A scary day @ Illusions Broken

It was Jen(Jennifer) who called me on my birthday and wished me first...It was not new and the same ritual will happen in the forthcoming years too...Had my ablution and wore my blue faded jean and black t-shirt...I have the habit of getting blue jean and black shirt every year on the eve of my birthday and this would be my nth blue and black combo collection...Every gal of my age loves to wear white frock bedecked with glittery and trendy fashionable stones but being so tom boyish ,I prefer jean rather than a frock...

My mobile beeped for several times and I saw 20 missed calls...It was from Jen and the latest message that read was "Sophie I wish to give you a surprise on this day and so make yourself ready in another 30 minutes and I will be there to pick you up"...Jen and surprise lol, I could not control my laughter...Apart from wishing me on my birth day she also claims to present me a surprise gift and the gift would be a doll...Barbie doll...Jen is a person who is so much involved in fantasy and all that and I always mock and smirk her whenever she starts her fantasy saga...year after year she presents me a Barbie doll with a kit containing cozy and trendy clothes sewn by her for the Barbie...I don't admire dolls and this Barbie is definitely not an exception. Jen admires Barbie's blonde hair and blue eyes...She speaks on and on about it but for me the hair and eyes makes no difference...So this time also I was waiting for my gift aka Barbie doll...well I did not want to disappoint Jen and sulk at the gift...I was waiting at my lawn for Jen's arrival...

Flashy red Sedan approached my garage...She was honking to glory and was trying to get my attention and I intentionally looked indifferent and never responded for the honk...Her face was as red as a tomato adding well to her complexion and with seething anger she approached me and all her anger vanished the moment she saw me and she was back to normalcy  She was in a hurry to take me to a place and she wanted it to be a surprise...Well surprise and you never goes well quipped me...She was very serious about her surprise and at least this time I was longing for one that too from Jen...

Sophie let us travel in your Ford exclaimed her...Well said me...no appeals...in another 10 minutes I was driving and Jen was beside my side...I took the route as pointed by her...Jen and I are friends for 17 years now...We first met at "Little Hearts" kindergarten when we were 3 years old and from then on became bosom pals...thanks to our working parents  After my schooling I took science in college and Jen was into "Illusions broken" a college for mastering wizardry and magic...I still wonder how two people with varied interest become close pals and we are live examples...Her magic wand accompanies her and "tel ym erised emoc eurt" is one sentence I learnt from her and every time she uses her wand she also uses the above sentence and it looks funny...I investigated the sentence and came to know that it is a jumbled form of “Let my desire come true”…Voila!

And finally we reached a place far from our locality and it took 5 hours for us to reach the place...Thanks to Jen’s wits which completely made us to forget about our long journey…We were greeted by two dwarfs wearing shiny lavender pyjamas which was completely annoying my eyes...out of nowhere a bottle came flying in the air and Jen caught it right and gave me the refreshing drink...The drink was so enticing and she said it was a trend at "Illusion Broken" to welcome the guests this way and gotcha I was in wizardry school and this was the secret place which gave me a surprise...Individuals were not allowed even parents need to send a prior request for a yearly visit and the parents were allowed to stay with their kids only for an hour but there I was with no request or time of stay was not restricted to one hour...

The entire environment was so different from the normalcy ...Some were flying in the air as if like people from another world...I have seen angels flying all around that too in fantasy stories but for the first time I witnessed all different things .I was taken to a room much deserted one from the main entrance and Jen was about to say something, I stopped her and said "tel ym erised emoc eurt" but nothing happened...Jen laughed at me and uttered the same words "tel ym erised emoc eurt" and immediately the doors opened....


The room was smelling pungent exactly the smell of ammonium which I smelled at my lab...hell with the odor...There were no lights and the atmosphere was eerie...I was horrified for being in the isolated place and the only soothing comfort was Jen's presence...She swayed her wand and said something(this time it was some magical mantra) and a bright chandelier splashed bright above our heads...Wah! I felt safe in the bright rays...I investigated the place and the place was surrounded with chemicals smelling yucky, wands of different size and shapes making me scared, logs of unusual size, leaves of trees(all smelling still more unpleasant and pungent, some were fresh, some were dried)...The room can accommodate 100 people at a time and we were only 2 and with no idea we were roaming there...As I took my next step another chandelier started to glow …from nowhere for every step of mine ,I saw one more chandelier glowing and when we reached the end of the room ,all I could see was splashing lights ...The room was glowing with lights ,I have witnessed such blazing only on a new year day or during a fire and the day was so different...I called Jen and asked her to take me somewhere other than the room ...She asked me to hold on for few minutes...

Prof Cindy, Jen here...could you please make your appearance spoke Jen in an unusual bold tone..I mocked her and said "is your Prof. Sin..Sin...sorry Cindy deaf" for which she gave a "I will kill you” look which made me shut my mouth...There appeared a luscious mirror before our eyes... I have never seen such big mirror ever in my life and I got my opportunity to check myself how good I look and I went near it and touched the surface...err it looked rough and all I saw was a wall...I took few steps backwards and again I saw shiny mirror...The whole day seemed to perplex me...and Jen again said "Pro .Cindy, Jen here please make your appearance"...

Outta nowhere a lady in her mid 40’s appeared on the mirror...Her face was visible and I could not spot her body...She was wearing a specs that was exactly resting on her nose...I heard a bold yet mellifluous voice greeting me "happie birthday Sophie" and I was searching the entire room to find who it was...Now I could not smell pungent odor and the smell was so pleasing to my nose and it was a sweet odor. Jen pinched me hard and asked me to thank Prof.Cindy for the wishes...My mouth became dumb and I was struggling to say thank you...Prof.Cindy swayed her wand from the mirror and beautiful chocolate cake was floating in the air before my eyes and Cindy threw a knife and I feared, that it was going to hurt me and I protested with my hands to stop the fast moving knife and god the knife sat exactly on my hand...I was horrified yet I heard a chorused voice to cut the cake...For a moment the chandeliers were gone and candles were floating all around the room...I was confused...Jen asked me to blow the candles and I said, it was impossible to blow the candles placed all around the room" She asked me for a single blow and what a miracle, lights from candles went off and chandeliers were splashing as before. within minutes candles too vanished...I still did not understand how I cut the cake but I found a piece of chocolate cake resting on my mouth...And the cakes too vanished from my vicinity...Jen asked me to go near Prof Cindy and get her wishes...With all fear I went near the mirror and again Cindy swayed her wand and a heavy bag rested on my hand...Prof.Cindy bade good bye to Jen and within a second the mirror vanished before us...I could not comprehend on the things that I witnessed...Jen pulled me out from the room...When I paced towards the exit of the room the chandeliers went off and it was again a mere pungent smelling room which I witnessed when I entered it for the first time...Sophie uttered some magical words and the doors closed...

I came to the main exit...People, atmosphere and things looked so different..."Illusion broken" was one queer place I have visited till date...I pleaded Jen and asked her to take either to my place or hers...We drove fast and with fears I drove still more fast...We reached Jen's place after 6 hours and aunt Linda(Jen's momma) was greeting me...She was in her black attire...Jen took me to her room and gave the gift and it was Barbie yet again...Still my mind was occupied about the heavy Prof Cindy's gift bag that was resting on my car...I never dared to open it...Jen please don't bring fantasy into my life...Let the magical world be with you ...I am not interested and not ready to enter the wizardry world staking my life...I shouted at her and she said that was going to be the last visit of mine to "Illusions Broken"...

I was not in a good mood to enjoy my day..I wanted to be at my home and after all the promises I bade bye to Jen and marched towards my car...I saw aunt Linda in the living room and a portrait was made to hung that day...The face looked familiar...I went further and enquired aunt Linda and to my surprise aunt Linda said "Today is Prof.Cindy's 2nd death anniversary and that is why I am wearing black attire”.I could not comprehend things nor had the guts to ask Jen about it...I rushed to my car and drove to my place...

I parked my car in my garage and went inside...The next day when I was about to start for my college a velvet blue bag was shining inside my car...I yelled at my mom and asked her to take the bag out and keep it in my room...My mom did the way I instructed her and she took the bag with ease...I thought it should be heavy...I went to my college forgetting about the events that happened on my bday...

That evening I came home, spoke to Jen as usual..I decided not to speak or mock her wizardry world...We spoke on general topics...Had dinner with my parents and went to my room...Velvet bag was shining in my glass rack...I never dared to touch the bag anytime and so I decided to cover my glass rack with a curtain...

I told my mom and asked her to cover the rack with a curtain.When I returned home that evening velvet bag was missing from my vicinity and glass rack was disguised in a beautiful curtain...That was some relief...

My curiosity of finding the gift inside the bag vanished...I will never forget that one particular birthday...I decided not to step out on my birthday and as usual I get Barbies from Jen but our hang outs are restricted to places 
“Illusions Broken” may be a perfect place for Jen but I personally believe that one’s illusions can never be broken? What say!

P.S Wrote this fantasy short story

Sneaky Sun!!!

Mild rays of morning sun sneaks through my window and shyly touches my face...I wake to the world of reality from my deep slumber...The yellow color clock opposite to my bed tickles the time as 6.00am...

I put a knot on my ruffling hair and march towards the wash basin...With brush on my mouth I wander my thoughts to the day's activities...What to prepare for breakfast, lunch and dinner...At times I go wild with my thinking and plan the menu for the consecutive days too !lol...


Then I gently open my refrigerator and with all caution I take a milk packet out of it :)I am still at a loss to understand the difference between blue packet milk and green packet milk which my MIL says...With no concern on the colors of milk packet ,I pick one at random...


I gently cut the packet and pour the contents on a vessel and place it on the gas stove...Simultaneously my hand grabs one more vessel with water and places it on the stove...I place the coffee filter exactly on its vessel and add coffee powder(coffee+ chicory) to it...I wait for the water to reach its boiling point. With holder's support I pour it on the coffee filter...It is fun to hear the tok tok sound from the filter...


Meanwhile milk overflows from the vessel and only then I realize the situation…I switch off the stove and clean it(The overflow of milk from the vessel happens every day )...Finally I pour the remaining milk into my tumbler, add a spoon of sugar with the decoction from the coffee filter...I stir the coffee well and check the color to be as dark brown else I pour some more decoction and stir it again...huh the aroma is something which I long always for!!!

With coffee in my hand I rush to my balcony...I comfortably sit on my chair and forget all my day's activities and enter into a different world...There comes an yelling from my hubby ,only then I realize how fast time flies…As usual I rush to complete my other chores to reach office on time 

P.S Tried my hand on something different in this post. Figure what?

Eternal Gift

Wrote this poem for Valentine's day contest and here I post it...Here you go with ma poem



People flooded all around me
But my eyes were busy sieving
For someone so special in ma life
All I got in return was disappointment

The moment you appeared in the crowd
A bright Colgate smile lit my face
Call it a magnetic effect or whatever
Love at first sight did hit me

I got drenched in the world of dreamland
With thoughts lingering only about you
Then came the D day of my life
When I graduated to the status Missus

Tussle is what I create everyday
A smile is what you give in return
Barb is what I throw often
But you accept me the way I am

You are my mentor and a pal
Who point me when I am wrong
You encourage me for my every good deed
Which acts as my strength

You brought a drastic change in me
Which made me to realize my horizon
What else I need to ask God
When I am already gifted with a lovely person

Whatz in ma mind?

I have lots more to pull out from ma mind...So here I come with yet another set of random ramblings!

1.My mom ,dad and now hubby (also joined the list )are taking more pains to make me to write more...They wanted me to improve my writing skills.They wanted me to improve my vocabulary.They wanted me to write a book(A very big dream I say)...These 3 people always ask me to blog more...Whenever I say I am running outta ideas or posts,they come up with suggestions and help me out.Word thank you will never do justice to all the encouragement they provide to me.I vow I will seriously put forth my efforts to improve my writing...Writing a book is something a herculean task at this moment but still why not try sometime at the later stage of my life...

2.There were days when I told myself "itz been eons since I tasted maggi".These days I say "Oh god when will I stop eating maggi"...Every day I eat maggi despite knowing the wax content in it which is very much injurious to health.Received several threats from ma frnds to stop eating it...I need to head their words!

3.Whatever I eat I still long for vathakozhambu and thayir sadam with maavadu...Vathakozhambu made with rich tamarine content is what I always look for.Also it is one easy dish which you can make in a very short span of time.with maavadu as side dish what else I can say about it...It is nothing but a pure bliss.Long live the founder of vathakozhambu.

4.Itz been 3 months since I landed in chennai but still I very easily get confused with roads and lanes.There are n no of ways to reach my home :( whichever route you take you can definitely reach my home.So each day I take new routes which ultimately makes me confused and as usual I call my husband at unearthly hours for directions.Sigh!

5.Itz been eons since I saw sun set and sun raise.I have never enjoyed the beauty of sun which sneak through the clouds and raise in its full form nor have enjoyed the soothing nature of sun set...I work in shifts and that is the reason.I wish I work in normal general timings to witness nature's beauty :)

6.for no reasons I have gained so much love for London city.I wish to travel there to enjoy the scenic beauty of river Thames.Would love to enjoy the beauty of London through London's eye.Already longing to see Agatha's long running play (Mouse trap) oh and I have loads and loads to speak when it comes to London.what am I looking for?An opportunity to visit London..bhooo hoo...


7.After a long time,I have resumed my reading habit.Bugged my hubby and got a book "Go kiss the world"...You can expect a review on it pretty soon :) I hope so :)

8.I always protect my novels like my treasure.I lend my books to all but always worry if I see strains in the book though I scribble a lot in my novels...I will come up with a post about my favourite books soon :)


Thatz all for now.Will come up with something soon :)

Poem from my stash

I wrote this poem when I was in blunt mood.It was in my stash.Here it goes


Lying on the bed
I mull over my thoughts
The pain of my struggles
Are too strong with deep scars

I always feel to be a victim
For things that I am not subjected
Whom to blame for the game?
Is it the Murphy?or the poor Me?

I shift my thoughts to others
Whew!That also disappoints me
People fight,hurt and kill others
Literally with mere words as weapon

I wish to be free from devastation
With love and affection all around
Life is too short to blame and fight
Understand let us forget and forgive

A dinner to be remembered

When Hari mama called and invited my hubby and me for a dinner on the new year day, we were so excited. Who on earth will ignore such an invite from a person whom we admire the most?So we were all set and on new year day evening my hubby and I visited mama's place.

He is a person who adheres to the saying "work is worship"...A busiest person who is always entangled with work around the clock. He was very kind enough to spend his time with us despite his busy schedule...

Janani and Athai gave us good company, which made us so comfortable and I felt as if I was at my own home...Discussions with Janani about movies,actors,food...god it was so so so nice...Athai is simply sweet with her lovely words!

Dinner was waiting at the table with sumptuous menus. Menus included Poori and Kezhangu,Fried Rice,Bisibelabaat,curd rice,crispy chips,pickle...Did I forget something?Yes yes the milk paiyasam which athai made...It was toooooo good!and anyone who hates paiyasam will definitely not have the heart to say "no" for Athai's paiyasam...

Our stomach did not have the room to gobble such lovely dishes...We were then gifted with Pant shirt and a salwar,2 diaries,a book (365 days of inspiration by Napoleon Hill) and a bag full of snacks...We were literally struggling hard to carry the gifts back to home...We got asirvadam from mama and athai along with thirupathi laddu...

After this dinner...Both(My hubby and I learnt a lot).Below are some few out of it.

1.Learn the meaning of hospitality from them.
2.Humility.I see it in Hari mam.
3.Work is worship.Money is not important but still you need it to lead a life.So be dedicated to your work.
4.Miles to go in the field of culinary. After the dinner my hubby says "Ask tips from Usha Athai before you cook fried rice". yes Athai is a great cook and no doubt.
5.Be what you are and always try to forgive others the same way you do it yourself.

The lesson learnt are tremendous .I am sure the word "Thank you" will be so cliched. Spending time with someone whom you respect is something which everyone of us long and glad that we got one. Thanks a lot mama for everything and we always look forward for ur advice/motivation/inspiration and many more in the years to come.

The saga of my soup

It was raining cats and dogs...Being so much sensitive to cold my hands started to shiver...I con't even withstand chennai's weather wonder how on earth I will manage my stay at Kashmir. Well I do not want to diverge...were was I...oh yes I was shivering and my tooth started to dance to the tunes of thunder...disguised myself in full hand salwar+shawl and I felt it was relieving me to an extent...

My hunger pangs was longing for something hot and crispy...Same with my hubby too...Mother-in-law was busy in the kitchen...Only later I came to know she was busy preparing vegetable soup for all of us...She dishes out varieties in a jiffy...There I was standing near the chef and was keenly observing the method of preparation...She boiled all the veggies(Bells Pepper, Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower and Tomato) on the pressure cooker...Finally made a fine paste out of the boiled veggies in a mixture with water..Filtered it and removed the coarse texture....On a medium flame she placed a heavy bottomed vessel with the veggie essence(the one obtained after filtering)...Stirred it for few minutes...On the completing note she mixed corn flour to the veggie essence and added required salt..stirred again for a minute or two and switched the stove off...you may want to know my part in the soup making right?...Hold on...I was seriously observing the whole process...Tough job I say! She served the soup hot with fried crispy breads floating on the top of the soup..The soup came out pretty well and we were longing for more...It is a complete bliss to enjoy the rainy day with your bowl of soup...pure bliss I say!


So the consecutive weekend We(Ma hubby and I) visited my mom's place. Proudly and ostentatiously I was all mouth telling that I had learnt a new recipe vegetable soup..My father was travelling that day to a function...I told him to wait for few minutes to taste my vegetable soup before he leaves for the function...told my bro that I am going to make delicious soup...My hubby was all set to taste the yummy soup...

I added Bells pepper, Carrots, Beans, Ginger and Tomato ...boiled the veggies....made it as fine paste and was searching for a filter...To my dismay I did not get the right one but managed to remove the coarse texture...Placed the essence on a thick bottomed vessel..stirred it for a while and added corn flour paste with salt and again stirred it and switched it off...I was so much confident of my preparation and so I prepared the soup for some 15people...


My hubby and bro were already waiting to taste it...phew my father was waiting to taste it but I never seem to complete and so he left for the function...I handed the bowls of soup to two of the scapegoats...one being my hubby and the other being my bro...Bro took the first spoon of the soup and he never opened his mouth...If you think he was spellbound about my preparation friend you are totally wrong he was dumbstruck with my not-so-good work...Then he commented my soup as a cough syrup and never dared to taste it for the second time...poor hubby did not say a word and was struggling with his bowl...Being good natured that I am ,I understood his situation and magnanimously asked him not to taste further...During the meantime my bro started to advertise the quality of the soup which I prepared...No one dared to taste it and so I am...ROFL...the entire content of the soup on the vessel was left untouched...After a round of research I understood that I added carrot and ginger as the predominant ingredient which spoiled the taste...

Now when I spell the word soup, my hubby pleads me not to speak of it anymore...From then on he started to share my soup making skills to every other person on earth...sigh...I do not dare to try the soup again...secondly now you should understand how good I am when it comes to observation...

The word soup brings a churning effect in my stomach...oh It was all because of my preparation...I need to closely observe my MIL when she prepares soup for the next time...I was in a soup because of my soup preparation.