The Happiness Page

After surviving the continuous "Happiness is" followed by the particular activity the writer is involved in at that moment/the person they happen to be with at that time posts and #100HappyDays hashtag all over the Social Media, I thought it was time to delve deep inside and look for a definition that has always worked for me. So, here I am, writing about something many think I don't know at all-happiness!
                                                                                                                       Now, the tricky part about happiness is that it has no single definition, or so I found. It varies from person to person, situation to situation;it even depends on the changes in the constraints to attaining happiness. My dida blesses everyone placing her right palm on their head, closing her eyes and muttering an intelligible 'bhalo theko' as if being happy is always that simple. But if one gives it a serious thought, it's not farther from truth either. Music makes someone happy, books make some others happy. Some are happy taking their dogs out for a walk while some are happy just gulping a dozen of cupcakes down. However, in most of my observations, I found love to be a constant driver behind happiness. At times, it's so intense and passionate that we can see only the pain behind it, not the happiness. But it's always there, in some form or the other. Another imperative would be pain itself. A very popular saying goes that one doesn't understand the significance of light until they see darkness very closely. Likewise, until and unless one feels pain, owns up to it, absorbs it all and then gathers the courage to smile again, one hasn't known true happiness. The journey through pain prepares one for the light ahead, teaches them to appreciate it. As for myself, I've seen pain pretty closely, both physically as well as mentally. I've loved it with all I had. But if I'm asked to choose between silent tears on my pillow and a warm smile in his embrace, I know what my choice would be. Do you know yours?

Blouse-Metro Plaza, floral pants-B.K.Market, shoes-Simpark Mall, neckpiece-gifted, cuff and ring-New Market

Feelin' Lucky!

If something is meant to be, nothing can stop it from happening. Ever since my internship with TCS came to an end, I have been sad beyond words. Unitech is where my heart belongs. It's nothing more than a bunch of sky high buildings without any character but I've so many memories attached to this place that it's always going to be special for me. Looking at the overcast sky from my eighth floor cubicle, having tea at one of the roadside stalls(also known as 'jhoops'), being scared of stepping on the heap of cow dung that can be seen just about anywhere, going down and having bad phuchka, momos with what looked like a worm in the sauce, chewy and at times even wet bhutta, lassi with dust particles inside...memories were aplenty. And it was always, always about the people associated with the memories. The company I have been recruited for would never have an office in Unitech. So, chances of returning to my favourite place didn't look that bright. But as fate would have it, another internship landed in college. Until the interview, I didn't even know this was Unitech Cognizant. Couldn't stop thanking my stars when I found out finally! So, life should be pretty much close to perfection soon. Meanwhile, my favourite host took the responsibility of watching my calorie intake(the other way round) one fine afternoon when we girls dropped by her den. I've been obsessing over pastels for a while now. So, you are going to see a lot of pinks and peaches on ze blog in the coming days. And another piece of advice- if you already haven't tried the gajar ka halwa icecream at Scoop, please run. It's one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Dress-B.K.Market,neckpiece-gifted,rings-New Market,shoes-Simpark Mall

With Anu,Nikita and Johanne

Where art thou, my Valentine?

With the blog-o-sphere full of Valentines' Day posts and red, pink and white cute somethings and gift ideas and mushy rumblings, can yours truly be far behind? But given my obsession with pain, you won't be disappointed if you are expecting something other than a lovey-dovey post here. Yes, love  is magical. I don't deny that. I'd never deny that. I've been in love. I've seen how colorful and happy the mundane things look when you are in love. I know exactly how one blushes after breaking into a sheepish grin in the middle of a class, thanks to a stupid piece of happy memory. I know how perfect it feels to wake up next to your loved one and see the sun rays playing on the curtain behind their head.
                                                                                                      But, contrary to what Acrhies and its cousins would have us believe, Valentines' Day is as much about the pain and heartbreak that come along with love as the happiness and bliss. As many of you might know,the origin of this day lies in the popular story that Saint Valentine of Rome was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were not allowed to marry. Before his execution, he wrote a letter to the daughter of his jailer and signed it "Your Valentine" as a farewell. Does this heart-wrenching story actually encourage the roses-chocolates-teddies-candles-waltz extravaganza we indulge into every year on this very day? Shouldn't it rather be a day when we remember all those fated lovers who struggled all their life to be together and either died in the process or achieved success only when they were too tired to relish it? Shouldn't we thank God on this very day for being lucky enough to be with our love so easily? Shouldn't we be thankful that the ones we fell in love with loved us back? Shouldn't we be thankful that we were allowed by the rest of the world to fall in love? Shouldn't we be thankful that our dreams came true when we were young enough to feel the ecstasy it brought forth? And shouldn't we shed a tear or two for those who didn't turn out to be as lucky as we were? This deprived set is a lot bigger than we think- the in-numerous number of people who fall in love with people of same sex, married people, people from different castes, religions, race, creed, country? In short, the ones whose love stories don't have a certain ending like that of ours. Don't these less fortunate ones deserve a little more than our sarcastic comments or judgmental glances?
          So, this Valentines' Day, walk up to the person you made fun of the other day- be it a beggar who claimed to be a millionaire before his wife died and his daughter-in-law threw him out, a friend with a forbidden love life or the daughter of the domestic help who had a love child. One kind word costs nothing. One hug would leave you warmer and lighter. One prayer won't bite into your quota of happiness. You make someone's day, their smile and blessings would make yours automatically. Because happiness is a privilege and this is the only way of thanking the superior power for blessing you with a bunch of it.
                                                                                        The pictures are the leftovers from the Look Book-2013 of Howrah Bridge that created quite a stir on the social media. I don't look conventionally pretty, thanks to the oiled hair, no makeup, acne, blackheads and the sun but some pictures are all about their nostalgic value. Besides, looking pretty was never a part of the checklist. Remember the blog introduction?

Palazzo-B.K.Market, white shirt-New Market,hat and ring-borrowed from Anu,bow tie and jacket-Howrah Bridge
Styling, picture and location courtesy- Anu

Boredom of Sanity

And just like that, the first month of 2014 is gone. I have had a more or less normal month. I have full attendance in college, I haven't missed gym or morning newspaper on a single day, I have cooked myself quite a few edible meals and of course, I have successfully submitted my project. I have also started writing quite a bit in Bengali and there's something very, very comforting about expressing oneself in their mother tongue. It not only liberates the closeted soul but also makes one see themselves more clearly. I'd always be indebted to  the one who got me into it. I was scared at first, I'd admit but owning up to the fear has been worth it. Apart from that, this absolute stillness in my life drives me crazy at times. There is no ripple, no chaos, no purpose. For someone as eccentric as yours truly, it's not the best way to let her creative juices flowing. In my profession, public image goes a long way and I have realised it the hard way. I'm still not puritan enough to untag myself from pictures that have me posing with a drink in my hand but I have definitely started editing my public persona. It's not an exercise I have been entirely fond of but it has worked for me. It hasn't given me peace of mind but it has definitely helped me fake it. There are still moments when I wake up with a few droplet of tears or I want to scream at the silence of the cold night or I want to run away to the horizon where the sun meets the ground and never come back but mostly, I'm older and wiser.
                                                                                                                                            I haven't had a very good feeling about 2014 and it hasn't disappointed me. Things haven't really gone well on the personal front and they show no signs of improving. The brighter part is, the halogen lights still fill me up with unfathomable pain and unbearable hope at the same time. I still dream every night. I still have a few beliefs to hold on to and no matter how difficult life gets, I don't see them dying very soon. I don't flinch my eyes at flickering bulbs. And I can still walk an extra mile for the sake of my dreams.
                                                                                                                 I had promised you the Adrenalize outfit post long back. The chill had put me in hibernating mode but now that the chill looks all set to leave with Saraswati Pujo coming up, it's time to get those pictures out of the archive and put them up on ze blog!

Maxi dress-Emami,blazer-tailor-made,ring-New Market,pearl earring and bracelet,pink and orange bracelet-gifted,sling-B.K.Market,gladiator-Metro Plaza

Because of lack of planning, Kolkata Literary Meet couldn't happen but I should be able to visit Book Fair if things don't go horribly wrong. So, will be back with the musings of the bookworm. Till then, take care and keep it stylish.
                    Love,
                    Soumi

Technologically Handicapped!

Do you have days when you wish the nasty T word didn't exist at all? Well, that would be describing my, EVERY OTHER DAY! I'm a believer in good ol' charming things. I like letters, books, sunsets, horse-drawn carriages, long walks, home-cooked food, bonfires, pianos, holding hands and everything old school. I want to wake up to the smell of my loved one instead of a phone call from him. I want to meet my friends for Sunday Brunch and talk about my life instead of whatsapping about the same. I want to  make it a point to read the newspaper or a book instead of fiddling with my phone while waiting for someone. And I always prefer coming back to a meal of rice,dal and chorchori(a dry preparation of mixed vegetables) instead of finishing another can of fizzy drinks with a cheesy wrap while working.
                                                                                                       My hatred and discomfort with everything even remotely related to Technology might have something to do with the fact that I, despite having a B.Tech in Computer Science, have always been technologically handicapped. Even during my graduation, I had no idea how to fix minor issues with my dektop while I was perfectly comfortable doing Linux or Unix coding, Artificial Intelligence simulations and what not for my exams. Management provided a temporary relief. Use of Technology in here was no less than my earlier course and even though I managed fine, I never fell in love with making presentations or reports or snippets. Why I preferred Management was because it still retained the human side of me since at the end of the day, a Manager sells their words and nothing else, relies on their basic instincts, observing skills and emotional maturity, sensitivity and competency to solve all the problems. The tools merely help them justify their decisions.
                                                                                                              But then, for every Management student, the Summer Internship Report is something of a life changing thingy. So, everyone puts in their best efforts to make it THE Report of their life- with all the cutting edge technologies, creative ideas, vast literature and tireless research. I was expected to do the same and I did, to some extent. But all hell broke loose when I started putting my thoughts into something more tangible- like a document. Some alignment won't work, some diagram won't get projected the way I wanted it, some Statistical Tool or the other would fail and long story short, I would be in complete mess. And after preparing the report, converting it to pdf was another task I dreaded. My friends back in the Engineering days came to my rescue but because of the long distance relationship, even they couldn't save my sinking ship entirely. With a lot of help from them and the much-needed support from the two most important people in my life, I finally managed to finish it. Decently. And decided that it was time to reward myself with complete detachment from Technology for a day. Tomorrow is the day when I won't be available over phone, whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and every other social media. Tomorrow is the day I won't be using immersion heater, gas oven, microwave or any other electronic home appliances. I won't be watching TV or listening to music. I won't be going to gym either. I wish I could reach college without using auto or metro too but then, trade-offs are everywhere. That's a compromise I'd gladly make. So, before I'm about to have a taste of the life I've always craved, I thought of saying 'hi' to you all with an outfit post after a long time. The pictures are from our alumni meet back in November. They have been rotting in my folder for a while, thanks to my lazy ass. This dress is a #favourite, given my monochrome mood and since nothing gets hotter than an orange pop, here I am.
P.S.Excuse my dhaai kilo ka haath. :-P
Allowing you a close look at my ring and earring was the intention, as you must have bee sweet/smart enough to understand.

Dress,feather earring,ring,spiked loafers- B.K.Market
Picture Courtesy-Anu

I will be back with the Tolly Club outfit I had promised in my last post. Till then, take care and like I always say, keep it fashionable.
                                  Love,
                                  Soumi

Adrenalize 2014-an evening of all things pretty!

If you have been following this space for a while, you'd know that Adrenalize is an event I personally look forward to. Not only because it chooses one of Kolkata's oldest and most sophisticated clubs as the venue but also because it tries to give the guests an one stop solution for all things fun. And an event like this in the Winter is just what the doctor ordered for the party animals.
                                                                                        This time, because of unavoidable circumstances, the only ones who made it to the party were Deepa and yours truly. We reached a little late but just in time to be a part of the super fun grape stomping session(which was a favourite with both of us last year too). With a bottle of Four Seasons Sauvignon Blanc at our disposal, we joined in the merry making. And then DJ Happy brought all the guests to their feet with his peppy numbers. Deepa and I danced our heart out. Even in that chilly weather, I needed to put my blazer away. Dinner was served after a while. I must say the food was better than last time. They decided to skip Indian altogether and the Bar-B-Q in this weather just perfectly complemented the lovely wines. We even went back to the dance floor for the last song of the night. Post a lot of eating,drinking and dancing, the icing on the cake was making a Girls' Night out of it. So, both of us went back to my place, chatted for hours about everything under the sun and then fell asleep without even knowing. The brownie point? Since the party got over early, my mom was happy to see me back in time too. She was like, "why can't you only go to parties like these?" *Rolling Eyes*
                                                                                                                           So, even though we missed the treasure hunt because of getting late, we DID have a very good time indeed, all thanks to Four Seasons!

All decked up

Eat, drink and make merry...

Dancing the night away!

We ended up wearing the same colour without even planning!

Spirits soaring, for obvious reasons!

Owning'em up!

The pros at grape stomping

Trying my hand, er, legs at it

And finally, the poser in me!
Picture Credits- Deepa

I'll be back with the details of what I wore to the event. Till then, make the best out of this festive season and pray so that the chill stays here for a while. Signing off,
                                                                               Soumi

Black Dog Evenings Presents Night Fever-A Tribute to the Bee Gees...

There can rarely be something more exciting for an IDM and Techno fan than an evening with the Bee Gees. The tribute to the Bee Gees at CC&FC is just something the doctor ordered with this nip in the air. Good music,good food and drinks and good ambiance- what else could one want for in a chilly evening?
                                                                           Live counters dishing out delicacies of every kind- lip-smacking finger foods to elaborate meals,the bar offering one's favourite poison within seconds and a good crowd always set the mood for a nice evening.
                                                                            Night Fever-a tribute band to the Bee Gees,all the way from Canada took the stage around 8 p.m. and soon found themselves in the midst of a cheering crowd after starting out with a few not-so-popular numbers.Stayin' Alive,How Deep Is Your Love...one classic after another put the dance floor on fire. And,finally they wrapped up the evening with Tragedy,leaving the crowd asking for more.