ON MY ANNIVERSARY,18th.NOV.2010

Today is our anniversary,and we would have completed 49 blissful,beautiful,warm,love-filled,charming years.Yes, that is what my life, with my extraordinary husband was like.He had a great sense of humour,and always said,with a big smile,"We are on a permanent honeymoon!"And indeed we were.We never stopped talking,laughing,sharing,enjoying,and our life was full of fun.He knew how to create smiles,and we enjoyed every moment of the beautiful togetherness,we shared.Friends very often asked us,"What do you constantly talk about?Whenever we see you driving past,you are so busy talking to each other,that you don't notice anything else!"Yes,our life was like an exciting adventure,full of happiness to the core,and never ever did we imagine that it would be so short lived.

On every a'versary,what is the first thought that comes to my mind?Why?Why? Why did this have to happen,and why did our beautiful,happy world, suddenly come crashing down,destroying everything into smithereens,and leaving me completely shattered,alone,helpless,and sunk in the depths pf despair?We shared many dreams,planned for many achievements,looked forward to so much.But suddenly I felt as if I was in a dark tunnel,with no chance of anything to look forward to.Even today,after almost 25 yrs. of steering the boat alone,I still haven't got over the shock of that devastating moment,that turned my life upside down,ripping it apart,and constant tears,and fears,my steady companions.

But, its the love we shared,our dreams together,the various plans we had,and the success of my children, that gave me the strength, to get started,and keep moving,inspite of the pain,and the urge to give up.We had never met each other before we got married,but in him,I found a wonderful human being,shared many similarities,and most of all,we loved each other,which was Gods gift to us.When something is built on love,it cannot be destroyed,and thats what kept me going.To make all his dreams come true,and not put obstacles in the path of our son's.Today,in 2010, I can say, that all this has been achieved,and I should be happy,and proud.But the pain inside, is as bad as ever.

Every a'sary,its the same feelings,the hurt,pain,loneliness,as bad as ever,and the injustice of it all,creating helplessness.But joy,and sorrow, are two sides of the same coin,and one has to face what comes in life.Today,I miss him terribly,think of the fun we would have had,his surprise gifts,and so much more,and the pain increases.But I have come so far,don't know how much time I have,and will continue to live in my own way,because love conquers all,and is a many splendoured thing,to be treasured,and enjoyed.So,while I do have a constant nagging pain,I also greatly savour the 25 beautiful,happy, fulfilling years, he gave me,as a fitting tribute to a great marriage,and a wonderful relationship.

MY 70th.YEAR. NOV 2010

When I stepped into my 70th.yr. in Nov.2009, I announced it to the world,that I would be celebrating every moment of this special year,and have a blast.Being a very happy,fun-loving person, I thought that would be the best way to celebrate the life I have lived,and the way I live it.To me,life is a very precious gift,and living it with joy,committment,energy,enthusiasm,and most of all love,is how I do it.So,I wanted to make every moment of each day in my 70th.yr.full of fun,and also my way of thanking God,for blessing me,with the capability to live my life,exactly as I want to,and make my dreams come true.And indeed, now that the year is over,I can say with justifiable pride,that I have done it!Dreams do come true.

I was in Buffalo when 2010 started,and was having a wonderful time with my darling little friends,my grandchildren,Ayon/Eric/and little Reedoo.And every day I thanked God for this pleasure,which is life's greatest gift to me.I love children,and my time with them is more precious, than anything else in this whole world.I returned to Pune in the last week of Jan. and, after a few days,left for Delhi, to celebrate this year,with very special people.

The whole trip was full of fun,and everyone plunged into the celebrations, with so much love,and care,that I was truly overwhelmed. I was born,brought up,educated,and married in Delhi, so it will always be a place full of very precious memories,of the most important persons in my life.But I also wanted to meet those, who have been with me,through the ups,and downs of my life,and readily put out the hand,that steadied me,whenever I needed it.That is why I went to Delhi.And what a fabulous trip it was.

I stayed with people I've known for more than 60 yrs. and the love they poured on me,was a very touching, yet fulfilling experience.Today,in 2010, relationships have no value,and are almost non-existent.But I am very proud to say,that all my relationships, are as fresh as a new flower,and their fragrance fills my life with beauty.I visited everyone,friends,relatives,and had a great time everywhere.We all got together to enjoy endless adda,went shopping,ate out,or just sat around to talk about the innumerable things we always can talk about.And I loved every moment.Truly a most unforgettable trip.

I returned to Pune, and immediately got busy with my life here,again full of all my favourite activities,and made joyful by my dear friends.In May,I left for Singapore, to enjoy my time with my dear friend,and favourite companion,my 12 yr.old grand daughter,Tia Rani,who is the personification of all that is wonderful in life.Children have a way of embellishing life with their pure,and unsullied charm,and it is their purity of thoughts,and their innocence,that makes every moment so precious.We talked,shopped,walked,ate endlessly,and loved every moment.But the highlight of my trip, in 2010, was my 70th.b'day gift, a trip to the newly opened Universal Studios,and wow!what an absolutely fantastic place.Just what I love too.

I have been visiting S'Pore, for close to 14 yrs. now,and the way their govt.runs the city,is most admirable,an example to the whole world.And their version of the famous Universal Studios,has definitely become the talking point, of the millions of tourists,who throng there,every day.And I can vouch for every word of appreciation,people say.In fact,words cannot describe the grandeur,and the fascinating,awesome, and very beautiful atmosphere, created.Every moment spent there,is a visual treat,and a delight.I loved every moment,and felt like a little child,with its favourite chocolate,or toy.My loving thanks go to my son,Losita,and of course Tia Rani,for this outstanding gift.Thank you guyz.

After a very warm,and wonderful trip to S'Pore, I returned to Pune,but within a few days, left for Chennai,to attend the wedding of Ria,my young friend from my apartment complex,Riverview.I love travelling,meeting friends,and enjoying with them,and once again,it was a very enjoyable trip,from beginning,to end.I enjoyed the wedding,where they took personal care of me,met up with all my dear friends,shopped,looked around,and since we'ev lived there for many years,the whole city is full of very precious memories for me.

After my return to Pune, my friends were gasping at the way I was going on at 70,but no one could stop me.I enjoyed participating in Ganpati,Durga pujo,Divali celebrations,and then came the GREAT day,my b'day.I spent the whole day in Mahabaleshwar,with my friends,just the way I had always wanted.The scenic beauty is unparalled,boating on the crystal clear lake was just so serene,and soothing,and the weather was gorgeous throughtout the day.We went all over the place,stopped for coffee, enjoyed unending adda at lunch,shopped,and just soaked in the joy of the moment.It was a very fulfilling end to a most outstanding year. Thanks are due to innumerable people,who eagerly,happily, came forward to celebrate with me,and make my special year memorable.But above all,I must gratefully thank God,for blessing me, with such a beautiful year,which will be ever fresh in my mind,as long as I live.