50 posts and an Award old

I am just 50 posts old. And I have got an award: The Versatile Blogger Award. Its my first.

I am thrilled!!!
Thank you, Sushmita aka Shooting star from My Unfinished Life

Next thing that I am required to do is say 7 things about myself. Oops, let me try.

i-a) I am an optimistic person - I try to see the good things in any thing.
i-b) I smile a lot - So much so, that when you meet me or see a photo of mine, you would notice only my teeth.
ii) I am a Minimum-Cosmetics person - A sheer disaster for beauty salons and related merchants.
iii)  I am a Foodie, but a BAD cook. I actually dont have any interest, and would tend to get away by making minimum.I love chocolates and sweets.
iv-a) I have weird obsessions. I love people with good handwritings. In fact, the easiest way to impress me is by having a good writing. At the same time, all the people I have had a crush on or fallen for or ever noticed have simply pathetic handwritings. I hate men who pretend to be suave. I like people around me to be as chilled out as me.
iv-b) My other fascination is for miniatures- it could be a tiny Ganesha idol, or a small cup, anything.
iv-c) A market place and money on me is a disastrous combination. But having said that, I would only buy shoes for myself. I would ogle at photo frames, but would never buy one.
v) I love reading books and writing. Strangely, I havent ever finished a book that I have bought for myself. I have gobbled up gifted books, inherited books, borrowed books, books belonging to relatives and likewise.
vi) I love my parents, family and friends equally. And I would do anything for anyone, if you can convince me that my doing something would really help you.
vii) I am a good listener and a good preacher, so in case you are feeling low, you know where to come.

I am required to pass this award on to 15 bloggers. Permit me to hold this. I have to find people who haven't got it already. Will do that soon.

So thank you, once again, all my readers, without whom I wouldnt have been a blogger at all. And a special mention goes out to Sushmita for she has come to mean a lot more than she realizes..

Oops those heels hurt!

Confessions of a criminal

Visualize the situation. The bus is supposed to turn right at a junction, and in 99% of days, it gets caught in a red light. It suits me best if I can get off here. The bus stop prior to this junction is  a bit too behind, and the next after the turn means a bit of extra walking to my destination.

Today, the light was red when our bus reached the said spot. I requested the driver to let me off, but he refused. I nodded politely, didnt say any additional word and got off at the next defined bus stop. And started walking.

A fellow passenger, who too, had got down here, followed me. He was cursing the driver, loud enough for me to hear.

"What is the problem?", I asked.
- "Why did he not open the doors at the light?"
"Why should he? Thats no bus stop.", I explained.
-"Now you are taking sides with him? You only asked him to let you off..."

Well, I admitted to him that I was doing the wrong thing. That too, knowingly.

As he walked away, I was left wondering how irresponsible as citizens were we. Ok at least I am. I would throw an ice-cream stick on a roadside if I cannot see a dustbin within my power of vision. I would plead bus drivers to drop me between bus stops just because it is possible. I cannot ask a metro driver to drop me midway on a track, can I? I do many such wrongs; will list them slowly.

Keep your bag clean

"Madam, your ticket please"

- I was cozily sleeping on a window seat of a bus enroute my office, and this was a checker.

Random checks do happen on our bus routes in Delhi. If you are caught without one or with an undervalue ticket, you would have to pay a fine, may be jailed for two days or both.

"Yes, of course", I replied, waking up. Trying hard to recall where I had shoved it in, I started searching in the most easily available pockets. But whatever came out were of various values of previous journeys on different routes, which have no validity at present.  I dug and dug.

"Did you throw it?", taunts the bald man standing next to my seat.

"No, I have it", I assure him, not looking up. I realize I am delaying everybody. "I have a proper ticket, please let me go", I pleaded.

"If this is the case, you should be able to produce it."... Ugh, this guy is adamant.

Not that anyone was complaining, but I offered to get off the bus with them. They agreed. I sat on the seats of the bus stop, took all my time as I drew out each old ticket after another. I kept aside anything that was not a bus ticket: receipts of my tailor, someone's business card, and things like that. Ultimately, from the most unlikely pocket, emerged a freshly bought ticket bearing the requisite serial number. The checker was watching me all the time, quite bored by then, and the moment I drew out the correct piece of paper, he gave out a sigh of relief.

"See, you wasted ten minutes of my time", he said.

"But I told you I had it", I snapped back.

"Now let me go. Do I look like a truant?", I asked him, pulling myself to my full height. I was dressed in formals, my hair was freshly washed and loose, flying in the breeze, giving me an aura. And I had the ticket that I was about to be fined for not having. I was one up.

The man put me on the next bus to my destination. Luckily the frequency is pretty fair, and the roads were fairly empty that time of the day, so I reached office comfortably to take on the day ahead.

Moral of the story: Keep your handbag clean. Learn to throw off stuff you dont need.