My Dream Business

That s such a difficult question to answer. My dream business. What would my dream business be? If everything goes well, i would probably be setting up a restaurant and also write cook books for a living.
A restaurant that specialises in Fusion Indian Cuisine. A restaurant named Mojo's, that will create enough magic to tickle many tongues. And then, a few cook books about quick cooking, vegetarian food and Indian food. I would name all my cook books, With Love, Tomato Blues.
So, that s not one but two dreams. But like any other business, my dream businesses would also require meticulous organisation.
And what better way to be meticulous other than using Office 365. With all its cool features, its a boon to new and old businesses alike. I can write away all my recipes to my heart s content and save all of my hard work online using Office 365. No more worries about your PC acting up and kicking the bucket. No more hassles of taking a back up either.
Communication also becomes a breeze with Office 365 because of its VoIP services. And that would be a true gift for my restaurant. Keeping track of clients' palates, new reservations and connecting with the clientele would become simplified. With options like Home premium and Small Business packages, Office 365 is a comprehensive solution to all small scale businesses.
For a cookbook writer like me, photos of food and recipes are very precious. And a 20GB storage on Sky Drive is just the answer for my storage problems. I can click, write and store in a very organised way, thanks to Office 365.
But wait. The best part is yet to come. Brilliance of Office 365 lies in its flexibility. The option to install and use Office 365 in 5 PCs is something that s commendable and indispensable in today s harried world. My computers at home, my restaurant and my office can be easily connected, thanks to Office 365. I need not carry USB devices stored to their brim with data. For, i can easily access all my documents online on Sky Drive.
Now, all i need is a little money and i would be all set to start up Mojo's and  With Love, Tomato Blues.

The First Time Of Many Times

The clock struck seven.
I too had just turned seven.
Friends and folks were everywhere
In the house, for
I was going to cut my first birthday cake.
The knife dug in.
Ma bit the first slice and
Shoved some into my tiny mouth.
I knew there were going to be many more such cakes
But i shall forever treasure
That first cake with the mickey staring into my eyes

It was a rainy afternoon,
When the teacher beckoned me
I only wondered what it could be.
I mean, what could a teacher have to do with me.
I didn't remember being impish that morning.
She took my notebook and flashed her best smile.
And she scribbled a tiny star at the bottom of the page.
I knew there were going to be many more such stars
But i shall forever behold
That first star as though it was a celestial star.

On a hot summer's afternoon,
Daddy came home with a large bottle of fizz
Wrapped in red and lettered in white.
I couldnt contain the excitement
When the liquid bubbled over the glass
As daddy poured it for me to relish.
I knew there were many more such glasses for me to clink
But i shall forever remember
That fizz that felt like a tiny fountain in my throat.

I was taller than most girls in the class.
And a blinker perched gingerly on my nose.
Clearly i was not going to be the object of any one s attention.
May be that s why that glance, that sneaky glance
From that boy from the back
Made me somersault over and over in my head.
I knew there were many more such boys and even more somersaults
But i shall forever hold close to my heart
That first glance, for there shall be no such glance with so much ire.

His first bark was a low gurgle.
Tail all curled up and one ear dog marked,
He came leaping into my house.
He became the friend that i never had.
He also became the sibling that i never had.
And then one day, he chose
To say good bye, silently yet succinctly.
I knew there will be many more such barks
But i shall forever think
Of that first bark for one more that can make me as happy will never come.

A noisy place. They called it a pub.
I  was not very sure if i would like it.
Loud music. Neon lights.
And people screaming.
And then the drink.
One sip and i knew my life has changed for all it s worth.
And by the time that first glass was down to the last dregs,
I had the world in my hand.
I knew there were many more such drinks to gulp,
But i shall forever hold dear that first sip that made the world mine.

A sprightly June it was.
The monsoon begrudged us.
The boy came.
To the wedding hall.
I was to be married
To this boy, whom i had hardly known
For less than a year.
Oh! he had promised all that he had to.
But still 'less than a year' of socialising
Kept appearing like an apparition.
It was time for him
To tie the knot.
He did and all at once
I knew there shall be no more such times.
And that the moment shall be frozen in my memory
For i do not want another such time.
For its this man, first and last in my life.

Cinquain- New Challenges

Change calls
Me to its side
The mulish mind still thinks
That it has a brilliant chance of
Winning..

The Translucent

When Jane arrived at the party, little did she know that her life was going to change forever. He was so transparent that she thought everything was perfect in his presence. It was a typical Summer s afternoon. And they had all been invited to the most happening party in the social circuit. A party at the Rover s house.The who s who of the city arrived in style and flaunted off their stones and Chanels. Every one wanted in on that party. A party where there was no black tie. But a party that offered fun enough for a lifetime. Barbecue and grill were two things that people looked forward to when they came to the Rover House.
Jane was an exception, though. All of 26 years old, strikingly beautiful and  ebullient , she felt she had better things to do than sit and grill chicken and pine apple. She was here at her step father s insistence. Her step father who had shown her a world that was as real as it could get. Jane was a no nonsense woman who worked for child welfare. She campaigned actively against child sexual abuse and child labour and was one of the most noted women in her fields.
So, when Jane made an appearance at the party on that fateful  day, she made more than one head turn. Every one wondered how this socially conscious and righteous soul had found the time to make it to a barbecue party. Mark, her step father came and embraced her in a bear hug. While Jane shared a fabulous chemistry with her step father, she was constantly at loggerheads with her mom. Well. That was life.
The party came to life within a few moments of Jane s arrival. People went crazy. Loud music rocked the grounds and yet all Jane could do was sit and stare at the gentleman who grilled a piece of steak at the far corner. Now, Jane was never the kind of woman who gave second looks to men. But this man was different.
He was having a good time. That she could see. But what she liked very much was the sight of so many children hounding him like he was a Santa. He made them laugh. Tickled them till they had tears in their eyes. He was telling them stories at some point of time. And then he had suddenly changed tack and had started imitating Charlie Chaplin. And the children were eating out of his hands in no time. He even made caricatures of all the kids around him. The children were drawn to him like a magnet. Needless to say, Jane too was attracted to him. Only Jane was attracted to him like a zombie. The happiness was too much around him. She couldnt bear it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Mark. He had brought her a glass of wine and some barbecued chicken. Jane immediately realised that she hadnt eaten a morsel since morning and started tucking in hungrily. Mark filled her in on a campaign s progress. And while she ate, her mom came to stand by her side. Jane did away quickly with all the niceties. By the time, Jane had an empty plate and Mark had left, her mind wandered off again to the gentleman. When she turned around to spot him, she could see that all the children had gone off to play musical chair. There was one little girl who stood by his side and looked up to him with sad little eyes.
And then after an instant, the gentleman and the little girl walked away towards the house. Almost as if charmed, she started following him. The little girl was full of questions. She wanted to know where Mr.Trevor was taking her. She then learnt that his name was Mr.Trevor. As to his full name, she was yet to find out. She had made up her mind now to ask him by the end of the party. Of course, her mother would consider this rather unconventional. But then she could rely on Mark for support. While the little girl interrogated Mr.Trevor innocently on Charlie Chaplin, his beard and caricatures, Jane kept up with them and their conversation.
Suddenly, they came to a stop. Outside a locked door. And she could hear Mr.Trevor tell her that he was going to show her some brilliant magic. At this point, Jane s curiosity got the better of her and she followed them to the locked room. By the time, she reached the locked room, they were already inside.And she could hear muffled conversation between the duo.
That was when Jane spotted a window that was slightly ajar. She couldnt resist herself from peeping into see what more magic could this man weave with children. What she saw through that window left her dumbstruck.Surely a man who was such a charm couldnt do this. He couldnt do this to a little girl who had taken him completely in her trust.
She could hear the little girl crying for her mother. She could hear shouts of " I want mommy" between muffled sobs. And she could hear her telling Mr.Trevor to stop removing her clothes. This was not what Jane was prepared for. This surely was not how she imagined her to be. After all  her experience in the distorted world of abused children, she should have heard an alarm going off in her head. But no. She let her emotions get the better of her. And here she was, a witness to one more such instance. For the rest of the world, it was a mere number. A statistic printed on a report. But for her, it was her whole life and all her hard work.
Jane did not hesitate for a single moment. She collected herself quickly and knocked at the door.
A flustered Mr.Trevor came to see who it was. She pushed him aside, went in and scooped up the scared kid in her arms. She was about to run down the aisle when she realised that she did want to know his full name. So she only asked, " What s your name?" An awestruck Mr.Trevor replied back, " Jake Trevor".
She carried a wailing kid down the aisle and silently made a call to the police.
Jane had learnt one more valuable lesson that day. Transparency comes at a heavy cost. And it s ok to have a little translucence in life. Life went on for Jane. Only she dint trust men who drew caricatures for children any more. 

Nonsense!

I goo boo away incoherently

To the rest of the world

It s mere gibberish

My mom finds a

Tiny SuKi in me

A word, a step, a smile

And a nod

All signs of a child prodigy

For my mom.

I raise my hand at arithmetic

To ask if three and four

And six and two are the same

My teacher looks at me

From behind her blinkers

To see if I m still sane

My mom sees a math genius in me

I  dab a red and paint a blue on the corridors

My mom finds it modern and quite like Picaso

I grow up and decide

That I shall advocate right and wrong

The world looks at me and asks

What is wrong with you?

A few friends even give me a second look

But many even refuse to take one.

My mom only says,

"Go on and you will be alright."

Today I m neither advocate nor Picaso.

My world is full of précis and recipes

Punctuated by verbs and frosting.

I told the world what I love

The world did what it is only good at.

What nonsense! It exclaimed.

My mom quietly said,

"Of course! It makes perfect sense."

I wish to get my story published in Chicken Soup for the Indian Entrepreneurs Soul in association with BlogAdda.com This poem is an effort.