Journey to "FATHERHOOD"

The good news of promotion to next level came last November; it was a Sunday evening when we went to meet the doctor. The gynecologist confirmed that I and Su are going to progress to next level very soon. From spouse to parents, this transition was now not very far away. The news brought a new wave of happiness and excitement to the entire Rathi family. Every one started waiting for the moment when we can have first glimpse of the little one. I was a bit luckier with this aspect; managed to see the first pictures of my baby on a sonogram machine screen.

To the D Day: First trimester was a difficult for Su with nausea, heart burn and dizziness accompanying her all the time. Doctor advised cut down on caffeine intake, follow few exercises, prescribed few medication and described these as difficult times before the larger happiness. Time passed and the excitement kept on increasing to see the little one. To make things more exciting, we decided to have a small baby-moon trip to Kodaikanal. It was the month of April with heat waves in whole of southern India, vacation to a hill station was a welcome relief. With this romantic weather and small baby bump on Su's tummy, things could not have been better than this. In true sense, this was the first trip with all three of us together- me, mother to be and the little one.

Second Trimester went smoothly and apprehensions starting to mount with the start of third trimester. All the changes were to new to us and we were learning to deal with them.  By start of June, Su moved to Kolkata to be with other family members and the final approach to D day started.

Arrival of GOD send gift: It was 18 day of July, a Friday morning and I took a morning flight to Kolkata. We knew the time was near but we never expected it was that very day. A routine gynecologist visit was followed by an emergency admission to hospital and immediate operation. Everything thing went well and at 7 minutes to midnight, our prince came to this world.  The time has come for which we have been waiting for so long. Gorgeous, cheeky, beautiful and bright little bundle of joy came into our life. Picking him up into my arms and kissing him on his forehead, I thanked GOD for HIS greatest gift. Having the sweet little baby in my arms was the greatest feeling I had in my entire life.

It has been month and half since the birth, but I have not been able to spend much time with Laddu. He is far off to his dadi/nani’s place and I am lonely waiting here in Chennai. My real test of fatherhood will start early next month when Laddu, along with his mumma, dadi, dada and bhua, is here. Sleepless nights are on their way but I am sure it will be fun. One smile of Laddu and the joy of raising him is everything we will live for.

PS: Our prince is coronated with the name “Samarth”. For us, he is “ Laddu”- little bundle of sweetness in our life.

The new destination – Chennai

Though it has been quite some time since I have written anything, this idle Sunday afternoon reminded me of one of my old interest- Blogging.  It has been long time since I shared my feelings through this blog; hence there is lot which I want to speak of.

My Life: Life is moved into a new phase- from being just a bachelor to better half of Sucheta and now a father to be (Yipeeeeee). I feel like many things have changed in so little time, and I am rest assured that they have changed only for good. I can see a great future standing in front of me.

Opportunity: As they say opportunities keep coming in life. One has to keep its eyes wide open to recognize one and to make the most out of it. Such happened to me around a year back. An opportunity to work with an investment bank came by my way and I instantly grabbed it. However, this new stint was supposed to be in a different city- Chennai. Not very sure of what was waiting for me in store of future; I took up this challenge and decided to shift my base to cultural capital of India.

Chennai: I landed in this city in September last year and my first impression was not very good. On my way to hotel, I could see unfinished flyovers, clattered roads, unforgiving traffic and much congestion all along. My first interaction with a tamilian – the cab driver- was also not very pleasant. Neither could he make out of a single word I spoke, nor could I make out of what ever he spoke. We kept on guessing all along the way. That’s Chennai- You got to know the local language.

Days, weeks, months passed by as I began exploring different parts of city and other major tourists spots in Tamil Nadu. I travelled from Marina beach in the east to madras war cemetery in the west and from Sowcarpet in north to Mahabalipuram in the south. My experiences at all these places were completely different. Rock-cut ancient temples at Mahabalipuram speaks of great Tamil lineage, association of French and Tamil is notable at Puducherry and handicraft industry at Kodaikanal is worth mentioning, leave aside the natural beauty all these places have to offer.

I am still at my journey to explore this part of the world and to experience its rich heritage. A lot still to be explored. I will keep on sharing as the journey progress. However, with experiences I had over last one year, my opinion about the city and its inhabitants is now some-what softened. Of all the parts of India I have travelled, this is the place where culture and traditions are given utmost importance. Even in the current world of glitterati, this is the place where inner self is still valued. “Dhotis” and “gajras” is the way of life here- simple living and high thinking. Of course you can contradict me by asking - “What about yearning for gold ornaments?” On this I would say they are investing in the asset in which governments of almost all the countries invest. Isn’t that intelligent!!

You got to live here for sometime to experience the city. Am sure you will much safer than other metros of India. BTW there are other benefits of living in this city- you get to eat lots of dosas/ idly/wadas- experience lots of Rajnikanth/ Amma’s frenzy…

….MIND IT!!

Marriage Invitation

Dear All,

It gives us immense pleasure to invite you and your family to share the

upcoming cheerful moments as me & Sucheta step into a new life of

togetherness from

Friday, 17th Feb 2012 at Kolkata.

It is a special moment for us as we

take leap into a new world.

It will become more special with

your presence.
Please accept this message as a

personal invitation and grace the

occasion with your presence.

Please find the details of events in the below link:

http://www.ewedding.com/sites/SuchetanRavi

Regards

Ravi and Sucheta

Ph.: 093213 22244,093306 58094.

Slow Dance

Read this somewhere and thought of sharing it.. Time is short and the music wont last..

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

 Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask, "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head? You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last. 

Ever told your child,
"We'll do it tomorrow"
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi?" You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last. 

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift...
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.
Hear the music,
Before the song is over.

-Zindagi Milegi na Doobara-

‘ZMND’ sounds quite familiar, huh??  Well this is not the Abhay, Farhan and Hrithik starrer movie I am referring to, it’s the agenda topping me and my few friends’ life for last few months. -- To live life as if “Zindagi Milegi Na Doobara"-- (ZMND)  -- this was the acronym that inspired us to do something lively and this is how me, Atul, Govinda, Sanket, Jatin and Rahul have been spending our so many weekends now. Our motto being to live life to the fullest, to enjoy each and every moment of it.

 

The thought of having a ZMND trip emerged form one of our master brains (Atul), the inspiration being the movie itself. The thought of LIVING life once before it’s too late was indeed attractive and we all were pulled by its immense magnetic power. A unanimous decision was made to have at least one ZNMD trip per month. Well, we call this ZMND Pact. The trip will be planned by one (God father) and to be accompanied by rest of the group (God sons) - such unique names being coined by Atul.

We started ZMND with our trip to Lonavala. This was an office outing and from there emanated the idea of having a full fledged ZMND trip. The immediate outcome was an impromptu halt at Matheran on the way back to Mumbai. This was the most unplanned and the most amazing trip so far. A night out with office colleagues at a resort in Lonavala, the enchanting weather, the serene beauty of nature and night long cards session, blue water of pawana lake, sights of lonavala city, delicious chikki and, most importantly, the unplanned move to and stay at Matheran. This was a much required escape form the hustle-bustle of the Mumbai city. This small trip of two days touched upon those pages of life, which even were not aware of. Life is much more than just getting up every morning, getting ready for work and, then, working for the whole day. Life is indeed much more. Life is to enjoy the beauty of budding flower, appreciate chirping of birds, listening to the sounds of the waves, retiring in shade of a tree, picking up the fallen leaves bare-handed during autumn, feeling the cold breeze standing at the rim of a cliff, and much much more.

Other trips followed this trip under ZMND pact. We all wanted to live our life and that too in the most memorable and amazing way. Few other trips include:

-          Trip to Malsej Ghats (Twice) - including once when we went just to take the bath in the waterfalls of Malsej

-           A night out in Khandala city. (Amazing place it is)

-          A night outing at Manas Mandir (Jain temple)

-          Trip to Mahabaleshwar (which I missed L)

-          Trip to Aurthur Lake ( we got completely soaked by the beauty of its green and blue water.)

-          A movie marathon. And we managed to watch six movies in a span of two days.

-          Trekking to Mauwali Falls (and a dip in holy water, of course).

-          A day to enjoy on the rides of Water Kingdom. (And we plan to go to Essel World soon).

-          Camping at Phansad Wild life Sanctuary. (Night stay in midst of forest)

-          Chilling on the beach of Revdanda, Kashid, and Murud.

-          And a trip to Janjera fort (located about a km away form the coastline, in the midst of the sea).

The last trip being trip to Kashid and Murud-Janjera. We want to cover more and more places and that too as soon as possible. Places like Kolad (for white water rafting), Kamseth (for paragliding) are in to-be-visited list. We are planning next to go to Bhimshankar temple on the outskirts of Pune.

Whether its luxuries of Lonavala resort or the harsh climate of Phansad Wild life sanctuary, every of the trip had something special to make it a memorable one. I loved every single second and am sure that all others would have also enjoyed a lot. I pray that theses lovely time never end and many more adventurous trips keeps on coming. Life is small and we want to live it fullest. Its only this ONE life we have and it is in this life we have to live up to the life’s worth, make the most beautiful memories, because—“Zindgi Milegi Na Doobara.”

Another year gone, A fresh new year awaits.....Another Birthday passed by...

Aah, good to see my blog again. It has been quite sometime since I wrote last. Now I am back, feeling great. It has been almost a week since October 8^th, my Birthday, the day for which I have been waiting for quite sometime now. No special reasons to make me excited about the day, or anything specific I was looking forward on that day, still there was something in me which kept me waiting for the day. Perhaps it was a kid in me who, like any other kid, waits for the entire year for his Birthday, for those amazing times when he is pampered most. The day when he can invite his friends, play all those little games, can have lots of fun and can feel to be on top of the world.

The celebrations-The day started well with my near and dear ones calling and wishing me. This was followed by an amazing long midnight chat which I can never forget. I feel that was the best part of my Birthday. Amazing gifts, which I got on that day, made me feel very special. Friends, family, colleagues called me, many more people than what I had expected, thanks to Face book. A couple of friends, whose call I expected, dint called, probably they are too busy in their lives. But that’s ok. Expecting from each of them will be like expecting too much.

Entire day passed in office, thanks to the quarter closing of books. After losing the entire day at office, feeling totally lost, I along with a few others planned a small party. We did had a small get together, courtesy Ajit, JP and Rahul. We watched a hilarious movie, had great time chatting, had  yummy cake which was followed by amazing dinner at a Chinese restaurant. These were some of the things that happened special on that day and I felt great about them.

A thoughtful part of me began wondering of what lies ahead on the road of the journey called life. Teens passed and now twenties are almost over. Life is moving on so fast and I have so many things on my to-be-achieved list. Phew... How will I make them possible?  Will I ever be able to get near them?  These thoughts came striking to my mind.

  

Moving ahead with short term goals is a great way to go ahead. After putting in much of my time and energy, I realized that small goals like “things I will like to achieve before me turning 35” are the ones to be focused on. Planning for these small pieces of life will sum up my entire life. It was difficult to come up with anything concrete, but still I was able to zero in a few things. They are : --To reach base camp of Mt. Everest. To paraglide. Jumping from the edge of cliff and to fly like a bird. To travel the world. To see as many places as possible. Reach every continent, at least once. Thoughts goes on….All these might sound a bit weird, but still I want to live them once.

Still many more birthdays to come and still many more years of my life left. How many? I don’t know. I want to LIVE them all with no redemptions and no regrets. On this birthday, I promise myself to live every single moment left, to make out the fullest of the life which GOD has gifted. Life is indeed precious and it is meant to be LIVED. And I will surely make it large.

Random thoughts after being “Engaged”

The Saying- I have heard people saying everything changes after one meets its soul mate. The priorities changes, the feeling and emotions changes and the outlook changes, in short, the whole world changes for it. Everything seems to move in slow motion, as fantasized in yash raj films, and love is what one finds ever where. Isn’t all these so surreal? I always thought this to be some type of arbit bakwass and masala for our very own Bollywood films, until this happened to me.

I remember that day when I had the first glimpse of my fiancé. By the way, it was her picture and not her. It was somewhere in the March’s last week when I was on a small trip to Calcutta. I liked her at the first instant. I thought of her as the one whom I always wanted to be in my life, someone whom I always wanted to be my better half.

Things progressed; our families met and had the initial discussions. I was called to meet the girl I liked at the first glimpse (in picture, of course). First meet followed by the second meet after a few months and things were finalized. I was ready to accept her as my better half and she was ready to accept me as her soul mate. The natural outcome of this acceptance was a formal ceremony last month – Roka or Engagement.

My Feelings- Having been in the committed relation for sometime now makes me think about the changes that I have felt, about my feelings and myself, in last three weeks. To begin with, the feeling of being into the relationship is awesome. There’s someone on the earth that cares for you more than herself, isn’t that amazing? The thought that you are in somebody’s thought is fabulous. Someone who is interested in smallest of small thing you do in the entire day. The existence of that someone is special.

Someone with whom I can share my innermost secrets. That someone to whom I can speak my heart out. Isn’t it so natural? Isn’t so beautiful?

The one with whom I have already started to plan my life, my life with her. Rather, our lives. The one who is always in my thoughts, and beautiful they are.

That one who is more important with each passing second of my life. That one without whom I cannot dream a complete and blissful life. That one who is now the love of my life, in fact, that one is my life now.

That someone is Sucheta, my fiancé and my would-be better half.  

What my friends has to say-I would divide my friends in two categories. First ones who are unmarried and will crib after reading this and second are the ones who are married and will still crib after reading this write-up. A natural reaction after reading this write-up will be that I am out of my senses and am on cloud 9. Hawa mein uud raha hoo My answer to such a reaction will be-

For those who are unmarried- You have to be in a relation to feel this. It’s a feeling that can only be felt but difficult to describe.

For those who are married- You guys have already been through this feeling and you know exactly what I am trying to convey. Shadi is a motichoor ka laddu and I want to have it.

Excited? Yes I am. With a feeling of excitement, and at the same time being nervous, I and Sucheta have taken first step for our togetherness. Getting engaged on last 21^st was just the first step of wonderful times ahead. And I know in the store of time more happy times are waiting for us.

Amen.

Link- Pictures of myself and Sucheta on the Engagement day are in the embedded FB link. Through these pictures I wanted to share my joy and happiness with all my lovely friends who were not present at the ceremony. 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2332825441851.2136473.1286234282