Blue

So surprising that  Baba understood how I was feeling better than Mummy. She got it too, but he got it right. The bottomline is that I feel horrid and I probably need a generous dose of perspective to get over it. Sigh.

Uh

I'll be back. Soon, insha'allah. 

Nothingness

I have nothing to write about but I still feel like writing, so here I am. I'm currently occupied by that feeling of worthlessness that comes from brain-idling. I want someone to light a fire under my seat and help me get-going ZZZZZZZZZZIP. 

There are a few things to look forward to in the near-future. Most importantly, a trip home! It's been so long since I went and I'm looking forward to the discipline and the busy-busy-busyness of home where Mummy just can't sit idle and won't let anyone else do so either! It's funny how the older I get, the more I realize how much everything my parents have said or done makes sense. Ammaarah is sure to occupy my time too, inclined as she always is to latch on to any new visitor in her never-ending quest to avoid boredom and be her very social self. The husband is making plans to entertain Ammaarah, so that should be fun. 

I shall take thy leave now before I bore myself to death. Tta.

The Rupasi Bangla Mystery

It was 12th June, 2010. M and I were on our way to Sikkim for our honeymoon. Dear Indigo delayed our flight to Kolkata, so we missed our connecting flight to Bagdogra (closest airport to Gangtok) and would have to spend the night in Kolkata. We didn't want to stay too far from the airport so we asked the owner of a touristy shop at the airport if he would recommend a hotel nearby. Eager to help (for a commission probably) he called up a hotel called Rupasi Bangla and soon there we were, outside the hotel. It didn't look very impressive and our fears were confirmed when we went upstairs and saw the rooms. They weren't dirty but there was something about the place that was shady. And of course the huge sign called 'BAR' outside the hotel wasn't making me very comfortable either. 

I didn't want to make a big fuss and even though M wasn't very happy with the hotel either, we decided to stick it out by spending most of the day in the city. So off we went around Calcutta to Haldiram's, Howrah bridge, etc. and came back to the hotel. We were a little creeped out when we saw the bellboy who'd carried up our luggage now standing at the hotel reception desk in a suit. We figured it was odd and went upstairs to our room. We were just lying in bed cursing the deafening music that was playing when the bed began to shake. I asked M, 'Are you shaking the bed?' and he said he wasn't. The bed continued to shake and we looked around puzzled and scared. It was the last straw after all the creepiness we'd been experiencing. M got off the bed and started looking under it and around to see what was causing the shaking. The music from downstairs continued relentless. I was scared -- what kind of place was this hotel?! A few minutes later M still hadn't figured it out and got back into bed. We wondered if it was a good idea to get out of the hotel but it was already past midnight and we'd paid a decent amount for the room. I was desperate enough to go sleep at the airport but we decided it was just a few more hours. While we were still talking about this, I saw M begin to shake his leg and shouted at him, 'See! You're the one whose doing this!' and then we laughed in relief. The creepy feeling still hadn't left us though and it took a while till we fell asleep. The next day we were in Gangtok and during the whole trip we stayed in some really nice hotels, but we never could shake off the Rupasi Bangla experience. Every few days M would remember the incident and teasingly ask me if I wanted to go stay there again. In fact, to make up for the horrible night we spent at that horrid hotel, M went all out and we spent our last night at the Peerless Inn in Calcutta; it was simply luxurious and beautiful and a great way to end our holiday.

-- -- --

Cut to 11th April, 2012. 

M and I had just got home from running some errands and exhausted from the sultry Chennai heat both of us had collapsed on the bed. I was on leave but M had to go back to work, so we decided to just lay there and get some rest. Both of us were quiet, staring into space when I found myself shaking. Half-asleep I thought, 'Hey! This is like being on a train! Why am I shaking?' Annoyed and almost as if it was two years ago, I angrily asked M, 'Are you shaking the bed?' He immediately turned towards me and said, 'What?! I thought you were shaking it!' In a second it was as if we were back at Rupasi Bangla. I looked at the fan that was hurtling away at full speed. Dazed, I asked 'Do you think it's the fan?' M once again got off the bed and began looking all around and under the bed. I could still feel myself shaking...I was scared once again... what was going on?! He moved towards the foot of the bed and started physically shaking the bed. The bed hardly moved. Both of us looked at the other questioningly. M climbed back into bed for a few minutes and then decided it was time to go back to work. As M walked out of the door, I asked him, 'What if it happens again?' and he said, 'I'll come back home'. He put on his shoes and left.

I picked up the Ipad that was lying beside me and googled, 'earthquake Chennai', half-hoping there was some rational explanation to this. Nothing showed up. I persisted. Ah! -- one blog had just been updated 'Earthquake tremors felt in Chennai'. I called up M who'd just reached the gate of the apartment block, 'Hellooo!! That was an earthquake we just felt!' M was silent for a few seconds and said, 'Oh. No wonder... there are people downstairs and on the road!' 

I continued googling and soon I had my answer:

I called up M and told him about it and we laughed at our collective cluelessness. M said, 'Ah, so now we've cracked the Rupasi Bangla mystery!' and I said 'Yes! Thank God!' It's shocking to see that there were almost four tremors that night and we only noticed the first one. This time, there were rumours of a tsunami hitting the eastern coast and we don't live too far away from it, so M came home early and we left the house. It was scary in its own way... we just kept driving around until Baba told us that the tsunami warning had been called off. Alhamdulillah that we didn't lose anything either in 2010 or 12, but gained a story instead.

Alhamdulillah

Alhamdulillah for 3 AM friends/family. A bigger alhamdulillah that they're on the other side of the world and free to talk to you when you're crazily hormonal.

Yitts a gurrrl, alhamdulillah

Mabrook, Immu. So now we have A, A, N, N in the new generation :D

Bounty

I finally finished the stupid document today. I worked so hard on it! If I'd put in as much effort at my regular work stuff or MBA assignments, I'd have got an A+! Funny how my work equations are changing. 

My "key" (I use key everywhere till it makes me sick) motivating factor was a bar of Bounty in the freezer. I bought it more than a week ago and promised myself that I would only eat it if I finished the document. I usually don't manage to stick to such commitments but this time I did. It was quite tough yesterday when I had a serious craving for chocolate. So now I went ahead and ate it. I wish it had lasted longer :( (Random thought: Bountys in Jannat will probably provide everlasting satisfaction, no? Insha'allah)

Satisfaction reminds me, the other day I dreamt that I was in the Kamalapuri house and I had a big box of full-sized Snickers in my cupboard. It's funny how many times my notion of home is Kamalapuri. Anyway, so I had eaten one and gave a couple more to people around and then a certain relative came in and said, 'Whaaat? No sharing? Gyu to everybody!' So I took the box to the portiocorto and there everybody was and the bars were passed around. I then got to eat another half. I hate those 15-rupee Snickers bars, they just leave you craving for more. But when I'd had one and a half of a full-sized Snickers bar, I felt so sated. I actually woke up from my dream feeling Snickers-full. How wondrafull!

If you're wondering what's wrong with me, it's not the Bounty, no. I'm just sleep deprived. The parents want me to try out a new morning schedule because of the morning-zombieness I've been experiencing. 

Speaking of parents, Baba told me about how Ammaarah has turned into a big drame-baaz. Actually, she always was a drama queen. Now she's just bigger. I should make a note of the story here. Maybe, insha'allah. Okay sweettops, take care!