Connecting dots!

Its all about connecting the dots!

You come from extreme corners of the world and meet people who suddenly take an important place in your life. You meet, make friends, stay together, depart, get in touch, miss each other and pretty much forget about how you met in first place. A simple bond of Friendship makes it all so wonderful. I get a strange feeling about it sometimes, how people come from somewhere and just start meaning so much to you, you find out strange secrets about them, you explore few common friends, you simply share a bond of memories that felt, like new, just yesterday!

My friend KG, many of you already know her, for those who don't, read this, and you will know her.

Well, here it goes!
Part 1:
KG, originally from Dhanbad (Jharkhand, India),
Me, originally from Sangli (Maharashtra, India),
We, met in Birmingham (Alabama, USA).

Part 2:
She, got married and moved to Shetland (Scotland, UK),
I, got married and moved to Singapore (Singapore, Singapore).

Part 3:
My sister, moved (for her MS) to Aberdeen (Scotland, UK),
KG, has now moved (for her PhD) to Glasgow (Scotland, UK),
Ankur, KG's husband is working in London (England, UK),
My parents, who stay in Sangli (India) are vising my sis in Aberdeen (UK),
My parents/sis took a trip to London (UK) and KG was with Ankur in London (UK) at the same time,

and after each of them traveled so many miles from the extreme corners of the world, they finally met in the Marriott of London yesterday, that too without the actual point of contact, and that would be certainly, me :) I was wanting my Mom and KG to meet for a longgggg time and it finally happened.

These are the reviews i get to hear from both the parties.....me sitting in Singapore, wink wink!
Mom says, " KG's smile is priceless and she chats with no bounds, we loved her"
KG says, "They are such lovely people, Shalmalee - tell Mandar he is lucky to have such in-laws!! :)"

and i am a happy soul to read these precious comments :)

"That"

Hardship is sort of a human shadow,

Like a smooth forehead with "that furrow",

Like a worry that is tough to calm and mellow,

You walk ahead and it will still follow!

You wait for an answer for so long, 

And "that answer" awaits you a furlong,

Things fall into place with a click, and

You keep searching "that moment" of a flick!

But the true hardship lies in "that wait", 

The moments in life when the time dictates,

"That time" when you want to know what's ahead,

The reveal of "that something" that's yet, unsaid!

Shades of that morning!

A click of the shades of that morning, the day of India-Pakistan semi finals.

I went for a run and it was mesmerizing. The morning sun beaming on the amazingly-greenly-green leaves and the fresh air around felt magical. Musical waves through the iphone left me no choice but to hide behind a tree where no one could see me while i tapped my toes to a few tunes playing in my ears. The green, the songs, the sun and the run made my day that morning.  

Purely Life!

Champions 2011!

A day later after India won the cricket world cup 2011, i have now settled down from the euphoria to write something about it. Three crucial matches, India-Australia (knock-off round), India-PAKISTAN (semi-final) and INDIA-SRI LANKA (WC Final). What beautiful games these three have been!

India-Australia was a definite victory. We did beat the three-times-in-a-row WC winning team, Australia. That was a huge relief to be honest. I never thought India was going to beat Australia because we have had a bad bad history in 2003's WC finals :(  Inspite of all that India gave a tough head-to-head fight and won with a gorgeous performance this time.

India-Pak was undoubtedly the most awaited of all three and we watched it with a big crowd on a big screen and man-oh-man, that was some fun. My eyes were wet the instance India's national anthem began and every Indian in the room who was drinking, chatting, smiling, clapping,  just stood upright like a storm coming to a sudden stop. The low voices in the room singing to the tune along with team India made me feel heart full of pride and extra long breaths that i was breathing within. As soon as the Anthem ended, the storm was all set to destroy the opposing team, India won the toss and the shouts remained unended  till the final finish of the game. Of course, we won!

India-Sri lanka, both Asian countries, contenders of the WC Final 2011. India being the host nation, the match was in Mumbai, with Indian team playing for the cup, in the WC final, on their own soil. Are you kidding me, it was the bestesttttt feeling for each and every Indian in India or where ever in the world. Those 8 hours, i am sure where the beautiful hours of 2011 April's first Saturday. Unbelievably special, unforgettably amazing, undoubtedly The Best day in any Indian's life for many more coming years, you bet! Sri-lankan's won the toss and chose to bat first. Team India is not very well known in terms of chasing a score and playing under pressure, that too, to a score of 274! Whoa! It was some target and hearts were pounding before the second inning started. Are you kidding me again, team India proved every previous misconception wrong. In a row, first two batsman who were expected to pull the target were out of the field in no time. I mean , 4 runs for 1 wicket in the WC final was nerve racking, trust me! Before coming out of that shock, Tendulkar, the god of cricket as they say was gone and Indian's almost thought, that was the end of it. But hey, the man Gambhir and our captain Dhoni, handled the pressure like noone has done before. They chased the score magnificently and Dhoni ended this historical game with a striking sixer and there, there it was, OUR world cup, glory for next 4 years and more, We the Champions of 2011 WC Final! What a match, what a game, what a spirit!

Extremely proud to be an Indian! Long Breaths and Emotions full of Tears, again!