2009..the year that was!

Like every other year, this was another year. Nothing new, school, music and life. On the whole, it was the same. But, there were lots of little noteworthy things which made the year unique.

This year was initially great though the first few months involved nothing but studies, exams and even worse board exams. Something that I was encountering for the first time in life. Though it involved just these mundane things, being locked up in my room and not even stepping out to go to school, it was an experience. The SMS-updates about studies, the funny SMSes that we exchanged making fun of exams (those were the times..). Then, the ultimate encounter-boards! The boards were scary. At least the first exam. i still remember crying before I entered the hall to Priya’s mother. The formalities were freaking. But, all is well that ends well.

April was great. We bought our own house in the dream city, that too the same colony where I have my bestest of friends and where I’d lived five years of my life. It was truly a dream come true. Followed by a trip to the North east. it was the first time I saw snow in life. The whole trip was the best trip ever in life Half of April was touring around. Bangalore to Mumbai to the North east and back to Mumbai

May was probably a very sweet month. One, because my grandparents had come over to stay with me after years.  Secondly, ’cause I got my result and it was awesome, by God’s grace. Also, because something cute, unforgettable, memorable and sweet happened. I’d probably rate it the best time of my life. The lazy, month-long holidays. No homeworks, no tensions.. Just 3 months of sitting at home.

June was again happening. Thanks to my brother’s Upanayanam and my Chennai-trip. And, my new class. being seniors, new teachers, new subjects.

July, August, September, October and the whole year just flew past me. There were the Swine flu holidays and holidays for our Nationals. Taking part in the clusters. getting involved with Dreams+Teams. Laughing like never before. Having a new set of friends. Going out on parties every now and then. Burthday bashes. Movies with friends. Outings for Dreams+teams, Youth festival, My birthday, concerts of Sillil Gurucharan, Sowmya, Sanjay, TMK, Vijay Siva. The ship-trip. And, the Chennai trip in September for a close cousin’s wedding. meeting relatives whom I’d met a decade back. And by the time, i look back, i see I’m in the last month of the year. A sudden trip around Maharashtra during Diwali. Kolhapur, Pandharpur etc.

And, this was the best year at school. Last bench, Maximum pranks, laughter laughter and only laughter.

The end of the year wasn’t so great. Thanks to the half yearly exams and a very unexpected, heart-shattering incident.

Overall the year wasn’t good nor bad. The first half was really good. The second half was materialistically great but the second half was a bad phase in life. It was a phase of depression and frustration that I was going through for almost four months. But, thankfully, the last days of the year has hopefully sorted it out and has given me optimism to live like what I lived before. It has given me the mindset to give my best in 2010, a very crucial year for me. I hope I do well in my 12th, the most crucial year for me.

The year also got me a few sad instances. Like separations. From close friends..Pranav, Sartaj, Soha.. and the whole batch. Rish, Aditi, ASRK, Anakha, Tweeee!, Gauri didi, Ansh didi. It gave me the worst heartattack, of my best friend moving to Bangalore. It gave me the worst heartache. It separated me from a person I love so much. It brought a distance between me, and a very close friend-Alok. But, it did give me equal no. of new people too, in life.

New bunch of online friends, Sunny, Mak among best friends. And, Siddhant, Pushkar, Mrigank among my KV group. A lot more of friends I met through Dreams+teams, Youth festival. Surely, gave me the oppurtunity to meet and flirt with hot guys
And, of course my own new gang at school! New teachers, and a favourtie one too

Two new shows for Anwesha. Getting to see her more often. Too many trips, almost every alternate month. Three new blogs. too many first-times..board exams, snow, love.

Overall, the year was memorable, unforgettable and cherishable for quite a lot of things. And, the best days would be May 19th, May 26th, Full month of November.

Wishing y’all a very happy 2010.

With a lot of optimism and hope-
Sandhya.

I’m sixteen..going on seventeen.

Firstly, thankyou all for making my birthday (which went past a month back) so special. Here are a few things that made the day really special. Here’s what a few people did, to make it special..

1]Rish:- A nicely pink-gift-wrapped bundle with a dark pink ribbon tied onto it. Inside, a book- ‘2 States’ and a music CD- ‘Wake Up Sid!’
It read.. Specially, to satiate both your interests, music and books. *hugs*

2]When Alok sent me the same SMS that I’d specially composed and worded for him, lasst year for his birthday, at 12 in the midnight. With a special note saying how he’d saved it to send it to me on my birthday. *touched*

3] When Someone (name undisclosed on purpose) called me up & sang “Ikataara” at 12 in the midnight.

4]A Nityahsree concert at Shanmukhananda.

5]A surprise cake-cutting arranged by Mum&dad, a cake worth 800 bucks from Gaylord’s. That too, a chocolate cake, with chocolate toppings and crispies.

6] When I gotta spend 2 hours of my day with Special friend pavee. The greeting card that Pavee gave. The best one that I’ve ever got.. that read “To the world’s best sister”.

7] A silver ear-ring from Mum& Dad.

8]A beautiful photograph of Marine Drive during sunrise from my Cyber shot. (I was fortunate to have carried my camera that day through marine drive, during sunrise.) And, proudly say that, it was clicked from a moving car on a busy road with traffic.

9] The Youth festival, the fun& frolic. This was the gift my school gave me

10] New friends that I made.. Mrigank, Siddhant, Pushkar. May be they were God’s gifts to me

11] And, best of all, I gotta take part in a debate!! Debating is my passion, and letting me follow my passion on my birthday was the best thing I can be gifted with.

Do I need anything more to celebrate? Was anything less to make it special enough? Wasn’t it memorable enough? Thanks guys for making it so special.. And, a BIG thanks to the ALmighty.

Also, there was another gesture that was beyond sweet, more-than-special and deserve a special mention.

Rish, best-friend sponsored me a callertune..that too a favourite song..”Tera Hone lagaa hoon”. The best surprise This was something I was longing for ages..

yayyyy!

Its holiday time.

The luxury that we get only thrice in a year. Today was the last working day, of the second term. The second term got over today and we’re starting our Christmas holidays/winter vacation from tomorrow, that lasts for slightly more than a week. We’re going to reopen on 4th jan of Twenty-ten!

Why talk of reopening now? Even, before the holidays have begun? Just as I rushed home, even before the first day of my holidays have begun, I’m here to write my plans-for-the holidays. My list of things to do during these holidays was ready two weeks back, even before my exams got over. And so it goes..

1] Meet Sunny alone. May be over lunch. In some eat-out or just walk through Marine Drive along with him.

2] Meer Bharat. And, talk Lots.

3] Start Physics tuitions.

4]Catch up with pending studies at school. Cover up the syllabus that’s missed out. Do some serious studies. And, be all thorough and socks-pulled-up when the school-reopens.

5]Go for a movie with Priya. Go shopping with Priya, for a whole day. Freak out at Atria, Orchid’s and Pheonix with Priya.

6]Sleepover at priya/pranali/Pavee’s places.

7]Watch 3 Idiots preferably on the first day, if not then the second day.

8/Meet Shakeel.

9] Tirupati plan. Walk up the seven hills. Eat ladoos. Sing in front of the lord. Go one chanting “Govinda Govinda” all through.
Thanks to Telengana.

10] Take my camera for pics at Marine lines (backside) and Marine Drive.

11] try going for ICE exhibition at Bandra-Kurla complex, with Mum&Dad.

12] Start Tweeting again.

13] Go out somewhere with pranali. (except movie)

14] Buy stuff from Archies.

15] Get “new” New Year stuff. Diary, Calendar, notepad etc.

16]Go out with the gang. Medhu, Pranav, Aks.. preferably movie.

17] get movies from Anjali.

18]Do the photoshoot.

19]PLAN 2.

20] Either organise a Christmas party. Or, go for one.

21] Decide new year plans. Party?

22] Get a suitable scheme for mobile. SMS & calls. Before new year.

23] Meet pranav Kapoor. Over lunch, or something.

24]Meet Sibi.

25] Call Priya & Pranali home.

26] Go for daily morning walks on marine Drive with Pavee.

27]Complete pending blogs.

28]28] Fix up appointment at Kaya’s. Go for Kaya’s!

The Best Tickr ever.

Here;s what teachers should learn from students..

1.Stamina:- Tough lectures throughout the day, yet they’ve enough stamina to run out of the class as soon as the last lecture gets over.

2.Sharing:- Notes made once, circulated and xeroxed for all.

3. Obedience:- The moment the teachers say “Get out!”, they readily walk out.

4.Presentation skills:- They can present the only question’s answer that they know in 4 different ways for four different questions.

5. Sportsmanship:- When expelled, they face it with a smile.

6. Perseverence:- Fail, fail and ultimately Pass!!!

7.Consistency:- Once a defaulter, always in the list.

8.Voice modulation:- During proxy attendance, in five different voices.

9.Art:- Best graffiti and caricatures on desks and last pages on books.

10. Editing skills:- Assignment always has ten pages less than the person from whom it is copied.

11. Helping:- During exams. Enough said

12.Cleanliness:0 refer to our answersheets.

13. Recycling:- Use the same notes as elder siblings and pass it on to the younger ones.

14. Sense of humour:- Unintentional humour and entertainment at Vivas.

15.Multitasking:- Playing games, chatting, day dreaming, staring at the hot guy and pretending to listen to the lectures.

16. Respect:- Always address the teachers as sir/madam, irrespective of whether we like them or hate them.

17. Humility:- Giving others a chance to top the class.

18. Magic:- getting the progress card signed by parents without them knowing.

19. Dual personality:- Physically present and mentally absent.

20. Stealth:- Ability to hide behind anyone/anything whenever/wherever needed.

21. Speed:- Getting ready in two minutes for the last lecture.

22. Peripheral vision:- Check out the cute girl in the opposite class’ last bench.

23. Engineering skills:- Make paper planes and fly it to the other end of the other class.

When the silence urged me to ponder..

When it was silent. ONly silence was around. I wandered off to a dreamworld. I visited each one loveable. I pondered. Smiled. Thought.
It was one such night..

I sat looking at the stars and teh crescent shaped moon (It’s one of those very few moments when you actually take time out to appreciate the Almighty), listening to “Jab Hawaayein Sunati hai teri meri Pyaar ki daastaan”.. And, I started humming along letting my skin feel the cool breeze (note, I stay a few metres away from the beach. And, one jump is all that it takes me to be in the Arabian sea).
I put all my senses to work. My mind wanders, slips away, wonders, dreams, imagines, picturizes and thinks randomly about people, nature, life..revisiting old times, randomly thinking about my loved ones and what they’d be doing then.

—

I imagine my best friend, priya to be busy talking to her boyfriend.

I can see pranali, busy completing her Physics homework.

My friend, geetu, putting swarams in Nattai, imagining to be performing at the 7 PM slot at Music Academy.

My friend, Sushriya, to be weeping her problems to her pillow.

My friend, Pavithra to be sitting and writing a poem.

My friend Aparna, to be cleaning her kitchen-being the ‘chamathu’ that she is.

While, my friend Anakha, to be dreaming about things-impossible-to-happen.

Tree, sitting and working out Calculus.

Rish, listening to the radio, under the shower, being the Siddie that he is.

Aditi, Crying and sulking about how much she misses Rish and her Dominoz Pizza.

Alok, sitting and preparing for his mock-test coming up that weekend.

Rev, most likely online, dowloading A Nityashri RTP or listening to a Chakravakam.

Akshay, practicing the Kalyani Ata Tala varnam for the hundredth time that day.

Make, contemplating on whom to have a chat with.

Radha ma’am, preparing slides for her next lecture.

Suntia Ma’am, glued to TIMES NOW.

Akash,, lost in thoughts of Sunayana’s Su-nayan.

Abhith, browsing for some “cool” gadgets.

Ankit, talking to “ahem Ahem”

Deepam, wondering which girl he could go out with, during the weekend.

Gopa Ma’am, doing her “riyaaz” in Raag Bhupali.

Lekha Chiti, “ozhichuffying” the “adukullai”.

…And, me, sitting here, wearing a smile, just thinking about these people..(that itself causes a smile) and thanking God for having given me such wonderful people in life.

The Blackness.

This is almost like a continuation to the previous post. I thought this deserved a new title because from nowhere this word called “blackness” struck me. And, since black is my favourite colour and I am known for my suffixes of -ness, I gave it the title column. More so, this title is irrelevant to my post.

The night sky. Black.

When there are the so-called students taking advantage of the unusual silence and studying, (There’re exceptions in the student-community like me, though)
While the vendors and sandwich makers make their way home after the tired day just to prepare themselves for another tired day, that’s awaiting them.

When the birds, give us company to lay still and allow the dream-world to conquer, the time when they give their voices rest, just to be the perfect alarm to us, the next day they come readily chirping and hooting us to brightness.

When little kids get to listen to unbelieveable yet absorbing stories, when the await fairies to visit them, trying to secretly keep awake to see them.
When the sodium-vapour lamp replaces and the Edison’s pet-bulb, takes over just to allow Mr.Sun to visit the other part of the world.

Gooooonite

Darkness, Silence, Loneliness..

It is the only time of the day when you can distinctly listen to the rustling and whistling of the trees. The only time of the day when the decibel levels of horns are bearable, when you can look up to the sky without the sun’s rays glaringly poke your eyes sharply. The only time when those tiny-weeny li’l stars can sparkle and reveal themselves. The only time when we really find time and buy some to look upto those small yet sweet things like the night-sky filled with stars. It is probably the only time when the saying “Silence is Golden” can be justified. The only time when we can feel the chill of the winds. The only time when we find time to smile after the cool sea breeze that blows past one’s face. When the whole city is wrapped up under the blankets warmly while the stars quietly look at us from the skies, without disturbing us and guarding us. When all the people are enjoying the external silence and the internal dreams. When children to aged see their ambitions to loved ones’ face to face in tehir dreams.

Good night

Revised edition of the-five-things-without-which-I-can’t live.

01. A dirty pair of jeans.

02. A notepad to scribble.

03. My Shruti box.

04. Cellphone.

05. The world’s most affection person in my life- My Winnie the Pooh pillow. That;s huggable and adorable and what not.

End of post. Call for lunch. tatah.

The weeping heart speaks out :)

Where has the warmth gone?
When I was the sweetheart,
I was the princess, I was the angel.

Where has the day gone?
When we came just to  see each other,
When our only aim was to find every little way out to spend time with each other,
When we only longed to meet each other,
When we could do anything,
if it assured us of each other.

Where has time gone?
Where have those moments vanished?
Where from has this hesitation come?

When the same beloved said
“i am all yours! And I will let the world know of it.”
And, now hesitates to express his love to me?

When all I wanted to see in my scrapbook was his scrap,
All that I looked for was his tweet,
all the vibrations in my heart was for
the cell to vibrate with his call,
the only mail I looked in my mailbox,
was from him.

When I was cosoled as “princess”,
for not talking the whole day to me?
And, where have I landed,
When not talking is what the “Princess” is used to!

When a joke came to my notice, I would die to tell him,
When something happened, I wud wanna tell him only.
Whenevr I went near the phone,
My hand would automatically dial his number!

When my hand, I though was given to me,
just to hug him.
When each dream I had made sure, he was a part of it,
when he would without mistake be the perfect sweetheart in evry dream I saw.
When I slept, just to see him in my dreams,
When I wanted to cry, he would be the sink,
When I felt lonely, I knew he and only he was there for me,
And would be there,,wuth me forever.

When my wound would feel much better, if he gave a peck.
When it was not jealousy but oneness because
if I did it, it was as good as he doing it.
When I wud wanna sing each tune that I learnt, only to recieve his warm compliment.
When I learnt each song just to dedicate to him!

When I would pray only for the years to run past,
So that we could be together.
When I would picturize applying in the college near his place,
and be willing to study even 12 hours a day to get there.

When I wud cry watching sunsets,
Even though I love them,
Simply because he wasn’t there along.
Though I never cursed anyone,
I green-eyed couples together,
and wished I was as fortunate as them.

In spite of being fortunate to have everything in life,
I still envied one set of people!
His friends, for they have him along, more than me.
When every nice name I hear,
And wish to name my kid so,
my mind would automatically beg for his approval.

When all my ’starred mails’ were ONLY his,
When every picture I uploaded,
I wud beg for his approval.
When every haircut I had, I wud wonder,
if he would like it..

When did he come in?How did he penetrate so deep into my life?
He did he get so integral??
So much so that his absense is the worst punishment.
And nothing in the world can be so hellish,
that the absence makes my days go dark!

..All I need is his presence, his love and him.
I can’t let my days pass without him1 I can’t see my days going so dark.

Can I have those good times back? Can I have the warmth back?
Will the darkness from days get washed away? And become brighter?

All for you :)

To whomsoever it may concern,

When I listen to ‘that’ song,
my aorta gets plucked like the strings of the guitar.
When I see ‘that’ favourite actress of yours,
my face unknowingly blushes, just to make me
look as pretty as her itself,
For you may then call me your favourite too

When I see some cosy couple,
My heart picturizes us together in a bubble,
with warm exchanges of cuddles!
When i walk in the beach through the sand,
I feel the grip of your hand holding my hand.

When I wanna run away,
It is to be with you that I crave.
When i see ‘that’ colour of yours,
Life seems all filled with colour.

It is all for you,
All around it is you,
all I need is you..and,
beyond that, if there;s something,
It is your love.

Love,
“your” Sandhya.

At such weak moments, like the one that;s passing by me, when your heart is filled and you just can;t put it in words or in paper or even get it out of your mouth. And hence, I could not write much, contrary to my usual style. And cut-short the poem, because of the level of speechlessness was attained. And, there;s only a song that comes to my mind now..which would, in short describe what I wanted to write in para-long poems…

“Kaise Batayein Kyun tujhko Chaahe, Yaara Bataa naa paaye..Baatein Dilon ki.”