A toast to the wondrous year::2010

31st December 2009: "At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world parties hard, I , Aavika Dhanda, shall be studying for the second pre-board examinations", I said this when an acquaintance asked me my new year plans.

Never so ever, had my imagination went to the point, where am standing now. Watching the most successful, magnificent, flamboyant year of my life pass by. Aghast! this year has come to an end, my mind recapitulates everything. Here's my agglomeration of remembrances.

chaman aka senapati

Remembering the end of schooling times still kills my heart. The unexpected farewell, which we all had expectedly struggled for, was highly touching. Right from shedding the pearls of tears on my bestie Chaman urf senapati's shoulder at the end of the school to the canteen times, fighting over stupid issues, cheering each other at times of frequent failures, the metro talkies, was all painful yet so full of happinesses. I thank him for everything.

End of the school life was like crossing a bridge of my life. The bridge that will never be crossed again. Left me with lacerate, lachrymals. But, that was just the beginning. For I realized, I hadn't lost anything, rather gained everything. Keeping the love, compassion, experiences of all kinds in my sack, I carried on my journey.

The real success stories began later.

Notes I made for future:-

Interest- unknown

Choice- unknown

Institute- unknown

Ambition- known

And this known quantity made me have a face-off with the unknown ones.

lifelong friendship

Making a tough decision for future, not keeping even any other alternate option alive, had my hopes almost murdered. When nobody had been there for me. My bestest best friend (infamous Samvita) stood by me. ... she kept me alive.. my spirits and my soul alive. The times when I cannot breathe, due to sorrow or due to overwhelmingly in happiness, she, I know is here. I need not ask. She seamstresses my life and is my opium. I salute our six long years of friendship, the world knows, its the strongest. (And, i love your new boots)

Finally, all my friends had left the city for higher studies. Having only a few left here.. I defined life in three simple words "Life goes on..."

Getting into the College of dreams: 

Meenakshi: first college friend

Gelling with the people here, wasn't a piece of cake though. New people, new area, new friends, new choices, new similarities, new dissimilarities which kept me at shake. Not until I met Meenakshi, turning out to be my first college friend. A girl very simple and elegant yet complex, thunderous anger and calm heart. Until I could have known her better, we were parted in different sections. Things started becoming unsaturated.

            

vartika and me. similar shades

I kept myself at bay, noticing people, who should be relevant to be my friend
Finally, His Grace provided me with Vartika, the Lucknow Girl. Persona so powerful that I had known am in love again. As ambitious person, a freelancer of life, a careless bird like me. Straight forward, intelligent, intellectual, trustworthy, what more could I have imagined? I started liking college now. Had fun, did notorious and embarrassing stuffs (for instance :the field one, I shall never forget and neither will let you).

Geeta Di- will miss you! 

Going to their Paying Guests House, still makes me remember someone special. A very belle person inside out, her presence I'll embrace forever. A women who touched my heart deeply leaving with a deep scar in our memories. In such a lesser time, she made me feel like she's my soul sister. The way we laughed, talked, draped was so similar.
We love you Geeta Di!

Saumya: my mentor

With a clinch, I still have another lady to be credited. Whom I'll never let go. The women who inspires me, helps me, stands for me, protects me from troubles incoming every possible angles of life. Her voice spreads magic in my land with love and comfort. What more a startled bird, ready to take off, could have asked for? Saumya Di! Personality just as her name means. Met her by fluke. Seems more like my mentor. The one with power and audacious nature. Love you so much, even the words can't define.

I remember very clearly how in yesteryears I had a will to do something for the world. Unfortunately, with the lack of sources and confidence, the world pushed me back. Now, here, in my new world, have finally done something fruitful this year.

3rd December :World Disability Day

Working with disabled at Karampura was like a dream come true for me.

Sign Language is for all

Celebrating the World Disability Day at India Gate on 3rd December 2010 was something out of this world.
Met many influencing people. I realized that they are none different than us, rather they think ten times better than us.

Doing some worth work

Teaching the labour children of the college was yet another jollification.
pheww!! have finally done something. I am something. My full gratitude to the Social Service Society "PARIVARTAN" of my college.

Experience unforgettable 

Watching Common Wealth Games for first time at a stadium rather than at idiot boxes was a feeling renowned. Hearing the screams of all, the roar of audiences which integrated up as "one". The nationalism during the national anthem being sung was truly amazing.






One more was visiting one of the most beautiful islands of the planet!

the experience undefined

Have only imagined infinite ocean with the cool breeze at dreams. Only until the dream went true! The ocean wind passing through my hair, refreshing my veins, my clothes which daily get swayed away the wind, but then it was different: It was the breeze.
I thank my parents for completing the dream!



At times, I feel , there is a long list of people I am indispensable of.

Sanchi (met her somewhere in bus, when she was lost and confused. Now she is my good friend)
Varuna, Priyam, Deeksha, Drish.
One of such is Aastha, of my batch. A super intelligent girl who unlike other geeks. I thank her for helping me always, not for being selfish and not to forget, being pure at heart. My life's burden is halved cos of her. Plus, thanks for keeping my secrets under your kitty (sshhhh).. She is the one I can never remunerate.

At the end, filled with more positive aura, vibes, alacrity around me, I realized some credence. I have actually spent an entire year with "one love". The year with no harsh breaks ups, cut offs, world wars....just selfless love. The 2011 resolution list won't be having "meet love of life" now, neither will any year's.
I am filled over the brim with gratitude for year 2010 which has brought a new term "us" fulminating "me" and "you". Feels like "we" are in some renege. As if, every step I took since the moment I could walk was a step toward finding you.

You complete me

Amor

The dignity and respect we have for each other, without any formalities is now sealed with a guarantee that we are the "ones" for each other. How does it feels to have met a perfect person, not to die for, but to live for?

"Epitomizing Pure Love", is what strikes my mind. Reached a stage where those three magic words which everyone longs to hear, seems less for us to reflect what we feel.
"Cos its you and me and all other people who've nothing to do, nothing to lose".

My new year resolutions would be just two:

• gain weight
• spread happiness

Taking a huge sigh of relief, I amidst the endless rain outside, set a farewell to this colourful year of my life, filled with sunshine all across me and trust me, no remorses. I hope all gems of my life are always studded in my life's jewelery set.
May God kiss us all, the upcoming year and all the years to pass by.

31st December 2010: "At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world parties hard, I , Aavika Dhanda, shall be studying for the first semester examinations", I said this when the same acquaintance asked me my new year plans.

We laughed.

"One Little Finger"

Reading the newspaper, TOI crest, I came across the one article that touched my heart on page no. 28. Which later on inspired me to dig a little deeper.

The Book Cover of "One Little Finger"

Searching for the Wonder Women, Malini Chib, on google, I actually entered a new phase.. something out of this world. 

The info which I collected and couldn't resist sharing with one and all :

Malini Chib is a 44 year old women staying in Mumbai having cerebral palsy.

"Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain (although the disorder most likely involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as thecerebellum), and palsy refers to disorder of movement", says Wikipedia.

Chib at the release of book

Malini's book "ONE LITTLE FINGER", is an autobiography which was released in India, New Delhi on 3rd December 2010, giving the best gift to all on World Disability Day and a reason of joy 

to the entire world.

Born in 60's in Calcutta to Mithur Alur, she was stamped with the term "disabled" suffering from the disease which is incurable, according to the doctors. 

Passing out from Bombay's St Xavier's College of Special School wasn't very easy for her.

People starring at her, while she used the ramps made for wheelchairs, no one understood whatever she said. But yet, with a very supportive family she carried on.

"At St Xavier's I had come to terms with the fact that I will always be different, that my body scares off boys, that I will never have boyfriends like other girls. I had friends, gossiped in canteen, went to movies, with them, but at parties the girls would drift away with boys and I'd be left alone", says Chib during an interview with TOI crest. 

Malini with her mother Mithur Alur

As a matter of fact, this didn't swayed away her thoughts, dreams, ambitions with the wind. She possesses a degree of Women's Studies from London University and Library Sciences and Information Management from the London Metropolitan University. 

 Right now, she holds a job at Oxford Book Store, Mumbai and not to forget, she is also the founder and co-chairperson of ADAPT ( Able Disabled All People Together), earlier named as Spastics Society. 

ADAPT, is a school for children and works for assessment, infant stimulation, therapy, counseling, inclusive education, skills training and job placement, continuum of support services and home management programmes for children and young adults with disability.

"ONE LITTLE FINGER", the book in which she wrote every word with her one finger and has been doing so since her lifetime, is the first book  in India to be written by a person suffering from cerebral palsy.

She still wants to see the world disabled-friendly.

On the other hand, I believe, she raised mountains of hope for all disabled people, and also proved wrong the people with perception that those with disability are a liability to the nation.

She thereby, has defeated the disability.

We salute the spirits of Malini Chib. 

Pronunciations or Pronounciations?

"Its not Mojito, it is pronounced as Mohito", says 10 years-elder-to-me cousin, who has done courses in Spanish and French.
I ask her "what?", as i order the same at KFC.
She clears her point again in her usual low-pitch voice.
"Even its not Virgin, its pronounced as Virkhin".
These are the Spanish words, I had known that very day with Mohito sounding more like Mohitto (with double 't').
But, with my keen interest in other languages, I ask her more.
"Its not Costa Coffee, it is pronounced as Costa Cafe (with an accent on 'e')", she says seeing the board as we continue walking.
Thanks for rectification.

"There's no such word called gymming yaar, its gymnasium", says a friend of mine.
I wonder how many times I have committed this mistake & even others have done so in front of me.

With two new things in the box a day, i think of moving ahead.

Here are a few i have come across. Gone are those days when people used to make "words" sound like "words".

• COMMENT- It is not c-uh-mment. It is c-o-mment (with 'o' sounding like an 'o').

• ACADEMIC- It is not a-c-ah-demic. It is a-ke-r-demic.

• ACCURSED- It is not ae-ccursed. It is uh-kerst. 

• ACQUAINTANCE- It is not aq-uin-tance. It is ak-win-tance. [I thank Akanksha for this]

• WEDNESDAY- It is not wed-nes-day. It is we-ns-day.

• PEPPERONI- It is not pep-roni. It is pep-puh-roh-ni.

And this one is the funniest :

• ACCENT- It is not a-ssent or ae-ssent. It is ak-sent.

• AVATAR- It is not a-va-tor, even though Englishmen pronounce it as so, doesn't mean it will lose its real pronunciation. It will still remain a-va-tar.

Also, nobody's veg/ non-veg.
Veg/ non-veg is subjected to food.
"I am veg" sounds very stupid.
"I am vegetarian is correct".
It is so common now that I do not even feel like prompting anyone, even saying the same myself.

Many times I am even stuck between right spelling provided by nations.

• Colour (UK) or Color (US)?
• Caesarean (UK) or Cesarean (US)?
• Moustache (UK) or Mustache (US)?

Now what is right and wrong in the above, I shall let the nations converse over that.

Hoping for preferment in pronunciations.