Posts

Morning thoughts

Wondering what to write about is a great source to experience blank space and void. I have been finding no inspirations, no shower ideas or eureka moments since the longest time. Probably because I have stopped writing. I have read several articles about how one should write everyday for at least half an hour to keep the creative juices flowing and so here I am trying to do that from precisely 2 days. This is my second day and I feel I am just blabbering around. lets see where it takes me. Life in quarantine is not hard at all, especially if you are staying at a friends' place and the onus of the household chores is divided among 4 people. Its just a little boredom seeping in here and there from time to time and melancholy trying to make room every now and then. They are looking for fine cracks in a flimsily built wall of excitement and enthusiasm , always creeping in the background; waiting patiently for one moment where it can take a peek first and then slowly spread across th...

Somersaults

There is lot of struggle getting myself up from bed. Most of the time I lie back down and stare at the many jingling and colorful 'stuff' hanging from above.... its not always the case , the hanging things are only at one or two places. It is usually a white colored ceiling with circles and hexagons cut out. Other times I am rolled over facing down to the bed . This is a relief from seeing the jingling objects and the empty ceiling. Nonetheless, the starting down at the bed is not too exciting either. Unless there is a very colorful bed sheet spread across. I like to find and trace small patterns in that case.  I practice trying to get up from bed on my own but there is a lot of effort and I give up after a few moments. I am pulled into people's laps ever since I remember my existence. The enthusiasm and excitement on people's faces whenever they come close to me is remarkable. I feel I am the center of the house.  People make faces at me and I try to score them base...

Cold feet

I dont know who needs to read this but there is a distinct discomfort in putting up fan at a very high speed in summers ! Don't get me wrong, I do feel adequately hot when the sun is scorching. Its just the compensation of the dryness with excessive man made generated wind literally is abrasive to my skin. It is pleasant, I agree, but also has a certain degree of non-comfort to the skin. The soft fine hair on the skin feels like a wheat crop caught up in a tornado and struggling to stand ground. I especially feel cold in my feet at night; no matter which season and have to wear a light cover to protect my sensitive pores. Fan speed at 3 or even 4 are usually ambivalent - giving out pleasant breeze suitable for a perfect nap or slumber.   I have a friend who starts sweating at the mere mention of summers and sits up at night with fan speed 4 sweating profusely. Ironically she is from the heart of India where the temperatures sores upto 45 degrees or more without batting ...

Chasing Happiness!

Happiness seems like a myth...or more like a unicorn.... a moment its there and in the next poof!! You are sitting with your family content and feeling extremely grateful... glimpse of happiness and a couple of uniform tirades later, you are chasing the past through nostalgia or the future with wishful thinking. How does one end with this vicious circle always... you always think that happiness is a state of mind that WAS ...or will be...for me it mostly was. So I hear people saying to live in the moment, cherish every moment as it truly is and there lies eternal happiness. Haven't we heard, read this in thousands of books... a variation may be but with similar meaning? And yet unable to achieve such a simple phenomena for more than a couple of times. It is hard , extremely hard to be in that meditative state of mind that attracts only the bliss, sees and feels only the goods. You understand this but yet unable to live it through. Yeah, some of you may mark me as a cynic... w...

A day in life of Kale - A short story

It was a busy working evening on the streets of Mumbai. Just outside the Ghatkopar metro station,  a line of people were waiting eagerly to get home after tiring hours of work. And there were some others who might just be getting ready to get started to toil hours for the night. The Bus stand was filled with exhausted feet, hopeful eyes waiting for their sawari to come get them. And buses were obliging in their capacity, taking steep turns just along the corner and stopping right in front of the bus stand but in the middle of the road; blocking off the traffic for just a few minutes and jostling off with equal energy and larger burden of weight upon them tilting heavily to the left side. Then there were shared rickshaws and autowallahs swooping in and buzzing by doing their duties of transporting people from places to places. Shivram was one among the side of the pavement just outside the gate 2B of the metro station, observing this daily hullabaloo eating his share of frie...

First - a short story

The First It was a warm sunny day. The sun had almost risen up until the helm of the building and the light streamed through the grilled French windows and on to the tiled floor. Zee lay rested on the carpet enjoying the Indian suntan of a lazy weekend afternoon, his eyes closed and face tranquil like disciples of Buddha. The sudden chatter of Ami broke this reverie. He looked up, eyes half closed, and found her clearing the creases of the cushions. This was arguably her favorite pastime – cleaning up here and there, setting things straight so that the house looks out freshly delivered every moment like a hotel room. He gave a resigned look, well aware of the obsession. “Don’t you think life has become boring; too monotonous!” Ami said glumly, raising her eyebrows to signal Zee to comfort her of random musings. Zee rolled his eyes as usual and sank back to oblivion. “Isn’t always so? After every change, life does become stagnant. That’s what stability means”. “No, it isn’t s...

Lets play property property!

Life teaches you a lot of things in retrospect..... your daily commute by bus, train, taxi or drive, your evening strolls in the neighborhood, stories from your house helps, your lunch time conversations with colleagues and just generally observing a person long enough gives you insights.  Okay so I am not encouraging you to stalk ... may be a slight tinted suggestion..but it does give a perspective on life...especially if its diametrically opposite from yours! One of these regular post lunch walks inside the office parking lot opened up a whole new level of discussion. I happened to peel another layer of life privy to select few and understand the hardships and tribulations people have gone through while living in this city of dreams. One of my friends gave a visual description of the 1 RK she, her immediate and extended family of 15 lived for most part of her childhood. Eventually the family moved out to a separate 1 bhk government quarters and children got educated just fi...