Heart warming Holidays

                                                           

Having lived in North America for almost two decades,I have added a few more holidays to my list.Easter,July 4th,Thanksgiving and Christmas to name a few. Spring brings in colorful flowers and delightful Easter bunny.Who could escape the Easter egg hunt if you have small children?As the Easter bunny jumps away,our next major holiday break comes in a snail's pace after 3 long months. As soon the school closes in the North eastern part of US, we kick off the summer vacation with American Independence day. July 4th fireworks reminds us all of "Diwali".I would never say no to lighting those sparklers under the clear summer sky.Then comes September,which not only summons a new school year but also our Indian festive season.The season starts with "Navarathri" which got a new platform in US lately. South Indians still enthusiastically bring their authentic "Golu"dolls from back home and proudly display it in their living room.The nine day celebration is usually cut down to the weekends.While the Golu goers in Chennai went door to door without an invitation that open door policy does not seem to exist anywhere these days.Dates are fixed in advance and attendance strictly by invitation only! In the past few years most of the towns with sizable Indian population in US have launched electrifying "Dandiya" nights in a mega scale.The event is marked by heavily packed halls,ear splitting music,ladies and men in the best Indian attire dancing to the beats of Dandiya music until daybreak.

Before we could recover from Navarathri, Diwali follows.Did I forget to mention about the spooky festival of Halloween? I have gone from designing my son's warrior costume to carving a pumpkin like many parents.While we fight hard to get over the sugar rush from Halloween candies our willpower is put to another test by the mouth watering Diwali delicacies.The North American Diwali includes grand Diwali melas to elaborate week long festivities in our temples to small scale neighborhood parties.We are lucky to have some school districts declare it as a holiday here.It has been a tradition for many desi families in New Jersey to make a quick trip to our local "Sivakaasi" in a town named Easton in Pennsylvania to get the fireworks.While "Diyas" brighten our dark fall nights, Diwali sweets help us beat those Fall blues.As our folks in India wrap up their holiday season soon after Diwali, we start another session of "Adopted Holidays".What's interesting about them is the Indian touch the Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration gets in our desi families.Indian Thanksgiving meals gets Americanized longer you stay here but I still frequently find our Tandoori dishes next to Turkey on Thanksgiving dinner table.No one cares as long it satiates your holiday appetite! Anyway we have come a long way from what the pilgrims ate.I absolutely love the way we first generation immigrants have added a new flavor to the American holidays.We bring in the Christmas cheers by following the rituals of an American Christmas as closely as possible so that our kids too can share their holiday stories with their friends, be it taking them to "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" or merely giving them a spectacular icicle lighting at the house.We show the same enthusiasm in putting the Christmas tree as we do for lighting the Diyas on Diwali.Every Indian mom puts on her best culinary effort to make the gingerbread house as they do for making "Laddos"during Diwali.

Holidays in any culture has one meaning,that's bringing the families and friends together.Of course food is an integral part of any celebration.It's a time to break the monotonous daily chores and add a little excitement to otherwise mundane lives of many.It's time to clean up the clutter,embellish the house,and to adorn oneself.We immigrants seem to have assimilated the quality of bringing the best out of both cultures.While our motherland inculcated outstanding hospitality, our adopted motherland polished it with an international touch but both taught us the importance of the family and friends.Holidays celebrated with kith and kin has a special meaning.They not only kindle childhood memories but also create new ones with no expiration date.Holidays are heart warming and emotionally uplifting.As we step into this holiday season let's all be thankful for the loved ones in our lives who make our everyday special and our holidays extra special.Happy Holidays!!

Hypocrisy at its best

No Presidential election campaign was as bitter as this one. No election result ever left friendships fractured and relationships strained. In the last few month America listened to the backlashes from both sides and finally when we thought that it was over we are opening a Pandora box !Hypocrisy was the key game card during this election. Every exit polls went wrong. Stunned to see black sheep among us. People who were ashamed to openly support Trump came out of the hiding....election results changed by "Silent voters"stunned this nation. Hypocrisy at its heights! Selfish motive superseded their traditional values and belief. It is 3 days since election results came out...America continue to voice out their anger and frustration on the streets of major cities.A country known for its diversity is now deeply divided.What is next for this great nation ? Is it going to be beginning of a new era of great healthcare, border security, and booming economy as promised ? When the Out going President Obama and the President elect Trump came together on 11/10/2016, it made me realize that when the titans can put the differences behind....we as a responsible citizens can do the same for the country that we call it home! 

Tribute to Drew

               

  On August 29th, 2016 life of a teenager ended tragically in a road accident in New Jersey. A young life cut short, an aspiring mind erased in a flash and big dreams coming to a crushing end.As the news spread through my town, everyone was gripped with sadness beyond words. Drew as he was affectionately called, was a person full of humor, energy, talent and most importantly the love for life. I sat with my son to get know about this incredible youngster whom I had only met briefly at his school play. Drew, as I came to know was the "Gaston" in beauty and the Beast, the handsome and adorable villain who with his natural boyish mannerism had the audience raving his acting skills. I also came to know that this kid had a great sense of humor in addition to his amazing talent. Drew was also a caring brother, a loving son....and a wonderful human.
On September 1st when all the kids were getting ready for the first day of school, Franklin township kids were preparing themselves to say good bye to their dear friend. Excitement of the new school year was replaced by the overwhelming sadness at the loss of their popular classmate. Fear and anxiety ran high in the minds of the parents on how to possibly prepare their children for the funeral. I could not even comprehend what Drew's family was going through. That solemn ceremony attended by hundreds of people left me with many unanswered questions....Why this kid? How and where his parents will find strength to move on? How many 12 year old would have attended the funeral of their friend? Is it fair for his siblings and friends to experience such a devastating loss at this young age? I found the answers after two months...
 The community came together again two months later to celebrate Drew's life and cherish his memories. Singers, dancers, poets and orators took to the stage with one message
 "Andrew forever".The evening started with Franklin High school choir singing melodious tune to soothe our hurting heart, followed by Franklin Middle school drama club dancing to a peppy number from "Shrek" to lift up our sinking spirits.The children brought out the portrait of a smiling Drew and placed it on a chair on the stage from where he observed everything that evening.The event went on with singers singing their heart out, dancers dancing to shake off their blues.Tributes poured in from friends, teachers and family members.There was his sister reciting his poem on "French Fries", his best friend who emotionally narrated how they were an inseparable duo and read the last text message from Drew one hour before the accident.Finally the most heart breaking part was the poignant speech by his mom. She depicted strength, emotion and courage.There was not a dry eye in that auditorium on hearing her heart wrenching speech.
 That day made me reflect on many things in life. We all come to this world with a finite time card and it is quality of the life that matters and not the length of it.This boy who hardy lived up to the age of 14 touched the hearts of many in my community.The arm sock that he wore as a mockery was proudly worn by all the kids to show their solidarity.The card " # Be Like Andrew" that was passed around to keep his legacy alive showed his kindness to others. The oak tree that is going to stand tall in his school is going to tell stories about his exceptional character. The white bike that stands on that traffic intersection symbolizes his soul resting in peace.
      I was particularly moved to see the support from the Franklin fraternity. I saw God in every single soul assembled there.Looking around me and into the world, my faith in humanity has been fading lately but that evening sparked a new hope in me. I found an altruistic angle in every single kid who readily gave up their Halloween parties to gather in that auditorium to cherish the memories of their dear friend. The unparalleled team work by Franklin Township public school teachers and staff was equally impressive. In today's world filled with materialistic needs and egoistic interaction it is very refreshing to see such genuine warmth in people. That finally came to this lively soul in heaven who made me feel that this world is still a good place to live after all. Thank you Drew !

My hero

On Columbus Day 1999 arrived my first bundle of joy. Just like Christopher Columbus discovered this great continent, I discovered my way into motherhood. Sleepless nights and sleepy days became my routine. Diapers, pacifier, wet wipes replaced my makeup and books in my handbag. As a first time mother I was overwhelmed with joy of caring and nurturing my own baby whom I had started to love unconditionally. Equally overwhelming was the responsibility of caring for the little one. I checked on him constantly even when he was sound asleep. I made sure that the house was sanitized to keep away the germs. When he coughed or sneezed even once I ran to my Pediatric books to look for the differential diagnoses. For the developmental milestones forget it ! Even if he was late by a week to crawl or stand my mind came up with worst possible syndromes.

I can never forget his first day in daycare when he was just 18 months old. Dressed in a dark green jumper, carrying a orange colored Elmo bag he eagerly walked into a room full of toddlers. Little did he know that I was going to leave him there! As I closed the door of the room behind me, I felt heavy in my heart. Tear started to roll down my cheeks. I ran to my car and cried inconsolably. For the first time in his life I left him under the care of an outsider...I felt as though a part of my body was amputated. I checked my watch every 10 minutes, how I wished that day got over soon so that I could finally run to my baby, hold,hug and kiss him. After a grueling 4 long hour it was my time to pick him up. I rushed to the daycare, opened the door nervously to find my son running towards me with eyes filled with tears, his face red with anger and sadness from separation. Immediately he sprinted towards me and climbed on me and held me tight. The action that conveyed how much he missed me!

Today as Akash turns 17, he walks into his school without even giving me a second look but his affection has not faded. He demonstrated more than once his commitment to our family, right from protecting Akshay from food allergies to helping me set up my office .He has matured into an independent, courageous young man. I could not have been prouder, not only of his academic achievements but also his personality. He has inspired me in many ways...my love for writing was ignited by him so was my ambition to succeed. I learnt how to be a focused, grounded, matured and ambitious person from him.He truly is my hero!
Love you chella.

Teachers Day

       September 5th, the birthday of Dr.S.Radhakrishnan is celebrated as teachers day in India. It is to honor all the educators who have dedicated their lives to implanting and nurturing the intellectual seed in every student's mind. Like most school in her city, Aashna's school also has been observing this special holiday to celebrate their teachers. Being in the 11th std she along with her batch mates volunteered for this event. It is a unique day indeed with students playing teachers and teachers taking a break from their mundane tutoring schedule. Their day started with setting up the trays of sweets and snacks that were specially prepared by the most authentic South Indian restaurant Swagath. The smell of the freshly prepared vada,sambar, kesari percolated its way to the corridor making everyone salivate. So it was a field day for the teachers. While the senior students were running around with the time table of the day, Aashna and her friend Kavvya chose to go to the kindergarten class since they thought it would be easy to handle the little ones. Boy...they were wrong!

The moment they both stepped into the classroom, they saw pencil boxes, books flying all over, girls pulling each other pony tails while the boys were having a kick boxing session. Aashna thought it was just like scene from "Kindergarten Cops" only that Arnold Schwarzenegger was able to bring them under control by merely showing his biceps. Anyway both the girls had taken up the responsibility and there was no way of backing up at the last moment. The initial jitters were soon taken over by the excitement of interacting with this bunch of tiny tots. There was this shy Swetha who would not utter a word. Sitting next to her was curious Bharath who had incessant bursts of questions " How old are you?", "Do you get homework?" Does your dad give you time out?" and so on. Then there was, this aspiring doctor Naveen who was an encyclopedia of human diseases and stylish Suman who pretended to be superstar Rajini. Over all Aashna thought that they were adorable bunch of Kindergartners, each with their own interesting personality. Kaavya picked a book on Farm animals and both of them took turns to read to it the class. After the reading session was over they were planning to distribute cookie treats for the youngsters. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Aashna opened it to find Uday standing outside. Uday was a very accomplished 11 th grader with a great vision and aspiration. Aashna always looked up to him for inspiration. He was strong, confident and over all charming. He was the president of National Honor society, volunteered in local Red cross and of course was the brain behind today's function. He said that he had come to check if everything was running as per schedule and chatted for a few minutes. Before he left he said" Girls, don't forget to come to the auditorium at 2 pm sharp".

The cultural programs were planned for that afternoon. Aashna, Kavvya and Lavanya singed up for singing. Lavanya had the voice of Lata Mangeshkar with carnatic skills of M.S. Subbalakshmi. She sure was the nightingale of their school. Having little confidence in their singing skills themselves, Aashna and Kavya was sure that they could pull a stunning rendition of a film song with Lavanya on board. Lavanya's mother picked a beautiful Bharathiyar song for them and helped them perfect the notes. Little did they rehearse, most of the time was spent discussing what to wear for the event. It was 12 noon already and Aashna was getting nervous about the afternoon program. So all three girls decided to assemble in the playground near the kindergarten to fine tune the song before the finale. Meanwhile, Aashna and Kavvya were ready to say Good bye to their little friends. Hugs, kisses, hand made cards and candies from the little ones melted their hearts. Aashna felt very accomplished having not only to tame that unruly class but also to have made new friends.She was touched by their innocent mind and  inquisitive brain.

The time was 1 pm and the girls had one round of final rehearsal session that went on as planned. They all changed to silk cotton salwars with black metal accessories inspired by their favorite movie star Nadia. They did each other's hair, brushed a little rouge and lipstick to look glamorous for the stage. As they walked up to the auditorium their hard work at make up was rewarded with Uday's compliments. "Man, my day is made!" Aashna thought in her mind blushing. He ushered them to come to the back stage. There was a 7th grader who was dancing to a famous Kamal Hassan's number with audience cheering him. They were told that their performance will the next one. As they were lining up to enter the stage from behind the curtain, all of a sudden Lavanya started shaking as though she was hit by lightening bolt. Her eyes were filled with tears,hands tremulous and cold ! Aashna felt a lump in her throat as well. No one knew until then that stage freight was contagious!! Seeing Aashna and Lavanya having a melt down, melted Kaavya's confidence too. So here they were practically 2 minutes before the performance that the girls were contemplating dashing out of the door. This caught Uday's attention. He came up to Aashna and asked her what was going on. She narrated the stage freight situation that seem to be spreading like a wild fire. He looked at her, held her hands and said " I know you can do it". Those words worked like magic. Aashna felt a sudden surge of confidence, excitement replaced fear instantaneously and she wanted to prove it to herself and to others that she can do it. She quickly pulled the other girls for a small pep talk. Very soon they heard Uday announcing their names in the mike. As they sang the Bharthiar's song in harmony, she felt empowered by a new sense of strength, happiness and accomplishment. She glanced at Uday with tears in her eyes that conveyed respect, admiration and affection!
     

Millennial Parents

 When I snatched the smart phone from my son and downgraded to basic cell phone, he was furious, outraged and what not. He reacted as though I deprived him of his basic human right! What's wrong with tech generation kids? Right from birth they are exposed to technology. They saw their first dog on the iPad, heard their first rhyme on iPod and muttered their first word on the iPhone .These so called "ikids" are no matter very very tech savvy than their parents but they lack the exposure to the real world. It becomes a humongous problem as they become" iteens". Their phone becomes an appendage to their body and they develop separation anxiety and even withdrawal symptoms without it.

                I feel technology is being misused by many and largely by the younger generation. Every parent hands a cell phone to their children with the main intention of keeping in touch with them but it is being used for everything else. Is there a pressing need to face time your friend 10 min after dismissal or share every minute of your life on Instagram?! They are so bombarded by the notifications, text messages and blogs,that they become blind to the boring message from a caring parent trying to find about their whereabouts.
        ◦       Narcissism,materialism are the virtues being catalyzed by the cell phones.Real face to face conversation has become obsolete these days. Technocentric generation use the palm sized yet powerful gadget to meet,greet,fight and even for split ups. Warmth of the hug and hand shake have been replaced by telegraphic text messages. Heartfelt emotions emerge as "emoji s" these days!
        ◦       We as a millennial parents have one more hardship to tackle, that's the devil in the form of gadgets.In my humble opinion we need to fight against the misuse of these gadgets, to educate our kids about the consequence abusing the social media and to empower them with skills to prevent cyber bullying.Giving a cell phone to your kid is like giving a key to the world... they can use it wisely or misuse it terribly!

The Last Words

I was neither your companion nor your confidante
I was neither your spouse nor your sibling.
Yet I heard your last words!
Your sweet heart did not hear your last beat
Your soul mate did not witness your soul depart
Yet I did!
A stranger in a white coat
A stranger responding to a code
I held your hand until it turned cold
I caught your final glance until it went blank
I felt your heaving breaths until the terminal gasp
And I heard your last words... "This ain't an end but a start of another new one for my soul"!

Maternal Merits

Maternal Merits

She carried us inside her womb for nine months enduring all the gestational pain and suffering,which vanished into thin air the moment she touched our tiny hands. Soon our joy became her joy and our sorrow became hers. She clicked our first step, recorded our first word, saved our little hand prints and proudly displayed every award of ours.Tears filled her eyes when we came home crying with our scraped knees. And she jumped in joy at every triumphant moment of ours. She taught us love,value,integrity and above all forgiveness. Mom, Mum, Amma, mamma all means one thing....epitome of endless love.



                                                   Happy Mothers Day!

Missing Modesty !

In a world of Facebook,Twitter and Instagram everyone gets a platform to showcase his/her mundane to triumphant moments. However, I feel that too much unwanted and unfiltered information gets poured into the social media. Should we know what our friends ate for breakfast or what she is planning wear to a party that evening? What merit does these acts carry to get 100 "likes"? Noble deeds of many soldiers,policemen and firefighters goes unappreciated.We live in a narcissistic society where vanity runs in every one's veins and pride pulsates in every one's pulse.Who gives the bragging rights for some people?! May be they take it for granted.
Last December when Chennai was drowning in the flood,I kept pouring all the messages about the city to a whatsapp group here. I was so shocked to see that the hands of these elite ex-Chennaites were tied up in  packing their baggage for their cruise trip or buying Christmas gifts! These are the responsible citizens who will never miss an opportunity to use the spotlight to their advantage. They quickly get transformed into Mother Theresa, be it a social event or a social media.
Even in a chat group, some members are oblivious of the topic of discussion that day and keeps bombarding others with so called proud moments. These "so called" achievements my range from preparing coffee to riding a bike!Few others think that their way of living is superior to others and try to blow their trumpet on every occasion possible. They have to realize that driving a Mercedes or carrying a Micheal Kors doesn't necessarily put them in every one's friends list. There are still people in this world who give importance to the size of the heart than that of the wallet! Why is modesty missing these days? Is the spotlight that social media brings have transformed us all to fame mongers? How will the next generation  turn out to be, being bred in an ego-centric society? Where will this going to end?!

The stranger in the mirror

The cell phone rang and seeing my friend's name I excitedly reached for it.After exchanging pleasantries, she told me that she is visiting NJ on a business trip next week and would love to catch up with me. After I ended the call my thoughts flashed back to the years before the new millennium,when we were living in the "mile high" city of Denver. A serendipitous meeting of ours took us into a soulful friendship.She impressed me in the first meeting itself with her extroverted personality, genuine warmth and free spirit. Her heart was bigger than the "Rockies"and like the snow in Colorado, there was no scarcity for enthusiasm.

Though both of us had our roots in different parts of the globe we gelled instantaneously. Who would expect a sandwich and sambar combo to click ?!She opened my eyes to American way of living. Soon"Friends"and "Seinfeld" became as exciting as watching "Oliyum Oliyum"and "Chitrahaar". While my taste buds got accustomed to gustatory stimulus from pizza and pasta, my tongue imbibed her American linguistic skills. My folks back home noticed that mummy became mommy, brinjal became eggplant and curd got substituted by yogurt. Followed by much anticipated  phonetic change of rolling the "R"!

Our bond further strengthened when we sailed through maternity blues and glows together.   Then came our first bundle of joy...As a first time mom both of us experienced the excitement of all the "Firsts" together ... first nursery, first car seat,first picture etc. Both our sons marked their first car ride to each other's house when they were less than 2 weeks old. Very soon we started sharing feeding tips, parenting magazines, baby products etc. She was a mom of a totally different breed .While she remained unperturbed through the incessant crying spells of her baby, I got a panic attack even when my son burped. Taking my infant son to nearest grocery store was a Herculean task for me while she paraded the whole city with her baby like a kangaroo! 

She instilled the much needed courage in me to venture of out. She deleted the fear and insecurity, edited my social skills and saved my persona in a new file for which I will always be grateful. After we moved to NJ, life threw more challenges at me and the transformation continued... The years flew by, babies grew into toddlers then to teenagers but we didn't get a chance to meet until now.When I looked at the mirror that night I saw that the image of naive,nervous, ignorant and impulsive lady has faded away. I was happy to say good bye to that stranger in the mirror. Will my friend be happy too?

Reflections: The last day of school

Reflections: The last day of school:           Seeing my friend's daughter's picture of the last day of school took me back....20 plus years. The tension of the exam...

The last day of school

          Seeing my friend's daughter's picture of the last day of school took me back....20 plus years. The tension of the exam months was nerve-wracking in high school. As the month of February approached, we put away all our novels and replaced it with text books.Our toys became the geometry boxes as we spent hours perfecting those trapezoids and polygons. Drawing books were substituted by Biology record books as we let our artistic skills out with sketches of cockroaches and frogs. In the ensuing weeks our text books became our listening partner as we recited all our syllabuses to it,pillows as we often dozed off on it and also punching cushion to show our frustration and anger.
           After two grueling weeks of non stop studies,tension, lack of sleep,I usually become a zombie waiting for a reprieve. This was especially true for the 12th std public exams when the pressure on us was tremendous. For me it was self inflicted since I had set my goals higher and challenged a senior friend of mine that I will score higher than him. In the final year of school though, exams seemed to be never ending as we jumped from half yearly exams to 2 sets of mock exams before the final one. On the morning of the first public exam,me and my friend Geetha went to the nearby Ramar temple and prayed to all our favorite Gods.Most of the students entered the school that day with their foreheads decorated  with "viboodhi" and "kumkum" from all the temples in the "Temple City"procured by their devout parents. That was an act so typical of our pious parents, who somehow seem to have had more belief in the supernatural powers than in the intellectual capacity of their off springs! The big examination hall, silence not usual for our Craft Hall, pacing proctors, and the racing clocks... so intimidating. It made me forget my own name. Finally I was able to get my thoughts straight and pull through the first examination which was English. As I got used to the routine the tension eased a little only to surface again as more difficult and important subject tests arrived. The last exam was biology which was very crucial one for me. That time I thought the performance in that particular exam could make or break my "White coat" dreams. After reviewing the answer sheet a zillion times, I submitted it to the examiner and without even looking back, walked out. I still remember the feeling as I walked out of the hall, felt like being released from prison. Sun shine seemed brighter and air outside crisp.In the midst of hot Madurai summer, I even felt the cool Kodai breeze on my face. I was in an euphoric state. Summer vacation at last!! No books, no homework and no more taxing exams !!
         As a tradition, me and my friends used to gather outside "Aavin". "Aavin" was our favorite haunt, a combination of ice cream parlor and on-the-go snack bar and one of a kind in TVS nagar that time. We talked about latest movies, TV shows, vacations plans etc etc. That evening was very special to all of us since we said "Good Bye" temporarily to our buddies. In those days without the internet chat rooms we had to meet each other physically in their living rooms to chit chat. Similarly face-to-face encounter was our face book to show our likes ( and dislikes). That being said meeting our friends who lived only 3 miles away was a remote possibility. This was particularly very hard after we finished our 12th exams. It was a bitter sweet moment I would say. As the excitement of starting college life filled my mind, my heart was drowning in sorrow to say adieu to my dearest friends whom I have known most of my life time.Equally hard was to bid farewell to my school which by then held a special place in my heart. Having spent 14 years in the same school, I personified it, often relating to it as guardian who embraced me with open arms and a warm heart. Its vast playground lined with shady trees, compact "Craft hall",open corridors and cozy classrooms,I knew will etched in my memory forever. As I came home that evening my excitement had died down. I didn't want to change my uniform and for the first time I went to sleep in it, knowing that I will never get another chance in my life to be a school girl again.

Mirage

         A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon when an image is left to the viewer's imagination. That is the scientific definition. The word imagination leaves room for countless interpretation. We all see what we want to see. Human mind can be tuned in the way we want it to be... Good,bad,ugly. Mirage is a real incident that can be captured in camera. It's in sharp contrast to hallucination where the image is purely imaginary. A pious devotee sees God in a cold stone sculpture.Just like a thirsty desert rider sees water on a barren land.Belief in God makes a pious person see his lord in the stone just like optimism makes a thirsty passenger see water in the middle of the desert.
             When I looked at the clouds I saw cotton candy at the six, Cinderella at age sixteen and now all I see is an ambulance! A person's character, experience, thought process plays a huge role in the inference. Sigmund Fred said that all our thought process and action are controlled by our unconscious mind. The impulse, desire,anger, frustration influence one's interpretation of image.
Hallucinations are bizarre, irrational thoughts that are no way close to reality. If we get carried away with our imagination it is possible to slip into a wild ride of hallucination. 
        We all hold on to our emotional anchors in life. It can be your best friend, a parent, sister or a spouse. What seem to me as real may not seem real to a person next to me. My best friend may be someone else's worst enemy.This I call it an emotional mirage! Mirage I feel is not only an optical phenomenon but also an emotional phenomenon! As long as you know how to interpret yours !!!

Science Fair 9th std

The date was announced and venue fixed . Me and Deepa started to brainstorm ideas for our project. Can we dissect a frog's intestines?!...that idea leaped out in a second. Can we create an erupting volcano ? ... We extinguished that idea too.

Suddenly Mr.Gray took over our inquisitive minds and inspired us to come up with a model of a human heart.

We sent out our little helpers to find the best clay in Madurai. Meanwhile my dad shopped around for modeling clay known as China clay to give it a professional touch.Once we had our raw materials we carefully sculpted a structure that resembled a human heart. Satisfied with the finished project we proudly displayed it on the counter top of our biology lab.

Finally came the Inauguration Day of the science exhibition.Excited presenters lined up behind their projects,curious on-lookers were peeking through the window. Teachers, laboratory assistants were doing their last minute touch up before the ceremony.As we all prepared for the finale, there flew our chief guest, small,soft,furry and fast! It was a pigeon!! The bird was caged to give us a lesson on Ornithology.The lab assistant who  opened the door of the cage to feed it had no idea that trapped  pigeon was waiting for that opportune  moment to get its freedom.Our avian friend landed right on our heart, sending "Superior Vena Cava" to the nearby sink. Commotion started in the laboratory with teachers and students trying to catch the eluding bird. One enthusiastic 10th grader climbed on the table,aimed at the pigeon with precision catching it by its legs. In that process he fractured the "Aorta" of our heart too.Me and Deepa were stunned to see our Heart broken ... literally right in front of our eyes.There we stood with our structurally defective heart moments before the presentation.

Aspiring cardio thoracic surgeons, engineers and scientists in that room made miracle happen in minutes. Our heart was not only resuscitated back but also made it as an award winning exhibit.That day in our school made me believe in angels. Wingless angels called friends who can make miracle happen with the power of love!