After the storm

A good friend asked me today the reason why I did not write anything for so long. One of Rishi's colleague also asked the same. Probably in some ways, I did touch people's life through these posts. With all humility, I accept the admiration for the blog. Little do people know that this blog was started to vent out my feelings. It was born out of pain. But that part is left for another post!

A sincere thanks to Rishi's colleague and my friend who cared enough to ask about my blog :))

This might sound a random but sometimes a havoc is needed. Sometimes it is important to see what is left after a storm or a flood.

Both these statements are inter-connected. Because, like after a storm or flood, only those things are left that are strong enough to survive the calamity. Similarly in life, the storm excludes the shallow people and brings a calming effect with the identification of true, genuine people and fulfilling relationships. These relationships are the strongest ones for they are able to survive the adversities of time.

Hold them, hug them. never let them go. Like never ever.

I know this and I speak from experience. Willla Silbert was right- 'There are some things you learn in calm, and some in storm'.

© Written by Garima Mahajan

My Hindi'ness'

There is this one thing that I find very hard to explain to people. And that is I CAN speak Hindi, and that it is my first language, like most of the delhiwallas. And just because I am mostly dressed in western clothes, it does not mean that I would have a problem understanding the language I am closest to.

I am very proud of the fact that I scored 0.1% CBSE merit certificate in Hindi A in my tenth standard. Oh yes, I mugged up the textbooks, but that is a different topic. Also, I find it easy to converse in English, but that is also a different topic. And yes, most of the books I read are also in English, but that again is a different topic.

What is amusing is that even shopkeepers assume that I can not understand Hindi. I remember Rishi and I had gone to a local grocery store. The shopkeeper was in a hurry to settle all the bills as there was a long queue. When our turn came I asked him, 'bhaiya, kitna hua?' He looked at me, then at Rishi and said, 'Madam, Three Hundred Forty Two Rupees only'. And I did notice that he was talking in Hindi to all the other customers before me.

Rishi had a wide grin, he has seen many such incidents in past four years. I paid him the bill but could not stop myself from saying, 'bhaiya, aapke teen sau bayalis rupaye'. The look on the shopkeeper's face can not be expressed in words!

© Written by Garima Mahajan