Tresses Revisited

“Mom!!! Hurry up, get ready !!! Guests will be coming shortly” I have heard this statement for the tenth time from Ghutghut, my daughter.

Today is my 50th Birthday and my whole family has come together to celebrate it. My daughter Ghutghut, my son Nitiksh and my son-in-law Sudhish, all have made a surprise visit to make my birthday special.

“Well I am almost ready, I only have to tie my hair.” I answered back.

Birthdays always make me nostalgic. I have been thinking about turning 50 for the last few days and instead of feeling depressed, I am feeling happy to be turning 50.

50 glorious years filled with happiness, sorrow, love, success, failures and all the emotions I can think of.

50 beautiful years filled with people I have come to love - my grandparents, my mother, my father, sisters, brothers, my husband, my children and my friends. What more can I ask from life.

My Family

Looking in the mirror at my long tresses which are still black with only a few strands of white reminding me of my age, I think ... wrinkles have started invading my face but my hair is still as young as they were 30 years ago.

In the past 50 years, my hair has always added beauty to my personality. It has also seen ups and down of life with me whether in the very first meeting with my would-be husband, my wedding, kids birthday or kitty parties, daughter’s wedding. How can I forget that my open, free flowing hair charmed my would-be husband on the first meeting itself or on my wedding day my aunty had a lot of problems in doing my hair as it was so long and thick. It was fun to make other ladies envy in kitty parties with my gorgeous hair. I was among the few lucky ones, who are blessed with beautiful hair.

My grandmother always said that hair is the crowning glory of a woman. I don’t remember even a single moment when she used to forget taking care of my hair. Right from childhood she has taken care of my hair. Even my mother used to forget at times. She regularly applied oil to my hair and then use to wash them with besan. No shampoo was allowed only natural products. From time to time, she used to apply homemade packs on my hair made of amla, reetha, sheekakai etc. As a child, I always used to get irritated with her procedure but she kept on pestering me.

At 13

Everyone wanted to touch my hair, and many people did so without asking, as if I were a cat with silky fur. By my teenage, I was also in love with my hair as everyone around used to appreciate my long black tresses. So, I too had inculcated all the learning's from my grandmother. In summers, I made it a point to wash my hair every alternate day with besan. I used to do a deep conditioning massage with coconut oil, which seeps deep into the scalp to keep it nourished and made them strong. From time to time, I applied hair-pack. Along with all this, I took care of my diet as well. I knew that a good healthy high protein diet is a must for healthy bouncy shiny hair.

With this simple haircare, I got beautiful long hair. I have always showed off my hair in college. I used to change my hairdos like my hand bag. The hair care mantra had always worked for me. It was the best thing I could do to get my desired look of open, flowing hair that looked healthy and beautiful. 

Marriage at 19

Mother In Law, My 2 Naughty Kids & My dearest Husband

Before completing my college, I got married and then children.  At the age of 25, I was a responsible wife and mother of two kids. But my love for my hair was still there.  I still used to follow my granny’s procedure but new trends of parlor had also bitten me. And that was the downfall of my precious long tresses. I started experimenting with my hair. I started getting my hair colored, highlighted or permed. As children started growing up, I had to compromise on my Me time. Now it was difficult for me to do an oil massage on alternate days or put hair pack every week. With daily chores of day today work, I stopped taking care of my diet and hair.  I also started using shampoos.

It was only in my 40’s, when a hair stylist made a throwaway comment about the thinning at my temples, that I shook myself awake and realized that my crown wasn’t nearly as glorious as it once had been. As time passed, my long beautiful healthy hair had become a thing of past. I had also started getting white hair and hair fall. I started trying any new shampoo which claimed to relieve me from hair problems. But nothing worked. Losing hair became a mentally and emotionally disturbing experience for a person like me who was so obsessed with her long lustrous hairs. As time passed, I started accepting this as my destiny and lost all the hope to regain my beautiful long tresses. 

Then one day some time nearly a year ago, my daughter introduced me the new Dove Hair Fall Rescue. I had already lost all the hope, so I was not in a mood to try any new product and was trying my best to use my grandmother’s hair care regime.

But as my daughter had that stubborn streak which I think she inherited from me, she kept on pestering me with the benefits of Dove.

She told me “Dove  extends a new promise– To repair damage from the heart of hair “.

She also showed me the advertisement to make her point more strong.

Finally I decided  to make a last attempt to regain my lost beautiful hair. I chalked out a plan. Along with all the Dove Hair care regime, I took care of my diet which included  a whole lot of fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products. I also stopped taking any sort of chemical treatments that would further damage my hair and lastly started massaging my scalp with coconut oil once a week followed by a hot towel treatment.

Dove hair fall rescue worked like magic on my hair, it nourished my hair from deep within and leave it softer, smother and shiner. Dove Hair Fall Rescue Therapy nourished my weak hair and reduced friction so that I have lesser hair fall and fuller hair. I religiously started following the steps of Dove hair fall rescue therapy.

After using Dove shampoo, for the first time, I felt that the results are the same as I used to get after cleaning with besan, reetha and shikkakai in my younger days.

Dove Hair Fall Rescue Shampoo gently cleansed my hair. Its Micro Moisture Serum strengthened hair from the roots to the tips.

Dove Hair Fall Rescue Conditioner gave me better result than curd and honey pack used to give me. I can actually feel that Dove Hair Fall Rescue Conditioner nourishes and strengthens my weak hair. I can feel the reduce friction between my hair strands to give me stronger and fuller hair.

Dove Hair Fall Therapy Treatment Mask reminds me the mask my granny use to put on my scalp. I started using mask once in a week and used to leave the mask on for 3 minutes after shampoo and later washed my hair thoroughly.

Dove Hair Fall Therapy Combing Serum instantly started smoothening my hair and reduced my hair fall .

Thanks to Dove hair fall therapy, slowly and steadily, I started getting my healthy problem free hair back. .... And that was the end of my hair problems”  

So today I have one more reason to celebrate.

At 50

“Mom are you ready?”. Ghutghut once again shouted from the hall. I immediately added few more pins in my bun and looked once more in the mirror. I was ready. Looks like guest have also started coming. I started moving downstairs to welcome the guests.

(Story of my mom's beautiful hair)

This post is part of a contest My Beautiful Hair Story on Indiblogger, sponsored by Dove.
Check this out: Dove Hair-Aware App

Its Raining......

A couple of months back, I got to know about indiblogger. Since, I was very new to the blog space, I did not know anything about blogger directory.  I was really surprised to see so many talented bloggers at one place.  I started this blog just to participate in an indiblogger thread (Challenge for blog) introduced by one of the talented blogger Animesh Mishra.

I never knew that this blog will earn me so much recognition.

Just for a trial basis, I have participated in two contests Vodafone and Lakme Diva Contest. I had written two posts Akbar Birbal Ki Khichdi Reloaded and Diary of Newly Married wife for contests hosted by Vodafone. Complexion Redefined written for Lakme Diva Contest.

Spot My Name at 3rd Place in Vodafone Contest

Got the Consolation Prize in Lakme Diva Contest

Remember them? Well, I won the 3rd Prize for Akbar Birbal ki Khichdi Reloaded and consolation prize in Lakme contest. More than Prize, I was overwhelmed and pleasantly surprised to see your response and your good wishes. Trust me!!! I run out of the words to thank readers for their appreciation.

An Overwhelming Response for Akbar Birbal Post

I truly believe…. it was all your wishes that worked like magic wands for me. These past few months have been very exciting in the world of blogging, and I must say, I couldn't be happier!

A heartfelt thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement.

I would also like to say a HUGE ThankYou to Anshika – my secret blog editor. Any technical error in blog, it’s always Anshika who comes as a troubleshooter for me. I am so lucky to have a friend like you!!!!.

Wonder Slim Weight Loss

The needle fixed itself at 150 Kg. Jatin was standing there for a long time in a hope that the needle will slightly shift to 148 or 149 but it was fixed to 150Kg. Disappointed Jatin stepped down from the weighing machine. For the past 1 month, he has been doing yoga and was following his diet from the popular book “Don’t lose your mind but lose your weight” but nothing had shown result.

  

Thanks to his obesity, he doesn’t have any girlfriend and his parents have given him the ultimatum to lose weight before they made a profile in shaadi.com or Bharat matrimonial.com. jatin had become desperate. He did not want to die without a girlfriend or a wife.  He thought for opting a short cut and started browsing for weight loss programs. While searching, he got hooked to one advertisement which offered to help in losing 20kg in a week
.

  

“10Kg weight loss in just 5 days otherwise cash back Guaranteed”.

He immediately called the number and enrolled for their 5 days -20Kg weight loss program.

The next day, there's a knock on the door and there stands before him a hot, athletic, gorgeous girl dressed in hot short pants, tank top and  a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck.

She introduced herself as a representative of the weight loss company.  Jatin ‘s mouth remained open seeing this beautiful hot babe. Jatin kept ogling at her body and suddenly his eyes stopped at the sign board around her neck.

The sign board read, "If you can catch me, you can have me."

  

All his imagination got the wings and without a second thought, he takes off after her.  He kept on running behind her but after few miles later huffing and puffing, he finally gave up. The same girl shows up for the next four days and the same thing happens.  On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 10Kg. as promised.

Jatin was so glad with the weight loss and the imagination of having a beautiful girl that he enrolled again for the 5 days 20 kg weight loss package.

Next day he was eagerly waiting for the knock on the door. Finally after much anticipation, there  it was !!! He opened the door in hurry and excitement, and to his surprise there stood another most stunning and beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. She was the best he had ever seen in life. Even better than the first one! She was in a mini skirt and Jatin's imagination was lost in her sexy legs.  Jatin  thought “ Am I dreaming or is it reality? With her figure and beauty, she can give run for money to Kareena and Katrina”.

  

 Jatin’s eyes were rolling down over her when he saw the same old sign board around her neck that read

“If you can catch me, you can have me."

Seeing this Jatin’s mind started having wild thoughts. He was out of the door after her like a shot signal. This girl had an awesome figure and Jatin was doing his best to make his lustful dreams into reality. For the next four days, the same routine followed, gradually getting  Jatin in better shape.

Much to his delight on the fifth day when he weighed himself, he discovers that he has lost another 20 Kg. as promised.

Jatin was impressed with this unique idea of losing weight and moreover his lust and imagination was really getting closer to the reality. He was very much confident that in next program he can turn his dreams into reality.

So he decided to go for the gamble and calls the company to enroll for the 7-day/50 Kg program.

“ Are you sure Sir?” asks the representative on the phone. “I must warn you, this is our most rigorous program”.

“Absolutely," Jatin replies, "I haven't felt this good in years."  More than weight lose, his lust for laying his hands on  the hot babe made him so confident.

Next day, he woke up early morning did few sit-ups and jogged for sometime. He freshened up and prepared himself well for welcoming the hot babe. This time he was all set to convert his imagination into reality. He anxiously waited for knock on the door. After what seemed an eternity, there was a knock at Jatin's door. He checked himself in the mirror and opened the door with closed eyes to see his imagination one more time. Slowly he opened his eyes.

What he saw gave a him a shock.He found a huge muscular guy standing at the door, wearing a pair of pink shorts and pink running shoes. He also had a sign board around the neck which reads

"If I catch you, you are mine!!!"

  

After recovering from initial shock, a frustrated and frantic Jatin wanted to discontinue the program. But the guy showed him the contract, according to which he could not discontinue. if he did, his money would be lost and he also had to pay double the amount as penalty.

Jatin lost 63 Kg that week.

  

Wordless Wednesday- 6

Aamchi Mumbai

2nd Wedding Anniversary

Just 3 days left for 28th Jan i.e our 2nd wedding anniversary and I had no clue what to do for my anniversary. Last year due to work pressure, couldn’t do anything special for my first wedding anniversary. So I was quite keen of doing something special this time. In these 2 years, I clearly understood that my hubby doesn’t even know  ‘S’ of surprise. Therefore, no expectations from him. 

I was already overloaded with my boring competitor analysis and presentations stuff, so anxiety was at the top to do something unique. While searching for some idea, I remembered one of the scenes of "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" where SRK says I Love you to Anuska Sharma in a very unique manner. So being a die-hard fan of SRK, I thought to apply the same concept.
On 27th Jan, I took a half day leave from office and bought 24 candles. I called my hubby’s boss Praveen and explained the whole idea to him. I requested Praveen to make my hubby engaged till 11 pm. I made a chocolate cake and decorated the whole room according to the concept.

Everything  Set for the Surprise

It was already 11: 30pm and I started waiting for hubby. Suddenly, I got a sms from him saying he is too busy with work and won’t be able to come before 1:00 am. I can see all my plans going into vain. Tears started rolling on my cheek. Don’t know what to do, as I thought I would lite 24 candles symbolizing 24 months of our togetherness exactly at 12:00 am and give surprise to him but everything is waste now.

Just 5 minutes left for 12:00am, I got a call from hubby and he said “I am downstairs and there is a surprise for you. Come fast”. I inquired him about the sms, he laughed and said “I sent a message just to tease you,  now come down”.  Well I wanted to show my surprise first, so I told while crying “ No way, you need to come upstairs”. Finally he agreed to come up. I quickly switched off the light of room and and lighted all the candles.

Exactly 24 candles lighted at 12:00 am

When Sudhish came to the room, he was dumb struck. He was so happy to see the surprise that couldn't say anything. Finally after cutting the home made cake, I asked “So what is the surprise for me”. He said “ Well I have planned everything and cab is waiting, we are going to Ooty to celebrate our anniversary”. 

Now, it was my turn to be dumbstruck, my hopeless romantic husband has planned a romantic vacation. It was really a big surprise for me. In true sense, it was a real memorable anniversary for us.