To Noel,

As I sit to write this, you are 4 days & 90 hours old. It might take you another 20 years & a lot more hours to read and understand what this post is all about. Well, the reason I am writing this today is because I want you to know what was happening around you while you started your journey in your mother's womb till the day you came out, through the words of your mother's companion who saw it all.

Your mother, more than being a wonderful soul, is a woman with a fierce sense of independence, love & positivity. When she shared with me her anxiety of possibily being pregnant, I was thrilled. She had her emotions in check and so I had to do that as well. Later that day, she confirmed the news and I couldn't have been more thrilled. That day, I was happy as woman for another woman who was embarking on her journey to motherhood. The first trimester, you being a little cell inside her, troubled her to a great amount of morning sickness. She was sick most of the mornings but never complained. Came to work regularly, waking up the people of UAE with so much energy that one would never realise by the voice that she had just finished her first round of morning sickness! Oh and by the way, your mommy is an RJ :-) She even got into the habit of listening less to our talks and more to soothing music in the hope that you become a musically inclined person. Well, I hope you have some good taste in music!! But instead, if you have taken a liking towards gambling, fret not, because mommy dearest enhanced her skills at playing cards whilst you were inside her.





I can't remember the exact day but it was a fine sunny afternoon, in her hurry to go home and sleep, she left back in office the first picture she had of you - the ultrasound scan result! I tried looking for you and couldn't but your mommy's "Muhbola Bhai" showed you to me & I smiled and "awww'd".


In the second trimester, the cravings began. Breakfast was ordered, not just for her but for everybody. Having breakfast together became a ritual. Like dinner time was family time, breakfast time in office was used to gossip, anticipate whether you would be a boy or a girl, give your mommy the confidence that she will be able to bring you to this world without any complications. As days went by, your demands grew and so did the intensity of her hunger pangs. "Breakfast Time" was cut short but yes we understood. She was eating and that's all we wanted. Towards the end of the second trimester and the early last trimester, you were a part of a dream. The dream of an extremely confident, talented & capable man. He was unitedly our philosopher & mentor and you made history by being the youngest being on the sets of his movie! It was a short film with a social message, "A Walk To Remember". Watch it, you will love it! During the post production of this movie was when I felt you for the first time. You kicking her from within her womb and me feeling it from outside, brought tears of wonder & amazement to my eyes and it gave birth to the motherly instincts in me. Your kick made me believe in miracles. Feeling you was a miracle.


Oh your mommy managed to make a enemies with a few restaurants as well because they did not satisfy "your" cravings and hunger on time. I told you, she is quite fierce. Well, in the bargain though, we discovered new ones. I should also add that incase you find yourself grooving to extremely feminine numbers such as "Chammak Challo" and "Chikini Chameli", don't worry too much. You are absolutely NORMAL & have all the rights to blame it on your mother for shaking her heavily pregnant belly (with you inside, obviously) to these songs!!


7 months passed by & it was time for her to carry you back to homeland where you would be born as a healthy & handsome baby on the 7th of Dec 2012. With you, you brought a lot of happiness, tears & joy, not just to her but to everybody who was involved in this journey of hers. Noel, you were loved even before we saw you. Your mother, the beautiful & loved person that she is, made us fall in love with you. "He is sleeping peacefully on me" (a message from your mother), made me want to be a mother. You along with your mother has filled so much positivity in my life, its unbelievable. Mother's are a child's best friend but your mother will be much more than that to you - she will be your confidante. Be a good human being & allow her to cherish having borne you and given birth to you.


With Love...

When Emotions Take Over Emotions...

I am a woman - in all sense of the gender. I think it is my right as a woman to always think I make sense & I also think it is my right to take out emotions, good or bad, to the person I love. What I sometimes, no make that everytime, fail to understand is that it is not necessary for the person at the receiving end to necessarily figure out what exactly triggers these emotions. The good ones are easy & pleasant to handle but the bad ones, oh boy! God save them. There have been numerous books on how men and women are different. Many of them have been read and all that is written is acknowledged with a "So true" exclamation. But the minute you close the book, it is back to reality & you continue doing things the way it always has been done.

It is only natural for a woman to have mood swings during particular days of the month. Men say women have mood swings every day of the month. Not true! For if it was, then a man and a woman would never be able to be together. Trust me when I say, it is ONLY a few days in the month. As a man, you would never understand the turmoils that happens emotionally to a woman during that period (pun intended) and we don't blame you. But what we would appreciate instead is for you men to at least act like you care, show that you understand. Don't ever try to reason out with us... at least not when we warn you not to! As a woman we know what you are going through & we really want to control it but when emotions take over other emotions we just burst. There are no two ways about it, it's just that! Man, I love you but no Vivekananda's speech can influence me during this time.

The Day Technology Took Over...

In this 21st century, I might have been the only one from GenX who thought being technologically handicapped was cool. Well, I, was the one who committed the blasphemous act of wanting a Nokia instead of Blackberry! If this wasn't enough to prove my ignorance towards the advancement of technology then take this - it took me an entire year to start using my blackberry as a "smartphone" rather than just a device to send/receive messages or for incoming/outgoing calls. But once I did get the hang of it, I must admit, getting away from it wasn't entirely possible. Though I do (or did) take pride in not succumbing to technology even then. And then THE day arrived - when the "smartphone" proved to be not so smart & crashed worldwide. My phone did not beep indicating that I had received a BBM or an E-mail. Neither was there any notification from Facebook or Twitter. How could it happen that a whole one hour went by without the phone beeping? It was impossible! I cursed the network with all my heart (apologies DU) only to realise later that it was RIM (Research In Motion) at fault & not the network. An entire restless day and two recharge cards later (yes with the blackberry in hand, recharge cards were less often bought) the services of my (along with the rest of the world) smartphone resumed. That is when the rude reality shocked & shook me. I was no more the odd one out. I had succumbed to technology with my limited knowledge!! I felt like I had sinned for life but I soon got over it and started to enjoy what my phone gave and continues to give me - company in unknown places, company when I am with strangers, company when I am trying to avoid somebody - basically companionship when I need it the most. Yes, my smartphone is proving itself to a still technologically handicapped person (a lot of my friends will vouch for this). But but but, technology I think, is slowly starting to take over & eradicate the handicap.