Thank you!

Today I want to write about my very special friend. She's special just for being herself! We may not talk for hours together or meet that often but I know for a fact that I can count on her!
She has started this new blog and I am in awe of this girl who has stood up and come out to talk about herself so courageously.
I still vividly remember that one pajama party we had where you just burst out talking about leukoderma and you! You have come such a long way since then, from conquering your fears to living life to the utmost fullest! Your post was nothing less than an inspiration especially at this juncture of my life where I am trying hard to figure out what went wrong from my perfectly chalked out plan of how life would be at this moment!
Thank you Resha, for being you and as Aayushi very correctly said, you may not know it but you are a rockstar!
Thank you for being my friend!(click on this link to read about her journey)

Can a girl demand?

17.05.15!
I am unmarried and not committed to anything at the moment but my work and career.i have friends who are of "marriageable age" and their families are helping them get them a suitable husband.i know our generation is absolutely against the concept of arranged marriages but I don't completely agree with them.i may say my opinion lies somewhere in the middle of agreement or disagreement.agreement because a large percentage of Indians undergo the rigorous procedure of arranged marriage and emerge victorious, and I am not talking about the statistics here because they would include a large number of rural population who get married against their wishes and put up with shit at times due to various circumstances.i am talking about the statistics here because they would include a large number of rural population who get married against their wishes and put up with shit at times due to various circumstances.i am talking about the urban population,the common urban man or woman who would want someone as career oriented as themselves,fun loving,have a few common interests and a social person.so many of my relatives and friends have literally found their soul mates through the ritual of Arranged marriages.
But what about those who did not emerge victorious,what about those whose experiences were sour.who are those people?
You are right-they are the ones who are not so attractive,be it from fat to dark to those suffering from Any medical ailment.for those absolutely perfect human beings this experience is a bit sour,I may interrupt here to tell that there are MANY exceptions to this rule too.just for reference I know a girl who was brought up telling that if you don't change then you will have a tough time finding a good guy for yourself,and let me tell you she found her soul mate through arranged marriage and I couldn't have been happier for her because however she is on the exterior I am yet to meet someone as kind and compassionate as her.
Our society has evolved over the years from losing the ghunghat to adapting to microminis but what I find difficult to accept is that there are still the same conservative people dressed up in the garb of being very liberal walking amongst us in our very own social circles and that mask comes off when they go around seeking a FAIR THIN AND STAY AT HOME BRIDE for their sons who are definitely the apple of their eyes!
I have had personal experiences with these people, and many of whom I call friends, in fact I had a friend, he was a very understanding and well behaved boy.just the other day we were talking abou
t plans post our  exams and he said marriage is definitely on the cards but he was facing a problem,the girls he met were just NOT FAIR ENOUGH! I literally gasped at that answer and at the  risk of jeopardising my friendship I  told him but you yourself are so dark and do you really think her skin tone will determine how compatible you guys will be?hes a good chap and did not take much offence.he replied I am dark but I am a boy.
I was just taken aback,but still I didn't judge him for his requirements of a happy married life,I was amazed for a few days but I understood -to each his own!
But what I can't really comprehend is that why is the requirement of a man considered so justifiable and not a woman's?if a woman asks for a wealthy husband then why is she told to understand that wealth doesn't make a happy marriage, or if she says I want someone who shall allow me to work even after marriage or someone who says I won't cook or someone who says I don't want to have kids at all!why are her demands considered ruthless if she says she can't go through the pain of having kids! I as a doctor have known the procedure from top to bottom,in fact the very 1st delivery I conducted made me decide to never have kids,of course that decision changed but it didn't for many other girls that I know and they were scolded a lot for even having this notion!!And the world says deepika  padukone is wrong when she says it's my choice and my life on your screens!.I still continue to hold a very deep friendship with my friend but if I can look past his requirement and not judge him for that then why can't the world just know those really pretty girls who are not so pretty on the exterior and judge them for their nature,their inner beauty and the huge pinnacles they are very much capable of achieving!
and here it is that I disagree with arranged marriages,with the ever compromising girl saying that's how I was told that it would be.i wish the exceptions to this rule continue to ever increase and then arranged marriages can be a very fruitful and fun experience to many!
it's time we decide who are worthy of our explanations and who can just be left alone to talk and gossip about our choices!

Travel diaries 2015

Wanderlust-a strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world!
Bitten by the travel bug recently, I have been doing some travelling,some for leisure and some out of work..but when I am up in the air or on the roads,words just flow out of me....

Berlin-April 2015

I went to Berlin almost immediately after my exams.i was beaming in the joy of being an ophthalmologist,and being able to add 2 more alphabets in front of my name.it was purely leisure,which my dad paid for entirely(I know I am shameless but if we take up medicine our parents end up supporting us practically for the rest of our lives)as I walked through the tiny but very very fashionable streets of Berlin,I realised there's so much more to life than just planning my whole future of having it all figured out.this is the only time that I can travel and enjoy without a care in the world.once I land up a job for myself,things will be different,but I do intend totravel as much as possible because travelling just gives you a different high and you do end up connecting with yourself more than ever! the paintings all over Berlin Wall are simply spell bounding.those pictures definitely speak a 1000words!i did all the typical tourist things-walk around the tube with a map in tow,go upto the tv tower and had a scrumptious meal till the restaurant revolved 360 degrees so that I could see the whole of Berlin at one go.the history of Berlin and hitler was explained very well at the Brandenburg tor!and I ended up the trip with some shopping!it was a nice relaxing week for sure.from belgaum to Berlin ;) 

Bengaluru-may 2015
The first time I went to bengaluru,I didn't really like the dull pace of it...life seemed too slow..but that was not until I got to know the people there.its mainly dominated by South Indians and what a bunch of intellectual people I must say.and the most endearing thing that I felt about them-they are very happy and secure at whatever place they are.we in mumbai are very competition driven and always wanting to achieve more than we can,somewhere in that struggle we forget to enjoy the present,the gift of the present. I went there for an interview and I am not ashamed to say that I was rejected.not ashamed because I wasn't written off,the vice chairman of that particular hospital sat me down and explained me what was wrong.he explained me how I can come back and what u should do in the meantime.how the.nExt 1-2 

Years are so important and who I work with means so much more now.and you would think somebody whose so busy and so much up and above in his game would never entertain a novice like me!

So bengaluru you've been a good and stern teacher...till we meet again!

Ahmedabad-may 2015
I am a Gujarati myself so when people think I know Ahmedabad in and out and it will be flocked by my relatives.but that's not true.i personally have been to ahmedabad only twice.the heat is insane here.people don't come out from 12-4 here.people here are very fun loving and absolute foodies.the variety of food available here is crazy.gujjus do love their food,and I can vouch for that!i happened to meet an old friend and I also had the pleasure of how much he has evolved through his residency in Ahmedabad!medicine is a crazy thing,it changes your perspective about life,it clearly demarcates between the needs in life from the demands of life!its taught us what is necessity and what is luxury and we have all been scarred to reach here!at the end of this race we are all regretful of taking up this career choice.thats a dilemma we all are trying to fight through and understand it in a better way!Meeting him made me realise I am not the only one in this thick,hot and boiling soup.i have company and loads of it.we departed at the note of unexpected future surprises and to optimism to lead us.

Back in mumbai,don't know how much time till I wander again in search of a job,or a meaning to my life!i hope I get that soon because the Virgo in me is a crazy planner and doesn't understand surprises well!(guilty)

Since a long adieu

Hello there,
Its been 4 years since this blog last saw a post.I was away pursuing my post graduation in a small town called Belgaum away from home which is Mumbai!
3 years of hardwork,3 years of absolute no contact with the outer world and I am here,proud to present to you- Dr Riddhi Shah MBBS,MS(Ophthalmlolgy).
And I've really missed a lot,especially writing, so I am back and I hope this time there won't be any sabbaticals.
Life has changed in the last 4 years,I have evolved from a girl to a lady,I have understood myself,my abilities,have begun to understand why I make the choices that I do make! Sigh,I can't really put it into words but I am happy and content at this stage of my life even without so many things that I dreamed I would have by the time I am 27 years old.
"Old enough to do it better,young enough to do it anyway!!" 
So let's start afresh..subsequent posts shall include about my experience of 3 years and what lies ahead!
I hope you enjoy the ride! :)

3 years of soul searching!

How should I even start what those 3 years of post graduation were!
Stayed away from home, family, on my own,shared an apartment with a friend, made friends of a lifetime,learnt so much about hierarchy at work! the list is very extensive but they were the 3 most important and fun years of my life! Where I gained new friends, I also lost out on old comrades but I don't regret losing them. They just couldn't keep up with how fast my life was changing, how fast I was evolving! I did my best to preserve those relationships but as they say if it's not meant to be,it never will be! And o be honest it has just done us all so much good!
Firstly I need to talk about the great people I met on my 3 year journey.My colleagues were super helpful and so much full of life! I have not partied and had so much fun ever! It would be like a scene out of ' Grey's Anatomy'- we would have had a really hard and taxing day and would meet up in the evening to chill and soon it just turned into a full house party and next morning we would be back at work again- some harbouring incurable hangovers, some just very sleepy! But in the end what mattered was that once we entered that hospital, we were different people.Our full attention on our work and patients,however we were feeling was suddenly not affecting us physically or mentally.That's when I learnt work ethic and discipline. If its a Monday and you have to report to Surgery at 6 am, then nothing mattered more than being there at 6 am, 6.01am was like screwed!!! But we all had our moments and days, we were late or forgot to run a lab test and covered up for each other.That was team work! Now that I am back home, I really miss my colleagues,my professors, the nursing staff and the whole hospital.
I dealt with some difficult people too but now when I look back I feel like they just taught me on how to be tough and just to never take no for an answer and pursue your dream to the hilt!
My friends, my flat mate were like my backbone! I can't remember even a single day without them! We were our tiny family away from home! A bad day and I would find myself with all of them by my side telling me- Let it go, let's partyyyy!!...Our signature parties, our signature joints! When we said goodbye to each other it was a heart wrenching tale in itself, like saying goodbye to a family member! Those 3 years were beautiful and filled with memories only because of them! But we have promised each other to meet atleast once a year at conferences(minus the spouses, and I am pretty sure that rule won't last long!). Because 3 years with you guys were just too less! Much love to you all!
I learnt responsibility, being independent isn't just all fun and no work. I really yearned for home cooked meals and the luxuries of home.however 3 years away was a soul searching kind of trip for me.
Staying away from home made me much more confident,much more strong headed(which my parents disagree to being. A Virtue) more independent and much much more secure and comfortable in my own skin.the cons were that it made me even more aloof at times.i always needed my space but stayin alone did me more good as I was let alone and in peace,my parents often complain about that too.
All in all...paper and words are too less to sum up my 3 awesome years...My foundation to go out in the world and never lose the burning passion that the Post Graduation years in the field of Ophthalmology have inculcated in me!

On first look

The heart sighed,
it stopped for a minute,
as you walked in,
filling that dingy room with your presence.


I looked up,
not figuring what to say or what to feel!
could it be,
that you are for real!


My eyes saw so much, in you,
all in a matter of minutes and seconds,
an unknown sentiment transpired,
is that what you call the crazy-'love at first sight'


I wonder if I've ever crossed your mind,
for me it happens all the time,
like a whiff of your presence,
just lingering on!


So many faces I encounter,
each day,each week,
but you just stay on,
like some business unfinished.


Everytime I see you,
I end up in mumbles and jumbles,
and you know it,don't you?
that everything around stops when you are around!


My words can never do justice,
to even begin to say what it is,
that I do long for a glimpse so much,
but can't muster up the courage enough!


Yes,crazy is the idea,
of love at first sight,
whoever felt it,
Must have felt just the same!!

My way!

I feel like I am looking at Life out of this small window,
there's so much out there,
I want to travel like a voyageur,
I want to discover myself like never before

have a lot left to fulfill,
a lot left to experience and regret the same!
A lot left to feel,
And a lot left to understand yet!

It feels like life has just started out,
As simple as it seems not to me,
As thrilling and insane it is.

I want to leap,
I want to jump,
As high as it gets,
Then hit back down to ground as it should be.

But I want to wake up one day
to my own path,
carved and sculpted by me,

The chance that I took,
the life that I want to live,
Is one of no regrets,of adventures and my decisions!


I will walk the path and mark it with my mistakes,
my failures and success,
It will be my path!