Monday, October 28, 2013

Parenting help from Ayurved

"Rub hing on his stomach, all the gas would come out of his stomach and instantly he will stop crying" Amma declared
I was in deep thoughts and was wondering, how rubbing hing(Asafoetida
) on skin of the stomach release the gas from my angel's stomach, meanwhile I get another dose
"Its best to give him some gripe water. Gripe water  is the best way of treating gas!" another Aunt insisted
"Nothing works better than Colic Aid, just give 1 ml of colic aid and he will sleep through the night!" my best friend revolted
"What kind of mother she is? Doesn’t she know Colic aid is very harmful for kids? Tell her to keep her suggestions with herself. She is worried about her full night sleep not about her baby's health!" Another friend of mine judged!
After so much of fuss, I finally surfed the net for getting answers to my trivial questions about parenting. But adding to my frustration, there was so much data, so many different views, so many different pros and cons of each suggestions that I felt overwhelmed and the seemingly petty issue of stomach ache for my baby seemed like a huge calamity to me. I haven’t heard of so many controversial views even for Lady Gaga's outfit like I discovered while surfing for a Baby Gas problem that day!
That day I decided to use my maternal instincts and use common sense when it comes to my babies growth.At every stage I weighed the pros and cons of using some traditional and some contemporary ways and finally decided on things.
Being a follower of ayurved since childhood, I already had an inclination towards using homemade-traditional methods of healing for everyday issues of children.Nature gives us so many brilliant herbs to treat every illness of human race. It might work fast for some and slow for the others but it works. Especially for children where the immunity levels are very low, traditional methods works brilliantly.
My own experience for the gastric problem of my little 3 month old baby made me realize alot about parenting.
As a working mother, my first solution to the whole night crying was the Colic Aid and it worked wonders for me. As soon as I gave her the magic drops, she would sleep through the night and so would I.This went on for 4-5 days and then I realized, I am actually giving her something synthetic everyday! She was getting addicted to it, she would sleep only with the medicine now. And when I stopped giving her one night, she cried all night again.
So I had to rule out something she can get addicted and something which would have long term implications. Then I treated her with traditional ways of giving Ajwain water and sauf water regularly and things improved.
Then I was introduced with Dabur Lal tel by a friend. She has a very healthy cute looking baby who seemed very happy all the time. I was curious to know what is the secret of her happy and glowing baby. Then she told me about this magical ayurvedic oil which not only increased her babies diet but also helped her learn to walk faster.
I used to massage my angel everyday with the normal coconut oil and it was fine. But when I used Dabur Lal Tel, she started showing drastic improvements. The oil helped in a glowing skin for her, increased her muscle weight. She started getting hungry after the traditional massage and inturn started having healthy routine. Her eating times and poo times got disciplined. She started playing more and crying less. The cranky baby of mine started taking interest in things around her. She tried to reach toys hung on the Baby mobile, she started to slide on her stomach. She wanted to talk more, interact more with me. In one week  there were alot of positives I can make out.
And moreover, the massage time was the bonding time for Mamma and daughter. We both loved to baby talk while getting massaged and the caring touch of hot oil used to  soothe her to sleep at the end. It was therapeutic for me as well.
This is how I became a fan of the magical Dabur Lal Tail


This blog is intended to participate in Traditional Knowledge, Natural Growth contest from indiblogger.in

Friday, October 25, 2013

Smart Suraksha - Life saver for us!

"Yes, yes Ma, I am leaving office in 5 min", I informed
"But Beta...", Mom disappointed
"Yes Ma, I know I shouldnt be staying so late. Dont worry, I will be fine. I am driving home and its hardly 5 km from our house. I will be fine!!" I reassured Ma.
It was not very often that I stayed in office till 11 pm, but that day we had deadlines to meet and I was responsible for my team.
My house was just 5 kms from home and Bangalore presumably was a very safe city for girls. So I wasnt bothered about getting a colleague along with me or actually bothering about anything w.r.t safety.
I started walking towards parking after the final goodbyes and checking all the deliverables were sent to the customers. The parking lot was uncomforatbly quite and motionless. There was no security guard or any human sign in that 200 mts of parking lot. I could see a few cars scattered here and there but nothing seemed to be normal. I pretended not to be scared, but I was!
I hurried up to my car and opened using my car keys. The noise it made echoed all over the place and startled me to the core. I quickly went inside the car and locked the car. I started the car and without a moment delay drove off from that graveyard.
On my way to the exit gate, I saw three huge built guys trying to sneak into a car. I was sure they were not the owner of the car, but I decided not to intervene. And I pretended to not see them and drove off. I was stopped at the security gate and asked for the identity card as a general routine checkup. I could have informed the security about the men in the parking lot, but I choose not to and I drove off.
On my way back, many things went through my mind. I was trying not to think about the parking lot and those men. But suddenly a white Xylo overtook me. That scared the hell out of me. The first thought which came in my mind was that it was by accident. So I just stopped for a second and before I thought of getting out of the car to fight with the driver or see if it was on purpose. I saw the same men I saw in parking lot coming out of the car. They have probably noticed a single women driving in the car and followed me through.
Here my quick thinking helped and I without thinking of the damage my car can have took a reverse and overtook their car. They did not expect me to do that, so they were very slow to react and I drove ahead. But they were determined to follow me. They honked, they flashed light and they drove as fast as they could. I had my phone with me, but I couldnt match up to their speed and also call somebody. For me, currently the only important thing was to escape. I was just 2 kms away from my house but that 2 kms seemed unending. I was driving,without using the brakes I was just driving!!
After they saw me driving at a speed of 100 km/hr they knew I am not going to be submissive to them, so they finally gave up. I reached home in full sweat, I recollected myself in the parking lot and then went up to face my parents. This incidence would have devastated them and they would have been in stress all their life if I had told them what happened, so I thought I would do that some other time when I can explain them better.
That night could have been the nightmare no girl would ever want to imagine. They could have looted me, raped me, they could have killed me. We hear scary stories everyday and I could have been the Nirbhaya of some story. But it scares the soul out of me even today when I think of the possibilities that could happen that night and when I heard about SMART SURAKSHA application few days back...I WISH I HAD SMART SURAKSHA WITH ME THAT DAY. While driving I could have messaged 5 friends and relatives of mine and also put those goons behind the bars with just one click.
Girls please download the application as I did and make sure you utilize technology not just for social networking sites but also for your own safety!

I am participating in the Seeking Smart Suraksha contest at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App.

Finally in LOVE!!

"That bloody Vicky says I am over reacting. He is cheating on me and if I confront I am over reacting!!" I was fuming!!
"Nuts...its ok!!First stop crying...I cant see you crying. He wasnt worth you anyways! You deserve someone better..someone worthy of a girl like you!!" Bunny consoled me!
It all started a month back. Myself, Bunny, Champ, Tia all were chatiing in our college canteen and I saw Vicky. The stylish cool dude new in our college and on the first day itself he had girls hovering around him. We observed him from a distance. Me, Natasha the most sorted girl of our college could have never gone and initiated the conversation. I had a reputation of dumping guys within 2 months of a relationship. Not my fault...I just couldn't stand any of them longer than that!!
Vicky was in our class and it wasnt too long that we started seeing each other. Obviously I was on cloud nine as the most good.looking and cool guy of our college was now my boyfriend!
My friends did not bother much about my fling until I came crying to them. I hugged Bunny and was crying like a small baby in the middle of the restaurant.
Bunny, as his name suggest was a very golu polu lovable teddy bear like friend of mine from last 2 yrs in college. He picked me up from home, he lied to my parents when I was out with my boyfriends. He gave me all his class notes and proxied for me in classes. He was like a shadow for me. I made so much fun of him, bullied him and got irritated with his eating habbits..with his forgetfulness..and so many other things.  He was a punching bag for me when I was in distress.
That day also he consoled me in the restaurant and dropped me home that night. He called me 10 times that night to make sure I am Ok. Then as usual after a week or so I was over Vicky and became the same old carefree Nuts. It was funny to recall that I cried for that jerk!!
One day in our college canteen we were bullying Bunny for coming first in class and suddenly I remembered something
"Hey Bunny...you told me I deserve a better guy...Bata na kaha milega woh better guy??"
Everybody stopped teasing him and there was a silence!!
I asked "WHAT??"
Bunny suddenly walked away and he didnt listen to my apologies for teasing him. I found it weird!! I asked my other friends..what happened?? Nobody answered and they all looked disgusted with me!! I was all the more confused...what have I done?? We bully Bunny everyday and its not only me who does that. And if he ever disliked it, why didnt he tell us? I was like WHATEVER!!
Then after the college that day I asked Tia to drop me home as Bunny has gone home after that incident! I was not going to talk to anybody about that incidence as I never thought I was at fault! But Tia started!!
"Nuts do you even realize what you are doing with Bunny???"
"Bloody hell...I am not the only one who teases that Fatso...then why the hell are you guys blaming me?"I objected!!
Tia smiled in sarcasm and disclosed something I couldnt believe was true..."Bunny loves you!!"
I was sure she is out of her mind and she is just jealous of me. She doesn't like the way Bunny cares for me and so this TAMASHA!! But if she is not lying..how can he even think of it?
Myself and Bunny are so different. How the hell can he even imagine that I can be his girlfriend? Is he taking advantage of my friendship? He cant even run 1 km...he doesn't know to dance..He is so stupid and uncool! Have he seen himself in mirror? I actually thought he is such a big jerk and I would smash him for thinking he could match me!!
I came home and mom asked
"Bunny didn't come to drop you??"
I was so irritated that I went to my room and banged the door hard. I wanted to forget that Fatso and so I switched off my phone and started to Facebook!
I wasnt able to concentrate but I tried to checkout something or the other. Then I chanced upon a video. It was for some LIFE INSURRANCE.

"Dil k poore bache hai,Par bande ache hai…Par bande ache hai,
Bhool Bhaal jaate hain,thode kache hain….Par Bande ache hain..
Par bande ache hain 

Inki aadton ki,Hazaar kisse hain..Par bande ache hain,
Change vange hote nahin,Par man k sachhe hain,Par bande achee hain"


At the end of that commercial I was in tears. I couldn't understand what was happening to me?? What was making me cry? Isint Bunny wrong?? I mean just look at me and look at him. People will laugh if anybody sees us together!! I was too confused and I couldnt get interms with my thoughts. So I decided to go out and be with Mom-Dad. 
"Hi Mom I am sorry...I was upset with my college work so didnt want to speak to anybody that time!!"I explained
Mom just smiled and regained her conversation with Dad. They kept laughing on some silly thing and I was just watching them!!
Dad went to sleep and Mom saw me in deep thoughts
"Kya hua?? Kaha khoi ho?" Mom asked
" Ma ...you love Papa na...He is so good and such a cool guy..right?? You both are so compatible and look so good together!!Right??" The innocent adolescent girl in me inquired!!
Mom laughed and when she laughs,I KNOW IT ALL expression makes me uncomfortable!!
But she didnt intrude much and explained 
"I love your Dad not because he is good looking or cool..Not because he wore stylish clothes and danced well!! Baby when you are together..your physicality is the last thing which makes your relationship beautiful. You cannot be happy  with a Mr World who doesnt love you...doesnt care for you..with whom you cannot strike a conversation. .you cannot laugh...for whom you are a trophy girlfriend! But you can be forever happy with a simple man who treats you like a queen..who can guage your sadness with your smile..who keeps you before his ego and who cares for you even when you are angry on each other. Trophy boy friends are good for two months but forever wala pyaar happens only with soulmates!!  Soulmates are also not always perfect...you may hate some things in them..you may not stand them sometimes..you may find 1000 reasons to hate them..but if there is LOVE .. you can live for that one big reason and choose to ignore the petty things for that love...its all worth it!! " Mom concluded!!
That very moment I have grown up from a girl to a women. The cool. Good looking. hip and flashy me has become the real Nuts I am!!
Every gesture of Bunny from last two years was playing in flashback in my mind. The last 2 yrs he has been with me through thick and thin. The fights he had for me, the warnings he gave my looser ex-boyfriends for making me cry. The amount of efforts he put in for making me study and clear my exams. Handling my tantrums when he comes late even for a genuine reason. How he gets sad when I am sad. How I have been always his priority in life. How he used to get very protective about me when I was with my other friends. 
And then I saw the other side of the story. My part of the story. How I ran to him whenever I am sad or happy. How his approval was a must for me in every small decision of my life. I never felt confident unless he was with me. I always wanted him to see me when I am dressed up for knowing whether I look beautiful or not. How after soo much of bullying also he never showed any anger to me. He saw me going with other guys and sometimes even helping me in my stupid gimmicks. How I got all possesive when he helped some random girl in class. How my parents liked and confided in him so much. How I cannot get in terms with others for 2 months and we are best friends from last 2 years. Is thiss,,,,,

I couldnt hold my tears. And I called him immediately.
He sounded very tired and sleey (must have cried the whole night) but he still picked up my call!
"Can we meet??" I asked
"Its 2 am Nuts...we will meet tomorrow in college if I am well!" He spoke uninterested
"Bunny do you love me?" I asked
"Shit...who told you? Nuts listen thats entirely my problem and you dont need to stress out for that!!"
"Just tell me..do you love me??"
" Yes ..I..I do!!"
" Bloody Fatso...mujhe nahi bata sakta tha??"
" Arey dont freak out... I will never stop being friends with you...I am sorry. .but I couldn't help it!!"
" But I am not sorry... I love you!!"
He did not fathom.what I just said...he Continued his blah blah blah..
Then finally...I shouted on phone "I LOVE YOU!!"
He told me to wait for him...and I waited!!
I was very happy in heart. Something had changed in that very moment. I have discovered my love of life.  Love which was there with me from so long, Love as pure as the white platinium which never fades or tarnish. But still I felt as if I am discovering him for the first time. 
His call interrupted my thoughts and he asked me to come down in our garden. I was nervous, excited, happy, vulnerable all at the same time. I had never felt anything close to that ever. And finally when we met, we were at peace. 
He kneeled down and asked me for a hand. And to my surprise at 4 am in the night, he had actually brought a platinium love band for me. I donno from how long he has been carrying this for me.
He slipped the love band in my ring finger and my eyes shone as bright as that ring. 
Its 5 years and we still celebrate that day at 4 am as the PLATINIUM DAY OF OUR LOVE for celebrating the pure and divine love we both encountered on that day.

This blog is intended to participate in the PLATINIUM DAY OF OUR LOVE contest on Indiblogger.in. This is a fiction story and has no resemblance to any real person or event. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Khushi's dose of the day!! (15th Oct 2013)


Khushi is learning a lot of things at a very very fast pace in school and outside school. Guess this age is very absorbing and this generation is also very inquisitive. The other day she was singing a rhyme

Khushi : (singing) In the mirror, what do I see?
          In the mirror, what do I see?
                          Someone is special!!
(Mummy finds it very amusing and wants to know what does she see in the mirror? And whats that special thing she is talking about?)
Khushi : (unaware of my amusement) THAT IS ME!!

Mummy super excited and happy to know that at this age, the first lessons they are getting is to TREAT THEMSELF SPECIAL!! Isint this the very thing missing in all of us. How we forget that we are unique and nobody else can be like us!
We forget to treat ourself special. We are best daughter/son, husband/wife, mother/father but never BEST OURSELF!! I am sure all of us are special in our own ways, just that we wait for others to tell this to us. CANT we just watch ourselves in the mirror and say "I AM SPECIAL!!"
Kudos to the education system where children are taught the basic keys to happiness. And I am loving the learning process myself!!

For those whom I am making sense the simple JR KG ryhme goes this ways...
                                                                        I’m Me

In the mirror, what do I see? 
Someone is special, that is me! 
My eyes, my ears, 
My lips, my nose. 
No one’s looks are just like those! 
All my favourite things to do 
Are not all the same for you. 
What I like to eat and drink, 
What I like to say and think. 
How I laugh, how I talk, 
How I run, how I walk. 
In the mirror, what do I see?
Someone is special, that is me!