Not Those Average Friendships.

My mother just returned from a reunion with her high school friends. They have met after twenty long years. Though some of them are in contact, a major part of them have gotten in touch a few weeks ago only because of Facebook, and of course, the WhatsApp groups. The internet is a wonderful thing. Sometimes, I am surprised at the remarkable things it introduces to us.

When my mother got in touch with all her high schoolmates, I did not fathom that their whole class would come together for a reunion. Twenty years is a long time definitely and one cannot be convinced that the entire class would actually come together. Well, they did. All of them. All thirty of them. My mother did not stop talking about her friends after she came back. Just like in all high schools, there is the helpful one, the planner, the envious one, the bully, the class leader, the conversationalist, the high achiever, the low-key one, and you get the drift. Looks like the 1970s and 1980s weren't so different after all.

I've always imagined that after you reach a certain age, you stop having friends, mostly because you move on with the other phases or life or move to different cities. I'm afraid, countries! But the fact that two of my mother's friends flew in from the USA, practically shattered all the myths I've built around the reality of friendships. I mean, we are clearly talking about people that withstood twenty years of friendships without any issues whatsoever about geographical restrictions. It gave me a new hope that no matter how old we get, and how well we master the art of pretending that we are all grown up, there is always a child within us that yearns for childhood. It makes us yearn for the high school days because what's more eventful in anyone's life than high school?

This brings me to another thing, it is people who make things like this happen. Not the Internet. It is just a highly powerful medium that amazing people use to their advantage. It's spectacular, right? The kind of things that friendships make us do!

And oh, this time, I have a song for you: You're My Best Friend by Queen

Mistakes.

I have been told that to be a great writer, I must abandon fear. I must forfeit second thoughts and embrace rejection and pain at every step of my life. And that I must put my heart where my mouth is. I have been constantly told that I must place myself in the most unusual situations and gain experiences. It might not have made me a great writer, but it, at least, made me write different things.

I have been told that to be a successful professional, I must network with the right people. I must not be mad about making tons and tons of friends at my workplace. I have been told that all the magic happens right out of my comfort zone, and often, I get pushed to strut out it. I might not have a cushy corner office like Harvey Specter, but I am known for the work I do.

But no one told me how to be a pro at maintaining personal relationships. You know what I mean? Each day, as I navigate my way through the relationships I've so far made with my friends, family, confidants, or just acquaintances, I know they aren't quite thrilling in all aspects. To be honest, I screw them on and off. I've always imagined that relationships are effortless. And that they must be as simple as the pleasant breeze. No, not like the gust of wind. Never. Every night when I am alone with myself, I think of all the mistakes I've made, and as I slowly tuck them into my bed, beside me, looking into their eyes, I ask myself what made me do this. Or that. Or the exact half-baked things I've said to people. I've always imagined that mistakes come from a deeply insecure place. From a place where the brain and heart are in a conflict. But they don't. Mistakes just happen. As we keep taking chances in life and meet different people, mistakes just happen. I mean, my life isn't an isolated case, right? We all make big, fat mistakes. Mistakes that we cannot take back, mistakes that we regret, mistakes that give us sleepless nights, mistakes that sucker punch us in our hearts. However, what are we without our mistakes?

We are social animals. Sure, we receive a cartload of professional advice but no one teaches us how to deal with personal life only because it's not algebra. You learn only when you make mistakes. Only when you choose courage over comfort. You learn that maintaining relationships is not effortless and will never be. You got to wake up every morning, pick them and work hard to make them stay strong.

And tonight, when you are tucking your mistakes into the bed beside you, don't forget to tell them a hi. Don't you forget to thank them for making you strong! Don't you forget to express your gratitude that you're no longer a dick only because of them. For they have been teaching you all that you haven't learned in school or college.

It's your move, Wordfreak: Book Review

This review is a part of BlogAdda’s ‘Book Reviews by Bloggers’ program.

14-05-2012:

I woke up in the evening and saw a packet lying on my bed. “Yay! I got a book from BlogAdda”, was my first reaction. I asked my mom for a cup of coffee and started reading the book. It took me around four hours to complete the book and I completed it in one go. Alright, let us get to the details now.

The story-line:

Online chatting and dating might seem to be a clichéd concept to many but hey, the protagonists meet up online while playing scrabble. Now this is new, right? The story starts with a blind date between Alisha Menon (Worddiva) and Aryan Rajaram Chawla (Wordfreak). Whoever thought blind-dates do not exist anymore or aren’t fun will think twice after reading this book. Alisha is a successful lawyer and Aryan is an architect and a Page 3 boy. The best part is, he designs eco-friendly houses and is pretty much concerned with the carbon footprint. Savitri Menon, Alisha's mother has a major influence on her life; Aryan is mostly influenced by his Uncle Sam and grandmother. 

The story is all about how two different people enter into a relationship, how they work on their relationship and their differences, how Alisha gets over her fear for commitment, how Aryan sorts out issues with his father and step-mother, and blah blah! (I am not going to reveal the entire plot duh! You got to read the book for it)

The book is interesting and racy. And I am sure that majority of girls would love the book but hey, it is not a chick-lit. If you are that die-hard romantic, you will love this book totally. 

Writing Style:

Falguni Kothari is the author of the book and I must say that she has done a pretty good job for this is her first novel. Her writing style is simple and humourous at many joints. Honestly, one can relate with her joyous characters because you might find similar people in your own family. :-)

I Like:

     1)   Of course, the plot.

     2)  The protagonists and the way they stood up to their values and never compromised on   their principles. In fact, every character of the book has a story to tell and we can relate to them easily.

And oh, did I mention that I love the way Diya (Alisha’s best friend) calls her Lee-sha?

My Rating: 3.75/5

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!