Diwali 2013

photo courtesy: aditi ranotra

Diwali also called deepawali, is one of the most awaited festivals of the year in india. It is known as the festival of lights and marks the victory of good over evil. Diwali celebrations start with Dhanteras, which generally falls eighteen days after the Dussehra festival, followed by narak chaturdashi, commonly known as choti (small) Diwali and Diwali.

Diwali is celebrated with a huge fervour in india. People worship goddess lakshmi (goddess of wealth and prosperity), buy new clothes especially for this occasion, light and decorate their houses, buy sweets, exchange gifts and burn crackers.

Unlike the last few years, the Diwali of 2013 has been slightly different (blame the economy’s state and the changing trend).

The Rishikesh Story

waiting to take the boat to the other side of the river

Who says growing old is bad when the celebrations that come with it leave you with memories to be cherished for life. This is exactly what happened at one of my husband’s friend’s birthday this year. Though his birthday was falling on a Monday, it was decided to make a quick camping trip to Rishikesh on the weekend before.

to the killers

when a girl gets hitched specially in an arranged set up she is quite apprehensive not just about the new family but also about the new social circle she will have (read: husband's friends). so was i. but all my doubts vanished in thin air immediately after i got fixed. 

for starters my husband did an amazing thing to get the ice broken between me and his friends. his friends were on my BBM list even before i had met them. after we got engaged and the marriage was announced officially his group of friends organized a dinner specially to welcome me into the group. now, the group has a name; they call themselves " the killers".

mumbai masala

After sharing the train journey experience, a friend suggested me to share the mumbai story, hence this post. we all know mumbai is not just one of the country's metropolitan cities but also the financial hub. it is the city that never sleeps. the strong presence of bollywood is just one element that adds character to this surreal city. the local people and the local food add more depth to the city. marathi conversations can be heard everywhere in the background. the local people have a  unique dialect(note to people from north: i know  you think they are rude, but the truth is it is just way their  language is spoken). as the indian cinema has continued to showcase, it is a city of dreams where people come to achieve and attain new heights. so besides the local population you will find a huge number of people drifting in from various regions of the country for better opportunities.with the sea as its companion, mumbai has a unique feel to it (i cannot compare delhi and mumbai because the comparison won't lead us anywhere. they are distinct and special in their very own ways).

an unconventional weekend

image source:bing

as soon as friday says hello we start dreaming of the weekend. plans start cooking; where to party on saturday? which movie to catch? what chore to complete on sunday?and then where to have that evening coffee?. i swear planning weekends are fun (it is another thing that weekend plans always come with last minute amendments before the final execution).

Friends

goodmorning!looking at the clear sky and feeling the fresh breeze, this morning could not have got any better after an amazing monday night. yes i am talking about a monday night! mondays are generally mundane and dreadful but last night was an exception.

i met my friends (all of them together) after a month and a half and any moment can turn into a special one when you have some good wine, better music and the best company. we got together at a friend's place for drinks, everyone was high (some on alcohol, some on music and some just on the feel of that moment). we turned into teens who had just entered college (that is how we all met...aaahh how i miss the venky(sri venkateswara college, DU) days). there was slow dancing, candid conversations and loads of laughter.

we chose KAINOOSH at dlf promenade, delhi for dinner. a well done up place(i fell in love with their chandeliers)  for mughlai/north indian food. the service and the quality of the food made our evening even better.

we called it a night with loads of hugs and then more hugs followed by some more tight embraces lol. remembering the night, i feel blessed to have such friends. thank you god for everything.

P.S.: good times; courtesy: my dear husband. the night would not have been possible without you