A relaxing day in the suburbs of Bangalore

What else would one want in life when there is a happy family at home, a flourishing career, and happy-go-lucky friends? It is rare to find so much of satisfaction in life, but the human nature is such that we always crave for more, no matter how much we get.  I have been working in a Japanese MNC in Bangalore for more than five years, and I have a great life that I feel is a gift to me from God. However, every time I think about my achievements until now, I still feel that I have a long way to go; as they say in Japanese, “mada mada desu!” I don't mean to say that I want to earn more in order to be happier than I am at present, but I have other long-term plans to attain more satisfaction. 

Since the Indian society, in totality, has given me a lot of things, I intend to return the favor in every possible way. Bangalore is a great city to live in the sense that I do not feel lonely because of the presence of thousands of migrants from other cities. When you have folks from so many different cultures around you, all of us tend to become a family. Everyone treats each other like their siblings and friends, and hardly any loneliness creeps in, barring a few occasions of course. Coming back to the topic of contributing to the society, I have found such friends in the city who are always willing to make efforts. I have been a part of social circles that includes members from various strata of the society, and these people cannot sit back at home every weekend sipping coffee and doing nothing. They have that restless feeling to indulge in social work rather than parties every week.

There was this morning in Bangalore when I was thinking of visiting a friend, who had got married a month ago. I wanted to gossip about his present life and how the newly married life was going on. A friend called me, who belongs to an NGO that educates kids in the suburbs and also trains the adults regarding personal hygiene. The guy, Sumit, wanted me to accompany the group to a hamlet near the city, where they had planned to educate the villagers regarding cleanliness and personal hygiene.

I must admit that it is not an easy task to change the mindset of the Uneducated concerning matters, which they believe are not important. However, we try our best and strive towards transforming at least a few lives. Just one life changed, we believe, is the entire village transformed. We just need to make efforts on our end; the positive results will follow one or the other day. Anyway, we stuffed our bags with informatory material and a few things that we intend to donate and left for the village.

The villagers of India never cease to surprise us, and it was a pleasant experience even this time. As soon as our car rental Bangalore entered the hamlet, the kids welcomed us with flowers, rice, coconut water, and sweets. Even though I do not have much of a sweet tooth, I could not stop myself from tasting the things that the cute little kids had brought for us. They also have tremendous gratitude in them that someone in the city is concerned about their well being. I do not wish to publicize the work we did there, but the entire day was really well spent. With the memories of times like these, I always look forward to contributing a little towards the society to make India a pleasing place to live.

How I Found a New Meaning to My Life in Delhi

It was a late Saturday afternoon when I was getting frustrated sitting at home, which was incidentally a hostel in Delhi. The bachelor life in hostels and paying guest accommodations is considered very happening. People think that you can party all day long, or all through the year and never get bored or tired of it. However, at least for me, the truth is that I got frustrated with this lifestyle only after a couple of years. It was not because I could not afford to go for high-end parties or I never liked them. It was fun in the beginning, but somehow I started getting bored of it. Or you can say that I would realize the shallowness of friendships every time I would attend a birthday party or dance with someone I barely knew. 

Thankfully for me, it did not take too long to come out of the bighead social life. After a Friday in September, my head was taking rounds on the Saturday mornings because of the heavy alcoholic drinks I had drunk. I, being a male of the Indian society, hardly listen to someone who stops me from drinking too much. Moreover, people also do not care how many drinks I order. After all, it's my money, my life, and I have the advantage of living in a rented flat, alone! I was leading a lavish life until this lucky day when I wanted to quit every single particle of this extravagant existence.

Just when I thought of having a more meaningful living, I pondered upon what I needed to do. I had to stop meeting people who forced me to join them everywhere I did not want to go. I pledged to maintain a decent social relationship with unwanted friends and go back to find people who understood my frame of mind. There were a couple of old-school buddies, meeting whom I thought would be a great idea to re-align my life.  

Since it was too late in the afternoon to call someone, I thought of spending the day by myself. I wished to go for a drive, which I would always do earlier in other's cars. For all the time, I felt that I need people in my life for several reasons, one of which was hanging around late at nights in a car. However, as soon as I resolved to be on my own, I discovered that I do not need to depend for anything on anyone. I thought of hiring a cab, but then I got a better idea. I just browsed for Car Rental Delhi and hired a car that would arrive in four hours. Until then, I had a lot to do at home. I spent the entire waiting time with myself, cleaned the cupboards, arranged things for my future studies, and called a few buddies.

As soon as I received my car, I hopped into the driver's seat and left for a long drive. After driving around on the roads of national capital for more than two hours, I called my girlfriend and picked her up from her home. We talked and had a good time enjoying the ride in the Honda car; I felt apologetic to her for not being with her for such a long time. I felt grateful all over again that I have someone like her in life who can forgive me for every nasty thing I do and then guide me to be on the right track once more. We would never forget the night we spent driving here and there without any purpose, but I can still say that the ride gave a new meaning to my life.

Just Talking to Someone Changed My Perspective for Life

What else would you want in the world, when you have nothing else in mind, but lose weight! Being fat (or plump) is not easy, no matter which corner of the world. Name calling, body shaming, and feeling inferior are just some of the issues associated with only a few extra pounds. It has been a roller coaster ride for me to shed those extra inches on my body for more than three years. I would always try to make an effort to adopt any method that can help me to go slimmer. 

I had already done the most conventional thing: stopped eating all those fatty foods. I would always say No to Malai Tikka, Chicken Shaurma, Burgers, Pizzas, and Paneer Butter Masala. However, a typical Indian mother can never let you lose weight. As soon as I would get ready for college, she would come to me with a tiffin box packed with Aloo Parantha or Paneer ki Sabzi. What more could I say to her when she sees me every day drinking honey lemonade? It is impossible to make her understand my state of mind; she is a mother after all. Desi ghee never makes anyone fat, you know. Just one Parantha would not make you fatter; she would convince me. And then remembering her delicious cooking, even I would have to give in every time.  

I would drink green tea in place of regular milk tea. I would always ask for an espresso, the tartest drink on earth, but I developed a taste for it no matter what. Still, I would face the struggle to look how I wanted. Rather than taking cabs, I would commute by metro just to work out a little. In place of using an elevator, I would take the staircase. Nevertheless, whenever we have to go out of the city, my first preference of the mode of transport would be buses and trains so that we do not feel lazy in the car. On the other hand, I would again give in when my friends would use the Car Rental Apps and book a Self-Drive Car Rental immediately. 

After doing all this for some years of my college and office, I finally talked to myself. I thought of all the things that I had to hear when I felt that I was fat. However, I was fortunate to have a friend, Shreya, who made me realize that at every point in time, there would be people who would try to let you down. She made me hop on the weighing scale right then, and read my weight measurement. I was 55.6 kilograms on the scale and had a waistline of 29 inches only! She said Only, not me! I had known all these measurements earlier as well but had always thought that they exceeded the perfect shape and size that I should be.  

However, just by talking to Shreya, who is not so stunningly beautiful herself, I thought that it made sense to love yourself. She has a fantastic personality, which is based on her sense of humor and brains; the looks of her face and body came only second. She convinced me that it is essential to maintain a lean body to remain fit, rather than look skinny all the time. After a certain age, the looks are going to fade away, no matter what. Even if I were the most gorgeous woman on earth, I would have my critics if my talks never made sense. Just a few words by this wonderful woman made sense to me. I decided to keep up my routine of fitness foods, but never again in my life; they became my priority. My work, love for life, traveling around the country, and working on my mental health are now the first few things that occupy my mind and keep me happier than ever.