Love Is In The Air

Wishing You Very Romantic Valentine’s Day…
February has long been celebrated as a festival of love across the world.  The symbols of LOVE – candies, flowers, gifts - are exchanged between loved ones. Parties, dinners, plays, and entertainment are organized for the celebration. For this day, writers, poets, and thinkers have said a lot about LOVE.

Let’s try to understand some of their rare views and the significance of the feeling called LOVE.

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
-Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
-Lao Tzu

Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.
-Anais Nin

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction.
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller

Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell.
-Joan Crawford

If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.
-Marilyn Monroe

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.
-Tom Robbins

Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it.
-Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember

When love is not madness it is not love.
-Pedro Calderón de la Barca

One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.
-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Man may have discovered fire, but women discovered how to play with it.
-Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City)

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.
-Albert Einstein

True love is rare, and it's the only thing that gives life real meaning.
-Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.
-Mother Teresa

Where there is love there is life.
-Mahatma Gandhi

And finally…
You need solid guts to love someone.
-Ananth Vitlani

Love means to think good for others, to feel good for others, and to do good for others. Love means to give away without any expectation.

Love has different meanings, different shapes, different sizes, different colors, different nature, and different feelings. Love is very complex. More you know less you learn, less you know more you feel. It is enough to know that LOVE is LOVE, nothing more and nothing less. Period.

Love spans throughout every aspect of the life and it’s up to all of us how we celebrate LOVE!?  The  ultimate objective is to put a little smile on somebody’s lips.:)

The Generation Steps In

Liebster Award - Thank you

Thank you so much Kavya Venktesh for nominating me.

I have no idea what this award means but your appreciation made me happy. I am really delighted and excited to receive this award, a beautiful pink logo. Thank you so much to all behind this award.

Liebster Award is used to highlight smaller, lesser known blogs, blogs that have less than 200 followers. Liebster (the word means kindest, dearest, beloved, cute, endearing in German) is an award that you accept with an intention of paying it forward. 

While accepting the award you have to:

1. Post 11 things about yourself
2. Answer 11 questions set by the nominator
3. Choose 11 deserving bloggers meeting the criteria
4. Set 11 questions for them.
5. Inform the nominee by commenting on one of their posts.

You are not obligated to accept the award to send it forward. This is just a way to get a word out about new blogs that your followers may not know.

1. POST 11 THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF  

1. I love myself. 
2. I love all forms of art: Music, Painting, Singing, Dancing, Crafting, Poetry and much more
3. I work more than 60 hours a week.
4. I'm scared of Dogs. 
5. I spend at least one hour in the kitchen. 
6. I want to be New York Times Best Seller.
7. My laptop is my best friend 
8. I like Daal Rice and Chicken Kabab.
9. Khajoor is my favorite sweet.
10. I do Breathing-Meditation for 30 minutes every day
11. I started writing at the age of about 20. 
12. I am photogenic, on certain angle. 

2. ANSWER 11 QUESTIONS SET BY NOMINATOR

1. What made you start your blog? 
     I am a creative person and blogging is the easiest way to express myself.
2. What would make you stop blogging?   
    It can be slow due to other responsibilities but I am not going to stop blogging.
3. Who is your favorite Blogger?  
    I never thought about it.
4. Which, according to you, is your best post till now?  
    Mera Naam Kavita Hai.
5. Who was the first person you told about your blog?  
    I am sorry I don’t remember.
6. Who was your first blog follower? 
    I am sorry I don’t know. 
7. How long do you usually take to write a post?  
    From couple of hours to couple of days.
8. Are you concerned about page view counts? 
    Yes, I do.
9. Does having less than 200 followers matter to you? 
    Not at All.
10. What is the best part of blogging?  
    You can express yourself.
11. Do you encourage others to start blogging? 
    Yes, I do. I encourage few people

3. CHOOSE 11 DESERVING BLOGGERS MEETING THE CRITERIA

And the Award winners are.....

Renu Sethi  :  http://day-to-daystories.blogspot.in/

Sebin Jose  :  http://www.labstrikes.blogspot.in/

Farzaad Minoo  :  http://www.careernurturer.com/

Mousumi Saha  :  http://www.successstories.co.in/

Sulagna Dasgupta  :  http://www.loveinindia.co.in/

Upasana  :  http://myblawghh.blogspot.in/

Surya Murali  :  http://www.myworldinthreedimensions.blogspot.in/

Afshan  :  http://afshan-shaik.blogspot.in/

Nabanita  :  http://nabanita-blacknwhite.blogspot.in/

Meenakshi Singh : http://meenakshimsingh.blogspot.in/

Manali Shah : http://nothingintellectual.wordpress.com/

4. SET 11 QUESTIONS FOR THEM

Hi Friends, I hope this Award brings a smile on your face just like it did to my bored Friday face. Take time to read about this award and continue the tradition. Happy Blogging..!!!!

1. Why do you blog?
2. At what age you started writing?
3. About What subject you write?
4. When do you write?
5. What you don’t like in blogging?
6. Do your family members read your blog?
7. What do your family members think about your Blog?
8. How many blogger friends you have?
9. How did blogging help you?
10. What is your writing Goal?
11. Give me an honest opinion about MY blog : http://ananthvitlani.blogspot.in

5. AND FINALLY..... INFORM THE NOMINEE BY COMMENTING ON ONE OF 
    THEIR POSTS

Thank you so much

Falling In Love Is Easy, Standing In Love Is Difficult

Since ages, love has been remained the integral part of our existence.  However, with the time, loving and being loved turned out to be a bit complex.

Today, love is stimulated by the waves of infatuation. By creating artificial personality and putting a little extra effort, one can compel others to fall in love. But as and when the real persona of an individual surfaces, it makes us upset, love starts disappointing, and then the situation makes difficult to stand in love.

The reason: we all are carrying the bundle of expectations on our heads, a package of dreams in our eyes, and views in our hands. And on the top of it, our self-esteem (or ego) doesn’t allow to give up anything.

Even, amid this condition, there is a hope. By practicing few behavioral basics, one can stand in love truly.

Surrender:
The first and foremost step we have to take is to surrender. Get a rid of our self-centered attitude. Throw away the selfish views. Get all negative aspects out of your life. Obviously, it seems difficult; but not impossible.

Conversation:
Talk. Talk. Talk to resolve the crisis, not to accuse. Blaming your partner will worsen the situation. Positive conversation will carve the way out into the path of resolution.

Understand:
You have been walking on the way for a long time thinking about only yourself. Now you have to understand your partner. Try to figure out what your partner is looking for out of the relationship.

Compromise:
When reaching to the conclusion, avoid sticking to your guns. Confrontation at all times worsens the situation and takes you back to the square. If you compromise, your partner will also follow you.

Giveaway:
Give Away! Keep on giving away. Don’t expect anything in return while you give away. If both of the partners try to give something away to each other without any expectation, both of the partners will get more or less what they are looking for.

Have Patience:
Patience is a weapon that always compels others to realize.  As this change over of personality takes time, don’t rush. Rush will stop the process of change over.

And finally… You’re not going to get the life ever again. With due respect to each other, understand and love your partner at your best. Love is the only element that keeps your life healthy, happy, and worth living.

Beautiful Girls Are Not Looking For Handsome Guys

It is believed that beautiful girls have always been looking for handsome guys as a life partner. However, new findings go against this belief. Now-a-days Beautiful Girls Are Not Looking for handsome guys!

I have asked one of my young, bubbliest and charming colleagues: - “What kind of boy are you looking for as your life partner?”

With a beautiful broad smile, she said: “Oh my God…that’s difficult question…”  After a few moments of thoughtful gaze into the blank, her first answer was: “One whose nature is good.” Then she had a list of the qualities that she was looking for in a life partner to be. Surprisingly, “the look” was at the bottom of her priorities. Then after, I have tried to find an answer from few more friends of mine and the responses were almost similar to first one. Most of the girls are looking for an individual, whose nature is good and good look would be an added advantage.

If we define “the nature”, it can be good sides of a person’s character. In fact, “Good Nature” is a package of good qualities. Whatever may be the reason, but now-a-days the girls have understood that “the look” sometime can be deceptive and leads to nowhere. They are looking for the relationship, which provides core values of life such as Love, Respect, Care, and Honesty.

Let us figure out how these qualities are important in life:-

Honesty: -
As it is said that honesty is the best policy. Honesty creates the trust, trust forms the bond, and this bond makes the relationship long lasting and happy.

Care: -
Girls are looking for total attention.  Care means to think about her goodness, her comfort, her well being, her ideology, her attitude. Care indicates complete dedication to her all the time.

Love: -
Without love we cannot live.  As we need food, water, and air to live, love is an added factor to survive blissfully. Love is a basic and the only element that keeps life healthy, happy, and worth living.

Respect: -
Respect is a sense of worth. Girls are looking for a certain level of regards from their life partners. They want to make sure the importance of them in their lives.  Girls are looking for the life partner, who admire her ideology and go along with it.

Look: -
Good look draws most of the girls, but it may not make them happy ultimately. The look can be the window to get into a relationship, but look may not create long lasting relationships. Today, the girls are looking for happy relationships, which is based on good values of life, not on the look of the partner.

And these are the reasons that Beautiful Girls Are Not Looking For Handsome Guys.  Before being attracted, they would weigh up as a complete package of good qualities; they will look for the core values of life in a prospective life partner.

So, normal looking guys with the above qualities certainly have a reason to celebrate, as you’ve got the chance to become a darling of most beautiful woman on this earth.

“...And the Love Story Died…” My entry for the Get Published Contest

The Idea: -

Sudhir Mehta, 48 years of age, well known TV news anchor, divorced since last 20 years, has a 21 years old daughter named Chandni, falls in love with his co-anchor Shwati Singh, half of his age. 

Feeling little odd, many a times, Sudhir tried to express his feelings, but his own reflection in the mirror stopped him by saying: -“You are 48 and she is 26… you are divorced and she is never married… your daughter is 21… she is almost as old as your daughter…”  It was a fact. And every time, Sudhir believed the fact that his reflection told him and dropped the idea of expressing his feelings to Shwati.

One fine evening, at the office party, Shwati came with a plump, bald, and old man. The sagging skin under his chin was posing him around 60 years of age. Both of them came in the center of the hall and Shwati declared that they met before a few months ago - felt that they are made for each other and got married today morning.  She also said that the love can happen at any time, at any age, at any place, and with anyone.

As if the sky fell on Sudhir, before he breaks down, he slipped away from the crowd. In the parking lot he got into his car and burst out into tears intensely. He cried for a long just like a child.

Next day, Shwati was shocked on his resignation. When she compelled him to answer, he said that he has got a better opportunity.

And when he left, the love story died....

What Makes This Story ‘Real’?

I have observed the part of the story that has taken place in my office. I have witnessed the anxiety and pain of improbability.  I just would like to say the readers to be honest, to be open, and truthful. If you feel anything for someone, without any hesitation, let him or her know before it gets too late.

Extract: -

People around them were stunned.

Shwati resumed after a moment: -“Obviously, seeing both of us together, you all must be little amazed…Yes, I am 26 and he is 59. But… let me tell you, if we see the life on a broad spectrum, we all are looking for just one emotion… and that is love… When love happens, we forget all unmatched elements. Some of you may not agree with me, but when you experience the love, you will understand that love has nothing to do with age… If you live with the person you love, no matter whatever may be the age of your partner, the life – even if smaller – would be ‘worth living’. And ultimately, we all are craving for a life that is ‘worth living’...”

Endnote: 

This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

“Fall In Love…” My Entry for the Get Published Contest

The Idea: -

The story is about love and deception. Raj lures and deceives the girls pretending of loving them and ultimately sleeps with them. He always utters his belief - the person who can’t lure the girl, can’t do anything in life - to his rival Ranjit, a gray shade character in the college.

Devraj Mehta -millionaire businessman - unaware of Raj’s Lifestyle - is always proud of his son, which gives Raj an unnerving feeling, as he fears of prospective conflict with his father.

Nishi, wooed, lured, and deceived by Raj, was not like the other girls. She loved Raj beyond any feelings. She decides to teach Raj a lesson and bring him to the path of love.

Sunita - Nishi’s mother and Fashion Designer - was not in favor of Nishi’s decision, as she (Sunita) has her own past of being deserted by Mohan, who left her pregnant and married a wealthy NRI girl. After Nishi’s birth, the life has been difficult and harsh for her. Now, she feels that whatever happened to her in the past is happening with her daughter, as if the history was being repeated.

Nishi probes and makes Devraj Mehta aware of Raj’s character. Devraj Mehta gets shocked, disowns and expels him from his house. With image of womanizer, nobody shelters him. When he didn’t have anything to eat, one of his lesser known friends shelters him in the slum. To survive, Raj sings at cheap Bar.

Nishi gets associated with Ranjit and breaks Raj down financially, socially, mentally, and physically. At every step, Nishi reminds him of the pain that he gave her. Slowly, circumstances, created by Nishi, compel Raj to realize the significance of love and make him feel sorry. He starts loving Nishi but she doesn’t trust him.
 

Ranjit, with gray shades intentions, traps Nishi. Raj follows Ranjit and also gets trapped. Finally, Devraj Mehta comes to rescue and put everything into places.

What Makes This Story ‘Real’?

Raj is a symbol of young generation and Nishi is a role model. Whereas, Devraj Mehta shows a path of love: - “Love is not a fun, love is responsibility. If you cannot sustain the relationship responsibly – you have no right to fall in love…”

Excerpts:-  

 “Hold on my son…”Devraj Mehta commanded Raj, who was leaving the house. Without turning back, Raj halted. 

Devraj Mehta says with resentment: -”There are few drops of my perspiration in your pocket. Before you get out of this house, leave them right here… “ Raj turned and takes out his purse from his back pocket, and has fleeting glance at the purse, which was full of money and credit cards. He responds: -“I’m your son. If I can drink alcohol like water… make sure, I can live even without water…”

And he flung his purse towards Devraj Mehta, who caught it. 

With a stern look, Raj turned around and left the house.

Endnote: 

This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from   Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.