She was most beautiful.

My siblings and I grew up  in her lap. She gave us love, she also scolded us. The food that she cooked  was sumptuous and very tasty. She  felt the pain when any one of her children fell ill. She nursed us and kept awake on nights when any one of us fell ill. When we studied for our exams till midnight, she also kept awake. She made coffee for us. 
  I was the eldest of the five children of our parents. I and my sister, younger  to me by two years, were like friends. Both of us resembled our father, who was bulky and  had  a short height. My mother was slim, fair and tall. When  we were in our late teens, and some strangers saw three of us together, they invariably asked our mom, whether we were her sister's-in-laws. Then only  we  became  aware of her beautiful  face and personality. She was always well dressed and looked very  graceful. When my sister and I got married, everybody remarked  that  mom did not look like a mother-in-law. She was also a very young grand mother.  Not only by her family alone, but also by relatives and friends, she was highly respected.She lived a long and meaningful life.  When she died, her face looked graceful and charming. Even in her death she looked  so beautiful. Not only her face, but her pure and beautiful inner self  reflected on her  whole being
         I  am reminded of another lady who met my mother after my marriage. She was my mother-in-law. The two had never met before. Born and brought up in Kerala, she had never visited North India. On her first visit to Delhi, when both of them were sitting together, everybody remarked that they looked like sisters. The same fair complexion, tall and slim body, a graceful and towering personality, was particularly noticed by every one. She also looked as beautiful as my mother. Both of them left a legacy, of  being  kind, generous  and large hearted  for the next generation.This is a tribute to both great women in my life.




Written in response to Write Tribe  Wednesday Prompt 2014  #5 She looked most beautiful,

Haiku Heights #319 - Useless

                                                 

                            Sunny  back from school
                      broken pen, chalk, stones beads
                                 his"precious" items.



                                Useless weather
                       dark,dingy,drab,dreary days
                           gloomy ,grimy,murky.


        

                                 Down the hill
                  sombre,seedy shabby soiled
                            house,stands  alone..










 

Haiku Heights #319 - Useless

The curtain rods

Minu and Ashok always quarrelled. They decided to split. Ashok went to live with his friend, Tina.  He called Minu to leave the house. She had a hearty meal of prawns and sherry. She pushed the prawn shells in the curtain rods and left. Ashok and Tina moved in. The house smelt rot. Every corner was  cleaned but nothing was found. The smell became unbearable. They decided to sell it, but there were no buyers. Minu approached them and bought it at half  rate.  They left lock,stock and barrel, including the curtain rods.  Minu had the last laugh.


Written in response to Write Tribe prompt 100 words on Saturday # 4 She had the last laugh.

Some times the heart sees what the eyes cannot

Divya and Sonal were fast friends They studied in the same class in school. Both of them studied in the same college but they were not in the same class. Whereas Divya had opted for Political Science,  Sonal chose Economics. But they were good friends. After they completed their graduation they got a job in the same firm. Both of them were working in  the planning Department of  a large firm.. They were inseparable. Every one in the office called them 'hanson ka joda.'( A pair of swans)
  Sandeep was a handsome young boy.Any girl would consider herself fortunate to have such a handsome  husband. Many girls were after him. He also enjoyed this attention. He was Sonal's neighbour. Many times he made advances towards Sonal, but she never responded.
          Sonal never knew that her closest friend, Divya and Sandeep  were in love. In spite of the fact that they were very good friends, Divya kept this as a secret. Their friendship developed when Divya used to visit Sonal's house. She met Sandeep ,when they were children. When they grew up  their friendship  took the form of love. He gave her lift in his car quite often.  In fact Sandeep told Divya not to confide in Sonal about their friendship.
Sandeep's father had a flourishing business  in Dubai. After he finished his education ,his father sent him to Dubai. Divya told him that they should get married before he went to Dubai. But he said that he had not told his parents about her. He promised that soon he would  disclose his love to them. Divya was disappointed. She was not her usual self.  Sonal noticed the change in her friend's behaviour. On her persistent questioning Divya told her about Sandeep. She was shocked to her this. She  asked  Divya why she hid this from her. Sonal  told her that Sandeep was not a good boy. She  told  Divya was not his  only friend. There were many more with whom he was flirting. Divya was broken hearted. 
              Days changed into months and months into years. Sandeep's calls, and sms  messages also stopped. Even when she sent one he did not reciprocate. One day Sonal gave her a bomb shell. She asked Divya,"How do you like Mr. Rajat Mathur?". Divya said,"What ,are you talking about the boss?/" "Of course yes. He is in love with you".  Divya retorted, "How can you say all this!  So many girls in the office are charmed by this tall , dark and handsome man." Sonal told her," The girls may be after him, but he is madly in love with you. Sometimes the heart sees what the eyes cannot.I know that he loves only you." Divya again said,"No, no,no, it is not possible.". "Why not? It is  not only possible, it is a fact that I love you madly and cannot live without you". This was Rajat Mathur, addressing Divya. While passing by he had heard the conversation between the friends and stepped inside. Sonal quietly came out, leaving the two inside.



 This is a fictional story written in response to Write Tribe prompt  Wednesday  2014 --4.Sometimes the heart sees what the eyes cannot.

Haiku Heights #318 - Sharp

                                               A sharp tongue
                                  Sharper than hundred knives
                                           Touches  the  soul.






                               

Prompted by Haiku Heights #318 - Sharp

The melodies of old days

Recently  a friend had written about the infirmatives of old age.Most of those who commented on that post had expressed that they are scared of old age After reading the views/comments of the people I decided to write  my experience of old age. I had written a blog on this subject two years ago. I am updating the post written by me earlier.

Welcome old age or is  it  golden age!! The beauty of childhood and the glory of  youth has given way to quietitude and tranquility of  old age.Looking backward I see not only a life of  fulfilment and success but  also that of trials and tribulations. The arrival of old age  has unfolded  new hopes and aspirations of a kind never  experienced before. My life is now  more regulated.I find pleasure in things which I never even noticed  before. I have all the time in the world to  give fruition to my hobbies and desires which were lying beneath my subconscious mind. I am now 78 years old and leading a happy life. The whole day I am busy. The day starts  with reading a news paper. After breakfast I  make phone calls to my friends and relatives. I  dress up  neatly. I have seen some old people sitting in their quilt  the whole day. They do not bother to change their clothes.  I sit with my lap top. I can sit the whole day in front of the lap top, without getting bored.I play games on 'mind jolt games'  and 'scrabble' and have a blog. Occasionally I play cards with my husband.I do not sleep during day time.

 I spoke to some oldies  to know their views about ageing.Majority of the people feel that they are now relaxed and at peace with themselves. I remember Somerset Maugham's  words,'Old age has its pleasures,which though different,are not less than the pleasures of youth'.It has been observed that  as we grow older, we become more tolerant;we acquire the ability to control our emotions  much more notably than when we were young.The transition from youth  to old age is much more smooth  than we anticipate.A very unique  feeling of  spiritual  glory overtakes an individual.The vision of the God Almighty which  brings harmony and a sense of surrender  is  visible. This is not to say that  in a youth  there are no such emotions but  with the passing of years this affinity   with the Supreme comes to the fore.There is no doubt that physical infirmities slowly  make their way and take charge of the human body.One has to be  fortunate  to  be spared of the onslaught  of these irritants. Fading vision ,  hearing capacity   diminishing, and weakening of  joints  are common ailments of old age.In olden days such problems might have prevented people  from performing their daily  activities but  now  prompt and effective  medication is available at affordable  price and does not in any way become a hurdle in performing   daily chores. Now is the time to observe and enjoy the wonders of nature, little birds twittering ,squirrels running at jet speed and  hordes  of  monkeys descending  from no where and disturbing the  flora and fauna  of the neighbourhood!! In   younger days where was the time  to even notice  such  captivating and bewitching sights.A saying by a famous poet' Sans eyes, sans teeth, sans every thing', no longer holds true in  the modern age. I have some medical problems. I am on wheel chair, but I never crib about this  condition.With old age  some physical ailments do make their way  which affect every one, but at the same time medication is also available. We must have a strong will power to ignore  the troubles and lead a normal life. My right hand fingers  do not have the energy to write. Holding a pen or operating the key pad is difficult. I have found a method  to deal with this  problem. I use  a ball pen to tick the alphabets on my  key pad. I even wrote  a  whole book by  this  method. I use the computer to write my washer man's account on 'Excel' in my computer. There is no difficulty, which is insurmountable.

I am fond of music, so  while on the computer I switch on old songs. Early morning, along with tea, I and my husband enjoy listening to devotional songs. I see movies on 'You Tube'. We have an home theatre. Children generally see new movies in that. If they watch old ones then I join them. Before I sleep at night, I read some book. 

  Most important  factor at this age  is  family bonding which tends to get  strengthened. In our youth we were so much engrossed  in our profession that  we  could hardly pamper and  cuddle  our children.  We were more concerned about  teaching them good manners and  disciplining them.  Now when  we are  old we are more indulgent towards our grand children. Every move and every action of our grand children  thrills us .The roles are now reversed. In fact  they   decide and dictate and  we don't have the heart to disappoint them!! To maintain  harmony  and peace we allow our children  to have their  own space and  privacy. They are where we were once! They must have the liberty to manage their affairs.
         It  is unfortunate that  in some households harmonious relations  are not maintained. On one side the aged parents  feel neglected  and  the other side the children   treat   their  own parents as  a  burden. Generally  lack of understanding and adjustment lead  to such a situation. In fact both sides  need counseling.
  I  must end with a happy note that old age  is melodious and not malicious.

My constant companion

Recently my children gifted me a Smart Phone. It came to me as a surprise. Initially it took me  some time to get used to it. Even the touch screen  was new to me. The moment I kept my finger on the screen, it seemed to run. I had to learn once again the phrase, 'slow and steady wins the race.' My grand son was my tutor. He explained the basic functions to me. It was amazing when I started fiddling with it. It was as if the whole world was in my hands. I can send and receive messages instantly. It is like a mini computer in my possession.  Through Viber I can talk to my grand daughter  in USA. every day. It also works as Skype so that I can 'meet' friends and relatives. I can access all the sites in a jiffi. The first thing on getting up I check my mail in my bed. The camera is awesome. Even the videos are superb. I can even play many games on my phone. I remember that when I was in class viii, we were given an essay  titled 'India in the year 2000'. At that time I could not even dream of a device such as a smart phone.

                   The most attractive feature is 'whats app'. It is like  a magical world, where I can experience every thing on earth  that I dream of.  Last week, I saw an article in 'The Week' magazine dated 24th November, 2013, about the latest inventions in the field of medical treatment. It appears to be a marvel of  science. You have to download an 'app' on your smart phone, which will send you a message  when it is time to take your medicine. Many times we forget to take our medicines on time. This 'app' will come as a reminder. It will enable you to make a virtual  visit to your Doctor. All your data about your health can be stored by your Doctor.He can warn you about your loosing/gaining weight. This 'app' also acts like a handbook for the Doctor. He can know about his patients health any where, at at any time. A well known hospital in Delhi send alerts about glucose tests on the mobile.It has a 24x7 service, gives great satisfaction to the users. Another hospital  has an 'app' called Connecting Rhythm which  connects patients to abnormalities of rhythm and advises on ECG. The article gives information about  one more hospital which has changed the experience of the patients. They allot a unique identification number connected to the Aadhar Card. With this number the patient can get treatment in any branch of the hospital in the country.   Patients can now make a virtual visit to their doctor through smart  mobile phone. Through Apps  patients and  hospitals can browse on health relating subjects. 

        All this sounds so informative. I  will  download  this 'app' with the help of my doctor on my smart phone very soon. I am so happy that I possess a smart phone which is really 'smart'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom's bodyguard

It was Sunday morning.Annie got up with a start. It was 9'0 clock and she had to reach the airport to receive her hubby,who was coming home after two months. She had to prepare lunch before leaving. She rushed to the bakery, across the road. Suddenly she saw her son standing near a steel drum. He was in his night dress. She was surprised and asked,"Sonny Baba,why did you come here behind me? What are you doing there?"  The  child replied innocently, ''Mom I came to escort you.  I am looking for chocolates". Annie was dumbfounded.






This is a fiction written for Write Tribe’s 100 Words on Saturday – A Picture Prompt

Don't be too lenient! Wednesday Picture Prompt 2014 #3

                              

Mona, an eight year old girl was the apple of her papa's eyes. She was the only child of Mr. and Mrs.Kapur. They loved their cute daughter. Mr. Kapur was too lenient towards the girl. Children are very smart. They know very well who will fulfil all their demands. Mona also knew, to whom she should ask for her favorite toys, books, and dolls. Her mother always argued with her husband that  he was spoiling the child by being too indulgent. Mr. Kapur  always  had the the same comment,"Don't worry. She is a small child. She will be  alright when she grows up."Mrs. Kapur was left cribbing. Not that she did not love the child. Her only concern was that Mona should not grow up as a spoilt girl.
                      Mona was invited by her friend,Sona, for her birthday party. She  told her mother that she would wear the white dress, which she called,'a fairy dress'. She told her mom that she wanted sandals to match the dress. In the evening, when her mom was leaving she also wanted to go with her. Her mother told her that she had lot of shopping to do, so she should remain at home. As was her nature, the girl started throwing tantrums. Her mother told her sternly that she will not take her. She said that she knew her size of sandals and would bring them for her. Mrs. Kapur asked the maid to look after Mona  and left.  She bought a pair of sandals for the child. When Mona saw the sandals she protested that the sandals were not pretty and did not match the dress. Mrs. Kapur tried her best to convince the child that white sandals of her size were not available. The sandals were matching with the embroidery. Mona raised a hell!n When her father came home, he asked her why was she crying.Mona knew her Papa's weakness. He could not see her crying. He took the child in his arms and told her that they would purchase new sandals the next day.  The girl kept quiet. 
                   Next morning when the parents woke, they saw the empty box of the sandals lying in the balcony. They asked the maid to look for the sandals. After a while the maid took them back to the balcony. Mona, in her obstinacy had thrown the sandals in a lake  behind their house. One sandal was in the lake and the other one was in the dust bin. The father realised that  too much pampering and indulgence can prove to be dangerous.


This is a fiction written in response to Write Tribe Picture Prompt,....Wednesday 2014 # 3

Little did she know

Suman and Rakesh were dating for two years. Whenever Suman raised the topic of marriage, Rakesh  squirmed.Finally her parents announced that a boy was coming to see her. She entered the room listlessly. To her utter surprise she saw Rakesh .Little did she know that her father and Rakesh's father had made this plan.











Prompted by Write Tribe 55 on Friday # 2  Little did she know.

Strangers in the night

The incident  narrated here is  not  an imagination or a piece of fiction. It actually happened in our  house during Diwali days. We were scared and horrified at that point of time. But when we think of it or narrate it , it sounds to be funny and hilarious.

 It was a day before Diwali.  We slept after a hectic day. In the morning at 50'clock when my husband got up, he got a shock and called me. I  started  screaming  at the pitch of my voice after I witnessed the scene. The grill and wire mesh were cut. The whole room was littered with  covers of chocolates, biscuits, cakes and skins of fruits. On the sofa we found  broken pieces of biscuits, dry fruits and sweets. Obviously we had a visit by strangers in the  night,who could not open any door,decided to have a party.





Prompted by Write Tribe 100 words on Saturday #2  

Haiku Heights #317 - Grimace

                 His frowning face
       without any rhyme or reason
                    made me grin.
                                                        .
                                                                    




                                                                      
                                                                             

                              Oh, little child.
                     Why you sulk and grimace
                            mom is here

Haiku Heights #317 - Grimace

 pics courtesy google

 







             

Lohri festival

A Lohri bonfire

Today is the festival of Lohri. This festival is celebrated through out North India. This is a festival of good will, gaiety and glamour. There are several myths associated with the festival. It  is mainly the harvest festival. It is believed that after the crops are harvested all the people assemble and celebrate by dancing and singing . A bonfire is lit and til(sesame) and moongphali(peanuts) are offered to God in thanks for the good harvest.Bhangra and Gidda dances are performed in gay abundance.

 There is a popular legend of Dulla Bhatti Wala. According to a folk lore  Dulla was a way side robber. He used to rob  the rich and gave all the wealth to poor people. He also helped poor girls to get married and gave them good dowry. He is likened to Robin Hood.Lohri is celebrated in thanks giving to Dulla. In the morning children go from house to house, collecting money to light the bonfire. they sing a song in praise of Dulla, which goes as " Sundar munderiye, ho, Tera kaun vichara,ho, Dulla Bhatti wala, ho.......Lohri de bhai lohri de, ho" The word 'ho' is recited in a chorus People give them money or eatables .In the evening the elders in the family give money to the youngsters, who recite ,Lohri do,bhai, lohri do'. Every body eats dry fruits, nuts and sweet in front of the holy fire. and  thank God .

This day is believed to be the shortest day of the year. They say that from this day on ward  cold winter starts withdrawing. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and show in families in which a marriage or child birth has taken place during the year. 

The next day after Lohri is Makar Sankrati, the beginning of the new year, This day signifies the arrival of the new year. This day is celebrated  as Pongal, in Tamilnad, and Bihu in Assam.All these festivals convey the message of brotherhood and oneness.It is with a thankful  prayer  for  a spirit of well being and bountiful life for humanity.Happy Lohri to all.

pic. courtesy google.

What heights can we reach!!

My brother has sent me the following ten  'definitions' of  the word  Heights . I am sharing  them with my frinds. They may make you smile for a while



1. What is height of Fashion?
Ans : Dhoti with a zip.
 
2. What is height of Secrecy?
Ans : Offering blank visiting cards.
 
3. What is height of Active laziness?
Ans : Asking for a lift to house while on a morning walk.
 
4. What is height of Craziness?
Ans : Getting a blank paper Xeroxed.
 
5. What is height of Forgetfulness?
Ans : Seeing the mirror and trying to recollect when you saw him / her last.
 
6. What is height of Stupidity?
Ans : A man looking through a keyhole of a glass door.
 
7. What is height of Honesty?
Ans : A pregnant woman taking one and a half ticket.

 8. What is height of Suicide?
Ans : A dwarf jumping from the footpath on the road.
 
9. What is height of De-hydration?
Ans : A cow giving milk powder.
 
10. What is Height of Kanjoosi?
Ans : Miser's house has caught fire and 

he is giving missed calls to the Fire brigade.

Humorous moments

                                       

 In our life we come across moments when we face many humorous  situations  which become memorable. Such moments provide  some spice  in our life. Life without humour will be dull, drab and dreary.  If we don’t have some humour every day in our life, then it becomes a lot more difficult to get through the day – stresses become more stressful, hardships more difficult to overcome, and grief more difficult to bear. Some times it happens that in a particular situation we may be embarrassed  but with the passage of time ,when we think of those situations,  they seem to be funny. The old saying 'humor is the spice of life' is true.
                              I am reminded of  some humorous situations that  we experienced in our day to day life. Once we went for a party and came home when it was past midnight.  The house was locked before we left. After reaching home my husband took the key to open the main door. Lo!! the door refused to open. My son joking said that papa must be sleepy and must be applying the wrong key. He  also tried , but the door also seemed to be  stubborn and refused to oblige. We pushed and patted the door  but failed. Now the situation became serious! What to do, how to go inside,were the questions which started troubling us. It was past midnight. It was bad manners to knock  friends or  relatives at that unearthly hour. There was no other  alternative,except to spend the night in the car.  At that hour we were feeling very upset.In the morning, a carpenter was called.The door lock had jammed. We thanked God that we could enter our own house.We were very much disturbed on that day, but now when we think of that day, we are amused.
                                 Sometimes a little knowledge of a language is not only dangerous but also a reason for laughter. The incident that I am reminded of happened some days  after our marriage( My husband is a Keralite and at that time had very poor knowledge of Hindi.Now he is an expert in speaking the language)  Both of us went to a shoe shop. After the shoes were bought, my dear husband, trying to flaunt his knowledge of Hindi, asked the shopkeeper, 'ek spare chashma  milega?' (Can we get a spare  spectacles)  I could not control my laughter. The shopkeeper also started laughing. Poor husband! He was shocked. He did not realise that shoe lace is called 'tasma' and not 'chasma'. I am smiling even now as I am writing this incident.
                   A similar sort of funny situation occurred  with my son.  He has only got a working knowledge of Malayalam.His marriage was performed  at Guruvayur temple in Kerala. After the rituals were over, the Priest told the couple 'thozhu''. My son had a blank expression. The priest repeated the word again, but with no reaction from the groom. My daughter-in-law saved the situation. She whispered in my son's ear, 'pray'.How funny!

             
    Recently my Dil went to Kerala with her brother. On the return journey, when they reached Cochin airport, the official who was on duty checked their tickets and started laughing. People all around wondered why the official was laughing . After ten minutes he controlled himself and said "Sorry madam, you are twenty four hours late". My Dil was under the impression that they were returning on that particular date. Neither she nor her brother  had  checked the tickets. There was no other alternative except to buy fresh tickets. (They were lucky they got  fresh tickets.) Ha,ha ha,ha.
                        I was studying in M.A.. A friend of mine borrowed a book from me and said that she would return the book next day. She said that she was not coming to the college  next day and she would send it back through her brother. The next day I  looked for her brother, but could not find him. A friend of mine ,who was with  me  pointed towards a group of boys and said,"There he is". I went and asked whether he had brought my book. He looked lost and asked,"Which book?' I  further questioned,"Your sister did not give you my book?" The reply that he gave made look very foolish and embarrassed.He  said,"I don't have a sister. Will you mind being my sister?"  I just said sorry and went back to my class, where I found the boy waiting for me.I  cannot help laughing when I remember that day. 
                      Every one comes across some hilarious and funny situations. Have you faced one which you would like to share?
            
pics courtesy google

It is a small world

My father was posted in Dehra Dun. I had passed my B.A. examination and took admission in DAV College in  B.ED. It was a  big class of about eighty students. I was  friendly with five girls. We never spoke to other students in the class.  There was a student  who was in late forties. Every one in the class respected her. She stayed quite close to our house and liked me very much.  After B.ED I took admission in M.A. (English).It was a coincidence that  that lady's daughter  was also in my class. We were only four girls  in the class. All the four of us were very friendly with each other. After finishing MA, I came to Delhi and took up a  job.
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Time passed. I got married and had two children. The son grew up to became a Chartered Accountant and the daughter became a Doctor. A very close friend of my son,who studied with him from his school days is an Architect. His wife is also an Architect. I  wrote a book about my  experiences in my professional  and personal life. I gave a copy to my son's friend.After  some  days his wife told me that she has relatives in Dehra Dun. She read my book and knew that I had studied in  DAV  College in Dehra Dun. She told me  that her Aunt was also a student of the same college After talking in detail I knew that this was  my friend in M.A. and her mother was my classmate,.I was thrilled to know about my friend and her mother.  Recently this lady came to Delhi and stayed with her niece.  We spoke to each other  on the phone after a lapse of  fifty years. I asked about her mother. She told me that her mother is very old. After going back to Dehra Dun, she would tell her mother about me, Just imagine It's a small world.I am looking forward to meet her in person very shortly.



Written in response to Write Tribe Prompt # 2. It's a small world.

My little sister

We were three sisters.I am the eldest. Three of us were very friendly. Never  did we imagine that the cruel hands of fate will snatch away the middle one  from us. The youngest is eight years  younger to me. I treat her like  my daughter. My children address her as 'Didi' instead of aunty. The second one, my little sister was dear to me. There was not a single day when we did not talk  on the phone. We discussed every thing on earth. Four years ago ,she  left for her heavenly abode. I miss you my little sister. 





Prompted by Write Tribe, hundred words on Saturday  2014-1

Haiku Heights #316 - Clap

 

                             \

                                                His first speech
                                     knees tremble, heartbeats rise
                                                         loud claps cheer.






                                  Nursery children
                      singing clapping  joyfully                
                             time no limit.



                                                                  


                                                                   Clap, clap, clap
                                                         merrily dance, jumping around
                                                                  the birthday boy. 



                                                                  


                                                                  Thundering clouds
                                                             clap relentlessly, bring  rain
                                                                     to thirsty lands.








   Prompted by Haiku Heights  # 316  Clap
                                         pic  courtesy  google









                                                                k

From my kitchen diary

 C

It has been a long time that nothing  has emerged from my kitchen diary.  Christmas and New Year is the time that every  body likes to have baked items. I bake cake  very often because my grand children love to have cake. Even their friends love to have my type of cakes. Whenever children go out for picnics or have a class party  the girls  are assigned Chocolate Cake. For Christmas I generally make rum cake. The cakes prepared by me are egg less, and without any butter. So in a way, they can be termed as 'diet cakes'. I do not use cream. Cream cakes are heavy on the stomach.
                                                   

Chocolate Cake:-
Ingredients  
1. All purpose flour(maida)   1 cup
2. Refined cooking oil           3/4 cup.
3.Curds                                   3/4 cup
4.Sugar                                   1/2 cup (If you want it sweeter, you can use 3/4 cup)
5.Baking powder                    1 teaspoon full
6.Baking soda                         1/2 teaspoon.
7. Drinking chocolate or chocolate sauce 1/2 cup.
8.Vanilla essence                    1/4 teaspoon
9.Milk. It should be added if the batter is too thick. If you are using chocolate sauce, milk will not be required, otherwise you may need  4 or 5 table spoons of milk
Method of preparation
1.Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees  Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
2. Sieve the maida,baking powder and baking soda very well.
3.  Put all the ingredients in a mixer cum grinder, till the batter becomes fluffy. (about 8 to 10mts)
4. Grease a cake tin.
5. Add the batter.
6.Adjust the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. Check with a tooth  pick. If it comes out dry, the cake is done, other wise keep it for another 5 minutes.
8. Turn it upside down, when it is cool.
Note;1. If you wish to make orange cake,add 1/2 cup of  orange juice instead of chocolate.
        2. If  you wish to make rum cake
           i  Roughly grind nuts like almonds,cashew, and walnut.
           ii.Slice finely 3or4 dates.
           iii. A few raisins
           iv. 1/4 cup of Rum.
           v.Soak the nuts in Rum  a day earlier, before you propose to bake the cake.
           vi. Method of preparation is the same. Soaked nuts should be added in the batter, just
                before  the batter is kept in the oven.
To give a glossy look to the cake take 4 teaspoons of coco powder and and about 10 spoonful of milk. Mix the coco powder in the milk and boil on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes and pour it upon the cake evenly. Keep the cake in the frig  for 10 mts. This will give a glossy look to the cake.