The Sandstone Button - A Conclusion

It was 3a.m in the morning. I had not slept at all that night. I felt time has come. I was holding my Sandstone button tight in my fist and thinking whether to wake my husband. I needed to be rushed to the hospital anytime now. Why holding a Sandstone button? If you have not had a chance to read my piece in last years edition, this was an important possession I had inherited from the man I have loved the most in my life. My Grandfather. He had left me when I had only learned to call him. And I have been waiting since , for him to return to me. I know it sounds a little crazy but I had not given up hope. I loved him too much to give up.

"You are leaking Honey, I will get some duct tape" jibbered my sleepy husband still snoring. "Duct Tape?!! Really? Get up. We need to call the Hospital " I shouted. He was still rubbing his eyes so I decided to call myself. 

I explained the nurse that my water has broken and I think I should be admitted. Her reaction was quite normal after four false alarms. " You have an appointment in the afternoon with the Gynecologist anyway, why don't you just take some rest and go to your appointment. They can test and tell you if you are assuming correctly ", that is exactly what the nurse said. We waited till afternoon and the test came out positive. I was going to have a baby anytime soon. I was rushed to the hospital and asked to walk and move around as the contractions were not too strong. Apparently, my baby was ready to be born but my body was too lazy. 

"Honey, how much longer is this going to take, I am dog tired", sighed my annoying husband,as if my pains were not enough. They decided to put me on some kind of medication that will induce pain. But hardly did they know , my body was already jump starting the process. The next hour felt like years and I was cursing every single soul around me in pain. There was just one nurse though. I never knew I could curse that good. "Oh! Get me chocolate chip ice cream on a hot caramel mocha", these were my last words before I could breathe no more and could feel myself shaking the bed wildly louder than my mixer grinder. I had progressed too fast they said and my body had entered a shock. I could feel a room full of doctors and nurses putting me on Oxygen and saline . "Baby's heart rate is falling" ,said someone. 

I could not afford to loose him one more time. This is what played in my mind. I am not letting him ditch me this time. And I started pushing hard. The doctor warned me to wait till they tell me to. I did not listen to them. I just knew what to do. They were preparing me for a C section which needed a surgery room and none was available at the moment. I knew I had no time. The doctors took my fingerprint on a paper and explained I had signed my death sentence because there was no chance of my survival if I pushed in this condition. 

I don't care. I uttered in my mind. This time either I live with him or I don't. I don't know how I was so sure it was a boy because we had not opted for knowing the gender of the child at our ultrasound. I could feel he was trying his best too. And then silence. I could hear or see no more. Just blackness. The box of buttons of all shapes and sizes. As he was showing me the one I adored. The Sandstone button. As I leaped over to catch it. He threw it away in a hole of light. I started crawling towards it with my tiny feet.

No I was not dead. But had snatched someone back from the light. "It's a boy!!" , my husband shouted. "Open your eyes honey, please , you can't leave me like that. I will do anything for you", I could feel his tears on my cheek. I gasped up, removed my oxygen mask and shouted , " For the last time I am telling you, get me my chocolate chip ice cream over hot caramel mocha!!" He grabbed me in one hand and our baby in another. " We made it", I whispered in my baby's ears as he giggled.

Strangely enough, since that night, the Sandstone button is nowhere to be found!! I remember taking it to the hospital but all I came back with was Audvik. My son. Audvik Chatterjee. A different name but the exact same face. My grandfather had returned. My mother was shocked to see the similarities. She finally believed me. I don't need the Sandstone button anymore. He is back.

The Sandstone button

It was my favorite among the rest. The one I adored most amidst my treasured box of buttons. The Sandstone button. It was no gold or diamond but still the most priced possession I have inherited with pride. It would glitter like a thousand constellations when held in the golden morning sunlight. But that was not the reason it was my favourite one. The real reason laid in the glitter of the eyes of the one who had held it in front of me for the first time. I would try so hard to catch it with both my hands but failed. I had not yet found much control over my hands and feet till then. People would say one cannot hold such a distant memory but fortunately I do. Or rather, I struggle to hold on to them, as they are all I have got , of the most precious person of my life.

I am talking about the time when I was about 8 weeks of age. I had no idea what this world was all about. All I knew was he was there for me. All the time. My grandfather. My mother's father. And that we possessed a treasure. A box of buttons. That he would lovingly hold out to me and make me smile. There were so many of them. A glossy red one, a flat brown one, a silver shiny one, but the one that brought the brightest smile on my face was the Sandstone button. 

I hold no memories of my parents at this time. I even had no idea there was anyone else in this world other than me and my Grandpa. 

He was a tall and lean man with a faint clovy scent who would backbrush his shiny black hair every morning as I woke up. I would throw my arms towards him as a gesture that he needs to pick me up and take me wherever he is going. He would never dishearten me. I was as essential as the grocery bag he needed every morning on his way to the market. I remember the park seat so covered with fallen leaves on the onset of Autumn. He would take me under the tree and shake it's branches so that I would be overwhelmingly happy to witness the shower of yellow Autumn leaves.

As I started growing up and realized the presence of my parents, my Grandma , my older sister and so many other people all around, I feared. I feared that the other people would invade into our world that we so adored. I cried every time my Mom would take me away for feeding me. I would continue crying unless Grandpa would come running and fly me like an airplane into his lap. My happiest part of the World. I would slide down his legs and come back crawling only to amaze him by my growing up. I was so much a part of him, and him alone. 

I was so happy. He would never leave my sight. I thought that was all. Me and my Grandpa. And of course, our little treasure chests which now included a box of old coins of different shapes, an envelope of colorful clips, the coin shaped shiny chocolate box and of course the most adored box of buttons. I had everything I needed. His smiles would wake me up in the mornings and his loving pats would put me to sleep at nightfall. That was all I needed.

Slowly I started learning words and was so eager to know what I should call him. My angel, everything I had. But this was the time I felt he was trying to keep me more with my parents. The woman who fed me was my Mom and the man who would occasionally show up to meet his " unwanted second girl child" was my father. I do not intend to hurt my parents but that was my early childhood feeling and there is no way I can lie about that. 

During those times giving birth to a girl child in a middle class Indian family was crime enough. My mother was adamant enough to commit this crime twice. Hence, may be it was quite normal as things were going. But amidst all this fuss I had quietly sneaked into my happy place, my Grandpa. He was all I knew and cared about.

But he was behaving so differently. It was as if he was intentionally pushing me away and I grew grumpier. I had decided not to give in. I would not hold the Sandstone button anymore and would throw it away in anger. He would be lazily lying in his bed most of the times instead of giving me a slide on his legs. I would often show my anger by walking away towards my Mom instead of him. I had started walking then and the chippity chit chat sounds of the older people had started making sense. I had started learning words. I had decided to surprise my Grandpa after a long Cold War amongst us. I had started learning to say " Daddu". That's what we call our Grandpa in Bengali, my native language. 

I had practiced all night and as the morning arrived I started getting ready to say my first words and win back my Grandpa's happy smile with a glitter in his eyes. Like the glittering Sandstone button. But things were so unusual this morning. Everything was white and dull and they simply would not allow me to his room. After a lot of crying, my Mom took me to him. I shouted, " Daddu" with a shining smile. My first words!! But he did not answer. He laid so still. Not even on his bed, on a wooden frame with white clothes, and white flowers, and white chandan bindi on his forehead. My Mom started gasping and crying as I was so confused. I hurdled and stretched out my little arms towards him. But this time he disheartened me. He never woke up again. 

My Mom had sat me on his bed which was now so empty as he was being taken away from me. My world was being snatched away from me and I started shouting and gripping on to things around me. Only to find clutched in my hands, the Sandstone button. Glittering in the morning Sun like a thousand constellations. He had left it for me. The Sandstone button. 

He had given up after a long fight with cancer. That's why the distance with me all this while. I had lost my world in a moment. I could not even have the chance of calling him "Daddu", or show my first trophy in school, my shiny medal in college, my adored husband who looks just like him while back brushing his shiny black hair in the mornings. But even to this day whenever I am let down, whenever I am sad and helpless I clutch on to my glittering Sandstone button, feel him within my heart and soak in strength from the thousand glittering constellations in one of which he resides. My Grandpa. My angel. As I hold on to my priceless Sandstone button.

H4 - Not just a Letter and a number

There are those times when you are out of words and hence don't know what to begin with. And then there are times when you have so much to say that you can't decide where to start from. For my readers who might not be aware of this term H4, let me give a brief description. If a citizen of any country other than the United States of America enters the States with a temporary work permit ,this type of visa is called a H1B type of visa.
Now if another person takes the outrageously risky decision of marrying this person and accompanying him/her to the States, she/he gets the most blessed wedding gift of a life long vacation called H4 type visa. If you are a wife accompanying your husband, general reactions of your well wishers would be, " Lucky girl she is, I wish our daughter also gets such a well settled life". The famous "Well settled life". The ultimate Aim of any common person making an honest living. But unfortunately if you are a husband accompanying your wife on a H4 visa status, may God help you.
If you are stamped with the infamous  "H4" type of visa, it does not give you the permission to work in the States. Well, that's the shortest way of describing it. A few more details would be, you will have no Social Security Number. Hence, you can't get a separate bank account, you can't get admission to an educational institution, you can't issue a credit card on your name, you can't get a mobile connection on your name etc. The " you can't " list will continue till my next post if I were to describe it all. So, basically you are a shadow of your spouse. You should not expect to be more than that unless your spouse is lucky enough to be working with a L1 visa ( learning visa) or unless your spouse hits a jackpot of getting a Green Card ( permanent work permit in the States) on the process and a i140 right around the corner. The reason being, an i140 of your spouse would bestow upon you a hypnotic light of hope called "EAD" ( work permit for a H4 type visa holder). And you would lead a happier life, no more a shadow of your spouse, but now a bright reflection of him/her on a marble floor.
Now ,that is just about your "visa status", quite justified under the eyes of law of the most powerful democracy of the world, which has every right to protect the rights of its citizens. But what about your rights as a human being? How exactly should you expect your  perfect "well settled life" to be? And that's the tricky question. Well, I can only describe mine. So here goes.
 I am an Indian woman belonging to a well educated middle class family from the City of Joy, Kolkata. Well, not so joyful as far as its educational system is concerned. It's a rat race here. If you slow down or try to traverse a different route than "everyone else" then you are OUT. And OUT would mean, OUT of the good books of your teachers, OUT of the hopes and dreams of your hard working parents, OUT of the cool group of the more "Successful " friends. These friends would compose the "everyone else" blessed cult that you need to follow . And sometimes it's the dreadful OUT, of holding on to the wish of staying alive. With 73% higher rates of student suicide cases than any other developing nations, this is one of the sad realities of my country. Well, If you are not a doctor or an engineer you are even OUT of the last rack of a matrimonial office! So basically, You are nowhere. Hence, that was the driving force behind my aspirations of becoming an Engineer. A small insignificant detail being, I was one of the fortunate Engineers to receive my Bachelors of Technology degree certificate from the then honorary Governor of West Bengal, Mr. Gopal Krishna Gandhi. The ceremony gave me a useless shiny medal for being the highest scorer of the State and the much needed graduation certificate that would define my life. The shiny thing was something which none of the employers cared about. And the piece of paper was my license of leading a "successful" life like " everyone else ". Eventually,I started my dazzlingly mundane work life as an IT professional in a renowned MNC of India. With my hopes of persuing higher studies being shattered and my title of being a topper not aiding much to convince my parents, I too was one of the million "non IT" Software Engineer. My subject ( Biomedical Engineering) was inadequate in providing enough conveniences and packages as IT did.Hence,I made the first sacrifice or compromise of my life. I followed the crowd instead of pursuing my dreams.
The Earth continued rotating on its axis at 37 degrees tilt as days passed and She kept revolving around the Sun on her elliptical orbit as years passed. Thankfully I was quick in learning, relearning and delearning. Hence, I went on climbing the steps in my career with ease. But Oops! I am a woman and now came the time I needed to get married. Atleast according to an aunt whom I hardly knew. And yes, her opinion mattered. It was the "Rice Ceremony " of her grandchild where we were invited. They had invited "everyone " they knew, and even some they hardly knew. The aunt was kind enough to find time to discuss the future of someone's daughter whom she hardly knew. After all it was her social duty to bring marriage proposals for a "not so close" relative's daughter (me) while changing the diaper of the baby. Well, it wasn't the baby's fault, he had eaten rice for the first time. The whole event rang a bell in my parent's head. With this let me lead you towards another little detail of my life.
Well, along with the "useless shiny medal" and the "significant degree certificate" I had inherited another important thing from my college life. My boyfriend. A place I would find peace and moments of almost forgetting the rat race. He too was following the enlightened path lead by Mr."Everyone else " and was a Software Engineer. He was working in another renowned MNC of India but located in a different state miles away from me. We would not be blessed with more than one day of meeting each other in a whole year. Thanks to the hardly known aunt from the Rice ceremony, I seeked an opportunity of raising the topic to my parents.
It was not that they were unaware of my relationship. Before saying a "Yes" to my boyfriend I had first introduced him to my parents to seek their permission. Well, that's the only way you can keep a boyfriend in India. Introducing him to your parents, proving him capable of providing you a " well settled life" in the future and of course, belonging to the same caste and community. My boyfriend being a Computer Engineer on the first place checked all the boxes of the list. Lucky me. So now came the time when the parents would think of talking to each other. After a lot of confusion and expectations of which side should make the proposal first, they would actually meet up and set a date.
 After a full year of introducing each other's families, friends and neighbors and seeking acceptance of everyone including the hardly known aunt from the Rice ceremony, we had a date. 29th of November,2013. With a full nod from most of the people and a partial nod from few who were not sure because of the numerological aspect of the date, it was at last a green signal. Well, here came the time I was to make my second sacrifice or compromise. My boyfriend who was now my fiance got the golden opportunity of being deported on-site to the States and achieved the ultimate aim of every IT professional. It is called the "H1B" status. My would be parents-in-law declared me lucky for their family and my parents were ecstatic as the only unchecked box on their list was now checked. Finally their daughter was to get a "well settled life" . No career or medal could give her that. Only I was amidst the most difficult situation of my life. I really needed a beer in that moment but unfortunately our family values would not even allow me that. Hence, in my clear sobriety I listened to my heart which said I wanted to marry this guy and make a family with him. After a big fat Indian wedding, I was to put my papers down . I was to bid adeau to my office cabin, my laptop without which I couldn't imagine my life once, my work memo on the wall of my cabin and my salary account which I thought I would never have to close. Well ,I was stepping towards the "well settled life" so I shouldn't have been worried, isn't it?
Then came the day, when I was finally at the airport taking my first international flight marking my third sacrifice or compromise. I was saying good bye to my place, where I had grown up and loved so dearly in spite of all the little difficulties. I was saying goodbye to my family and friends, my parents and my new found in-laws with whom I had hardly got any time to spend. And of course the aunt I hardly knew from the Rice Ceremony. Well, to top it all, I was travelling alone because my husband couldn't get enough leaves to stay in the country till I got my visa done. There I was, bundled with expectations that I was now going to take care of my husband and build a home. All beacuse I was the wife. My Java training in the MNC I worked for unfortunately did not include cooking lessons. So ,with zero training and full trust of my parents in-law I was about to enter the hotspot of a home maker. I was an H4 .
The first few months were spend realising our "well settled life" was not so well settled after all. Besides the valued status of H1B and the highest privilege of being able to live in California, U.S.A, my husband was almost a broke. His salary clearly ignored the fact that he now had a "dependent wife" with him. His mails requesting a raise continued to be ignored as well. This was the time I missed my salary account for the first time. My parents would say, necessity is our greatest teacher. This taught me to make my fourth sacrifice. I worked a double shift without pay to cook, clean and wash under limited resources. Without a complaint but with lots of burns and cuts all over my hands. And before I knew it I had sacrificed my shopping sprees, fast food habits and new shoe obsessions. I would often search for my credit card unmindfuly in my purse while paying for the groceries . Then I would suddenly remember, all I could carry was cash that my husband would provide me every month after a lot of calculations. I was not eligible for a bank account or a credit card. I was an H4.
Well, after a long day's work, around midnight, when my husband would still be busy in offshore calls, I would really miss my boyfriend and all our moments together. Only it would be the same man as my husband. Slowly my thoughts would drift from what to cook for dinner the next day to my new found hobby of charcoal painting. I would think of how wonderful it would be if I could take some classes on it. I would search the websites for an affordable school and call them for admissions first thing in the morning. The first thing they would ask me would be my Social Security number and I would explain, I am an H4. A couple of hours of call transfers to various departments would give me the final word, that the only way for me would be changing my visa status to F1 ( student visa) and pay as a foreign student. This would increase the fees by five times and thus would become unaffordable. And there I would make my Nth sacrifice. Sacrificing my dreams. I would vow never to dream again. After all I am an H4.
An H4. Not just a letter and a number. A life of sacrifices and compromises of a human being reduced to nothing more than the shadow of her spouse. A person who has for long stopped living and dreaming. Often shedding a tear or two clasping tight against her chest, her "useless shiny medal" with both her hands ,now covered with cuts and burns.

Majestic Colorado volume 3

Hi friends, I am back. The reason for this comeback , with another informative yet exuberant blog about the ever surprising treasures of Colorado , is your terrific response to my previous volumes. So, as a prelude to my next write up I would like to thank each one of my readers for their criticism, comments, appreciations and new requests. This is what keeps me going. Among the criticisms, I have noted all your points and promise to make my write-ups more detailed and picturesque. And among the appreciation, I would like to mention the words of many of my friends whose trips have been easier and hassle free because of the information on location, ticket rates, communication details etc on my write-ups. Thank you all my audience for all your love and support.

Now, let me attract you towards another treasure that Colorado holds in her, a side of her that no one can resist being awestruck to. Her natural rock formations. Yes friends, and the place worth a big mention among these is Garden of the God's. Befitting the name it bears, this place is no less heavenly as a Garden for the Gods. 

Location- 1805 N 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO.

Ticket rate- free entry.
Special features- 1. Picnic.
                               2. Biking.
                               3. Trails and hiking.
                               4. Jeep and segway tours.
                               5. Photography.
                               6. Rock climbing.
                               7. Free guided tours.
Park hours- May 1st to October 31st , 5 am to 11 pm.
                       November 1st to April 30th, 5 am to 9 pm.
Garden of the Gods visitor and Nature Centre hours-
                       9 am to 5 pm winter hours.
                       8 am to 7 pm Memorial Day weekend through Labour Day weekend.

We had started early that day, around 8 am in the morning. Excited to see the heavenly place, I had packed us a picnic basket and a Thermos full of my favorite coffee. That's all you need,a full tank of gas in your car and a partner who can give you the best company, to enjoy this captivating beauty of nature. I had my husband , as always as my companion. We live very close to this place so it took us little time to get to the spot. There's not one spot to be exact. In fact, there are many parking and viewing spots up along as you drive. The higher you go, the better the view gets, so don't rush for the first parking spot you see. Instead, keep driving uphill on your car as high up as possible. We had parked at the highest spot and the views from up there were simply breathtaking.

Now you see what I mean. I could see the whole of Mt.Evans from this spot. Red rocks to climb all around you and twisted trails covered with temperate Flora and Fauna to lure you for a trekking you would wish would never end. As I fixed my eyes on a tender lavender flower , my heart felt like being on some unearthly place, a place where Fiona would play her harp in a flowy Greek Godly gown and the breeze would bear each of its tone right into my heart. Indeed it was Garden of the Gods.
Suddenly I felt a touch on my hands and saw my husband pulling me from below the rock I had climbed. I looked at his eyes and waited for his sweet words as I descended and he pulled me towards himself. He whispered in my ears " Let's grab that picnic spot before anyone else dear, I am hungry already". Well, that's what they say, the husbands. There was no point lamenting and so we spread out our picnic basket. That was a meal I would never forget. A squirrel, some occasional blue birds and a couple of wild Hares joined us. Wild hares are bigger bunnies and you would find them in abundance around here. It's great fun for your little ones specifically if they are fond of bunnies and squirrels. 
After our memorable picnic miles above sea level, we proceeded towards our romantic trailing through the twisted but beautiful trails with only one destination in mind, to be lost in such beauty, to be lost in each other. However, with trail maps, sign boards and rangers all over the place , it's difficult to loose your way. The trails were simply like the ones in fairytales. Little button flowers wreathed our way, while green shrubs brushed through the winds. I remember we had held hands throughout our trail of a little more than 3 miles. This is a place where your husband is sure to turn into a poet even if he is a mechanical engineer by profession. Such is the beauty of this place. We would have never stopped trailing if it had not been for the rains. And believe me, you would be plain lucky if you can witness summer rains here. We enjoyed our refreshing cup of coffee in the car while watching the breezy rains washing down through the tips of the red rocky mountains.

If you are staying in or visiting Colorado, this is a place you should not miss.

Vibrant Vegas- A journey to remember...

"All the stuff that dreams are made of" - this famous Shakespearean quote is what describes Vegas best!!
Las Vegas, or as the localites call it, Lost Wages.
Oh! Yes they are so right. Among the glittering glories, the dazzling delights and the crowdy craziness you are sure to forget to keep a check on that purse.
But as my readers might have already known this side of me, I am no spendthrift and I am an ardent planner. So most of the time I tend to enjoy all the fun within my budget and not miss a thing while I am at it. If you are like me,you can surely use my blog as a guardian angel.
Me and my husband had been planning for quite a long time to have a second honeymoon as soon as we had entered our second precious year of marriage. Well, time flies, I still feel like it was just yesterday, when through all the flashy cameras and smiley faces we were pronounced man and wife. No he couldn't kiss the bride till the third day as declared by Indian wedding rules. Well, we have been high school sweethearts and had learned to endure being away from each other, so three days were no big deal. Hence, after the wedding we have not let go of a single chance to be romantic. Vegas was our dream vacation.
So I turned on my "Planning" mode and took a couple of weeks to chalk out our route, do the bookings and blueprint our day wise travel guide. We were travelling during the Fourth of July long weekend so weather was supposed to be blazing hot. We had to pack accordingly. If you are travelling between May to October , be prepared for a warm to blazing welcome to Vegas. Pack in those sunscreens,loose and comfortable clothes, sunglasses and of course carry your bottle of water wherever you go.
Day 1:
It was the 1st of July and we had a late flight after work. We took a package deal which included our both ways flight tickets( Denver to Vegas), deluxe hotel room at The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino for 5 days 4 nights , free Stratosphere rides , shuttle pick up and drop to the McCarran international airport and of course, free show tickets of the best shows in Vegas. And can you guess how much it was? Do not bother taking the trouble, I will tell you. 296$ per person. Okay, you can close in your dropped jaws now. It Is so true. You just have to scroll through the net everyday to grab the best offer. We took off at around 10p.m and reached McCarran international airport in a couple of hours. Collected our shuttle passes from the Bell Trans Limousine booth and soon got our first pleasant surprise in Vegas. The shuttle was apparently a limousine 10 seater and quite luxurious than we had imagined.A ride through glittering paradise and we were in Stratosphere. After check in we took a walk around the huge and tempting hotel lounge, casino and the hotel mall. Oh! Yes Stratosphere has in all. Lounge,bar,casino, mall, restaurants,the famous Observatory tower at the 103rd floor , the Rotating Top of the World restaurant at the 102nd floor, a wedding chapel , you name it, they have it. It was almost morning when we entered our room and Oh! The whole of Vegas stretched out its arms to embrace us. Our room was on the 21st floor and the view was simply breathtaking. We could also see the Hotel pool which is on the 13th floor of the hotel and it was glittering with lights. I can never forget this first look at Vegas from the window of our hotel room. We could clearly see Circus Circus Resort building and the MGM Resort building on the two sides from our room. As we stood hand in hand awestruck at the view in front of us, the Sun announced its arrival through the smooth scattered rays and Oh! We could see the red mountain tops of the Grand canyon right in front of us. We stared at each other feeling so in love,feeling so blessed to have witnessed such a moment ,feeling as if our love has lighted up the world. It is then that it had crossed my mind that the reason for the Sun to rise every morning is to witness love in the eyes of lovers . The reason for everything, the Almighty's creation, the ever moving universe, the spring of life on Earth, the warm sunrise and the glittering nightfall , is love and love alone. All the sacred books of different religions followed by mankind , Sreemad Bhagwat Geeta, The Holy Bible, The Kurran, gives the same messege,Love is God,God is Love. We forgot that we have not slept and were getting ready for our first fabulous day in Vegas.

The Grand view from our hotel room in Stratosphere..

The Stratosphere Casino

The Stratosphere Tower

Live performance inside the Stratosphere Casino

Inside the Stratosphere lobby

Day 2:
We were so full of energy in spite of not having slept a bit , and we were ready with our planner. Our first stop was the ever vibrant and colorful, the ever eventful Circus Circus Resort and Casino. Every half an hour there are breathtaking circus shows in the entertainment area. We witnessed the famous " Flying Angels" trapeze show for the first time ,live in front of us. It took me to my childhood when my father would come home early from work and take us for a Circus show in Kolkata. It was pure nostalgia for me. After a fabulous start to our day we took a Deuce bus ( the easiest and cheapest way of conveyance through the Las Vegas Strip, costs 8$ per person for a whole day of unlimited rides, no need to waste your money on car rentals and expensive cab rides) to our next stop.As we boarded the deluxe 2 storey A.C bus and had a full view of both sides of the Strip from the 2nd floor, we were spoilt for choices as dazzling resorts dropped our jaws with their unique extravaganza. The Eiffel tower replica in Paris Paris Hotel and resort is one worth mention.Admission tickets are soothing to your pocket too. The brilliantly notorious Pirate ships in Treasure island Hotel and casino is another I would never forget and that too a free spectacle. The walk through malls are great for those who love window shopping like me and helps you pick up small gifts for our dear ones back home. Just be careful so that you do not enter the branded biggies. It was around evening when we arrived at our next attraction, Planet Hollywood. We were on time to pick up tickets for our back to back free shows that we got with our package. This was the first time for us in a live stage show in the States and Oh! This was a spectacle. The jazzy music, the dazzling dresses of the fantastic performers, the lights, the mood, Oh! I can see every bit of it when I close my eyes even now. With a wink of an eye drenched in madness and pure ecstasy it was midnight already and we were brimming with energy as we matched our steps with the performers on stage. They were often dragging the audience onto the stage and it is an experience in itself. My words would never be enough to explain this scale of experience. You just have to be there to sip in the feeling through every pore of your sensations. We had a very late dinner at around 2 am in the morning and by the time we reached our hotel ( thanks to the 24 hrs service of the Deuce bus) it was almost morning. Another sleepless night but we still flooding with excitement started getting ready for our third fabulous day in Vegas, our dream tour to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.

Day 3:
It was around 5 am in the morning and we were ready with our backpacks and trekking gear for the most exciting tour ever. We had pre booked the South Rim Bus trip to the Grand Canyon on the net while booking our Vegas trip. The bus trip is the cheapest and ground based way of experiencing the beauty of the Canyon from up, close and personal. You will not miss the Flora, fauna and wildlife and of course the happiness of trekking and trailing through the Canyon while on a bus trip. Many sites on the internet will help you book discounted trips of this kind when booked in advance. Our first stop was Hoover Dam , a spectacle in itself. Apart from enjoying the beauty of each corner of this place, we were enriched with historical knowledge of how many valiant workers had lost their lives in the effort of making this humanly impossible miracle called the Hoover Dam. The white mark eminent on the base of the mountains in the pictures, is the mark above which water is not allowed to cross by the brilliant mechanism of the Dam. If it does, there would be no Vegas and the States will suffer such huge losses that can destroy the world economy, and of course lead to huge losses of life. To know more about who started this project and how the Grand Canyon enlisted into the list of "Wonders of the World" we now headed towards our next destination, The National Geographic Centre. The much awaited 3D show there was followed by a wholesome lunch provided by the trip package. There are so many things to know about this place, and when presented so brilliantly, you would never forget any detail. Being a Hindu and an ardent follower of Lord Vishnu, I was amazed and mesmerized by the fact that the oldest black rock formation right at the bottom of the Grand Canyon marking the beginning of life on Earth is called The Vishnu Rock till this day. Om Vaishnavaya Namah. By noon we had started trekking through the steep and slippery but strikingly beautiful Grandness of the Canyon. This is another experience of a lifetime. No words are enough to explain what beauty laid in each rock, each shrub and each Rhododendron we trailed through. The adorable squirrels munching lazily on a nut would give us enough time to photograph them, not even bothered by our presence. The bambi deer would wonder at our insignificant presence while we gasped and stared at them. This is an experience one just cannot express in words. When we reached Vegas it was almost midnight and we tucked in for a wholesome dinner at the Roxy's Diner inside our hotel. Hence, a fulfilling day and a enriched heart. We slept well that night and got ready for another day of adventure lying ahead of us.

Day 4:
We were all geared up to explore all that Vegas had in store for us on the fourth day of our trip. At the back of our minds we knew we were nearing the end of our trip and so trying with all our might to extract till the last drop. After a quick breakfast we took the Deuce bus and flew right to Europe!! Believe me! It was our first stop , The Venetian. Oh! I never imagined landing directly into the heart of the intricate beauty of France. As we entered the magical and extraordinary artistic ambience engulfed us and we felt lost for a moment. The whites of the sparkling granite floors, high arches with Roman paintings, rippling fountains with exquisite Venetian style sculptures took us to a far away land in that moment. I found myself in a palace dome surrounded by an elegant garden waiting for my Prince Charming. With the enchanting music of the Opera the breeze drove in the news of his arrival. I could see him getting down from his stoic white horse with a red rose in his hands, kneeled down for proposing to me. Through the crackling silk of my flowy white gown I descended down the stairs , bowed before my Prince and blushed pink as I received the rose . I then took a long sniff of it's sweet fragrance. Oops! It wasn't a rose, it was an ice cream cone and now it was all over my nose!! Prince Charming was my hubby!! I was in the middle of the walkway and everyone was staring at me! I was so embarrassed , but , Oh! What a wonderful spell the place had casted upon me. As I knew would happen, I forgot what we came for. But no worries as my hubby came to the rescue, my Prince Charming, brought out our planner. Without waiting for a moment we read the signs and reached the ticket counter of the Gondola Rides. Then within a few short moments of reality , purchasing tickets, waiting in the queue for our turn, I went back to my fantasy again. The fancy Gondola boat with intricate gold carvings on its tip and a well dressed Boatman greeted us. I was in my exquisite silk gown again with a sparkling diamond crown on my forehead I was there, hand in hand with my Prince Charming in the Gondola boat. As the Boatman sang out a romantic chime I blushed pink. All I could see were those sparkling sweet eyes of my man and the sparkling waves around us. Alas! Soon the ride was over and I had to return to reality. What remained the same were those sparkling eyes of my man and he knew where we needed to go next. I hated being out of my imagination, but it was not for long. We walked next to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Oh! I was back in my dreams and this time I was no Princess. I was a Superstar!! Shining bright among the others. Sometimes it was Will Smith asking for a photograph together, and somewhere it was Johnny Depp waiting his turn. George Clooney , Hally Berry, Bruce Willis and Branjelina. They were all stealing a moment of smiles with me just to have a snap! From movie stars to TV stars, from Show stoppers to Super Heroes all were there chit chatting and flirting with me. As Elvis grabbed my hand and intoxicated me with his voice, Chris Angel came to the rescue mind freaking him out. Oprah Winfrey snatched me from them just to have me on her talk show. Meanwhile Spiderman sneaked in through the walls of the studio and rescued me from the seriousness of the situation. And within sometime I was in the 4D movie theatre in the middle of Marvel's Super Heroes. The rush and the thud, the laser and the flash. I teamed up with Iron man and fought Loki with a little help from his brother, the thunder God, Thor himself. Oh! It was such a magical time. I want to go back in it again and again. All that excitement made us hungry and we headed towards an Asian Bistro. Excellent fried rice and warm Jasmine tea proved we have had an excellent day so far. As we walked hurriedly through the Strip, the places worth a mention were Caesar's Palace, The Bellagio, The Mirage, Harrah's, Flemingo and of course Downtown Las Vegas, the Fremont street experience. Guess what? It was also the 4th of July and America was all white , blue and red. We witnessed a massive traffic jam as all roads were closed for the Fireworks.Fortunately we were on the second floor of the Deuce bus and had an excellent view of the extraordinary Fireworks show. I would cherish each and every moment of this trip for a lifetime. A few spectacles worth a mention includes the man made Volcano show which runs every half an hour till midnight at The Mirage. When you are there do not miss the Musical Fountains show at Bellagio. It is truly an experience of a lifetime. Do not miss the Roller coaster ride of New York New York Resort and Casino. No, I have not mistyped the name twice, but it is named so. The glitz and glamour, the happiness all around Las Vegas gave us all we needed to forget our worries and find each other, in a way we had never imagined. It was past 2 am in the morning when we reached our hotel and remembered we had pack our bags. Shocked by the thought that it was already time to head back home to a dull place called reality.

Day 5:
 We had to check out of our hotel that day but our flight was not before evening. So we still had time for the famous Stratosphere rides. Oh! That was another experience all together. The lift that took us all the was up to the 113th floor of the tower in a few seconds gave us a buzz in the ears like the one you get when a flight takes off. A freefall from the top of one hundred and thirteen floors is something you would not forget in a lifetime. The Extreme Scream rides had their effects enhanced by the view of the whole of Vegas just under your feet, and you tied with a single harness. I felt my heart struggling and throbbing as I could not stop screaming throughout the rides. No wonder they call it extreme scream. My hubby often complains about me screaming at everything but this time he accompanied me all through.Thrilled to the tip, we decided to have our last meal in Vegas in the extraordinary restaurant there. The Top of the World restaurant on the top of the Stratosphere tower. The whole floor was slowly rotating and you could have a full view of Vegas sitting at your table. It was no less thrilling than a Helicopter ride, that too with excellent mouth watering delicacies. The dessert is worth mentioning, I don't remember the name but I would keep craving for another one till I am there again. After our last meal we headed towards the airport as our shuttle arrived right on time and it was a perfect ending to the most fabulous trip ever.

We  Will miss you Vegas , till we meet again..