THE PARADOX BLOGGER

Cause you deserve to be amazing !

noreply@blogger.com (Aparajita) — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 10:20:00 +0000

It is rightly said “The most important things in life aren’t things”. We are breathing so called extravagant life leaving many possessions behind, just to earn vitality. Surely contentment flashes when we look at the cash credited status in our account but are we really content? Do we feel gratified? Are we so obsessed with making money that we have neglected the substantial joy from our lives? What about the emotions, the respect, the freedom, inclusion and most meaningful LOVE we are worthy of?

Certainly you cannot expect all these from people you meet day to day or spend your ample time with at the workplace or anywhere else. Getting captivated to fascinating lifestyle and the urge of earning is something we cannot oversight…True, but we are compromising too much for this. We get distressed and depressed more as the apprehension of losing power and position has beaten down our self-confidence.

The surveys done amongst us only proof the growth of dissatisfaction and letting down. We very often feel crabbed and disheartened as we anticipate too much from people around us. This feeling of annoyance emerges only when we do not admire our own value but count on others. We over-stress ourselves that results in imbalance of our private and public life. We end up giving more consideration to people who never loved us and struggle hard to put in the affection for our beloved.

And this is surely not the life of our dreams…!

Life will never be a child’s play; the more you attain maturity, more you get seasoned with offbeat attitudes and offences. In order to keep everyone happy around us, we keep hurting ourselves because we have given the potential of our exhilaration to others’ reactions and opinions. Something futile we keep doing all our lives is trying to impress others and sway them from our deeds. We overthink and get dismayed over others backlash and allow them to manipulate our belief to whatever they want us to believe. World has become a place to just be in each other’s good books until and unless you are valuable. We are becoming insecure about ourselves and its high time to realise how influential is it to develop a sense of self-love and mind you………….. Its not selfish!!

Self-esteem and self-love are ingredients to lead a simple and smooth life. You start feeling of a positive aura around. You attain inner stability irrespective of what the world thinks of you. The positivity makes you more deserving of worthy things around. Lastly we are entitled to our own love and affection more than others’ fondness.

Be gentle with yourself, become your favourite, develop a liking and respect for yourself. Serve yourself with delicacies, favour yourself with gifts and keep being joyful and cheerful regardless of what your friends and rivals think about you. Until and unless you have a graceful relationship with your own thoughts and soul, you cannot set the tone with every other relationship. Cut yourself loose from the worries of what opinions others keep about you. Love yourself truly and life will show you magnificent colours of happiness.

Anna Taylor, the famous author from New Zealand has something nice to say – “Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept” You should not let anyone’s outrageous behaviour wreck the inner peace you deserve. Life is yours and therefore you have the right to agree or disagree rather than someone else taking decisions on your behalf and you just go after…No, a complete No! Nothing in this world is perfect and you cannot mould someone or something to be. So aspire, inspire and give credence to your thoughts and beliefs. Nourish and flourish yourself with affectionate behaviour. And Do not forget to fall in Love with yourself First.

THE GIRL WHO BROKE ME

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 05:04:00 +0000

Sea sickness is a myth unless you experience it first hand. You get those luxury boat tickets just to avoid it, yet once the boat starts that moon-walk motion on the water you know it's gonna be a long day at the sea.

My head had gone for a spin, I felt completely drained out, it seemed an open deck boat would have been the better option.I was pretending to be excited so that my friends don't tease me for being vulnerable to sea sickness. I couldn't help but notice my fellow passengers on the boat. They came in all sizes and all age groups. Starting from cute infants resting on their mother's lap to the all smiles elderly couples. And there were those honeymoon couples; clingy and cuddly, they were like conjoined twins in those typical "honeymoon" attires. I realized I could have been one of them, with a lovely wife by my side, resting her head on my shoulders while I braved this feeling of dizziness! But when the whole world around me was getting married, I was just a singleton hopelessly out of love.

Love had always been my Achilles heel, every time culminating into episodes of betrayal and heartbreak. Everyday I would wake up to find a friend getting married and it will be all over Facebook. And then you just keep attending their wedding ceremonies, with each ceremony your yearning for an escape route from reality grows exponentially. So here I was with my friends on that escape route, to the vast expanses of the sea, to those unending hues of blue and green, on a trip to the magnificent Andaman Islands.

Boat rides are terribly slow when compared to land transport, but then you don't get to marvel at the sight of those blue waves moving along with you, as if they are your partners for the journey, calmly accompanying you. I was lost in admiring the calmness and serenity of the sea when I realized we had reached our destination.It was the Havelock Island, another tiny island with abundant forest cover and serene beaches enclaved by sparkling white sand and transparent blue water.

Once our boat docked at the jetty, we were immediately out, ready to take on the mighty sun. Hats on head, sunscreen on the skin, shades on the eyes and of course my DSLR camera around my shoulder. We were the quintessential model tourists on the island.

Being the official photographer of the group I started clicking candid shots of my friends with the boys and girls posing around the boat. And then it happened!

"Excuse me", I turned back to the most melodious voice I had ever heard and found a short girl with her phone pointed towards me. I tried to look at her only to find the wind covering her face with her long straightened hair.

"Ummm... hi... Can you take a picture of us please?”

"Yeah. Sure" - I blurted out and she ran back to her group handing me her iPhone!

They were a group of 4 girls.

Fortunately for me the iPhone camera was on the selfie mode and being a Android user I actually didn't know how to switch back to the primary camera.

So I just said - "Hey, I think your camera's on the selfie mode."

And she came sprinting back to me, that was the first time I saw her face and everything else just faded out of my sight.

She was fair, supremely fair, as luminous as the scorching sun above us. It seemed as if she was surrounded by an aura which convoyed her wherever she went. She concentrated on changing the camera mode while i was fixated on her and all the while her hair swayed in the air covering the contours of my face, caressing it. Her one hand held my hand lightly and the other one manoeuvred through the touchscreen. It was a sight to behold and a moment to savor.

I don't know how I clicked the pictures next, I was in a trance and before I could get over it, she was gone with her phone, vanishing out of the furthest of my sight.

My eyes frantically searched for her everywhere in the touristy crowd until my friends brought me back to my senses. It was the tour driver, he was ready to take us to our Hotel. That short ride to the hotel was uneventful but my mind was in a swirl. This was my most awaited trip, my definitive escape route and I was hardly excited about it, I had my precious camera around my neck and I wasn't even clicking pictures.

Something was amiss, was it her?

Probably it was. She had broken the shackles, the cocoon which I had so consciously engineered around myself to keep all those emotions at bay. My self-deprivation had now been brought to halt by this stranger. My days of masquerading as an atheist to Love were over.

My hotel room gave me ample scope to ponder over what had conspired earlier, all those months of self control and it took just a moment for a girl to break me. Why this girl? Why now?

But was she really just another girl? No she wasn't. She was unlike any other, incomparable to any other girl I had ever met, the moment she touched me she opened up my world to new possibilities which had been cloaked and locked in the deepest dungeons of my past.

But I was resolute, I wasn't going to give up so easily.

The evening turned out be a pleasant affair as we all friends went out to explore the nearby scenery on rented bicycles. It was quite an experience to ride bicycles after a long time and that too on an island trip. We even did racing on bicycles and occasionally stopped to relax and take those selfies and do those short photoshoots courtesy my camera. It was a much needed distraction from the turmoil that I had been going through. Happy and content with the great pictures clicked we all returned to our hotel to have a sumptuous dinner consisting of delectable seafood and mellifluous desserts. While my friends decided to retire for the night I decided to take another stroll with my camera just for the sake of capturing some low light sceneries around the beach. I was able to capture some good shots of the night sky along with the glistening moonlight and the interminable waves. I was returning along the beach road when I sensed a vehicle passing through, there was loud sound of music and laughter coming from it, it was her, peeking out of the window of that white SUV, it was unmistakably Her, I could clearly figure out her face from the dim light of the vehicle. As the vehicle swiftly moved past me we had enough time to have that coveted eye contact. And I just kept looking at her till she went beyond my sight.

Back in my hotel room, I kept tossing and turning on my bed, it was a nightmare even though I was fully awake. It was like fighting a battle with my own self. One part of me wanted to find her and tell her how I feel about her and the other part wanted to thwart away the temptation.

It seemed fate had conjured up this whole plot to put me in this irretrievable dilemma. Why I had to see to her again? What are the chances of that being a coincidence?

Was this really meant to be? Or is it another bait set to trap me in that despicable world of Love?

And that eye contact, what does it signify? I attempted to persuade myself that mere two minutes of proximity to a girl cannot establish Love but my there were too many questions to answers, too much to justify. And I decided to literally sleep over it.

The next morning I woke up to find my buddies all in readiness for our water sports day. It was all planned, scuba diving, sea walk, jet ski. I decided to give a break to the confounded confusion in my mind and enjoy the activities. To be honest, the water sports activities were unique experiences, but that didn't eradicate the fact that something in me was broken and I had to do something about it sooner than later.

My friend Raj was the first to notice that tinge of discomfort on my face, he simply came up to me and asked - Come on, you gonna tell me about it or not?

Raj was one of those friends who always gives you good advice and genuinely understands the situation. I knew there was no point in lying or mincing words, so I explained him my predicament and he was a patient listener to that.

Then whatever he said was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment - “ Bro, why are you punishing yourself, why are you doing this painful penance? You cannot let your past dictate your future. To thrive you have to throttle your past and think of the future. You need to give yourself another chance. What if this trip was always meant to be? What if she's the one for you? Don't live to regret, live to Love!

I looked up at him in genuine admiration. He always knew when to say, what to say, he had a way with words. May be all I needed was that second opinion, that second conscience. I was ready now.

He put a pat on my back and said - So tell me how do we find her?

I patted him back and said - No it has to be me. Thanks buddy.

He replied back - Anytime bro but this is our last night here and it's almost evening. We have our return boat early morning. So hurry and once you find her don't forget to introduce her to all of us.

He was right, I had to hurry, I boarded our cab and I exactly knew where to find her. I remembered the label “ SAFE HAVEN RESORT “ on that white SUV from last night. She had to be there.

The resort was located at the other end of the Island and thanks to narrow roads it took me almost an hour to reach there. Once at the resort I quickly hurried up to the reception, a middle aged lady with big glasses was seated at the desk there.

“ Namaste. I know this is awkward but I’m looking for a group of girls who must have checked in yesterday morning here. “ - I said to her.

She gave me a weirdly puzzled look and said - Sir, I am not sure what you are asking. We had many groups arriving here yesterday. Which group are you referring to? Do you have any names? ”

“ It was a group of girls. They were 4 girls. And I’m sorry I don't know their names.” - I replied

“Sorry Sir I don't how I can help you without any names.”

She was obviously correct. There was no way to find her without knowing her and any of her friend's name. I was dejected and disgusted with my situation. I had fallen for a girl whose name I didn't know and I didn't know how to find her. I decided to roam around the resort in the hope of finding her. Just then the receptionist shouted back - “Sir, wait. I just checked our system and we have a group of girls here who checked out an hour ago.”

“ Do you know where they went?” - I asked her.

“I am not sure Sir. They probably left for the jetty, the last cruise boat for the evening leaves in 15 minutes.”

I didn't wait for another second, I ran back to my cab and directed the driver to take me to the jetty as fast as possible. It was now quintessential for me to meet her before she left the island.

But I was late. As the cab reached the jetty, I could see the lights from the boat and then there was that loud deafening horn. The boat was leaving. I ran as fast as ever, I ran for my life, only to be stopped by the guard who made it clear that the boat had left and there's nothing I could do now.

I tried to catch my breath, hand resting on knees, sweat dripping from my forehead. I was defeated, I was vanquished by my own incogitant actions. My hesitation to acknowledge my own feelings had become my undoing. I looked back at the diminishing lights of the distant boat, may be her angelic face was being illuminated by one of those lights.

The journey back was the longest cab ride I ever had. I was beat, consumed by failure, how I wished I could have met her, even for a moment, just to see her once, just to share the sea breeze with her. But was this the end of the road for me? I had resigned from answering my own queries. I chose to resort to solitude. I requested the driver to drop me at the beach nearby my hotel.

A sea beach is a universe in itself. There's the mighty sea roaring through the interminable waves, extending beyond the horizon and surpassing immeasurable depths. The infinite stretches of sand glistening as pearls in the moonlight and the calming sea breeze with all it’s healing power. As I laid back on the sand I wished the breeze would heal me of my imperfections and confusions.

A minute later I was alarmed by a rhythmic tinkling sound, it was definitely the sound of payals. I stood up to find a silhouetted figure moving towards me, it was Her.

She stopped inches away, held my hand and placed her iPhone on it. I was still trying figure out the situation, she was in a long golden coloured dress and the glow of her dress in that moonlight was surreal. It was equal to standing beside a golden fairy on the beach.

I looked at her phone screen and what I saw completely startled me, it was unexpected, it was improbable. It was unbelievable but it was real, it was right there on the screen. I looked back at her, struggling to contain my anxiety I asked her - “ How…. When… Why?

You have my picture on your phone? From yesterday? "

She now held both my hands, the feel of her soft hands was enough to calm me down. She looked straight into my eyes and said - “ I clicked this picture of you yesterday when we landed on the island. Yes. It was not just You."

I was awestruck, she had clicked a picture of me, she always wanted to meet me and probably she felt the same way I felt for her.

Her voice lent me some confidence and now I had her to answer my questions - " How did you find me here? I thought you left the island."

" Wasn't going to leave without meeting you. And Remember our meeting last night on the beach road? I figured out I could find you here, at the beach, if not elsewhere." - She said as her lips broadened out to create that pretty smile.

I shook my head in disbelief and said- " I just can't believe you are here. Hi I'm Shekhar and I had been looking for You. "

She smiled lightly trying to hide her shyness and said - " Hi I'm Shikha and I had been seeking You too. "

She was then quick to suggest - " Now that we have found each other, Would you like to take a walk along the beach with me? "

I now held her hands gently and replied - Sure. Definitely. As long as it takes... "

P.S - Some people are destined to be part of your life, sooner or later they make that grand invasion into your life and change it forever.

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THE FLIGHT DAY

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 16:28:00 +0000

It was that momentous day and I was ready for it. I found myself in front of the mirror, keenly analysing my own reflection. No I was not a narcissist. I was more intent on determining how much I had changed. Have I really changed? Have I not been the person I was supposed to be? Before I could answer my own questions, I heard the message tone of my phone.

It was she and her message said - "Please try to be on time at least tonight. Else let me know, I will help myself with a cab."

I replied back - "That won't be necessary. The cab is here already. Starting now. Be ready."

I lifted my luggage and rushed to the cab outside.

Shall we directly go to the airport Sir? asked the driver.

"No we have to pick someone on the way and then take us to airport."

The driver nodded and the cab was on its way.

"Someone"- I just referred to her as "someone". Is that what she will be for me after tonight? Is this truly the eventuality I desired?

I knew the answers to my questions. After all it was all my decision. Sharing a cab to the airport was also my verdict. But why tonight? This was probably the worst time to share a cab with her but I had to do it. May be I knew this will be the last time we shared a cab. May be I still wanted those blissful last moments with her.

My thoughts were meandering along these inexhaustible questions when I realised I was in her neighbourhood. As instructed the driver brought the cab to a halt couple of blocks away and there was She, as ready as ever, the epitome of punctuality.

I got out of the cab to assist her with the luggage and all she said was - "I can manage. I better get habituated".

While she loaded her luggage on the car, I got the chance to admire her. It had been 3 months since I last saw her. She was dressed in Black, our favorite color and she was irresistible. Black had never been so brilliant. Black was all that shrouded her inscrutable beauty. Black was her lovely hair, untied and unbounded, scattered yet structured, curling through the contours of her face, touching the scarlet of her cheeks and making a perfect contrast with her glowing fair skin. Her face was unblemished, as fresh as the morning dew and as radiant as sunlight. She was everything that I ever desired. It just made me comprehend how much I missed her, how much I needed her.

Few minutes later we were on our way to the airport, both of us seated on extreme ends of the back seat. Both trying hard to look away, to find some distraction through the window. The distance between us was strangulating me. And that distance was about to be enlarged to thousands of kms after tonight. I was with the most beautiful girl I have ever met and yet I couldn't talk to her. The love of my life was at a hand's reach from me and I couldn't even touch her. We had agreed to part ways, move to separate cities, at the same time but on different flights!

Our cab rides used to be remarkably deviant earlier, there was no distance, no metres and no centimetres between us. We used to sit back and relax, hand in hand, fingers tightly grasped, when tired she would just rest her head on my shoulders, her smooth hair tenderly caressing my face, I used to love that sensation, that moment. Those were the best rides, the perfect days. My reminiscence was short lived as I realized we had reached the airport.

The driver bid us goodbye as we both headed to the departure wing with our luggage. Check-in was done and I decided to lay off the burden of my luggage and rest on a bench. I saw her relaxing on the other end of the bench. I guessed this might be the last time we are sitting on the same bench, though away from each other. It was past midnight, one of the reasons I decided to share the cab with Her. May be I was overprotective of her and that may be that was what confined her free will. And yet she never complained.

One look at her and I became aware of what I was going to miss. She was beautiful. She was peerless, perfect for a hopeless loner like me. She was the saviour my life necessitated. And yet I was letting her go.

I still had 3hours before my flight took off and I decided to curb my nocturnal instincts. I wanted to feel alive for those 3 hours, I wanted to just look at her, savour each second with her, till we move apart. I could see a person about to sit on our bench, which would have blocked my line of sight to her. I immediately moved to the other side of the bench, now just a feet away from her. As I did that we had that elusive eye contact.

Those were the best eyes I had ever seen, they were not round, they were not elliptical, their shape defied every concept of geometry, they were the epicenter of a plethora of emotions, I could see myself in her eyes, and I could perceive my whole world in her eyes. And those eyes appealed to me, to stop this insanity, to make her stay forever. She had been always the one to speak with her eyes.

It was deja vu all over again. 3 years ago it all started with a flight and cab.

I was a lone traveler then, a frequent flier, devoid of friends and love life. And it was a trip to the Andamans. My flight was all typical except the fact that a pretty girl was seated beside me. She looked mighty excited and eager to me, constantly trying to get a view from the window. It was quite annoying in the beginning but one glance at her eyes and I could understand everything.

"I guess this is your first flight and obviously you want the window seat. Would you like to switch seats?"

She quickly accepted my offer and we switched seats. The joy on her face was invigorating; it was as if she had discovered a treasure of her own. Her happiness was contagious, her charm was magical and it had already engulfed me completely. The view of ships sailing on the waters below was her favorite, every time she would just grab my hand and shout - "Oh my God! Just look how tiny the ship looks from here." And I was having the best flight of my life. By the time our flight landed I was well aware that we share the same destination.

Once out of the airport, she just grabbed my hand and asked - "Would you mind sharing a cab with me? "

I could only say - "With pleasure".

Three days and five sightseeing tours later, we found each other on the beach, me holding her hands. I had gathered up all the courage mustered through the two and half decades of my existence. It was time. I looked at her flawless face, her hair flowing with the sea breeze; her eyes were expectant as an impending silence prevailed between us. Interrupting the silence I said - “In mere three days you have made me feel emotions that I believed never existed in me. You have made my life beautiful, and now you are the most beautiful part of my life. I just want to say that I Love You."

Those three words did work their magic. She slowly came by my side and whispered - "I Love You too" and grabbed me with both her hands. I reciprocated her action and we achieved our very first hug.

A loud broadcast at the airport brought me back to my senses. I had dozed off on a nostalgic sleep. But dear lord how did this happen? She was asleep resting her head on my shoulders and was gently holding my arm. When did she move so close to me? And when did she fall asleep like this? My astonishment subsided on watching her sleep. The aroma of her hair was mesmerising, must have been her favorite shampoo. I just loved her hair. I looked at her pristine face, which was the face I loved the most in the world. No it was not just her hair or her face, I loved her. She just made me fall in love with her all over again.

A second loud announcement woke her up, she realizing the oddity of the situation moved back to her initial position and whispered a sorry.

The announcement was regarding my flight. It was on time and the boarding process was due in a few minutes.

My heart started beating at an alarming rate. I felt a big lump stuck in my throat. In a few minutes I would be separated from her forever. I was leaving behind my best friend, my love. But it was entirely my fault. I was the one who sought space, who valued his freedom more than his love. I was the one repulsive to the feeling of possessiveness. I was the perpetrator.

My legs started shaking vigorously, as that ominous announcement for boarding was made. I couldn't just lift myself off the bench; I was carrying a colossal burden on my shoulders, the burden of memories, and the burden of Love.

I stood up with a reflex action. I dared to look at her for one last time. I could clearly see her eyes moistening, so was mine. I quickly ran to the boarding queue, unable to endure the pain.

As the queue started moving forward I could feel a sense of numbness. With each second I imagined her gradually moving out of my reach. Each second was a reminder of our moments spent together. The numerous trips, the train journeys, the pizza craze, the Friday nights, the weekend movies, the late night video chat, her cooking experiments, my gaming sessions, her shopping escapades and subsequent photoshoots and our time together at the beaches. I just had a flashback of my whole life in a couple of minutes.

And the announcement for her boarding process was made. I felt lifeless, drained of my vitals, it was as if my life had abandoned me or rather I had abandoned it. She was gone, depriving me of her care, her affection, her Love. I was now cognizant that my life was impossible and inconsequential without Her.

"Sir please provide your boarding pass". The voice of the boarding crew rendered me back to reality. I took a hard look at my boarding pass, handed it to the crew member and said - "You can keep it. I don't need it anymore"

"But Sir..." before the guy could complete his statement I was off the queue literally running towards her boarding gate. I had to stop her. I had to get my life back.

I scanned each and every person on the boarding queue but she was nowhere to be found. I panicked and ran everywhere in search of her, finally stopping at the bench area.

She was standing there, as gorgeous as ever, her eyes calling out to me. I ran as fast as I could towards her almost falling on the way. As I reached near her, I grabbed her hands and said - "You never left. Why?"

She replied - “I knew you would come back"

I was breathless and now I was teary.

"I gave up on you" I said in a muffled voice.

"No you didn't. You are here now. With me."

She retorted holding my face.

I hugged her tightly and said - "I Love you."

She reciprocated the hug and replied - I Love you too"

It was just like our first hug. I felt an incredible sense of fulfillment with that hug. I felt complete. I could sense my vitals replenished with her Love.

I had to return back to my Life, with my Love, with my lifeline.

She broke the hug, grabbed my arm and asked - "Would you mind sharing a cab with me?"

I just pulled her back towards me and said - "With pleasure".

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THE GIRL WHO BLOCKED ME

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 06:02:00 +0000

“Hello.

Before you wonder who I am and why did I invade your privacy in this ludicrous manner, I want to tell you that I understand that this is the most uncivilized and discourteous way to start a conversation with some girl you have never known. The worst I could do was to take your phone number without your permission. I mean that is genuinely the worst way to approach a girl.

But you have to know I had to send this message, to make my mind guilt free, to proudly reply to my conscience that at least I made an attempt and to win myself a conversation with you. I am sure all this is irrelevant and inconsequential for you but I want to confess that I may have practiced writing this message several times through several days. I might have visited your Facebook profile a few times. And I might have rehearsed a few times on how to cope up with the failure once I don't get any reply from you. But all these hardly diminish the fact that I have utmost respect for you and this is not at all intended to offend you.

And believe me the purpose has always been to say "Hi"

So Hi I am Sidhant."

And I just closed my eyes and pressed that Whatsapp send button. It was gone. The message was sent and that ominous single tick appeared. My heart skipped a beat and my respiration stopped eagerly waiting for those double blue ticks. But they never came, forget the blue ones, even the double ticks did not appear. Her last seen was several hours ago.

My next one hour was spent gazing at the Whatsapp screen waiting with bated breath for those blue ticks and the next hour was consumed researching every FAQ on whatsapp message delivery. Is she out of mobile data? Is she out of network coverage? May be she's not getting the message as I am not in her contacts?

I speculated every possible reason that ever existed for a whatsapp message failing to deliver. I scoured through every Whatsapp setting cursing the service providers for their preposterous claims about their infallible 3G and 4G speeds in the process.

I was about to leave my fate in the hands of destiny when I convinced myself to have a final glance at the whatsapp screen and there it was! The “Last Seen” was gone replaced by the Online! And there were those obscure double blue ticks. OMG! She has seen it! She finally read it! Out of a reflex action my fingers forced me out of the app and onto my phone's home screen. I quickly put the phone down and waited impatiently for the notification sound. 10 seconds gone and anxiety took over me. I hurriedly browsed back to the message screen and there was her pretty profile picture. And all of a sudden it vanished. It was as if the picture was sucked into vacuum or into a minuscule whatsapp black-hole. And gone was the Last Seen text. The colorful 3D movie had turned black and white now!

I realized the fruition of my nightmare.

Yes, she had blocked me...

It was as they say - My whole world came crashing down.

And it was indeed a real bad crash. I went blank not knowing how to react. It took me a while to reconcile and reacquaint myself with what had just happened. Yes it hurt and it was excruciatingly embarrassing. My unwavering optimism and confidence had failed me.

I was covered with guilt and I now hated myself for sending that message.

How could I do this? This is not me. Never in my life had I so ungracefully invaded into some girl's privacy.

But all that I wrote in the message, was all that fake? No it wasn't. My feelings were true. My intent was purely pristine. Did I just convey my feelings in the most inappropriate way? May be I did.

But what made me do it? What was so special about her that made me approach her? My questions raced my mind to the very first time I had seen her.

It was a tough day at office, which is the usual case every day. And she was the only respite I had.

She was beautiful, more beautiful than the superlative of beautiful. Though she was new to the office there was this effervescence of confidence and determination in the way she carried herself. She was the very definition of grace. And yes she had that lovely little hair clip wrapped around her shiny dense hair. Her face though had this mystery about her, a mystery blended with a strange sadness.

It was this sadness on her face that drew me towards her. I wanted to talk to her, I wanted her to share that sadness with her, I wanted to care for her.

Every now and then I would go walking around her desk, sometimes with the reason of filling my water bottle, sometimes with the excuse of just stretching my legs. And she would be there at her desk, wearing those big reading glasses on her pretty round eyes and keenly working on something.

Our timing was like cosmic coincidence. My entry to the office floor would coincide with her exit and vice versa, every time I would stand up from my chair, she would be storming towards my desk only to take a diversion and walk straight to her desk. She was omnipresent for me. She was like my only hope of redemption.

The more I saw her, the more desperately I wanted to know her.

Was it love at first sight? May be it was or maybe it was destiny's conspiracy. I knew I had to talk to her, but maybe I was scared to have a direct conversation, scared of that sadness she veiled through her face. But I never intended to live and regret that I never even tried.

So was she worth this hara-kiri? Was she worth this atrocity of sneaking up on her without her permission?

My conscience had stopped asking questions and I found myself in front of the mirror analyzing my face. Did she block me because I was ugly? No I wasn’t ugly, besides I am half way at growing that masculine Wolverine beard. Was it because I was fat? May be it was.

Should I be handsome? Should I be rich? What is the most suitable profile to impress a Girl?

What exactly does a Girl want?

My conscience had just asked me the most profound question that ever existed. A question that man has failed to answer and rationalize since the foundation of eternity.

My questions just added to my disgust and the best I could do was sleep-off.

I woke up to find myself alive on Monday morning. The dreaded Monday morning. And for me along with the usual Mondays blues I have the additional perilous prospect of facing her at the office. It surely was going to be one hell of a Monday for me.

Once in office I did my best to not venture out around the office floor and to be confined to my desk. But the phenomenon of coincidence is an unstoppable force of nature. Just as I walked out of my desk, I realized I was on an unpreventable collision course, I stopped myself inches away from colliding with her. And that eye contact happened. The reaction on her face said it all. It was stone cold, maybe there was a trace of hatred and anguish too. But dear god, she was wearing those earrings. Those magnificent pieces of jewelry accentuated her surreal beauty. My eyes got fixed on those tiny subjects of oscillation as she walked away from me. They were the perfect example of simple harmonic motion.

And my heart started resonating at her frequency again.

The rest of the day was like a humongous burden on my shoulders. Every time I saw her the guilt within me compounded. And the already horrid day just got worse when I was informed that I had to stay late to attend a client call.

It was almost 11pm when the client call was over and I finally decided to make my way home. Soon I was out of the campus and on the road with my bike. A few hundred metres later I had to bring my bike to a sudden halt. It was her. She was standing on one side of the road a couple hundred metres away from my position. Her arms crossed, she looked restless. I could clearly conclude that she was waiting for an auto that could take her home. But there was none. And at the other side there were a few drunkards staring at her. It was clear that they had no noble intention. I could feel her anxiety and restlessness. But why was she alone at this place and at this time? Probably she worked late too. But why didn't she avail the night cab facility? Then I realized it has been hardly a couple of weeks since she joined the job. It was highly probable that she was not even aware of the night cab facility.

I had already let her down. I couldn't afford to let her alone in this state of vulnerability. It was now my responsibility to make sure that she reaches home safely. But why would she accept a lift from me? She hated me, she despised me. What if she clearly refused my offer for lift?

But this was the only way I could alleviate my guilt, by helping her. I was ready with my plan of action. I decided not to take off my helmet and instead I took out my company ID card and hung it out around my neck.

"Hello! Can I drop you somewhere?

This place is not safe at this hour." I said with my "Batman" voice (the helmet helped me in that) as soon as I reached near her.

My voice didn’t help my cause, She stepped back and stared at me with hesitation, looked here and there nervously and finally her eyes fell on my shining ID card. That was her shining beacon of light. She tried hard to look inside my helmet and then said- "Thank You. Can you please drop me off near Sailashree Vihar?"

"Yes sure." I replied back immediately.

My plan had worked. I was sure she won’t be able to read the name on the ID card. Finally I had rescued her from that precarious situation and we were on our way towards her home.

The deserted road gave me ample opportunity to admire her charm. She was like the higher calling my life so terribly necessitated. She looked divinely gorgeous even through my bike's mirror and the wind played with her lovely dense hair crafting a perfect wave motion. You get blocked by a girl on whatsapp and the next day she's the pillion rider on your bike!

"Please take the next left turn, my apartment is just a few meters ahead"

I navigated my bike as per her instruction and within a minute we had arrived at her apartment. She quickly got down from my bike and said - Thanks a lot for this.

As I watched her walk towards her apartment I could feel my guilt being diminished by an inconceivable sense of contentment.

Before I could press the self start I could hear her shout in her mellifluous voice – “I am sorry. But I did not get a chance to ask your name.”

I just looked back at her and replied – “Never mind. I am just the same guy you blocked on Whatsapp.”

And before she could react I was on my way.

It was Tuesday but it was different. I was early to office; I was content, basking in the glory of my achievement of last night. There was no hint of guilt within. What happened last night had put my hopes high. May be we will have a better eye contact today, one that will culminate with her obliging me with the ever elusive smile. May be she will finally unblock me and start that Whatsapp conversation.

I impatiently awaited our next eye contact. I was restless and excited. I took those occasional peeks towards her desk but she wasn’t there.

It was only around lunch time I discovered her in a conference room with her team, as attractive as ever, probably leading a demo of some kind. I understood that I have to wait longer for that rendezvous. I waited for a couple of hours but she was nowhere on the office floor. I checked Whatsapp just to find that I am still blocked by her. I confined myself to my desk, dejected and disappointed. Of all the days, that was the day coincidence had chosen to abscond me. My hopes turned out to be nothing but my delusions of grandeur. If she felt even the slightest of connection with me, she would have already unblocked me. Expectations do hurt, especially when they fail. And I just found that out in the crudest way possible. The weight of the insurmountable depression was too much for me to tolerate. I just wanted to escape the situation and I decided to do exactly that.

I rushed to the parking lot for my bike, took it out, put my helmet on. I took a deep long breath, probably the longest of my life and was about to push the self start when I heard the voice –

“Hey”

I looked back to find her walking straight towards me. She stopped right beside my bike. One look at her and my heart melted right away. Even in this state of depression she was a sight to behold. Her face was as clear and as bright as a cloudless sky, her lips as red as the rose and her eyes as dark as the night sky. And yes those earrings!

I was captivated by her magnificence when she said – “Umm…. You should take off the helmet now.”

I did not speak a word and like an obedient child took off my helmet. And then it was all her.

“So I heard they have this café nearby which serves the best coffee in the city. And I was hoping to have a cup of coffee there. Can you give me a lift to the café and… if you don’t mind… if possible your company for a few moments?”

I was awestruck. Her voice just reverberated in my ears. Coffee? Lift? Company for a few moments?

Hell I was ready to offer her my company for a lifetime. All I could do was smile at her, and she blushed back at me. Before I could utter a single word, she had already made herself comfortable on my bike.

“Now drive. I would love more time on the coffee table than on the bike.” She said.

And I replied – “That would be perfect”. As I started the bike I could feel her hands rest on my shoulders. The touch of her hands was comforting and equally fulfilling. This was the touch of her allegiance, of her trust. It was the onset of an amazing journey; it was the inception of Love.

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THE FIRST TIME

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 15:51:00 +0000

It was one of those typical weekends and I was the typical lonely guy, sipping away my cup of coffee, all alone. It was just me and my phone enjoying each other's company on a weekend evening. It's not that I had no friends, I had fairly good friends but they had girlfriends. Believe me; the girlfriend always scores a victory over the friend when it comes to investment of attention and company. My thoughts were meandering across the vastness of my solitude when my phone started ringing abruptly.

It was Rohan, one of the few friends who actually call me.

Rohan - Hey man, wass up?

I sensed an obnoxious sense of dizziness in his voice.

Me - Hey bro are you drunk?

Rohan - Oh my God you know me so well. You are my true friend. It’s not just me, Vikash is also drunk.

Vikash was my college roommate, another one of those saintly friends who still call me.

Me - Oh God! What are you guys unto at this time? If this is an invitation for a booze party, you already know the answer.

Rohan - No bro just listen. We are having a great time here at the Disco. But we want your help.

Me - Ok what kind of help?

It is then that my great friend informed that the two of them are drunk badly enough to disallow themselves from any attempt to return their apartments. And since my place was near to the Disco, they want my help in enabling them a way to reach their apartments; in short they want me to drive them to their apartments in my car.

Me - Bro why don't you hire a cab and return?

Rohan - We can’t do that. Vikash is completely out and I am just good enough to speak on phone.... and... the girls are also with us.

I was in a state of amazement, amazed by the insanity of my friends. They went to the disco with their GFs and now they all are drunk, drunk enough for me to carry out a rescue mission for all of them. I understood the gravity of the situation. Being the true gentleman I was it was hard for me to leave my friends and the girls in this state of vulnerability. I quickly set out for my savior duty on my car.

I reached the disco spot in a jiffy to find Rohan and Vikash standing in a funny posture outside the gate. On seeing me and my car they quickly ran inside in a comical manner and got the girls out. I was inside the car whole time as I felt awkward to greet the girls in such state. I looked back to find the four of them already loaded on the back seat, lovers, heads on shoulders, arms around each other. I always felt my car's back seat was inadequate for four people but it was like cupid had himself taken the pain to enlarge the back seat for these couples. I was all set to kick start or rather push start my rescue operation unaware of the fact that cupid had conjured up a divine arrangement for me also when a soft knock on my car window halted my thoughts. I opened the window to the most beautiful face I had ever seen. Her face was glowing in this dark night, shining like the moon that had descended on earth. I was busy admiring the architecture of her face when Rohan shouted from the back "Let her in Bro. She's Shraddha our colleague, she's with us."

I instantly opened the door to the maiden and let her invade my vicinity. I looked back to ask my friends for an explanation to her presence but they were already out on an alcoholic sleep and dream.

I took the chance to get the car out of the situation and drove straight back to the main road. My car was as smooth as ever, racing gracefully to our destination. But one glance to my side and I was back in the territory of tranquility. I could clearly make out the repulsion and anger on her face. Was it because I was too late to open the door? Was it because I was staring at her like a hypnotized moron? I had so many questions to ask her but I was spellbound by her charisma, by her beauty. For the first time I wished my car had an auto-drive option, to enable me pursue my indulgence of appreciating this angel of elegant splendor.

I took a quick glance at her. She was in a pink top and jeans’, accentuating her smooth long hair; the aroma of her perfume was rejuvenating. It was a bait, a honey trap set by fate. How could Mr. Fate possibly know that I had an inclination for pretty girls with long open hair and that too in pink attire?

Her face was clean, clear and pure, devoid of any signs of drunkenness. That’s when curiosity took over me and I abruptly asked – “How… how are you not drunk like these guys?

She gave me a strange look and replied – “I don’t drink, I don’t like drinking.”

I questioned further – “Do you mean you were with them all the time in the disco without tasting any alcohol?”

She replied – “Yes exactly. Radhika and Samiksha are my colleagues. I went to the disco because they insisted me on coming and moreover I had nothing to do this weekend. If I had known they would mess up getting up drunk so badly, I wouldn’t have come with them.”

I smiled at her reply and she was quick to retort – “Do you always ask questions to girls, even if you meet them for the First Time?

I was equally quick to reply with a smile – “What can I say? I am a slave to my curiosity when it comes to pretty girls.” I could see a semi-smile on her face. This was the breakthrough I so desperately needed. I felt my reply impressed her, may be a bit, but it did amuse her. The car hurried us to our destination as an impending silence prevailed between us.

Again it was me breaking the silence – So you any good at dance?

This time the smile was wider and she replied – I do not know, but I had a good time at the disco. I replied back with a nod of approval.

“So do you dance?”

I was dumbstruck with her question; I looked at her with raised eyebrows and looked at back at my plump figure, expanding gracefully from all possible dimensions.

“Okay… that was…that was sarcastic… you are funny.” I replied with a sheepish on my face.

“For the sake of humanity you should pray that I never dance” and she burst out into laughter as soon as I replied this. After satisfying her craving for laughter she replied back saying – “You are truly funny.

I said – “Yeah. And I am more of the singing type.”

“Really? So when are you going to sing for me?” as she said these words I looked at her face. There was this innocence of a child asking for a candy. She was pretty, so pretty, prettier than the prettiest thing ever created. And she wanted me to sing for her. How I wished I could tell that her voice is the best music I had ever heard, her face is the best view I had ever seen. I wished I could stop the car right there, right then, kneel down, middle of the road and sing for her with all my heart.

As a matter of fact I had to stop the car now; I realized we had arrived near the apartment of my friends. I looked back to find the lovebirds alive again. I wondered if they had been listening to our conversation the whole time. They hopped out of the car one by one, the girls waved a thank you at me and Rohan and Vikash blew flying kisses at me which I obliged with great repugnance, I wondered if that was the alcohol or it had something to do with Shraddha and me. And they started walking off together as I was startled to find the four of them walking into the same building.

“Wait…what? “I blurted out.

“Oh you don’t know. The Girls live in the flat opposite to the boys.” She said.

“Oh great. No wonder they fell in love.” I commented sarcastically and looked at her. She was not all amused by my comment.

“So you think living nearby is good enough to fall in love? She questioned me.

I realized I had hurt her sentiments by my moronic comment. I asked the same question to my dear conscience and it replied back to her– No I don’t think so. I think no matter how close you stay physically, unless your thoughts and feelings are close enough to each other there is no room for Love to bloom. Love is not determined by proximity but by affinity.

As I said these words I could see her eyes sparkle. She was smiling at me. This was not just any smile, this was her approval of my thoughts, and this was the final frontier conquered for me. We both knew we had a struck a connection now.

“So where to Mademoiselle?” I asked her.

“Oh I just stay a couple of kilometers away. But only if you don’t mind and if it’s not getting too late for you.

I smiled at her and instantly we were on our way to her destination. Couple of kilometers?? I asked myself. I was ready to go wherever she wanted me to, without conditions and without any questions asked. I glanced at her hands kept on the seat; they were inches away from me. I wanted to hold them; I wanted to hold them till eternity. I was lost in thoughts, when her sudden voice brought me back to reality.

“Stop. We can stop now” she said looking at me. I brought the car to a halt and asked – “What happened?

“Actually my flat is just through the lane on the opposite side of the road. I can cross the road and walk to my place from here.”

I retorted back – “I disagree. Let’s take a turn at the next point and I can drop you near your flat.”

She replied back calmly – The next turning point is around a kilometer ahead, it would be convenient for me to just to cross the road and walk.

I looked at her. She was resolute. She wanted to leave me, deprived of an extra kilometer with her. I was heartbroken and hopeless. I wished I could stop her and tell her how I felt about her, how much I adored her. I watched her go as she slowly closed the car door and walked away as I felt her going beyond my reach.

I felt lifeless sitting in my car, I was alone again, my prodigal friend, my solitude was back again in my life. The one glimmer of hope my life had just walked away. I was completely dejected and lost in grief when a soft knock on the window brought me back to senses.

It was her! My lifeline was back. I hurriedly got myself out of the car and stood next to her.

"Hey, I was thinking, If you don’t mind, can you just cross the road with me and leave me on the other side"

I was delighted to see her back. There was this effervescence of joy inside me but all I could reply was -Sure.

As we started to cross the road I looked at her. There was this amalgamation of nervousness and embarrassment on her face. She was nervous to cross the road and she was embarrassed because I knew that. I glanced at the road, there were a few vehicles on the road, but they all were speeding up. As she took her first hesitant step to cross the road, I became worried, worried about her. I wanted to make sure she makes it to the other side safely, just like I do every time. I moved closer towards her. I had this strong urge to hold her hands and safely manoeuvre her across the road. I glanced at her and she glanced at me and my hand reached out to hold her hand. And the unthinkable happened, it was like if she had been waiting the whole time for my hand to make a movement, she quickly spread her hands and grasped me firmly with both hands. The touch of her hands was fulfilling, she had touched my soul. For the first time ever in my life, I felt complete.

Once at the other side of the road, we found each other holding hands, staring at each other, probably searching for our own reflection in the other's eyes, probably lost in realization of the moment we just had together. It was fates intertwined, it was cosmic coincidence. Her grip on my hands was still firm. As we walked slowly towards her flat, we both knew this was Love.

She gently slid her hands out of my grip and bid me goodbye with her mellifluous voice. She looked one more time at me before vanishing out of my sight. She had that stunning smile, the smile that bowled me over on the first time, the smile that made her my raison d’être.

I knew I had to let her go this time, to plan another adventure with her, to embark on a new journey with her, and to contrive a destiny together.

As I retraced my steps back to my car, I knew this changed everything. We were in Love. It was as if the whole world had conspired to bring us together in the very First Time. It was the resurrection of my life and the beginning of a lifetime of togetherness and Love.

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Never Too Late To Have a Happy Childhood

noreply@blogger.com (Aparajita) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 09:26:00 +0000

I love the statement of Walt Disney who quoted -- "Thats the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up". By the time we begin to understand enough about the world to ask the right questions, our visit is over, and someone else is visiting, asking the same questions. The carefree attitude was lost somewhere.

As a child we had a different craze for chocolates, for toys and for everything sweet but our intentions were pure and pristine. We were innocent, we wanted happiness for everybody whether it was a friend or a foe.

We had priorities set to a different level. For us happiness used to come in every small package whether its a delicious snack cooked by mom or a new book gifted by dad, or the 1st time we ride a bicycle. We used to be busy with something every time, whether its watching the rainbow or counting the stars, or making strange imaginations from the clouds. Our days were short and life was fulfilled.

We never knew what is Money and how it affected our lifestyle , we were not greedy, we never fought with each other on the name of caste and creed, we had friends on every corner of our society so we didn't have any special friend list to show that there are 500 people who are socially connected to us. As earlier we used to make friends at every instance, be it while traveling in bus or train, in school, in our native place etc. Our innocence was a shining example to rest of mankind.

The wonders of a child can only be understood by the child.

I just wanted to go back to the life of my childhood, just to visit it, and touch it, and to convince myself that yes, it had been real. Childhood is filled with imagination and bruises from playing outside instead of heartbreaks and likes on your picture on any social networking site did not matter at all.

We were crazy for certain things but still the selfishness we carry now was not there. Even a small toffee had a perfect distribution between me and my brother, and even now I can say he keeps all the gifts and prizes intact so that he can show me once I make a visit to my home.

Well that was just an example, but seriously those times our heart knew only one language -- and its neither "C" nor "Java", its the language of Love. It was like love is in the air for us. Everything was as innocent as a baby's smile.

Homework for us was to just give colors to our imagination, or to write ten sentences about your favorite personality. But now things have changed, we have a hell lot of responsibilities at home, sometimes the frustration of not getting the desired, deserved outcome make us unintentionally far from our loved ones, we have started hating each other in the name of competing. We have to smile for a fake identity, we have to get the best CTC and moreover we don't care what is happening around the world as we can hardly spare any time for that.

When we were young, we used to be happy for no reason, it could be either tying our shoe lace properly for the first time or getting a round of applause on the stage before our parents.

Even if mom used to scold we would keep jumping on potholes during rainy season and she would run after us with our heavy bags. We were glad to share what happened at school everyday with our friends and family members but now we don't have time to take care of our parents as well. We have to stay far , we have to earn, we need luxuries to have a stable

life.

For no reason, we get depressed, we get frustrated, we imagine too much and we expect half of that-- things have completely changed. The child within us is now just a money making machine who needs to bang head 9-10 hrs in some private firm to earn a living ,to have a family, to leave behind all the small happiness and dreams.

For us grass was always greener on the other side of the fence, we always wanted to grow up and become a great person. There is nothing wrong in this but let the purity and innocence of a child be your one and only religion. Whether we are 6 or 60 let the child within us be alive till the end. A child can teach us many things to stay positive and strong so don't think that if you are grown up you do everything right. There is never too late to embrace the childhood dreams.

Do something crazy, dance in the rain, follow your dreams, meet your friends, forgive them, have a passion, love yourself, fight for the right, rediscover things you did as a child and don't worry if someone calls you silly cause its your life and you live only once.

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How to Use Spotify Outside US without Invitation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:19:00 +0000

Spotify is a Swedish DRM-based music streaming service, it’s one awesome music service that everyone loves to have it. Unlike Gaana and other Streaming apps, it is absolutely free of cost and a boon if you love Hollywood Music. But unfortunately its available for only US and some European users.

Here is a few tweaks that gets you a complete and successful Spotify registration hassle-free. You can use it on your PC as a player, Web Player and not to mention the Smart Phone versions for all platforms.

All you need is a few minutes and a tool to Hide your IP. I preferred easy-hide-IP.

1.Download and install easy-hide-IP. This should help you not just hide your IP,but also helps u select the region (preferred ,new york,dallas,california in that order). You may also use chrome extensions like Hola, ZenMate etc. for the same purpose: redirecting your IP to an US city.

2. Once you are successfully connect to any US city, Now open the spotify US page or go to https://www.spotify.com/us/signup/open/ and fill in the details to Complete Registration process.

**If asked for ZIP code; use "13607".

3. You should have register successfully in order to move on to the next step.Once done,the download will start automatically. If it doesn't http://www.spotify.com/us/ this will take you to it.

4.Allow the program to install (accept all permissions).

5.Open Spotify and Log in using the previously registered username and password(Your facebook details).

6. If you want to use the app in Smart Phones, Tablets or any other supported Devices, then install the app from Corresponding App Stores (Android, Windows, I-tunes,Blackberry or Others ) and use Previously Registered credentials to log in.

Now you are all set for Spotify: all the music you’ll ever need.

If this worked for you do share this with your friends on Facebook and Google+

If you faced any issues let us know the same through your comments.

MIND YOUR ATTITUDE !!

noreply@blogger.com (Aparajita) — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:43:00 +0000

A person's attitude is an expression of favor or disfavor towards a person, place, thing, or event. It is an evaluation of an object to vary from extremely negative to extremely positive, but it also admits that people can also be conflicted or ambivalent toward an object meaning that they might at different times express both positive and negative attitude toward the same object. People are often unwilling to provide responses perceived as socially undesirable.

Attitude and behavior are closely related in some sense though they are two different concepts. One of the most important differences between behavior and attitude is that attitude is internal whereas behavior is external in sense. In other words it can be said that behavior can very well be seen by others as it is external whereas attitude is shelled within the mind of the individual and hence cannot be seen by others immediately. Attitude has all the power to shape the behavior of a person. It is indeed true that a person with the right attitude would be endowed with the right behavior too.

Some people are too weird to handle and some are too pessimistic. The negative vibes coming from these kind of people makes your life tougher to survive. Some people take ATTITUDE itself as a negative word and they will speak in such a way that you can't judge whether they like the person or not. "She has so much of attitude ... “

Well here you are supposed to make it clear whether it’s positive or negative. A good, caring, cool attitude takes you to a more understanding path other than being weird and moody. Attitude plays a very vital role in one's life, more important than your past, your education, money, circumstances, failures, success or more than what other people think or say about you.

Even if you are a very educated person, earning a luxury lifestyle but still you carry a taunting personality then you will always hurt others. Attitude is not based on any appearance, privilege or any skill which you can learn. It can either make or break so you need to be smart enough to decide what you choose for yourself. One should be willing enough to change attitude to its best.

We cannot change the past and also cannot change the way certain people act with us. Even when they say something good it feels they are making fun of your consequences. Sometimes you do enough to make people happy around you but they always behave strange as if they don't care. They build up an imaginary character of yours in their mind so that every day when you try to do something for them, they will judge you with that imagination. They take you for granted, always expect something available to serve without any thanks or recognition.

We all are in charge of our attitude factor so it has to be handled with care. If you care for people, love them, show affection towards them then it’s your good attitude. Just feel responsible for what you say not for what people understand. Feeling guilty for each and every scenario always puts you down. So even if you are alone try to be friendly with yourself, have the optimistic behavior alive, some people may try to bring you down by their attitude and behavior but do not try to give explanations because people will hear what they want to hear. Do not blame yourself and waste your time. Engage yourself in whatever you like-- same as what I am doing, by expressing my views in this article. I may not be the best, but I try my best :) :)

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How To Create Your Google Custom Search Engine

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:18:00 +0000

If you're a Blogger like me I'm sure you're not a great Fan of the default Search Gadget by Blogger. The gadget is actually unattractive and has limited capabilities, as you might be knowing a search box plays a vital role in increasing pageviews, especially if you've a large Blog or website. So what you actually need is a Google Custom Search Engine for your Blog or Website. The Google Custom Search engine comes with a variety of designs and is an extremely efficient tool to increase visitors, what's more is the integration of Google Adsense through the Search Engine. So let's get started and get you your own Google Custom Search Engine -

1. Go To Google CSE
2. Click on Create Custom Search Engine3. Now fill up the form as shown in the screenshot below and click Create



4. You will be redirected to the page shown in the screenshot below -



-> If you want to use the basic version of the Custom Search then copy the code shown on the page and paste wherever you want to show search results on your website.
-> If you want change the appearance and features of your search engine then click on Edit to visit your search engine's Control Panel.

5. Your Control Panel will look like the screenshot below -



Enter your search engine keywords and description and Save Changes.
Now Click on Look and Feel to change the appearance of your search engine.

6. Choose a Layout & Style for your Search Engine, you can also customize a selected style. Check the preview the of the search gadget at the bottom of the page. Once you're done with customization, click on Save & Get Code.


If you want to use your search gadget in your Blog then choose the Compact or Two Column Layout with any desired style.

7. Adding Search Gadget to Website/Blog -

-> To add the search gadget to your Website copy the code (obtained in Step 6) and paste it inside the "<body>" of your source code ( or wherever you want to show search results).

-> To add the search gadget to your Blog -
* Go to Layout, Click on Add a Gadget.
* Select HTML/Javascript gadget.
* Paste the code (obtained in Step 6) and click Save and it's done!

Adding the Google Custom Search Engine will play a vital role in improving page views and total visitors. You can view the difference in your Google Analytics data itself. So what are you waiting for? It's time to create your own Google Custom Search engine.

Funny Facebook Tricks That You'll Love

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:48:00 +0000

We're all proud to be on Facebook. Aren't we? Of course, Facebook is now a way of Life, inseparable and nondetachable. So why not dig deeper into our dear Facebook and explore the unexplored. Here are some cool Facebook Tweaks and Tricks that will make your stay on Facebook blissful -

1. Pirate English - The funniest of all! If you love Jack Sparrow and his pirates you'll love this tweak. Not a tweak actually but an in- built language in Facebook. here's how to get your Pirate English -

- Go to Account Settings -> Language -> Select English (Pirate)
That's it and now you're the Cap'n of your Facebook Ship ! :)

2. Upside Down English - Another in-built funny Facebook language. Shows everything upside down be it your status, your likes or your comments. Try this if you love some neck twisting topsy turvy fun -

3. Posted Via - Have you noticed that when you update your Facebook status from a mobile, Facebook adds a "via Mobile" or when you update it from your Windows 8 it shows a "via Windows 8" link at the bottom of it? You can change that to say hilarious things like "via Carrier Pigeon" or "via My Bedroom." To do this, just go to PostedVia, choose a delivery option and update your status or post to a friend's wall. I tried this with a BMW iDrive ;)

4. Empty/Blank Status update - Ever tried to post a blank or empty status? You would say doesn't allow a blank status update. Well, now you can actually update a blank status just like I did -

Just hold Alt and press 0, 1, 7 and 3 respectively and click Post. This will post the null character as your status which basically is an empty space and now you've your blank status.

For more Facebook tricks check out all our Posts on Facebook .
And if you know any more funny Facebook tricks share them with us by your comments.

How To Install nRelate Manually in Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:26:00 +0000

A Related Posts Gadget is a vital component in your Blog, not only it keeps the visitor engaged in your Posts but it also helps in getting you more traffic as well as pageviews. So it's a must for every Blog to have a Related Posts Gadget. There are many gadgets available for this purpose but the best of them is unarguably nRelate.
With 6 different elegant style sheets, nRelate let's you choose your Gadget the way you want it to be. nRelate has default installation guide for Blogger, Wordpress and Javascript (For websites) and the recent changes allow you to integrate nRelate manually into Blogger. This is how we can do it -

1. Go to nRelate Partner site.

2. Login to your nRelate account ( Or Sign Up if you don't have a nRelate account).

3. Go to Install -> Select Blogger -> Enter your Blog's URL

4. Now Login to your Blog -> Go to Layout and click on "Add a Gadget"

5. Select HTML/Javascript Gadget type.

6. Enter "nRelate" as the Title (or you can leave it empty) and Add the following code according to your preference -

i) Display widget on Posts only:

<div id="nrelate_related_backup_placeholder"></div>
<script type="text/javascript">
    var nr_posts_only = true;
</script>
<script async type="text/javascript" src="http://static.nrelate.com/rcw_b/0.52.0/loader.min.js"></script>

ii) Display widget on Posts and Homepage:

<div id="nrelate_related_backup_placeholder"></div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.nrelate.com/rcw_b/0.52.0/loader.min.js"></script>

7. Save Your Template. And You're Done!

Your related posts will start appearing within an hour. Meanwhile you can go to your nRelate account and manage your Gadget settings -

I) Go to Manage Settings -> BloggerSet the style sheet and other Settings according to your preferences.

That's it for now. Do drop me a comment if you've any trouble using installing nRelate on your Blog and don't forget to share this post link if this works for you.

How To Convert Webpages into PDF

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 04:53:00 +0000

PDF (Portable Document File) is certainly one of the most loved and commonly (and of course the most portable!) used digital document format all over the world. It runs on almost any and every system on the World, thanks to the worldwide reach of the good Old Adobe Reader. Now how many times have we wished to convert those online forms, tutorials, even webpages into PDF to store them in your system permanently and also print them when needed. Well it's time to move over Adobe Reader and welcome the Nitro Reader. Now we'll learn one of the simplest ways to Convert webpages into PDF using the Nitro Reader.

1. Download Nitro Reader and install it on your system.

2. Now open any Webpage/Online Form/Online Content you want to convert into PDF.
For example I want to convert this article on Cricinfo By Harsha Bhogle about Sachin Tendulkar -



3. Once the webpage loads completely in your browser, press CTRL+P to print. You'll have the following view -


4. Select "Nitro PDF Creator" as the Destination (highlighted in Orange).
5. Now Click Print (highlighted in Green). Nitro Reader will now create a PDF and store it to your preferred location in your system.

That's it! What? Yes it's very short and simple :)
So try the free Nitro Reader, you'll surely find it better than the Adobe Reader and do share your Nitro experience through your comments.
And if you find this post useful then do share this link with your friends to let them know of this utility.

Special thanks to my buddy +Biswajit Dutta for this tweak.

How To Install DISQUS Manually in Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 04:01:00 +0000

If you're not a great fan of the default Blogger Comments system then DISQUS is a must for you. DISQUS is the best Comment system available for Websites and Blogs. DISQUS is completely SEO friendly and the comments are easily crawled and indexed by Google bots.
DISQUS provides default installation process for various platforms including Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, Javascript (for Websites ). But the failure to add the DISQUS widget to Blogger has become a common problem in recent times. So instead of being dissappointed what we can do is Install it manually with this very simple tutorial. Let's get started -

1. Login to Blogger.

2. Go to Layout > Add a Gadget.

3. Select HTML/JavaScript Gadget.

4. Now Login to Disqus (You need to have a registered account in Disqus)

5. Go to Setting > Install.

6. Choose Blogger as the platform.

7. Click on Add to my Blogger Site.
8. You'll be then redirected to the Blogger Add widget page where you'll find two find two sections -
Edit Content and Edit Template
9. Copy the content from Edit Content and paste it in the HTML/Javascript gadget and Save it. Keep the Title of the gadget as DISQUS (or any other name as you wish).

10. Go to Template (Back up your Template) > Edit HTML > Expand Widget Template
11. Search (CTRL+F) for "DISQUS" (or the Title of the gadget in Step 9). You'll find a code similar to this -

<b:widget id='HTML5' locked='false' title='Disqus' type='HTML'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<!-- only display title if it's non-empty -->
<b:if cond='data:title != &quot;&quot;'>
<h2 class='title'><data:title/></h2>
</b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<data:content/>
</div>
<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>

12. Now delete the section of code between " <b:widget id='HTML5' locked='false' title='Disqus' type='HTML'>" and "</b:widget>"

13. Now copy the code content form the Disqus Edit Template section -

14. Paste the copied code between the tags mentioned in Step 12). Your code will now look similar to this (do not copy this code, code is specific for each website)-

<b:widget id='HTML4' locked='false' title='DISQUS' type='HTML'>
<b:includable id='main'>
            <script type='text/javascript'>
                var disqus_shortname = &#39;infy-lounge&#39;;
                var disqus_blogger_current_url = &quot;<data:blog.canonicalUrl/>&quot;;
                if (!disqus_blogger_current_url.length) {
                    disqus_blogger_current_url = &quot;<data:blog.url/>&quot;;
                }
                var disqus_blogger_homepage_url = &quot;<data:blog.homepageUrl/>&quot;;
                var disqus_blogger_canonical_homepage_url = &quot;<data:blog.canonicalHomepageUrl/>&quot;;
            </script>
            <b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;item&quot;'>
                <style type='text/css'>
                    #comments {display:none;}
                </style>
                <script type='text/javascript'>
                    (function() {
                        var bloggerjs = document.createElement(&#39;script&#39;);
                        bloggerjs.type = &#39;text/javascript&#39;;
                        bloggerjs.async = true;
                        bloggerjs.src = &#39;http://&#39;+disqus_shortname+&#39;.disqus.com/blogger_item.js&#39;;
                        (document.getElementsByTagName(&#39;head&#39;)[0] || document.getElementsByTagName(&#39;body&#39;)[0]).appendChild(bloggerjs);
                    })();
                </script>
            </b:if>
                <style type='text/css'>
                    .post-comment-link { visibility: hidden; }
                </style>
                <script type='text/javascript'>
                (function() {
                    var bloggerjs = document.createElement(&#39;script&#39;);
                    bloggerjs.type = &#39;text/javascript&#39;;
                    bloggerjs.async = true;
                    bloggerjs.src = &#39;http://&#39;+disqus_shortname+&#39;.disqus.com/blogger_index.js&#39;;
                    (document.getElementsByTagName(&#39;head&#39;)[0] || document.getElementsByTagName(&#39;body&#39;)[0]).appendChild(bloggerjs);
                })();
                </script>
        </b:includable>
</b:widget>

15. Save Your Template and you're done !

So that's it for now. Try out your new DISQUS commenting system. And do comment if you find any trouble implementing this. I'm here to help :)

ANECDOTE OF AN ENGINEER

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:11:00 +0000

I always wondered why it is called a Bachelor’s Degree. May be because you are not worthy enough to win a father’s daughter in marriage unless you conquer the degree, the completion of this degree announces your advent as a bachelor to the society. There’s a colloquial notion about Engineering:

Boys do engineering to hike their dowry value whereas Girls do it to relieve their parents of the same dowry value.

A degree in Engineering is unique they say, it is indeed because whereas almost all graduation courses have a duration of 3years the B.TECH degree gives you an extra 4^th year of struggle and chaos, an extra year to realize the grandeur of Engineering

The FIRST YEAR is what you call the most pristine phase of your Engineering life, high attendance and even higher aspirations. Uniforms look clean, hairstyle looks neat and innocence is at its peak.

Everyone except the Seniors looks innocent, Yes! The Seniors (with due respect), you must have watched on Discovery and NatGeo, those hungry Lions waiting to pounce upon the herd of Zebras grazing merrily in the Savannah, the plight of a 1^st year student is no different from those Zebras, Seniors ready to pounce upon you and inflict the tragedy of Ragging on you.

You feel a strange sense of attachment to the Library in the 1^st year, come a free period and all roads lead to the college library reading room (though you go for a voluntary break-up with the Library after the 1^st year). All in all you can say the FIRST YEAR is like a trailer of the Engineering Life.

The SECOND YEAR is when you taste the real flavour of Engineering, classes seem unappealing and so do the books, only the girl in the front row seems appealing, but you don’t seem appealing to her, you call it Love and she says “bugger off!” . What follows changes you forever, life seems deserted and you resort to solitude, that’s when those Rascalous Angels called Friends come to the rescue. They kick your back (literally!), see off the solitude, glue the pieces of your heart together and push you hard enough to bump into another Girl!

Engineering is the best platform to realize the importance of Friendship, it’s amazing the way few people become so vital for us, eradicates the myth that only blood relations are forever. Friendship is the only thing that keeps you going through these four years.

Engineering gives you a golden opportunity to come face to face with different characters. I distinctly observed two prototypes: “The Geeks” And “The Bad Boys”

The Geeks are one of a kind; you find them mostly in classrooms, library, seminars and labs. Spectacles are their most precious jewellery and books are their ultimate temptation. You can find them running around from library to classroom and vice versa hugging fat books. Come semester results and they would be flying high, as high as their GPAs! One look at their GPAs and you start feeling how you have been ruining your Engineering.

The Bad Boys are not actually bad, they are good at heart, they won’t hesitate to go that extra bit for the sake of Friendship, its only the their choices that brands them bad, Wine instead of Thums Up, Cigarette instead of Bubble Gum, Cards instead of Books is all that enough for them to be Bad!
Sunglasses, bracelets, rugged jeans and fat wallets are all typical of the Bad Boys!

The THIRD YEAR marks the arrival of the Era Of Depression for an Engineer. The sins of 2^nd year haunt you throughout the year, poor grades and poor attendance take a heavy toll on you, all the while you try in vain to free yourself from the possession of the 2^nd year ghost. You suddenly realize the worth of your parents hard earned money channelized into the college fees; you make resolutions to study hard and get good grades but Engineers are good at everything but resolutions!
You go sincerely to class and the front row girl smiles at you, you open a book and the bed entices you, and by the time you discover a blueprint to mend your ways it’s too late. Projects & Seminars hover around you all the time and trailers of the Coming Soon placement drive keep showing up in your dreams.

The FOURTH YEAR or THE FINAL YEAR is the stage for the final showdown; Campus Placements become the ultimate goal. Anxious faces at college, anxious faces at home, Mothers praying to God, Fathers silently wishing you All the Best, one look at their eyes and you realize their hopes rest on you, after decades of being worthless you get that chance of a lifetime to bring smile to your parents, it’s the time to seize that chance and give it all you have.
The Third most dangerous adversary in your Engineering life is that phenomenon called Recession (the first two are of course the University and the Syllabus), you have absolutely no control over it, the best you can do is watch news and read newspapers and hope the Recession recedes back soon.

The Final Year brings back the nostalgia of first year all over again, the thought of it all ending soon, the thought of leaving the college, I always believe a college feels like a college not because of the classrooms and buildings, but because of the people, because of friends and because of the bond you share with them, the moments you spent with them. The sudden realization that you are going to be deprived of all that fun for the rest of your life is hard to digest.
Finally you bid goodbye to the most amazing four years of your life, the four years which didn’t just give a graduate’s degree but also helped you to graduate from a Boy to a Man, what you take with you is loads of memories which will make you smile in the toughest of times and the lessons of life learnt that will show you the right path everytime.

Do Engineering. It’s the best you can do for yourself! J

A DREAMY DATE

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 13:30:00 +0000

The moon was shining at the peak of its luminescence… The stars were twinkling with an aura of magnificence…. The wind was filled with the aroma of flowers…. Yeah!! It was a typical unorthodox night in the city…. And it had every ingredient of a poetic paradise… But hey! I was no poet & I never desired for a paradise! So what the hell was I doing in the midst of such scenic wonder?

Yes, that was the million dollar question for me; I analysed the scenery again, the street was almost deserted, quite unlike the city I had known for years…there were no pulsars rampaging through the street… no swarm of humanity racing for the urban life and no stray cattle taking a nap on the road. But there was this pristine calmness, peace at its best and peaceful humans at their very best, walking through that beauty of a landscape. It was all unnatural for me, the calmness, the scenery, I kept wondering about my existence on that place as a feel good sense was creeping inside me, the feeling took a halt as a feminine voice from behind yelled musically “ HEY! Where do you think you are going?”

The voice was the sweetest I had ever heard, potent enough to raise your sugar level. I turned behind to see the “sugar” and there was this girl exhibiting a combination of smiling & blushing, my eyes bulged to the widest possible extent as the background scenery faded out of my mind and I got busy admiring her beauty.. “She” was a maiden from the abode of beauty and she was coming towards me and again the voice – Were you walking away without me? What are you looking at boy? I wished I could say – It’s You O Angel… I am looking at you. You are the cynosure of my myopic vision! But I was muted; I was under a spell, mesmerized by her charm.

Minutes ago the only dilemma I treasured was the question about my presence in that place, now I had this gorgeous girl dictating terms to me, Who is She? Why is She here? Where is She taking me?

I had answers to none of the above questions and yet I followed her like an obedient child. She led the way walking away ahead and I followed her hypnotized. That gave me an opportunity to scrutinize the mystical maiden, her face radiated a glow of pure beauty, her long hairs were flowing with the wind and she continued her stride through the street. I got indulged in relishing the sight when She turned around, once again, and said – C’mon you are being too slow, Do you want us to be late on our first date? Date!! Date?? That word kept echoing in my big ears. Our Date!! I was supposed to be at my home sweet home, on a date with my dear bed, but here I’m, on a date with this girl whom I’ve never known, never seen and even I’ve never flirted with her! All this was getting on to my head and adiing to the dilemma, I felt like giving her a Houdini demo and flee from the scene, but then the voice within, my conscience made it’s presence felt, “This is the moment for which every boy drools, every boy longs, after a long penance which included chasing a half a dozen girls and a dozen proposals, I’m actually on a date, that too with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. “

And my dear conscience was victorious over me again, The feeling to flee got submerged and I increased my pace to walk beside her, She was love’s most beautiful bait, She was all over my mind, “She” was all I could think, I looked around, the scene had changed, now the never ending street was swarming with couples, arms around each other, heads on shoulders, hand in hands, it seemed the whole population was on a dating spree.

I was back to being with my “girlfriend”, yeah we are on a date, so she must be my girlfriend or atleast a prodigy to be my girlfriend!! I had been a mere spectator till then muted by the situation, the scenery and the beauty near me. I felt the need to open my mouth although I was short of words and guts. Suddenly I spilled out – “You look so pretty today”. There was a moment of silence after I spilled out the words. The silence prevailed as I waited anxiously for her reaction when I felt her soft hand slapping my back. “You would never give up flirting, would you? And there was that amalgamation of a smile and a blush. Girls love being flirted but they never admit it and Guys are born with the flair of flirting.

I observed we were walking with our hands inches away from each other.

I felt the urge to emulate the other couples around, I just wanted to hold her hand and walk away with her wherever she took me.

I made the first move, my fingers reaching out meet her hands, the hesitation subsided and our hands met each other. The feel of her soft hands was blissful, she threw a quick glance at me and quickly grabbed my hand and said – “There You are!! Finally! “

I was in a trance, I was walking hand in hand with the prettiest girl I have ever seen, all I could do was hail my destiny, and we kept on walking till infinity. We did not speak a word, we did not stop the walk, I was engrossed in her.

I felt her steps stopping and she pointed towards a miniature building, “CAFÉ COFFEE DAY”, yeah It was “The CCD”, the mecca of lovers and to-be lovers!! And I was on the verge of invading it for the first time or rather making a CCD debut! That too with my gorgeous “girlfriend”. I quickly checked out my wallet for bankruptcy, there were three fresh notes of thousand rupee currency, I was awestruck, I was often impoverished by my wallet during such occasions but now I had these shiny notes to counter self-recession.

I felt like a hollywood star on a red carpet as we entered “The CCD” with our arms around each other. We found a cozy corner to sit and make ourselves comfortable and starter coffee was ordered, the ambience was perfect for a romantic encounter, I looked in her eyes, I could see only myself in her eyes, she was an embodiment of pure unspoiled spotless beauty, I was getting drowned in her admiration when a sudden realization dawned on me, I don’t know her name!! What is the name of my “Girlfriend” ?

My conscience was back from vacation and was forcing to me ask her name, I was more than scared to do that, It was an absolute harakiri to ask her name after flirting with her, walking with her hand in your hand and that too after invasion into “The CCD”!! I looked around for inspiration only to find the spot bustling with couples, some laughing, some sipping coffee and others just lost in the aroma of love. I felt sorry for myself, I was going to blight this romantic paradise or rather my question was going to do that, all this time my maiden was poking the CCD menu, occcupied with her own dilemma of choosing the menu, I looked at her face again, there was an unmistakable sense of innocence in her, it was pure joy, probably the joy of being with me, But I had to ask her. I took a deep breath and announced to her – “I wanna ask you something. Can I?” She was all smiles and yes also blushing, her hold on my hands became firm as she came closer, her eagerness clearly refelected in her eyes. I realized she was expecting me to propose her, I assembled all the courage mustered during the two decades of my existence and let out the words – “Excuse me, but what is your name?”

Her face wilted like a flower, the innocence paving way for anger and dissappointment, she freed her hand from my hand and moved it towards the glass of water, every thing went blank for me and every thing seemed to be ultra slow motion, I could see the droplets of water flying towards me, splashing on my face like bullets as I gasped for breath. Then a voice said – “Wake up Kumbhakaran!! You are already late for college!!” I opened my eyes to find my mom standing near my bed with an empty glass, it took me a second to conclude the water in the glass was emptied on me. Mom yelled again –“ Now give a break to your dreams and get out of the bed quickly”. I smiled hearing the word “dream” as my mom grinned, and I continued smiling like an idiot…..

Women Safety | Why You Should Buy A Pepper Spray ?

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Safety of Women in our country was never as vulnerable as it is now. Freedom has now become a bane for Women. That doesn't mean Women will sacrifice their freedom because of some inhuman anti-socials. We might not be able to bring immediate reforms in society and law system, but what Women can actually do is learn self defence. One of the simplest and most effective tool of self defence is a Pepper Spray.

This is a Blog Post solely intended to create awareness among Girls/Women about the utility of Pepper spray for self defence -

Pepper Spray:

When it comes to self-defence, nothing is as safe and effective as a pepper spray. It comes in varying sizes and can fit your bag or purse. Whether you are out jogging, are on a blind date or in a crowded place where groping is a nuisance, these pepper sprays come very handy.

Pepper sprays use an inflammatory agent that causes difficulty in breathing and also irritates the eyes. It is a must to learn how to use this spray well, because the window of opportunity is not large. Practice well with the pepper spray and aim for the eyes and face. Any attacker, whether it is human or animal will immediately back off when hit with a spray of strong pepper compounds. The irritants immediately affect the eyes, which are clamped shut and the victim has the opportunity to get away and seek help.

Few facts about Pepper Spray -

The potency of the spray is not affected by the size of the spray bottle. For regular people, a small bottle that can be neatly hidden in bags and purses is more than enough.
The pepper spray can bring down the attacker for a minimum of 15 minutes. Stronger sprays can put the attacker in a vulnerable position for a good 30 minutes, which means you have adequate time to seek help ad notify the authorities.
It may be more tempting to buy a larger bottle, but these are useful only when you are out camping etc. or for law informant officers. For regular use, a smaller spray bottle that fits in your bag is better because it is more accessible. It can be hidden easily so the attacker will not be prepared for your retaliation.
There are 3 common types of pepper sprays. A steam pepper spray needs accuracy and a careful aim and is best used by those who have years of practice. A cone mist spray is a better option; you simply need to spray in the near proximity of the face to have desired results. A fogger needs only general accuracy in direction as well and can subdue your attacker for a little while, so that you can get away.

The active ingredient in pepper sprays is an aerosol that has active Oleoresin Capsicum that is a strong Chile Pepper. The amount of capsicum used in the spray will determine its potency. It will inflame the mucous membrane and hurt the throat, lungs, eyes and nose if used correctly.

Benefits of using pepper spray are:

It is easy to use and can be carried anywhere without restrictions.
It causes no permanent damage, and you don’t have to worry about causing serious harm to the attacker

No training is required to learn how to use a pepper spray affectively, which makes it the best weapon for defence against any kind of attack.

Pepper Spray are hard to find in general retail stores. Here are a few links to online stores where you can buy Pepper Spray at reasonable prices -

Healthkart.com
Chillguard.com
PeppersprayOnline
Homeshop18

Please share the post links with your Friends on Facebook and other networks to spread the awareness.
You can Like Our Facebook Page for regular updates.

Special thanks to my buddy +Spandan Mishra who came up with this idea of Blog post about creating awareness.

Plight Of A SACHIN TENDULKAR Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 13:33:00 +0000

" Good Bye Sachin. You may retire from Cricket but you'll never retire from Our hearts. "
11 people like this.

" We will never see him in Blue again :( "
17 people like this.

" End of an Era...Henceforth Cricket will be defined as:
- Before Sachin (BS)
- After Sachin (AS) "
20 people like this.

"It's the End Of the World for Us, Sachin retires from ODIs :'( "
22 people like this.

My Facebook Newsfeed was flooded with these updates. #Sachin Tendulkar was certainly trending on Facebook and Twitter. I boasted of being a Great Tendulkar Fan, but I didn't update anything and I didn't tweet anything. Not because I didn't care, not because I was not at all sad. But may be because a status update wasn't enough to express my disappointment, may be because a tweet wasn't enough to explain my frustration, may be because these social networks aren't enough for me to let the world know what that man named Sachin Tendulkar meant to me.

I looked at my Facebook profile picture, I realized I learnt that software named Photoshop so that I could super impose my face on Sachin's photo, the only reason I started my Blog is to write about Sachin Tendulkar, the only reason I joined Twitter is to read @sachin_rt's tweets.

I still remember those days when my Dad would take an early leave from office and my Mom would close her kitchen, just to watch this little guy run through a bowing attack.
Every time Sachin crossed 50, I would run back home bunking classes just to make sure I'm a witness to every surreal century he scored. Every time I played with cricket cards I would make sure to get hold of the Sachin Tendulkar card and my victory was assured. I remember the delirium everytime he scored a century, I remember being agonisingly close to heart attacks whenever he got out on 99. From the very first time I saw this guy I knew he's the guy to be, a guy tailor made to be everybody's Idol.

I always wanted Sachin to be an ageless wonder, I always wanted him to play like a God, The God Of Cricket. Have you heard any one else compared with God? Your Answer will be NO! Because there's no one and there will be no one like Sachin Tendulkar. Because no human being carries the burden of a billion hopes every time he goes for work. May be that's why he's compared with God. But finally age caught up on him, he failed to perform, he crumbled on pressure, he was as vulnerable as ever. And then came those advices - "he should get on to the front foot", "he should strengthen his defence", "he should attack more" and some said - "his time is up, he should retire".

It was tough to endure all this, criticism and failure to deliver had crippled us both, I use to silently advise Sachin - "Please retire dear Sachin, I can't see these hypocrites criticise you, can't see anyone question your commitment, can't see you bowing down to rookies, can't see my idol struggle". But my conscience always retorted - "Fight back Sachin, you've every right to play, you deserve to be there more than anyone else, you're the best the world of cricket could ever boast of".

What makes Sachin Tendulkar so special? Why can't he just retire like every one else? Sachin Tendulkar for India is not just any man, any cricketer, he's a phenomenon, a phenomenon beyond science and beyond logic. He's an emotion capable of inflicting joy on a billion faces. You'll console me by saying retirement was always inevitable, the critics might be enjoying a victory, but it's the biggest defeat of a true Fan. His absence will create an irreplaceable void in the game of Cricket. Cricket without Sachin Tendulkar will be never like Cricket again.

I feel proud that I belong to a generation that could witness the exploits of a true hero called Sachin Tendulkar. You are and you will be my Idol forever...

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Customized ABOUT ME - AUTHOR BOX For Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Bonjour! I'm back with yet another Blogger tutorial, this time with a whole new Blogger Gadget - CUSTOMIZED AUTHOR BOX For Blogger.
This gadget is similar in appearance to the default ABOUT ME gadget in Blogger yet different because it has links to your Google+, Facebook and Twitter profiles with a small description about the Author, of course with the Author's photo! -

This Gadget can be added in the Blog Sidebar as well as in the Page Footer (like in my blog). This Gadget's background is transparent, so it'll have the same background colour as your Sidebar or Footer.
The Author Box will be very useful if you're the Blog Owner and you've lot of authors in your Blog, You can use this gadget to make your readers know hat you're the Blog Owner/Founder. So let's get started and add this gadget to your Blog -

1. Go to Dashbord -> Layout -> Add Gadget.

2. Select HTML/Javascript from the Gadget options.

3. Now add the following code to the Gadget -

<div class='sidebar section'><div class='widget Profile'>
<div class='widget-content'>
<a href='https://plus.google.com/GOOGLEPLUS-ID'><img alt='My Photo' class='profile-img' height='100' src='//YOUR-IMAGE-URL' width='100'/></a>
<dl class='profile-datablock'>
<dt class='profile-data'>
</dt>
<dd class='profile-textblock'>AUTHOR DESRIPTION</dd>
</dl>
<ul>
<li><a class='profile-name-link' href='https://plus.google.com/GOOGLEPLUS-ID' rel='author' style='background-image: url(//www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png);'>YOUR-NAME</a></li>

<li><a class='profile-name-link' href='https://www.facebook.com/FACEBOOK-USERNAME' rel='nofollow' style='background-image: url(//dl.dropbox.com/u/110248421/facebook-icon-16x16.png);'>YOUR-NAME</a></li>

<li><a class='profile-name-link' href='https://twitter.com/TWITTER-USERNAME' rel='nofollow' style='background-image: url (//dl.dropbox.com/u/110248421/twitter-icon%2016x16.png);'>@TWITTER-USERNAME</a></li>

<li> <a style='font-size:10px' href='http://www.the-paradox-blogger.in/2012/12/customized-author-box-for-blogger.html');'><u>Get This widget</u></a></li></ul>
<div class='clear'>
</div></div></div></div>

4. Customizations -

-> Line 3 - Replace "YOUR-IMAGE-URL" with the URL of the photo you want to show in the gadget box.

-> Line 3, 10 - Replace "GOOGLEPLUS-ID" with your own Google+ ID. For example if your Google+ Profile URL is "https://plus.google.com/1110068932542345" then replace the above text with "1110068932542345".

-> Line 7 - Replace "AUTHOR DESCRIPTION" with a short description about yourself.

-> Line 10, 12 - Replace "YOUR-NAME" with your name.

-> Line 12 - Replace "FACEBOOK-USERNAME" with your Facebook username. For example - If your Facebook Profile URL is "www.facebook.com/myprofile" then replace the text with "myprofile".

-> Line 14 - Replace "TWITTER-USERNAME" with your Twitter username. For example if your Twitter profile URL is "https://twitter.com/mytwitter" then replace the above text with "mytwitter".

5. Now Save the Gadget and you're done!Check your Blog for your very own all new Customized Author Box Gadget !
Note : If you want share this gadget tutorial in your Blog do mention about this Blog with a link as it was originally developed by his Blog.

If this gadget works for you then do Share this post with fellow Bloggers.
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BLOGGER OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER | APARAJITA MISHRA

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:50:00 +0000

Finally we've our 1st BLOGGER OF THE MONTH. After a month long of lovely contributions by our Awesome Authors and equally Awesome response from our readers we bring to you:

BLOGGER OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER | APARAJITA Mishra

Meet Aparajita, our very own cute and bubbly Author at The Paradox Blogger. And like her name Aparajita (one who cannot be defeated) she turned out to be the Winner of our first BLOGGER OF THE MONTH section through her beautiful poem - WAITING FOR YOU. Blessed with a creative mind, She's a kid at heart and also a kid at appearance ;) (That's what I think!)Let's know what Appu (yeah! that's what friends call her) has to say about herself -

"I believe in simple living and high thinking, I respect people with their values and culture."

Whoa that was seriously philosophical ! Let me describe her then...
She's cricket Fan , unlike many Girls she has grown up watching Team India in action.
Our very own Dada - Sourav Ganguly is her favorite Cricketer.

An avid listener of music, she feels alive when music is around her. An Engineer by qualification and profession, Aparajita never had great interest in technical academics. She always wanted and still wants to express herself through her writing with a pursuit to create something innovative.

She dreams of a society free of disparity and believes that education is vital for bridging the gap in the society.

About her leisure time ventures, She says -

"Reality shows are my favourite. I love watching Saregamapa, Satyamev Jayate and other shows. I would love to write more on our nation, science, development, music, culture etc. Ideas come to my mind whenever I come across a situation... be it a lively one or just a passionate story."

Always ready to lend a helping hand Aparajita loves to spend time with Friends and cherishes her wonderful college memories. And Of course she's very fond of our Blog. This is what she has to say about Our Blog -

"This blog is a place which gave me a platform to share my thoughts with my audience and I really feel overwhelmed when I see a lot f people going through my articles, commenting on them and appreciating my work."

So that was Aparajita for you. Our first ever BLOGGER OF THE MONTH! We're proud to have you in our Blog as author and are looking forward to your contributions in future.

-> Read all Posts by Aparajita

Taking no credits away from the rest of the Awesome Authors, here's a list of all those talented writers who contributed to our Blog this month -

1. N.S. Sabyasachi - Scientific Reasons Behind Common Practices
2. Pankhuri Mishra - JUST BECAUSE I LOVED HIM !!

3. Aditi Singh - AND "THEY" MET ONCE AGAIN

The next BLOGGER OF THE MONTH contest starts on the new year, 1st Jan 2013.
So I'm looking forward to fresh and new contribution from all of you. For further info check BLOGGER OF THE MONTH and Like Our Facebook Page

Note : BLOGGER OF THE MONTH is decided on the basis of Blog statistics

Facebook Privacy Changes - You Can't Hide Anymore !

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 04:23:00 +0000

Did you vote for the new Facebook Privacy Policy changes ? I guess No! Well neither did I! As a result Facebook has forced more Privacy changes on Us. Some pleasant, some not so pleasant. Facebook has started to roll out those changes since Wednesday, 12/12/12.

Let's have a look at all those changes -

1. You are Universally Searchable on Facebook -

Remember that setting in Privacy Settings where you could decide who can search you?
Well it's time to forget it because it's no longer available. Everyone can search everyone on Facebook! Bad news for those who wanted to keep their Social activity invisible or limited only to selected people. In short you can't hide anymore!

2. New Privacy Icon
A new Privacy icon will be added to the upper right, allowing quick access to some frequently-used privacy controls :

These Privacy Shortcuts will make controlling privacy bit simpler and easier. this is one welcome change as it will reduce the complexity of those clumsy Settings.

What's more -

More control in your Activity Log.
Easier to request pictures of you to be removed.
Apps must now ask separately for the permission to use your private information and to post to your Timeline. Previously these two permissions were merged together.

3. You can't vote for changes Anymore
We had the ability to vote and reject the changes, but (sadly) almost no one did. And along with that came the new rule that users would no longer have the ability to vote on changes like these in future.

So to summarise the changes -

-> You are no more unsearchable on Facebook
-> You have a new Privacy Shortcut along with new Activity Controls.
-> You lost your ability to Vote for changes (though you never voted).

These changes were always on the cards following the constant criticism of the facebook controls by users for being too complex. Actually while some regular users know how to control their stuff on Facebook, the mainstream common users are still unaware of the basic Privacy controls.

Do you LIKE the Facebook Privacy changes?

Control Everything You Share on Facebook

Save Time with Facebook Shortcuts

If you find this post useful then do share it with your Friends on Facebook.
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What The F*s ? - Facebook marries Firefox 17 !

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:41:00 +0000

I was a Firefox lover, I grew up on the Web using our dear Old Firefox until I got swayed by the Google Chrome chronicles like everyone. A lighter interface with unmatched fast browsing kept me glued to Chrome and I could never find enough reasons to revert back to my dear Firefox. Thanks to the consistent bugs in my Chrome, I looked for an able alternative and actually rekindled my affair with Firefox, rather with the All new

Firefox 17 ! Download Firefox 17 (Download for Windows|Download for Mac)

Perhaps you think I uploaded the wrong screenshot above, actually I just showed you the biggest reason to switch to Firefox. I've no idea if Facebook and Firefox are plotting against Google Chrome, but now you actually have a Facebook Messenger for Firefox, exclusively!

This integrates the Facebook Messenger with the sidebar as well as the top bar (highlighted by circle in screenshot) . Now you'll say so what! Chrome also has facebook in sidebar. Actually this sidebar and top bar will accompany you wherever you go! Oops!
I mean the sidebar will be on even if you are on browsing on other websites (yes! even without a facebook tab open)

Here's how to to do it -

1. Download Firefox 17
2. Go to Facebook Messenger for Firefox
3. Click Turn On (green button in above screenshot) and Log in to Facebook.

The four buttons on the top navigation bar in the above screenshot lets you access facebook features seamlessly while you browse other websites.
The first button links to your profile, as well as letting you hide the Sidebar and Desktop notifications (yes you get FB notifications on desktop even while browsing other sites). This lets you hide either one, or both, to keep distractions to a minimum. You can also disconnect the integration entirely by clicking Remove from Firefox.

The next three buttons are familiar - Friend Requests, Messages and Notifications respectively.
So this alliance of the two F's (firefox and facebook) is sure to amuse and make you say - WHAT THE F* ?

Reasons why I will switch from Chrome to Firefox 17
- Facebook Integration (Biggest Reason)
- Lighter and Simpler Interface
- Fast and even Faster then Chrome (This times's it's actually faster)
- Stable and Bug free, You won't have to Kill Pages!
Save Time with Facebook shortcuts
Download All Your Facebook Photos and Albums

If you find this post useful then do share with your Friends on Facebook.
If you encounter any trouble with Firefox then do post your queries in Comments.

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Remove and Replace "Showing Posts with Label" Message in Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:02:00 +0000

This post describes one of the most sought hacks available for customising your Blogger.
Whenever you click a Label in your Blog, you see a message like this -

"Showing Posts with Label ABC. Show All Posts"

This message is completely useless and makes your Blog look unprofessional. This is irritating if you have linked your Labels to your Pages or Tabs. So why not remove it completely or even better, replace it with your own message! Let's go for it.

Remove Label Message

1. Go to Dashboard - Template - Edit HTML - Proceed - Expand Widget Template

2. Now find (CTRL+F) this code in the template:

<b:includable id='status-message'>
  <b:if cond='data:navMessage'>
  <div class='status-msg-wrap'>
    <div class='status-msg-body'>
      <data:navMessage/>
    </div>
    <div class='status-msg-border'>
      <div class='status-msg-bg'>
        <div class='status-msg-hidden'><data:navMessage/></div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div style='clear: both;'/>
  </b:if>
</b:includable>

3. Replace this code with the below code -

<b:includable id='status-message'>
 <b:if cond='data:navMessage'>
<div>
</div>
<div style='clear: both;'/>
</b:if>
</b:includable>

4. Save your template.

And you're done! You just removed the useless Label Message from your Blog.

Replace Label Message

1. Go to Dashboard - Template - Edit HTML - Proceed - Expand Widget Template

2. Now find (CTRL+F) this code in the template:

<div class='status-msg-body'>

3. Now just write your message below this code.

4. Save your Template.

You just replaced the boring Label message with your own message!

If this works for you share this with your fellow Bloggers on Facebook.
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Facebook Chat Not Showing in Browser? Get it Back !

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Logged in to Facebook and found the Facebook Chat Sidebar or window missing? Logged out and logged in again, still not showing chat? Restarted the Browser, logged in to Facebook once again, still no signs of Facebook chat?

Well, the above situations are actually common these days, and you can find many Facebook users complaining about it. But the disappearance of chat is not a facebook fault, rather it is mainly caused due to the following reasons -

1. Slow Internet Connection
2. Browser Cache

So we'll now check and cross check for the above two reasons and we'll get you your Facebook chat back.

Slow Internet Connection - Slow Internet causes the Chat window to load extremely slowly and sometimes the Chat window doesn't not load at all ! This condition happens often with dial up connection users.

To check if your chat has disappeared due to slow internet do the following -

1. Log in to Facebook using a different browser. For example - if you were using Chrome earlier use Firefox to Log in to facebook now.
2. Check if your facebook chat is showing in that browser.
-> If you don't find the facebook chat then be sure that your Internet connection is too slow and you need get a faster connection.
-> if you found the facebook chat then congrats! Your Internet connection is doing good and now we need to get to the Browser Cache.Browser Cache - This problem occurs mostly (in fact wholly) in Google Chrome. Too much of cache and cookies stored by Chrome become the hindrance between you and your facebook chat. So all you need to is to clear your browser's Cache and Cookies.
Here's how to do it -

1. Press CTRL+H in Chrome to open browser History.
2. Click on Clear all browsing data. (button located on top)
You will find the following pop-up window -

3. Select the past day (highlighted in orange) from the drop down options and check (or tick) only the three options shown in the above screenshot.
4. Now click Clear browsing data button. (highlighted in Green)
5. Close and Restart Chrome again and Log in to Facebook. You'll now find your Facebook Chat Sidebar.

If this trick worked for you then Share this post on Facebook and Google+
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Download All Your Facebook Photos and Albums

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:56:00 +0000

If you are a popular bloke or babe in Facebook you would be having hundreds of photos uploaded on Facebook. Some uploaded by you and some uploaded by your friends. (photos you're tagged in)

Now you would love downloading all those photos to have a back up in your PC, so that you can view even while being offline and let others (not on facebook) to view them. But downloading each photo one by one using Facebook can cost you a lot of time. So I'm here to help with an all easy way to Download All Facebook Photos.

We can download all Facebook photos using an awesome yet free utility called Fotobounce (Available for both Windows and Mac). Download Fotobounce

Install Fotobounce (be patient, installing takes time) on your PC or Mac and Login to Facebook using Fotobounce. You can find the Login option on the left sidebar of Fotobounce window.

You'll be required to accept all Fotobounce app access options while logging in. Once you're logged in you will find all your photos including the ones you're tagged in, Oops! not just your photos but also all the photos of your Friends! And if you're the owner of a Facebook Page, you can view all the photos of your page.
Oh my! Did I say that you can just view them ?? Actually you can download them, all of them (Psst! even all the photo and albums of your Facebook crush J) Just right click on any album or photo and select download. What's more is that you can -

- Share photos on Twitter via Twitpic
- Share photos on Flickr
- Share photos on Google
- Log in to Twitter and Flickr

Now you've enough reasons to use Fotobounce, so why wait at all? Download, Install and get going! Check this video for further help with Fotobounce :

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WAITING FOR YOU...

noreply@blogger.com (Sushovan) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:06:00 +0000

By Aparajita Mishra ----

WAITING DOWN THE LANE

MY DAY ENDED IN VAIN

I WAS SEARCHING HERE FOR THE ONE

WHO WILL SHARE ALL MY PAIN........

OH BABY...CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE

JUST COME ONCE FOR THE LOVE YOU ADORE

I AM LOST ON MY WAY

WANNA MAKE A MOVE AWAY

I PROMISE YOU MY BABY

WITH YOU I'LL ALWAYS STAY...

OH BABY...YOU ARE MY ADDICTION

I BELONG TO YOU WITH FULL CONVICTION

I KNOW MANY A TIMES I HAVE HURT YOU

I AM A LIER THAT'S SO TRUE

BUT JUST ONCE I NEED TO SHOW

HOW MUCH LOVE AND CARE I DO....

OH BABY...TOGETHER WE'LL SING OUR SONG

AND RAISE OUR LOVELY RELATION LIFE LONG

BUT STREETS ARE GOING TOO WIDE

AND I AM ALONE ON MY SIDE

JUST COME BACK TO ME ONCE

AND GIVE ME A FEEL OF PRIDE...

OH BABY...MY PROMISES ARE DUE

AND I'LL FULFIL ALL NOT FEW

WANNA LOVE YOU ALL MY LIFE

WANNA STAND BY YOUR SIDE

WANNA REST IN YOUR ARMS

WANNA DETRACT ALL YOUR SORROWS

WANNA GIVE YOU ONLY JOY IN RETURN

WANNA COMMIT MY SOUL TO YOU

I AM WAITING DOWN THE LANE

FOR YOU MY BABY...ALL AGAIN...

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