Why I like Facebook! :)

Of-course life is not perfect. It has its ups and downs. Yet it is beautiful.  Just like relationships.

As human beings we want to and tend to remember all the good times. I don't remember my terrible fights with my brother while growing up, but I have memories all the thoughtful things that he has done for me since childhood. I also don't have pictures of stressful, horrible times my parents and I have experienced, but we do have a collection of the good times we have shared together as a family. Now, when you leaf through our family albums, which my mom regards as a treasure, would that make you wonder if my life is perfect or want my life? C'mon, that's such a silly thought!

So why is Facebook different! In my grandfather's generation, it was common to visit people (and not telephone) to greet them. It was also common to display family pictures and souvenirs from travel in houses, and have wedding albums et al as coffee table books. In my mind, Facebook has replaced just that. I would 'friend' my friends (anyone who I am also open to inviting over to my living room) on Facebook, would greet them through Facebook, and share what I would share had they visited me. Then of-course there are privacy levels and settings!

Now, how does that make my life perfect! Or make anyone else have my life, or vice-versa! Isn't that a very juvenile thought? I would argue that people who are less vocal on social media (Facebook is just a part of it) actually don't have strong opinions or are just more cautious of taking a stand in public in general. Even I would be at times. I am not very informed about the state of Indian healthcare system currently and would certainly avoid the subject.

On the contrary, I like the feeling of being 'connected' to friends and family through Facebook at all times. When I wake up in the morning and scroll through my feed to find my friends, Sancharita's or Shuchita's pictures, I feel so very happy for them. It kind of makes a part of my day in a silly way! I love to find out that my brothers had fun the previous night, or my bua and uncle are finally settled in Nigeria. All this and more without even having spoken to them for weeks at a stretch at times. Now, that's super convenient - and I promise I still love my life with all its imperfections, and wouldn't take it for your's :)

The break that was - and frustrations of life!

Jan 8th. Flight 416. AUS-MDW.

And thus my holiday and time with Raghav come to an end.. for now.

No doubt, it can be difficult not to stay miles away from one another especially if enjoy each other's company the most. Ahem! Well, yes, we both like to hang out with one another because that's when we have the most fun.

A typical day for us is full of laughs. We laugh atleast 50% of the time we are up together (sometime even more). On what, you may ask! Let me try to jot down a comprehensive list here: Hindi slangs, jingles from old advertisements (includes signing them together), Bollywood movies and songs, our insane but loving families (sorry people!!), Indian superstitions, our silly little goof-ups at work/school and home, Mahabharata - the TV show (recent addition to the list), my poor Hindi (it's not that poor!), few American things, b-school fads, our Indian grocery store's shady revenue streams.. so on and so forth. But mostly at each other. We pull each other's leg to the limit, and because its always in jest and good spirit, even the person, who's the butt of the jokes, enjoys it.. until its just the two of us!

We never make a joke of Indian politics (even though its a joke) for Raghav is extremely sensitive about it and hopeful of a better India. Cricket is also a very serious subject and Raghav behaves as if he is PMS-ing when India loses a cricket match. He would actually pass a chance to make out for watching a cricket match! We also don't make fun or laugh at other people (barring family - we love you  guys!) because we believe that we have no right to judge them or anything that they do.

I really can relate ourselves to 'Marshall and Lily' from 'How I Met Your Mother'. We are similar to them in so many ways including using a single toothbrush! Well, let me defend.. we always have two tooth-brushes but my husband doesn't care to be careful in picking his own (when its just the two of us). As a result, I just use the one that's not wet! Oh, and we have the telepathy thing going most times.. which is why we don't need to communicate much in words.

This also brings us to our nicknames.. Bobo (from baby.. as if that wasn't cute enough already), Gufu baby, Bachche (literal Hindi translation of 'child', often used authoritatively while nagging), Bebu (only Raghav uses this to address me).

We definitely feel incredibly fortunate to have found such a partner in one another who understands most things without having to say them out loud. It maybe due to the fact that we belong to the same generation (with me being an year older) or that we grew up in the same town. Well, whatever it is, it works quite well for us. Despite all this, we are not blind to one another's faults or weaknesses - and can be extremely critical about each other to each other, more in a positive and encouraging way.

One thing however we need to get better at is becoming comfortable to express our love for one another infront of people. I can be very shy when we are with people. I don't express my feelings, then get frustrated about it and take out my frustration by yelling at Raghav for no good reason infront of the very people. His response 'I am sorry' because he knows darn well what's going on! We are a cuddly couple and lack of it with company can be frustrating for me. Raghav, on the other hand, tends to feel ignored when I don't give him enough attention with other people. Then tries to get me involved in simple things such as navigation (he can pretty much look in the GPS by himself).

Aah, it pained me so much to hear Raghav call me from work, while I was at the airport, to say 'I don't feel like going home today!'.. but he stopped right there and was very vary of saying 'Come back home. Don't go back to Chicago' for he knew that I actually would!!

Bobo, just six more months! It was you who wanted me to graduate from Kellogg, and not go to the University of Texas. And you bore it out thus far while egging me on each day. Soon we will have our life back, and our laughs back! Right here on this couch, we will cuddle up, silently talk and crack up! Love you.