wanderer

10 essentials to the blueprint of happiness, the name easily discloses to you the intent it carries between the covers. The writer – Bhanu Arora pens his personal thoughts and everyday stories into ten chapters each taking the reader towards his belief system around happiness, which is usually accepted & adopted by the society at large. Anxiety over career progression, office gossips, self-identity, money matters, relationships, travel, leading a dream, believing in supreme power and many other aspects of our daily lives has been painted in a lucid manner by the author and hence makes it a very easy read. Though the author maintains a third person point of narration, but reader can sense his voice across the chapters as there is no single protagonist across all the pages of this self-help book. Each chapter deals with a specific issue actioned through set of characters lightly sketched and carries a self-help mantra as a possible solution. Portrayal of current scenarios ...

Its been long since I blogged ...........in the past I used to blog using my office laptop and usually during office time :-) I used to find blogging a way to get out of the usual office boredom and it was the best way to look busy. Times have changed, now I am much older - without a proper job - trying my new venture which has the old thought .....and I am still wondering is this is what I want. I neither want to go back to the cubicles of the corporate and neither want to start a recruitment firm ....so what will this Ritu like to do ?? hmm let me think I would like to build my own small niche, leave a essence of me in it ..........money is not important , but it should let my bank balance at least stable or inching up at sloth pace. Something to do with earth,fragnances,happiness ..........will it ever happen and if so how- I am still wondering at my age of 37. I wonder how dangerous this question is - What you do ?

My 3 year old son gets a new toy nearly every week. Occasions range from birthdays, visits of grand parents, visit to native, relatives visiting us, festivals , happiness spells....reasons are many as many toys in the house now. We generally give in to his demands for new toys because we love to see the twinkle in his eyes as he gets his new car and many times to hide our guilt of not able to spend good amount of time with him. I think i could have easily accumulated 1 kg of gold for my would be daughter in law with the amount we have spent on the toys. So every week a new toy comes and older ones get pushed under sofa , chairs and all the unseen places gathering dust and reducing the available space in 1000 sq ft home . Yesterday i decided to give away few old toys of my son to kids of construction workers working in our apartment. I chose toys which were in good shape but not played with and of course keeping in mind not to give away toys which had a fond memory attached. I went to t...

I think growing your own food is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways you can contribute to mother earth. It helps you become healthy by consuming no pesticide , chemical stimulants. It Makes your body fitter and mind calmer. It adds beauty to your small balcony or terrace. It saves money and gives a direction of life if pursued more seriously. On a higher note it helps you connect to earth , from which one has come and to which one will get mixed with one day. On a lighter note , it makes your kid know vegetables by names before the age of 2 and prompt them to eat them too. Brinjal produce- 5th dec 2011

What makes me feel good, Is the sound of the violin crafted from wood The pitter patter of noisy rain Tingling in my fingers, because of running sand grains I admire the first shoots of germinating seed How beautiful it seems when a chick opens it's mouth for feed The little kids humming their nursery rhymes Trance like feeling when I hear the wind chimes. I wonder at the play of seasons Celebrating trivial wins for a reason Falling asleep while reading a book Relishing food which my mother cook Passing of train through country side Feeling the air hugging me on a bicycle ride Giving shape to wet clay Looking at a kid engrossed in his play No money can buy these little treasures My heart knows these are without measures!!!

Pondicherry aka Puducherry is a culmination of two worlds. 2km stretch from sea till mainland takes you back to spirituality, coastal life and French connection – the land beyond this stretch is very similar to any other city in India with crowd, traffic, buildings and congestion. We took a night sleeper bus from Bangalore and reached Pondicherry early around 7am, checked into a business hotel – Anandham. The south indian breakfast in the hotel was complimentary, may be this feature made it more tastier. Room rent in Anandham ranges between 1400 to 2000 Rs depending upon season and your bargaining power. The hotel has no view as rooms are without any windows. Places to visit in pondy are Aurobindo Ashram on the street named Rue De La Marine. ( Rue in French means Street ). Kids below 3 are not allowed into premises; I took my kid into a school opposite to ashram and spent good time pondering at aquariums. Ashram is a very serene place and you can actually hear a pin dropping on the...

Busy mom writes on post it Oh son, you get up so late I have to rush hard to punch my card at the office gate Help yourself with Kellogg’s carton kept in the kitchen Don’t forget to drink your milk like neighbor’s kitten The bath water in the tub is warm for you Sorry, I was running late to polish your shoe Money is on table to help your lunch tummy I should be with you for Dinner – Your Mummy Son Writes back In my dreams I see you with me So I hate to get up early in the hours I call wee I am still too short to reach out to cartons in the kitchen I wont drink milk – as I am a cub not a kitten No problem, if you didn’t polish my shoe My school is closed as many kids have got flu Money is still there on the wooden table I felt little weak so had crocin after reading the Label Mom, I am waiting for you – being all alone Cant you join some office – which lets you Work From Home. 

Terracota hand built pot Took around 300 gm of clay and moulded it into a useful planter. important to make a hole at the base while the clay is leather hard.

I laze and relax, I wonder and ponder my mind thought ...... about the things that my brain couldn't sought and my heart assured me that my soul is free ...its not caught. I tasted the sea and the droplets of rain I felt the satin and tattered clothes covering the pain Felt the heat of concrete high rise mansions And swayed to sleep under the thatched roof built of passion Some complained of having plenty Some rejoiced when their plates were not empty I pitied the happiness and the thing which made me laugh was the sadness I am neither cheerful nor poignant , Neither hollow nor expectant, They label me a loser, incapable of winning the race Isn't it ? In the end.... winners and losers will mix with the ether leaving no trace Till then I let my body laze and relax......... Let my soul wonder and ponder.........

Made small pots on wheel of not more than 5cms in height and gave expressions on them using hand building technique. The more i practice , more i improve. These might not be the best pieces of art, but i find them cute and inspirational.

Sometimes in life, i just want to be alone Neither be happy nor have anything to moan Don’t want to think over the past or about the approaching time Just want to ponder on creator’s creations …this wind, ether & sun shine

last saturday we woke up to mangalore air crash and this saturday it was gyaneshwari train accident caused by the Naxal - maoist ( calling themselves saviour of people). I think of those merry people who would have planned their journeys many days in advance, would have packed best of their clothes, would have loaded batteries into their camera's to click beautiful moments of their life - but death was waiting for them which jolted their bodies miserably to take out their soul. After such a tragedy , the blame game starts .Government sets up panel to enquire about the incident , terror groups rejoice and plan to make the next move more deadlier. For both of them its the number of dead that matters. The pain and loss is for those who remain behind - reliving those horrific moments throughout their life, waiting for kids who would never return home again - wishing to have been with the partner on that unfortunate journey ....... For many people like me who are lucky to be readin...

To my love, To my child . I feel you within me though your moves are quite mild. I picture you in my thoughts and wonder how you would look which book will be read to you and what for you i shoud cook Will you be like me or like your papa what will you call me - mummy or mamaa What do i call you , i wonder if you will like the name Will you be naughty or easy to tame However you will be , i will keep you in my arms my love and care will always keep you healthy and warm Come my little angel , your mother is waiting for you guess this is the feeling with you too , my baby boo

All children like animals , at least most of them .In the locality we stayed earlier had lot of kids of our age. Every other day some or the other would find a injured bird , orphaned kitten or sick squirrel . Each kid had a proper role to serve- some were assigned job for taking care of the needy animal ,bully boys were watch guards , some were supposed to provide for temporary residence and then little girls were responsible for food supply. Usually the animal used to get well and sneak out of captivity . Whenever it happened there was a grief all around . There would be frantic searches in bushes , dug up holes and in houses of suspects. Failure in search would eventually take form of blame game , fights and imaginary stories . For few days every one would carry the loss of guest animal in their heart only to be replaced by shout for new discovery " Ae mil gaya mil gaya ...kabutar hain , pankh tuta hua hai " . Me and sister would never get a chance to keep any animal home ...

Here is my first short story , will keep posting some more short stories written by me . Hope you enjoy reading. All stories are fictitious any resemblance to event or person is coincidental :-) Kali – The train singer In the year 1994, we moved to Bombay from Ghaziabad, as my father’s services got transferred to the city. I was 13 then and took admission in a class eighth of a CBSE school at Dadar. We rented a house in dombivili. I used to take 7 am train to Dadar every day and start off my hour long journey. Being new in the city as well as being a very reserved child, I hardly spoke to any body in the train and used to doze off holding a syllabus book more so for reason of avoiding any conversations than catching extra forty winks. “ Pardesi Pardesi Jana nahi “ shrill voice of a girl younger to me by three four years always woke me up , as soon as she used to get into the train at Kalwa holding two small granite pieces and rattling them unmusically. Her hairs were matted tied lo...

वहाँ मत जाओ - वहाँ भूत है । खाना नही खाओ गी तो - राक्षस पकड़ कर ले जाएगा । रात को जो बच्चे नही सोते उन्हें - पुलिस ले जाती हैं। किस किस तरह से सब ने मुझे बुद्धू बनाया , और आज मैं भी बच्चो को इस ही तरह से बेवकूफ बनाती हू । मुझे आज भी याद हैं , जब मैं हर रात एक चिट्टी लिख कर अपने घर की बालकनी मैं रखती थी । मेरा यह विश्वास था की परी आ कर वह चिट्टी ले जायेगी और मुझे जो भी चाहिए वो मेरे लिए रख जाएँगी। २४ दिसम्बर की रात मैं अपनी सारी सोक्क्स और स्तोक्किंग धो कर रस्सी से लटका देती थी । christamas के दिन उसमे एक डेरी मिल्क चोकोलेट , हेयर क्लिप, पेंसिल , शर्प्नेर और एक संता क्लाउस की लिखी चिट्टी पाती थी । उस चिट्टी मैं मुझे संता क्लाउस - एक अच्छी बच्ची बनने के लिए कहता , हर सुब्जेक्ट मैं आए मार्क्स के बारें में जिक्र होता , गणित में ध्यान देने को कहता । में यह सोच हर हेरान हो जाती की किस तरह संता क्लाउस मेरे बारें में इतना कुछ जानता हैं । पर chocolate का स्वाद इस प्रश्न को भुला देता। एक क्रिसमस की सुबह मेरी नींद अचानक खुल गई और मैंने मम्मी को मेरे सिरहाने बेंठ्कर चिट्टी लिखते देखा , तुरंत मैं सम...

How good it is to be doing nothing at all To sit by the window , to look at tea stall To sip hot coffee and hear the rain drop How good it is to be doing nothing at all To follow red ants to their burrows , to look at the mud bath of sparrows To wonder at games that clouds play , to mix colours of pink and grey How good it is to be doing nothing at all To spend afternoon on park swings , to collect sea shells and hear what sea sings To believe in fairies with fur wings , to make houses from matches and twigs How good it is to be doing nothing at all , hope i can be a child all life long

Stretch a bit ,feel your tummy full , switch off the TV, snuggle in to the mattress, take a light bed sheet, turn to side and close your eyes for that lazy afternoon nap. Afternoon naps - the bargained thing for the pay cheque are the best way to relax your body and soul. A hour nap energises the body more than the sleep of 8 hours at night. Look around - all will be doing the same be it a hawker spread over like a log on his hand trolley or street dogs taking few winks in shade . Kids also disappear during this time of the day to return back to streets with more vigour. Enough - Got to get back to work , Boss calling ! office goers need to wait till the life clock strikes 60 .

Some days back , i was just wondering .....that why don't i see any injured bird, cat , dog in the locality . Then i realise - from a long time i have never seen tender roots developing in plant pots , neither i have seen cheap candies and cola filled in plastic packs. I pondered on this thought and knew - why i don't see them any more- i am blinded now. Now i am more busy to reach office on time - as a kid , i never wore watch and never kept time. Now i am more health conscious , cheap things and cheap joints are dirty - as a kid, i never kept tab on weight . road side small shops had best offerings in rupees one or two. I wear good clothes , i have to look good. apperance matters . - in childhood taking care of clothes , hygiene was an outsourced department to Mother. It never mattered that clothes might get dirty while planting seeds in mud pots. In childhood - we see withering plants needing water , small puppies needing shelter , injured wings of sparrow wanting protection...

Which place you belong to ? ........i don't have a specific answer to this question. My mother side grand parents belonged to Pakistan (undivided India) and my paternal side hailed from Delhi - Rewari belt. My mother completed her eduction in Bangalore , while my father walked away with medical degree from AFMC- Pune. Coming to me ....i always had friends who were Gujarati , marwari, Tamil, malyali's, maharashtrians, catholics , muslim. I think i am an observer than a practitioner of any particular culture. I find maharashtrians, Tamils , north Indians , bongs have a strong superficial difference . Language , clothing style , customs all differing a lot .....but when you go deeper .....it all stands on similar values and beliefs. Evey state in India has beautifully got acclimatized to its geography , climate and resources creating a distinct identity but keeping the core of Indian culture intact . I wish we all could have seen the same rather than making a linguistic ghetto . ...