2023- The Year That Was!

I didn't realize until I opened this forgotten blog, that I have not been here since the end of 2020. So much has changed since then and life has definitely not been the same. It will not do justice to 2021 and 2020 to talk about them in two lines, so I will not try that. However, for the flow, I would say that second half of, 2021 brought us as a family to Luxembourg, which was a huge change for all of us, especially for Mummy and Kushagra. In 2022, our journey moved ahead with its ups & downs and lots of travel across Europe. Also, I lost my dadi ji on 02nd December'22 but could not attend her last rites. As we moved to 2023, like any other year we were positive and thankful to god as we are now, but the year started with some unexpected events. First Neha's new job offer was taken back by the company. Then Kushagra got burnt by hot water. In March we visited Portugal, which was an amazing trip. After coming back from there, Kushagra developed some allergy that led to him coughing a lot at sometimes and it was then addressed with doctor's visits. This summer while Neha was looking for a new job, she did get some support from Cognizant and got some time off. In June, Kimaya also visited us for a month and we travelled to Switzerland. She turned 7 in June and we celebrated her birthday in Luxembourg. She is getting smarter and is learning new things, which makes us proud. While Neha was still looking for a job, I found a new one myself. I left Amazon to join Vodafone in a totally new role. Neha was also able to clear her interviews and joined Amazon in September, juts before her mother came to visit us. We took her to Paris, Belgium, Switzerland and it was a good 2.5months we spent with her, while my mother has been in India. It is good that my mother took a break and has been able to relax in India. In September, Kushagra started his school and we love that he enjoys it a lot. In October, he turned 4 and he is growing up into a kind and loving human being. Neha has been working hard in her new job and we went to Prague in December first week for her official trip.
On this last day of the year, I can only say that the year started hard for us but has been very kind since then. The year gave us so much and we are thankful to god for it. We hope that this year brings more positive changes in us, more mental stability and peace for the world.

Thanks for going away 2020!

Woahhhh...What an year it has been! If I look back in 2020, I see that this year has been like a movie, wherein 2020 is a character who wanted to be famous but chose all the wrong means to achieve its goals. It achieved its goals, but the scars it has left behind will be etched in everyone's mind thoroughout the life. World will never be same again and BC probably will now become 'Before Covid' instead of 'Before Chirst'. While pandemic goes by the name COVID-19 as the virus was first detected in 2019, it was 2020 in which it brought the world to its knees. Lockdowns across nations, people losing lives to this invisible demon, economies getting hit severly, people facing all kinds of hardships have been few highlights of this year. Not many talked about Delhi NCR pollution or other recurring issues. Covid-19 was slowly cementing its place in the initial months, while India was busy in welcoming Trump, Delhi was busy controlling the communal riots, and we were busy planning trips. We visited Dwarka and Rajkot in March. That was Kushagra's first trip. I also took my mother to Vaishno Devi for the time. After going through the lockdown (period when migrant wrokers and their families had to walk thousands of kilometers to go back to their home while the Rest of India was enoying re-telecast of Ramayan, Mahabharat, Byomkesh Bakshi and other old serials), things started opening up in June. Our Kimaya turned 4 and we enjoyed every moment with her like always. However, June also brought lot of pain in our family as our Suneet (Kake) Chacha lost his life after losing his battle to Corona. This was very unexpected and tragic for all of us. The second half of the year was all about getting closer to normal. While professionally this year also wasn't great for me (i would say it has been challenging), on personal front we were able to spend a lot of time together. We still couldn't meet out Dadi (she had fractured her hip bone in March) or cousins or other relatives, because of the fear that Corona has brought in our lives. Our Kushagra turned 1 on 11th October and it was a very special day for all of us. He has started to walk and speaks some words. It is fun and an amazing feeling to watch him grow. Now that 2020 has ended, I would say we are learning to be more grateful to God for all that it has given to us. I am hopeful that 2021 will be kind to all the front line workers and to mankind in general. I hope we see an end to this pandemic soon. While I am really happy that 2020 is gone and more than ever I am hopeful about 20201, I pray for a stable and peaceful mind for everyone, a less violent world, better environment, stability and success in mine and Neha's carreer, great health for my parents and elders and family. Bye Bye 2020! I hope you won't be missed.

2019: The Year that Was

As a person grows older, it is said that he/she gets matured, his ability to distinguish right from wrong improves, he grows as a person, but probably his risk taking capacity reduces and his fears also grow with him. While every new year brings its own charm, it also brings in all these possibilities of changes. While we are saying bye to 2019 and are welcoming 2020, we also need to realize that we are welcoming a new decade altogether. This decade showed me different phases of life. It brought me smiles, prosperity, friends, happiness, but also took away someone very precious to me. I got married in this decade, very recently had a kid, worked with different organizations, completed my MBA and enjoyed life. Now that we have entered the new decade, hope is to have loads of happiness, great health and success in this new decade. The year 2019 brought Kushagra Kapila in our lives and myself & Neha thus have become proud parents of Kushagra. We also saw our Kimaya turn 3 years old. This year I changed my job again,but have been happy till now in this new organization. Some highlights of the year 2019 have been: extreme cold wave in North India & Delhi, protest & support rallies for CAA & NRC, England winning the cricket world cup for the first time, because of a very weird rule; very very poor pollution still haunting, among others. Just like we had high expectations from 2019, we now have huge expectations from 2020, with a hope that there will be less killings and less fights across the world, peace will prevail, we will find out ways to reduce plastic and reduce air pollution, settle in our professional lives, while giving enough time at home. With this hope we move ahead, welcoming 2020 and saying goodbye to 2019.

2018: The year that was

Well...normally this blog comes before the year ends, this time around i am writing this down at 3 am on 01st January of 2019. 2018 probably was a year of learning, making mistakes, taking decisions and travelling. While we learn and very often unlearn them, in 2019 I hope to keep learning and keep the learnings with me. The year started with working for one organization and has now ended with myself working with another organization. This year I took decision to resign from my Job without having any other offer, as I was not enjoying that job.I am grateful to god that I had the comfort and support from family to take this decision. I spent 5 months watching movies, swimming, travelling and doing theater. All these activities gave me immense joy. I was part of the play "Spartacus"where I played the role of "Flavious". The workshop was amazing and there were so many takeaways. We traveled to many places this year...Ambala, Udaipur, Nainital, Jim Corbett, Manali, Orccha, Khajuraho, Lonavala, Ahmedabad, Surat and Sariska. Each place has something different to order and thus it was an enjoyable experience. I hope that this run continues and we are able to explore many more places in 2019. The year saw our Kimaya turn 2 Years. She now understands a lot of things and even speaks much more. Off late she has become a bit cranky. Hopefully with herself joining the school after few months, her energy will get channelized. On the other side, 2018 saw pollution issues still being a concern, India winning two Test Matches in Australia, Trump & Kim Jong fighting and then coming close to some solutions and many high profile marriages. Year 2018 might not have been successful professionally but was rewarding. I hope 2019 brings in career related stability, great health, fit mind for all. I hope we are able to spread happiness and help more and more needy people and enjoy the moments as they pass by. Here's to 2019 with lot of positivity and high expectations and good bye to 2018 for all that it gave and did.

2017: The year that was

Happy to be back and to continue with this habit. Yet another year gone by...2017 you will also soon become history, actually in less than an hour. This year, process was on to hunt for a house and this went on till March. By my father's grace and god's blessings, we bought a house in Gurgaon. This was possible after our family sold our family home in Delhi, which was built by my grandfather. Although, it must have been tough for my mother to shift from Delhi to Gurgaon, leaving behind all her memories, she has now adapted to the new home and new surroundings. First half of the year was very hectic as we were busy in finalizing the home and then getting work done in it, so that we could move. We shifted to this home on 03rd June. On 14th June, our Kimaya turned one. She now speaks different words and even understands a lot of things. I really love it when she calls me 'mama'. 2017 was also special in a way because myself and Neha could take our mothers for an international trip. We visited Bali, Indonesia and Kuala Lumppur, Malaysia and both the mothers enjoyed the experience. I wish we can give them many such experiences in 2018 and beyond. On the job front, although this year has seen ups & downs, I hope it gets even better in 2018, for both of us. The year saw GST being implemented in India on 01st July and also saw Indian women's team losing out in cricket world cup final, after coming agonizingly close to the trophy. While SC had put a ban on selling crackers in NCR, the problem of poor pollution continued to haunt all of us. What lies ahead is not known but I hope that this new year 2018 we will hopefully make some significant improvements in controlling the pollution. My welcome for 2018 will be simple with hopes of seeing a better and safe world. We will also try to do more to make this a better place to live in. Once the euphoria of welcoming 2018 settles down, I am sure, from 2018, this world would ask for a more sensible Donald Trump, a controlled Kim Jong II, no terrorism, no killings over beef and lot n lots of smiles all around. Cheers to 2018 and goodbye 2017. Thanks for being there in our lives.

2016

I had almost forgotten about a small ritual I have been following since last few years. A blog on the last day of the year. Thankfully it came to my mind few hours before the year would have ended and here I am once again, after an year. I had ended last year's blog praying for cleaner air. However, it looks like quality has further degraded. Not everyone is sad though with this. At least air purifier making companies are happy :D This year has been eventful too. The company I was working with was shut down and I enjoyed at home for almost 2 months. Luckily, I did get a job after that. This year we saw our Kimaya arrive in this world. Every moment when we are with her, we realize how adorable she is. We (me, mom & Neha) had enjoyed amazing South Indian food at Carnatic Cafe, on the day she was born. While we didn't travel much this year (only a short trip to Lansdowne), I successfully did a theater performance, in the play Guru Ghantal, playing the role of Guru. It was a wonderful experience and opportunity. I hope and wish that I get many such opportunities in 2017 and further years. The year saw "DEMON-itization", election of TRUMP and rise of BABA Sehgal on social media :D This too has been an eventful year, but I haven't planned much about what to write. On this note, I wish to say goodbye 2016 and WELCOME 2017. May this new year more peace and prosperity for all.

2015: The Year that Was

Another year about to become ashes, for it won't rise again unlike a pheonix. However, 2015 you will never be forgotten for what you brought for me and what you took away from me. This year ending blog is unlike others; not with much of excitement or energy. This one is just a silent reflection of the past one year. Year which began with a high of myself travelling with friends to a beautiful place, is now about to end, with a sense of confusion, with some regrets, some pain and some happiness. I am not sure if all these can exist together but these blogs have always been genuine, which does give me a feeling that the regrets, pain, happiness; all these are currently existing within me. This year we left a house where I had grown up, seen my teenage and my enterance into adulthood, where we as a family had spent our previous 18 years. The year saw multiple trips to Bangalore for official work and multiple visits to hospital as my father had fallen ill. From March end to August, my father was admitted 4 times to the hospital. He was fighting these demons and his ill health, like he had always done. He fought till the end, never gave up and never let his family feel weak. On the Morning of 13th August he decided that it was time to move on. He moved on and moved out slowly, probably and hopefully in peace. It wasn't easy but we also moved on. We have enjoyed our food, new movies, plays, family functions, get togethers and everything else too. All this without the person we were with since last 3 decades. After 3 months,I got married, on 24thNov 2015. Married the girl for whom I was fighting with my parents. My father had fixed it all just few days before leaving for heaven. I am blessed that he fixed it and approved it. I am unfortunate that he was not there with me when it actually was conceptualized and implemented. Marriage was followed by a trip to Mauritius with my life partner Neha and life is now same and equally different. This year will always be unforgettable for me for the kind of events that happened. However, I will still welcome 2016 with open arms and still hope that tomorrow it will be a better world with less violence, more love and much better and clean air to breathe.