Friday, May 07, 2010

Sunny Side Up!

"You must have the easiest life in this whole world!", my friend exclaimed over our Lunch!
"Why do you think so?"
"Because, you know, you're always like .. lah di dah.. "
Before I could say anything, the waiter interrupted, "Can I get you anything else?"
"2 Eggs, sunny side up!, Thank you. ". I said.

The eggs arrive!
Oh how gorgeous they looked! two golden Suns shining in a white sky, smiling back at me!
I cut it in two halves , so each of us could eat one of those smiling little suns!
And while cutting my first bite, I said,
"You know, we are all eggs, and life is a process of cooking those eggs! No matter how hard you try, you are going to get burnt! Everybody does! It's your choice what kind of eggs you wanna be!
You can be a scrambled egg, torn apart into pieces with all the life's worries and busy routines.
Or a boiled egg, which curls up in a closed, small space, shying and hiding away from the world.
Or an omelet, which looks wrinkled all over, old and exhausted!
I like to be the Sunny Side Up Egg. Of course it gets burnt on one side, but it still stays so smooth and bright on top. Fried on one side, but radiant and cheerful on top! As if it is smiling away in all it's pain, and that's the way to live!
lah-di-dah ... !!! :) "



Wednesday, April 21, 2010

And the Bumper-Sticker on my car says ...


I think everyone should get a funny bumper-sticker for their car ..
Ever since I got this, I see smiles and laughs instead of still-faces and frowns through my rear-view mirror. It's a nice feeling to make strangers smile just driving through the streets doing your daily chores.. Not that I bought it thinking of all this, it's just a pleasant side-effect!! :)

Thursday, April 08, 2010

He said he's coming home!! (A short Story!)

So, he says he's coming home! She jumps out of her chair!
Wait! .. Is this for real? She pinches herself! .. Hell yeah! .. He IS coming home! For the first time!
You can see the sparkle is her eyes! And her smile couldn't be any wider! Shivers run through her body! She wants to scream out loud, but she is speechless!!

She starts counting the days... 12 days from now! She runs to the mirror. "Do I look okay?" The skin looks a lil stressed.. maybe a facial will fix it. And hair? She knows he likes curls on her. But she must practice with the curling iron a few days before THE day, because she's never done it on her own before. But she is going to pretend she didnt curl it for him, she will tell him, she would've done it anyway!
Few calls to the parlor for facial appointment, waxing. Nails need some work too.
What should she wear? she runs to her wardrobe.. She doesn't want to let him know she is too excited, so something casual , plus they meet at home, so nothing too flashy! she goes looking for something sexy, but cute! Something that should show, and at the same time hide!

What else? House is such a mess! She goes and buys a dresser for the things lying around that had no home. House should be clean and inviting. He should want to come back again, you know!
She doesn't drink, but she knows he enjoys it. So a bottle wine finds it's way to her house, so does a new set of wine glasses! And yes, a cute little card from hallmark! The card says, "If everytime I thought of you was a snowflake, you wouldn't be able to make it here today!"

She is not much of a singer, but she practices a few lines from this new song that's on her mind lately. Just in case, if the card doesn't do the trick, she should have something else ready as a backup.

He works a lot every day, sleeps tired every night and she knows exactly what he needs. A massage! A calming, soothing massage. So, she buys some "learn to massage" DVDs and watches them every night. She already has massage oil at home, aah, one less thing to worry about!

Days pass by real slow!! Longest 12 days in her life! But she is happy, she is dreaming! When he comes home, she is going to give him a warm hug! Then she will show him around the whole house, her patio, show him her favorite things, smile, talk, laugh, kiss!
She has everyhting planned - which sheets go on bed that day, which pillow covers, which candles to light, what food to eat, what perfume to wear, and the list goes on ..

All that, just cos he is coming home! She doesn't even know how much time he will spend with her. Her guess - 3 hours, max!
All that, just for 3 hours?
Well, it could be just 30 min, who knows!
All that, just for 30 min??
Oh yes, every minute with him means a dream to her. She would do that even if it was just a minute! Yes, I know, she is silly!
Is she in love? If you ask her, she'd laugh and say "No way!" dodging the question and further discussions away! But she knows, what you know.. by now!

Just a day left! She is almost ready! Only the kitchen needs to be organized a little.
Everythign else is perfect!
A messenger window pops up on her screen. It's him! yay!
"So, what time are you coming tomorrow?" she asks.
"I am so damn busy lately, I have zero time for anything. And I really can't afford you being involved with me. I have my work, my family, my life, you know... "
And there is this deep, helpless silence ..
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She wipes a tear drop in her eyes!
"Good!" She says to herself, "So the snow-flakes did work!"

Monday, February 22, 2010

Dear Ajji ..

Ajji, (Grandma)
Is there anything I can do to be able to hug you just one more time?

I never really told you how much I loved you..

When I was busy running around in the house, I could see you watching me from the corner of my eye.. perhaps you wanted me to stop for a little while and sit by you.. tell you sweet little things from my world..
I know it wasn't a whole lot that you wanted..
then why didn't I give it?


When I came back home late with lots of colorful shopping bags in my hand, I could see you waiting for me at the door.. perhaps you wanted me to show you all those things one by one, and ask you to choose what looked best on me..
I know it wasn't a whole lot that you wanted..
then why didn't I give it?


When I came to India just for 3 weeks in a year, you would come and stay with us in our house.. perhaps you wished I could reserve at least a one whole day, just for you ...
I know it wasn't a whole lot that you wanted..
then why didn't I give it?


I still loved you Ajji! .. a lot!
Will you tell me once, that you knew it already?


Did I take you for granted?
I never imagined the possibility of the day when you'll go away.. vanish from my world, just like that!
I thought I can sleep resting my head on your lap, any time I wanted.. all my life!
I never knew that there's only so much of you, that I can have in my life..


I am writing this, hoping you will read it some day.. somehow..
and then kiss me on my cheeks, and say "Majhi Chhakuli!" .. like you always did..
Will you?

Majhi Ajji!My dearest Ajji!


Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Ugly Duckling!

A friend sent me this message today as a response to some pictures I uploaded on facebook recently.

" Saylee,You are so beautiful. The pictures don't really
make enough justice. just a friendly praise for you :) "

I get a lot of emails from fans and friends praising me about my looks. I send a humble thank you note back with a smiley face and if these emails don't carry any other significant information or feedback, they usually end up in trash. But this particular email churned my thoughts for some reason, maybe because it was unexpected, but it made me think, took me for a ride into my past!

Have you heard the Marathi song - "एका तळ्यात होती, बदके पिले सुरेख?"

It's about this ugly little duckling which suffers abuse and gets mocked and laughed at by it's friends and neighbors. Poor soul is lonely and cries to itself in sorrow, until one fine morning, when much to it's delight and to the surprise of others, it realizes that it is actually a graceful Swan...


I feel like it's my story!

Growing up, I was always told that I was ugly!! They called me all sorts of names, made fun of me and laughed at my expense! Family, friends and even the people who had nothing to do with me....

... and I cried .. all alone, to myself.. nobody cared enough to notice..

Things changed as time passed.. How? When? I don't know! .. something unfolded on it's own!
Now, the same folks praise me .. perceive me differently.. treat me differently ... world seems like a different place to my same set of eyes..


But can I forget?

Was I really ugly then?

And am I really beautiful now?

I remember when I was a child, no matter what they said, I always believed I was beautiful! I was kind to them even when they hurt me. I helped them even when they laughed at me. There were no calculations, no revenges, no acts and no tacts! I cared.. I loved.. I cried for those who cried ..

I think I was a beautiful child! ..

How much of that purity still remains in my soul? I am not sure about now, but I sure was very very beautiful then!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Ek Yaadi Jakhmoni - Gujrati Ghazals and Geet

I don't understand / speak Gujrati , but I am singing this album of Gujrati Geet and Ghazals called "Ek Yaadi Jakhmoni". To be honest, I was a little nervous at first to try out an unfamiliar language, but not after I sang the first line of my first song!

Really folks, I enjoyed singing these as much as my mother tongue .. Isn't Music a language that any soul can understand?

To listen to the preview clips of songs that I have completed so far, go to http://www.sailee-raje.com/eyj_songs.html

As I go on completing songs in this album, I will be updating the same link with new previews.

And don't forget to let me know which ones you liked .. :)