My Last Valentine....

This was our first valentine together and I wanted to make it very special for her..

Nikita and I were into relationship from last 6 months and it was a smooth ride for both of us expect for some fights because of my stubble. I so loved it and she thought it to be a Junglee's Pride.

I was totally confused on what to plan and how..? As I opened Facebook, there was a contest by MTV :- "Dare to Love".

                         

It had 2 phases. In first phase the participant had to send his true love story to MTV and if they liked it then you will be shortlisted for the top 10 couples who were going to compete for a grand prize of 4 D/3N in Bali,Indonesia.

I was super excited as I knew that my love story was the most interesting of all I have known till date and we would definitely get selected for the 2nd phase...(Well my love story is too big..so may be in some other post I will narrate it in detail...:P)

Quickly I typed in the whole love drama of my life and mailed it to MTV.

Results were going to be announced in 2 days. I used to refresh my mail box N no of times everyday to check for a mail from MTV. Even I used to have hopes from my Spam box.

Finally on the 4th day results were declared and I was on cloud 9 to find our name in it.

I had kept this contest as a secret from Nikita , so now was the time to reveal it.

She had a big smile on her face when I told her about the contest, its prize and the fact that we were among the top 10 couple competing for it.

We are heading to GOA so pack your bags sweetheart.

She leaned forward to plant a kiss on my cheek...Ouch.!! she shouted in pain.

What happened baby? ,I asked. Damn, your stubble, it’s so rough and prickly.

I have told many times earlier too that I don’t like that stubble of yours. It feels so irritating just to touch your face. Why on the earth can’t you be clean shaven.

I hope this stubble doesn't ruin the fun we will be having in GOA.

Keeping stubble was in fashion. Gals used to go flat on celebrities like Brat Pitt, Abhishek Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan who kept a stubble. Even nikita considered them as sexy, than what was the problem with me; it was really hard to understand. 

It was 11^th Feb and we were off to Goa.

We reached around 11 a.m. on 12^th and as expected MTV had made a grand arrangement for us.

To our surprise the host for phase 2 was Yami Gautam. She was looking drop dead gorgeous in her black top and blue shorts.

She congratulated us for being selected as the top 10 couples who would now be competing for the ultimate grand prize.

Next she elaborated on the proceedings of the phase 2.

We will be having 3 rounds.

1.     Best you can do together

2.     Trust your partner

3.     Endure for your partner

In the 1^st round we will be having a dare where the couple has to perform together something, the best they can. Only 4 couples will go ahead.

Next round is called Trust your partner where u will be having a dare in which your compatibility and comfort with your partner will come handy.

And the final round is called Endure for your partner where one partner has to suffer the pain ,fear, anything terrifying till his/her partner completes the given task.

So guys get prepared for ultimate fun, adventure and of course pain. This is the test of your love, trust and compatibility with each other.

I will meet you right here in the “Love Battle Ground” after 5 hours. So get yourself prepared with the best you can show us.

We came to our room and started discussing on what all options we have in our kitty.

Dancing was a passion for both of us and hence we decided to do a salsa.

5 hours had gone and the stage was all set for the couples to rock.

Judges for the day were Diya Mirza, Arjun Rampal and Farah Khan.

We had some gr88 dance performances, heart touching duet songs, couple of stand up comedy acts and even delicious Italian and Mexican cuisine prepared by some.

Nikita and I gave our best and showed a gr88 level of comfort.

It was indeed a neck to neck competition. Results were announced after 2 hours and we nearly had a heart attack , when our named was announced as the last couple to be selected.

The feeling was awesome as we were just a step away from winning the grand prize.

There were no more eliminations now. The next round was on 13^th around 8 in the morning so we slept early to be fresh and ready for the dare.

All the 4 couples gathered in the “Love Battle Ground” for the next round

Trust your partner.

Yami as usual looked sensational in her red color one piece.

She greeted us and quickly briefed about the dare we will be performing in this round.

The dare was quite thrilling. We had to cling together and were tied by a rope which pulled us back. There was also a water canon which would bombard water missiles to keep us away. Once the couple got separated they were out of the dare. The couple who clung together the maximum amount of time, won. It looked like we were going to have tremendous fun.

I and Nikita were the 1^st couple to perform the dare. It demanded strong will power, tough bodies and trust on each other. We were quite sure of winning it as we had the above qualities.

The dare started very well and I thought it to be a cake walk. As the force of the pulling ropes increased we held each other tightly. I got lost in the fragrance of her body, the feel of her soft skin took me to a different world altogether.

I was brought to my senses by her loud scream...Ouch.!!!
She pulled herself away and unfortunately we were out of the dare...

She was hurt, but how? , what happened?

When I tried to ask her but she drew her hand away and ran.

I was awed by her reaction. I tried to contemplate what went wrong, some mistake from my side, but couldn't find any.

Other couples performed quite well. We were at the last position. I was very much upset and disappointed not only to find our name at the bottom of the list but also because of Nikita’s behavior. I went to my room to start a conversation but in vain, the door was shut and there was no response from her. It was 12 a.m. and the valentine day had already started , but still she didn't even care to talk to me. I was really agitated, but somehow managed to pacify myself as we had another round to go and our victory which was looking nearly impossible, depended completely on how we performed in it.

We had become friends with one of the couple, Ajay and Divya, so I went to their room. Nikita and Divya gelled well together, so I tried to ask her, if she knew what had happened?

She just told me one thing; take this Gillette shave gel and remove your stubble by tomorrow morning.

Suddenly the whole picture became quite clear to me. It was my stubble which has caused all the chaos. If I was clean shaven we could have won the round.

And the worst thing, it was because of this stubble I was craving for that valentine kiss, that warm hug, the touch of her soft skin and her love which I needed the most in my life.

It was valentine morning. All the couples were having a gr88 time except me who was paying the price for being so apathetic to her agitation, talks, advice and suggestion about my stubble.

I couldn't figure out what to do next and to add to my trouble the 3rd round was going to start at 3 p.m and it was already 1..Finally an idea stuck my mind.

I shaved, clicked a pic of mines and transferred it to Divya’s mobile.

Then I wrote a letter and requested her to forward both of them to Nikita. 

My Sweetheart Niks,

I would be the only BF in this world who is craving so much , just to even see his GF's face on this Valentine day.I know, I am an idiot who doesn't listen to your talks but now I have realized my mistake. I am really sorry for what all had happened and I promise to never let you down.

You are my soul and I can't live without it. I would die if I don't get a JADU KI JHAPPI from you in next 1 hour. I want to win this contest with you my angel, please come back baby..:(

Your Idiot

Ankit

I was standing at the door with Divya to see the response. Finally after 15 mins the door opened and Nikita came out with the letter. 

You know Mr Idiot, I will definitely kill you the next time,I see a stubble on that face. Saying that she hugged me so tightly that even air had no chance to pass. 

Both of ours eyes were wet.

When our eyes meet I could read this message in them..."I had to do this Ankit as it was the only way to make u understand the pain I feel, everytime I kiss that junglee area of yours. It was so difficult for me to even get close to you.." 

So finally everything was sorted out and we were all set for round 3.

At 3 p.m all the couples gathered for the last time in the “Love Battle Ground”.

For the first time I didn't even notice Yami as winning the contest was the only thing I had in my mind.

So guys are u ready for the final round, asked her. A loud cheer from all the couples was the response. Gr88, I am so happy to see your enthusiasm and that killer feeling to win the grand prize. So here is your dare. 

One of the partner has to solve a Jigsaw puzzle and the other partner will be put inside a glass box full of snakes  After 1 min more of these venomous creatures will be put in. There are 25 pieces in this Jigsaw puzzle , the couple which takes minimum time in solving it , wins.

Unfortunately this time too we were the first couple to compete.

I was terrified by seeing those deadly snakes but than I was determined to endure it for her.

Nikita was good at solving puzzles which was a bonus for us.

As the dare started I was made to lay inside the glass and Big pythons ,cobras and vipers were spread all over me. I kept my nerves and lay still. 

                          

To everyone's surprise Nikita solved it in just 4 mins. We were really happy by our performance. 

Next 2 couples were disqualified as they were too scared to try the dare and hence dropped out of the contest. Now it was left between us and our friends Ajay and Divya. 

Divya took 10 mins to solve the puzzle. As they came 3rd in the previous round , it was a tough call to choose the winner.

Finally the results came and Boy..O Boy...I jumped 5 feet in the air on listening it.

We were the winners...yes we were the winners of the grand prize, 4 D/3N in Bali,Indonesia.

I just did it for you , I told her. Before I could say anything else , her lips were on mines . I so so so badly wanted it..

It was 6 in the eve and the stubble of mines had made me crave for complete 18 hours of Valentine Day.

Four of us celebrated the win together in a nearby 5 star hotel. We ate,danced and got drunk for next 3 hours. The clock struck 10 and we were finally in our room. 

I undressed myself quickly, went to the bathroom and took the Gillette shave gel. As i was about to start shaving, there was a  knock at the door. Nikita was standing there in her sexiest black color nighty. She came in ,took the gel, slowly applied it to my face and moved the razor gently.

After the shaving session ended , it was time for............hmmm........well.........that's secret..:P

Nwys we had a great time together in the bathroom as well as on our trip to Bali...:)

From that day onward I have made it a rule to shave daily, even twice a day also.
Because now I have know the consequences, if she can make me crave on Valentine day, lets not talk about what she can do on normal days...

This post is part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with Blogadda.com

When you came

People come and people go
But when you entered
you closed my heart’s door
Promised you would never go.

There was a string invisible
between us, yet clearly legible
No words were ever spoken
yet meanings were taken..

You came like a spring
into my life so boring,
For me this divine connection
Is almost a resurrection.

Just stay the way you are
Be there for me every minute and hour,
Nothing’s dearer to me now than you,
Now I cannot afford to lose you..

Highly recommended experiments to get straight hair

Are u a straight hair lover who always dreamed of straightening them ,than you are at the right page.
Here are some ISI certified experiments to ensure that you get your hair straighten...

1. Things required- DVD player,TV, a DVD of horror movie like Dracula .
    Procedure- Play the DVD and enjoy the fun. After watching the movie u will definitely
                     end up with straight hair..)
                 

      

                                                            
         

                                                 



2.  Things required - Air plane , Skydiving kit
     Procedure - Coolest way to get ur hair straighten
                       Just Wear your skydiving skit and jump out of the plane.
                       Let gravity, air and parachute take care of the rest..:)
                      And here you are with straight hair..

3. Things required - Free fall ride
    Procedure -  This ride ensures that you get ur hair straighten though temporarily but without any
                       effort and with load of fun.So just sit in the ride and let gravity take care of the rest.

4. Things Required -Some clips and a bed
    Procedure - When you go to sleep, just tie your hair at the end of your bed with help of clips.
                       After some sleepless nights I assure you straight hairs..:)


5. Things required - plaster of paris
     Procedure - Apply plaster of paris on your hair. Keep it for some time till it sets and sunhardens.
                       Now break the cast and tadaaa,,,,you have straight hair..


6. Go to a salon and ask him to get a military/soldier cut. Permanent straight hair for atleast 3
    months.

7. Try preparing for IIT or CAT 24* 7. You will definitely end up pulling ur hair helping them to get
    straighten.

And if any case none of the above experiments work for you, here is the most dangerous but perfect experiment to permanently get your hair straighten and for that

8. Things Required - A live electric wire
    Procedure - Just touch the wire and let electricity take care of the rest.

But if you are simple living person who wants a easy yet full proof way to get your hair straighten apply Sunsilk solution.



This post is part of the contest The straight hair experiment on Indiblogger..

Book Review : The Bankster

This is my first ever book review and I am glad that it started with
"The Bankster" by Ravi Subramanian.

About the Author:
Ravi Subramanian is an alumnus of IIM Banglore ,working as a Banker for last two decades.
He is one of the bestselling author in India. His previous novels include-:
If God was a banker(2007)
I Bought the Monks Ferrari(2007)
Devil in Pinstripes(2009)
The Incredible banker(2011)

What the cover speaks:
When I got the book in my hand I was fascinated by its cover. Perfect for a thriller .
As my eyes moved down I was introduced to the author as "John Grisham of Banking" by The wall street journal. A big compliment indeed.

Something about the Story:

I love reading thriller novels, mainly those from Sydney Sheldon.
They are a perfect balance of suspense,thrill and sex..
So I had the same expectations from the Bankster when I started from Page1.
The name of book "Bankster" is a blend of banker and gangster. And true to its name the story revolves around fraud,crime,sex and deception in an International Bank, The Greater Boston Global Bank(GB2).

The GB2 Bank has build a solid reputation over years which is put at stack with a series of murder. Who is behind the murders ? What is the motive ?....
As investigation starts the people involved are killed off as they come across some vital evidence.
Then Karan Punjabi , ex banker of GB2 and current press reporter comes into picture to unveil the mystery of murders.
As picture gets clearer he realizes it to be a global conspiracy that can have devastating consequences if not stopped now.

With only 36 hours at his disposal, he needs to unravel the mystery and bring the truth out.
Whether he succeeds and if yes, How forms the climax of the story.

What I liked :
1. I could connect all the dots in the story and never found myself lost. All the action in Anglo,Vienna ,            
    Kerala and Mumbai are properly linked.
2. To my surprise there were no typo or editorial error which you could easily find in an Indian fiction.
3. Then banking jargon used is easily understood.
4. The story is well paced and I never feel like a void is been developed. Keeps the interest intact
5. The entire plot is well woven, specially the end.

Things that can be improved : 
There are too many characters in the story and sometimes its really difficult to relate their past and present actions.There should be more emphasis on their background which is missing.

My verdict:
I would surely recommend it to all the thrill lovers. The only point is don't consider it to be a classic and you won't be disappointed.

Title: The Bankster
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Publisher : Rupa publication
Pages: 364
Language: English
Cost : 250


This review is part of the Book Review Program at Blogadda. Participate now to get free books.!!

My Incomplete Love story

"..Bhulatey bhulatey phir yaad aa gye tum
barso ki bhuji pyaas ko phir se jaaga gaye tum,
ikrar na sahi inkar to na karte tum…
meri mohabaat ka yu tamasha to na karte tum,

Dard-e-dil diya to dia tumney..
yaad aakar usey nasoor to na karte tum..
mujhe surat se nahi, seerat se pehachantey tum,
jaana tha to chale jate, dard dekar to na jatey tum…

dharti ki pyaas ki tarah, meri pyaas ho tum..
kya kahu mere liye kyu aur kitney khaas ho tum,
dua hain meri jaha raho, hamesha khush raho tum…

Bhulatey bhulatey phir yaad aa gye tum
barso ki bhuji pyaas ko phir se jaaga gaye tum,
ikrar na sahi inkar to na karte tum…
meri mohabaat ka yu tamasha to na karte tum…

mujhe yaad rakho ya na rakho..,
meri yaado ka hissa they aur hamesha rahogey tum..
Meri zindagi mai pyaar ki pehli seedhi ka naam ho tum,..
duniya kitni bhi badley mere liye wohi ho tum..

pehle bhi tumhi aur aaj bhi mera pyaar ho tum,
galti na bata kar saath chod kar janey waley they tum..
intezar aaj bhi hain lakin laut ka na aney waley ho tum…

Bhulatey bhulatey phir yaad aa gye tum
barso ki bhuji pyaas ko phir se jaaga gaye tum,
ikrar na sahi inkar to na karte tum…
meri mohabaat ka yu tamasha to na karte tum….”

A Silent Love

A Silent Love_______________

10th grade:
=======

As I sat there in English class, I stared at the girl next to me. She was my so called “best friend”. I stared at her long, silky hair, and wished
she was mine. But she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it.
After class, she walked up to me and asked me for the notes she had missed the day before and handed them to her. She said “thanks” and shake hand with me. I wanted to tell her, I want her to know that I don’t want to be just friends, I love her but I’m just too shy, and I don’t know why.

11th grade
=======

The phone rang. On the other end, it was her. She was in tears, mumbling on and on about how her love had broke her heart. She asked me to come over because she didn't want to be alone, so I did. As I sat next to her on the sofa, I stared at her soft eyes, wishing she was mine.

After 2 hours, one Drew Barrymore movie, and three bags of chips, she decided to go to sleep.
She looked at me, said “thanks” and gave me sweet smile. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don’t want to be just friends, I love her but I’m just too shy, and I don’t know why.

Senior year
========

The day before prom she walked to my locker. “My date is sick” she said; he’s not going to go well, I didn't have a date, and in 7th grade, we made a promise that if neither of us had dates, we would go together just as “best friends”. So we did.

Prom night, after everything was over, I was standing at her front door step! I stared at her as she smiled at me and stared at me with her crystal eyes. I want her to be mine, but she isn’t think of me like that, and I know it. Then she said “I had the best time, thanks!” and gave me a sweet smile. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don’t want to be just friends, I love her but I’m just too shy, and I don’t know why.

Graduation Day
==========

A day passed, then a week, then a month. Before I could blink, it was graduation day. I watched as her perfect body floated like an angel up on stage to get her deg. I wanted her to be mine, but she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it.

Before everyone went home, she came to me in her smock and hat, and cried as I hugged her. Then she lifted her head from my shoulder and said, “You’re my best friend, thanks”. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don’t want to be just friends, I love her but I’m just too shy, and I don’t know why.

A Few Years Later
==============
Now I sit in the pews of the church. That girl is getting married now. I watched her say “I do” and drive off to her new life, married to another man. I wanted her to be mine, but she didn`t see me like that, and I knew it.

But before she drove away, she came to me and said “you came!”. She said “thanks” and kissed me on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don’t want to be just friends, I love her but I’m just too shy, and I don’t know why.

Funeral
======

Years passed, I looked down at the coffin of a girl who used to be my “best friend”. At the service, they read a diary entry she had wrote in her high school years.

This is what it read:
I stare at him wishing he was mine, but he doesn’t notice me like that, and I know it. I want to tell him, I want him to know that I don’t want to be just friends, I love him but I’m just too shy, and I don’t know why. I wish he would tell me he loved me!

I wish I did too… I thought to my self, and I cried. :’(

ThE SiLenT TaLK..

Boy:I saw her today…
Girl:I saw him today…
Boy:It seems like its been forever
Girl: I wonder if he still cares…
Boy:She looks better than before………
Girl: I couldn`t help but stare
Boy:I asked her how she was
Girl: I asked him about his new girlfriend
Boy: I`d choose her over any girl
Girl: He`s probably happy now

Boy:I couln`t look at her without thinking i would cry.
Girl: He couldn`t even look at me…
Boy:I told her I missed her…
Girl: He told me he missed me…
Boy: I meant it…
Girl: He didn`t mean it…
Boy:I love her
Girl: He loves her…
Boy: I held her…
Girl: He gave me a friendly hug…
Boy: Then I went home and cried…
Girl: Then I went home and cried…
Boy: I lost her
Girl: I lost him
Boy: *Sigh*
Girl: *Sigh*

Appreciation

 I found this article somewhere so thought of sharing it with everyone..:)

This is a powerful message for our modern society. We seem to have lost our bearing & our sense of direction.

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?”
The youth answered “none”.
The director asked, “Was it your father who paid for your school fees?”
The youth answered, “My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, “Where did your mother work?”
The youth answered, “My mother worked as laundry woman.
The director requested the youth to show his hands.

The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?”
The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, “I have a request. “When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.”
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands.
His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the young man.
The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother’s hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”
The youth answered, “I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes’
The Director asked, “Please tell me your feelings.”
The youth said:
1. I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not have been the successful me today.
2. By working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.
3. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationships.

The director said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop “entitlement mentality” and would always put him self first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of a person, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the children instead?*

You can let your children live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, you want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your children learn how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learn how to work with others to get things done.

One of the Best dish of Bread...Rock Toast

Whenever I come to my hometown Indore, the dish on top of my menu list is "Rock Toast".

It is one of the best Bread dish I have ever tasted. Easy to make and serve, Rock Toast readily rocks our taste buds...

Here I have mentioned a recipe for 3 person, accordingly we can make it for less or more..

Lets quickly move on to the ingredients required

• 3 big size Tomatoes
• 6 medium size Onions
• 6 Tea spoon Semolina (Suji)
• 6 Tea spoon Malai
• 3 Tea spoon Del Monte Tomato Chili Sauce
• 1/2 Tea spoon Red Chilli powder
• 3/4 Tea spoon Salt
• 1/4 Tea spoon Sugar
• 50 gm Kothmir
• 1/4 Tea spoon Cumin seed( Jeera)

Preparation :

• Cut the tomatoes and onions into small fine pieces.
• Mix them with the ingredients as per the required quantity mentioned above.
• Stir them for 5 minutes with a spoon so that they get mixed properly.

Procedure :

• Take a bread piece and apply the mixture evenly on it with help of spoon or fingers.
• Take a non stick Pan and heat groundnut oil on low burner
• Put the mixture applied bread piece upside down on the Pan.
• Move it slowly on the pan till it gets brown and becomes like a toast.
• Now its time to bake the other side of the bread.

The Dish is ready,serve it with  Del Monte Tomato Ketchup and Salad..:)

                                  

This post is part of contest The Del Monte Blogger Recipe Carnival on Indiblogger

When Cricket takes me to Melbourne..!!!

I have always fancied about visiting Australia specially it’s capital and the most populous city in
the state of Victoria, Melbourne.

But I didn’t know that my wish will come true so early.

Australian cricket team had come to India for Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Being a huge fan of cricket I didn’t wanted to miss a chance to watch the two biggies of Cricket Fraternity, fight hard to win one of the most prestigious series in cricket world.

Though it was in Mumbai unfortunately I was not able to watch it live in stadium because of my office.
But I decided to watch it live on TV whenever I got time.

There was a contest running online in which we had to predict the man of match, result of each test and finally the man of series.
Top prize was 4D/5N stay in Melbourne for two persons inclusive of all expenses.

Though luck never favored me in such contests, but I thought to give it a chance, as it was free…:P

Next few days till the tournament continued, the first thing I did was to make an analysis of the players performance and accordingly make my next prediction.
Finally the tournament ended with India winning the series 1-0.

I had mixed feelings, though I was happy for the Indian win but I was also nervous as results for the contest were going to be declared the next day.
I had done well with my predictions and had a chance to win atleast the consolation price.

Next day I woke up early to check the website for results, but to my dismay they were not available.
In office too I was busy pressing the F5 key N no of times, until I got stares from people around.

Finally in the evening when I was about to leave for home, I refreshed the page last time and EUREKA..!!!, the link for winner list was flashing right in front of my eyes.

Without wasting any time, I clicked it twice, thrice and kept on clicking till it didn’t open on one go..:P
Amazed, Astonished, Surprised are the words which could explain my emotions at that moment of time.
My name was flashing at the top of the list, Wow.!! I was on cloud 9.

This was the moment I was waiting for years; quickly I called my mother to tell her this gr88 news.
Mom we are going to Melbourne, pack your bags..:)

Soon we flew to Melbourne on 16^th July and had an experience of lifetime there.

I am not going to bore you guys by narrating the complete story of Melbourne trip but will tell you some of the most interesting places that I visited and the experience that I had there which I would love to cherish again.

First thing we did was to board the free tram which is the most convenient way of traveling to all the popular locations of Melbourne. Here goes the list.

1       MCG ground

Though Lords is the most popular cricket venue in world, Melbourne cricket ground charm is no less.As I am a big cricket fan, I was damn excited to visit MCG. It is full of memorabilia, a treasure trove of artifacts. I loved exploring the ground and buildings. If I get a chance, I would definitely like to watch a match here.

                      

Once we were done with my cricket craziness, we headed towards the 2nd most exciting place in Melbourne…The Melbourne Zoo.

2       Melbourne Zoo
Australia is known to be the home of some of the most strange and amazing creatures in the world and what can be a better place than a zoo to find all of them under a single roof.

                            

Melbourne zoo has all the animals you can think of right from jumping Kangaroos, Cute Koala bears to the 2nd largest bird in the world Emus. 

                       

I was really amazed to find all of them just at a distance of 10m.

Now it was time to explore the culture and history of Melbourne so our next stop was Melbourne Museum.

3       Melbourne Museum
This place is full of interactive displays. There are lot of interesting things to see and learn such as rain forest, dinosaurs, mind and body gallery and the aboriginal culture. We really enjoyed the experience and would love to explore more.

                                

Now Mom insisted on going to some park or garden where she can find lots of natural beauty, so we headed to Royal Botanic Garden.

4       Royal Botanic Gardens
There are some beautiful gardens and immaculate lawns to visit here. It’s a relaxing experience strolling through acres of native and exotic plants and flowers.

                                 

Local’s say, just wear your runners, take a book, take photos, lie on the grass and relax.

I agree with each word said above, truly an amazing place to visit and relax.

After the relaxation mode, we again became active. Let’s go shopping mom ordered. So Block Arcade became our next destination. As I was also feeling hungry I didn’t protested, anyways I didn’t have an option.

5       Block Arcade

Block Arcade was what locals suggested us for shopping and I bet they were right.

It is full of Winding Laneways, lovely little cafes and nice quaint shops. We had the best of cakes, chocolates and coffee here. 

Mom did some shopping, donno what, as I was busy eating chocolates. In all we had a great experience.

                                      

After the shopping spree now it was time for the next spot, Melbourne Aquarium.

6       Melbourne Aquarium
Marine life has always fascinated me and what better place can be to watch them live than an Aquarium. There were many beautiful creatures here including sharks, sting rays, giant jelly fish and the main attraction Penguins. 

                           

     The staff there was also very helpful and explained everything especially to mom. I loved everything there and had an incredible experience.

Australia is known to be the home of many athletes, who have excelled in all sorts of sport competitions specially Olympics. I was really excited to visit the National Sports Museum which has world class exhibitions of famous sporting artifacts, so next in line was National Sports Museum.

7       National Sports Museum

The museum covers Australia sporting history through pictures, videos, memorabilia and interactive displays. The highlight is the range of interactive activities which test your sporting abilities. 

                       

As I am damn crazy about cricket, it was really thrilling to find the description of complete Australian Cricket era there. It was really a life time experience for me.

                       

I was specially advised by my friends to visit this place called Eureka Skydeck 88.

The awe inspiring view of Melbourne from this highest vintage point can never be missed by any tourist. So our next spot was Eureka Skydeck 88

8       Eureka Skydeck 88

Visit to this skyscraper can be called the highlight of our trip. As it is located on the 88 storey of the building, hence the name Eureka Skydeck 88. It was night time and the panoramic view of Melbourne from this point was breathtaking. 

We took some fab pics and finally made our way to the last our destination.. St. Kilda Beach.

9       St. Kilda Beach
There were many reasons for which I preferred this place. Firstly it was time for dinner and we had some gr88 cafes and eateries here. Secondly I was really dying to go to a beach and have a sand walk. 

                              

     And thirdly there were lot of penguins to see on the rocks at the night time.

Finally we took off to our hotel and boarded the flight in the morning for India. The overall experience of Melbourne was superb…I would definitely want to visit this place again and again. 

Melbourne, an incredible place indeed.

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