An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband.

Yup. Am married. :) To none other than Mr. Amul Jani. Thank you all for who made it to the wedding. I will always cherish your presence. Special thanks to Anu, Anuja, Raksha, Janki and Smita. You girls kept up with my nonsense for a long time and excused it all just because i was the bride. Also to Devam. You have been an incredible host and an inspiring one. Also you surpassed all my expectations of being a helpful hand. You kept my spirits alive and smile intact. Thanks to Mom and Dad for keeping up with my stubborn demands. Be it minimizing the guest list or letting go off a ritual. Thanks for allowing my wedding to be my way. Be it choosing a simple blue invitation card or not calling relatives who didnt mean anything to me or not going overboard with gifts, decoration or food and allowing it to be a simple wedding. I would also like to express my utter happiness for one who flew down all the way to attend the wedding. And for all those who couldnt attend my wedding... let me tell you... you missed "the event" of the last decade. :) 

While i took no time to fall in love with amul back in 1998, i took over a decade to marry him. When the wedding date was finally announced, most of my friends and cousins heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally" was what i heard before "Congratulations".

To be true to all of you, i was scared of getting married. I didnt want to leave my house even for Amul. I didnt want to move into another house. I wanted to live with my parents forever. But somewhere down the line, i told myself, "Dont protest. You will get use to the change."

So though i wasnt jubilant when the date was announced, i quietly started telling myself to get prepared. I had no logical reason to refuse marriage. I loved my baby. He was a nice guy. We had been together for 11 years. Afterall, it was the next step. How long could i have avoided it? I wasnt scared of living in another house with another set of family. I was scared of leaving my own comfort zone. I have been terribly homesick before. I have cried buckets when i had to move to London briefly to pursue my Masters. I have been a terrible guest when i was dropped over at my relatives' when i was a kid. I would cry and cry till Mom or Dad came to fetch me. Knowing myself, i was a little apprehensive about how would i feel when i moved - if i may add, permanently - to Amul's place.

But to my discovery and to my relief, i am not homesick. I do miss home terribly. Everytime i need little things like cello tape or a rubber band... it immediately reminds me of that drawer or that stationery box back at my place. Everyday when i finish work, i feel like going back home. And every night... when the clock strikes 11... i think of mom. Before marriage, if i wasnt home at night... my mom would inevitably call at the strike of 11 to remind me that my time was up. I miss my old life terribly. But i love my new life.

I still wake up late. I enjoy my long sleep. And its funny to wake up with Amul. Every morning when i wake up and i see this guy all cuddled up in his favourite quilt... i cant help but smile. He refuses to give up his single quilt. :) After 11 years of being with him, i have now realised that he loves his quilt more than me.

I still enjoy reading my papers first thing in the morning with a hot cuppa coffee. And to my great happiness, aunty makes coffee just like my mom. Its fun to see Amul running around the house before he leaves for work while i am sitting on the sofa, reading my paper, sipping my coffee and in no hurry to go anywhere.

So while i thought marriage would bring sweeping changes to my life, i only have god to thank for blessing me with Amul, Uncle and Aunty. I cant be thankful enough to the almighty. My mom and dad are hardly a kilometer away. Amul is a cute husband. And uncle and aunty are gems.

And as i begin my new life... i only hope i build a strong nest i never feel like leaving behind.

Headlines!!!

• Back from a whirlwind trip to Delhi and Surat. Delhi was fun. At company expense, enjoyed a five star stay for a crash course in NewsX and got a bit of information on upcoming events in our company. Cant give out more information. :) In surat, i went to cover the total solar eclipse of the century. I cant describe it in words. Even if i didnt see the Solar Eclipse because it was very cloudy and raining... i saw the effect... it was a early dawn sky... and then at 6:21... it went pitch dark... like it was night... and then... three minutes later... the light came back. I was completely detached from it as i took it as just another reporting assignment. But when i reached the venue (from where we were going live) at 4am in the morning... i couldnt believe the crowds. People were there early in the morning waiting to watch a celestial extravaganza of the century. People from Romania, Japan and Germany had come. Not to forget our our Indian Brothers and Sisters. I did some good work... good lives... interviewed so many people and after 27 years on this planet... i finally discovered some curiosity for this planet, our existence in this milky way... brilliant.

• Also i went to Delhi after six months. The discovery that i made was the Delhi International Airport. SEXY is the word. :) Its world class, hep and classy. Had an awesome double shot expresso with a mediterranean sub at 5.30 in the morning. Classic. One thing is for sure. Next time, i wont crib about Delhi Airport. Next time, i will go a little early to enjoy the airport. Next time, i will be a little better dressed when i am at the Delhi airport. :)

• Amul picked me up from Surat. He was in Silvassa for work. So on way back, he picked me up. He showed his true love for me by co-ordinating his offical trip with mine. And i showed my true love for him by treating him to nice, hot and awesome Italian lunch in Surat. In return, he showed his true love by giving me his eye mask for two hours sleep while he drove in heavy rain. I, in return, showed my true love by allowing him to listen to Des Pardes songs composed by Rajesh Roshan.. some songs i had never heard in life but still kept smiling through. He, in return, when i woke up, showed his love by kissing my hands every 10 secs and i in return... smiled coyly and had some wonderful moments i will cherish for life... the love exchange continues... but lets not get into details please... :)

• Now i am back home. My mom had two best days of her life recently after she took a break from work to spend time with my mama and mami who came visiting from Mumbai. She was so happy when i spoke to her over the phone from Delhi and Surat. She usually is grumpy through the day... because of her school principal who gives her a lot of grief. But my Mama Mami's visit, with some nice sandwiches at Freezeland and some shopping therapy with my Mami, gave my mom some great reason to be happy. But always expect something bizzare from my mom. As part of my wedding preparations, my mother has bought a nice fancy double bedsheet with pillow covers. She plans to gift that to me. Now, how bizzare is this? Amul's house has enough bedsheets and pillows.. Why do i need to carry a bedsheet from home? Next thing you know, my mom will pack me soaps and toothpaste... God Forbid!!!!

• Must mention a line or two about the weather. Its been awesome since a week. Its been raining cats and dogs in Surat and South Gujarat. In Ahmedabad, its been decent. Its raining in favour of employers. I say so because it rains at night... through the night... instead of through the day... giving poor employees like us to skip work on the pretext of rains. Common clouds... you can do better than this... be kind to poor people like us. :)

• Ok!! Hooch tragedy refuses to die down. One more arrested. One more police press conference. One more story. And one more headache. As they say, every good thing must come to an end. Gotta go. Goodbye.

Niharika Acharya!!

Yeah... thats my mom!!! Niharika Acharya. Niharika means galaxy. A galaxy which has infinite emotions within her and a personality even more colourful than a rainbow. In these modern times, i can compare her personality to my nokia screen that has 64000 colour display. She's colourful, exuberant and vivacious when she's not sulking about my hairstyle or food preferences or angry over coming late and keeping my room untidy.

She likes to be called 'Mumma'. And my dearest Mumma is a tyrant when it comes to living in her house. Yes!! She has openly and unjustly declared that the home belongs to her and if we want to live in there, we will have to obey her. Which means, tidying your bed the moment you wake up, keeping shoes in the cabinet before going to sleep, come home by 11pm sharp or bear her brunt for the next 33 years and never ever... i repeat never ever disturb her when she's asleep. 

Though i must give her the credit of controlling her temper over years. When Devam and I were little children, we were slapped when we spoiled the bed or kept fighting and hitting each other. Once (this was devam's idea) i put the rice dabba over the wheat flour dabba and climbed onto it so that i could reach the Bournvita container on the top shelf in our kitchen. Mumma was fast asleep. And Devam wanted to eat Bournvita. So he made me a scapegoat and made me climb this deceptive podium, made up of two dabbas to fetch Bournvita for him. And when i had just about climbed and reached Bournvita, Mumma woke up. We heard the noise, Devam instead of holding those dabbas in place... left the dabbas and me... and ran for his life, I lost balance... fell... in the mixture of wheat flour - rice - bournvita, and stood up to face Mumma. One tight slap followed. I will never forget that slap. Its become an anecdote now in the family and a sharp reminder to mumma when she boasts that she never hit her kids. 

But thats not all thats to her. She's done so much for us that this blogger server would crash if i listed those things. I can only imagine what it would have been like to get up at 5am in the morning, ready milk and breakfast for her kids, cook and later reach work by 7am. Just so that devam and i had a better lifestyle. She gave up her holidays and her shopping so that Devam and I could go to those numerous camps and buy new things every couple of months. She still works so hard despite her diagnosed illness of gouts and persistant backache. She means a world to me. 

Even today, when i am fully able to look after myself at 27, she still hands me over a plate of dryfruits every evening. She still calls out for lunch and markets it like its a feast just so that i go, eat a little with them. She still prepares my coffee every morning. And never forgets to remind me what a bad addiction coffee is when she hands me the coffee mug. :) and everytime i brush her off or ignore her... she comes, sits besides me, calls up Devam and tells her about my misbehaviour. And then i get this long lecture from Devam about how bad i am. :) My mother is mother of all dramas. 

She does force me to do things that i dont want to do (specially household chores) and always reminds me what would i do once i was married. She's worried to the hilt that i will ruin her name once i am married and dont help around in the household. And worrying is her favourite timepass. What if this happens??? What if this doesnt happen??? 

Mumma is priceless. Its a great respite when she's not home. But dad and i keep reconstructing our conversations in her absence. What would Mom say? How would Mom react? So even in her absence... she's hardly absent. She's a darling. She loves a neat and clean home. And dare anyone ruin it even a wee bit. You will be reprimanded severly. Even if you happen to be the Prime Minister of this country. "PM hase ena ghar no.... ahiya to hu PM chu," is what Mumma would say. 

Mumma loves mimicking people. She's extremely good at mimicking her cousins and is full of fun among them. She undergoes a personality change when she is among the 'Joshis'.... :) My dad will always elbow me and say, "Jo tarri mumma ne". She's a riot when she is with her sisters - laughing, joking and making fun of everyone. And she's a complete opposite when she is with Acharyas... She's in control of everything. She knows what to cook for everyone, she knows what to arrange for everyone, she knows what one should wear for a pooja and what should one wear for a wedding, she knows whom to gift what and she knows where to go and whom all to meet. A great multitasker. And thats what she wants me to be. 

She's cute and furious at the same time. Extremely bad at English, some of her encounters with English Speaking people have become famous anecdotes now. Once at the JFK airport, she was questioned about what was in the packet that she was carrying? She said most animatedly, "These are flowerwadis." She was actually carrying the gujarati snack of phulwadi for someone there. And when she was asked about the silver anklets in her purse, she started dancing in the front of the officer to prove that it was an ornament. :)

Mom's a sweetheart!! Extremely emotional at times, hilarious and most forthcoming with jokes sometimes, extremely temperamental when you do things she doesnt like and above everything... most lovable for what she is! She loves her kids the most in the world and today she would give up or ignore everything if she got to spend a day with Devam and me. 

On this mother's day... there's nothing materialistic that i wish to give her. Recession isnt a good time for elaborate gifts. :) But recession also makes you realise that expressing your love for your mother has nothing to do with those gifts. This blog entry is dedicated to her. This will remain etched forever and will be read by my children and grandchildren. I doubt if my Mumma will read this. But then... i have never been good at actually telling her how much i love her. So this is my own indirect way to confess that i wouldnt be anywhere today if it wasnt for her. Her love, her teachings, her antics, her upbringing and her temper.... will always be loved and cherished. Love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day!!

E-learning

"Let me know once you are done with your work. I need to sit on the computer," came the voice from behind. 

Knowing it was dad, i turned around to acknowledge that i had heard his request... but i was zapped.. it was mom. 

I mean, i know its no big deal for women today to use computer... but for my mom, it is. Afraid of such big gadgets, she's just come around to using her mobile phone. But that too is only used for making and receiving calls. No messaging, no web, no music... forget games. :) 

So it came as a big surprise when my mother demanded that she needed the computer. As i turned around and acknowledged her, there was this huge grin on her face... expecting that mosiqi will be shocked to hear that one from me. Which i was, i must admit. She was holding 4 CDs in her hand, which had been gifted to her by somebody. They were songs that can be sung at weddings. She wanted to hear that CD and probably learn the songs that she liked. But doing that would mean using the computer.

The next one hour, i took her through the simple applications as to how to operate a CD. What if the CD doesnt play automatically? What if she wants to listen to track 06 directly? What if she wants to rewind or forward the track? I took her through everything step by step. 

She too, like a 5th grade child, took down notes and listened carefully as i went about teaching her. Then just before i thought, she was on her own and now could listen to music whenever she wished... she came up with a question. I will always remember this question and remember it as the best family anecdote for years to come. 

Mom said, "How do i change the side of CD when one side is over? Should i just open the cart and turn it around?"

I burst into this big smile.....

As my mom is on her baby steps to learn the computer... i cant forget those days, when she taught me to use the TV remote control patiently. I soon figured out the applications by myself. Today, as she celebrates her triumph over opening the windows media player successfully, i hope she too figures out a lot more herself. All the best mom. 

My World This Week

I want: Weekends off and a pay hike

This Sunday: Spa and Deep Conditioning

Never will: Smoke or dope

Yearning for: Devam to come back and a Goa Trip

Dreading: Nanavati Commission's Part II report and Diwali Sweets


Want to: Go on a Vacation (like right now) and make a documentary (just need a little push)

Hate it: When Mom reminds me how much (very little in this case) time i spend at home and when people ask: When are you getting married?

Love it: When Amul pampers me and showers me with attention and Sunday is approaching.

Would like to thank god for: Strong Digestive System, Shahrukh Khan and inventing the concept of Sleep

Recent Discovery: I suffer from short term memory loss. (cant recall what was said just a minute ago) But i have execellent long term memory

Wish to control: Sensex and Mom's temper

Looking forward to: Diwali gatherings and Anu's wedding

Current Favourites: Jasuben Pizza and Shambhu's cold coffee

Last Expense: L&T's 5 shares

Pending Expense: Wagon R's service and getting rid of the scratch

Currently Reading: Exodus by Leon Uris, Scarred by Dionna Bunsha, Descent into Chaos by Ahmed Rashid.


Want to indulge in: A watch for myself and Amul, a trip to New York, egypt vacation for parents, Diwali party for friends, diamond earrings, Hyundia Verna or a Mitsubishi Lancer.................