Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Neha... नेहा...

Guys and dolls.... ladies and gentlemen...

Ahem... I know, I know. It’s been almost three long months since something breathed on this blog. , a lot of water has flown under the bridge since I last wrote ( I know, my usage of English idioms is exemplary. Zabardast...)



Would like to introduce my lady-love/jaan to the audience...
Neha, meet the audience ... Audience, meet Neha
*:o)

NEHA... नेहा...
Pronunciation :
(nay-ha)
Meaning : Neha means rain and loving in Sanskrit.
Other meanings : yearning, cherished, beauty, rain [1] [2]



All these years, I was yearning for a cherished beauty, who would love me, come rain or shine... and u know what?, oopar-waaley Bhagwaan-ji ne meri sunn lii aur meri Bhagyawaan se milwaaya.

And now, our friends/fans have started pestering us for the complete story, I have decided to pen down a few words about the happenings of the last 4 months - the 4 months which me, my life and my whole perspective towards it.


So, deviyon aur sajjanon... Kahaani poori filmi hai... sit back and relax with a cuppa tea/coffee/nimbu-paani/jaljeera/tequila-shot/cough-syrup(whatever u think can keep u from being distracted)...

Here's a quick narration[in Amitabh Bachpan's voice] - I shall try to be as concise and precise as possible.. but then, brevity has never been my forte.. so here goes nothing:

Ye Un Dinon Ki Baat Hain Jab Hum Paagal Paagal Firte The
Tanhaayi Mein Jab Milte The Dil Mein Hulchul Si Hoti Thi
Jab Yaad Tumhari Aati Thi Chaahat Ke Nagme Gaatey The
Bechain Deewani Dhadkan Ko Behlate The Sum Jaate The
Hum Dono Jaagte Rehte The Jab Saari Duniya Soti Thi
Ye Un Dinon Ki Baat Hain Jab Hum Paagal Paagal Firte The
Ye Un Dinon Ki Baat Hain Jab Hum Paagal Paagal Firte The

'She' breezed into my life...
'She's got the same thoughts as mine...

'She's got a sense of humor...
'She's mature...

'She's responsible...

'She's silly...
'She's strong...
'She's simple...
'She's very human...

'She's independent...
'She's a kid...





We "met" online on an internal mailgroup called TCSTP_PNLN... (for the benefit of the audience, TCSTP_PNLN is a group that I created 4 years ago, when I was moving to London and wanted a medium to communicate and interact with friends in Morgan Stanley. That group went on to become a smash hit, with hordes of people joining it by the day. Absolutely anything and everything under the sun is discussed.)

Here's the complete mail-trail on the world-famous TP group... ;-)))) For the first time , I sensed that girls have a "lipsticks-n-eyeliner" free brain. That they can think of something beyond that. Am sure, that you will love this exchange :-)))) Read it from the bottom...

We got into some lively conversations about CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility), team building to name a few... for a few months, just as 2 normal colleagues would have done. NB: We had never met each other in person.

But the summer of 2007 changed it all...
May 2007:
I return to India
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.


Jun 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.


Jul 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.
Neha leaves for Mississauga.


Aug 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.


Sept 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.
I return to Pune.


Oct 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.


Nov 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.
We break the news to our parents... and have our horoscopes matched... 36/36 gunas matched! Her punditji, however states that ONLY 34/36 matched... (!)

So whenever we end up choosing the same stuff, or saying the same thing - we say "chattees gun aise thode he naa miley hein"... and in some real real rare cases, when we have a difference of opinion, we say - "haan, haan.... sirf chautees gun miley hein - isiliye"

NB: We have still not met each other in person.

Dec 2007:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.
We decide to have the engagement in Dec, so that we can fix a wedding date in the first quarter of 2008. But then, she doesnt get leave and is stuck in Mississauga...


Jan 2008:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.
Haribhai comes to Pune.

Feb 2nd 2008: (GROUNDHOG DAY)
We FINALLY meet in person!

Feb 4th 2008:
The Rokka/Nishchay ceremony in Delhi

Feb 14th 2008:
Well... no prizes for guessing - Valentine's Day!!!!

Feb 15th - 3rd Mar 2008:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.
Shaadi ki date is fixed to 8th of May (yayyyyy)

5th Mar 2008:
Neha returns to Pune.
Shaadi ki shopping shuru...

7th Mar 2008:
I get a call from the office, that I have to fly to Leeds(UK) A.S.A.P..
Wow! That's nice. It's just been just 3 days that we met in person... sahi hai... :-((((((
4 days of manic shopping starts- both, shaadi and UK-waali ...
All the sales reps at Shopper's Stop and Pune CENTRAL know us by now.

12th Mar 2008:
I fly back to the UK - this time to Leeds.

13th Mar 2008 - present:
blah... blah... blah... over Gtalk, Skype, phone, mails and YM.

So, ladies and gentlemen... I proudly present to you - Ms. Neha Jain; who would, on the 8th of May, 2008; become Mrs. Neha Adya... and fill my life with love, happiness and joy.

I need you in my life,
Need you like the air that I breathe,
You become the very heart of me,
And I, I cant believe my eyes,
I cant believe the dream that I've found,
Your love has turned my world around.