Merry Christmas (Original)

It’s probably the effect of watching Christmas movies on Hallmark and Lifetime during weekends that I am writing my first Christmas song. But Christmas, just like Diwali, is a festival of lights, cheer, glitter, giving and family gathering. It is around this time that our close relatives from across the country visit us for the holidays. Some military personnel get to visit their families for a limited period of time before they head back to serve the nation. And most importantly several communities come together to help the needy and the homeless through volunteer work and donations.

What I love about Christmas, is the feeling and the warmth that it spreads around the house. May it be the cinnamon scent, a sparkling tree or light snow flurries while sipping on hot chocolate, I love the whole deal. I have many friends who have now moved to warmer places enjoying the beach and the sunshine, but around this time of the year on Christmas, I am sure they miss the snow.

Along the lines of the last blog, again for the first time in the US, I am alone on Christmas. I didn’t put up any lights nor did I put the tree. There is no fun in decorating the house for Christmas, if there’s no one to enjoy it. Last year, when my wife and son were here, it was our first Christmas celebration and I had some wonderful memories of the same.

This song is an expression of that emotion and is a message, to all those who are away from their families, that says - take some time out of your busy lives on this day and make sure to spend it with your loved ones, coz Christmas is a holiday that is meant to be spent with your family and friends.

Merry Christmas!!!

Enjoy the song.

[Verse 1]
I was alone one time on Christmas, thought I would do just fine
I didn't put up any lights, I didn't put up any pine
But I sat down on Christmas Eve, and noone was around
Wondered who else might be lonely, but he's no where to be found

[Pre-Chorus]
Coz he's giving gifts for Christmas, and I have nothing to do
So I grabbed my electric Yamaha, and here's my gift to you

[Chorus]
Merry christmas, Merry Christmas to you, to you
Celebrate it with friends and family, and that's how it ought to be
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you, to you,
Grab some cookies, chocolate and candy, put the ornaments on the tree
Merry Christmas

[Verse 2]
I heard a rattle in the attic, was it an early delivery
So I ran to get a glimpse, rather found a mouse in a cranny
Then I noticed the decoration, I opened up every piece
Red Ribbons, wreaths and bells, they all brought back memories

[Pre-Chorus]
I headed straight to the mountains, to find the perfect Christmas tree
It was a 10 feet tall wonder, which filled the house with immense glee

[Chorus]
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you, to you
Celebrate it with friends and family, and that's how it ought to be
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you, to you,
Grab some cookies, chocolate and candy, put the ornaments on the tree
Merry Christmas


[Verse 3]
I remember last year, when my dear ones were here
We'd bought my son's first Christmas stocking and I almost broke a tear
My wife had picked up every garland, and hand crafted every trinket
And everytime we spotted a mistletoe, there had to be a kisslet

[Chorus]
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you, to you
Celebrate it with friends and family, and that's how it ought to be
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you, to you,
Grab some cookies, chocolate and candy, put the ornaments on the tree
Merry Christmas

14 years of togetherness

It was the midnight of 31^st December 1996, when I had picked up the phone and made a confession to this beautiful girl. My exact words were “I want to make a confession and don’t expect an answer. Just want to convey my feelings for you” and then I said “I love you”.  She hung up. A few days later, after much deliberation, I managed to speak with her again. She said “We are too young for dating” and we both moved on with our lives. Wait … the story doesn’t end here.

Couple years later after several failed attempts of contacting me on 31^st December 1998, she finally got hold of me on January 1^st 1999. I woke up with a really bad hangover from the party previous night and answered the phone. It was her. As much as I was delighted, I wasn’t sure what this phone call was about and there she said it “I love you”.  And our journey together began.

It’s almost 14 years since that day. We dated for 7 years and we got married on Dec 15^th 2006. So we’ve been married for 7 years. (Now stop doing the Math about our agesJ).

Anyway, 14 years sound like a long time. But it still feels like yesterday when I was partying with my friends on New Year’s Eve and had made the first phone call. At that age, I am not sure why I was so certain about us. One doesn’t throw around the word “Love” so easily when you are fourteen. Especially, when you are so uncertain about your future and don’t even know what you want to do with your life. We were also an odd pair. I was this most infamous, notorious, and so full of myself kinda guy and she was this most well-behaved, obedient, caring, loving, giving and nicest person. I am sure our friends from school are still wondering how we ended up together. None of us were sure that we would stay together for so long when we both embarked on this journey. I still remember celebrating a 3 month dating anniversary with her, as it was the first for me. The best I could do before then was a month J

The reason is simple. Life throws a lot of challenges at all of us. And this may have been said a million times before, but it’s true. The key is to hold on to each other and face all the storms together. Well … that’s the theory. The reality is - my wife, Sanchali, supported me through every phase of our life. And she really stayed with me through thick and thin. At a certain age, when you are young, you find it embarrassing to talk to your parents about your issues and failures in life. You need a friend whose shoulder you can lean on and just cry. She was that shoulder. She sacrificed her career and by that I mean the potential of becoming a highly successful lawyer in Mumbai, so that I could pursue my dreams in the US. To this date, I remember every incident, whether happy or sad that we’ve faced together and it might take a hundred blogs to describe them. May be words won’t be enough.

As you may have derived by now, the month of December plays a significant role in our lives. Our engagement anniversary, registered marriage anniversary, wedding anniversary and the dating anniversary, all fall in December. Now imagine Thanksgiving and Christmas. So December also plays a significant role in causing a deficit in my bank account … haha.

In all these years, it is for the first time that I am away from my wife in the month of December. And now even my 2 year old son. And I truly missed all these events. Including my niece’s wedding where the entire family got together. So there is a tremendous sense of loneliness at the moment.

On our 7^th Wedding Anniversary, this Song is my gift to Sanchali. We are both not good at taking surprises and are both not good at sharing personal, private moments publicly. So it’s the first time that I am sharing something like this through my blog. I am not even telling her about it.

Hope she sees it and takes it well. Chances are, she might be furious as she didn’t get a chance to review this blog, nor comment on the song before it’s shared, which she does regularly and is my best critic.

So there might be a few nuances with the song recording and even some typos and wrong grammar in this blog. Ignore it and enjoy the song.

Happy Wedding Anniversary Honey!!!

Here are the lyrics –

[Mukhda / Verse 1]

Jubaan pe aakar bhi, jo baat rukti hai

Who kehna chahe to, kaise kahe

Kareeb aane se, yun saanse thamti hai

Jo milna chahe to, kaise mile

[Chorus]

Oh ho, rang halke halke, ishq ke chalke chalke

Meri aankhoon se dekhon, hai kaheen

Oh ho, rang halke halke, ishq ke chalke chalke

Meri aankhoon se dekhon, hai kaheen

[Antra / Verse 2]

Thodisi masti, thodi shararat,

thodi si chedkhani karne ko dil karta hai

Phir itni haseen ho, ke aankhen moonde

Tumhe yun bahon me, leke baithun lagta hai

[Chorus]

Oh ho, samne jo ati ho, to hont seel jate hai

Kya karun kuch bhi to na pata

[Repeat Mukhda]

[Repeat Chorus]

Oh ho ho ho ho … oh ho ho ho

Oh ho ho ho ho … oh ho ho ho

Oh ho ho ho ho …..