One more 31st, and another year rolls by.

I am pushed—rather firmly—by K and V to dust off this blog and make an entry (which now seems mandatory). In the age of Insta reels, Facebook stories, and LinkedIn posts, over the last ten days I’ve consumed an endless stream of year-end reflections, learnings, and resolutions by what feels like everyone in the world. Writing one for myself suddenly feels like a Bigg boss task.

Still, I’ll give it a try—because sometimes it’s not just about you; it’s also about those who look forward to it.

So, let’s start.

Another year has passed. It feels like just another roll-up of 365 days or 52 weekends. The same old madness—fog and flu in winters, extreme heat and inverter issues in summers, excessive rains with Gurgaon’s pothole-and-no-drain roads, and then back again to AQI woes to wrap up the year.

Sometimes nothing changes. Other than Pakistan celebrating wars they never won, doing bhangra at every additional IMF loan they take, and watching Indian flicks on pirated torrents. That’s probably why they rank so much higher on the happiness index—and maybe we should learn from them: whenever life gives you lemons, make a mojito… or Karachi’s now-famous doodh soda out of it.

That said, even the most repetitive script movie has a few beautiful moments. This year had plenty of those.

It’s Chantu and Bantu’s growing-up years that make everything else in life worth it. Their smiles are priceless. Their “I’m very smart” acting—while not knowing we’ve all been that age—is a quiet, secret joy. And watching them cope with their own little struggles, in their own little worlds, is simply beautiful.

Chantu, this year, left chess, picked up a vague addictive pixelated game, got fixated on badminton, followed it up with tennis, and finally landed in full-blown obsession with table tennis. He’ll be entering his teens in the coming year, and we’re all bracing ourselves for the surprises ahead. But he truly is one gem of a guy.

Bantu, on the other hand, seems to have read almost every book written for American kids his age and constantly surprises us with his sarcasm, slang, and slapstick humour. I loved the posters he created, the company he founded for household chores at $50/hour, and his fascination with creating really cool stories. I’m certain both of them will turn out to be fine gentlemen—and far better than all of us—in the years to come.

Apart from mall trips and birthday lunches at Gurgaon’s ever-sprouting food joints, the highlight trip of the year was to the south—Rameswaram, Madurai, and Dhanushkodi, the farthest point on Indian shores. It was a special time together with the tribe.

Personally, like the rest of the world, I wasted a generous amount of time watching reels, buying books, reading fewer of them, and getting inspired by Punjabi songs across genres.

My heartfelt gratitude to K—for bearing with me all these years. Trust me, it’s not easy, and I genuinely don’t know how she does it. Smile more, K—it’s always a better option.

S and V, thank you for being there for each other and for stepping up on not-so-good days. While S was super busy making his own reels at work this year, when it comes to kids, he is the best anyone could ask for.

For Mom and Dad, I only wish tones of good health, love, smiles, and happy times together in the coming year. Their happiness sets the vibe for all the cherished moments at home. Always grateful.

And last but not the least, gratitude to everyone—at home, in office, and friends—who smiled, helped, listened, joked, and added that human touch on days when all you could hear was noise around tech, AI, machines, and real estate (especially if you live in GGN).

Here’s hoping for a better year.
A healthier year.
A more smiling year.
Moments that make you feel proud, loved, and human.

Happy New Year to all of you.

Jai Ram Ji Ki. & Uma Parvati Pati Har Har Mahadev

 

Avadh mein Ram aaye hain !

Here comes 31^st again and so does famous NCR smog, winter’s chill, halogen heaters, never ending layers of clothing, last few weeks of Bigg Boss and a hope that next year would be better.

I am also realizing as you add up years on the calendar, and weight on the belly, time tends to run really fast. Good or bad,” this too shall pass” says the watch in the house.

So as I don back to my Sethi Sahib Avtaar  on the last day of the year and try to pen down my reflections of 2024,  holding myself  really hard for not to use tools like Chat GPT and keeping it completely human ( getting increasingly difficult with time now)  , would like to say this nudge to sit down and write again is courtesy’s K’s month long persistent efforts coupled  with occasional reminders from V but finally it was Chantu who did it when he wrote in his very own year end blog post that he really looks forward to read this mind dump from his PG

So, let’s start by talking about both little monkeys themselves – The famous celebs Chantu & Bantu duo. There is no pleasure greater in the world than to watch your kids grow, pick up skills, learn and perceive the world around them in their own funny way and think that they are smarter versions of you (which they aren’t yet 😊). So, both these guys picked up tennis started writing blogs (genes you see), younger one started strumming guitar and the elder one got obsessed with 32 pieces of chess as they move ahead in life at their own naughty pace.

K continues to balance me out, being a yang to my yin. Thanks K for being there and making it all look seamless. I know u had your own share of challenges this year but you held stead fast with your grit and determination. Just take care of your health a bit more and this wish goes for all three ladies in the house, including V and Mom

Mom and dad continue to be the center around this small universe and brought us wishes from Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Sri Lanka. Song in the background – Ram Ayenge ..Ayenge. Ram Ayenge.. Wishing lots of good health and happiness for them in all the years to come.

S and V continue to stick together in thick and thin and bring smiles and happy vibes for everyone  at home. While V had her “attending -family – wedding” calendar full this year, S was busy with his N&B team, churning out office events like a pro. Lots of Blessings for both of you !

For Sethi Shaib, the year went in between listening to podcasts , Badshah songs, Diljit Dosanjh, tracking elections, world’s geo politics, multitude of reels watching  ( both useful and senseless) , creating reels with songs that only made sense to me, buying books but reading less, Karaoke with kids and happy trips to Deerika with them , trying to make sense of stock markets and failing at it , you tubers, stand-up comics , vloggers , Qamar Cheema , Mankeerat Aulakh songs , 2 Rafflan , Karan Aujla, LinkedIn likes , interviews at work , bidding farewell to old colleagues at work and welcoming some new ones , first ever CNN session with Mugdha Kara courtesy S , breakfast with bigg boss or with Punjab food tours vlogger ( kya baat hain) and off course the trips with family on the famous western tourist circuit of Vrindavan, Agra goa and Jaipur .

And as we wrap up another year and get ready to step into a new one, just wanted to wish for lots of good health, happiness, smiles, successes and prosperity for all of you and also wanted to say a big THANK You to everyone who touched Sethi sahib’s life in some way or form this year. Your presence shaped up and made this year for me. And as Sethi Sahib gets wiser, with prayer on my lips and Ram’s home coming Bhajan in my ears, wishing all of you a very happy new year 2025. Say safe, stay happy and keep walking ahead! Jai Shree Ram !

 

                                                                                                   

Leke Prabhu ka Naam!

End of the year again! but this time, I am going to start where I left from my last post, and that is to begin with a hope, a prayer and loads of wishes for a very happy, healthy, peaceful, and successful new year 2024 for everyone.

As you head gets wiser and whiter, you realize good health and happy vibes in life is all one should focus on. How the best memories in life are the ones sharing smiles, travels & happy meals with your tribe and also the sheer moments of cheerful innocence kids’ gift back to you.

So, this one is a heartfelt prayer for happy, healthy, smiling year for kids, for mom and dad and for K and for V and S. This one is also a heartfelt note of gratitude for sticking together in the highs and lows the last 365 days had to offer.

Also, S and V..this one is a special call-out and load of blessings for you both..for being together, smiling together, sharing smiles and holding everyone together.

K once again it's not easy to put up with someone as interesting as me and I must say u ve done a good job this year too.

For mom and dad I hope and pray for loads of good health and happy times! 

And in this world of insta reals, and under 60 seconds you tube shorts, I too should try to write less and say more so here’s a quick brief of some happy memories that flash up in my mind as I reflect upon the year gone by:

Chantu & Bantu at swimming camp with Papaji, Trip to Bangalore, Mysore and Coorg with family – C&B enjoying Aadipurush in the small cinema hall at Coorg and bowing down in reverence outside in front of the movie poster, the quick travel to Vrindavan and every time all of us going out to a mall, market or a movie together. Kids for sure enjoyed Sunny Paaji’s handpump 2.0 act and Salman bhai’s Tiger 3 songs. It was indeed a proud moment to see Chantu smashing it down as a head boy and Bantu ripping it out at the English Olympiad. Just wish both of them get everything good that this world has to offer and they have a long, smiling healthy and happy life ahead.

Work also took me to goa and Hyderabad, and it was gratifying to feel the sea at goa after many years and relish the Guntur idlis at Chutneys again. Personally, I developed liking to creating insta reels combining them with my sinful liking for weird Punjabi songs, listening to YouTube podcasts on my way to office, buying more books than I could read and read as diverse that I could. In fact, K was shocked to see me reading UPSC aspirants preparations books related to international relations and national security and I was myself surprised to see most of my book reads this year navigated towards translations of spiritual and religious text. Someone is indeed growing older & boring for sure.

As I wrap up this year end my post, I once again wish for loads of good health and happiness for all of you and a big thank you for being part of this maverick’s life for another year amidst all the highs and lows this year had to offer.

I am looking ahead for a better, wiser, happier and a much healthier new year for all of us, so let’s stand up and turn another page in our lives, not knowing how the story unfolds ahead, but fore sure with a hope, smile and a song lets welcome the new year with one of the grooving track that made it to Chantu’s & Bantu’s playlist too – “Music Vusic start karo bhai leke Prabhu ka naam” Happy new year and God bless you all ! 🙏