Santa, I love you. More than the gifts you shall be bringing me this year.

And you already know what I want this year, don’t you?

No, not that perfume, of the brand that you can never remember. Not even that Pepe tunic that I once lusted for. I want the book I picked at the store last weekend. Yes, the same one I dropped because Hero didn’t pay me any attention and was glued to the history section. The box of silver wrapped chocolates with a cute shape and a very cute name that I showed Hero while buying dinner, you would have heard it, dint you? The trip to the amusement park with friends AND Hero. And a warm deep red sweater for my winter vacations. We can discuss the color later, if you think I am trying to imitate you in red.

Will you grant me these wishes, Santa? Will you make up for my Hero’s stupidity? :)

Remember, I love you. More than these gifts.

I hadn’t ever thought I would ever find a guy who loves me so much. Who comes all the way from Chennai, to see me run the marathon. Who travels over three hundred kilometers to accompany me to my test centre merely ten kilometers away from my place. Who holds my hand while crossing the road. Who lets me watch the perfect bride when India is about to win the cricket match. Who lets me watch repeat telecast of splitsvilla when the match highlights are on. Who says ‘lets buy you clothes’ even when I want no more. Who never sees the price of the things I wish to buy. Who never talks about money being yours or mine. Who scolds me like a father when I don’t listen. Who makes me laugh every time I cry.

Who tells me that he wants me. Loves me. Always.

And still, very modestly, calls himself lucky!

The year-end has always been cruel to me. And the year-beginning too. I have the most unpleasant memories of the last few Decembers and Januarys.

This month has begun its game.  I shall play along. I will stay strong and fight it. I either come back victorious or I never return.

January, my month, will you be any better?

The answer is no.

  (Was lying in the drafts for a while, posting it for the perfect timing.)

Well, there is no real adventure in here, but for people working in the dull and life-less IT industry, anything outside the cubicle space on a weekday resembles wild wild adventure. And yesterday was one such day of my life. I left early from work and met up with a friend. We went house hunting for a while, all in vain. We then got myself sneaked into her room(to avoid paying guest charges) and drank tasteless, watery chai. The babe, obsessed with her new saree, draped it around and posed for the camera. I even painted her lips red for it! It was a sort of a rehearsal for the wedding she has to attend in a couple of days. Mad fun!

Late evening, we walked to a nearby dhaba, and gorged on parathas. It was the sort of place that is considered a ‘guys only’ entry. The not-so-hygienic, stand-and-eat, dirt-cheap types. Where girls would hesitate to enter. Or perhaps, order and take away to eat in the comforts of their homes. But we are tapori type girls. We stood, watched, talked, laughed and ate paratha after paratha there. We sat on stools with the plates in our laps while the guys stood watching in surprise. We then, very proudly walked away, paying seventy rupees for the entire meal, complete with lime soda. The next task was to find a decent liquor shop. We walked in circles for a good twenty minutes, disappointed to find the kinds of shops that are crowded by dirty looking men buying local liquor, who on any opportunity are ever-so-willing to either follow you to your house or to take you their own home! Now, we are tapori types only to some extent. We can’t handle such situations at ten in the night! So we found a somewhat decent looking chap buying biscuits at a shop and ‘requested’ him to buy us an Old Monk. The poor fellow wanted to run away, but a decent girl dressed in salwar-kameez, covering her arms and everything else with a shawl, requesting for something is not be ignored. And hence, he obliged.

That was it. We had the rum, the chips and coke in place within minutes and we were good to go. At eleven in the night, we drank to our heart’s content. While we watched our favorite ‘Perfect Bride’. Its amazing how dumb programs begin to make absolute sense with some booze to go with it. A couple of glasses down and the girl had her head spinning. Amateur still but she shall learn, I promise. She then ‘elephant danced’ to the camera. And if anyone of you meet me next time, demand for the video to be shown.

All this pretty much sums up my adventure. There were some other moments of me not fitting into her tiny clothes, the girl’s frequent bathroom visits, girl gossip etc., but I shall let that pass.

No fast cars, no hot guys, no crazy partying, no loud music and no illegal things. The whole thing, I ‘d still call an adventure and great fun!

I have a strong urge to write something. Anything. Though I have nothing sensible to say, I just want to scribble things from my mind. Otherwise, I fear, the thoughts may get entangled. No, not that they are so many, but I think half the mind is blocked and unavailable. The thoughts are random. And their edges are faint and blurry. Dint you know, I think in images. Colored ones. Most are bright, yellows and blues. But a couple of them are grey. Dull and still somehow, very beautiful. Like the grey clouds outside. Do not think I am sad. I am not. Or maybe I am. Oh, I think I am losing track.
 
But finally, I am scribbling. Anything.
 
Another few days of waiting. And then another couple of months of waiting, for different reasons. I wonder, is there any time we are not waiting? We wait forever. For something or the other. For one thing to start and then, for it to end. Or maybe for a better thing to start. But we are always waiting. And right now, I am waiting. Patiently as ever, to complete this post, to drink more tea, for the clock to strike half past six (for the meeting to start), and then immediately seven (for it to end), to meet Hero, for the vacation to begin, for the baby to come, for the desk job to finally end, for the working with my heart to begin and for another million such things.
 
You see, I am scribbling.
 
Everything. Its amazing how words can set you free. How they can cut the strings in your mind and set everything right. Isn’t it miraculous? And I admire people who are gifted with words. To write them, read them and of course, to understand them. If you can understand what I mean when I say ‘love’, I love you. If you can understand ‘respect’, I respect you. And also love you some more. There is some mysterious power in words. Whether they are a well formed sentence or some random scribble. They are good for the soul.
 
I am still scribbling. Anything and everything.
 
And even though the chai is made with all milk, cream and sugar, containing more calories than the words in this post, I shall heartily drink it. Because just like the words, the chai too isgood for the soul.

What is your current obsession?
Doodle art

What are you wearing today?
Blue denims, white top.

What’s for dinner?
oats :(

What’s the last thing you bought?
my evening cup of ginger chai.

What are you listening to right now?
One extremely irritating woman’s annoyingly loud giggle.

What do you think about the person who tagged you?
I picked the tag up for myself. And I am nice.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Bangalore would be really convenient. Thank you.

What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Anything cotton. Anything white.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Goa. I am craving sea-food. Calamari batter fry from Martin’s Corner to be specific. If you are a non veg eater and haven’t eaten this, your life is wasted! If you are vegeterian, I respect you.(and I want to be like you)

Which language do you want to learn?
Perfect, fluent Kannada.

What’s your favourite quote?
told you before. remember? “A clear conscience is the softest pillow”

Who do you want to meet right now?
Hero. anytime!

What is your favourite colour?
Aqua blue.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
The skirts that are too short for my sumo thighs!

What is your dream job?
The next one. Touchwood.

What’s your favorite magazine?
Reader’s Digest. That’s the only thing I have ever read.

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
convert to Indian currency and save. I am a miser!

What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Anything that hurts my eye.

Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon?
Give me options. I am clueless as to who you think are the so called ’style-icons’.

What kind of haircut do you prefer?
Short shoulder length. That’s the only way I can half-hide my bad hair.

What are you going to do after this?
play with the bubble wrap on my desk.

What are your favorite movies?
not a movie freak. I like 15 park avenue though.

What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can’t live without?
can’t live without?? are you serious?

Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Go ask your style icons!

What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
What is this, some style-tag? why did I even start doing this!!!

Coffee or tea?
Aha, chai.

What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
take a walk out in the open and look at the brighter side of the world.

What is the meaning of your name?
The queen. How apt!

Which other blogs do you love visiting?
I find a new addiction every few days.

Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Ice cream and cakes and mousse and puddings and jelly and some more ice cream.

Favorite Season ?
Winter.

If I come to your house now, what would you cook for me?
Maggi or Wai Wai. I’d let you choose. I am kind that way.

What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
hurt them back unintentionally.

What are you afraid of the most?
Hot tea burning my tongue.

What inspires you?
Any form of hand art.

Is it possible to be in love with two persons simultaneously?
If they are your children, yes.

Life without Music/Dance.. 
..wouldn’t be as bad as you think.
 

When yo have time kill, take this one up!

I love making resolutions as much as I hate breaking them. And my problem is, that I still love making them. I make as many resolutions as I can think of, so that, at the end of the year, I have at least a single unbroken promise to cherish. But three-hundred-and-sixty-five days isn’t a short time to stick to something for a restless soul like mine. In the end,I am left with broken promises, half-kept resolutions, unfulfilled wishes. If you ask me, what was my resolution last year, it was to lose some weight, that I was so scarily gaining. Also, to cut down on sodas and colas. And come December, what we have is nine kilos lost and six gained back, reduced on cola and increased the vodka and the rum. And obviously, I am not going to drink these without some sprite or coke, am I? 

So you get the point. As far as resolutions are concerned, I am a Loser. With a caps L!!

And if you know me enough, you’d know how excited I am to make resolutions for thecoming year. What’s the harm, I ask. And the list goes somewhat like this.

1. Reduce the alcohol intake. 2. Brush twice DAILY. 3. Stick to a vegetarian diet (!!!!) 4. Read the newspaper DAILY. 5. Stop swiping the damn credit card for good. 6. Spend less on clothes. 7. Reduce some weight AND then, maintain. 8. Quit on pizzas 9. Learn yoga. etc etc. 

Obviously, I am only joking.

This year, like all other years, I am determined to keep my resolutions. I shall pick one of these and stick to it. Option #1,3,8,4,7,6,9 and 5 are ruled out. They are too silly!! So I pick option #2 of the remaining lot.To brush twice daily. Even though I have more root canal capped teeth than the natural ones, I shall brush them like they are mine. Twice. Daily. And if I skip any day, I shall brush thrice the following day. And I shall never skip doing it.

So now that we have the official ’single, strong new year resolution’ in place, lets talk about the weak other ones. 

Jokes apart, I shall whole heartedly try to walk more often, to read more often, to love nature, to explore my creative side, to be more patient, to learn to listen, to be kind to animals, to love more, to travel as much as I wish to, to become responsible… Oh come on, I am getting unrealistic now. 

Do you make resolutions too? No?

Make one this year. Keep me company.