Sunday, June 28, 2009

SUMMER NIGHTS - Adisha


I didn't know what to do. The last argument had seemed endless. And it was our 3rd so far.

Could I help it if I need to sleep with a blanket no matter what the weather? I so like to cozy into it and have the air conditioner way down, cooling the room. And he was being so unreasonable, with quips like if I felt hot, I should sleep in a bed sheet and let the thermostat be at room temperature. The nerve !!!

Dad was the exact same way. " Why do you girls need to keep the A/C facing you, if all you are going to do is bury yourselves into the blanket ? Do you know the amount of energy you're wasting ? Not to mention, the electricity bill ? " But his lectures fell on deaf ears as the gentle air from the ducts lulled us to sleep.

I sighed ! I had so hoped my husband to be different but alas! It's not my fault that he can't keep a blanket on himself and then ends up freezing through the night. It has been 9 days since we've slept in the same room. Actually we hardly slept at all and there seems no end to it. We would try sleeping and either he or I end up going in the main hall for the rest of the night. What a way for newly weds to be. But then, who can blame us, for the way we sleep is ingrained into us over the years and a person need to get comfy to be able to relax, right ? RIGHT !

The worst of it was , this stupid thing was the cause of our first, official fight as husband and wife and it had reached stalemate. Maybe it was the sleepless nights that were adding fuel to fire but it was getting me very worried. If a stupid matter like this could have us fighting like cats and dogs then what hope do we have for the important issues ? Already I was calling him mean and unreasonable and he was calling me pampered and stubborn. Tears burned my eyes as I recalled the ugliness of the argument and imagined us shouting our way to a divorce once the important matters reared their heads.

Sure ! In the beginning it was all roses and chocolates, but that's normal for any couple right ? It's hot and heavy in the beginning and starts cooling down as time elapsed. Here it was the complete opposite, metaphorically speaking. The wedding was in March and the 3 months since had been cool - fun and frolic and now that summer had hit in full force, it seemed to be heating things up in more ways than one.

The forces of nature actually felt like they were plotting to drive us apart. I kept forgetting to keep the bottles of water in the fridge and he so wanted a cool drink as soon as he entered the house. When we went out I'd clamor for an ice cream and golas whereas he'd warn me about calorie intake and brain freeze. He loved sleeping on the balcony, enjoying the natural winds he said and I couldn't ever imagine doing that. I preferred staying indoors and he'd talk about going for long walks to soak in the sun. I'd get cranky once I started sweating and he'd revel in the Vitamin D. The list went on and on, leading to futile bickering .

Marriage was so hard !!! Living with a guy for the first time seemed to be about discovering things about myself as much as him. Things that seemed natural, every day habits had turned into something that were unique to me. Adjusting to each other's life, convincing each other to try a new way of doing things seemed to have become a 24/7 job.

Ok ok ! I admitted to myself. I was exaggerating quite a lot. It wasn't all bad. We could talk for hours about anything and loved making each other laugh and it was amazing to be setting up my own house, living the way I'd always imagined and he was as much as sport at trying new things as I was and well, to be honest till now the experience had been highly pleasant. In fact, I'd found my self loving him more with each passing day. Yet these last few days had me homesick, craving my comfort zone - the room I grew up in, my bed.

To be fair, he probably felt the same way. It occurred to me he was surely as miserable as me. I mean, who likes fighting right? A sob escaped me as I thought about how horrible he must think I was. He was probably sorry to have married me and was thinking of all the other girls who would have been a better match. He was probably regretting ...

The door bell rang loud, interrupting my thought train. I wiped my tears, quickly washed my face and rushed to the door.

As I pulled it open, there he stood with an even more morose expression. Poor thing !! How silly of me to pester him so. He must be so tired from lack of sleep and from working all day. My heart broke to see him so exhausted. And it was such a silly matter. Surely, I could adjust sleeping the way he did, in time. Habits are after all, all that we make of them. Sorrys welled up from within me.

Before I could utter a word, suddenly his expression changed to one of a cute child, displaying the smile I had come to love and out came a rose, almost magically, from behind his back.

" I'm so sorry sweti !! ", he whispered as he gave me the rose and pulled me into his arms, almost carrying me into the hall.

" No , no , I'm the one who should be sorry. I really didn't mean any of all that I've been saying. I've just been so tired and cranky. I guess we both have. It'll just take me some getting used to. "

He pulled my hair away from my face and looked into my eyes. " You've been crying. Very bad! You shouldn't cry over such silly things. "

That only got the tears flowing again. " It's just been so bad. Every weekend seems to be a fight fest. You must think I'm so horridly childish. ", I whimpered.

He set me down on his lap, and beamed at me. " Shussh now !! Childish yes, horrid, never. I love that you bring out the child in me as well. It's a silly spat and we should treat it like that. All a part of getting to know each other better. Some things we can solve, for the remaining we will adjust over time.

Now, what I suggest for This particularly pesky problem is we should buy you a fan. You know, one of those rotating ones that you can shift around and then you can keep it positioned towards you. That way you can sleep in your cozy blanki and I can be comfy at the temperature the room is at. How does that sound ?? "

A giggle escaped my lips. " That sounds like another reason for me to love you more. "

Those ugly problems from the future faded away as the light of compromise shone upon us, making just a little wiser, a little stronger, bringing us closer. The heat of the day increased exponentially as we kissed, all the past days' bitterness melting away ...
This post WON the "Summer Heat" Contest held in June 2009.

BEATING THE FREAKING HEAT - Criss



Above the hills, along the blue, 
Round the bright air with footing true, 
To please the child, to paint the rose, 
The gardener of the World, he goes

Thats how the great poet, Robert Louis Stevenson describes the Sun, in his famous poem,"The Summer Sun"

"To Please the child, to paint the rose???..The Sun???" Thats surely not how we Indians would look att he Sun. Maybe the Sun out there in England is a milder brother of the one we have out here. Especially for those who live in Mumbai, Summer has less to do with blooming gossamer than it has to do with sticky apparel, melting foreheads and smelly underarms. We don't even have a winter out here. Tell em folks in England that  the temperature is a 'pleasant' 23 degrees Celcius in Winter and they'll laugh at you, coz thatswhat their Summers usually are like.

So, for all those pissed-off victims of the Summer Heat - presenting a list of things you could do to Beat The Heat

  • Seen those ads on TV? - "Duniya Ka Sabse Chota AC?", "Thanda Thanda Powder", "Thanda Thanda Cool Cool". Well, nows your chance to check if these really work. Go shopping and buy all of these prickly heat powders and oils and what not's. Take a tub-full of water, mix all of these in it to prepare a concoction of your own. Store the resulting paste in bottles and dab it on your body, or your scalp, or anywhere you get hot (pun intended), before you go out in the Heat. It ought to make you the coolest living being on Earth (so what if the paste made you look like an albino Zombie?) If it works, do let me know.
  • Invest in a huge plastic bath tub.  Stay in it all day long. Consider getting wheelchair-like wheels attached to its sides so that you could move around in it as well. Stay fresh all day long!
  • Warning - getting someone to join you in it will result in a counter-effect, coz that way, you'll feel hot.
  • This one's for guys - Don the Salman "I hate my shirt" Khan look, and go topless. Gals, please don't try this outside your home - spare us guys the heat.
  • For relief from the heat till Retirement or Death (whichever comes first) - Join the Indian Army....then hope that they post you to Ladakh or the North East. You'll either live or die with the cold weather, or die in a cold-blooded attack. "Main kya hai?? Coldna??"
  • Sing the Kolkata Knight Riders anthem. It didn't fetch them too many wins, but maybe it could help bring in some rain. you don't believe me? See their records, they lost a lot of points due to rain-washed matches and the Duckworth-Lewis rule.Unbelieveable? Believe It!!
  • Pray for more heat. Maybe God will do the exact opposite this time as well.
  • On the flip-side, he might decide to grant you your wish this time. Your risk completely!
  • Sing Raag Malhar. If you're a Good Singer, maybe the Rain Gods will get pleased and send em rains. If you're a bad singer, people will pay you to shut up. The money can be used to invest in an AC.
  • This one's for all those who get admonished for arriving late to office. Most offices today have AC's. So do yourself a favour, and reach office on time, or even before time. Stay back in office late, even  after office hours. That way, you enjoy more time in an airconditioned environment, without an extra load on your personal electricity bill, and also boost your executive image. Cool weather and better appraisals...hai nadouble faayda?
  • Try one of the 1000's of fishy products they sell through the doubly fishyTeleshopping network ads shown on TV after midnight. There might definitely be a dozen out there that claim to beat the heat. What if they don't solve the heat problem? Well, you'll probably go cold with the rude shock you receive after realising that you've been duped of your hard earned money.
  • If nothing works, then live with it dammit! Look at those people who live in deserts for inspiration.
This post was 1st Runner-up in the "Summer Heat" Contest, in June 2009.

REMINISCENCES - Appy

This poem is dedicated to my “little” sister, and I wrote this remembering an incident in our childhood-an incident on a hot summer afternoon. 
That's all I can say to describe this poem; read it and judge it for yourself.


Little girl-
You came and tugged at my hand,
Whispering, “The pickled mangoes”.

Grandma's pickled mangoes.
Stolen and relished
On a hot summer afternoon
While the whole world dozed,
too tired to stay awake in the heat;
Even the crows were silent-
Maybe they had parched throats...
And the two of us in the kitchen-
Grinning guiltily,
sweating in the heat- but enjoying all the same.
Who cared
that Grandma would ask:
“Where did the pickle go?”

Little girl-
So innocent and carefree-
I have searched for you everywhere.
But time has a way of swallowing up things
And I lost you.
Now a grown woman 
speaks of paychecks, not pickles.


This post was the 2nd Runner-up in the "Summer Heat" Contest, held in June 2009.


Sunday, June 7, 2009

BLOGGERATTI CONTEST - SUMMER HEAT


CONTEST - Summer Heat

This is regarding Bloggeratti's second contest.

Theme : Summer Heat

Nature of posts: Anything, in line with the theme. So whether its a short story, or an anecdote, or a poem, or anything random - anything at all, irrespective of the length, it qualifies

By the way, even co-written posts will do

Number of entries per contestant: A maximum of 1 entry per person. However, there's no limit on co-written entries.

Contestants can post their entries on their own blogs, and send me the url and a '50-word' extract or a 50-word Background of your entry. Goes without saying that the more attractive the extract/background is, the better is the prospect of your post being read entirely. So choose your words wisely .

Send your entries to : bloggerattirocks@gmail.com

Deadline : 16th June, 2009 - 22:00 Hours.

Winner decision by : Poll on the forum. Each member will be entitled to 1 vote.

Polling closure and Announcement of Result :27th June, 2009.

The following are extracts/backgrounds and urls of entries received so far.



1. Post Title: The Final Attempt

Nature: Futuristic short sci-fi story

Background : It's the year 2050, and the heat from the 12-months-per-year summer has reached its peak, thanks to Global Warming. An emergency meet is held to discuss a 'Final Attempt' to stop Global Warming from roasting the planet raw. Will the attempt succeed? Or will something unexpected crop up? To know more, read...

Link: http://fiction-matrix.blogspot.com/2009/06/final-attempt.html



2. Post Title : I Do Scream

Nature: Essay

Extract:

“I scream! You scream! We all scream for Ice Cream!”
~The World Wide Ice Cream Anthem

*Voltaire pitied the fact that it wasn’t illegal.
*Emerson trusted it to make conversations witty.
*Van Halen’s flavours were guaranteed to satisfy.

The talk is not of Pot but rather Cartons… Cartons of mouth watering , brain freezing scrumpilicously delicious supercalifragilisticexpialidocious IceCream!!!...For more, read...

Link : http://freakyliterati.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-do-scream.html



3. Post Title : On Summer

Nature : Poem

Extract
:

Balmy afternoon breeze
The scorching backyard stone
The ants on the mango tree
The sound of music
Running free
Happiness filtered through the leaves
Of the laughter shared
Of hearts
Loved and bared
For more, read....

Link: http://perceptual-reality.blogspot.com/2009/04/on-summer.html



4. Post Title :Summer Swelter

Nature : Poem

Background: The heated atmosphere and overheated economy has given us a stroke. Its time to take life a 'lil lightly, to freshen up. live the moment, breathe deep, and gather strength to confront the challenges ahead.
This post encapsulates the current scenario in accordance with the climate




5. Post Title :Summer Nights

Nature : Short Story/First Person Account

Background: Sure! In the beginning it was all roses and chocolates, but that's normal for any couple, right?It's hot and heavy in the beginning and starts cooling down as time elapses. Here, it was the complete opposite, metaphorically speaking. The wedding was in March and the 3 months since had been cool - fun and frolic, and now that summer had hit in full force, it seemed to be heating things up in more ways than one.



6.
Post Title : Reminiscences

Nature : Poem

Background:This is a poem in free verse, dedicated to the author's little sister. The author wrote this remembering a childhood incident on a hot summer afternoon

Extract :
Little girl-
You came and tugged at my hand,
Whispering, "The Pickled Mangoes"

Grandma's pickled mangoes
Stolen and relished
On a hot summer afternoon
While the whole world dozed,
Too Tired To Stay Awake in The Heat
Even the Crows were Silent-
Maybe They Had Starched Throats...

To Read More, click...

Link:http://conversations-with-aparajita.blogspot.com/2009/06/reminiscences.html



7. Post Title :Summer Heat

Nature : Poem

Background: The poem shows how "Summer Heat" changes with time. Once, it was an ignored friend, who tagged along forever, but was distractedly invisible. Now, it has become a cumbersome circumstance that makes us forget that it doesn't need to matter. In the past, we gave it its identity, but with age, we let it steal ours.




8. Post Title :I Love Summer...I Love Nature

Nature : Short Story

Background: She hated summer...She hated the Heat...She was clueless on nature's logic behind the creation of this summer season...but a sudden turn of events changed her entire perspective towards nature, towards the heat, and more importantly, towards Summer.




9. Post Title :Summer

Nature : Poem

Extract
Here and Waiting
For You To Call
For The Bell To Toll.
This Summer Heat
It Deludes Me So
Peaking In A Frenzy
The Sun Is To Descend




10. Post Title : Beating The Freaking Heat

Nature : Humour

Background:
Summers In India are hot as Hell, as you know. If the Summer Heat has gotten the better of you, here are some fun ways to 'Beat the Heat'
  
To Read , click...



11. Post Title : Beat The Heat

Nature : Poem

Background: Well, I just scribbled a few words as to what I love to do in Summers...wanted to show the optimistic side of summer-heat. Hope the work is appreciated

To Read , click...



12. Post Title : Queen Of The May

Nature : Personal Account

Extract: This summer saw a beautiful turn when a little cherub entered our worlds...on the 24th of May, 2009 A.d. You have to cast an eye on the little bundle of joy to know what "cute" means. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Miss Smiley, born on the 24th of May, and who's brought sunshine in our worlds!
 
To Read , click...



13. Post Title : Sweltering Summer Heat

Nature : Personal Account/Humour

Extract: The Summer Heat is a Real Killer. So what happens when the Killing becomes compounded and even self-inflicted? Read on to know more
 
To Read , click...



14. Post Title : The Sun and You

Nature : Poem

Background: Some times, often remind us of times gone by...there has always been a tendency of a human, to get closer to his past, when it has left him.when it has already taken away something, without which..the future seems nullified.. The summers seem to remind many people of many things.. Pain, heat, umbrellas, a long wait for the rains... many things.. it reminds me of a feeling, of empitiness...Empty now because, some spaces had been filled well same time of the year..many years back.:)

To Read More, click...