The tooth encounter......

I was happily enjoying my late-night cuppa noodles while watching a movie, when I bit something hard, so hard that it almost felt like my jaw bone was about to crack and my tooth dislocated. I almost jumped out of my skin when I found it was a tooth that was in my cup noodles.  At first, I was not so sure of what it was, but the reddish brown blood-like stains in the crevices sure made it look like human tooth. I felt nauseated I almost threw up on the spot. The thought of having a tooth inside your mouth, not your own, but someones else’s.  It’s totally gross you have absolutely no idea.

 I was infuriated. The fact that the product was of a brand I so loved and trusted for years made it even more disturbing. First, I thought of bombarding it on facebook  and tell the whole world not to ever buy the product again. But then, before I resorted to such bootless act, I decided to do something more clever. Morever, since I was having customer relationship management as one of the topic for  my marketing management project, I thought it would help me gain some insights.

So, I promptly picked up my phone and dialled the number that was on the package. I had to wait while they put me on hold for what seemed like forever and after they transferred my call several times, a lady answered the phone. She asked me the product detail, the number and from where I purchased the product. She asked me whether I was sure it was a tooth or could it  be something else. She said I need to confirm it first from a certified dentist that it was truly a tooth if I wanted to claim any compensation or refund. Then, I will have to mail them with a photo of that tooth, along with that confirmation from the dentist, the product details etc etc. Also, I would need to write a mail to them if I wanted to file a complaint, and that they would reimburse the shipping charge and that I would get refunds as soon as they received all formalities from me. She went on and on about what needs to be done. Since I was already having a rather hectic  schedule with my exams coming up the week ahead, I knew I wouldn't have the time to search around town for dentists who would approve my unknown human tooth. So, I decided to do them a favour by cutting the conversation by a “thank you, I will get back to you ” and then end the call. 

I knew in some places people sue for millions in such cases. I don’t really want a compensation or refund. I just want to eat tasty, hygienic noodles while watching my movie. One thing’s for sure I won’t ever buy their products again. I just hope they won't repeat such mistakes again. With such big brand like theirs, it is truly unexpected. So, I kept my phone, put my earphones back and went back to the movie, when my phone beeped, with the message,” Thank you for contacting us. Were you satisfied with the interaction? Pls reply yes or no to help us serve you better ”.

family mission statement....sort of..

Something about the movie “My Sister’s Keeper”  struck a major chord with me.The family love, the trust, the selflessness, the humility, the encouragement, the hugs, the support...I was thoroughly inspired.

I couldn't believe after all these years of incomparable love and support from my family, I had never told them how much I love them, not to anyone, not a single word about love had been uttered. That cold, heartless side of me! I thought something must be seriously wrong with me.

Then, just when I was starting to feel guilty about it, I also came to a jarring realisation that none of my family members, not even parents or siblings, had never told me to my face that they ‘LOVED’ me, like actually saying out aloud. So, it's  like a true win-win situation we have here.

I really don’t know why, but it happens with many of my friends too. Three simple words but not easy to say when it comes to a family member, even though you loved your family more than anything. It could be because we believe action speaks louder than words so there is no need to further say it out aloud, or we have taken each other for granted and we are contented assuming  that they know how much we love them. There’s a saying,”Tell your loved ones how much you love them, because you never know if there’ll be a tomorrow”. But when it comes to parents and brothers, especially brothers like mine, it gets so awkward!

The ironic part is that if  it’s a friend or your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend, it’s so much easier. For instance, if I’m sms-ing an old college friend, I would write something like

“Hey Melory, how r u?How’s work?Call me soon.Love you.”

That’s so easy. No awkward moment, no sweat or blood shed, both on my side and the receiver’s side.

But if I’m sms-ing my mom, I'd do something like

“Hey mom, pls send me some cash because I need to buy some books, and a little extra this month because I’m goin to Shimla because it’s snowing there and I’ve never seen a real live snow,so, please.Love you”

..and if I have to be more precise...

“Nu, naktukah poisa lo thawn rawh ka nei tawh lo. Ka hmangaih ce:-)”

Well, I think that sounds awkward and highly inappropriate!!!

So, you know what I mean:-)

I’ve seen in movies where the mother drops the teenage daughter to college and before she left gave her a kiss on the cheek with a quick,”I love you”. It's a very routine thing for them. Well, my mom and I had never had that kind of moment. Not that we do not love each other. My mom and I are like best friends. I guess it’s just that people are  different and we express our love in different ways, and it’s true many times, actions do speak louder than words!!

So, even after writing this post, I don’t know if I can ever do it...the "I love you" thing. I guess it won’t be a bad idea to try once. I'd have a good time seeing the shock and surprise faces. But for now, I’ll just keep on assuming that they know, because I believe it’s God who had planned and bind us together as a family and even if we don’t say it aloud always, I know love is ever-present, and we can all feel it, like the oil that causes friction, the cement that binds closer together and the music that brings harmony. And for the record, I like my family best when we are silly and have small fights over silly issues and then laughing about it in the end.

Some subtle love thoughts......

                     

I never believed there could be a Prince Charming, but I'm  glad he proved me so wrong.

It’s like one of those rare exhilarating, unrelenting and thrilling moments in life which you wanted to capture,  photo-frame it and hang it on your bedroom wall to relive it’s wonder over and over again

It’s like you’re completely and utterly smitten because he sort of bend the "Smart people are ugly" rule because he’s smart yet still undeniably charming, not that you'd care less even if he weren't that good looking 

It’s like that panic wave or adrenaline rush when your cell phone blows with his ringtone with his name flashing across the screen when  you least expected it

It’s like that moment you discovered he had really bad breath in the morning but it doesn’t matter anymore because nothing can make you love him less


It's like that uncontrollably delightful moment when you saw Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks kissing in "You've Got Mail" and you're like,"Ohhh! I know how that feels"

It’s like those times when songs like ,"Dance me to the end of love" suddenly make so much sense 


It's like that sublime anticipation, of marriage and kids and cozy nights by the fire, with  wedding pictures in quirky frames hanging on the wooden walls

Silly, indescribable thing called love.

                                                 

Earth angels

A few months back, I was travelling by Delhi metro with two heavy luggages. I would have easily hired a cab or an air conditioned car, and reach my destination with ease without being barbecued by the heat and being stormed in the cheek-by-jowl crowds. But by far the cheapest option to get to Noida from the airport happens to be the Delhi metro which seemed to be the most economically viable option for people like me.

I got down at Rajiv chowk to change lines. Unfortunately, it was four in the evening  and commuter congestion tends to surge during this rush hour. When I stepped out of the train and saw the crowd, I thought whether it was even practical to try to travel with luggages at that time of the day. There were people everywhere, they stepped on my toes and I was frustrated. I wondered why they were all in such a hurry, not even bothering about people around them. It was so packed  I could only move my head and had to move along with the crowd and find a space to keep my head and breathe. The smell was not that pleasant.

 A few grumpy looking ladies gave me that frustrated, mean stares and passing snide remarks as if they were saying,”You have parked your luggage in my place”, or,”Get your friggin suitcase outta my way” and this further soared my accumulated anger. There were a few aggressive lurkheads, pushing violently from the back, shouting and angry about who-knows-what. I tried hard to ignore them. It’s so hard to be nice sometimes. I was having a bad day.

I finally picked myself out of the mass of people, then there was another obstacle I had to tackle. The elevator was not working and I had to pull myself and the luggages up the stairs. So tired, I could barely carry one bag, and I have to stop at each and every step to catch a breath.

Then a man, probably in his mid 50s walked up to me out of nowhere and asked,”Miss, let me help you with your luggage.” At first I was taken aback and hesitated a bit. But the good man insisted even more. He carried both my luggages all the way outside  until I got into a cab. He left in a hurry after that, before I could even thank him.

When I lie in bed that night, I replayed the whole incident over again. What that man did today might not seem like a big thing, he himself might not notice, but for me, the little time he took to help others, that too a complete stranger and the random act of kindness he had shown to people in need, gave me so much hope. I prayed wherever he might be, he would be blessed.

Small, little random acts of kindness, just two minutes of your time you gave for others could mean so much to the other person, and it could ignite a smile on their faces, brighten their day and give them hope. It couldn’t possibly hurt us or won't cost a thing. We could be earth angels.

Moreover, I’m glad there are  sensible people who still cares out here in Delhi.

The Candle

The other night, I was sorting out my pile of old stuffs when I found this  piece of paper in one of my old dust-ladened  Chemistry textbook. It was the poem which I wrote back in college which fetched me first prize in an ON-THE-SPOT poetry writing competition. Here goes...     

The candle in the dark

Lighting up glooms amid the darkest hour

A beacon upon the clear sky

Shines it’s path for many to see

Many would lurge, stumble and fall

If not for the light of thee

Twas in this light that we see

The shadows that obscure our path

The Holy words of God

The knowledge of being saved on the cross

This is what the candle means to me

To lighten my life forever more

This is my ultimate goal

This is what I’m striving for

To light the candle high on the hill

And shine for all others to see

Tho’ down here below the candle melts

Here in my heart will it keep

Until the day  the Saviour returns

And take me home forever more

P.S -  Reading it again, I realised I have used a lot of clichés ( I hate cliches) but anyways I’m not a poet and I hardly ever write poems so I guess its ok. Moreover, this was an on-the-spot competition and we were given just 30 minutes time. Just posting it here because I felt a bit nostalgic, and, yes, the words really mean a lot to me.