The Letter

Adios Amigos!!!

31st December, last day of the year. Well I have been thinking of conjuring something amazing, something gregarious as this is going to be my last post of 2012. Actually I started writing a blog only recently. I have been maintaining a journal for quite sometime though. So technically the last thing I am putting up this calender year.

Honestly 2012 has been one of its kind. Kept surprising me, kept me guessing for a large part. Each time I thought "well this is enough", came back to bite me. Kept me hanging.

We live in a age of cut throat technology, emails, chats, text messages, mobile phones, smartphones and what not. But we have forgotten the oldest way of communicating- letters. So I write a letter to you 2012, the first one I am writing in many years.


Dear 2012

Thank you, for what you have been, good or bad, however I may put it. I won't be condescending in my judgement today. You gave me my chances, had all possible highs and lows. Your ancestors were maybe not as prolific as you were, or maybe you are one of the superior versions that are on their way.

Yet I would like to leave somethings you brought with you only. I don't think that I should carry them forward. Yes I liked them, but then I don't want to start a new year with stuff that I know won't be present all along.

Nonetheless, I wish all the very best and good for my family and friends. I will always be indebted to them, for I am nothing without their support. And maybe this is why they are called our near and dear ones, they just give up on us, never.

I certainly have some big expectations starting the very first week of 2013. Will it be the year where I finally surpass my own credentials, is a thing that remains to be seen. Only time will tell.

So a final kudos to you Sir. Adios amigo.

P.S. Still one full day to go, fingers crossed.

Bye.

An Exodus

Sunset@Tawa

The best things that happen in our life are indeed unplanned and unanticipated. What began as a regular off  topic chat with Srini resulted in an amazing and refreshing trip, the first in a very long time. We eventually realized that in all the humdrum surrounding us we fail to stop and just take a momentary exile from our day to day life. Appreciate the beauty of nature and live life the way it should be.

We went to Tawa Dam and then to Satpura National Park. Anybody, and I mean anybody, exhibit their natural behavior when we are with our friends. Their company brings a normalcy to the affairs. No pretending, no extrapolations. Just being what we are. Saying what comes to our mind and making the worst of all jokes. Because they have been there, and they have seen the best and the worst of us.

Well enough of all this. Should tell you about the trip now.

I don't know in which part of the country the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna is running, because its definitely not running here. Had a bumpy ride all the way up to the resort, and the '80s tracks made the journey even more pleasant (and I am lying, it was hellish, Kumar Shanu, I don't know who you are but I will find you and kill you). But as soon as you see the picturesque setting all was worth it. As if you are brought to an entirely different place. We went for a  ride on a cruze boat, occupying the hull. The scenes were simply astounding, though the ambiance was slightly disturbed by the item songs that were playing overboard. The water was as clean as it could be, and the breeze was pacifying. Standing on the railing, with my eyes closed, the smell of fresh water, the sunset, the splashing water, the isolated islands, like the ones you had in Life Of Pi. It was nature at its best, soothing my soul, rejuvenating me, transporting me to an entirely different realm. 

By the time we arrived at Madhai, it was already quite late. With no electricity, mobile network and internet we experienced the ground reality of basic amenities available in any Indian village. Come to think of it we are absolutely disabled if such a situation is enforced upon us. Remember that 5 texts per day ruling earlier this year. When our net is down we don't have a life. Mobiles and internet were supposed to make our life easy and comfortable, its so ironical that we actually are incapacitated when they are not available.

The night is always filled with surprises, and has the most powerful tool of all, darkness- which engulfs us and makes us wonder many strange things, bend the rules, change our destined path. But it also brings along with it an urgency to find light, an impending need to come out of it and a desire to move forward. 

The night was all stary, rustling of leaves, the heat of the camp fire, shimmering moon in the river, the old melodies playing on Lala's phone simply made it even better. 

Another conclusion I made was that I need to get a SUV asap to avoid the jolts that I had using the roadways.

Should wind up now, saving some for later.
Bye

A Pause

Sometimes in life a something happens which which makes you sit back and think about everything again.when you want to push that pause button. Two days ago one of my classmates passed away following a heart attack. He was just 19. Just 19.

There is a strange numbness when I think of him. The happiest and the most lovable guy of our batch, who could not have ever hurt someone, has left us and all that remains is a grief stricken family and his memories. We take everything so casually and so lightly, we often fail to realise that our life is maybe not just ours. Yes we are the masters of our own wills but there are so many people in and around us who are connected to us- family, friends, acquaintances, so many of them. All that is left behind now is a gaping hole, which may never heal now.

He must have had certain expectations, same dreams for himself, his family, his parents. He must have sought certain heights that he wanted to achieve, some aspirations. Nothing can turn back now.

The reason why I say that that this makes me me sit back and think about everything is that this unfortunate incident makes me realise the many anomalies of life. How uncertain things are, how quickly they can change. So today I start my day thinking about it, giving my best shot, trying with all my rejuvenation again. Neither me nor you have even an outside chance of even predicting what is going to happen next. So why not live today as if its going to be our last day. Why not give every thing we have, try our best, and live the way we should, in the moment.

The Samosa Diplomacy

Its a fairly universal statement that school years were the best years of our life. Whichever school we were in and whatever surroundings we had, we do miss it. There used be so much to do. Idleness was an unknown quantity. And innocence was very much present. I hopped on for a blast from the past yesterday with three of my friends. Phewww!!! So many, so many incredible memories came back. Wait am I getting nostalgic? Maybe yes, but then those days seem so distant now. Starting a new session with a new water bottle, a fancy pencil box, a struggle to stand in front of the line, those teachers who you never liked, some funny incidents (and I can assure you there were many ours being a boys' school :P), bunking lessons and playing football or futty as we called it in the scorching sun. It was like a flashback, revisiting those memorable days.

The Samosa Diplomacy
Now you may be wondering what this is all about, but this part of the post is exclusively about my Campion buddies. Canteen Aunty and her samosas have an unmatched legacy. We actually had our friendship and going about defined by those Rs. 2/- samosas. I can assure you that there was not even one mouthful when you had a samosa, but we had 10-15 suitors for each one we bought. Steaming hot and with special chutney made out of Frooty (yes that was the secret ingredient :D ). The guy who bought the samosa was the undisputed king for the next minute or half, because that was how long they lasted. Birthday treats were so simple and pocket friendly. Accompanied with the special 25 paise orange candy, they made our special day even more special.
I wonder was it actually worth growing up, leaving all those times behind. Well we didn't have any option did we. After three and a half years, I still get a pang to go back and feel that commotion again. I don't know whether I will miss my college the same way I miss my school. Maybe these feelings will evaporate in a day or two. But what that school symbolizes is not just 14 years of my life, but those friends, that vibe which will surely not come back in my life again.
Some comfort zones were defined way before the humdrum that goes around us now. You are instantly transported back to those times. We didn't have any Facebook then but we had more friends, we didn't have any mobiles or texts but we were more connected. We may be moving forward with our technology and gadgets but actually are we? With all the social networking that surrounds us, are we more connected or more disjointed now. Whats better, having so many school buddies added on your friendlist or roaming the town with a couple on your bike. I think your answer is same as mine.
PS happy birthday Himanshu Jagan aka Jaggu, should have been there yesterday.

And this is what the quadrangle looks like on a winter day!!

Idle Pondering

Well I was taking a nap up till now when a few thoughts started to churn in my head. So I got up and and started writing. My writing helps me to keep my sanity and my balance.
When I write on my personal blog, I don't write with the intention that someone reads it. How and why I started my blog is is still puzzling me. I had heard of people maintaining their blogs, but then when I write I occupy a space of my own which is intangible. And I love spending time with me, helps to talk out whatever goes on inside.
Have I lost my nuts or am I doing something perfectly normal. Usually talking to oneself may not be deemed right by the patriarchal society we live in. But I am going to go ahead with whatever I feel. It makes me happy and I don't need any more introspection. If I talk in a general sense, its all about putting your thoughts across the table. For me its my writing, for you it maybe talking, texting or chatting with your friend. Having an intimate chat with your spouse, a playful chuckle with your children or maybe a concerned talk with your parents. Its all about having that vent, that patient ear.
Its so important to communicate and more importantly communicate in the proper way. Expressing your feelings is not at all enough. It must be properly timed and through the correct channel as well. Sometimes we undermine this essential part. What I think is that perhaps this is what that makes all the difference. After the time and opportunities have gone, all we are left with is an inconsolable regret. One must learn to appreciate these small facts of life in time, before time makes you appreciate what you had or what you could have had.
So I would say that pick yourselves up, go across and blurt out before its too late, before the time that your bellowing turn into meager whispers. As always you will not have all the say in this regard too, some situations are way out of your control but dominate the ones that are inside your reach. Reach out, speak up, pour it out of your heart while you still can.

I am not so good at speaking up, but then I also can't write everything down. A flaw which I would like to remove from me.

Ripples :)

Today was an interesting day. I went to Old Bhopal with a couple of my friends and clicked some amazing photographs. I really enjoyed myself after a long time. The semester exams concluded last week and now is the time to do those things which I like doing for myself. Actually I realized that sometimes one should switch off all connections and do something for one self. I felt a peace that cannot be defined in words. The place we went to was Moti Masjid. The setting was so senene, it gave a sense of seclusion which I look for so intently.
This was one of the better pics I clicked today. Ripples. What a wonderful natural phenomenon. Spread out themselves, each layer passing its virulence and energy to its next layer. In life its so important to have these such people in and around us, who give positive affluence to our mind. They help us come out of the darkest corners of our hearts and start afresh.
So today's conclusion is instead of sharing your troubles with your near and dear ones, go ahead and spread a smile. Spread your vibrance and cheer them up. You will be valued beyond your limits.
And yes someone taught me this over the past few days. Hope they get to know how deep their impression is on my conscious, and how much enriched they have made me.
So this is it for today, seems another day beckons a new adventure for me. So sleep tight and stay happy.

Here I Am!!

So I start off with a blog of my own. Its December 1 and we have already entered the last month of this eventful and happening year.
I certainly feel that the world is not going to end as predicted by the Mayans, not that I want to indulge myself in the scientific validity of it. But then when I look at things I certainly feel when their is so much left to do, how can we let the world finish.
I turned 21 this year and I am trying to find a rhythm for my life, find that groove and grind it out.
I guess I'll keep posting a lot, many things going on.
Till then, kudos!!