Two Cake and a Birthday

Birthdays are fun. Its your special Day.New Dress,parties,friends and a Birthday Cake.

That is what i used to think, till yesterday my maid asked my wife this question.
"Madam, where can I get a Birthday Cake for cheap?"

I think my wife did not hear the entire question .....she replied "well...Monginis is there" .Thank God she did not say "Taj Birdies". I was like...."Did you not hear her...she asked for a cheap Birtdhday Cake"....

There were no answers.I never thought about it. "A Cheap Birthday Cake".

Scene 2 :- Two days back my wife got invited to a birthday party of our child's school friend. It was supposedly a theme party.My kid had to come in red dress. Then they would be taken to a mall and entertained in the kid rides and stuff, then they had to come back and cut the Cake...yes the Birthday Cake(and I dont think it was anywhere near the sasta wala cake....).

Two scenes and my mind went to a thinking mode.

Imagine you were a child and you at that age you are unaware of money and stuff.Its your Birthday and you think that a Birthday Cake come automatically with it.Yes it does if you are a kid of the parents in Scene 2.

My maid who seemed like she was in tremendous pressure to find a cake for her little one.She had to get one otherwise the bday was not happening.

I just did a fast scan of the cake shops in my area... and seriously I could only see Monginis and Taj Birdies...aah Yes croissants too...

Yes as a kid you do expect a cake on your birthday.i think it has a lot of emotional value.Sasta or mehnga..cake has to be there.

I wondered how many kids in India celebrate bdays with the sasta wala cake or are not fortunate to afford a cake.

I think I know the answer.....LOTS.

Lots of kids would not know their birth dates, lots of kids families would not afford a cake,

While there would be some for whom theme parties and exclusive return gifts and exotic cakes will not be a problem.


As my mind tries to understand what the maid had just asked ....I get a phone on my cell.

My brother had just became a father that same day.

Time for some Cake......

MY Freedom is Your Cage -Part 1

Recently one of my friends on photoblog posted some pictures. Not lot of people saw the other side.She had posted pics of pets caged to be sold.

Lot of visitors could see only the cute dogs and cats.Some people including me could see the other side.Why these pets are cramped inside the cage?



I just couldnt believe it.How can someone like us humans who have all the freedom rob someone else's freedom.I just couldnt see it and I commented her back to take strict action as it was in Bangalore.In Mumbai I would have taken the initiative.

Freedom for a lot of us is a taken for granted thing.But ask those ppor souls caged for no fault of theirs.Imagine yourself caged.I know a lot of people dont think this way, but then somehow I feel for those whose freedom has been caged.

Frankly i was never an animal lover,till I met one of my colleague. She used to feed stray dogs the food left over by our colleagues.I mean such a small gesture but that thing made my mind thinking.

Suppose you were a stray dog who does not have money to buy who cannot speak ...then where will you get your food in this cruel world.Its difficult for humans to get food.... forget dogs.

It really changed my outlook....not only would she feed them religiously but if any stray dog is injured or beaten up badly she would contact animal hospital and get the dog treated.I think for the dogs she was GOD.


Also so that they dont produce more stray dogs she used to get the dogs vaccinated so that future generation of stray dogs are reduced.
I do see a lot of people all over mumbai taking care of stray dogs.These people are angels who selflessly feed and take care of these dogs.I salute them.

I would like to share with you one major incident which happened.

A dog had given birth to 7 puppies inside our society compound.Till the puppies were small everybody enjoyed and there was my friend who us a dog lover and used to feed them.

After about a month I think early morning I heard shouts of my friend fighting with the secretary.The secretary had dumped the 7 puppies somewhere and was not telling where.

My friend was pleading with the secretary to tell her where are the puppies."Just tell me that?"
The secretary gave her no response.I also went to my job after that.IN the night I could hear howling of the puppies mother.She was searching for her puppies.Entire night she howled and howled......I couldn't take it....Next Day I called up my friend and told her I will help her to find the puppies.

Meanwhile my friend had called SPCA who in turn arrested the guy who dropped the puppies somewhere down the road.So after returning from office me and some couple of people went searching for the puppies.

There were so street lights and it was a deserted place where the guy mentioned he had dropped the puppies.We were searching frantically.....some noise some squeal....did the puppies die? were they thrown in to the marshy water ...did they drown? Did they come under vehicles?We were scared...we couldn't find them that night......We decided to come back early next morning and if nothing happens take the help of some media to help find the puppies...

So next day early morning we set out again......We went to a place where people used to jog ...there at the end of the track we found them YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS we found them.

They were in a place which for me resembled heaven.A place in mumbai surrounded by buildings...no traffic...no people...a pond nearby with swans swimming...wasn't it heaven?

OK So how did the dogs reach there ?

Check My Next Blog...:)

Is this your future???

Some meetings in your life fail to leave you .It comes back to you again and again.

Makes me wonder why did this meeting happen to me ? Is it preparing me for things to come ?

Is Life Teaching me ?


This blog is of two incidents which have left an indelible mark in my memory.

I was visitng a local temple as I do every Saturdays since my 9th standard i think.I had finished my temple duties and wa s sitting on a seat .Watching the sky the trees ...it was a pleasant evening.

Seated next to me was a 70- 80 year old man with his bag around his shoulders.he started the conversation...i dont remember what he said.......


He spoke to me in english and told me he was the artist for Balbharati boooks (for those who remeber the girl and boy photo we used to see in our Balbharathi books).....I was like "oh My God !".....

This is the guy who had drawn that pic and god only knows how many books were printed with that pic ......For me it was a gr8 feelin sitting next to him.....

Then started his story a sad one...

he told me how he and his wife would come to this temple every time ans spend some god time here......he became very nostalgic........i could feel the things to come .......he broke down......he was getting hit by all those memories that he had spent with his wife in this temple i in life in general.......

I am not a good consoler....infact i cant console anyone who breaks down....i desperately wanted to change topic and do something to make this old man stop crying.......

I managed to think of something and asked him " dont you have anyone at home...?"

managing to pick himself up he replied..."i have my son and his wife.....but they dont take care of me...they keep me in a separate room and thats it....."

I could really feel what he s saying.....cAN LIFE BE SO CRUEL ?????

Here is one guy who must have been one of the best of his time and now there is no one ...is he alone or is he thinking he is alone because he missed his wife....??


The other incident happened when one day i was coming down a pedestrain bridge from the Andheri Flyover.I could see a petite Parsee lady at some distance ...she was in this dark blue kind of dress.......i knew she is going to call me.....I somehow avoided her gaze and was about to go past her...when she called me out...."Excuse me can I use your mobile phone?"

Well I cant refuse this lady ......i said well yes please do......

she gave me a number and i dialled it for her ...she spoke to someone....and then she asked me if i could wait.....till her grandson arrives....I said "Well OK".........Just enquired where currently his grandson has reached and stuff......

Then came the story.....

she said that her son's wife had thrown her and her husband out of the house...bt this grandson was the nly one close to her..and he used to come to give her money without the knowledge of his parents....Her husband is bed ridden.......I thought to myself ..."why me,? god why me?" "why do u make me meet people like these..??? Do you want me to expericne all these or are you making me ready for things to come...or is this a reality with everybody?"

Anyways her grandson did not turn up...i felt bad...i knew giving her money would be bad...she could be a crook or a cheat....in anycase i gave her 100 rs which she refused to take but on my persistence she took it...
she looked at me..thanked me and went off......

Couple of days passed by I was walking the same route.....I saw that same old lady with a parsee teen boy...I guess she had met her grandson.......




Thoughts on my mind......When you grow old you are more dependent just like a new born baby is.....then why cant their children take care of those people who had taken care of them when you were born....???

Is it all about the money ?????I think this argument is crap.....I feel sad that there are stories which are sad..everyday people are struggling whether rich or poor ......but these stories are non excusable for their children who make it happen...I hope when that young teen guy grows up he just does not throw his parent out and I just dont stumble upon them near the Andheri Flyover.


i would like to know your comments.

Where are you going?

Got up this morning and thought of a fun thing...if I were to ask different sections of people "Where are you going?", what would be their reply ?

hmm...
let me ask a school boy .....He replies..."I am going to the school"......a teen ..she replies.."On my way to college".......I ask an executive who seems to be in a hurry he replies " i am late for a meeting.....need to rush".......

I ask a vegetable vendor......"FOr now i am here selling my vegetables..later I will go home"......I ask an old man just c coming from a morning walk..."where are you going?" ...he just stops and replies...."well nowhere just my home...." and he walks off......I

see a poor rag picker walking across a bus bus stop where neatly dressed people are going to their work place.I ask the rag picker..."where are you going?" She doesnt seem to know........

I ask a two year old....she just smiles and runs.........I ask my self "where r u going ?" ....I reply " today i am going to my office"...

Would my reply change when I am 40 say 50.?......Would my answer be like the old man....who had said "He is going home ".......Where would i be going after 60 years......

Where would be a new born be going that day......Where would he be going in 6o yrs............?

In this rat race people go somewhere and return and this cycle continues......you had come someday ..you will go someday....but then if you dont know where are you going....are you really going anywhere ?

I Just wanted to bring to point our entire life is a vicious cycle where before you realize you have lived life..........you will say I missed it and now its too late........

Wish I had done something for the environment.......may be a small plant...
Wish i had done something for the street children....Just wished i could have taken care of atleast one kid...

Wish I had done something for a better world ?

Your wish is about to be granted.........its not too late......

Even though you are in this vicious cycle of life.....Every day you wake up ...ask yourself .."where am i going today ?".You can make a small difference each day everyday....So when you are down and out and you look back you can say....."I had gone somewhere...."

so go somewhere ...Make a difference

So can i ask you ..."Where are you going today ;)?"

Hey Ram...

Hey Ram!

The last words spoken by the Great Mahatma Gandhi.The congress says Lord Ram does not exist. Wonder whose name was Gandhi saying when he died ?

Yesterdays nationwide protests by the orange brigade really made me think and write my first ever blog.

For those not from India let me give you a brief background of the issue.
The Sethusamudram Ship Canal project aims at creating an artificial canal in the shallow ocean, by dredging parts of Ram Sethu, to enable vessels to save time taken to circumnavigate the Sri Lankan island while going from west to east.

According to the epic Ramayana, Ram Sethu is a bridge constructed by Lord Ram connecting the Indian peninsula with mainland Sri Lanka.You can have a look at it here
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&hl=en&ll=9.096164,79.556465&spn=0.475962,0.582275

There were two issues which came to my mind
1)If Lord Ram built a bridge to cross the ocean to reach his destination, would he not be happy if someone wants a way to reach his destination.(suggested by sidd my office colleague)

2)Congress says in court Lord Ram never exist.
Nasa says the bridge is not man made...(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam's_Bridge) it is a natural formation.
One of the Indian Geologists had claimed it was indeed a man made formation.

A historian on ibnlive says Lord Ram is not a popular figure of worship in Tamil Nadu so it does not matter in Tamil Nadu (does he mean to say if the god mattered then there would be chaos in Tamil Nadu?)


I would like to think with congress that the Lord Rama never existed .it was some person who was kind of a great storyteller came up with the whole thing and connected the Nasa claimed natural Formation bridge --with Lord Ram..Then why do we have places named after Ram.Why are the caves said to be a home to Ram?Were all those planned and handed down to generation after generation without any facts or figures to prove.

Well i am confused as a child .......i am reminded of the Hariharan song (Krishna nee begaane baro.....) "Krishna please come fast"..... Lets sing "Rama please come fast"...solve India's miseries.....Hey Ram!