What's on my Mind

Author: myhandwrites

  • The Perks of being Judgemental

    The five “perks” of being judgemental

    1. You get a chance to “self reflect”

    Being judgemental gives you a chance to self reflect (literally). You see the world through your own eyes. You measure its worth by your own beliefs. 😎
    All your life, you build a holy grail of values, to justify those hidden beliefs. You judge someone on the basis of those (confounding) beliefs.

    So what, if they don’t publish a guide for your principles. You go ahead and publish your own “Bible”. 😎 You build each chapter around those miserable sins, those ignorant commit. (How else would they learn your holy beliefs?)

    You guide them to the only path of salvation. (that is, by becoming you!) 😛 This gives you a chance to self reflect (literally ). Perhaps, you like their version of you?!

    [Self reflection]

    2. The world owes you for your charitable framework

    That habit of standardizing every situation often comes in very handy. (So, you might just meet a person at a bar, know where he or she comes from and write their bio data yourself!. 😛 )Thanks to your judgemental framework, we now know how to make quick conclusions. How else would we know – that Americans are loud. All Canadians are polite. Germans are distant. The Spanish are talkative and all Indians work in IT. 😳

    3. You get done more in less time

    Being judgemental makes you more productive. So, you have a pile of resume sitting at your desk ? Perhaps, you have a tight timeline? Don’t worry. Just be yourself (overly critical) 😈

    (End of one week. Outcome : 100 rejects. Super productive!)

    4. You become an Influencer

    Being judgemental can even make you an influencer. The world is full of meeks.(who want to believe in something) So, you may say whatever the heck you have to say. Just be loud and clear in what you think and someone, somewhere will strike a chord with you. Who knows what sentiments you may trigger! They may as well declare you an overnight success! (#revolutionary #disrupter.)

    We’ve witnessed quite some “influential” leaders in past (although not in a good way) . Who knows you might be the next one? #milord

    5. You don’t have to fit in

    An advantage of being your judgemental self is that you don’t fit in (or rather have to fit in). Those around you just don’t suit your “high” standards. So, you stay happy to be your own friend. (with whom you happen to be in love).

    You probably don’t care if they leave you all alone (& mark your grave – “The overly judgmental.”) You’d be too busy to care. lying in that grave, judging thy neighbors. (Maybe, they understand your wisdom better)

    After note:
    Wondering why that therapist says “don’t be judgemental”?
    Maybe, he made a flaw in his judgement! 😎
    P.S – Just a perspective. Absolutely not self help! 😉

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Shark Bite(s)

    This probably is the weirdest thing I’ve ever tried. Fermented shark. (still recovering from its memory).

    Back in 2019, on our trip to Iceland, (me & my spouse) discovered this local specialty in Reykjavik. I remember being super excited when we saw this in the menu of a cafe in city centre. We ordered it right away. The waiter seemed thrilled with our request. He came back in a few minutes with a miniature bowl of shark bites. (My first thought – too expensive for its size!). People sitting around us (both sides) started staring at our table.Their eyes were fixated on us. I wondered why this was such a big deal.

    Then, I put that first nibble in my mouth and an explosion of ammonia filled my senses. I was overwhelmed with that strong, pungent taste. I kept struggling to keep chewing. My eyes rolled every time I bit a piece. I heard the laughter of our neighbours from both sides .They seemed to be enjoying the show. I realized then, why they’ve been staring all along. They expected this to happen. (what else do you think, a decomposed fish would taste like?)

    The Greenland shark is fermented for close to six months under the sand, where it rots in its own ammonia & uric acid. It is then dried and chopped into small pieces. (ready to eat). All this effort, so one can eat a shark!(which otherwise would be too toxic to eat)

    Alas! I swallowed that bite with a shot of liquor.(I was grateful that they served it along.) My taste buds were numb for the rest of the day. I was glad it was over. Never been thankful after a meal before.

    I wonder how the Vikings cherished it! (Either the food was scarce or their taste buds were seriously destroyed) 🙄

    © myhandwrites.com. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Happiness is a Myth

    Happiness is unreal. Our own instincts are designed against it. There are thousands of books on the topic of Happiness. The self help industry is basically obsessed with this subject. But it is not a natural state of our minds. If it were, why then would we need to learn to be happy?

    Comparison is our mother. We evolved from monkeys. What did you expect? C’mon, we don’t invent our needs. We identify with what others need. We crave for more, for better version of what they have. Until, we have it all. (which basically is never 😎 ). That instinct to compare, leaves us unsatisfied. I knew this guy from school. He was so dumb. Couldn’t write a sentence without a spelling error. Wonder how he landed that job. 🙄 I wish.. blah blah.. Why on earth is she so thin? She looks so damn good in that pink dress. Ohh god! When will I loose some weight. Crib! Crib!

    We have an urge to belong. Humans are social. We live in herds. That desire to fit in comes in very natural. It is what makes us do “adjustments”. We adapt ourselves constantly to keep up with the rest. So what, if you moved to a new country. What? They don’t speak English there? Ohh, okay. You can adjust. (yourself & your expectations). You can speak a new language. Years pass. Arghh, this is so tough! (sorry, we can’t teach you no more, you just don’t belong!). That urge to belong somewhere can be really exhausting.

    We are constantly searching “the Meaning”. We love to believe in destiny. They say, “everything happens for a reason”. So we spend our whole lives, searching for that purpose. We try find meaning in whatever the heck we do. So, you frustrated with your life yet? Can’t do that work, eat, play no more? Planning kids? Hell yeah! Of course, we were born to multiply!

    At any given time, we live in all three dimensions of time. Believe me! We already have a time machine. Every living moment, we traverse through three time zones – The past, the present and that glorious future. If you look back now, the past seems beautiful.(It may have sucked at that point!). We tweak our past, every time we think about it.

    The future on other hand, is a promising dream. We gather a wish list every time we think about it. That past & the future are benchmark to the present. So imagine living through these three eras in a single instant. Does that make you feel depressed about your present? Does it seem miserable somehow? That tendency to time travel leads to disappointment, leaving us unhappy.

    We are scared of unknown. You wanna know what happens after that vaccine comes? You die from its side effects instead of Covid itself. You think dying is dreadful? Imagine living with a lousy lung for the rest of your life. Uncertainty scares the hell out of us. In the monkey mode that we operate , we can’t cope with new problems. That’s why we are obsessed with finding standard solutions. Our theories publicize solutions. That makes us comfortable to navigate our journey.

    Imagine happiness as a theory to navigate living. It makes us hopeful. It makes us feel content with life. Would we strive for it, if nobody talks about it? Or would we start accepting ourselves (& that bag full of crappy feelings)?

    Happiness is a myth. Acceptance is the key.

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • In the name of God

    Disclaimer : This post neither preaches nor condemns any religion or the existence of god. It merely tells my own short story, in my own words. So, don’t leave hateful comments. I am a very sensitive. (Just gulp it down on a lighter note!) 😛

    When I was eight years old, I remember going to a pilgrimage, high in the mountains. I remember hiking 13 kms (one way) on my own feet and how terribly drained I was. My lovely fellas overestimated my abilities. I wasn’t a sporty kid and that long walk took a toll on my baby muscles. I kept halting every five minutes while they motivated me to chant the name of god. So, I sang along and crawled for another five minutes until I came to the next halt. I kept wondering why reciting the name of god doesn’t work for me. It clearly did wonders for all others on that pilgrimage. 🙄

    And then, after a day long hike, when we were just a kilometre away from the holy shrine, I threw a revolt, demanding to sleep. It was peak of the night and everybody knew what this would mean -they would miss the opportunity to see the shrine with an EMPTY QUEUE.

    They gave up. Not b’coz they were scared of my rebellion but because they couldn’t carry me on their shoulders. 😆

    And we slept in an ashram nearby. For seven whole hours. It seemed like a minute. I was so exhausted! Next morning, we woke up to find a kilometre long queue to the shrine. I remember my fellas being unhappy as they kept moaning – if only I could have walked that one last km. I wasn’t guilty. I was rebellious. I decided to skip walking entirely during the return trip downhill. 😎 They paid someone to carry me on his shoulders, while they all walked along, singing the name of god. That was the first time I questioned my faith in almighty. Does he really exist? Why do we have to go through this pain to see him? Does he even care?

    Fast forward two decades. And here I am – An atheist. (agnostic would sound better, more diplomatic. but I like to be honest with myself). I can’t justify my belief or how I ended up being so, but I think atheism is also a faith (in non existence of super power) , just like any other faith you may have. I often wonder about all the things we do in the name of god. Maybe we believe in his existence, maybe we don’t. But, maybe we should question the things we do in his name.

    Why do we pump billions into building churches & temples & all those gigantic holy monuments? Do we have such surplus that we can afford the luxury? Why do we politicize religion? Why do we propagate religious riots? Why do we practice rituals that clearly don’t sound logical?Why do we cultivate superstitions that we can’t prove ourselves? Why do we boycott those who question them?And most important, why do all the things that we do in the name of god, go unchallenged?

    Do we base our morals & ethics on humanity? Or do they exist to please the gods? Perhaps we induce fear of non compliance under his name? (Is that why we curse about going to hell.). Should we not justify our actions based on how they impact other humans? Or do we want our gods to own our actions? (Gawd! he must be really brave to take responsibility of our holy deeds!)

    Things we do in his name!

    P.S – I just realized that I am writing this post on the day, when the foundation stone of Hindu temple (Ram Mandir) is being laid. It is a historic moment as this happens almost three decades after the Babri masjid (mosque) was demolished from this exact site (a reason for riots in 1992).

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Are you being overly defensive?

    Have you been in a situation before where you came out defensive? Did someone set your alarms off or did you bring up your shield even before the attack occur? Were you called overly emotional or perhaps close minded? Maybe you were protecting yourself from an unpleasant feeling. Maybe you were avoiding a responsibility. Or perhaps, you were protecting that fragile ego of yours?

    All of us have been defensive at some point in our lives. Admit it! Whatever the heck the reason be, our defensive self can turn a neutral situation into a war. Do you realize when you are being defensive? Or do they commit the offense of telling you that? (Shoot them!). In this post, I share a glimpse of some defensive episodes. Maybe, you recognize some of them? I certainly don’t. [just being defensive] 😎

    Episode 1 : It’s not my Fault.

    Ever felt blamed for something that you didn’t want to own? Did you just dissociate yourself from the situation completely? Is that your natural skill or have you become an expert at dodging the blame at someone else?

    Maybe, its time to let go the fault finding and admit your fault. Nah?Then, maybe you can get back at them by merely stating the fact – their criticism invoked your defense mechanism. 😆

    Episode 2 : Why do I have to justify myself ?

    Have you been to an awkward interview where you wish you had not come? Why? Was that sadist interviewer questioning your worth? Or was he psychoanalyzing your reaction?

    Well, your need for validation could have made you sound defensive. You might as well have boasted your credentials at the slightest sound of rejection, but that didn’t help you win his confidence.

    Maybe, you now feel glad that you were not selected. Think hard! Are you now protecting yourself from feeling dismissed? 🙄

    Episode 3: There is a deeper meaning to this

    Did you ever start an argument from a subtle remark someone made? Why? Did it pinch you that deep? Did it bring up bad memories from the past? Is that why you decide to go full on defensive?

    Overthinking can make you overly sensitive. You may simply overreact to protect yourself from your own insecurities.

    So, next time, pack your argument for a different moment. That way, they can’t figure out, if you are being defensive! 👿

    Episode 4 : Let me take back the control

    Perhaps, you felt like you were loosing control. Was there a situation where you thought, your opinions didn’t matter? Did you feel undervalued ? How did you cope with your looming identity crisis?

    Projecting your anger is often another way of self defense. It has twofold benefits – 1. It satisfies your impulse to feel powerful. 2. It scares the hell out of the person trying to undermine your existence.

    No matter who comes out victorious from this power play, it sure has some financial downturn.

    Episode 5: Offense is the best defense

    “You don’t have to live your life the way they ask you to. You are your own master.” Did somebody just challenge that conviction? Did it awaken the warrior in you? 😳

    Sometimes, offense is the best mechanism to protect yourself from a hurtful experience. While the consequences can be grave, who the f*ck cares about them when following instincts! 😎

    The End

    Being defensive is not unnatural. In fact we were all born with a “Survival Instinct” – our basic self defense mechanism. It ensures our physical well being but does not care much for our emotional front. So, as we grow up in this demented world, we enhance our defense structures to protect our ego, our confidence, our basic need to feel content with ourselves.

    Being overly defensive, however, is a problem. It can affect you and your relationships badly. In a bid to protect your own self, you might completely isolate yourself. Perhaps, your dear ones think you can let go that shield of yours? What do you think? Would it hurt to be more vulnerable than being overly defensive?

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Why I don’t want to go to Eiffel (anymore)

    When I moved to Europe, travelling to Paris was on top of my check list and Eiffel tower was a “Must See”. I’d seen umpteen classics with Eiffel tower set in the background, a beautiful sunset and a surprising proposal that completed a romantic setting. I was in awe of the awe created around Eiffel.


    Bonjour Paris

    So a few years back, when I was in Paris for the first time, seeing the Eiffel tower from a distance brought up a great deal of excitement.

    As the hop on hop off bus took circles around the city, I turned my head 360 degrees to get a glimpse of the tower from every angle

    Outside the Eiffel

    As soon as I got off the bus, I was surrounded by desperate roadside mongers. They saw me looking at those tiny Eiffel miniatures and pounced at once with their discount offers.

    I ended up buying three Eiffels, one for each corner of my home. (at least that’s what I think now, I bought them for).

    Satisfied with my haggling skills, I headed towards the actual Eiffel.

    Is everyone in Paris, standing here?

    At first sight, it was not the Eiffel that grabbed my attention but rather that two km long queue to the Eiffel. I couldn’t believe that all those people were lined up to see the tower. It was peak of the summer and all angry, tired and sweaty tourists were lined up in a day-long queue.

    Soon, I became one of them.

    After three gruesome hours

    By the time, it was my turn to enter the Eiffel, I was almost on my knees

    I was exhausted from standing three hours straight and I remember shifting my weight over each leg every few minutes. Every time someone left the queue, I jumped on my feet to quickly move ahead. A single miss and four new people would squeeze in the queue. 😡

    I was glad, I had an empty bladder before starting the Eiffel marathon. 😎

    Finally, On top of the Eiffel tower

    At the Eiffel, they offered two options to climb the tower – either stairs or elevator. I chose the latter as I simply couldn’t imagine climbing 600+ stairs to the top. 😯

    From the top of the Eiffel, Paris looked like a Lego city.

    If you’ve been on the top of any tower, you probably know what the city looks like from a distance. Eiffel was no different in that sense. Except that it consumed every ounce of my energy to get to the top of this tower. So, in the end I just felt proud of my brave victory.

    I remember every corner of the tower was occupied with someone taking a selfie. I too, squeezed in between to have a picture, classically titled “On the top of the Eiffel”.

    At last, It was over

    After spending close to five hours in this overhaul, it was time to sit back and relax. I took an hour long river cruise over Seine (which was easy to get into) for sight seeing the city. The Eiffel was lit beautifully and I could see a picture perfect Eiffel even from a distance.

    And just then the Eiffel started twinkling in the night. Mesmerized by this view, I couldn’t stop thinking why I went through all that trouble of climbing the Eiffel. 🙄

    For what it’s worth – Let me announce the visit

    It didn’t make sense to visit the Eiffel if no one around me knew about that “wonderful” visit.

    As someone had to be the torch bearer of maintaining the awe of Eiffel, I went ahead to announce my Eiffel visit 😛

    Side effects

    Looking at those wonderful pictures, my friends and family decided to put Eiffel in their wish list. So when they came over to visit me last year, I ended up going to Eiffel two more times. 😥

    I survived.

    And since then I stopped promoting Eiffel.

    I’ve been there. Done that. I don’t wanna be there any more.

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • What is it like to be around “Resentful People”

    Disclaimer : This is not a self help article , so don’t be worried about getting any free advice. 😛 If you are looking for some, you are better off reading LinkedIn posts that offer “Superhuman” tips to deal with resentment.

    Over years, I have noticed there could be several sources of resentment. So, how do you know where the bitterness is really coming from? Do you even realize what just happened to you was an act of resentment?

    Well, I might have not mastered dealing with resentful people but I certainly have made some progress in identifying its several forms. 😎

    Do you recognize any of these not so pleasant episodes of resentment?

    1. Let me hold it back .. To throw it back

    Have you encountered someone who seems to be holding onto something? Who often makes subtle references to it BUT when you talk about it -THEY SAY NOTHING. Chances are – they are piling up surprises for you in their Santa Claus bag.

    Then one day, when you are with them, trying to fix something, you notice that eerie silence surrounding you. You think you are doing it right and just then you screw it up. That’s when, then they let it all out.

    Did you anticipate that shriek – “I told you but you never listen” ? That’s just their bottled up disappointment in you (a root of resentment), waiting till this moment.

    2. You talking to me? I wasn’t the one being Promoted

    Have you worked with a friend who was super nice but suddenly became grumpy after that promotion of yours? Did you feel like you were talking to walls when you were asking for their help or venting about your new role? Is it just you or have they also withdrawn from others?

    Unfortunately, the world is unfair and your friend might have realized this later than you think. So, they leave you all alone to battle this crazy world. It’s just their way of revenging humanity.

    That feeling of how the world is unfair, can root in some long and strong resentment.

    3. The Perils of Parenthood

    There was a time in my life when everyone around me was having kids. All my social feeds were filled with cute baby pics and it made me introspect the purpose of my life. 🙄

    But, then I met this dear friend of mine who unlocked the other side of this story. She wished so often to go back to her good old days that it felt like she regretted having a kid. 😆

    Having kids can make you go nuts. Kids don’t sleep. They don’t always eat. They are almost always hyperactive.They love to play but with YOU and not their TOYS. And if you disagree with any of these, crying comes to them as natural as walking. You might think that you are taming them but in reality – They are taming You.

    If you notice a parent constantly bickering about their kid, you’d know where this resentment is coming from – regrets due unrealistic expectations and wishful thinking.

    4. I don’t trust you No More

    Have you ever received this ultimatum in last relationships – It’s either me or her? A study says most times this question ends up in a divorce. So, if I were you (who faced this deadly choice), I would vest all my energy in searching the root cause.

    Have you been showering compliments around while your wife stood staring, next to you ? Have you been graciously displaying your manners to co-workers when everyone at home knows you as a Couch Potato? Did you forget to praise your partner in that lovely green dress? If the answer to any of these is YES, I think we all know why you received this ultimatum. 😆

    Your split personality has been causing quite some insecurity. It destroyed the little trust your partner had in you, resulting in a boiling resentment.

    5. And Sometimes, It’s just Chain Reaction

    So, you got yelled at office today or someone humiliated you publicly? Does that make you feel like a “Nobody”? Do you feel powerless? Chances are – whatever you are feeling right now has the potential to release the monstrosity hormone, that will help you take back control. It might as well result in chain resentment where everybody is just trying to find some balance.

    The hunger to be in charge or feel powerful has carved some very Lunatic Resentful people in this world. I hope you are not one of them and neither are you planning to become one. 😉

    Anyhow, I had enough of sharing these not so pleasant episodes in a single day. The only point I am trying to convey here is that everyone is resentful at some point in their life. They might just not realize it at that moment. And the cause of this resentment is often within them (not external).

    While it feels bad to be at the receiving end of resentment, it is no party for the resentor either.Those who resent are sufferers themselves.

    So, the next time you meet a bitter person, I hope you recognize his/her resentment and its origin. I hope you come out positive, feeling pity for the person.

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • How was my First experience of seeing the Northern Lights

    (Original photo – Sep 2019)

    In September 2019, my dream to see the Northern lights was fulfilled while I was in Iceland for a nine day trip.

    For those who do not know, the Northern lights (or aurora) is a “rare” phenomenon caused by electronically charged particles, that upon striking the atmosphere, release light. Unless, you are staying somewhere near the poles, it is highly unlikely that you can spot the Northern lights. There are in fact, some camping expeditions that take you for a week long trip (heavy on pockets) to witness this phenomenon.

    So, back in Sep when we were in Iceland, I felt really lucky to see these on just the second day of our trip. Since, it was such an event in my life, I will tell you what went behind the scenes of my first experience to see the Northern Lights.

    Before it happened, we needed a Camera

    Until the day we planned a trip to Iceland, we relied on our iPhone cameras for our trip photos. It was a handy way to take good pictures that always sufficed for our family albums. But this had to change. If there was even a slightest possibility to see auroras in our trip, we needed a camera that could capture this event.

    Our phone camera wasn’t smart enough to capture light movements in the sky. So, after reading umpteen blogs about what camera suits our need, we ended up buying Sony A6000 (that wasn’t cheap!).

    I remember the first day, I handled this camera with its tripod stand and how stupid I felt. I couldn’t capture anything better than what my iPhone already did and I wondered if I was even worthy of buying a professional camera. So, I spent the whole next week trying to learn how to operate the camera, what is meant by shutter speed, what is the aperture, etc etc- basically all that was needed to understand the required setting for capturing the Northern Lights.

    Just a day before our trip, I figured it all out. I read a wonderful post on how to capture aurora and saved those exact settings on my camera. I put it on my favourites list.

    We were finally camera ready for our trip.

    On the Night of the Main Event

    Since, Northern lights is a scarce occurrence, you have to track them like you track weather. We downloaded a few apps that gave this forecast information. There was even an index associated with the probability of viewing aurora. It ranged on a scale of 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest possibility of the event.

    That night, the index was close to 7 and the predicted time of occasion was 12:30 am.

    I remember being super sleepy after the day long trek. I thought 7 being less than 9, nothing might happen. So, I went to the bed in my cozy pyjama. My spouse of course was much more hopeful and he stayed awake.

    At 12:15 am that night, he shook me up. He shrieked excitedly, asked me to wake up and come outside. He explained that he saw some weird activity in the sky. It was a whitish moving wave. I couldn’t believe it was really happening. My first thought was – “what a pity it would be, if I were to miss the northern lights coz I am sleeping”. And with that fear in my mind, I woke up instantaneously.

    I was quick on my feet. Ready in a minute, in my pyjamas & cold jacket, I ran outside the cottage. My spouse carried the camera & tripod in his hand. We stood and watched the sky together. Northern lights were about to happen.

    Take the photos before it goes away

    What seemed like white waves in the sky, slowly turned greenish. What started as a small patch turned to spread across the sky. We saw gently moving greenish waves in the sky and all the stars shined through it. The sky was filled with shades of green and it was so beautiful. I bent down with the tripod and camera and clicked the first picture. Strangely, it turned out great. My saved setting was a savior.

    A couple stood next to us trying to fixate their camera. They seemed like experts to me because of their camera (which was much heavier than ours) and a full length tripod. We were very surprised when they asked us to share our settings. They were struggling to capture northern lights on their own and were very impressed by our first picture. Reluctantly, I shared a few of our settings and left out a tip – the aperture position. A moment later, another couple approached us for our settings and I quickly mumbled something, feeling guilty at the same time.

    Eventually, they both figured out the whole thing as they sat next to each other and started their own photo clicking spree. 😀 In hindsight, I can see now, how childish my attempt was to preserve the knowledge I gained from one week of my camera struggle. 😛 I swear, I am not that person anymore.

    The aurora lasted for around 30 mins and I kept thinking – This is the best thing I would ever see in my life. It indeed was! We clicked many photos, all capturing our silhouettes. Coz, yeah! you can’t capture your face when your camera is set for Northern lights. (technically speaking)

    I really wish I can see the aurora once more in this lifetime. Next time, with the index of 9. I hope we can plan another trip to Iceland, maybe in winter – when every night has the Northern lights.

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • Finally I’ve finished this 1000 pages book

    In the beginning of March, when Covid 19 had not become a phenomenon yet, I bought this bestselling book on suggestion of my spouse. He read this book when he was young and it left an impression on his mind so deep, that he has been constantly nudging me to read it once.

    So when the lockdown began and I had ample time to stay at home, it was indeed a good thing that I bought this thick read. I sat in peace with coffee & kindle, slowly reading through 1000 pages of the book – “Shantaram”

    When I heard the name of this book, I thought it was written by an Indian author (coz its name sounded so Indian). But, I was mistaken as the writer is actually Australian. Gregory David (the author) was once a convict in an Australian prison. He escaped the prison and somehow ended up living in Mumbai, one of the largest cities in India. Here he took refuge in a slum as he had no money and no belongings.

    He starts a humble life in a slum but eventually joins a mafia gang and becomes a criminal. He makes some friends in this journey who love him, leave him and perhaps also manipulate him. You would gradually see his mental transformation as he lives through all of it. You would also notice how it changes him and makes him almost one of them.

    In this book, the author narrates what he saw, experienced and lived through in the streets of Mumbai. While most books end up boasting the cultural side of India, this book unravels difficult, brutal and sometimes repelling side of this country. The story is so eventful and gripping that it almost feels like a movie. I remember reading the first half of this book in just two weeks.

    Being an Indian, I thought I knew a lot about India, people and their livelihood in general. But I realize now that as a middle class citizen, I was probably too comfortable and ignorant to witness what the massive population of this country lives through on daily basis. I crawled through the last 400 pages of this book,trying to sink in each scene & its description. The details around black market, life in slum, mafia operation and the Afghan war look so realistic that it was hard to believe why the author puts this book in fiction category. I think it might be because he likes to disassociate himself from the doings he describes!

    Anyhow, in a nutshell, I will recommend this book to (at least) other Indians as I’m sure it would give a good perspective of the uglier side of India. A warning though – you need to be open minded to read and appreciate this book. While media, television and most Indian expats promote culture, yoga and Indian food, this book does a decent job describing how life really looks like for more than 60 million people in India.

    If you are an adventurer, planning a trip to India, you might as well like to give this book a try. Just don’t be scared and extrapolate these experiences to your travel plan.

    I’m glad to have finally finished reading this book yesterday! 🙂

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.

  • My First Experience of IKEA

    Welcome to the world of IKEA

    The first time I visited IKEA, I remember spending the whole of my Saturday in the IKEA store. Those beautiful preset designs for each room filled my head with so many ideas that I felt like throwing out all our existing furniture.

    It was hard to resist the temptation and looking at our wallets, we decided to buy only a few items.

    The IKEA DELIVERY

    The delivery arrived in small boxes and I was puzzled to see how a bed and sofa could fit in that tiny space. In the box, came a manual, a tool box and some spare parts.

    The holy grail detailed a long list of steps to set up the furniture ourselves. First on the list was our bed.

    The IKEA Test Of Relationship

    I always knew that IKEA had a smart furniture concept and we had to assemble it ourselves. What I didn’t know was that assembling was not a five-finger exercise.

    The list of instructions overwhelmed me and I fiddled clumsily with nuts and bolts. Within an hour, I started feeling tired as I kept thinking about the steps ahead.

    I vent out my anger over my spouse who wasn’t a piece of cake either as he happily passed over all work on my plate!  😡

     

    It felt like IKEA was testing our relationship and so we decided to flee the moment and take a break! 😛

    Beer can make it alright

    Whosoever invented beer should be awarded with a Nobel peace prize. I found no other effective tranquilizer till this date.

    Out in the Cafe, we spent some time eating & drinking while we got our future furniture plans sorted out! 😎

    After this small detour, it was time to get back to work.

    You can do it!

    We came back sharp and started again in full spree. I realized, we weren’t actually doing that bad a job.

    My spouse found content in HIS side of story – of how he has been doing it all right. And I found peace with MY side of story – of how this was not possible without my brilliant tips! 😉

    Next in line -The Sofa!

    © Copyright 2020. Megha Gupta. All rights reserved.