The story behind the names in ‘What’s broken needs mending’

A lot of you asked me why the names Mr. Darcy, Jack Dawson, Jai & Veeru. Well there are reasons behind why I chose those specific names:

Mr. Darcy - He’s one of the very few well known characters who looks beyond his pride and falls in love with a woman far below him in social stature and is not perfect in the book ‘The Pride & Prejudice. I guess the protagonist wanted him so desperately to see beyond her flaws and like her for who she is that I thought the name was perfect. His sister also reminded me of Caroline Bingley who thinks Elizabeth is no good for Mr. Darcy and doesn’t hesitate in letting her know.

Jack Dawson - The obvious reason was because he’s considered one of the most romantic heros of our time, who would sacrifice his life for the sake of his love in the movie Titanic. But the character in my story is an exact opposite - who ran away from feeling anything concrete and didn’t care about what he left behind. The irony struck me as interesting.

Jai & Veeru - Again inspired by one of the greatest movies our generation has witnessed - Sholay. They are opposite in nature and are best friends. Hence, I thought it will be interesting to name them this way.

So, there you go... Did any of you guess the back stories behind the names? If yes, comment below & tell me :)

What’s broken needs mending

Disclaimer: The characters mentioned in the story do not actually exist but they could be subconsciously inspired by a mixture of traits of the many men I have met. The incidents described in the story are completely fictitious but the feelings described are real. Lastly, the image used in the story is mine and I own the same. So go ahead, read the story and let me know your feedback. Please excuse any grammatical errors or typos as I typed it completely on my phone.

What’s broken needs mending

It was my first day at college and I was very late (story of my life!). As I ran towards my class, I bumped into him in a filmy manner and both of us fell down. There were no books falling or dupattas flying, but he was by far the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. The magnificent beast who knocked the wind out of me, dusted his pants and walked away, while I was still sitting in an unflattering position on the ground and staring at him. This is how I met Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy was an aloof kind of a guy, extremely wealthy and very intelligent. People called him proud and never liked him. He would always sit quietly in a corner and go home immediately after the class. He was a mystery I was desperate to solve. For one of the assignments, we were in the same group and that's how we started talking. I quickly realised that he too craved human company unlike the popular belief, but was just shy. In no time, I developed a crush on him. I was completely under his spell. Whatever he said was the gospel truth & whatever he did was inspiring. I'm sure he knew about my raging love for him, but never made the first move. We spent good parts of our days together and became inseparable.

One day I met his sister. She was a model who walked the ramp at Lakme Fashion Week & other such high profile events. Here I was trying to fit into my XXL size jeans and there she was looking like a goddess. While Mr. Darcy was away getting us food at McDonald's, she said, "You do know that it can never happen right? He's destined to take over father's business and you will never fit in. Just look at him and then poor you. So honey, don't torture yourself. Leave while you can. Don't worry, you'll find a sweet nerdy boy." Her words hit me like a hammer. However, I said to her, "I appreciate your concern, but Mr. Darcy is different. He & I connect at a deeper level. He told me that he's not an artificial man who would conform to the societal standards of beauty." That day after his sister left, I decided to confront him. When I asked him what he thought about "us", he laughed at me and said he was already dating his sister's model friend and always saw me as his cute little friend. I think people across the city could hear my heart break. That’s it, he never even bothered to understand what I was going through. That day I realised one thing - Birds of a feather, DO flock together.

I got a job at an ad agency and was doing very well there. In just 3 years I was promoted thrice and was nominated as an upcoming star in the industry. That is where I met Jack Dawson, an artist who loved to play with his canvas and charcoal sticks but was stuck making ad layouts on his mac. On a relatively lazy afternoon at office, we started talking & the free spirited Jack took me on a whirlwind immediately. He had these weird ideas about the meaning of our lives, god & religion and that sinking of titanic was a result of a well hidden conspiracy. I felt at extreme ease with him. He calmed all my inhibitions and always made me feel special. He would make spontaneous plans and we would go on long drives. While he would lose himself in the master piece he was creating, I would entertain myself with books. Those few months were like a pleasant dream. 

But dreams always fall apart when you wake up, right? The lack of clarity in where this was headed boggled me and so I asked him. He said he liked me, but did not believe in defining a relationship. I didn't quite understand what he meant but decided to wait it out. The lack of a satisfying job, made him irritable all the time. He felt trapped & started taking his frustration out on me. He had a problem that I earned more than him and picked up tabs for dinner many a times. Not knowing what we meant to each other made me lose my calm too. So as to not offend him, I would never share my work achievements with him. The magic was slowly replaced with resentment. One day, he met a couple of artists from France, decided to quit his job and flew off to Paris with them. That’s it, he never even discussed it out with me and left me hanging there like a fool. That day I realised - never try to tie down a bird, it will fly away. Also, never undermine your achievements for someone else who would never appreciate them.

While I was still nursing my self back to normal, my entire clan of friends was getting married and having babies including my childhood friend. She had planned a destination wedding at Jaipur with the whole schbang. It was a true royal wedding any girl could dream of. Her fiancé was no less than a prince. She did cheekily mention (annoyingly many times!) that the prince had many cute friends. I told her I was done with men and that I was gonna ignore all of them. Well, how strong would a single girl's resolve be with a super romantic backdrop of Jaipur and many single eligible bachelors! Don't answer...

2 days before the wedding my friend was having a melt down. She and the prince had a fight over some silly matter and decided to call off the wedding. We all knew they were meant for each other so we had to intervene.  That's when I met Jai & Veeru, the twins. The duo were the prince's best friends and we decided to team up to get the estranged couple back together before the families got a hint of what was going on. Now I won't go into details of how, why and when but we managed to pull the wedding off after the lovers united.

And just like that I found myself between two wonderful men. Jai was the older one. He worked at a bank, played guitar, loved dogs & only spoke when spoken to. Veeru was quintessentially opposite. He was a sales guy who loved talking, loved flamboyance and was a party animal. It was Veeru who made the 1st move. Though after Jack, I would have preferred a stable person like Jai, Veeru had already started working his charm on me. He took me to all the best places in the city and did all the things that would impress a girl out of her mind. From opening the doors for me to sending flowers for me to my office. My friends never liked him and warned me to stay away. They thought his actions were over the top and his stories were fake. Though he was genuine with me, I did notice that his demeanour would change when he was around people. I found it extremely weird to see 2 opposite personalities in one person. We virgos generally tend to be healers and get crazily attracted to troubled souls. So I took it upon myself to destroy the peacock side to him and build his confidence to project his true self to the world. But what I didn't realise is that sometimes when you fight negativity, it rubs off on you too. He started projecting his insecurities on me and found only faults in me. Yes, there were many demons I was fighting myself but he was just trying to put me down so that he could feel better about himself. And just like how he opened up to me, he shut himself off. He said we almost made it as a couple but I tried to change him and screwed it up. That’s it, all the good times we had together started seeming fake and I didn’t know what to feel. With a pie splat on my face, I realised - you can only help those who want to help themselves.

Meanwhile, Jai had excused himself from the equation the moment he knew Veeru had asked me out. On a sunny Saturday morning after a few months, I was sitting at a cafe waiting for my friend. I saw Jai a few tables away and went to say a hi. He gave me a warm smile and asked me to join him. And what started as a small talk in the morning turned to a comfortable soirée in the evening. And yes, my friend obliged with absence when I messaged her that I met Jai in the cafe. Talking to Jai was easy. There was no pretence, no uncomfortable silences and no walking on eggshells. He was very forthcoming and forthright. There were no sparks or musical instruments playing in the background but I knew that this was not going to be our last conversation.

It's been a year since that fateful meeting and as I sat on a flight to Reykjavik, Iceland alone, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for what happened in the last 1 year. What started as an instant connection started getting on my nerves in a couple of months. He was constantly there, never gave me any space, became too paly with me friends & family and started talking about marriage & kids way too early. I was feeling suffocated with so many expectations and was afraid I couldn’t live upto them. I didn’t want to break his heart and so continued with the facade for a few months. Things suddenly escalated to our engagement and I felt like I was drowning. I tried, I really tried but couldn’t not feel the same towards him. I decided I had to break up with him and so I did. We were supposed to go to Iceland on our honeymoon, but I preferred to go alone.

It’s freezing cold, just the right weather to see a perfect display of Aurora Borealis. There’s something magical about just sitting and staring at the colourful melee in the sky. And at this moment I’m seeing a flashback of my entire life, and I asked myself what went wrong?

Like all children, I grew up with fairy tales, the ones where a perfect princess kisses an ugly frog and he turns into a prince and a happy ending happens only when the Prince & Princess get together. In my eagerness to have a happy ending, I desperately looked for frogs that I could fix. Be it Aloof Mr. Darcy, Angry Jack or Self Hater Veeru. I constantly told myself I am fat, dark skinned, independent and intelligent which is not what men want. They want an exact opposite girl. Hence, sub consciously I looked for damaged guys who would be ready to look past these flaws and see the real me. I definitely did not succeed but what happened in the process was that, I became a frog. My self esteem which was shattered so many times, refused to believe that anyone who was not damaged could like me.  This self pity was so strong that I ended up projecting it on Jai, who was nothing but sweet with me.

I know you started off reading this story hoping for a happy ending. Well, it does have a happy one but not the one you were hoping for. They say that knowledge is powerful and in a moments clarity, I realised what was it that I needed to work on. Forget fixing others, how about I take myself as a project and fix myself? I don’t know if there will be a Prince Charming somewhere in the future but I do know that this princess will definitely pick herself back and fight her inner demons to emerge victorious!

And as I set this resolve, I felt the colours in the sky brighten up more. As if the nature agrees with me too. :)

 

A journey into the mind – Next stage of human evolution

Life on earth has come a long way since it started in the form of micro-organisms or microbes. We have evolved from just a cell to four legged animals to what we are today. We have witnessed a tremendous physical evolution. And while our bodies continue to evolve and adapt to the current environment, I often wonder what the next stage of evolution will be like.

Last year, while in Auroville (Pondicherry), I came across a very interesting concept put forth by Sri Aurobindo. He says that while our physical evolution has slowed down, the next step is the evolution of our mind & consciousness. He holds that the human mind is much too imperfect a type of consciousness to be the final resting point of nature. This thought intrigued me and I started my metaphoric journey to explore my mind and consciousness.

Those who know me will agree that I am a restless soul. I constantly need to be engaged in some form of activity and often crave human company. My biggest fear (apart from Acrophobia) is to be alone. So, I decided my 1^stgoal was to be comfortable with myself and then even enjoy solitude. As I started out I was terrified. But slowly as I made progress, I started realising that I am quite an interesting person and a good company to keep. I went from being mildly embarrassed to be sitting alone in a café to having a blast on my solo trip to Visakhapatnam. This may not sound like a huge step towards exploring my consciousness, but I do think overcoming insecurities and gaining this level of confidence will definitely make the path easier.

Now that I have overcome a fear that was holding me back, I need to start working on the next step and that is finding a Guru & a Discipline who can guide me into understanding the secret world of my mind. I have tried a few activities in the past few months, but I am yet to find my faith. Not insinuating that I haven’t enjoyed each of these activities, which I have. I have experienced something very unique with each of them. In Auroville, I attended 3 types of meditation workshops – Meditation aided with collective chanting of Om, Meditation with body movements & Meditation with Sound Therapy. I even got an opportunity to meditate inside the Matri Mandir. Recently I have been attending meditation sessions conducted by Pranic Healing Foundation of South Mumbai. My grandfather was an ardent follower of Yoga by Master CVV and hence I have been exposed to his philosophy a bit too. I will need to read up and explore more to find a discipline which will appeal to me. My objective is to not only find my inner peace by meditating but also to gain knowledge that our conscious mind is not able to get.

So, if any of you do think there is a stream, an organisation or an individual who can guide me, I will be more than happy to pursue and explore. I hope I am able to find what I set out for and contribute my bit to the next stage of human evolution.

Where is my ROI?

As always, my inspiration for this post as well is a song. It’s a beautiful and heart wrenching song by Natasha Bedingfield. It is pretty old and has been my favourite ever since the first time I heard it. Not just do I identify with the lyrics of the song but actually each word resonates with all my inner fears, and emotions.

I am sure anyone who has studied business knows what ROI is. In every business decision, we always look for a Return on Investment. What am I getting in return? Only if the answer satisfies us will we go ahead and make that effort or invest that money. Well, often accused of being very practical even in matters concerning people, I always look for ROI - even in relationships!

In my life, I’ve met many types of people. Few exemplary, some good, some bad and many who do not matter. But with each person, I have spent at least one precious moment of my life. That moment that I am spending with you has an opportunity cost. Could I be doing something better? There is always a lingering thought in my mind that what if there was a happier moment that I just let go of because I decided to spend the day outside meeting you? There is no way of knowing that right?

I know I am sounding very mean and unsatisfied, but trust me; ROI calculation has now become important because in past I have wasted my time on wrong people, invested my efforts on unworthy and supported the undeserved. And all they have done is hurt me and bruise me for being there. I wish there were some analytical tool for people as well to predict the relationship performance :P

The formula is simple...

If Benefit from a person "X" > Effort or time put in for the person "X" then it is a positive investment. We can max stretch to Benefit = Effort, in which case we break even. The moment the investment shows negative ROI, it's time to say GOOD BYE!

Whether or not I wish to admit, it is true that I am who I am because of you. Yes you all. The exemplary ones, the good ones, the bad ones and the ones who do not matter. The experiences that I shared with you in the past have shaped my character. So what should I do? Should I just let down my guard and be ready to fall without a safety net?

There’s a line in the song –

I found your fingerprints on a glass of wine; do you know you’re leaving them all over this heart of mine too?

So, next time you are angry with me or want to say some mean stuff, just think that you are leaving these fingerprints on my heart. You can actually spend that moment with someone who makes you happy and spare me to do the same as well. Let us get our time’s worth, what say? :)

Are we all lost stars?

Last year I saw a movie – Begin Again. A very ordinary story produced in a very different way. It stays with me even today, not because of the story, but because of the music and the soundtracks. Though all the songs are extraordinary, “Lost Stars” struck a chord with me. Yes indeed we are all lost stars.

I am a child of the 80’s. Born with a silver spoon, all my needs and wants were promptly fulfilled by my parents. I was always the star kid in my school and college – the all rounder, the miss teacher’s pet, the house leader etc. I had a plan… I had dreams… I had goals… I knew I was not an average person… I was born to do something great!

But then, what happened? Where did the enthusiasm go? It all started with a realization that I am not “Special”. I am just another human being, doing just what all human beings do. I am vulnerable, I am capable of being hurt, I have unrealistic expectations from life and I am struggling to find myself.

In the myriad experiences that I have been exposed to, I have lost myself. I don’t know if I am a girl caught up in dreams and fantasies or the one who reaches out and makes them true. Searching for the meaning… Trust me; this is not a sob story because some bloke broke my heart (though there have been quite a lot of blokes who did that). I am just wondering what my true calling is. There are many things I still enjoy and am passionate about; I have some of the best friends who would always be there with me and I recently started my new job. So no, it’s not because I am not happy. It’s because something is missing.

So do I turn the page? Will I find a brand new ending? Don’t know. You gotta keep trying right!

Calling out to all other lost stars, so that together maybe we can light up the dark!

12 Months, 12 Trips

2015 was supposed to be just another year. But it was not. It was a year where I overcame many fears, left a lot of negative thoughts behind, found my strength and for the 1^st time in my life, completed my New Year’s Resolution.

On 31^st December, 2014, I decided to take up a big challenge – Make 12 trips in 12 months. Big or small, I had to pack my bags and get out of home 12 times this year. Some trips were planned and some weren’t but, each one of them has left me with many happy memories which makes this year extra special.

To celebrate the travels I made, I am writing down highlights of each trip which have been imprinted in my mind forever.

1. Pondicherry (January, 2015)

Had heard a lot about this quaint little Indo-French town and I decided to start my year with Pondicherry.

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Chennai – Mumbai

Drive: Chennai – Pondicherry – Chennai

Must do’s:

Watch Sunrise at the Promenade, take a walk through the French Quarters in the morning, have a continental breakfast at the Baker’s Street, indulge in exotic chocolates at Zuka and enjoy Wood Fired Pizza at Café Extasi

Highlights:

a.   Watching the sunrise at the Promenade was a surreal experience. Living in Mumbai, I have seen the sun set a lot of times but never got to see this lovely sight. It was soul stirring and magical.

b.   Splurging on an amazing breakfast spread at The Baker Street where we had freshly baked Croissants, Breads, Quiches, Cheesecakes and so on :)

     2. Bangalore (February, 2015)

My best friend Shuchi had moved to Bangalore and I got some very cheap tickets during a sale and so decided to make this quick weekend trip to meet her.

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Bangalore – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Well, since we had so much catching up to do, we stayed home for most of the trip. We did go to The Biere Club near UB City which was fun.

Highlights:

a.   On the 2^nd day, we had initially planned to visit Mysore, but the previous night we were so engrossed in our discussions that we did not realize when the morning turned into noon and when into evening and finally in night. It was like we were caught up in a time warp. That day I realized how much I love this girl J

b.   I had a flight back to Mumbai at 5:00 AM and so had to leave from Shuchi’s place at 2:30 AM. So with absolutely no sleep got into a cab and zoomed past the city to reach airport. The ride at such an early hour gave me an amazingly liberating feeling and in that moment I decided to finally let go of my past and make a new future for myself.

1    3. Velas (March, 2015)

In my 3^rd month, I realized I had already spent a lot on my previous 2 trips and so wanted to do a cheap one. I found an offbeat trip to a small village called Velas organized by Mumbai Travellers where we could sight turtle hatchlings. I asked my friend Dipti if she wanted to accompany and she obliged.

My Travel Plan:

Bus (Organised by MT): Mumbai – Velas – Harihareshwar – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Take a walk in the village early in the morning and if you are lucky, you can watch turtles hatching. Unfortunately, we weren’t and we did not see them L

Highlights:

a.   Since it was trip with many strangers, Dipti and I largely kept to ourselves on the 1^st day. In the evening, at the beach the ice broke and we started speaking to the others in the group. While returning to our home stay from the beach, the night had finally started falling and suddenly we see on our right a field full of fireflies. The entire space was lit up with these tiny little creatures. It was magical beyond words. And then suddenly, one of them sat on my hand and I was extremely enthralled yet nervous.

b.   A few of us in the group immediately mingled (though from very different backgrounds) and some of them have actually become very close to me over the months. We practically meet once a week and do a lot of things together. So cheers to making wonderful friends :)

      4. Kerala (April, 2015)

This trip had been long pending for me and so I finally planned it with my sis, bro-in law and my school friends. We started off as a group of 7, then dropped to 5, then dropped to 3 and then finally was only me. I was very skeptical travelling alone through an unknown place and we had to cancel a lot of tickets and hotel bookings. So, I decided to be bold and go alone!

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Kochi – Calicut – Mumbai

Car: Kochi – Munnar

Train: Munnar – Allepey & Allepey to Calicut

Must do’s:

For the 1^st time I had booked our accommodation at Homestays and I had a wonderful experience at both Munnar and Allepey. The families were very cordial and they really took care of me knowing I was a girl travelling alone. Stroll through a tea garden in the morning, watch a kathakali performance, take an ayurvedic massage and finally take a houseboat in Alleppey.

Highlights:

a.   At Kundala Dam Lake (near Munnar), I just stood on the bridge over the lake and was entranced by the beauty of nature. The portrait captured lake with hills in the background which were touching the sky and there were birds flying in the sky. The entire scene was enhanced by some mist and fog. I still have that scenery etched in my mind.

b.   As the boat drifted in the backwaters of Alleppey, I could suddenly see things very clearly in life. What is important and what are my priorities. In a way, this ride forced me to think about things which I had kind of avoided for a long time.

      5. Bhandardhara (July, 2015)

After a gap of 2 months (My sis was getting married and I was low on budget as well as time) I had almost given up on my resolution. But then this trip happened. A very last minute plan. Dipti, Vineet (A friend I made in Velas) and I decided to go for this trip organized by Mumbai Travellers.

My Travel Plan:

Bus: Mumbai – Bhandardhara – Sandhan Valley – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Stay lake side and visit the Arthur lake. Visit during Rainy season recommended

Highlights:

a.   It was slightly drizzling in the night and was very cold. We decided to take a walk in the dark and played some beautiful old songs. The entire road was dark with hardly any light and small droplets falling on our face made the scene extremely magical.

b.   I had seen waterfalls a lot of times, but never went into one. In Bhandardhara, (despite of my fear of height) we decided to jump into the waterfall and live the Liril moment :) . It was crazy as the rocks were very slippery and the water current was strong. But, the fresh cold water on my face was totally worth the effort!

     6. Goa (July, 2015)

My office friends and I decided to redeem our JPMiles and take a free flight to Goa. It was again a very last minute plan and turned out to be so much fun!

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Go to Bacardi lounge at Baga Beach and try their amazing cocktail buckets. Go to a shack and spend time just watching the horizon and of course party! :P

Highlights:

a.    It was the 1^st time I was travelling with Shiv, Sid, Vikram and Roch. So, was a little skeptical in the beginning to be the only girl in the group. But the boys were an absolute fun bunch. There were instances where we were only laughing, laughing and laughing at silly things.

b.   The night when we drank 16 cocktails! We had underestimated the power of these colourful drinks and ordered the entire menu since there was a one+one offer running in Cape Town. And, rest of the night was… BLANK :)

      7. Europe (August, 2015)

I decided to go again to Europe after the awesome experience I had last year. However, decided to visit different countries this year. Spain, France, Belgium and Netherlands with a group called The Backpacker Co.

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Barcelona, Barcelona – Paris, Amsterdam – Paris – Mumbai

Bus: Paris to Brussels, Brussels to Amsterdam

Must do’s:

Do not take a fixed itinerary when visiting Europe. There are so many small places to explore which will not be covered by packages. Travel by the local public transport and experience the lifestyle of the country.

Highlights:

a.   In Paris, I had a chance to book a personally curated bakery and chocolate shop visit. Since I am passionate about baking, it was such a delight to spend the entire afternoon tasting some exquisite French desserts and watching some famous chef’s whip up their specials.

b.   In Barcelona, we had booked a cycle tour to go around the city. I was cycling after many years and was sure I would have forgotten how to. But, the moment I held the cycle bars, I completely got a hand of it. Cycling through the beautiful gothic areas and the calm beach fronts, I thoroughly enjoyed the 1^st day of the trip. And yes, I also made some sweet friends from the trip.

     8. Rajasthan (October, 2015)

I had planned this trip very long back because of cheap tickets. Vikram, Shweta (Friends I made in Velas) and I decided to experience royalty in the historical cities of Rajasthan.

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Jodhpur, Jaipur – Mumbai

Bus: Jodhpur – Udaipur

Train: Udaipur – Jaipur

Must do’s:

Visit Ajit Palace Hotel and the vintage car museum in Umed Bhavan, Jodhpur. Go boating in Udaipur and have dinner at 1135 AD, Amer Palace in Jaipur.

Highlights:

a.   While travelling from Jodhpur to Udaipur, we had taken a bus. I could not sleep that night as it was a little uncomfortable. But I completely forgot the discomfort when I saw the moon through my window. I just put on some super romantic songs on my phone and watched us race the moon throughout the journey.

b.   We had reserved a table for lunch at a royal restaurant called 1135 AD in Amer Palace. The food was served in silver ware and was very authentic and yummy. The furniture, the ambience and the cuisine truly made us feel like royals.

      9. Gujarat (October, 2015)

1 week after Rajasthan trip, Vineet and I planned a visit to 2 of the most beautiful temples in Gujarat - Somnath and Dwarka.

My Travel Plan:

Fly: Mumbai – Rajkot – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Visit Somnath in the night. Though we always prefer going to Temples in morning, this temple is magical in the night. There is cool breeze blowing from the sea and the environment is very serene and spiritual.

Highlights:

a.   On our way to Somnath, we stopped at some very unheard caves. Being very adventurous, we got down to explore the same. As soon as we entered the complex, we saw 4 Peahens and 1 Peacock. It was such a beautiful sight to behold!

b.   1^st night in Somnath, we were in time for Arti and though I am not a very religious person, I was moved by the way the ceremony was conducted. There was such good and positive energy in the temple at that time. Post that we just sat in the temple complex and Vineet told me many mythological stories.

1   10. Lonavla (October, 2015)

Though technically not a trip planned by me, it was an offsite organized by my company. We were booked in Upper deck resort in Lonavla.

My Travel Plan:

Bus: Mumbai – Lonavla – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Upper deck is a beautiful place to stay. It faces valleys and is very beautiful in the morning.

Highlights:

a.   I was in my notice period at that time and hence was very happy to get a chance to spend some time with my friends. We partied all night and then sat with our feet in swimming pool. We obviously were laughing like crazy and then just crashed after that.

b.   Despite the crazy night, we woke up early in the morning, sat in the garden and just enjoyed the cool breeze with sun rise. It was absolutely magical!

      11. Pune (November, 2015)

I was craving to do a road trip since very long, and thanks to Vikram, got to do one. He had some business to attend to in Pune and he invited me along. Dipti was gracious enough to host us for 1 night.

My Travel Plan:

Car: Mumbai – Pune - Mumbai

Must do’s:

Always have Almond Biscotti from German Bakery! Lunch at Malaka Spice in Koregaon Park was also fun!

Highlights:

a.   Dipti took us to The Corinthian’s Club in Pune where we spent a fun night. But the highlight of the night was playing life size chess under the starry sky. Though I quickly lost patience because we were losing to Vikram, it was an experience to always remember.

                  b.   On our way back, we lost our way and ended up taking a longer route back to                                     Mumbai. We must have spent at least 5-6 hours on the road but did not                                               realize how the time passed as we were engrossed in so many interesting                                           conversations. Our topics ranged from Childhood stories to stealing ambulances. :P 

1   12. Mahabaleshwar (December, 2015)

It started off as a Birthday plan for Vikram with just 2 of us. Then we asked Dipti and she joined in. 2 of Vikram’s friends decided to join us from Pune later on. After that 2 of Dipti’s friends decided to join as well. And lastly Vikram’s friends from Pune asked another friend to come along. So ultimately we were 8 of us! It was wonderful trip full of surprises J

My Travel Plan:

Car: Mumbai – Mahabaleshwar – Mumbai

Must do’s:

Avoid the most popular view points and just visit some offbeat places and spend more time there.

Highlights:

a.  Though most of us met for the 1^st time, we all gelled very well and despite such short time spent together, we started missing each other after the trip.

b.   The strawberries were definitely the highlight of the trip. They were yummy and juicy. Top them up with some whipped cream or dip them in chocolate, they are sure to tempt you more and more :)

And so my travel diary for 2015 ends… I made so many good friends, spent so many beautiful moments with them and made so many memories. Thank you God, for enabling me with money, motivation and opportunities to make these trips :) :) :)