent two days in forest, laughed at heart's content, played with Aara and spent three whole days with Amul.... Fabulous is the word.

Amul with a beer on his birthday... what more could he ask for?

Vrushti and Aara... Aara's first holiday

Janki, Amul, Chintan and Arjun... at Vijaynagar Palace... a heritage place where we stayed in Polo

Chintan and Aara... Aara had a blast on this holiday...

Mos and Amul... and the reservoir behind....

• It was a month of return too. Devam is finally back from the US. Though he hasnt turned up home and has a lame excuse for that... i hope i get to see him again. He has bluntly told me how i figure last in his list but in the same sentence assured me that he loves me equally. I dont understand diplomacy and therefore didnt exactly understand what he meant. This month also marked the first anniversary of Vrushti and Chintan's return to India. The biggest differentiator between the last year and this year has been.... Aara... who's growing leaps and bounds everyday.

• Another small yet significant thing about August was festivals. It started with Rakhi. I didnt send any rakhi to my NRI brothers... i was so occupied with work and travel that i didnt find time to send any. But still took two hours out on Rakhi to tie rakhi to a few cousins who live in Ahmedabad... :) i love the tradition of tying a rakhi, exchanging sweets and receiving money as a gift... majja aavi gai. And if Rakhi marked the beginning of the month and was celebrated at my maternal grandpa's house.... the month's end was marked by Ganpati at in-laws. For the first time, i sat in ganpati pooja... prayed to Ganpati to remove obstacles from two ppl's paths... and the most exciting stuff was wearing a sari on the visarjan day... :) looked like an aunty.... :)

So August is over... September arrived with a bang. On the first day, stood four hours in a queue at beauty parlour to book myself for the wedding day. Frustrating, hilarious and a tiresome experience it was. All ladies in Ahmedabad want to get ready at the same parlour.... so they all land up here early in the morning to get an appointment. It was worse than a visa line. After waiting for so long... i finally got an appointment. I havent worked so hard for getting amul as much as i did for get that appointment. But its finally done... Its also a reminder that wedding is just three months away.

The nervousness is creeping in gradually. Amul and i often point out what a relief it is to go back to individual houses every night. We often ponder if we will be able to stay together all the time? But i guess we will know it all in just a matter of few months...

September meanwhile.... is going to be fun. Its Navarati time.... garba, dandiya, late nights and honest ni paubhaji and pulao... :)

But till Navarati begins... its time for me to leave for Kutch... I am going to Lakhpat (the kanyakumari of west) on the border of india and pakistan. Should be fun, hot, tiring and a memorable experience. If its worth writing and sharing... will blog about it when i am back...

Till then... to you all... Happy September!!!