Welcome 2026 !

Another year ran past in a blink or two. It at least felt that quick. Here I am with my promise of sharing my window seat view of seeing the time go past in this year.

World continued to be multiple randomly placed piles of Dynamite with notorious kids in statesmen costumes carelessly running around with burning torches in their hands. Although no new war started, many days felt as if a war was about to start somewhere in the world. Financial markets, job situation worsened in many parts of the world and so did the feeling of security and even safety. However things can always get better. With that thought here is my personal recap of the year.

On a personal front it has been nice. Rarely would I get to visit India twice in a year and 2025 offered that opportunity. It indeed brought me closer to family, cousins and nieces and nephews. A very important need especially after the not so pleasant ER trip earlier in the year.

Would love to repeat the India trips and equally love to never experience the ER Trip again.😇

The India trips, as I mentioned, were great to relax and reconnect, not only with family and friends but also with myself. Visiting the places from my childhood and early twenties were meditative and calming. 

The trip in summer when the whole family travelled was extra special with celebrations. We celebrated my younger son's birthday (1st time in 15 years we were in India on his birthday), Our wedding anniversary (another 1st in 21 years, this was the 1st time we were in India on our anniversary since the day we got married in 2004), also my Mother-in-law and my sister-in-law's birthdays again first times in a few decades. The joy of celebrating these as a family is such a blessing and living that once again was great. 

A trip to Amritsar is always special, and I could do that this time. Reconnecting with cousins, their kids and my aunt who had successfully fought cancer this year was extra special. Karaoke in my college friend's house was like a time travel, we both sang as wonderfully as we used to in the corridors of our Dorm 3 decades ago, and there was no warden to be worried about. 😎

More recently a quick trip to St John Island summed up the year in a relaxing vacation. Cooling off from the work and other races that are mandatory to be able to earn and enjoy the pleasures of life. Special mention here (and gratitude)  to some amazing coworkers who make the work journey worthwhile.

Overall with 2025 ending and 2026 starting, I hope this becomes and stays a better year in all respects that the previous one. 

I have been keeping a list of items to focus for last few years and will repeat those as reminders and a renewed commitment!

Humanity - OSOR (One Species One Race) is the only way. It may feel difficult some days especially when the global leadership doesn't seem to be aligned, but those days are more reason to commit to OSOR.

Family – Is the root to the tree I call my life. Additionally it is the flowers and the fruits that make this tree worthy. My trip to the ER was a reminder of how ill health can impact everyone near you, so I am committing to focus on health for the family. Thanks to last night's New Year celebration and my dear friend imploring us all to announce resolutions (on camera), I am writing mine here to ensure my commitment "continue to focus on physical and mental health and stay healthy in a holistic way."

Children - Changed this from 'kids' to 'children' as some of you are not kids any more. Stay focused and hopeful always. Dream big, make commitments to yourselves and work hard to meet those commitments. Make the world around you a better place. You are the world that we all will share in years to come and you are the hope, so do better than how our generation has done.

Friends - Lucky to have each one of you. You are the reason and without you everything feels unreasonable. So be there on the other side of the phone sharing a joke or a news, or on the other side of the table sharing a meal. know that you are always on one side of the heart and that is what keeps it beating.  

Self – As I am committing things to family and friends above, so in continuation stating my promise to never stress the small stuff (and it is all the small stuff). Agreed I borrowed this from the book with the same title, but no better way to sum up this commitment. I commit to steer the actions with intent to maintain physical, mental and spiritual health. Another commitment to write more frequently and deliberately. 

Celebration - Even if there are challenges, look for those reasons and moments to celebrate. Life will always provide those, be vigilant to witness those times and be deliberate in celebrating those moments every time.

Almighty - When the world at a macro level or at a micro level appears to be losing hope, knowing that you have a bigger plan is the key. Let us never try to find what the bigger plan is, but still believe that almighty has a bigger plan to make everything better. Like kids on the back seat of the car with a parent on the wheel, just ensure your seatbelt is secure, you are not making any mess or screaming or any of that distraction, let the parent drive and enjoy the ride. Have faith that you will reach the destination.

With this faith let us sunset 2025 and archive it in memories, tighten the seat belt and get on the journey of 2026.

May 2026 be a Blessed Year !

प्यार

This is a special post for a special day. Today, 14th December is Mummy's Birthday. Feels odd to not being able to wish her on phone and hear her "Thank You Beta" back. But to celebrate her I am sharing this Poem. This is her Poem that I found in one of her diaries. Such beautiful depiction of love from her pen dipped in divinity and love for all. She was such a beautiful person and such a beautiful Soul. sharing one of her Many poems here on her Birthday !

प्यार हृदय अज्ञात भय से सिहर सा उठता और ले जाता उस अनजाने अनूठे लोक में  यहाँ शांकए नहीँ, चिंतायें नहीं  मानव बस मानव है दिल बस दिल दिलों के मध्य कोई प्राचीर नहीं कोई बंधन नहीं  एक मानसिक अनुभूति है सिर्फ प्रेम की प्रेम कोई ज़ज़ीर नहीं  ज़ज़ीरो की आशंका नहीं  प्यार है और बस  है प्यार की अनिध्य पावनता  पावनता की मधुरता मधुरता की सरसता सरसता में विषाद नहीं पीड़ा नहीं दर्द नहीं वेदना नहीं आकुलता नहीं है एक सौम्य शांत वातावरण  इस प्यार के साम्राज्य का

मन का खेल

 एक छोटी सी बात, या शायद उतनी छोटी भी नहीं..... आप ही बताएं 

खुद से जीता खुद से हारा

मन का ही तो खेल था सारा

मन से लालच

मन में तृप्ति 

मन को मारा तो मन ने ही मारा 

मन ही देव मन ही दानव 

सत्य, मिथ्या, जीवन मन 

मन ही जीव, मन ही मानव

 

10 days, 4 News, 1 lesson

In a span of 10 days in October, India lost a few prominent names from the entertainment industry. Their start was different in the industry, their style was different, their success and strengths were different, still they were all unified in more ways than one. Firstly the industry they were a part of. But bigger than that they all were known for their work.

I saw their work as a child and knowing that they were all active till recently is excellent.

Pankaj Dhir – the Karan from Mahabharta, I was in school and Mahabharat was the quintessential TV series to watch. Knowing Karan through Pankaj Dhir’s acting, his choices, his story, his agony and his commitment had left a mark on me, and I am sure, on many others from my generation.

Satish Shah – “Yeh jo hai Zindagi” to Commissioner DeMello of “Jaane bhi do yaaron” breathing life in his dead-body act, to Indravadan Sarabhai of “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai” and hundreds of other timeless acts

Asrani ji – This Angrezo ke jamane ke jailor from ‘Sholay’ who was active in movies before I was born to being my 15-year-old son’s favorite actor from hundreds of movies through the recent decades.

The 4th name on the list is Piyush Pandey. My confession, I had not known his name until recently but fondly knew his work for decades. In addition to thousands amazing things he did in his life, he gave every one living in India the masterpiece “mile sur mera tumhara” one of the most defining and unifying anthem of our generation and the generations to follow.

Respect and gratitude for what they did in their lives to fill our lives with so much colors, entertaining us, making us feel so many emotions through their acting, writing. Teaching us a few lessons on the way. Leaving us with countless punch lines and memes to share and enjoy. I didn’t know any one of them personally, but they had an impact on me through their work. And this week, they left with a profound message that one can impact so many lives, by just doing one’s own work with sincerity and commitment. Salute and gratitude to all of you!

The Golden Goose - Fable retold (Nature vs Man's Greed)

 We’ve all heard the fable of the goose that laid golden eggs. The farmer, blinded by greed, killed the goose hoping to harvest all the gold at once—only to end up with a dead goose. It’s a story we laugh at, ridiculing the farmer’s foolishness. But the truth is, greed has always been a part of human nature. Sometimes, greed driven actions lead to nothing but disaster.

India, with its rich tapestry of climates and landscapes, has always been a country of breathtaking beauty. Nestled in the north of the country, the Himalayan states—Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand—have long held a special place in the hearts of travelers. They have always offered serenity, peace and unmatched beauty to their visitors.

As India’s economy surged in the late twentieth century, so did its citizens’ appetite for travel. The mountains, once quiet and pristine, began to buzz with tourists. Locals and businesses saw an opportunity—a golden goose in the form of tourism.

With rising tourism demand came rapid development. Hotels sprang up to accommodate the increasing tourist influx. Markets and eateries mushroomed to cater to every taste. Valleys were filled with concrete, and single-lane roads lazily wrapping around the hills were ballooned into six-lane highways by shaving and chopping the same hills they once embraced. The hills, once defined by their serenity and peace, began to resemble the cities from downhill.

The transformation was swift—and brutal. Forests, the lungs of the Earth, were sacrificed for profit. The crisp mountain air, once scented with pine, was soon overpowered by the acrid fumes of diesel and air conditioners. The landscapes was no longer a sanctuaries, they became the concrete jungles grown over the hills.

As the natural charm faded, a new motivation emerged: social media validation. Pictures, reels, and hashtags took center stage. The need to showcase the perfect vacation became another layer of greed—one that fed into the cycle of overbuilding, over visiting, and overconsumption.

Nature, strained and suffocated, and eventually retaliated.

The delicate balance of the ecosystem started to unravel. With fewer trees and disrupted wind patterns, clouds struggled to condense and release rain. Until one day, they burst—dumping millions of gallons of water in a catastrophic deluge. Landslides followed, buildings crumbled, lives were lost.

This time, the goose didn’t die. It struck back. 

The damage to humanity was devastating. But the damage to nature was deliberate—and manmade. If we are to heal, we must first acknowledge our role in the destruction.

Healing is not difficult, let us just:

• Plant trees—in your backyard, in your community, anywhere you can.
• Stop polluting rivers, forests, or anywhere.
• Create mini forests in parks and open spaces.
• Build harmony with nature, And let Nature be the giver as it always has been.

Nature has always been generous. It will offer golden gifts again—if we nurture it or just stop harming it anymore. So today, make a promise. Plant a tree. Care for it. Let it grow. And in doing so, let us grow too.

This is not just a blog. It’s a prayer—for healing, for hope, for harmony.

जो होगा ...देखा जायेगा

Technology growth these days is phenomenal, although technology job market stays volatile. Since I have always worked in technology sector, so the triumph of technology growth and the job market scares both echo close to ears. Around 10 days ago there was a news about job cuts in an organization where I have many friends working. That followed by a much larger job cut this week in another organization. I spoke with many of my friends impacted in last few days. sharing a few thoughts below that were verbalized more than once in those talks.

ज़रूरतें है

किराया है

इधर उधर का खर्चा है 

पर जिंदगी उस से बहुत बड़ी है 

इसलिए don't worry 

जो होगा.. देखा जायेगा

रिश्ते - रिश्तेदारिया हैं 

दोस्त हैं यारियां हैं 

अच्छा या बुरा चर्चा है 

पर जिंदगी उस से बहुत बड़ी है 

इसलिए don't worry 

जो होगा.. देखा जायेगा

काम हैं, जिम्मेदारियां हैं

आज करनी कल की तैयारीया हैं 

कभी सेहत का भी हर्जा है 

पर जिंदगी उस से बहुत बड़ी है 

इसलिए don't worry 

जो होगा.. देखा जायेगा

जिंदगी इंद्रधनुष सी है

जो दिखते नहीँ वो भी रंग है 

हर एक का अपना तरीका है

हर किसी के अपने ढंग है 

अच्छा, बुरा, कुछ बहुत बुरा है 

कोई खुश है तो कोई बिगड़ा है

पर जिंदगी उस से बहुत बड़ी है 

इसलिए don't worry 

जो होगा.. देखा जायेगा

From Back of my Notebook - 12

It was annoying to get the rain, and then came the Rainbow

Never go to bed angry, resolve whatever it is, before sleeping. Better dreams assurance if you do.

Always greet with a smile and warmth. Even if your house is cold, your heart should stay warm to those who visit.

Always say bye with a smile, let people carry that image of you, till they meet you next.

While going outdoors; Pray, for a sunny day, still always pack an Umbrella. The Almighty might have plans to greet you with freshly washed landscapes and may be a rainbow hanging in the sky.

Rainbow has many colors, only 7 of them are visible to us, never lose faith in colors that you don't see, know that they are there.

Not being able to see colors beyond the 7 in the rainbow is a blessing, don't confuse it to be a limitation.

Moonlit nights are as beautiful as starlit nights, enjoy the beauty and don't judge the moon's appearance on any night.

The clouds that mask the moon and darken the night are the same clouds that bring life giving rain. Never forget that on dark cloudy nights.

Last 11 pages form back of my notebook Below, in reverse chronological order

From-back-of-my-notebook-11

From-back-of-my-notebook-10
From-back-of-my-notebook-9
From-back-of-my-notebook-8
From-back-of-my-notebook-7
From-Back-Of-My- notebook-6
From-Back-of-my-notebook-5
From-back-of-my-notebook-4
From-back-of-my-notebook-3
From-Back-of-my-Notebook-2
From-Back-Of-my-Notebook-1 

From-Back-Of-my-Notebook-1