Eyes Wide Shut

This is an appalling experience that I had at the petrol station that I frequent. A couple of times before also I have felt that arre the indicator is hardly risen even after fuelling and have invariably blamed it on the ever rising petrol prices and soon forgotten about it the minute I have left the station. I have always been confident that I did check the zero before fuelling and the amount on the credit slip; 2 most important rules at the station.
Today however has changed it all. I gave my card and asked the guy to fill the petrol for Rs.700. To expedite the process as we are all in rush early morning, I glanced over checked zero, gave my nod and my credit card to the other attendant. The attendant came and stood next to my driving window almost blocking my view of the dispensing tank. I thought he wanted to swipe in front of me. I just glanced over my shoulder and looked back and saw this really weird and odd occurrence. The guy who was fuelling my car left my car, came over to the tank, stopped the dispense at Rs 508.58 and punched in Rs 700 on the key pad and that is what started reflecting on the screen. In that split of a second I jumped out of the car and told the guy swiping my card what the hell is happening I saw the reading as Rs 508 and then Rs 700. The guy instead of listening to me properly went on to punch the amount of Rs 700 and I told him to stop it else I wont sign. He stopped and I screamed to another fellow “whats going on?” he came and told me the most revealing thing he said “mam the last transaction will show up, don’t worry” but obviously he punched in something and the display including the price and petrol, was Rs 508. I was aghast at whatever was going on. It is then that he told me that the last transaction displays not only the amount but also the liters that have been dispensed. The 3rd attendant that had rushed to me when I was screaming told me that there was a problem in the tank and that the guy fuelling had told him. I re-screamed why I wasn’t told. But anyways I paid Rs 508 and drove off. Only to thank my stars that I looked back at the right moment, else I would have been taken for a royal ride.
I did not have enough time to fight with the manager and was shocked at what happened and I wonder how many times I had been fooled like this, and to think that I am a smart consumer. Bloody hell. This is a lesson that we should be more careful and responsible. The said petrol pump is Indian Oil’s Khyber Service Station, Panchsheel Enclave on BRT in Delhi.

Baby Waterfall near Shimla

This summers when we stayed in Shimla, our main agenda was to explore and discover new terrains by trekking or by driving. So when someone told us that there is a “real waterfall” nearby in a place called Shaddi around 8 kms down from Koti Resorts, we decided to check it out.

My son was very excited at the prospect of a waterfall in the midst of the mountains. Packed the car with munchies and started off, the journey in itself was awe inspiring and gaping-worthy. Beautiful peaks lit with brilliant glistening sunshine, majestic pine trees sprouting fresh cones, butterflies strutting around as if they owned the place, a single car or jeep passing by as leisurely, Ahh the times of no traffic chaos and us in no hurry to reach anywhere or looking at the watch time and again, just the serene cool crisp mountain air,windows rolled down a feat unimaginable in Delhi. On the way down we caught many sites of step farming, a quaint little mandir, a shepherd and obviously many monkeys doing what they do best; monkeying around. Whoever said joy is in the journey must have traveled mindfully focusing on the moment and happiness derived from it.
 
Soon on crossing the bend we reached THE waterfall. It was “so small” like the son put it since I think mentally he was expecting a distant cousin of Niagra or the Tews falls that he has been to and had a reference of. Small it was but disappointing it wasn’t, and it was as private as it could get since we were the only people around. A bit of crossing over the slippery boulders and getting feet and hands wet did the trick for my son and frankly us too, at that time seemed like we were all kids, flowing gushing water does have that effect on boring grown ups too, the mischievous child within awakens and wants to splash and get splashed.

But like all good things have to come to an end, on a philosophical note thankfully all the bad ones too have an ending. Infact my mantra for life remains “this too shall pass”, we bid our goodbyes to this short rejuvenating and memorable sojourn too.

Submitting this post for the contest by indiblogger facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia

Wah Puttar Wah!

 

So, my son had a class activity in which he was to develop a story out of a sentence given by the teacher. Today when he got back and showed me his “fantastical” tale, I felt like the quintessential Bollywood Maa, over-happy, over-joyed, over excited basically over-reaction(after all I am SRK’s biggest, truest and loyalest fan na), and decided to share it with my blogger friends, his nani, dadi, didi, mamu, mami….yeah you got it ….the world. So here goes, the first sentence is by the teacher.

Footsteps Behind Me

I was walking down the road when suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly turned to see who it was but I could see nobody only the empty road behind me. I started to walk again thinking it was my imagination but I kept hearing the footsteps and everytime I turned there was nobody. Suddenly I had an idea I walked in a puddle of mud and continued walking, when I heard the footsteps again, I spun around and lo behold there were tiny footprints like an elf walking. I tried to catch him but he dodged and ran inside the woods. As a rule I wasn’t allowed in the woods, but I ran and started following the elf. He soon arrived at a tiny little cute cottage. He went in and I thought i  heard him murmur something like Home Sweet……Home. I peeped inside from the window and saw a most amazing sight. The little elf removed his hat and I saw the tiniest person I had ever seen. He started eating food and I heard his wife call him TinyMick. It was getting late and I thought I would come back tomorrow to talk to him and ask him about the following me business. When I returned the next day there was nobody there.It looked as if TinyMick and his house had disappeared into thin air. I never saw him or his tiny house again.

By Arnaav Bellani, Grade VI

The story is reproduced warts and all, absolutely unedited. Now please clap your hands and write in some equally adorable comments.

Yeh Kaun Chitrakaar Hai

Just like truth is sometimes stranger than fiction; nature at times reveals views even more dreamy than Van Gogh's Starry Nights. Words cant contain the moment but a photograph can. Some shots that i took    in an attempt to capture nature in its glorious and vivid hues.

Sinduri Shaam 

Angels or Clouds 

Glistening Snow Capped Range 

Nature doesn't ever cease to surprise, isn't it? And like Mom loves to quote "prabhi ki maya kahin dhoop kahin chaya."