Off the many places I visited in 2011, Bandhavgarh, which is located in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, made its place even in my heart. The three hour long drive from the Jabalpur airport had put me to sleep and when I opened my eyes, I saw myself being surrounded by the deep dark woods. While I knew Bandhavgarh is a wildlife national sanctuary, I was not exactly hoping to stay right in the middle of a jungle. And as if that was enough, the driver started narrating a story about how he encountered a tiger outside of the hotel where I will be staying. Syna Tiger Resort, the name confirmed driver’s story.

It was 10 pm as we were flashing the headlight of the car to grab the watchman’s attention who was fast asleep. I thought I raised a very intelligent point by asking the driver to honk to wake him up but he replied by saying that honking is not allowed in the jungle as it scares the animals. We waited for ten minutes outside of the hotel and I checked if the car doors were locked atleast 20 times. 

The resort was massive! Situated right at the edge of Bandhavgarh National Park, this luxury jungle resort serves as an ideal base from where you can explore the territory of the Royal Bengal Tiger. An azure plunge pool surrounded by fifteen exclusive luxury cottages and one signature tree-house. Combined with rustic ambience, cottages were built in the traditional styles of different Indian states, including Kerela, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. A rooftop machan adjacent with every cottage gave a fantabulous view of the jungle.

After having explored the resort extensively, it was time for the morning safari which starts at 6 am. Bandhavgarh is home to the rarest of big cats. Stretching over more than 500 kms, this dense forest was once the hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa. The forest is ruled by more than 65 tigers and if you are lucky, you stand a chance to have an exclusive interaction with one of them. Guess it was my lucky day, I caught up with two of them! 

A whole lot of safari jeeps were standing by as the tour guides knew that it was tiger’s time to come to the well to quench his thirst. After having waited for 3 hours, the tiger did arrive in style, staring at the on-lookers and passing by. He looked beautiful and graceful. He walked past like a true sher with a powerful aura around him. I wanted to see more of him but he was suddenly out of sight.

We went deeper into the forest, the next morning. Four hours gone and we could only spot few harmless animals. On our way back, our tour guide suddenly asked the driver to stop the car and reverse. He said, “Tiger, right there” I switched on my camera, looked in the direction he was pointing but still couldn’t spot him. His skin colour helps him camouflage with the environment so well. And finally, I saw him staring at us. That was the first eye to eye contact with a tiger. He looked like he is going to charge at us. I was told to not make any moves and just look at him. But I couldn’t get the right camera angle and I got up to click a nice photograph. Within a second, he disappeared. Turned around and started running in the other direction leaving me wanting for more.

I am not a big wildlife enthusiast, to be honest. But few experiences ignite hidden passions within you. So never say never. Its been six months and I have been wanting to visit another wildlife sanctuary for another interesting interaction;)

This is one of the most beautiful romantic tracks. Makes me feel nostalgic and reiterates the fact that falling in love is more beautiful than being in love itself! ;-) Here’s a chance to relive the most beautiful phase of life...

The song is composed by Rochak Kohli & Ayushmann.

Sometimes I wonder what is it that gives me more pleasure – Is it cycling or listening to music or the combination of the two?

As fresh air caresses my face and my long locks, I feel a little a more alive every time pedal. Cycling is like breathing slowly. It is like being with yourself and meditating. Cycling is like being in the lap of nature and controlling the pace of your life.

Cycling is also like going for a long walk with a loved one. It is like having a conversation with the non-existent. Cycling is like being in the air and flying and it is also like being on the floor and rolling with joy!
 
Great things about cycling:
 - Stress buster
 - Eco-friendly
 -  Low maintenance
 - A great friend
  - Fitness Equipment

The hard thing about life seems to be finding time for yourself to put down some thoughts. Its not like I am occupied all the time. Just that few other things take priority. When people tell me, ‘hey, you’ve got a nice blog’, I just feel a little more guilty for not having updated it for so long. Two years  and only five posts. A lot has happened!

Let me start with something I love talking about. Places I have travelled to in the last two years:

Internationally:
Dubai
Maldives
Hongkong
Macau
London, UK
Paris, France
Devon, UK
Koh Samui, Thailand
Singapore
Kuala Lampur, Malaysia

India:
Ludhiana
Amritsar
Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh
Jaipur
Udaipur
Ganpatiphule
Goa – 4 times
Delhi – thrice
Bangalore – twice

And according to Facebook, I have visited only 5% of the world. I am yet to cover 95% of the world and as per my calculation, it means, I have to cover a minimum of 3% of the world every year! Thats if I live for 30 more years. 

On my wishlist for the next two years.

Internationally:
Australia
New Zealand
Las Vegas
New York
Turkey
Greece
Italy
Spain
Switzerland
Ireland
Egypt

India:
North East India – Assam, Darjelling, Nagaland etc
Andaman & Nicobar
Lakswadeep
Kerala
Jodhpur
Jaiselmer
Jammu
Dehradun
Dharamshala
Coorg

A nomad at heart and a visionary by mind. Images of various places conjur up my mind even while talking to somebody, listening to music, anchoring, sleeping, partying etc. In my mind, I have traveled to places I have never been before. This is my only passion and I will do anything to satiate this desire of mine. Amen!

Few things I have realized about myself over years:

1. I cannot do something I do not like, believe or find logic in.
2. I am like the crazy ball. The harder you chuck me, the higher I bounce!
3. I totally believe in forgiving people but go through great difficulty in forgetting.
4. If I had all the money, I think I would only travel.
5. If I crave to eat something, I can travel miles to grab that.
6. I love people who always smile.
7. Good food and good music make me feel happy.
8. Being at home on a Saturday night can make me feel super depressed about life.
9. My friends call me ‘Justice Queen’. At the risk of blowing my own trumphet, I think I am super unbiased by nature, even if it is against a loved one. 
9. I can stay quiet even if you say rude things to me. I didn’t know about this quality of mine.
10. But then there always comes a day when I have more to say than you.
11. I open up quickly when I meet people first. It’s the second and the third meeting when I am usually short of words.
12. I love the feeling of pride, the sense of achieving something or proving a point by not saying anything.
13. I do no believe in any kind of superstition. I believe in good karma and just that.
14. I can go to a restaurant alone and have a meal all by myself.
15. I would like to live my life the way I am living it today even when I am 60. Don't think will ever say, 'I am too old to do this'
16. I enjoy cooking, swimming, cycling, adventure sports and like to be in company of those who enjoy the same. I am a full-on activity person. 
17. I have my sympathies for those who are in love and are not loved back.
18. The thought of my nephews Krishiv & shivansh can bring a smile to my face at any hour.
19. I enjoy crying as much as laughing.
20. Connecting with myself by putting down my thoughts makes me feel sorted and relaxed in my head.

Waking up early in the morning to go to work can be quite a bitch. And by early morning, I mean, 4:40 am. Even if you manage to take a catnap for 10 more minutes, life still doesn’t seem to be a better place. After all, in your mind you are afraid that when you open your eyes next, it could be 11:15 am with 27 missed calls on your phone leaving you jobless till you find another one!

And the outcome is that you end up waking yourself up even before the snooze alarm! These 15 minutes are the most difficult part of my day but once I am up and about, I love every bit of it!

THE FACT:
 
 - That I wake up even before the sun does
 - That I can drive at 120 km/hr on Mumbai roads
 - That I reach office in 20 minutes
 - That I can play music at a high volume with windows rolled down
 - That the breeze is fresh, pollution free and kisses my skin before anyone else’s
 - That I make an appearance on TV, first thing in the morning
 - That I eat a healthy fruit salad every morning
 - That there is no boss to keep an eye on me
 - That I can blog while I am at work ;)
 - That I can go home and take an afternoon nap
 - That I can go cycling in the evening
 - That I can cook scrumptious dinner for family
 - That I can watch a movie everynight

I forget about those fifteen minutes in five minutes but it feels good to use my day to the max. Now, you don’t have to feel too bad about your life. I know you spend two hours in traffic and eight hours at work leaving no time for yourself. Well, its all about karma, my friend ;)

Anything that involves more than one person is bound to see a conflict and honeymoon is no different. While I am a city person, my husband is a beach bum. My idea of a holiday is to roam around and he thinks holiday is the only time to chill around. The debate was always around a quiet island or a bustling city.

Money and time are the most important ingredients to plan a honeymoon, for that matter, any holiday. Thanks to our professional lives, we had only 15 days in hand, a budget of 4 lakhs in our bank account and a desire to be happy through out our honeymoon. We decided to go to two destinations, each of our own choice.

When I was told we are going to Maldives first for our honeymoon, I wasn’t exactly excited. Though I every time I told someone I am going to Maldives for my honeymoon, there was a WOW expression on their faces. And I had the same expression once I landed there. Landed?! Well, there is no land. Almost 99% of the country is made of water.

My heart skipped a beat when the plane graciously glided down towards Male International airport. A glance out the window and you see green little patches enclosed by glistening blues inviting you. A vision so unique that you can't help but wonder if it is real, well, only nature could have painted a picture so perfect!

How I wish to be romancing on one of those patches! But how could I share the excitement with my husband, after all, I was the one harping on how cool the city breaks are!

To get to any resort in Maldives, you either need to hire a boat or an airplane. A brief 10-minute speedboat ride away from the airport, we arrived at the Kurumba Island resort. Maldives is made of more than 1190 islands and out of that, only 201 islands are inhabited and we were on one of them. The little green patches got transformed into graceful palms that gently sway to the cool breeze. The water was so clear that you see the fish playing in the depths of the lagoons.

Just a few steps to the beach, our cottage was comfortably appointed and decorated. Large bathrooms with open shower and separate tub made it perfect for a honeymoon couple.

What made Kurumba Island better than its competitors was the plethora of dining options it had to offer. Nine restaurant serving nine different cuisines! Food was the only other thing to keep us honeymooners busy. To wake up every morning and open the door to hear waves clashing the shores was as soothing as cool breeze flirting with the palm trees. After a hectic four day affair called Marriage, we really needed that beach break and not a city mess. I departed from the place asserting that this is the perfect honeymoon destination!

After spending seven smooth days in Maldives, it was my turn to surprise my better half! We headed to the city of lights and nights –Hong Kong! Tall buildings, bright lights, long cruises and so many beautiful people got both of us keyed up! One would expect only the party places to be lit up but that’s what I loved about Hongkong, the entire city is decked up like a wedding venue.  

Kowloon is where we chose to stay. The room wasn’t half as fancy as the one in Maldives and no wonder then, we chose to spend more time outside of the room, exploring the city all by ourselves. After all, we didn’t need to hire a boat to get to any place anymore ;)

A lot has been written about Hongkong but the highlight definitely has to be the spectacular view from the Victoria peak. It is almost like you can have an imprint of your palm on the entire city. We had dinner at Café Deco and to our surprise, the Indian food served there was better than any Moti Mahals of the world!

From walking around the seashore to exploring the entire city, from debating over snorkeling or night fishing to arguing over The Ocean Park or The Disneyland, we had the best of our time. While we were the most romantic couple in Maldives, Hongkong made us the best of buddies!

To know if your boss is a good boss is to see how he responds to mistakes. My boss, now an ex-boss surprised me at every mistake I made at work. He did that by not saying anything to me and waited till I realize it by myself.

When I was in class five, I had failed in one subject. It was only on that day that I promised myself to excel in studies to not to face the embarrassment ever again. I took help from a tuition teacher living close by and her mentoring made me stand first in the class, next year. That’s when I realized how important is it, firstly, to fail and secondly to find the right teacher. 

After having worked for 4-5 years, I finally saw my right teacher in Mr Ashu Dutt. I loved the language he spoke, the attitude he carried and the freedom he enjoyed.

Its rare to find a good boss and even more rare you get to work with them. I got lucky only for a few months and I had to write this letter to him the day I got to know he has quit.

We sulk, we fight, we abuse, we hold grudges, we hurt and get hurt only to realize that suddenly the other person doesn’t exist in this world. Gone to the world where there are no mobile phones, no connectivity, no way through which you can even convey anything!

Death’s got nothing to do with age. You could be as young as 20 or as old as 80, when you leave the world is decided by God. But yes, one thing is for sure, you will leave this world and so will your closed ones.

This is coming from losing someone I knew…not very closely but having known those who knew him very closely tells me - life is unpredictable. He left from work, took the car keys from his mom for a night out only to never ever come back home. Little did she know that she is seeing him for the last time and all she is asking from God now is to be able to speak to him one last time. She forgot to tell him how much she loves him. Elder sister who brought him up as a caring mother wonders why did she ever fight with him. Friends who have had lovely memories & crazy nights with him find it weird to believe that he is no more to add to their joy.

The pain of losing a loved one goes beyond words. But what is more painful is not expressing enough love/warmth when he was alive. As long as your body is  functional, use it to tell others how much you love them every minute, every second. They may be irritating, they may get you angry sometimes because of their behavior, they haven’t been able to live up to your expectations but there will be a time when either you will be gone or he/she will be. Only then you realize that I only saw the bad side of the person. Why couldn’t I see how attached I was to him/her and how much you miss the person. 

We all know for a fact that our soul is going to leave our body. And our body is either going to be buried or burnt. Unfortunately even doctors can’t win over God in this case. So why not make the most of the opportunity while we are alive. Forget about others dieing, aren’t you going to die one day? May be the next day or the next minute.

Money, power, fame dies with death. I may be the richest person but I still don’t get the privilege to take even a percent of my wealth as I die. What you leave here are few happy memories. If you have made someone happy today, you have earned millions. If you earned million rupees today and didn’t care about your closed ones, unfortunately you wasted your life. You have none when you die – neither money nor memories.

I don’t know if I have been able to put the message across but let me quote myself from an old note: 

‘Give praises, Give smiles, Give love, Give warmth, Give hugs, Give ideas, Give a helping hand.'

Make someone smile everyday. If you get angry on someone, get calm and think – what if I don’t see this person from tomorrow onwards? You can only get angry when you have some connection with that person. And see how that feels.

Nothing, I repeat, nothing is more valuable than ‘a life’. Please VALUE it. Please love yourself and others. Be kind to yourself and others.

Spread happiness and love. Dump hatred and anger!