Little Surprises of Life

Absolutely Random thought... when u sit in your office cab after a tired day of work, what is the first thing on your mind?
Oh wow... who is my cabmate? Let me bond with her? Nope its like.. whoever you are and wherever you stay ... just do me a favor.. don't talk loudly on the phone, and dont make the cabbie take detours... coz I dont care if you don't have a life! But I do!! :)

What you surely dont expect is to meet someone that you talk 5 sentences with during the cab ride... to become friends with you.

But thats exactly what happened with me... I sat in the cab... asked her where she stayed... the look on her face was also like... "Don't you dare talk to me... coz I promise if you do, I will bite! I can!" What was convenient was... she stayed exactly on the way to my godforsaken part of the town... Absolutely no detour! :)

SO cunning me traced her out on the company intranet the next day... asked her if she would like if the facilities guys can group us together... coz that will be perfect... luckily she agreed. So there we were cabmates. Initialy the conversations were polite... how was ur day etc... then slowly the bitching stared... and our sarcasm was well matched... and we started looking forward to the lone rides to office.

The way back home was more fun... we will invariably have another extra person... (4th one) that none of us would like... we will start with snide comments... private jokes... then over time... ppl started avoiding the cab... coz we will show "the eyes"... the ones that said... "you wanna sit in our cab? like really? you dont like a peaceful life ? or are you suicidal?" It always worked...

We were not absolute demons... we had a few favorites... the ones who stayed two blocks away from the office kinds :)

Dont know when .... we became friends... like good friends... its difficult to meet people u gel with instantly... who are JUST like you... almost mirror image kind.

But all said and done... Divya Kiran I am happy I sat in that cab that evening :)

What Not to Say to an Armed Forces Wife

A little note... this is not my original. But an adaptation of something an American Military wife wrote. I just fine tuned it and added some of my own experiences :)

1. "Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?"
This one comes in at number one on the "duh" list for every Armed Forces Wife (AFW). Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers in the backs of our minds -- but thanks, brilliant, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.

2. "I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it."
This is intended to be a compliment, but it's just a little annoying. Here's why: It's not like all of us AFWs have been dreaming since childhood of the day we'd get to be anxious single moms who carry cellphones with us to the bathroom and in the shower. We're not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable; we just got asked to take on a challenging job. So, we rose to the challenge and found the strength to make sacrifices.

3. "At least he's not in the border."
This is the number one most annoying comment for those whose husbands are in Air Force. What do they think happens every time they go flying? A Joy ride? People get into emergencies and wives are as tensed!

4. "What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he's gone?"
Short answer: try to keep my sanity. Maybe there's a AFW out there who gets bored when her husband leaves, but I have yet to meet her. For the rest of us, those with and without children, we find ourselves having to be two people. That keeps us plenty busy. We do get lonely, but we don't get bored, and drinking massive amounts of Vodka always helps keep me busy.

5. "How much longer does he have until he can get out?"
This one is annoying to many of us whether our husbands are seeing action or not. Many of our husbands aren't counting down the days until they "can" get out. Many of them can’t imagine doing anything else because they actually love what they.

6. "My husband had to go for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through."
This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband's three-week trip toMumbai/London/Tokyo/etc. with a AF Dett. Aside from the obvious absence, at no point your husband was flying his own aircraft wearing a g-suit at 40 deg Celsius, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for it. Comparing a Armed Forces exerciseto a business trip is like comparing a Auto Rickshaw with a Honda City.

7. "Wow, you must miss him."
This one also gets another big "duh". Of course we miss our men. There are some wives who do not, and they're now divorced.

8. "Well, he signed up for it, so it's his own fault whatever happens over there."
Yes, he did sign up. Each and every day he protects your right to make stupid, ignorant comments like that. He didn't sign up and ask to be hit by anything -- he signed up to protect his country. Oh, and by the way, he asked me to tell you that "You're welcome." He's still fighting for your freedom.

9. "Don't you miss sex? I couldn't do it!"
Hmmm. Seriously ... AFW learn quickly that our relationships must be founded on something greater than sex. We learn to appreciate the important things, like simply hearing their voices, seeing their faces, being able to have dinner together every night. And the hard truth is, most relationships probably couldn't withstand weeks of sex deprivation.

Last but not least ...

10. "Oh, that's horrible ... I'm so sorry!"
He's doing his job and he's tough. Don't be sorry. Be appreciative and please take a moment out of your comfortable lives to realize that our men are deployed at the border so you stay safe.

The Radiance that is Hrusha

You won my heart with hello. Not a day goes by, without me fearing that day when we will have to part ways, not because we want to but because we will have to. You take care of me like my mother will, when I am not well. You cuddle up with me, like your life depends on it. I can't stop hugging you at the drop of a hat.

Today, you are the most important part of my life and vice versa. Few years down the line there will be other people in your life who will mean more to you. Whose advice will make more sense and whose company you will enjoy more than mine. When that happens, I want you to know that I will still love you as much and care for you as much.

When someone hurts you emotionally I feel helpless. I want you to be strong. Like you can deal with the whole world when I am not around. I want you to be able to kick some serious ass that needs to be kicked. I also wish you will be sensitive enough to care for the old and the weak.

Above all, what I really want is for you to grow up to be someone who will respect the person she sees in the mirror.

I know you are only 7 now. I also know that to help you be the person I want you to be, your Baba and I have a major role to play. We promise that we will not keep any stone unturned to achieve that :)