Girls like me and of my age live a life of a hypocrite. They tell their parents, relatives and friends that they never want to marry and would give away anything to spend rest of lives with parents, but secretly all they dream about is getting married to most sexy/handsome/rich/humorous/sensitive/caring/cool guy in the world.

The female quest for unknown happiness does not stop at dreaming about marriage alone, it includes a lingering wish to experience motherhood, the joy of holding her own baby, having those little fingers and toes of her own creation and showing off the world what master craftsman she is.

Sometimes, the wish to experience that magic is so strong that eventually girls go to any extent, even sacrifice their professional life, just to have the joy of motherhood. In pre-independence era, or even now in some parts of India, a girl's personal and professional live revolves around providing a mail heir to the family, nothing above it, nothing beyond it.

But, even in modern era, women sacrifice their whole personal and professional life just to be a mother.I can't imagine a rush - a high so strong in my life that would force me to leave all that I have earned or yearned for till now. But then I am not a mother yet.

One of my friend is literally on the verge of death and she denies treatment - the reason - she wants to be a mother! Her condition so severe that unless she sacrifices her chances of ever conceiving a baby she hardly has any of living. But no matter what the docs say, no matter what we argue  - her thoughts never linger towards having a treatment for all she wants to have is a baby, perhaps later in life, but, yes a baby for sure.

Perhaps, the gravity of situation skips her mind everyday because her pain, her distress is negligible when compared to joy of motherhood, a joy which she has not experienced yet but she dreams of everyday and night.

When I got to know about her medical condition I had few sleepless nights, I even argued with her, requested her, begged her to go back to her hometown and have proper treatment but - in vain. The argument continued. But one day I looked into her eyes which were in so much pain yet carried a simple wish and I knew I lost my case. Thereon I could see how wonderfully her eyes hid the pain and joy of her strongest wish - she wants to be a mother!

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It's raining men
Hallelujah it's raining men, Amen
It's raining men
Hallelujah it's raining men, Amen

naa re naa re, naa re naa re - (2)
barso re megha megha -2, barso re megha barso
mitha hai kosa hai, barish kaa bosa hai
kosa hai, kosa hai, barish kaa bosa hai
jal jal jal jal jal jal jal thal jal thal
chal chal chal chal....... chal chal behta chal
gilee gilee gilee ha, ha ha ha ha.......

Ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra
Ghane ghan ghor kaare chhaye badra
Dhamak dhamak goonje badra ke danke
Chamak chamak dekho bijuriya chamke
Mann Dhadkayein Badrawaaaa... O the weather has turned beautiful in Delhi. After months of heat and humidity, Delhi finally received a sprinkle of rain and with it the priceless smell of earth.
The inside of a otherise hot and sleepy office has truned into a cool and lively place. People are happy, singing songs, some in their breathe and some humming, discussing clothes and hoping to get away ASAp to enjoy the weather with their family and friends. 
I wish you all Happy rain and pakorads! Enjoy Delhi
Rain Screensaver for your Desktop

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Recently one of my colleagues changed her job to become an Adoption Counsellor at a Delhi orphanage. The news was rather a bizarre for me for I had started growing fond of her and was looking forward to change my department and work under her able guidance. I requested her not to leave. But gradually with time I realised that she has chosen a rather noble field wherein she would help children crave their future.

But the full intensity of her job did not dawn on me until I spoke with her recently. Her explanation about her work culture and colleagues touched my heart. I realised that from on onwards she was not going to sit in AC cabin with a lot of paper work and gossipy colleagues rather she would be kept company in a huge group of children right from newborns to seven years of age, the youngest being just three day old.

She told me that every children in these orphanages have their own story. The stories of these unfortunate kids were touching.

A girl child was left behind because her father wanted to get married again after his wife's death. Can anyone go and ask that man would he have left his child in the same circumstances if it wold have been a male child? or would his wife have left their child in case he had died?

The answers are simple no. But her's in not the only case in the orphanage. There are kids left by unmarried mothers, by parents who just thought having a kid will not go with their professional lives, by parents who want to remarry.

But then as a coin as two sides there's a happier side to this sad saga also. Irresponsibility, professional success and social shame gives way to hope and happiness for loving couples who cannot have a child or simply want to adopt one to expand their families.

Many kids from these orphanages get great foster parents and live much healthier and happier lives from they would have otherwise lived. And in return they give unconditional love to their parents as they have nothing to loose.

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Today I read a friend's buzz status which said- it's the part of her life she calls wonderful! The statement triggered a stream of thoughts in my mind that if there's anything like wonderful life? The thoughts were partially result of my own misery and partially because I have never seen my friend so happy.

Well, it's good that she finally found her wonderland in a foreign state but here in India I find it amazing that how we term our whole lives wonderful on realisation of a momentary pleasure and horrible on facing a stupid trouble.

Human nature is so spontaneous that it practically leaves no space for planning. We are happy this moment and sad the another. We call ourselves luckiest man alive and a beggar on the same day. We live - we die - we don't have control over our lives, yet we plan.

Bosses praise us, suck us and even want to kill us and we return the favour with due fervour, yet we get up everyday to get to the same place and start the vicious cycle all over again. But, you know, the cycle is vicious but not never ending or inevitable. We can take control of our lives.

And, I think, the only way to get behind driver's wheel is to let go. Release that accelerator and hold on to break for some time or just let go the break and let your life speed on .. speed on until you feel the rush carving for which made you learn the damn driving.

Speed on or stay but do what you feel like, listen to your heart. Enjoy every moment of your momentary wildness because it will also pass and at the end of it you will feel you have really screwed it up!

But trust me there will be nothing more satisfactory than blowing off your monotonous life circle and starting all over again because we, as humans, are all nomads!

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DELHI, DILLI, Shahjanhanbad, Indraprastha - one city and several names. The city has an x-factor that makes it special and sets it apart from rest of the world and other Indian cities. Perhaps, it is the wide cultural mix that you find here or the kind of history it has.

Delhi is probably the only city in the world that has been destructed and reconstructed so many times. The huge city has seen several rulers coming, conquering and fading away, from Slaves to Lodhis from Mughals to Britishers. The city grew with its rulers.

Its explicit history makes the city worth a visit. The city, now the national capital of world's largest democracy - India, has a lot to offer its visitors. Situated in the north of the nation, it boasts of walled city - Purani Dilli, historic monuments, national museums, lush green gardens, wide streets with trees, havelis, farm houses and the list goes on.

The city does not disappoint anyone. Artists find their paradise in Mandi House, which is an area near Delhi's shopping hub Connaught Place and includes several theatres, photo galleries and auditoriums.

Delhi has a different way to do its business as well. Most of the Delhi's high profile business and cultural events find its venue at beautiful green and eco-friendly campuses of India Habitat Centre and India International Centre.

The walled city, a wonder in herself, has everything to fall for. It's famous for almost everything it has, the centuries old structures, food joints, markets and most of all 'the people'. Old Delhi still has the Mughal charm intact to it.

The nation's second largest metro (first is Mumbai) also boasts of world renowned religious places. Birla Temple, which was built in 17th century, was later renovated by Birla family and inaugurated by none other than Mahatma Gandhi.

Delhi's walled city also has the Asia's largest mosque, Jama Masjid. And not to forget the newly added asset to city's beauty - Akshardham Temple, which is the largest Hindu temple in the world.

With it's old charm, Delhi does not cease to become the hot destination for fashion freaks. With growing number of fashion shows being held in the city, Delhi has become the upcoming fashion capital of the country. Indian film industry has also shifted its focus from old and well exploited Mumbai locations to untouched Delhi resources.

In the recent past, several films have been shot with the city as the backdrop. Bollywood blockbuster Rang De Basanti, Fanna, Pyar ke Side Effects, Hum Tum were shot in Delhi.
Delhi has a huge list of malls that offer almost each and every brand from the world of fashion, technology, food, accessories, furniture, jewellery, etc.

The city has so much to offer that one gets confused what to do and what not in a limited period of time. If ever you a pay a visit to India's cultural model, please make a list of your type of places (I am sure list will be long enough), visit these and feel the experience yourself. And if you still think your visit wasn't worth it, here's your chance to be a part of eternal history; listen to the Sufi qawalis at 'Nizaumidin Ki Dargah'.

I am sure the Sufi music will take you away to a much more divine and beautiful world of love and peace.
Original article published at: (link will be provided soon :))

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Today’s children are tomorrow’s future. And it’s is quite evident considering the several young achievers our country has. Few days back, a media report suggested that India has the largest number of child prodigies in the world.

The list of India’s amazing kids comprises of a few well known and a few lesser known names like five-year-old Satya Narayanan, a maestro on the keyboard, 13-year-old Aditya Kishore Patil, a wiz at software engineering and 10-year-old Tanvi Taneja, a genius at Bharatnatyam.

And the recently spotted Aman Rehman, who is just eight years old and has already created more than 10,000 animation films. In his home town, Dehradun, people call him little Bill Gates.
And then there are bigger names like Shakuntla Devi, the math wizard, whose talent was recognised at the age of three and Tiger Woods, who won the Optimist International Junior tournament at age eight.

So, it can be said that our nation has no dearth of talent and potential. Then where are we using it? A pretty useful and tough question. Virtually, India is doing nothing to utilise these talents.

Recently, a Class XII student from Shillong designed a very simple and effective method to combat terrorists, without utilising much resources and time. He has made a simple model that had a machine gun mounted at the top of CCTV cameras, usually installed at security sensitive zones.

The genius has also made a model of an unmanned light aircraft using only plastic, which he said, can not only precisely target enemy locations, but can also be of immense use during disbursement of relief materials to flood victims.

Another young scientist from Uttar Pradesh has found a ’miraculous moss’ to take care of injured soldiers.

These and many other such mind boggling plans are floating in the minds of million young Indians. If properly executed, plans made by these children can be of great help in combating terrorism. Perhaps, it is high time for India to harness the immense knowledge these kids have been bestowed with. Who knows their ’childish’ ideas may actually save thousands of lives.

Original artcile posted at: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=156980

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According to a recent study, girls are more likely to be a victim of long time bullying at primary school. A recent research led by Dieter Wolke, University of Warwick Professor of Developmental Psychology, suggested that the girls, who are victim of bullying at the age of 6 are two and a half times more likely than boys to remain targets for a longer time.

The study also revealed that only 10 per cent children at the age of six get involved in physical bullying, whereas as much as 25 per cent of 10-year-old children indulge in such activities.
Physical threats and beating is more common in all boys groups and mixed groups, says study.
The researchers observed 663 students of 6-9 years till the age of 10-11 years. During the time period, almost 170 students changed the school. There is a great possibility that these children were also bullied, said the researchers.

As children grow older, direct victimisation like beating and physical and verbal threats gets replaced by emotional victimisation, like spreading of malicious gossip or the withdrawal of friendships leading to social exclusion.

Wolke said that parents should develop and implement interesting and innovative intervention programmes that may help children to escape further victimisation in their school. The study is published online in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology.
Original artcile posted at: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=156332

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The Bombay High Court has upheld the judgement of a family court in Mumbai, which had granted divorce to a woman on the grounds that her husband was HIV-positive. Meanwhile, a similar family court in Maharashtra few days back, had rejected a divorce application filed by the husband because his wife was HIV-positive.

In the first case, the couple got married in 1988. The woman said that it was only in 1997 that she found out that her husband was HIV-positive. In 2005, a Mumbai family court granted her divorce on the basis of her husband’s medical status and also because she was mentally and physically harassed by him.

However, in the later case, a man’s plea was turned down by a family court in Pune, which finally ruled that it is his moral duty to be with his HIV-infected wife and take care of her.

The family court judge RV Deshmukh said, “HIV-infected persons need care and love, especially from near and dear ones.”

It is very pertinent to mention here that HIV or human immunodeficiency virus can be transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected person and thus it is being categorised under the STDs or sexually transmitted diseases or venereal diseases. Studies show that sexual intercourse is the chief reason for the spread of this deadly virus.

Thus, an infected person is an equal threat to his/her partner’s life. But the indifferent behaviour of Maharashtra family courts has become a question to ponder upon. Perhaps, it’s time for India to formulate proper justice cells and laws for people infected with the disease
Original artcile posted at: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=154175

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A REPORT issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that waterborne diseases kill a child in every 15 seconds. Diarrhoea alone kills nearly 4,500 children everyday and is the second highest single cause of childhood deaths.

The lack of sanitation facilities and unhygienic drinking water services are the biggest causes of waterborne diseases and children become the most vulnerable victims. According to the report, over one billion people across the world do not have access to safe drinking water and almost 33 per cent of the world population does not have proper sanitation facilities.

Diarrhoea causes dehydration and children are more likely than adults to die of diarrhoea because they become dehydrated more quickly. Diarrhoea is also a major cause of child malnutrition. Thus, due to waterborne diseases many children are also missing out on education.

The main causes of diarrhoea are poor hygiene, lack of clean drinking water, overcrowding and the trend towards bottle-feeding rather than breastfeed. Protection from the disease can be ensured with clean drinking water, use of toilets and washing hands before touching food.
In a recently released book `The Big Necessity’, the author, Rose George mentioned that nearly 2.6 billion people don’t have access to safe sanitation facilities. Four in 10 people live in situations where they are surrounded by human excrement, which then gets carried with them on their fingers, clothes and into their drinking water.

UNICEF report’s regional breakdown reveals that almost half of the population in India and about 1.5 billion people in China live without toilets creating an environment polluted with human waste.

Original artcile posted at: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=154003

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According to a recent study, more than 98 per cent computers in the world are hacker-friendly. In a research conducted by a Danish security company it was revealed that most of the computers use outdated softwares, which leaves visible loopholes that hackers can exploit.
The company’s security scanning tool revealed that nearly 50 per cent of personal computers (PCs) run as much as 11 out-of-date programmes. In a study of 20,000 users of its software, the company found that almost all users had at least one programme that wasn’t the latest version.

The hackers across the world are one step ahead of technology and have almost all required tools to exploit any loopholes left in Windows. The advanced hacking tools make it increasingly easy for an infected web page to check for possible vulnerabilities in a person’s computer.
According to security experts, it’s just as important to keep programmes up-to-date, as it is to have good firewall and anti-virus programmes. More and more users should be encouraged to have better anti-virus programmes along with up-to-date softwares. Experts emphasised on the need of better software patching solutions for private users.
Keeping the security issue in the forefront, leading software developing companies like Microsoft and Mozilla are in process of building better update tools.

Original artcile posted at: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=152465

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