Goggles In Space

Today, as I watch you step into another year of life, I find myself reflecting on my own journey. In my late teens, I dreamt of IIT and BITS. Those never saw light. In my early twenties, I dreamt of going to the US and building career and lot of money. Instead, fate connected me to a stranger who became my life partner—your father. and life took a different path. An year later, when I finally made it to the US, life had other plans. My first baby was coming, and I returned to India by 7th month. Cheeku was born and 4th month onwards, i joined work. It was tough but daddoo didnt let me extend my leave. It was hectic with early mornings, handling a new born and also ensuring office work is done to the best ! before i could settle into the new rhythm, you entered our lives, and before i knew, everything was changing within me, around me. I was no longer chasing dreams for myself. I started dreaming for my children. You and Cheeku became the center of my world. My days were fil...

'Baby bro' - thats how Sreya has stored your name on her phone ! XX--------------------------------X---------------XX More delicate than your sister, you were always our baby—the one we held a little closer and cared for a little more. You grew up around us, always wanting us to be part of your day, yet exploring your own world—Pokémon, Beyblades, puzzles, legos,books, athletics, soccer, cubing, chess… and so much more. Electronics was a weakness from very young age. In the early years, to gently wean you away from it, we spent hours together at the library—bringing home piles of books, turning reading into a shared joy. Bringing up two bundles of energy was very challenging. I struggled in many ways, but. I was completely invested in you— ensuring your safety , cooking every meal, driving you to classes, listening to your stories between my meetings, catching glimpses of your school activities, and joining you in running, hiking, and everything in between. My words and actions...

 IIMB UGET  for the new Data science and economics UG programmes exam in Dec'2025 - percentile- 97.4% but just missed cutoff for interview call Jee mains- Jan24 Peenya 97.3 percentile Jee 2 attempt  April 4 - 92 percentile Manipal - April 13 (AIR 208) BITS - April 16 1st attempt - 201 marks   KCET - 23,24 (Yelahanka stay) -???? IIIT Hyd UGEE - May 2 (didnt meet cutoff) ComedK - May  9, 96.9 percentile , Rank 3445 JEE advanced-May 17 (73 marks, no rank) BITS - May 26 2nd attempt - 226 marks  

 serious studies from November Appu preboard then CBSE and JEE mains first attempt on Jan 24- Peenya board exam JEE second attempt KCET, ComedK, Manipal,BITS

That little roadside mango stall (weekend only) in HSR became a part of our summer routine this year. It wasn’t just about buying fruit—it felt like visiting someone we knew. A mother and her daughters ran it, their smiling faces inspite of the long hours standing, with the pride that comes from putting something honest on the table. Sree found it during his weekend runs and then over the weeks, we found ourselves going back again and again. Sindoora, Mallika, Raspuri—we tried them all, sometimes repeating our favorites without even checking the price. Each variety brought its own sweetness, its own mood. There was a trust within us the mangoes were like from our own farm and all we did was enjoying whatever was ripe that day, bringing home a nice 6-8 kgs of them. For Appu, milk shake became the breakfast most days instead of the regular puttu or corn flakes, while we indulged in eating them, as a whole or as cut pieces.  For almost four or five weeks, not a single weekend went by ...

It all began as a practical plan built around an important date—Appu’s BITSAT exam on May 26. Sree had already booked an Airbnb for Monday stay, and somewhere along the way, I suggested we extend the stay by another day. There wasn’t really a plan beyond that—no detailed itinerary, no must-visit list. But sometimes, it’s these unplanned decisions that quietly turn into the most memorable experiences. This little trip became one such unexpected, wholesome staycation. We started from Bangalore on Sunday around 11 a.m., after Sree came back from 10K Freedrom Run. There was a quick stop at Cheeku’s MIMS hostel—dropping off some biriyani for her lunch along with freshly baked ragi cupcakes —before we headed towards Mysore. The drive itself felt easy, setting the tone for everything that followed. The Airbnb turned out to be a lovely surprise—a spacious, fully furnished one-bedroom apartment that instantly felt comfortable. Appu took over the bedroom to focus on his studies, while we settled...

Sreettan loves surprises , which most of the time becomes pleasant for me also. While i like to work within a rigid frame of things and find it difficult to adapt to rapid changes, Sreettan is the other type.  Mar 14, 2026 (Saturday) he planned a travel for me to Kerala and booked flight tickets. After deliberating on the decision, i finally flew down leaving the kids in Bangalore. I was as excited as a kid to meet Sreettan after 2 (long) weeks and also nervous to leave kids (almost adults) alone here. Panakkal opening pooja and annadanam was planned for Mar15 Sunday and the idea was to be part of it.  Saturday morning , after my regular gym training and cooking for kids , i went to airport to catch 4:30pm flight. Nimmy (RBD) was on the same flight , so we had some nice time catching up. Sree came to Tripunithura to pick me at the metro station.I took a connection metro from airport and around 7:30pm we met. He suggested going to restaurant for dinner but having eaten lunch fr...