"Fir Tree at Kissanpur"

Rimmi, Susan, Lisa, John, Prem and Sachin finished their annual examinations and wanted to have some fun. They all stay in the same gated community and study in the same school. Rimmi is the eldest of all who just finished her Xth standard (SSC) exams. Every one calls her didi. Susan finished her 5th standard. Lisa , John and Prem finished their 6th where as Sachin is Rimmi's class mate. On a hot sultry April afternoon they were lazing around at Rimmi's place. Some were doodling , some were reading, some were watching IPL. Then out of the blue Lisa shouted, "Why don't we all go to Kissanpur next week? I heard the place is awesome with too many birds and too much greenery.I am sure we will have loads of fun there. There is an amusement park too!"

Prem: "But will mom dad allow us to go there all by ourselves?"

Rimmi: "Come on! You are not a baby boy! Ofcourse they will allow."

Susan: "My mom for sure will not allow. Remember how my sister fell off a tree last time we went to picnic?"

John: "No. Please persuade them Susan. It will be too much fun. You know Kissanpur has many exotic plants and birds. We will have a grand time there."

Sachin: "Ya and I will get my new Canon too. We will post some amazing clicks on FB and make every one jealous."

Rimmi, Lisa and Prem in chorus: "Yay. That sounds like a plan."

Susan: "I don't know if I can join."

Rimmi: "Why do you worry? Leave it to us. We will convince your mama papa." With that assurance Susan smiled broad. It took at least 2 days to convince all their parents. With out any delay they all backpacked and carried all the essentials for a day long picnic at Kissanpur. It was a sweltering hot day and they carried cold drinks, Tangs, Lemon soda and many things to munch on the way.

Kids being welcomed at Kissanpur

As soon as they entered Kissanpur, they all were awed. The lush green ambiance and the rare birds, plants and fruits were just perfect. It was like they were sitting in mother nature's lap. The food in the outlets was so fresh and green. There were no artificial flavors or colors. The trees and the cool shade excited them. In the city and the hustle bustle they never get a chance to take a whiff of fresh air but in Kissanpur the experience was enthralling. They totally forgot the food they got from home and relished the natural fresh food at Kissanpur and clicked hundreds of pics. They explored various fields and the plantations there. It was a 200 acre land. Part of it is used for farming , part of it for kids' amusement with all the eateries and rides but there was a third far flunged part which was fenced and no one was being allowed inside. Rimmi went to one of the organizers and spoke.

"Hey. Why is that area barricaded? Are we not allowed to go in there?"

The organiser: "Nope. That area doesn't belong to Kissanpur and it definitely is not for kids. Err.. I mean that area is under development and entry is strictly prohibited. Please don't go there." Saying so the organiser left and he got busy with other duties.

John spoke, "Let's go and see what is in there. We may click something which no one clicked."

Susan: "Why to take risk John : ( ?"

Rimmi , Lisa and Prem: "Hey. It is ok. It is just under development . It is not haunted." Saying so they laughed loud which scared the shit out of Susan.

Susan: "I don't know. I am scared."

Sachin: " Don't worry Susie. We will just go, click one or two pics and come back."

They carefully crossed the fence and walked and walked and found nothing. The land was mostly barren and trees were life less. A factory just next to the land bellowed a siren now and then and the smoke which was coming out of factory chimneys made them breathless. Susan and Lisa both were hyperventilating as it was getting dark.

Susan : "I told you not to come. There is nothing here. Let us go back."

They were just about to leave when they heard a voice....

"Why are you leaving so soon? Explore the land little more." The voice was deep and threatening.

Susan jumped and got hold of John's shirt. Lisa gasped and every one stood shell shocked at the same spot.

They all looked around but no one was in vicinity other than a Fir tree which was almost leafless.

Lisa: "Rimmi didi, I am scared." Susan started crying.

Rimmi: "Hushhh. Don't cry Susie. Lisa , please keep quiet."

She continued, " Who is this ? Why are you not coming in open?"

"I am the Fir tree. My friends named me Florence. We breathe life as much as you do and sometimes we talk too if we want. The morons have been thinking this place is haunted." Fir tree replied in a stern voice.

Prem: "Is this some kind of a joke? Come on, show your self."

Fir tree: "Why is it so tough for you humans to believe that we are also living beings?"

John: "Err.. Is this some kind of game the Kissanpur team has set up, coz it is no longer funny dude. Please let us know." Susan was looking petrified by that time.

Fir tree : "This is not Kissanpur's land. Can you see the factory near by. It emits lot of smoke day long and the wastes from there have many harmful metals like chromium. Due to the extensive pollution I have shed all my leaves and so did many other plants around here. Before the factory was built, this area was also as green as the Kissanpur which is adjacent to this."

 "So you mean you are actually speaking to us now. Right?" questioned Rimmi in disbelief trying to understand what ever the Fir tree spoke.

The Fir tree bent it's branches as if to signal that it actually is speaking.

Susan and Lisa shrieked. Rimmi silenced them and continued , "So why are you talking to us now. I mean why did you choose us?"

Fir: "I saw that you guys were enjoying nature and appreciating mother nature's beauty. I felt you can save us. Meet my friend sunflower. His name is sunny."

Sunny : "Ya. Hi guys." Sunflower shouted in enthusiasm which startled every one.

"Don't be scared of us. We have started speaking in human language only to scare the people who want to encroach this land. If we don't act we all will be killed." Continued Sunny.

The kids conversing with Florence the fir, sunny the sunflower and other plants at Kissanpur

By now Susan was hiding behind Lisa. She was watching around her with wide eyes. Rimmi was the only one who seemed a bit calm. John and Prem gained composure and spoke to Florence.

John: "But how is this act going to help you?"

At this Sunny laughed loud and even Florence chuckled.

 "You just spoke to the Kissanpur's organiser right? Everyone including him believe that this place is haunted. They think it is due to the burial ground near by and they are scared of occupying this area." replied Sunny with a sunny smile spreading across its petals.

All other trees also started speaking.

Tree 1: "Only this act could save the rest of us."

Tree 2: " I was a happy tree too but due to the polluted water, air and the harmful wastage from the factory my health is also deteriorating."

Every one was silent for a minute. Sachin spoke first. "But how can we help you? How can we stop the encroachment? "

Florence: "You can report to authorities and also spread the word in your school. Post this issue on social networks. Talk to your dad who works in the department of Environmental sciences and help us. Social media is a big thing these days. We all know that. When I was just a seed I was bought from a shop which has a facebook page too. You people can generate the uproar and help us."

 " OK. We will see what we can do but do continue the talking till the issue gets resolved. Now we have to leave as it is getting dark. We will come back soon." Rimmi promised with a smile.

"Oh. Ya. We can do the talking. Humans are most scared by humans. It is not tough imitating them. I am hoping you passionate kids can bring a good change soon." Replied Florence in a hopeful tonne.

Rimmi nodded. Every one left the place after waving bye to the trees!

They all came back home with a sense of purpose in their minds. They spoke to their dad and reported to the concerned authorities and did what ever they can do to resolve the issue. They dedicated their summer holidays totally to this. Finally by the end of May, the concerned people responded and the land encroachment was cancelled. Also a law was passed according to which the polluted water and garbage should be diverted and for the good health of the plants a dedicated team would work in that area, for regular gardening and watering of plants and much more.

Rimmi and the team jumped in joy. Just before the school reopened they all went to Kissanpur again to say "hi" to their old friends. Now the barricades were removed and work was in progress in that area.

Florence conveyed thanks and Sunny winked at them when no one was watching. A mango tree offered the best of the mangoes to the kids' clan and a Neem tree swayed little more to give the coolest shade to them. It for sure felt that life was back in Kissanpur and  every plant became their new friend which proved that if you love nature, nature will love you back!  After few months even that land became a part of Kissanpur and was looked after with extra care and the owner of Kissanpur gifted the kids and their families some rich ripe juicy tomatoes and awarded them with tickets to Kerala - God's own country. Every one was happy with the new extension of Kissanpur but the happiest of all were the trees of Kissanpur now full of life.

I end this post with a wonderful quote.

Image source: here

This fictional post about "Florence the Fir tree" is written for Indiblogger's Nature's Friends Contest. Do visit Kissanpur's page when you are here.

PS: I made the cartoons with the help of a website toondoo.com but ideas are my own

I am also linking this to "A to Z blogging Challenge 2014" . This is my 6th post for the letter "F"

I am part of a group for A to Z challenge which makes this activity more interesting. 

Some "E" posts worth reading:

Vinay's interesting story "E3"

Anuradha's English ease a funny language. (From Pjs to funny stories her posts are unique)

Want to improve your vocab and share few smiles ? Do check out Roshni's Weird words which she is using to describe her family.

Thanks for your love and support :) Meet you tomorrow with "G!"

The "Caged" Love

Tahir joined the college to pursue his MBA. He is a very talented boy. He is gifted with the writing talent. His friends always used to exclaim that he is a store house of enthusiasm , energy and he has a ocean of emotions which when he penned always felt magical! Only thing which no one understood about Tahir is his dislike towards parties and social gatherings. He had an aversion to people. He used to come to college , finish his classes and go back to library or his room. Every one wanted to know the secret about Tahir. They wanted to crack the code and share it with all. They used to force him , probe him with questions but he was always cool, composed and just passed on a sweet smile when ever people crossed the limits.

There is no girl in the college who didn't try to get close  to Tahir in whatever possible way but he was always shy and used to retort when it used to go beyond limit. Some thought it was just cute as he is shy. Some others thought he is too naive or too rude! He never bothered about what others have to say but he always used to shun when ever there is a pretty damsel trying to woo him in the vicinity!

"A bundle of boredom," "Weirdo" , "Nerd" - He got all possible labels a person as boring as him can get. Nothing flinched Tahir.

Finally the day came when every one will be leaving the college with flying colors. Tahir was recruited on the day 0 of interviews. One of the prestigious banks, Bank of Scotland recruited him and every one was obviously jealous of Tahir's success as he was the only one selected in interview. The gang of boys despised the fact that he will fly soon, where as few threw remarks that even if he succeeded it is of no use as he neither has girl friend nor an interesting life style!

His parents and sister came from Delhi to Lucknow to attend his convocation. Every one was in high spirits but they seemed dull. Fellow students were surprised as one more puzzle loomed in front of them and they were not able to crack it. They just couldn't understand why on earth were the topper Tahir's parents so gloomy.

Tahir's Mom : "You can't stop him Hussain. He is going to Scotland. It is a job which half of the Indians can only dream of."

She was shouting in a high pitched voice in a corridor next to the library. Rajesh, Tahir's class mate who was standing inside the library at a window near to them started overhearing their conversation.


Tahir's Dad: " We got to stop him. Now we can hide the secret under the wraps but if he goes the whole world will know."

Mom: "Why should the whole world know? What is the big deal even if they know Hussain? We can't just let him live like a dead body." Sobbed Tahir's mom.

Dad: " What about our religion ? community ? relatives? What will I tell to them when they ask me when I am planning to get my son married?"

Rajesh came closer to the window so that he could hear better!

Mom: "People will not keep firing questions at you through out their life. They have to stop on some day Hussain!"

Dad: " I can't take all this . It is so shameful. I can't bear this trauma." Saying so Tahir's dad removed his spectacles. Tears welled up in his eyes.

Tahir's mom approached him. She held his hand gently and told in a soft tone, "He is our son Hussain. We can't just spoil his life."

Tahir's sister Nazia entered the scene.

"Mom, dad where have you been. Bhayya is searching for you. He needs your help to get ready."

Looking at their expressions she realized what they would have been discussing.

Nazia: "Mom, dad just let it go na. Atleast for today. Today is Tahir's day. If you can't be with him atleast stay silent. Please don't start an argument here."

Dad: "Why not ? I know why he is going to Scotland. To meet him!" said Tahir's dad seething with anger and frustration.

Nazia : "Dad, you can't change something which already happened. You will be disappointing him and yourself too!"

Dad: "How can I show face to my relatives?"

Tahir who was hearing all this by standing behind a pillar entered the scene. "Dad. Michael knows me from long. We are meant to be with each other. If you can't accept us please don't come in between us."

Tahir's dad had mixed expressions of sadness, anger and pity! Rajesh left the library in two long jumps and the news travelled in university like a wild fire!

Every one started eyeing Tahir and giggling. Girls finally understood why he was an introvert and some boys teased him, some maintained their distance where as some bullied him. Tahir did not flinch.

"Sheesh. You are gay! You are not a man. You can't play with us. You are untouchable. You should be abandoned from the cricket group. " These voices echoed in Tahir's head at that moment. He is used to them now. There were moments in his past when he felt so vulnerable that he even thought of suicide many times. His own mom and dad were aghast by their son's acts.

His liking towards woman's products, his desire to get nailpolish on his hands, the way he wanted to dress, all these things used to shock his parents. His father beat him mercilessly with a wooden cane till his body could take no more. His dad made him take oaths that he will try to at-least pretend to be normal till he finishes his graduation. He googled every thing about being a transgender and showed to his mom and dad but his dad never softened! His mom however , read , empathized and warmed up to him eventually though she always used to face the wrath of the neighbors and their perennial questions. Tahir never spoke to his dad after one night when he beat him with his leather belt. No other punishment could repair Tahir's mind or mend his traits. 

He was 18 when he got attracted to Michael, a boy whom he met during a trip. They became pen friends and then facebook friends and skype friends and they were inseparable. Tahi'rs life bloomed all of a sudden. Michael was the first guy in his life who understood him. Michael felt the same about Tahir. Their relationship was going strong much to the disgust of Tahir's dad. His mom kept mum but sister used to talk and try to understand him with each passing day. Finally she was in a position to just let him go and not cut his wings of freedom.

"Caged" love: Image source : here

Tahir was a bright student and Michael was highly creative. Michael wanted to become a professional photographer and Tahir wanted to be an investment banker. He is quick witted and a hard worker who used to finish all friends' assignments but never used to mingle with any! The day has finally come when he finally would get an MBA degree in hand and would be able to fly to his dream land where Michael lives and pursue his career and live happily!

The same day his open secret became the talk of the college campus. Every one eyed Tahir with curiosity as he started walking in the corridor fuming, towards his room. His sister tried to console him and his mum stayed mum as always. Convocation started and every one's name was called. Tahir was awarded the best student of the batch award. He got a gold medal too. He was asked to deliver a speech. He shivered and it took a minute for him to stay focused. After he gathered his composure he started talking.
"Today's date will  be permanently etched in our memories. I feel privileged to receive this award for outstanding performance from the hands of our honorable Chief minister. Today I want to thank my mom, dad and my sister for making me what I am. My mom is my pillar of strength. My sister is my admirer and I adore her. My dad hates me and this my friends is the biggest reason for my success."

Many people gasped. Few shuddered and a murmur started in the crowd.

Tahir continued, "I am not a normal person as per the norms of the society. Few used to call me weirdo, few tagged me as a psycho and few took the authority to even abandon me from their colony, community and society. Few more had the guts to suggest me to commit suicide! All because I am a gay."

This statement received more gasps and aaahhs and oooohs from the crowd!

"Yes. I am a gay and to me it is as normal as being a guy who falls in love with a girl to get married and to bear kids. Actually my situation is much better as population can be controlled."

Few chortled at that statement.

"I tried to change. I tried a lot but I couldn't. My dad beat me with a thick leather belt and there was a night when I almost killed myself. After 19 failed suicide attempts and completely broken heart I was wandering aimlessly when I met Michael in one of the seminars during my twelfth standard final days. We clicked in nano seconds and there was no looking back. I realised he had similar "normal" traits I had and in our own small world we were gay, I mean happy ;-) "

This  lead to some more smiles and cheers in the crowd.

"Obviously there was resentment at home. One fine day my dad even tried to get me married to a girl even before I finished graduation. She ran away the moment I said, we can live together but I swing the other way. I am a gay. I still remember her perturbed reaction :). I was in touch with Michael via skype, phone and we met once in an year.  It has been 8 years now and we are still going strong. You see there is no other girl to hamper our relationship and if there is a handsome guy I make it sure that Michael doesn't get a chance to look at him." Tahir said this with a wink which made people whistle and clap.

" I am gay and this was a punishment to my dad. This is my bad karma, he likes to say that always. The good thing out of this bad karma is that I have put every drop of my sweat and blood in my MBA and here today I am in a position where I can earn a living and the icing on the cake is I am going to Scotland. That is a dream land as my Michael lives there. A lavish life, lovely partner in midst of alps and doing what you really want to do. How many among us are lucky enough to achieve this?"

There was a pin drop silence and every thing Tahir spoke echoed in the auditorium.

"I am handsome, so is my partner and you need not pity me that I am wasting my good looks by falling for a guy. In fact I can write a book titled "Advantages of being a gay" in the next 5 years!"

People were listening to him with rapt attention now.

"However I will never be able to write a book , "How to get in to good books of your dad or society in general if you are a gay!" Sorry dad, I can neither make you proud of my decisions nor can I make you happy by my success but I don't want to be sorry to myself through out my life, so I can't alter my decisions! Irrespective of the memories I had, I will miss home. I will miss you sis and mom. We shall meet soon. Now I would like to call Michael on stage, my true inspiration , a creative person , a professional photographer who loves to write and paint, a person who always and all-ways had my back. He is a Phd in psychology and we will soon start living together." Michael ran on to the stage and hugged Tahir. There were mixed reactions among audience . Few had tears in eyes. Few expressed disgust and few were neutral.

Whatever may be the varied expressions and reactions Tahir and Michael celebrated the best day of their life. Tahir flew to Scotland in few months. They got married. It was a simple event with just few close friends and colleagues. Tahir's dream life started but he had to go further from his parents to get closer to the love of his life and he is still waiting to see if his dad will warm up to him.

Image source: here

Let us hope and pray that in the coming years may be he will change his attitude towards Tahir!

"To love and to be loved is the biggest victory.
  To love and to get the approval of everyone is the biggest mystery.
  Love has no boundaries or logic and at times it is caged.
  Lovers in bloom always rekindle the love and stay young even if they get aged!"

After many hurdles Scotland has legally approved the same sex marriages. Read this news on BBC-  Registration opens for same sex marriage in Scotland . It becomes legal on 29 March. Let us hope change comes eventually through out the world!

This post is submitted for Indiblogger's  Go Further to get closer contest. Do watch the British airways ad below on youtube

 and do visit Britishairways.com when you are here! Thanks for reading!

La belle dame in the beau France!

Allo everyone:) .The mere thought of a holiday to France is enthralling to me. I read about few destinations in Southern France during one of my journeys and decided that I will sort out my finances and visit France when ever I can.

France is the land of love and romance with extensive history. If the delicious French cuisine is to die for, the wine and champagne should be tasted at least once in life. There are many holiday destinations in France. The land of Eiffel tower attracts majority tourists. People who love adventurous skiing in the snowy Alps in winter and mountaineering in summer will love holidaying here. The natural beauty of France, marvelous landscapes and beaches are mesmerizing. If I get a chance I would love to holiday in France for sure. Below is my agenda the day I plan flying to France :)

Skyscanner is an amazing app which helps in comparing the flight rates and rounding on what suits you best. It also helps in searching the hotels and book cabs at your desired destination. Thanks to Indiblogger which helped us in knowing more about this cool app. Below screenshots show how this app helped me with my search! After a lot of research I rounded on a place called NICE to visit first in the France. I need solemnity, solace and rejuvenation and this place looks like it has what all I need for!

A glimpse of Skyscanner website

I explored little more with the help of skyscanner on my mobile and rounded on British airways which suited my budget. Find the screen shots below which helped me with my search. I have seen apps and websites like Makemytrip and many more but there is nothing like skyscanner. It is a one stop shop to know the flight rates and explore the places and know the duration and many other small big miscellaneous details.

I will make a checklist before my travel starts. The highlights would be like below

·         Passport, Id card and other essentials should be in place.

·         Plan for the currency exchange to Euros after arriving in France

·         Planning proper accommodation with the help of SkyScanner.

·         Planning the trip in the right time of the year, preferably from April to October.

·         Learning basic French words to not face any difficulty during the local sightseeing :)

·         Meticulously spending the Euros and being vigilant so as to avoid getting lured.

·         Last but not the least carrying the medical kit in case of emergency during the travel period.

When I Scanned the Sky :)

Where to holiday in South France ?:  It is a big question as the place is vast!. A holiday in Southern France is purely divine in winter as well as summer. Other than the crowded July and August rest of the year is off season and is calmer. The city which you must visit in South France is “Nice” in Côte d'Azur. It is easy to plan day trips to places like Monaco, Canes Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Menton from there. Aix-en-Provence situated further east is beautiful. You can book accommodation in a rental villa too. One can go hiking in the golden yellow fields or a day can be spent by visiting the nearby ski resorts. Cities in Provence such as Avignon, Arles, Nimes and Marseille are great to visit during the winter season as winter is sunny and pleasant. Even if swimming in Mediterranean is tough as it is cold one can enjoy a sea side stroll. The calanques are a major attraction of France holidays, which are steep-walled inlets of the sea, good for adventurous hiking and the sight is breath taking. Shared below are few glimpses!

The wide beach in Nice. Image source- here

This is a calanque. Isn't it breath taking ? Source -here

Camping holidays in France:  A holiday to France is incomplete if you miss the beaches of southern France. Camping in France should be in your to-do list. Camping is the best family holiday and you can stay in a luxurious tent or a mobile holiday home or a caravan. For an enjoyable camping holiday in France you have to first decide your budget and location. Again the skyscanner app will come handy here if you are facing challenges to contact people and know the details. French alps and beaches can make you dreamy.  With mouthwatering Croissants, magnificent lunches, coffee and amazing weather camping will make holidays to France memorable. Holiday caravan  secluded from the hustle bustle or a mobile home make the duration in France more interesting.

A camping holiday in France

Beach holiday:  France is a place for  perfect beach holidays with clear blue waters and warm climate. There are many pristine beaches. Cannes and Nice are famous for beach holidays and for family outings. A visit to Alps for a ski holiday makes a France holiday quite adventurous. Whether you are a professional skier or not you will have the ski slopes fitting your skills. Along with diversified cultures the holiday destinations in France are good for an adventurous trip. The treks, rock climbing, camping, cycling, canyoning, white water rafting and hiking make the trip more thrilling. With excellent beaches, rides and facilities France holidays are peaceful. Fishing holidays in France are good for fisher men and also  for anglers who just want to fish for fun.

Holidays of choice in France:-)

Walking holidays in France altogether give a different perspective. With necessary maps one can walk carefree. The self-guided walking trips or couple walks can be short or long and exciting. France has an amazing coastline with variety of beaches. If shores of Brittiany are rugged, Mediterranean is sun drenched. You can swim, surf and relax and also get a hotel accommodation overlooking the beach. You can hire a boat and enjoy the French Canal Boating Holidays. You can enjoy the scenery, rich heritage and history during boating. Driving holidays in France are good too. You can self-drive or rent a car and plan your trip. Villas, gites, apartments, hotels and chateaus provide an excellent holiday accommodation to tourists in France. There are many cottages and hotels at affordable prices for a perfect France holiday with in the budget. The luxurious accommodation and facilities like crèche, babysitting provide relaxing time for families with children. I would love to sit relax , enjoy the French wine and other cuisines and just get lost in the dreamy land of France!
Oui.  A holiday in France will totally leave you in awe.

This is the true blue color of water in Mediterranean at Nice - Source : here

Walking Holiday in France. Solitude can be a bliss!
Image source : here

From learning French to eating the mouth watering Croissants and holidaying in these exotic locations of Southern France , every thing linked to France is in my to-do list. I started dreaming about France from the day I read a beautiful ballad  "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats. I am charmed by the place, history, Leonardo Davinci, the art and the rich culture. I want to visit the Cannes Film Festival. I want to get amazed by Monalisa at the Lourve and get amused at the Palace of the Versailles. I will be visiting the fashion capital of the world and the most romantic city- Paris and stand on the top of Eiffel Tower with my man as well but the place "Nice" is just etched in my mind , so it would be nice if I  plan my trip by starting with Nice.Let me know your dream destinations and how you will plan for them ?

The famous French Wine, Bread , cheese and grapes. Source: here

John Keats- Source - here . I love his poems and quotes :)

"Merci for reading my dream trip to France.
After writing all this I am definitely in a trance!
Bonjour my dear readers till we meet again here with the same fervour.
If you liked this write up share your views and vote for me here. Au revoir :-)!"

This post is submitted for #TravelsmartwithSkyScanner contest by Indiblogger in association with SkyScanner

Teen Bandar Blog-gaga ke andar!

The three unwise monkeys some times called the three mystic apes stand for "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Now who doesn't know this but some times when we get carried away and fail to use all our senses, we come across three other monkeys who see no truth, hear no truth and speak no truth and we tend to believe whatever they say! They go to any extent to meet their ulterior motives and if one of those monkeys tries to hear out to our pleas, the other two close his ears and make him/ her do what they believe.

The story written below is fictional and resembling anyone and everyone is very much possible.
Once upon a time in the Blog-gaga jungle lived a beautiful Dove. She was beautiful in and out. The way she thinks, talks and writes is beautiful. Not all were happy in the land of blog-gaga. Some used to rant, some just used to suppress their expressions, some were too expressive and some were always edgy. One common dream which all the blog-gaggers had was to get published one day. To see their work on paper written with a quill dipped in the magical ink provided by renowned Bubble-ishers is their long lasting dream. Bubble-ishers do the work of bringing the creative people's work to larger audience. For instance a Dove's work will not be restricted to just Doves. Crows, Elephants, Dogs, Snails and even the king of the Blog-gaga jungle, Simba the Lion will have access to her work if she gets bubble-ished. The very thought of this used to elate the Dove. She was talented than a couple of other Sparrows and Pigeons who got bubble-ished by few renowned bubble-ishers. On one fine day a fellow Pigeon brings a message to all the jungle dwellers.

" A contest to get bubble-ished by none other than Heera , Ranjha and Laila." They are the three monkey bubble-ishers whom many of the blog-gaggers didn't recognize. The name of their bubble-ishing company is "The Monkey Bubble-ishing house." Dove's happiness knew no bounds as she felt she can give her best this time as she loved the themes. She was hopeful to get bubble-ished. She knew and heard about them and she thought she could trust them and so did not ask many questions.

She dived in to the contest with a hope and a dream to see her work in the magical ink. Results were getting delayed and she thought due to some technical glitch. Mean while Heera , Ranjha and Laila added her on the Blog-gaga's social network which is called , "The Jungle-Book." She asked them about the results a couple of times. Other than that she had nothing else to get clarified! One day Ranjha replied.

"Soon they will be out. Meanwhile please check out my page and like it and do buy the book written by me too. It will be helpful."

Dove ordered the book. Yes. Her senses were not working that minute. All she thought of was her story in the book and a good rapport with the bubble-ishers!

On one fine day results were announced. The overjoyed Dove took a flight to the top most branch of the Neem tree holding her I-phone as and when she saw her name in the email sent to her by the bubble-isher group. She was about to announce it to all her friends when she saw an attachment in the mail ! She read it and immediately the pure white color of her wings turned to off-white. She was asked to buy 30 copies of her own book at a discounted rate and transfer the money to bubble-ishers. In return her story would be bubbli-shed along with many others' stories! When she said she can't do that, the number of books was reduced from 30 to 15.

The winners were not announced publicly yet as quantity of people who commit to pay the price was given importance over the quality of the stories. Dove's trust factor was broken and she in a rage pinged Ranjha on the Jungle-Book.

Dove : "I didn't get the clause in the contract?"

Ranjha: "Which clause?"

Dove : "The clause that I have to pay for my own books!"

Ranjha: "Yep. Sorry about that Dove but Heera decides it. I can't help."

Dove: "What does it mean by Heera decides it? Was it already decided? If yes why aren't we informed well in advance?"

Ranjha: "I am as helpless as you are. Why don't you talk to Heera?"

Dove obediently pinged Heera to know what this monkey business is all about.

Dove : "Heera, why was it not informed before  hand about the payment to participants?"

Heera: "It will never be informed prior. Once you are chosen only then the contract will be disclosed."

Dove : "But that is just sad and disgusting. It is cheating in the name of contest!"

Heera: "Madam. You need not rant or show attitude. Go prove your self in the big bad bubble-i(sh)tching world and you will come to know how much the Monkey bubble-ishers helped you!"

Dove: "This is highly demotivating and I would like to walk out of the contest."

The dog barked, cuckoo shouted in an off-beat tone, the cat howled and the sparrow squealed  when Dove disclosed this. As of Dove she got stark silent after all this. She finally realized that the effort spent on her story was sheer waste. To her surprise many have agreed to pay and she refused to sign the contract. She thought for a second if she was a bigger fool but her conscience did not agree with her!

Few walked out of the  contest while few gave in to the temptation. After all seeing one's own work in the magical ink is everyone's passion!

Dove was feeling bad due to the tiff with Heera and his rudeness. She thought if at all she has potential one fine day she would be equipped to fulfill her ambitions.

Meanwhile Laila spoke to Dove like below in the chat window.

Laila: "I heard about it only when results were being announced Dove. We never knew this. I will never be working with Heera again."

Dove : "Heera was rude when I objected and said that I am showing attitude."

Laila: "That was quite unexpected. I am sorry for what ever happened!"

After empathizing with Dove both forgot each other and moved on with life. After a couple of days Dove came to know that all three were together in this Monkey business. Laila updated on their Jungle book page that there are three other surprise winners. It was funny because those three obviously would have been short listed after they agreed to pay money. Like this the three monkeys flourished in the business and the Dove's bubble of desire to get bubble-shitched with the help of monkey bubble-itchers got burst!

The only thing Dove could do to soothe her angry soul was  cancelling Ranjha's book order she made weeks back. Dove decided that if ever she meets them she would offer 5star to them, "Kyu ki Cadbury fivestar andar to seriousness (deceitfulness)  baahar ;) "
Like Abraham Lincoln said ages back, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time,but you cannot fool all the people all the time!"

This post is submitted for Indiblogger's    #ConditionSeriouHai contest.

Do visit the cadbury 5star's FB page when you are here :)

"If it has to be for you, it should be by you!"

Its the era of digital revolution. The world has traveled from the pigeon to post card , from All India Radio to Ipods and tablets and from telegram to twitter. There is no need to write pages on how digitization influenced every one's life.It is the era of tablets and smart phones. Every one wants to finish a task easily by  flicking the index finger on their smart phones. The number of people using smart phones and apps is rising as days pass by. People may not be aware of AAP but evey one is aware of an app :) 

Click on the image for a better view

It is not an exaggeration if I say that some of our youngsters are  laid back. They prefer being couch potatoes and staying blissfully unaware of what is happening around them, playing games on the same smart mobiles rather than thinking of the productive ways of using it. Politics is a bigger thing , many especially those who are working in I.T. are not even aware of a fellow colleague's name. We are so entangled in the social web that we don't have time to actually socialize and think of smaller and bigger issues in front of us.

 I am guilty myself as I don't think much about the importance of Voter id, voting and how a huge difference can be brought if all the youngsters can vote! I voted twice till now after I turned 18 (the eligible age to vote). Reasons are many like not being in the city during that time, having exams, so on so forth. I first sensed the importance of social mobile apps and social network during Nirbhaya's case. The candle light marches and fight for the justice continued with anger, fervor and seriousness with the help of the social mobile apps. I got many smses and also messages on FB.  Many groups were formed during that time. People fought for justice endlessly. Many foot in mouth statements uttered by the brigade who live in fools paradise were also criticized and they were put to shame with the help of social media and its easy accessibility on mobiles, tablets, ipods and anything which is smart enough to help us get in touch with the big Bad(good) world outside!

Whenever I think of social mobile apps, the only app which comes to my memory is the facebook app. It is the widely used app to spread opinions , angst , share the views from anywhere anytime ,to change something and also to not change something. Facebook is the messiah to many. Needless to say it revolutionized life. Second comes twitter. For those short sweet or may be sour, bitter and hot statements twitter can be used. I never felt like using it a lot as the 140 characters limit my expression but I keep seeing the tweets. Twitter helps many politicians to stay close  to people and influence them. Check this to see the twitter profile of Aam Aadmi Party. How ever twitter is not efficiently used by all the politicians in India. I wish that the leaders who actually want to involve the young people in their movements and let them know their ideas and ideologies should use twitter. Below is the snapshot of world famous politicians from the U.S.A. using twitter for power including Barrack Obama

Check here for more. Image source : here

Few politicians like Narendra Modi took twitter's support to involve youth but many still are not aware of it ! I came across an interesting article which gives the six reasons why Indian politicians should tweet.  Use of social network apps definitely helps to know peoples' pulse. It makes them feel that they know their leader thoroughly and personally. After Facebook and Twitter, I feel other social mobile apps which we can use to involve and influence youth are the chat apps like Whats'app , we chat and also you tube and Google+. How ever one should use the social media marketing effectively to get great results. Too many apps some times spoil the broth :)

A boy helping a politician

Click on the image for better view :)

To the question how I will influence India's youth to vote in General elections 2014? the answers are many and they are not so simple and easy. While many of the youngsters and also elders are hungry for the change- (the recent win of AAP goes to prove this) few are still reluctant to change. Those few are too lazy to think on serious matters like politics , corruption, power , leadership and whys and whats of it! No need to dig in to the matters deeply but it is highly important for the youth to  equip themselves with current affairs and happenings across the country.

Given below is a sample conversation which many adolescents keep having !This is my own chat thread. Names are changed for convenience. Due to education, jobs , marriage and various other reasons all the friends stay away and can get in touch once in a while only with the help of social mobile apps like Gtalk, Whats app or we chat.

On one fine evening Leela pinged us to inform a good news on WeChat.

I got a notification as I was wrapping up the work at office.  Leela broadcasted a message to the group.

Leela: "Hello all. I have a great news to share."

Rakesh , Jeena and Siva immediately replied while few others were dormant.

Rakesh: "What ? What?"

Jeena: "Spill the beans babe. Is it marriage on cards?"

I yawned thinking, when will Jeena come out of the marriage matrix.

Leela: "Hell.  No. Who will get married so fast? I am going to the U.S. of the A. man. A long term onsite opportunity. I finally got VISA."

Me: "Wow Leela. That's indeed a great news. We should celebrate. When are you going to join?"

Leela : "Thanks for the wishes. September 2014. Why?"

Me: "Oh. Great. If its sep 2014 you will still be able to vote in April-May 2014 for Indian General Elections."

Every one typed at a time.

"What ? Are you serious?"
"Have you lost it?"
"You kidding buddy :P ?"

Leela : "I thought you wanted to plan a trip or some thing Afshan. So funny you are. Nothing can happen to this country. No one can change it. That's why I am going to the U.S.A. lady. The freedom one experiences in that country is matchless to any other country." pinged Leela in our group chat window.

One minute every one was calm. I typed.

Me: "Every country has its pluses and minuses Leela. It doesn't mean there shouldn't be a miniscule effort from our side to make it better."

Leela : " Uffo. Ye lo. Rang de basanti ki Madhavan aagai. Now don't lecture me O.K.?"

Me: "I am not lecturing yaar. I am just trying to educate and motivate you and trying to let you know the importance of the votes. We don't play a role in selecting our constitution and we blame it. Its not done. Do your duty. At least try and then blame. That is my policy."

Leela : "So , what do you want me to do madam?"

Me: "Know your right. Use your power. The voting power. I don't want you to be a social activist or a politician but I just want you to vote. I think that much you can do. The nation is changing. At least I can see the border of the horizon. Can you guys see that?"

As no one typed I sensed two possibilities. Either every one is listening with rapt attention or they must be ignoring me.

Leela : "So you say that just by my vote I can change the nation :P ?"

Me: "What if ten other people think just like you Leela? I am saying about the possibility of change. Change is inevitable if you want it. Like Gandhiji said why don't you try being the change you want to see? We appreciate the cleanliness of the U.S. roads but we dirty our own roads. We appreciate the freedom there but we don't speak a word when some one opposes some one's freedom here."

I went on

Me: "Many organizations have been formed to involve the public in general and specially the  youth via social media and social mobile apps Leela. Just check this out- "iforIndia' . They have a facebook page too where you can voice your opinions on political leaders and the constituency. Check it out. There are many members in it."

Image source : "here"

Leela : "O.K."

Me: "Also all of you, if you are not a part of Change.Org do register now and see how many are struggling for a change there. You can do it from mobile as well. It just takes a minute."

Leela : "hmm"
Jeena : "Fine."
Rakesh: "O.K."

Me : "There are many such organizations which are trying their best to reach out to huge number of people. If you don't use a smart phone you can still access them from your laptops and desktops."

Rakesh : "Good to know all this Afshan but do you think our votes and involvement will bring a good time in the country!"

Me: "It will definitely bring. Like its said in the image I shared above. You can expect a change for sure and fight for it confidently only  if you are involved. Every one does day dreaming Rakesh."

Leela, Jeena , Rakesh , Siva: "OK Afshan. After talking to you we all feel that we should really give it a try. Thanks for this."

Me : "I am so glad to hear it. Not only this I am planning to start a FB page just for friends where you can be part of it too, share your opinions , gain knowledge and know others thoughts and decide firmly as to whom you should elect and why. 18 doesn't mean you are of marriageable age. It means you are a major and you reached the vote-able age!"

"Aye Captain!" Every one replied in unision.

Me: "And this time you can use the NOTA option (None of the above) which is also known as "against all" or a "scratch" vote. If there are majority NOTA votes variety of decisions will be taken . You can read it all at NOTA. Read about the NOTA usage this year here."

Leela : "By the way. Why don't you think of forming a party. You are so passionate and I feel you sure will be a ray of hope to the nation."

Me: "Ya. But I singly can't . People like you , me and many other youngsters can surely bring a change if they join hands :) "

Siva : "I feel like dedicating a song to you from YUVA. Here you go and I promise to use my voting right :) "

I was happy that day. I am sure they will definitely use their voting right in the coming elections. I will for sure spend time to remind them. To motivate and inspire few friends from closed circles I will follow the below steps

Image source : here

• Create a facebook page or  group to increase the awareness among friends and others.
• Send them reminders for the last date of registration of voter ids (which as of now is over) and remind them to vote on the election day and let them all know about the elections schedule.
• Broadcast messages using chat apps like WeChat and request them to not forget their right to vote. Send inspirational forwards which can increase the awareness
• Simply use every opportunity available on the mobile to inform , inspire and encourage as meeting in person is tough in the day to day rush :) 
• Last but not the least I will try to voice my thoughts and opinions using twitter and the hash tag #VoteForIndia. Do check my tweets @afshu18
• Now if you have really read my post do acknowledge it and share your views rather than just blindingly #votingforme on Indivine. India needs votes and not me :) I am content if my post has slightly created awareness! 

Thanks for reading this.

PS: The cartoons above are made with the help of toondoo.com and bitstrips

This post is part of a contest by Indiblogger in association with WeChat - Indian General Elections 2014 with Social Mobile Apps #VoteForIndia

The New Yoga Tablet for all with "Chitti's" renovation!

 Not every one's day starts with a unique Yoga pose.
The day need not start with a tablet taken as a daily dose.
 Fellas and Chicas these days grope in the dark for their smart phone or a tablet.
 With sleepy eyes and a dizzy head every one checks for some update!

 A doctor prescribes a tablet as a cure for your fever or any other ailment.
 I prescribe the yoga tablet as a dose for your daily entertainment.
 A doctor prescribes Yoga for your health and well being.
I prescribe the yoga tablet which will help you in sharing and caring!

click on the image for a better view. This is made by me with the help of toondoo.com

A  tablet is a house wife's key to success.

She can browse easily and know many new recipes.

Even a grandma can play diner dash or angry birds.

A tablet keeps her occupied and she can easily read and type the words. 

A tablet is a boon to the corporate offices.

A manager can check his mails and also create documents.

Many useful apps come to his rescue every day.

With the flick of a finger, work becomes child's play!

A politician can always tune in to news with the help of easy to browse apps.

He can type out his speech and also know who, what and where which fills the gaps.

One can travel to any place easily with the help of the maps.

Your day to day activities can be planned online with out any lapse!

Grand pa can get in touch with his friends on a tablet by social networking.

He doesn't miss his young days any more with all the fun and the talking. 

Now he feels easy to nurture his hobbies and habits like reading and writing.

With his favorite to-do things he keeps busy and it is never tiring!

Kids should also have special tablets to use, which will help them to learn.

It is so much more fun to let them browse once in a while and avoid their yearn.

With few restrictions on web and OS they can enjoy many fun apps and feel privileged.

Along with parents they can also use their tablet with out being caged!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone's life was happy and happening due to their affordable Yoga Tablets. 

Days went by and lenovo's sales were great. On one fine evening in Bangalore a weird man wearing a long over coat entered a Lenovo store in a bustling mall. He was wearing sun glasses even in the evening hours. Every one started staring at him as they felt he might be a robber. Entire staff kept a close eye on him due to his suspicious get up and body language! He stopped at the Lenovo Yoga Tablet which was kept in the display and stared at it earnestly for a long time. Finally the lenovo vendor confronted him and spoke to him.

Lenovo Vendor: "Excuse me Sir. You need any help?"

Chitti replying to the Lenovo vendor. Click on the Image for a better view. Original Image source - here

The man: "I don't need help. You need my help."

LV: "Sorry sir. I didn't get you."

The man : "Don't you recognise me. I am Chitti the robot. I was on news all over the TV from  a week." Saying so he removed his glasses.

The vendor almost fainted looking in to his eyes which actually were mini monitors displaying so many things.

Chitti : "Don't be shocked. There is no such thing which I can't do and I was happy and surprised on seeing the features of Lenovo Yoga tablet. It is so flexible, sleek and has so many features. Its design is unique and battery life is excellent which makes it different from all other tablets. My boss and my creator RajniKanth thought of taking this project of further improvising it ."

The vendor recollected the news he watched day before where it was mentioned that Chitti helped a doctor during a critical surgery and also saved people in a fire accident. Vendor was speechless. Another person from staff approached Chitti. He was sure that Chitti has some mental problem!

"But sir, who gave you permission to come to our store ? This tablet is perfect. Improvising this tablet is impossible."

Chitti: " IMPOSSIBLE is not present in the dictionary of my creator Rajni. There is nothing which Rajni-Can't do and I follow his foot steps." Saying so he gave way to one and only RajniKanth.

Click on the Image for better view. 
Original source of the image- here

Rajnikanth entering in to the store. Original source of the image is -here

By now every one in the store and also people in the mall started surrounding Chitti and Rajni as they instantly recognized them. The store got jam-packed with audience. Every one took out their mobiles and tablets to click the super star. The crowd was chanting and shouting "TALAIVAA" pointing Rajnikanth.The word was getting echoed every where in the mall. Lungi dance started playing some where. 

Rajni silenced them by just a single wave of his hand. There was pin drop silence when Chitti started his presentation by projecting it on a near by wall. He used his eyes as LCD projector lenses. Every one was awestruck and heard silently to what all Chitti explained.

Chitti patiently explained that his motto is to improvise an awesome device like Lenovo tablet and make it the best in the market.

He explained what all modifications he can do to the tablet. He said that he will increase the resolution of the camera and see that the display becomes eye soothing. He said increasing the speaker volume can be an add-on to the tablet. He listed the changes which can be done to the tablet but did not reveal how he is planning to do those changes!

Chitti said , "As to how I am going to make all these changes will remain a trade secret between me and the Lenovo personnel. Of course Master knows it all."

Every one in the crowd applauded. The sounds and the cheers was deafening. 

Chitti silenced them this time. He took a green chip from his coat pocket and gave it to the manager of the store.

"This chip has the renovation details. I have one copy and we will start working as and when we get approval from the concerned authorities." Chitti announced as if it is already decided.

The Bangalore store owner got an offer which he can't refuse. Soon meetings were held and after many brain storming discussions at Lenovo's Head Quarters at Beijing-China , Chitti and Rajni started working with them. 

After tweaking few features of the Yoga tablet it was finally re-released in no time in Beijing and then in U.S.A., U.K. and India and all over the world. The new improvised version has an excellent display screen ,best sound quality system and a HD camera with high resolution. It was light as a feather .They were made of light weight metals (the exact metal used in its build was kept a secret) and came in various sizes and shapes. One can fold it and put easily in the pocket. The water proof and fire proof covers are complimentary on purchase .The sales zoomed up all over the world.  It was all in the headlines of various news papers that Ashton Kutcher sure was a good brand ambassador but Rajni's intervention spiced it up. The extra good features of Lenovo Yoga tablet were just too tempting to ignore. Rajni became the permanent brand ambassador for Lenovo!

Every one's life was double happening after the Rajninvention :)

"Lenovo is a great brand. It has some super cool features. The strength and resilience are worth mentioning. Of all the tablets we chose to work with Lenovo as we believe in it. We love their caption which says lenovo- For those who do and we did it."  said Rajni and Chitti in unision to the TOI reporter on dec 17th evening at the success party thrown in their honor at Beijing by Lenovo's Chairman and CEO, Mr. Yang Yuanqing

"Our next project is still in a bud stage. We are actually planning to renovate the tablet so that it supports holography and who knows we may adapt it for time travelling as well in the forth coming years." said Chitti to an unknown resource!

Rajni and Chitti also suggested a tag line for Lenovo!

lenovo - For those who know "wow"!

We have to wait and see the wonders a Lenovo tablet can do!

This post is submitted for the #BetterWay  contest by Indiblogger . Check more entries at "YOGA TABLET- A #BetterWay is here" . Do visit-- Lenovo's face book page

On the eve of his 63rd bday on Dec 12-2013 I also dedicate this post to Rajnikanth for his energy and unique style :) Thanks for reading!

PS: All the images of Rajnikanth are googled and modified by me. The first cartoon is made by me with the help of toondoo.com