Pain or Gain??

Let me tell you how I managed to get rid of his really sexy stubble!! One day, he, himself, provided me with the time and occasion to teach him a lesson.

Mr. Husband (calls from the office) : Hey Sweetheart!! How are you doing? Are you too tired from the day? Or, you ready to go on a date?

Me (just back from office and sipping tea watching Mr. Bond, isn't he all cleaned up and sexy??) : What?? Date? What's so special today?

Mr. Husband (reddening on the other side): Uhh...I thought you would like us to go out more often! And, I am getting free early so I thought I might as well use the evening.

Me (smiling to myself for the flattery which comes so un-often!) : Yeah, stop making puppy faces! I can recognize it on the phone, as well. Fine, I shall be ready. Where are we going?

Mr. Husband (brimming with male pride and something else as well) : Well, let that be a surprise, Darling!

Me (raising an eyebrow) : Well, ohk! Make sure you come back on time or you are going to stay out of the house for the next week. You know the drill already!

Mr. Husband (winking naughtily) : Yeah, sure! We shall see how you keep me out.

And, then, I decided to pamper myself and to dress to kill. I have to admit what ever faults my husband has, he is a busy man and his effort to take out time for an unplanned date must have been going on for months in his head. But, he also has a downside and that's the habit I wanted him to get rid of.

I had to make full use of this occasion to get what I wanted and I had hit on the perfect strategy. Remember, who waits patiently often gets what he wants. And, almost after an hour, bingo, he was back on time for dinner. Sure, that was surprising!

Mr. Husband : See, I came back on time. And, wow, you are looking so amazing! 
  
Me : Good for you. Now, go and get ready!

Mr. Husband: What, why??? I am looking fine.

Me (talking sexily) : Well, if I am looking so sexy, I want my husband to look equally awesome, right?? Please get ready for me.

Mr. Husband : Come on, you know your husband is sexy enough to make women drool on him even when tired from a day at office. I shall just refresh myself and then we shall leave.

I give up!! I know him. No, he is not the one to think about his looks but he definitely is lazy enough to not bother with all the frivolities. I wish I could make him realize that how I wanted him to make special efforts to get ready. No, its not for someone else but for us.

But, some things just don't enter a man's head. Anyways, he was ready after like 20 minutes. And, boy, he does look awesome even with that sexy stubble. I could kiss him right away and forgo the date for dessert *naughty wink*.

So, we went out for our date and had really amazing food in one of the most romantic ambiances of the city. And, I knew that the night was going to be really special and steamy. I was already feeling guilty for spoiling it. But, I had to do it.

After dinner, we went to our special place and had the most amazing desserts and relived our dating days. We had not talked like this for few months now and now we felt as if time had turned back.

We went back. Kissing started right as we locked our main door and the bed wasn't exactly far enough. Everything was perfect and I wanted it to go that way.

He has a strange fascination to my feet and he always kisses them. Yes, it makes me feel special but, today, I was not feeling so special coz I knew that in sometime our night would be ruined.

He kissed my toes and then heels and then the ankle and then started towards the calf muscles from the shin bones.

And, suddenly, something stung his lips. Ooh...they are really soft. I love kissing them and I felt, instantly, I should pull him back. But, it was too late. He tries kissing my legs again and again it stung his lips.

He said you have ants on your body and that made me burst out laughing. I was like are you crazy? He was like something stung me on my lips. He tries again and same thing. He switched on the light. And, there it was - the moment of truth.

Mr. Husband : You didn't shave?? 

Me (guiltily) : Yeah, I didn't have time so I thought I would leave it like that. And, you always keeps on saying its sexy so I thought you wouldn't mind. 

Mr. Husband (bursts out laughing) : You didn't think anything like that. I know why you did it. You don't like my stubble so you wanted revenge, right? Fine, I am sorry but you know its really tiring to shave and get ready and then again go out. I am sorry. 

Me : I know but I wish you would make some effort for these special days. And, I couldn't think of any other way to pass you the message. 

Mr. Husband : Well, I totally loved the way you passed the message. And, the night continues...

And, we lived happily ever after. Yup, that was the end to all my woes. Ok, not all times but he did make some efforts at some special times and I was just glad for that. And, his stubble is there on all the other days which I don't find particularly annoying. How did you make your man get rid of that habit?

---

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

---

Aloe Veda Giveaway [CLOSED]

Aloe Veda is sponsoring two gift hampers of around Rs 800 so fill the rafflecopter form correctly and enjoy :) This is the last giveaway among the birthday celebrations!! So, yes, it is a little complicated. You need to write a catchy slogan on "Why you love Aloe Veda this winter". So, enjoy :)

PS: If you are reading it from a mail client, please log on to the website to participate in the giveaway. And, allow sometime to let the Rafflecopter form to load. Make sure you verify the subscription.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natural Mantra Giveaway - II [CLOSED]

This is the second giveaway by Natural Mantra. The giveaway is for Indian residents and shall ends on 30th December. One lucky winner would get a goodie bag worth Rs 700 from Natural Mantra.

PS: If you are reading it from a mail client, please log on to the website to participate in the giveaway. And, allow sometime to let the Rafflecopter form to load. Make sure you verify the subscription.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogging Series Vol. 1 - Giveaway Condemnations!!

Ok, so, a few days back, Just Herbs giveaway had started and I had made it imperative that only one person can enter using a single computer. Rafflecopter form stores the IP address and I have found out in the previous giveaways that many people were sending multiple entries using multiple email ids!

Now, as bloggers, we have to be careful to avoid bogus entries. Then, I received this comment from one of the readers:

hey, u must understand not all ppl can afford to hv individual pcs.
a group of friends can share a net connction to save costs. its sad u r into this kind of censorship.
anyways, ur opinion. the unsubscribe button is open to us as well.

Well, I do accept that not everyone has that luxury so in such a case, please link your email ids to valid facebook profiles of yours and send me friend requests so that I can check for the validity in case you turn out to be the winner. Please note that any doubtful looking facebook profile would not be considered. 

Another thing which disappointed me gravely was mentioning the option of unsubscription. Well, I am not forcing you to read my blog. Giveaways are a token of appreciation to my readers and even the sponsored giveaways do not exactly come without a little bit of work.

I am really sorry if I sound rude but this is an issue which I guess almost every blogger faces. The thing which resulted in this venting post was the mention of unsubsciption. I am not forcing you to subscribe either. Please feel free to venture out if you are not interested but I have to keep some rules to make sure only genuine people win!!

Just Herbs Giveaway [CLOSED]

Just Herbs is giving away a customized gift hamper worth 1000 Rs to one winner who will also get a free consultation from Dr. Neena Chopra, the founder of Just Herbs. Just two mandatory entries - verified subscription and answer a question on how Eco-friendly you are.

Ok, for answering the question, let me make this clear that ONLY the valid answers would be considered for the random selection!! And, we are not interested in knowing what natural products you use but HOW YOU TRY TO PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT.

And, please note that when I am validating the entries, I find a lot of entries from the same computer or IP address which is strictly not allowed. Also, please make sure your subscriptions are confirmed otherwise its a futile work for me. I am definitely checking all the entries.

PS: And, if you are reading the post from email client, please log on to the blog to participate in the giveaway. Wait for a few seconds while the form loads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rustic Art Giveaway [CLOSED]

So, this is the third surprise this month - giveaway from Rustic Art. Hope you are enjoying. I am again keeping the giveaway really simple. Only a subscription is mandatory. This time, there are two winners who will win goodies worth 850 bucks!!! The giveaway ends on 21st December and is open only for Indian residents.

Don't forget to verify the subscription. Oh btw, did you know that today is a lucky day. 12.12.12 will never EVER be repeated again. So, in that eve, I am hosting this giveaway today :) So, don't forget to enter and share!! And, btw, Soulflower results are out and I will be contacting the winners soon so keep checking your inboxes :)

PS: If you are viewing the mail from a browser or mail client, log on to the blog to participate in the giveaway and register your name. Wait for a few seconds to let the Rafflecopter form load.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natural Mantra Giveaway - I [CLOSED]

Yes, Natural Mantra is sponsoring two giveaways. So, I am breaking it into two. And, keeping it really simple. You just have to subscribe to the blog and verify the subscription. The giveaway is for Indian residents and shall end on 15th December. One lucky winner would get Rs 500 voucher from Natural Mantra.

PS: If you are reading it from a mail client, please come onto the website to participate in the giveaway by clicking HERE. And, allow sometime to let the Rafflecopter form to load. Make sure you verify the subscription.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, do I need to say anything about the website??? You must have seen so many products and hauls from the very same. Yup, I like it a lot. You too check it out :)

Soulflower Giveaway!!! [CLOSED]

So, welcome December 1st and countdown to 2013 starts!! Oh, I almost forgot the world is gonna die on 21st December, remember?? Just coz Mayan people were too tired to calculate their calender beyond that date!!! Hehe...

Anyways, as I promised, this would be a bast of a month and probably might be a little less on posts so please excuse me but I shall more than make up for it in terms of goodies :D

So, lets proceed with the first set of goodies awaiting you. Today's giveaway is sponsored by Soulflower and they are in fact giving away a lot of things!! 2 vouchers of Rs 750, 4 sets of Soaps to 4 different participants. And, the giveaway is on for only 10 days. So, not a long wait either :D

Now, some rules:

• Open to Indian participants ONLY
• Giveaway ending on 10th December, 2012 at 11:59PM
• Fill the following Rafflecopter form correctly because all entries would be validated
• Mandatory Entry - Subscribe to Perfect Skin Care for you using the subscription widget on the sidebar and DO NOT forget to verify the subscription. I am checking them as well ;)
• We have two other contests, one on Pinterest and one of Facebook, which are exclusive to the participants of those entries ONLY so if you want to improve your chances of winning, you can finish those entries as well.

Pinterest and Facebook Contest

Soulflower is interested in knowing which products would you like as a date gift!! So, you are supposed to create a facebook album or a pin board on Pinterest of 5 products from Soulflower which you think would make the perfect date gift.

Yes, its a bit of a work but then 2 of the Pinterest entries and 2 of the Facebook entries would each get a soap as a gift from Soulflower. Don't forget to paste the correct links and let me know if you have any queries regarding the giveaway. 

And, don't forget to tag Perfect Skin Care, Swati Murti, Soulflower in the facebook album you create. That's mandatory for your entry to qualify!! And, paste the links properly in the Rafflecopter form.

PS: If you are reading this mail from email client, please visit the website for participating in the giveaway by clicking HERE.
 
PS2: You don't have to repeat the links in the comments section if you have entered them in the form. The comment links would not be validated or considered for the giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Is love supposed to happen in a moment?

Well, as you all know I have been hitched very recently. Its not like I have never really dreamed of what it will be to love or get married but being pragmatic, I do not really believe in the clichéd concept of love at first sight. But, I do like the sound of it :D specially in Yash Chopra movies.

Anyways, coming back, I usually keep teasing my fiancé how he should cherish me and appreciate and respect me instead of thinking of dominating me and all blah blah things girls do. Well, I do have to thank my really amazing in-laws who have drilled into him the importance of a wife and how she should be taken care of!

Ours is a typical arranged marriage which is depicted in the Platinum love bands ads with a minimum time frame to say yes. Anyways, what I was going to talk about is something quite different. This happened just yesterday. I got a really sweet message on whatsapp which is as follows:

I look around and wonder why do people look at a married woman differently? She might look better dressed, maybe wearing an ornament or two, that mark her married. But she's still a girl at heart, sindoor and bindi don't make her a woman. She may be still learning how to run a home, she still might be struggling taking care of not just herself but two and more people, she might not always like to hear 'what does your husband do'... Marriage doesn't suddenly turn a girl into a woman. For that matter having kids doesn't necessarily do the same either. Celebrate who she really is, celebrate the child in her, she may be anyone around you, ur friend, ur sister, ur mother, a total stranger. She's not supposed to be responsible for innumerous things, countless chores, it's just her desire for perfection that she does what she does. This is for every wonderful woman I know. Grow up... but take your own sweet time & let the li'l girl in you live forever. And for all my male friends... cherish her, spoil her and most importantly let her be... She wasn't born to take care of you, it's her heart that makes her do so.

And, me being me, promptly forwarded it to my fiance to check it out and learn from it :D And, this is what he replies back. Since I want to end the post with his lovely message, let me end the story here. After reading it, I immediately call him up asking him "where did you copy it from?" He was like "OMG, this girl! I wrote it spontaneously after reading yours." So, for now in our short relationship, this is my platinum moment of love. The reply is a little haphazard being spontaneous so needs time to sink in properly.  

I always wonder why people take it for granted every man has got to or try to show upper hand...Real meaning of marriage is not just meant a complete transformation of one another or getting a promotion.Its equally the same feeling for a guy just like a girl feels..marriage is all about understanding ones own self and be like 2 minds in setting a boat to smooth sail..Even guy has to loose many things..he develops additional qualities of being possessive, in every walk he takes...thinks of other persons without him... his life is complete...See regarding the point of doing chores and taking care of u...marriage will get ultimate essence of living...when a kid is born it does not mean she has to bear him or do all his chores....it's the ultimate feeling for a women that cant be described nor can be measured...So god has set up the knot called marriage solely being..for doing any thing hard mind us required...but doing at right time...patience is required to enjoy the fruit of success..likewise patience symbolizes woman and hard mind symbolizes man..unless they both combine...success will not be the fruit..In short it's not about adjustment or single heart...its about 2 souls sharing everything...(censored :D)

Also, I would like to share with you a very beautiful article on marriage. Do check it out!! And, this post is my entry for Indiblogger Platinum Day of Love Contest.

Death of Terror [Game of Blogs - Part 30]

#StoryWeavers

Read the first part of the story here and the previous part here.

Shekhar has found out the two terrorists and their prisoners as soon as they got down from the vehicle. He and his comrades had taken positions already and were ready to act on sight. Just after a half hour of wait, they spotted the headlights of a car and listened to a van turning in towards the stadium. As soon as Shekhar spotted Tara among them, his heart heaved a sigh of relief. As soon as all the hostages life were ensured, Shekhar ordered his team to take down the two men.

For extra safety, five of the Shekhar's team started tailing the terrorists. They followed them to the locker room where the hostages were put in one corner and the terrorists were pacing up and down trying to call someone. "Huzoor is not picking up the phone. I do not understand what should we do. He said someone will meet us here. But, the stadium is damn empty. Should we kill these people and go away from here?", said one of them. That other answered, "Let us wait for some time". 

Realizing that these people did not know much about the upcoming operation, the team of 5 decides they can be dispensed with. There fire at the head of one of the terrorists and he falls down. The other takes hold of Tara in bid to save himself. "Stay away from me or I will shoot her". The team splits up and two of them step out of the shadows and put down their guns. The terrorist thinks himself safe and starts backing away along with Tara. Meanwhile, two of the other people tail him in the dark. As soon as they see his grip on Tara laxing, they shoot him in the heart to kill him instantly. The hostages are taken to safety and escorted out of the stadium. 

And, now, it was a long wait for the mysterious mastermind. Shekhar already knew from Tara's spy cam that there was someone who was controlling the entire situation. His comrades had informed him about the conversation between the terrorists. And, Shekhar wanted to be there to welcome him. Before killing this mastermind, he wanted to make sure that there were no more surprises hidden for Indian citizens and that too unsavoury ones.

In the meantime, the bomb squad had detected a nuclear bomb in a remote place of the stadium. They came running and the hackers got on to the job. They cracked the password but they could not make it work. Then, they understood it was probably a biometric or voice protected one. They needed the mastermind for it and alive, if possible, and soon. The timer was ticking down and there was only 60 minutes. 

And, then, Shekhar sees someone stealthily entering the place and looking around. His team hides in a corner and the stranger goes straight to the bomb.

"Stop right there or I will shoot you", boomed Shekhar's voice in the silence of the pre-morning. That brought Aryan to a halt.

Just as he turned, he could see he was surrounded. "I know you would not hurt me, Mr. Dutta. You would need to diffuse this bomb and you need me for it.", said Aryan.

Shekhar was unconcerned with all of this. He now realized that this mysterious mastermind had been his new neighbour for a couple of months. "So, you have been spying on my family. Anyways, I have no interest in all that because everything will come to an end with your death and I am pretty sure my hackers would be able to crack the password.". 

"Oh, you think you have the best hackers in the world but this is my bomb and only I can direct it. Do you think jihad is just a war for us? It is our life and mission and salvation and I shall make sure this country suffers." 

Shekhar's mind was racing. Aryan was saying only he could direct it. What if it was protected by biometric access. He had to make him talk. The recording was already started at his command.

"You can not do this. This is really not what you want or need. And, I can always kill you and make my hackers crack the password."

"You can not. You need my vocal cords. You need my voice for it. This time I did not make it simple like a retina scan or a finger print. You need my voice. And, for that you need me alive and now I am going to kill myself. Soon, the bomb will go off. See, the timer is ticking down."

"Why are you doing this war? What has our country done to you?"

"This is jihad. Our War. This is our jung. We want to kill each and every man. Ek ek hindustani. Tumhe kya lagta...."

And, just as it is, Shekhar shoots Aryan in the head when he was impassioned with his speech, his obsession.

The hackers had the password. A simple concatenation of the individual words would crack the password. And, they did it. Finally, the recording was played and the timer stopped ticking. The bomb was deactivated. Everything was alright again.

Shekhar could see the light of dawn filtering through the mist of the pre-morning. A lot has happened today and it was time to go home, to Roohi and Tara.

Read the next part of the story here.

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Related Post:

Choices are what makes us!

Civilians vs Villians [Weekend Post]

Choices are what makes us! [Game of Blogs - Part 15]

Story Weavers 

Read the starting chapter of the story here and the previous part of the story here.

Cyrus was trying to capture more of the videos. He was happy that the first upload was successful. He was not aware of the furore it had caused in the outside world.

He had started blogging just because it was the trend now a days. But, being an introvert and having low self-esteem, he had not really told anyone of his blogging proclivity. He had started writing all that he could not really express to people who knew him intimately. And, he had found a dedicated reader soon enough with whom he interacted on a very personal level.

The first upload had not gone really smooth. It was quite an adventure. In fact, this was the first real adventure in Cyrus's life. He was not dimwitted in real life but yes definitely short of common sense and looked dumb in his big specs which covered his entire face.  He had somehow managed to think of his mobile and what he could do with it! He despised mobiles. It made him feel so unwanted. He had no one to whatsapp him, no friends to like his pictures on facebook, hardly talked to his parents once a week and that too the bare felicitations.

Fortunately, for today's meeting, he had to carry the gadget. And, he was gonna make sure that it is used properly. But, first, he needed to take it out of his secret pocket which was not possible with these masked hovering around him. He gathered all the courage and spoke to the masked man standing just a few steps away from him, "Sir, can I please use the washroom. I have a chronic prostrate issue because of which I need to visit the bathroom frequently". He knew simple request to use the washroom was not gonna work so he had to make this excuse. And, as expected, the masked men who heard him laughed and used derogatory words but allowed him to use the loo. One of them escorted him to the loo door.

Since he could not risk not using the loo, he thought he might as well do it and take out his mobile in the same process. The main concern would be how to keep the mobile away from their eyes and record at the same time. So, he pretended to use the washroom for a longer time and said to the man waiting outside, "Sir, I need to use the washroom for some more time". The reply was a rude explicit but the man acquiesced. Cyrus changed his phone to silent no vibration, switched on the recording mode and arranged his shirt to let his shirt tails hang and fixed the mobile in his jeans keeping the lens peeping out in the gap of shirt tails so that the camera could record everything. He splashed around some water, flushed the toilet and came out and was dragged back to join the other hostages. The only hope he had was that mobile stayed fixed and camera recorded what was available.

In the meanwhile, another masked man came strolling with his huge old samsung tablet and started punching something. Suddenly, Cyrus got up and was immediately nabbed. He tried to struggle for a while and then sat down. The man continued talking on the phone as he moved. Cyrus could hear a little and then the words trailed away. After sitting for thirty minutes, he again asked permission to go to the washroom using the same excuse to gain time and was granted the wish. Once in the loo, he just hoped there was network and immediately uploaded the video. He waited with bated breath for the successful completion, embedded in his post and arranged the mobile again on recording mode to record more. This time he tried to gain some other angle of the hotel. He knew more trips to the loo would be difficult but he wanted to try once more till he was caught.

-x-

Roohi remembered the story of danger associated with the bad wolf in the Little Riding Hood Story and knew her mother would understand the term at once so she just barged into the me-lee and shouted “Mummy. MUMMY!!!Red riding hood! RED RIDING HOOD!”.

Tara heard Roohi shouting. Jeniffer, on the other hand, was confused and she did not know what to do. Ibrahim Rehman might have given her purpose but these people had given her life. It was a time of choice for her and she decided to do the right thing whether she lived or died.

She went to inspector Arjun whom she had already spotted. And, took him aside and, "Arjun, I have been inside the hotel. I can tell you the positions of the terrorists. At least as close to what they were a while back.". Arjun aka Shekhar was suspicious of her but decided to play along.

Tara went back to Roohi and hugged her. "Roohi, are you crazy? How could you be stupid to come here? I told you that you should stay at nana's place till I come back, right? Now, go back and stay there. Dad, please take her home and do not start on another 'save Tara' mission", Tara said to her approaching father. After bidding goodbye to her father and daughter, Tara went to join Jeniffer. 

When Shekhar notices Tara coming towards them, he realizes she is coming to join Jeniffer and will not abandon the rescue mission so easily. He hurriedly asks his next-in-command to take over and goes away from there in some pretext.

To maintain the trust of her terrorist friends just in case someone was watching the scene outside from the hotel, Jeniffer called up Kareem, "Kareem, I am going to join the army people to see what they are planning next. This plan can not get foiled like the railway station attempt and we have already lost abba. We can not take more chances". "Ok, Ahana, do as you think is right but please be careful. We can not lose you. Btw, Aryan called up. His mission is going as planned.". "Who is Aryan, Kareem?". "Oh, didn't abba tell you about him? Ok, it is not important. You focus on what you have to do.". "Ohk, I will talk again and do tell me about him. I will get back to you in sometime.".

Jeniffer could not convey this information about some Aryan to any of the army men. She could not risk telling everything about herself so she decided to find out more about Aryan before she revealed this bit of information and, in meanwhile, she would also find out a way to explain how she came across this information. 

Armed with information provided by Jeniffer, the army marched on to regain the hotel and save the hostages though Shekhar was also aware this could be a trap.

Read the next part of the story here.

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Related Post:

Civilians vs Villians [Weekend Post]

Are you joining The Natures Co contest? [CLOSED]

So, sometime in the week I had announced that we will have a Pro-Green contest which is sponsored by The Nature's Co. And, I think it is an amazing initiative by the brand to promote environment consciousness even if it is a part of CSR and brand building and what not.

Anyways, so, I thought I would keep my oath pretty simple and hopefully, it is easy enough for you to pass it on as well to someone in your friend circle or family. I do hope you do it.

Throw the wrappers and all the other wastes in the dustbin instead of littering the roads which I often see people doing, even educated ones for that matter!! I promise that I would not throw the wrappers and the bus tickets and the bank statements or used paper napkins just anywhere. If there is no dustbin nearby, I would keep them in a disposable wrapper in my bag and throw it when I come back home.

So, are you with me? If yes, then fill the form below and do not forget to mention if you have done some other eco-friendly activity today instead of the one I mentioned above. And, also enter the name of the person who you have passed it on to and if possible, get them to fill the form as well.

And, if you have any confusions or questions, let me know in the comments below :) The contest is open till 12:00 PM, 26th September, 2013. Also, the contest would be sooner or later up on many other blogs. The blog which forms the longest chain of passing the Oath wins the mega hamper. All the participants of the said longest chain would also receive goodies from The Nature's Co.

But, I would say take the time to do some good to the environment and enjoy passing the feeling :) So, see you guys on the longest chain list :D

Civilians vs Villians [Weekend Post]

Story Weavers

Read the previous part of the story here.

Roohi wanted the latest Reader's Digest. "Can I get a book from the book stall? Please!". "Sure, Roohi. But, will you be able to find it alone?". "Yes, mam, I can. I saw it while we were coming from the entrance. It is just beside the stairs.". "Ok, then, run along and come as soon as you are done.". And, she goes jumping towards the book shop, her pony tails and the lace of her frock swaying with perfect rhythm. An extremely clever and smart girl of 9 had better reading choices than most adults. She had already graduated to Kafka and Dostoyevsky even though understanding them was a lot difficult for her. Well, the product of an under-cover agent and one of the renowned journalist of the country could be anything but!

When she was asked for payment for the Reader's Digest she bought, her hand accidentally came across the toy phone lying in her pink backpack. She paid up, collected the book, restored the balance and the package to her backpack and got lost in the reverie. Roohi and her father were pretty close and they shared their secrets with each other. Since mommy had no time for the baby, daddy had to make up for the lack of it. It was not that Tara was not fond of Roohi, her priorities were just different.

When Roohi had told about the Delhi excursion to her parents, "Daddy, mommy, our teacher is taking 5 stuents from our class for an excursion to Delhi, please I want to go", both had reacted with enthusiasm. While packing her suitcase, her daddy had given this toy phone to her. Shekhar had explained Roohi a lot of things over the years, cracking ciphers, teaching her to be logical during problem solving, how to go over issues methodically and prioritize things with its urgency, not to lose brain while in critical situations and even gave her self-defence classes. While giving the toy phone, he had told her about the satellite phones and how they were different from the regular mobile phones. He told her that he would call her on this number when in any emergency or that she could also call him up whenever necessary. 

Till now that necessity had not arisen and she was glad that the trip was coming to an end. She loved going to different places but being apart from her darling daddy for these many days had made her anxious! Her reverie was broken by a little commotion some place distant on the platform. Instinct made her hide behind people and she saw a couple of men with huge rifles, like they show in movies, moving about threatening to fire them on anyone who made a movement. Fear had rooted everyone to their positions and the whole platform, for once, was at a standstill and noiseless. 

Roohi was suddenly assailed fear for her teacher and friends. She tried to silently move towards her group who were on the other end of the platform. While she was moving, she suddenly trip on the small bag placed on the floor. There was a little thud and one of the guy with the gun started coming towards her. In her fright, she made a dash to the exit door which she could see in the front and the guy with the gun coming towards her opened fire. 

-x-

Ibrahim Rehman, the chief of ISISI, was not ready to listen to Shekhar. "No, we do not want anything. We are fighting for Jihad.". "How is it possible? Everyone wants something.". "You will know the things at their own time. Nothing before and nothing after.". Shekhar lost his temper and his concern for Roohi was mounting. He was hoping that she would remember to call him using the Sat phone he had given her. He wanted to call her but was afraid if it would land her in danger! 

He recalls how excited Roohi was when she announced her Delhi excursion, "daddy, I really want to go. They have chosen only 5 among all the class. please, please", and Shekhar could not say no to her even though he already had heard reports of impending terror strikes in India. Just to take all precautions, he handed the satellite phone to her and taught her how to use it. Roohi was just 9 but way more mature than children of her age. Shekhar thought that probably he and Tara were responsible for this and he regretted not being able to give her the life which she deserved.

-x-

Jeniffer reached Delhi and rushed out of the train. The fear and chaos were reigning and she had to reach Tara as soon as possible. She takes the first cab which she could find and with great difficulty, she could convince the driver to take her to the attack site. By now, the terror strike at Hotel Continental was all over the news.

Jeniffer had talked to Anand, her fiance. "Hey, where are you? How is everything?". "Jeniffer, I will boss is gonna land in sometime and then we will go forward with our plan. You take care.". "Yeah, ok, you too take care and give me a call as soon as possible.". She never mentioned a word of her activities to him. They were just too unnecessary and he need not tease himself with something as simple as filming a journalist outside the hotel where the terrorists had attacked. She called up Tara and informed her that she would be there in front of the back gate of the hotel in 20 minutes.

-x-

Tara was supposed to cover the attack news from outside the hotel and stay there among the mass of other journalists till someone went inside and really did something. She did not become one of the top journalists by just standing among the masses. She was itching to break into the hotel and get some inside scoop. May be she could even help the army people get inside the hotel and nab the terrorists. But, there was a hitch. She needed Jeniffer inside with her but she could not put someone else's life at stake. She decides many lives are more precious than one. 

-x

Inside the hotel was a man who had started whimpering and pleading as soon as he saw the people with guns. He had been sure this was the last second of his life and he did not want to die. He started crying loudly and at a sharp rapport from the gun to the wall, he had fainted. There were around 10 men who had taken over the 5-star hotel in the heart of the city and they held everyone at their gun points. They had gathered everyone from the kitchens and the cellars to the penthouse in one room to take control. And, what do they want? 

Read the next part of the story here.

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Horses have Split Ends too!!

Have you met Kini and her Black Beauty? Oh, they are the darlings of everyone! Even if you want to hate them, you can't. They are just so adorable that they would take away your heart with the innocence in the eyes and happiness in the smile. But, when you are so lovable, you would stand a sore sight for some eyes!

Kini loves to ride Black Beauty day and night. And, she loves long gallops, come sun or rain! And, when you love so much of outdoors, its inevitable that the effects would be visible on you. Not that the rosy cheeks did not use to glow with the rush of blood, but both Kini and Black Beauty were getting the brunt of wind and sun on their hair and skin.

The green eyes full of jealousy were quick to see the imperfections cropping up in Kini and Black Beauty. Their skin was drier and tanned and their hair was all frizzy and all over the place. But, these sights were more cuddly for others who loved them. One day it so happens that there was a horse race in the town and of course, Kini and Black Beauty had to win it. But, at the end of the match, due to the opponents deception, Black Beauty took a stumble and rolled over along with Kini.

The result was a mud-covered, hay-wired Kini and Black Beauty who found themselves subject of all the sniggers. A dejected Kini rode back home and when she got all cleaned up found her hair to be absolutely rough and dry like a broom with so many splits. Black Beauty fared no better. Even she had splits and her chestnut glossy locks poked into Kini's cheeks.

Kini has a habit which I have not yet disclosed. She is crazy after the Bollywood actresses and from time to time impersonates one or the other ladies. So, if it is Kareena month, she would use all her product endorsements right from the soap to makeup and if it is Aishwarya, the products would change accordingly. And, in the crisis, she depended on her darlings for rescue. On she went to the mall and bought all the products endorsed by her favorite heroines which was practically a lot of products.

And, then started her woes. None of the products worked on her and month after month she was tired of getting her hair trimmed to get rid of the splits but they would come back again and again! And, her hair was getting shorter and more drier. And, worse still, she could at least get her hair cut but what would she do to black beauty. She started testing the products and only if she was satisfied would she use anything on Black Beauty.

But, no miracle happened. The most promising ones failed. Finally, Kini's mom took matter into her hands. And, after one shower, Kini found her hair to be super soft and super shiny. Kini was so amazed that she went screaming in her excitement to her mom and gave Black Beauty a luxurious bath with her mom's help. A few more washes and a month and her hair had no splits yet. One more month and her hair was back to feeling lot softer than it had in the past few months. And, so was Black Beauty's!

When she and Black Beauty were back to their old self, Kini asked her mom about the magic formula. And, then her mom replied, “I have always trusted in my daughter's choices so I used your own formula. The only difference is I believed in what real women said and endorsed instead. Dove Split End Rescue System is the answer. And, guess what, it not only worked on you but also cured Black Beauty's splits!”

Even a Queen needs Maintenance!!

One day Draupadi was basking in the sun. She wasn't aware that this was the day which would change her entire life and, with her, the destiny of millions of people. In all ignorance of future events or even the present ones, Draupadi was busy daydreaming about the pleasant life she had been living.

Her husbands are on the peak of their fame, they have a beautiful house which was a constant source of envy, her sons are growing stronger and brighter everyday and she herself was loving the power which she could wield over her husbands.

They have come for a short sojourn to Hastinapur on invitation and would soon return. She was yearning to go back to her own house. Somehow, she had never felt comfortable here. Still, she tried to divert her mind thinking about pleasanter things while her husbands were busy in the court matters.

Suddenly, she heard commotion outside. She went out to check what was happening and found two male servants had come with a message to her. She delivered strict strictures to those guards and dismissed them without any ceremony. And, went back to the garden.

She did become disturbed. The guards were trying to say something, she realized, but she had turned them off without letting them say a single word!! She wished she had listened to them. Anyways, she turned her attention to the book lying open on the same page since hours.

As soon as she had just got herself engrossed into the page she was reading, Dushasana barges into her presence. She was outraged and questioned his boldness. He informed her about the dice game going on in condescending accents.

He informed her how her husband had staked and lost her and that she was no more than a slave to his brother and he had come to drag her to the court if she doesn't come willingly. She was aghast at this disclosure and tried to reason with him but he started dragging her holding her hair.

And, took her to the court where she entreated all the people present in the court with her pleas and rants and everything she could muster as long as her pride would allow. But, Duryodhana asked Dushasana to disrobe Draupadi so that she could dress like a slave.

And, the first thought which entered her mind was "Shit! I wish I had opted for my hair removal. What will everyone think? A queen doesn't even maintain herself!!".

---

This post is a part of the Gillette Satin Care contest in association with BlogAdda.com

---

PS: The last part of the story is a fictionized version of one of the crucial scenes in Mahabharata. It is not meant to make fun of any religious beliefs or hurt anyone personally or even make fun of the seriousness of this scene. It is just an entry for a contest and somehow this idea came to me because I am still in throes of "The Palace of Illusions".

Nutty Nutty Coconuty!

As part of our heritage, we have many beauty rituals passed down through generations. Let us travel back to the village, Rampur, where women were very particular to adorn and beautify themselves. Coconut was about to be discovered.

In Rampur, the women had tried out every ingredient in their kitchen on their skin and wanted something new. And that was when, Leela and Neel went to an unexplored island to spend a day there. They reached a clearing.

 Neel went in search for some leaves to make a comfortable sitting. He realized that the island was covered with only one kind of tree which was very tall. Being a deft climber, he climbed to where there were fruits and leaves. He collected a lot of leaves and fruits and went back.

The couple created some comfortable seating arrangement and sat down with their food baskets. After their lunch, they decided to play ball using the fruits. But, when Neel threw the fruit, it hit a tree and smashed. The couple found the fruit broken into two and a bit of liquid oozing out.

Quickly, Neel went back to the heap of fruits he had carried previously and broke one. It was white and soft inside and had a bit of the liquid left. Rest had spilled out. Cautiously, he tasted it. Since he wasn't sure it wasn't poisonous, he urged Leela not to take it.

They carried some of the fruits back to the village. The elders of the village were equally ignorant about the fruit so they decided to observe Neel for couple of days before trying the fruit lest it be poisonous. When Neel was absolutely fine after a week, everyone started using the fruit.

The liquid in the fruit was sweet and filling. The white meat tasted equally amazing. Thus, the ladies got a new ingredient to try in their beauty regimes. Every woman now drank the fruit liquid once a day.  It had, already, become the best bridal routine because of the resultant glowing skin.

They used the liquid in their face masks. Oil was extracted from the meat and it became a staple. It was used to treat the injuries and wounds without leaving scars. Women slathered the oil on their bodies. It made the skin really soft and prevented any discoloration.

It healed the scars and blemishes better than their homemade remedies. The older women were particular fans of the oil. It prevented the skin from sagging and wrinkling. The oil kept their eye area soft as well. It also kept the feet soft and prevented cracks.

Oil helped with dark elbows and knees and stretch marks when applied during pregnancy. The skin was no longer that dry and the ladies loved the smell. They also tried using the oil for cooking. Intake of coconut oil helped their skin become more healthy and fresh from the inside.

Thus was found Neelafal named after Neel and Leela. Today its known after its European name, Coconut, but the benefits remain still the same and we still love it as much as those ladies almost 5000 years back.

PS: This is a contest entry and the story is fictional. I have no idea how coconut was discovered so please persevere with me :D

Winners Announced!!

I am so sorry for delaying this for so long. Everything started hoch poch this year and I was lazy on the weekends as well. But, I had contacted the winners on a timely basis so I am acquitted on that front :D So, lets set the stage for the winners!!

Soulflower

Swati, Roshni for the vouchers

Shilpa, Nami, Iswarya Laxmi, Yukki for soaps

Natural Mantra 

Preeti for the voucher

Pooja for the goodie bag

Rustic Art

Arpita, Kavita

Just Herbs

Meenakshi

Aloe Veda

Megha, Nami

Congrats to all the girls!! And, I hope you have all got your prizes except the Aloe Veda winners since I probably have not heard from all of you. I was a bit late with Aloe Veda winners. I am coordinating with them so please have some patience.