Mahi Way is the right way...

A new era in Indian television begins. Yash Raj television has put absolutely the best foot forward with its programs.

The production values are good, hip and for a change they have hired real writers. Seven, Rishta.com are some good, clean young and hep series.

The ace of the cake is Mahi Way. A 25 year old Punjabi girl with weight issues, deals with a size-zero obsessed world and the whirlpool of romance. Pushtiie S plays the main protaganist. She works in the fierce fashion mag world. And I admit I had thought YRF TV has copied and remixed themes from the 'Devil wears Prada' and 'Ugly Bety'/'Jassi Jaisi koi Nahi'. That may or may not have been the case.

This series is extremely well written and funny and you want to watch the next episode. It does not have unnecessary twists and definitely no bossom-heaving vamps. The characters are very realistic and shows the corporate jungle as it exists in India. The beauty, the flirt, the high-flier, the copy cats and the plotting dogs.

Best of all, for the first time, a series shows the real feelings of a person who is not glamourous even when wearing make-up. Even in her best clothes and 4 hours salon treatment, she really looks pretty much normal.

I am hooked to this one baby....Don't let me down YRF TV!!!

My creations part 2 :)

Aditi's birthday dress

Fall/Winter Dress

A new day...

A week has passed since my D&E, I feel so empty within....Not just physically but also emotionally.

Surprisingly the tears have dried up. Although I still feel very depressed when I am alone, I have kind of moved on.

I try to avoid thinking about my babies, but every time I remember the last ultrasound I cringe. I shut my eyes and force myself to think of something else.

It honestly helps to have Aditi around. Thank God, children have such short memories. She has moved on to happier things and she is kind of taking me along for the ride.

I think somewhere deep down I am glad I am Indian. Why?

Being Indian, I had faith and trust in God inculcated in me. My dad never asked me to pray, but when I did, he only told me to not do it superficially. If I really wanted to say I believe in you God, then I had to give my 100% to Him.

Perhaps that's why in spite of so many setbacks, I haven't yet felt the need to take pills, anti-depressants, or therapy. Somewhere this strong belief has taken root that whatever happened happened for the best.

I used to initially question the death of my brother. He was a great guy, every one's beloved and only 26. Why him?

Now I am pretty much convinced he wouldn't have been able to handle so many hits. He was a very very gentle person. And the world is pretty cruel. Perhaps I survived because I had the ability to handle life and people.

Even now, I have received some cruel advice, and comments. But I have perfected the art of ignoring such useless people. They don't make a dent on my psyche. Or maybe they do but that's about it.

I focus on the good. So many good people in my life. I have dedicated a blog in the past to some of the best people I have had the good fortune of knowing, and knowing well. They and many more have rallied around me.

I did not have to explain my feelings to them. They understood. And it helps to be understood. I know they have understood my despair at losing to death once again. But they have also understood they will be my strength.

One meaningful sentence "Take care" and it makes deep inroads into my clogged up, un-rythmic heart.

One touching call and I have poured out my sorrow.

To people who are going through a struggle and are finding it difficult, I have one thing to say.

You may find support on the outside but you will find strength within. Turn inwards and find yourself. Without first accepting the love and strength that's within, you will not be able to even recognise the love and support on the outside.

Somewhere in the course of living, we tend to lose ourselves. We become all about managing the event, troubleshooting a problem or handling a disaster.

Nothing that we do do in the course of our lives is about ourselves. Childhood, studies, marriage, children, old age everything is about going from point A to point B. How many times do we go to point C just for the heck of it?

Countless people have made it big in life by simply following their heart. But the majority of us use our 'brains'. We forget our brain tells us what we train it to say. Our inner voice will always show the way. And yet we smother it or ignore it.

At the moment I am unable to even hear my inner voice. But even now my conscience tells me that all is well....

It is perhaps a question of referencing. Whenever you are in deep trouble, refer to a person you know who is in deeper muck. Or perhaps to a person who doesn't even know he is in trouble. Perhaps then your trouble will look small and doable.

Every time I am reminded of my babies, I force myself to also remember a cousin who has gone through 7 miscarriages or a friend who has no medical problems but is still unable to conceive. I don't feel alone in my misery then. Gives me enough strength to force myself to live. Life then becomes hope.

A completely hopeless person is truly a dead person. I hope to keep living. Inshaallah!!!

Sorry didn't state things clearly earlier

I am sorry dear friends that I didn't inform you guys personally, but as most of you know I have had the misfortune of calling people with news of death a tad too many times.

This time I didn't have the strength to call with such news again.

Also my first blog was written the day I found out the baby had died so I don't even know what I had written. It perhaps was misleading and people thought I had already delivered. I didn't deliver I was only pregnant.

Nor did I tell you guys earlier that I was expecting. Two reasons: I myself came to know by 2 and half months. Secondly, an important test was due this Wednesday the 26th Jan which would have told if the baby was structurally good enough for me to continue or terminate the pregnancy. I was only waiting for the 26th test results.

My baby chose not to put me in a tough place of having to perhaps commit a sin. God bless him/her..I will come to know soon if it was a boy or a girl, my Shiv or Shibani Chowdhury....

But that one month the baby stayed with me I fell in love with it. It was sweet enough to wave his hand at me on the 13th, a day before it died. I will live forever with that memory :).

As a friend mentions, God knows why He does put me in this position. But I do believe now its my fault, probably my past life sins. (Maybe I should sign up for Raaz pichle janam ka; )

Forgive my warped sense of humor, but I have come to terms with this death because of God and because of all of you guys pouring in your love by the buckets......

Thank God for such friends or should I say my extended family?!!!

Another black day for me

Today is one more black day in my chequered life...I lost (miscarried) my second surviving twin today...age: 3mths 25 days...My first twin died in the first month itself...

Am in mourning...for both my babies! May they both Rest in peace...

People please appreciate your kids more every single day. We yell at them, give them no choices even beat them up. Its only those who havent been blessed with kids who realise they would give an arm and a leg to be driven mad by screaming babies..

Thank you god for Aditi....Please keep her safe and give her a long healthy life...

3 Idiots? Liked it but dunno if I luv it.

Watched 3 Idiots...And I liked what I saw. Whether I love it or not depends on how much I enjoy it when I watch it the second time round.

However I don't really understand the hysteria over the movie..People are saying and writing that they absolutely went crazy over it. Must congratulate the marketing team for a job well done.

The basic premise was similar to the Munnabhai Series, espically Munnabhai MBBS. 3I scrutinises the engineering/education system and MMBBS the medical studies/medical care system in India.

Both movies make very valid points about our beloved engineers and doctors. Nowadays doctors can't even identify viral fever without ordering 3000 bucks worth tests. And Engineers!!!! Least said about them is better. No matter what stream they study, they all end up as IT consultants. And what do they really do? Work as glorified maintenance and support engineers to systems designed, made and used by the West.

Uff lets get back to the movie.

3I is hillarious and I am sure all students staying in hostels can identify with the first part of the movie. I am glad this movie finally talks about passion for what you are studying versus making a career out of whatever you are studying.

It is well acted and the dialogues are great. I am sure everyone will agree Chatur's speech takes the cake. Aamir and Sharman convince us that they are students but Madhavan looks old and doesn't really fit into the student mode. Kareena is alright if you ignore her wide eyed, close mouthed face in every scene.

What takes this movie a few paces behind is the over Bollywoodisation.. Boman acts well on his lisp but is it necessary to give him that bird's nest hairstyle and 40s style pants. Professors aren't the best dressed around but most are definitely decently dressed. The entire scene of Aamir delivering Mona's baby was stupid and unnecessary. And the salt over the injury was when the baby responds to All izz well. That in effect spoilt what could have been a masterpiece.

Munnabhai MBBS was a masterpiece because at all times it was grounded to reality. By showing that a Gunda can enter an institute but can not and should not play with people's lives, is what made that movie an all time great.

3I on the other hand, talks about a genius who can anyways be successful. What do mediocre students do? Do they have any option but to tow the line of rote and vomit?

Finally dear dear Mr Chetan Bhagat. He is kind of an icon among writers because he is the only one of his generation whose books are being embraced by mainstream Bollywood. And he cries for credit when all is done?!! As an IIM B graduate, I am sure, he must have been taught about getting good lawyers to legally back good deals. Why didn't he cry then? He may be right in his stand but he loses ground because he only protested after the movie is declared a success. He should have made his stand clear right at the beginning in public, then VVC wouldn't have dared to toy with him.

And I am not going to comment on the strangle hold of established producers/directors/actors on talent. It is pointless...

Absence of Evidence is not the Evidence of Absence...

I got this forward and really loved it...I dedicate this to all ye skeptics and psuedo-scientists..

An Atheist Professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem that science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God? Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good? Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful? Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm? (Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella Is God good? Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good? Student: No. Prof: Where does Satan come from? Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world? Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct? Student: Yes. Prof: So who created evil? (Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they? Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them? (Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God? Student: No, sir. Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God? Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, or smelled your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter? Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him? Student: Yes. Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has. Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat? Prof: Yes. Student: And is there such a thing as cold? Prof: Yes. Student: No sir. There isn't. (The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it. (There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness? Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light.... But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you a! re making, young man? Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed. Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a preacher rather than a scientist? (The class is in uproar)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (The class ! breaks out into laughter.) Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelled it? No one appears to have done. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir? (The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son. Student : That is it, sir.. The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Now guess who the student is ????? . . . . . . . .

That young man was ALBERT EINSTEIN.......