LOVE STORIES THAT NEVER END...

LOVE STORIES THAT NEVER END....

Their gaze met

albeit for a few seconds

 but their souls got entwined for posterity ...

He could complete her sentences

 she could predict his actions

 the voices around were merely a muted reaction

He knew he held the key to her heart

 but she too played her"coy" part

till both could no longer remain silent

 &decided to seek God's consent

Some love stories never begin

 yet they never end...

 illfated lovers~

they merely wish their soul-mate

 to be glad in any place & every date

Some love stories never begin

 yet they never end...

Mona Lisa smile

As I entered the Louvre museum in Paris,my sole intention was to see the Mona lisa painting as soon as possible.As I inched forward closer towards it through the crowds thronging for the acclaimed masterpiece,my heart started to sink bit by bit. The richly colored canvas treasures I saw on the walls before I had reached the Mona lisa room seemed much more beautiful and artistic to me. But I liked mona lisa's hand and so wished I could hold it to empathise with her. After-all the theories I had read about the painting on my flight said Mona lisa was a lady in mourning. But today I see mona lisa in a different way.Mona Lisa is perhaps ubiquitous. The way the artist has captured that serene expression of someone smiling amidst pain is a benchmark of art yet to be paralleled ..

All movie ideas stem from reality somewhere.. I noticed few incidents of my own life in a hollywood movie I was seeing again Tonight. 
I first saw the movie "Mona Lisa smile" a few yrs ago after an exam & liked it a lot. But i could not foresee that someday I shall see it again with new eyes.Eyes of someone who can identify with the emotions on screen. Eyes of someone who has cried herself to sleep yet stood up bravely to face the world the next day.. The eyes of someone who refused to become mona lisa & smile JUST to seem happy because seeming happy is not of value when you are truly heartbroken..or Is it??? Is keeping up with the joneses of paramount importance?? Is keeping appearances the justification for tolerating evil people?? If you are truly hurt should you disregard the age old advice "dont wash your laundry in public sweetie" ?? Is it a bad idea to speak up when someone breaks your trust ?? Is it wrong to move forward & try to be happy when the bubble of everlasting promises has burst right in your face?? Is it wrong to chase your dreams no matter what??
Mona lisa's painting is a mystique in many ways the most pronounced being her expressions. Her eyes conveying hidden grief beneath a fake smile plastered to please. Some say it is a secret she wants to convey- Can you decipher it??
I 'd rather be proudly comfortable & infamous than conforming to norms yet unhappy. No societal norm is to be followed if it takes away the song in your heart. The hurt for having tolerated pain in vain is more than the pain of being ridiculed at for taking a stand for your pride.. Being yourself & being happy is a habit yet to be appreciated by many..

 Julia Roberts in "Mona lisa smile" is such a lovable character--controversial yet so true. I have always loved that movie not only for its ideas, the great settings of a bygone era & the awesome portrayal of characters by the various actresses but also what struck me that the movie didn't have a single "HERO".. The male leads didnt have much to contribute I felt.. Betty warden is such a vamp yet she takes your heart away near the end.. She wants to set an example by conforming to the society's standards..She criticizes those who "seemingly" err untill she realises the futility of her attitude..She realises the bitter truth beneath the false yet charming facade of society she so firmly believed in.. Her debacle portrays the dismay of so many young hearts who sacrifice everything at the marriage altar believing in eternal love yet wake up to find the bubble of promises bursting sooner than a soap bubble even. Even fables would have lasted longer in mind made castles.. At this juncture such troubled souls have a choice whether to pretend as if they are frolicking in matrimonial bliss or to have the courage to walk away? Miss Katherine Watson as a teacher has to face another dilemma as she is forced to choose her job with restrictions or leave the campus unprepared for the future? Many people have to embrace ideas they dont respect to maintain their jobs. She is also shown to opt out of an engagement and walk into a relationship and later walk out of this one too when she discovers her partners dishonesty.. Most people bow down at such moments in life and become "mona lisas".. They choose the path of least damage and continue to overlook what is hurting them & thus manage to keep up a smile that hides away the tears in their hearts. It takes great fortitude not to be a mona lisa.. If you have the mettle to stand up for what your heart feels is right be proud of yourself as you are special & unique.In fact by not being mona lisa you are almost as special as the painter who painted it.. If u are a mona lisa appreciate the intrepidity of someone who dared to break the shackles of "sadly fitting in" !!

MY IDEAS ON ANNA'S MOVEMENT : pls read if you love & respect your country INDIA

my ideas on ANNA 'S movement

I have not yet actively made statements to support ANNA bcos somewhere I feel each Indian is responsible for the sorry state of affairs we have in our country...Before supporting ANNA,be clear in Your ideas..Holding candles is meaningless if next morning you r ready to give bribe for your illegal work somewhere...If india has awesome medical colleges like AIIMS and people pay bribe to get PG seat in it--someone accepts that bribe to leak the question paper...

Why does'nt each one of us vote??? mostly we dont..actually we,the intellectual masses have all been very selfish mostly... I feel many people are supporting ANNA merely as a trend... ANNA's anticorruption drive shouldnt be a fashion statement...CHANGE IS FROM WITHIN AND NOT JUST A FACEBOOK STATUS... How many of us have done "sifarish" for our work somewhere?? How many people have favoured their kin in official capacity??? How many of us break a traffic rule & pay bribe instead of proper challan?? How many people hold fake driving license(without proper driving test)/rashan card/BPL certificate??? ANSWER IS MANY MANY MILLIONS DO...

How many of us are ready to break the chain of bribery/nepotism/sifarish??? Unless we are mentally ready to do it--no use crying ANNA slogans... Would YOu stop giving bribes before YOu ask someone else to stop accepting it?? If u r ready to change the face of the country be ready to change yourself first... I know it is easier said than done. Lokpal bill might come in force but corrupt minds will find some loophole there..

I respect ANNA & support his efforts but mere support is not enough--what is of paramount importance is to look within-introspect as to where have we been at fault?how can we correct ourselves& be more responsible...?? It's difficult to lie to a honest& truthful person... It's easier to point out faults in the system & forget your own... My dear frnds we are part of the system because we made it the way it is today..Now we can't handle the monster we created...My point is effort much more than pressurizing Govt. to pass bill is needed...Stop paying bribes... Stand firm in YOur stand for a just system...I think that not only "anna" slogans but a change of mindset is the prime need of the hour...

a very inspiring poem

I took this poem from the famous book by Napolean Hill "think & grow rich" it's sublime message inspires me always!

“MY WAGE”

“I bargained with life for a penny’

And life would pay no more,

However I begged at evening

When I counted my scanty store.

For life is just employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages

Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire

Only to learn, dismayed ,

That any wage I had asked of LIFE

LIFE would have willingly paid”

-Jessie B. Rittenhouse

A MINDFUL OF GOLD !

Gold rimmed glasses.

Golden polish.

Gold plated.

Golden temple.

Gold rates.

Any mention of G+O+L+D rings a unique bell in an average Indian’s mind. True not only for Indian Indians but also for our dear PRAVASI BHARTIYA NRI’s. Several jewelers of our gold conscious country specialize in making jewellary for NRI weddings & functions. This bit of information was provided 1^st as almost every one in India knows some big gold/diamond jeweler whose family has been in the business since ages. they have thrived on our obsession with gold ornaments primarily. Precious stones&  diamonds are also sought after depending on your income level. But it all begins with gold.

No wedding is complete without intense discussion about the amount of gold a bride receives from her parents. Not even when miss.CA is getting married to ex-IITian. Whatever be the occupation, personality &talent of a bride, her prime objective in a typical Indian wedding is to become an ornate ornament collection. Diamonds are a girl’s best friends came from the west.its clichéd but true. Women love ornaments. But in Indian scenario it would be an understatement. Here, gold is a girl’s family probably. Not only do women passionately buy &  flaunt gold& other jewellary in India but our men also take interest in the gold hoarded by a family.

This love for no, lust for gold has given rise to an industry in parallel to gold & gemstones. It is the clever marketing of fake or imitation ornaments loaned for weddings only.I was astonished to see armor like necklaces adorned by an educated girl on her wedding. I asked why some gals spend too too much on something u may wear only once or twice? I don't like such heavy designs of ornaments! She smiled at me &  handed over to me a card of the shop that arranged all the fake stuff for those who want to show off without spending the moolah. Wow! Why pretend so much?? Just to follow a trend.. the real gold a man gifts his daughter is the education he imparts to her in her formative years. More important than her rubies& pearls is making her a holistic personality & nurturing her talents. She would probably be a better partner if engrossed in her hobbies than a lady having loads of gold but nagging her busy husband out of boredom. An educated girl is a future asset to this country incomparable to any item weighed in carats.

Traditions differ. But the urge to show off gold in India hardly wanes. Not only would the idea of wearing fake jewellary ONLY on some important occassion bring a frown to my loved ones’ faces,it will bring a rash to my sensitive skin also. So I don't wanna pretend in life! I believe I ll buy some ornaments to satisfy my feminine urge of adorning my body but wont overdo it to keep with the jones’ . I give importance to gold but also to other things in life. Why should I hide the fact that I prefer to spend my money in a more meaningful ways also? I will buy some jewelery but If given an opportunity I would give importance to spending money in more meaningful ways also..eg.buying books..or I would consider a journey to the beautiful alps because…they ll both give me much more moments to cherish…when I shall get married,i will definitely remember the dresses & ornaments I wore on my wedding but a visit to Paris or Italy with my husband will give much more cherishable memories for yrs to come.I may buy a better car which will help me explore new destinations comfortably instead of making me feel like a stuffed doll acting like a gemstone display.

Europeans & Americans buy emeralds,rubies & ther precious stones from India. But they donot judge a man’s worth ONLY by the jewellary his daughter wears. Women of all nationalities love to adorn themselves with platinum surrounding a de Beer’s product but no where except in India do people obsess over gold as a NECCESSITY. Despite modernization ,increasing awareness & increasing literacy rate of women in India that inherent fixation with GOLD continues. Some may reject the concept of dowry yet gleefully state that so& so is adorning 150gms gold. Most girls keep such jewellary safely in lockers and wear something simpler daily… everyone forgets that the most beautiful thing a girl wears is a beautiful expression-a sparkling smile which comes from a happy countenance from within. It won’t come from a competition with mrs.xyz’s new diamond bracelet.

Clever marketing adds to the Indian gold fever. Eg. a bride receiving blessings from her father on her wedding. Caption “gift your daughter the best on the occasion of a life time” she’ll eat, drink &work in her life time but probably wear that “best” only few times!! I , once overheard a gentleman comment to a busy lady doctor that seems your practice is not as roaring as it used to last year.surprised she asked why? He replied the length of your ear-rings has halved! Oops!! So if a person is earning well ,she should wear it in her ears!! She cant spend it on her kids’ education or a treadmill at home or donate to poor kids.. she must wear larger pieces of gold to prove a point.

I also love to wear jewelery like fashionable bracelets or delicate chains with my fashionable attires or adorn traditional jewelery on festivals& occasions.Traditional jewelery gifted from our elders carries forward not only our traditions but also is a hallmark of their love,affection &blessings. I believe that is what gold & ornaments should stand for. Viewing them as competitive items is not correct. After all love & blessings in any form are priceless.

I wanted this article to be satire but my heart gave me a sermon when I saw wedding pictures of an acquaintance with more comments about the bride’s ornaments than about her as a person. A jeweler I met told me about kundan/meena/ precious&semi-precious stones&was surprised by my lack of knowledge about the subject. I smilingly mentioned I have been busy learning about 206 human bones & its million enzymes that help a human like you live. He said despite being an Indian lady, you are less aware but be it engineer or writer or housewife, all Indian ladies know about gold  & its intricacies. Ok! Despite being clad in jeans & tshirt if I could be fitting in the tag of an Indian lady(not girl which I wud have preferred ) why not modernize our views about jewellary?? Why not fill our minds with precious ideas ?? Time to get the silver polish & gold tinting off our grey cells.

Or do I have to get this printed in golden letters to grab your eyeballs?

THANK YOU, MY LEARNED SENIORS

THANK U SENIOR DOCTORS

This is to express my heartfelt gratitude to my able seniors in the medical profession.

They have all helped me in some way or the other. I saw few doctors in my family & came to know the good aspects of this profession ,so I decided to become a doctor too..So I begin by thanking them first for starting me on this journey of helping ailing souls.When I saw patients thanking them profusely I realized that how much can I contribute to the society by becoming a doctor

Next I want to thank doctors in my college.They have taught me well and imparted knowledge which empowers me as a medical person. My professors have not only taught me about various diseases,syndromes etc but have instilled in me a respect for humanity..Their methods of giving importance to the patient not as a case but as a human being who has to be helped shall always remain ingrained in my psyche. Every doctor who is my senior has more experience & so I am glad to have learnt practical work while working with the residents& senior residents during my internship. Also my university appreciated my talent as a poet and writer & gave me ample chances in extra curricular activities which has made me more confident. My principal & few professors nurtured my talent so,thanks a lot, sir& ma'am!!

Some helped me by not helping me! I became more independent. THANKS

Some helped me by being rude,dismissive & showing superiority.They taught me how to cope with such people without losing my cool. Also I must thank people who were playing pranks during ragging period in MBBS--I resolved I wont trouble any junior & held a post in the anti-ragging squad in my hostel..Thanks for making me tougher with each hardship few people brought in my way.

I owe a deep sense of gratitude to the senior teachers & few seniors who guided me during PG entrance preparation. A special vote of thanks to a senior who told us to study a particular book in great detail as it was crucial to my preparation.. Another pal who was doing PG helped me by allaying my anxiety when I would get depressed after mock tests!The tips given by this person helped me revise better.

But these are all people who knew me may be as a junior/family person/student/intern/friend etc.

Now I want to thank few people who didn't know me at all yet helped me. When I had to find about colleges/their environment/surgical exposure etc, I tried to search for contacts of that college/city..I call people& request them to give me contacts and a chain started.. I contacted a person in bangalore who gave me a contact of kolkatta who gave a contact of a punjabi doctor...so on & so forth--the chain runs!! Thanks a ton to all the doctors who understand what it is to choose a seat& guide their juniors well. May all such helping doctors rise & shine!!  I have learnt from them how to help all my juniors!!

A big round of applause for the medical fraternity which stands united to help each other for various issues.. I wrote a letter to the editor of HT 2yrs ago and posted it online now. Learned doctors & surgeons read it and passed it on to their colleagues.. I want to thank all doctors esply doctors on twitter who began the chain by passing it to few associations..Then some associations also took time to read and forward it..My written word got such heartwarming response from my seniors in the medical profession that I am overwhelmed...By sharing their thoughts about doctor related issues,they have said that they also feel similarly.. I cant find words to express my gratitude or to thank them enough as they have not only appreciated my writing skills but also given me a deeper purpose to pursue if life permits..

I am sorry if i left anyone out,but hoping I have covered the important people by thanking them..

Life is beautiful and by being thankful to the LORD we invoke further divine blessings in our lives.

I want to thank all people who have come in my life as everyone teaches us a lesson but this was dedicated especially to medical world of which I am a part,albeit a small part,yet connected to so many greater parts who have helped me in a million ways and all deserved to be thanked..

So, THANKS A ZILLION DOCTORS

I am an INDIAN doctor please

I am an INDIAN doctor please

I was born in a holy city of Uttar Pradesh..We have never stayed there but family has some roots in Punjab..I did my initial schooling from Delhi and moved out of India with my parents for few years..I studied in an (embassy runned) Indian school there..When my parents returned to india, I resumed schooling in Rajasthan.. Through various all india level exams I was selected for MBBS at few places including a prestigious institute in Uttar Pradesh & a government college in south India..Now seeing the proximity to my home state Rajasthan, I thought of joining MBBS in that prestigious university of Uttar Pradesh..

The CONFUSION of my identity begins!!

During MBBS,we had a regional divide ..Few UP groups fighting with bihari gangs in university..J&K students had very good comraderie..Medical college had less of all this but nonetheless I was called Rajasthani queen by a senior in 1st yr!! ( Maharani padharo during ragging)..Since then I was identified as being from non-bihari/UP group.. OK!! cool...Delhi,Rajasthan,MP,Punjab etc people bonded and stayed out of politics mostly...( in fact we were all more focused on running home on every holiday!!correspondence MBBS wasn't available... lol ! but that's another story!! )

Part2 of this identity crisis begins when MBBS gets over.. I return home in rajasthan& join PG test series & coaching..Here many people that I met kept making subtle remarks about my being UP WALA or Having learnt UP cleverness (whatever that means) by studying for MBBS there..So far So good..Everyone forgets that I have done 9 years of studies /schooling from Rajasthan and represented the state at national level when I won a gold medal as a junior scientist (in school level) -- in UP I was Rajasthani & in Rajasthan, I am mbbs from UP so become UPwali.. My relatives from Punjab claim I am originally punjabi(I can't even speak that language! but still )..So may be I am like a cross cultural cuisine( like a marwari kadhi having punjabi tadka served with basmati rice of UP ) Also some side dishes will be added to this gala feast called Dr.Sonal based on my PG education ahead--like coconut chutney if I join MD/MS in Chennai or khaman dhokla/khakhra if I join Gujarat medical colleges or may be vada pao from MNS land if Raj Thakre permits me to learn to cook it!!

My own domicile state of Rajasthan royals didn't allow me to appear in Rajasthan pre -PG examination.. May be even Shane Warne can call himself a Rajasthan royal but I am a lesser mortal as I dared to do MBBS outside my state..

Ahem!!All India PG exam conducted by AIIMS and doctors from all over India get selected and all hell breaks lose!! where to go? Some people warn-there is gujju vs non-gujju bias in Gujarat..ok!someone adds calcutta has language problem.. bongs dont like punjabis!!( I am punjabi by origin--must hide this detail if I join med.college kolkata)..Next news: haryana jats are not easy to deal with..ok!!punjab is good but someone said in punjab, UP/Bihar ke bhaiye are not appreciated much!!..ok!! southies dont like northies plus you cant adjust with the food there..What if I like coconut chutney?no!!you r a kid!you don't understand madrasis are different!! There is north-south bias there..I was talking about bangalore but for average northie--it's all madras!!..next is maharasthra==MNS is already scaring me so much!I  won't even write about it..did I miss out any states?? ah yes..bihar!! law& order is so gOOd that I won't be able to follow it..Assam!! every time I dont answer a call my well wishers wil think I've been killed by BODO violence.... chatissgarh/orissa side has naxal violence..have I covered all the sides of this story?? hmm.. let me come straight to the centre..one & only Madhya pradesh-most of its medical colleges' PG degree coarses have A/P written against their names which means only permitted/approved by MCI not recognised..

oh!wait a min!!I forgot to mention that 2 states of India donot share their MBBS& MD/MS seats with rest of India--J&K and andhra pradesh...

Also states like maharashtra&himachalpradesh& few others have kept hefty service bonds to scare people of other states away..really! We all know its meant to ensure service in govt.sector for poor/rural areas but the only purpose such bonds actually serve is scaring outsiders away from these states..

Some places a resident gets a single seated room to stay & at some colleges he/she is forced to share the room with 3 more people..Why does he not require some privacy after long gruelling night duties?Or has he in any way studied less than the guy sleeping peacefully in a single room..?? May be the govt. wants to teach him to share ..He has not learnt enough in his 25 yrs of life thats why!!

Firstly we are paid less than any Engineering graduate(not only IIT but also private college pass-outs)....Add to this there is no uniform stipend given to resident doctors..Somewhere it is around 40000 and somewhere only 11000.. Why??Do doctors work less in mumbai & bangalore? or delhi& UP residents need to dine out more often?? May be night duties are less in gujarat& himachal??no!! It's just that states decide randomly according to their own funds..

If one central exam ALL INDIA PG having common 300 questions can decide fate of so many MBBS pass outs of this country,Why cant some central committee make some basic norms for resident doctors all over the country..?? because no one wants to raise a voice and ask a question..

[ I have not even mention the taboo "r"issue here..yes! reservation..because that's totally a different topic& now I feel no power in universe can remove it from our country even for exams deciding medical postgraduation where people lives will be handled by someone!! ]

SO WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW? I am CONFUSED.. are you not?? Just by reading this you can probably understand my quandary..this dilemma of having a mixed identity..of not being able to decide where to join & how to cope with these unimportant academically yet essential for day to day living issues...

I want to join a college for PG based on academic considerations..Why doesn't anyone try to ensure that?By providing certain equal amenities to all medical colleges it can be ensured..

also please welcome outsiders to your state..a doctor has no religion/region/bias.. we have to serve humanity..language & food is not a barrier I feel..it's an added asset..(if I learn tamil& practise in rajasthan I may be of help to an ailing soul from chennai when he falls sick while roaming in rajasthan on a holiday..)

Hippocratic oath is great but there should be a oath for good patients& govt.s too I feel..We can follow our oath if you let us ..A doctor's primary duty is to serve humanity..Help him to do that selflessly.. Productivity & efficiency of a person will increase if he is stress free , happy & working under good conditions..This applies to companies as well as hospitals..The govt. or newspapers who complain about strikes by resident doctors should know this basic fact that the less stressful our life will be the better we will work for you..So if you help ease out a doctors life,it doesn't mean he will dance in a disco tomorrow night..It means doctors will serve humanity in a better way

Scores of Indian doctors are taking indian MBBS degrees and going to do post graduation in US/UK/AUSTRALIA.. They are serving the people of those foreign countries for a selfish reason--They get better living & research conditions there..I salute those of them who take some degree out of India & return later to serve country with the higher skills acquired outside..But truth is most of them dont return.. But those doctors who are staying in INDIA by choice..Let them be proud of their decision please.. I didnt decide to go out of India..( not because of lack of money/opportunity but because of a small incident)..One day I realised that if my home has a problem like a leaking tap or a fused bulb or a sick relative, do I leave my home & enter my friends'/neighbors' house??no!! I stay put & fight the problem or mend the thing..so thats it.. I am proud of being an Indian and will do my best in the health system of this country..

At last let me end this by saying I AM AN INDIAN DOCTOR .. That's what I want to be known as,not from any state /region.. Like humanity has no boundaries,similarly medicine has no boundaries.. The same disease afflicts the rich or the poor,the employed or the unemployed,the neta or the chela.. The same doctor and the same medicine can treat them.. If disease & its cure are same why not ensure similar& good working conditions for the medium of delivary i.e. the doctor?

All Indian doctors want to serve humanity selflessly that is why they have not joined btech/humanities..But they also want to eat,drink& if not be merry atleast live happily..Pursuit of happiness is a basic human right and not even doctors can be denied it in name of selfless service to patients..Welcome them with open arms in any medical college they decide to join..Doctors have no class/creed/region.. Our religion is serving humanity.. HELP DOCTORS HELP YOU.. because I am an INDIAN DOCTOR.. JAI HIND!!