The Connect.

                     Leon looked at the waves splashing on the dark rocks that erupted one moment, and the other they were gone into the sand. Everything looks so pure, he mused...i.e. the darkness of the rock, the white milkiness of the waves, the pristine sand... Hmm ! This is heaven. He closed his eyes breathing in the water-rock-sand-wetness-dryness feeling inside. The waves one second made the sand wet, the other, they left it abruptly, as if deserting it, only to come back rushing again shamelessly. So were her thoughts...
                           He could see her at a distance. She was seated on a chair, crossing her legs, her face as usual in deep thoughts. But when she laughed, she did it with a full heart. She looked beautiful. The age didn't show on her. He liked her spirit. Could he ask her out ? What would she think ? Would she come ? And how could they go out together, alone..i.e. without their spouses ? Heck ! Why did he have to think so much to spend few quiet moments with the person he found interesting ? Well he got up and sat down next to her. Leon-'What's it that you are thinking Mel ?'
Mel-'Nothing much'. And you, what with the eyes closed and all...?
Leon-The waves...they confuse me....
Mel-Why ?
Leon-They don't stay, They move back and forth..
Mel-They are meant that way...
Leon-I want to hold them, for a while, experience them.
Mel-You can't.
Leon-Why ?
Mel-If you did, they would lose their charm.
Leon-But I would gain their charm, their spirit. I want it.
They went on like this for quite a long time. The kids were in the Disc. Pam was glued on to the T.V. and Ron was busy with his Laptop.
Leon-' Mel come on let's go for a drive and get some play stuff for the children'.
Mel-What about Pam and Ron ?
Leon-Ask them.
Neither Pam nor Ron was ready to join. So they both went. To the other part of the beach to watch the waves once again. She knew what was coming but strange didn't feel like stopping him. But she did anyway. He did too. Fatal Attraction ? It was good that at least they were close enough to enjoy each other to an extent.

Tarry...hold on

                  Shashi looked at her. He had been impressed by what he saw and thought his best friend had made a good choice. He spoke to her and they clicked instantly. Both were intellectuals. While returning home in the local train, Niva observed he was busy solving crossword puzzle. Well, Samit was right after all. His friend was kind of weird, having cleared the CAT, he had not joined any IIM's but joined a local college, wanted to do LLB he said. Well, the other reason could be the girl he was dating. Shashi had mentioned to Niva about her.
                So one day when Shashi came to her house, and as usual they spoke at length, but she sensed something missing. He was not his usual self. He had bought a new bike. So she asked when was he bringing his beau in his new bike to which he had answered 'There's no beau now'. The tone in which he uttered the words were so painful, she almost choked. She was shocked too. She didn't pursue the matter much. She wrote him a letter boostin him up. He was glad to get her letter. He sort of reverred her. Then she got married to Samit. Wonder of wonders he got married too, to his beau. Niva was instrumental in putting some sense into the girl's head. Well life went on and the four would often meet, outings and stuff like that. Then Samit and Niva moved out as Samit changed his job. Still they would meet every year, go for a vacation etc. There were kids now. Once during such vacation, Shashi was watching 'Love Story' and as his nature was telling Niva why he liked the movie. Niva was feeling asleep, her son nudging her to sleep. But she kept awake listening to Shashi. His wife also went to sleep. This guy went on passionately discussing the movie. Next day he took all of them out. He made sure she was comfortable. When she mentioned she would go stay at her friend's house for few days, he didn't allow her. He acted possesive at times which intrigued her. But she would eventually give in. She remembered soon after their wedding, the three of them, Shashi, Niva and Samit were getting ready to go for a movie. Suddenly Shashi said, 'Niva if you sit on my bike, I will come otherwise not' and Niva looked at Samit who didn't give any response. Unable to decide, she stood there for a long time and then on seeing both friend's glancing at each other (were they playing pranks on her ?) she sat on Shashi's bike. He was unpredicatable. He would make her laugh at times, tease her at the same time was very sensitive too.
                                 Years passed. Niva went up the career ladder and so did he.He would ring her now and then asking her whereabouts. He liked her. But how would he tell her. She had always been the supportive friend. She matched his intellect. He liked the way she steered herself inspite of his friend's conservativeness. She was a rebel. He had slowly got to know that. He was supposed to be the witty, clever, one who dominated the talks and chats. The way she got into an arguement with him or steered conversations the way he did, intrigued him. Nevertheless he became a busy man, earning money being his sole passion. Isn't it the same everywhere ? First chase a girl, get married, then once that is settled chase money/career. He enjoyed drinking with his pals, music concerts, drama etc. Life was pretty well going on comfortable except that Niva was in the same town. He wanted her company. How ? Well may be they could have a day out. May be someday. No sin in that. Taking her out for a day. Fate will figure out a way. Till then he could wait...

TEA..

                      A beverage that I got addicted to, when I was in school. Strange a tangible thing like that could get so woven up in my psyche. The love affair started when one of our neighbourhood aunt shifted to the spare room that we had in our house. The room had an entrance seperate from ours. They were our very good family friends and were moving to Jabalpur. My mom had cajoled my father to allow them to stay till they moved out. This family was liberal and was sort of Mr. Bennet's family of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. My dad didn't like me, my mom or my brother mingling too much with them but which we did anyway. We hung out at their place during vacation for long time. It was at their place I learned most of North Indian cooking.
                        Well the first day after uncle/aunty shifted, I woke up and went to meet them in their room, Aunty was preparing tea the Indian way. She boiled the water first, put sugar and then added tea. Of course there was ginger and cardamom as well, in the brew. We loved this aunty. The way she would talk to us using 'beta' (an endearment in Hindi like 'sonny' in English) and the affectionate hugs, warm words welcoming us etc. So that day she asked me to have a seat and join them for tea. Looking at my face, she said,'Kuch nahee hoga, mummy/papa nahee datenge'. (Mom and Dad will not mind, its o.k. to have tea with us). So the daily saga of sipping the morning cuppa tea with my favourite aunt began. I would love to look at the way she lighted the gas, kept the water to boil, the measured sugar and tea she added, the spices she put without measuring, at random, kept a plate over the vessel after the tea boiled and then drained the reddish brown liquid into beautiful china cups (in contrast to the steel glasses my mom used), added the correct amount of milk to impart that heavenly milkish brown colour and then served with a fresh morning feeling of 'Let's sip and get started for the day'. Boy ! did I enjoy ? Every bit of it. For a person who didn't mingle with people easily, any association like this that I formed, was a lifetime memory etched forever in my mind.
                       Then there was this six months I stayed with my granny as I worked. She would wait patiently for me to return from office and offered my favourite drink in a steel mug. I liked that mug. The relationship I had with granny was very special again. She was one of those few who understood what I wanted. At that point of her life when she would feel lonely as my grandfather was no more and her son/daughter in law went to work, she looked forward to my company. Crux of the matter, apart from the whiff and taste the drink imparted to the senses, the affection of people wound around its aroma, the Tea continues to be my favourite drink the typical Indian 'Chai' to be precise. But today I skipped the morning ritual of tea. Good health demands price at times. A small step towards learning to exercise control over senses I should say.

Man Woman...Friend ?

As I was reading Chetan bhagat's '2 states', my eyes rested on the lines on page 9, 1st paragraph which says something like' ....no I can't be just friends with you...(the protagonist with a female classmate who is the IIMA campus hottie who considers him as friend)...its like having a chocolate and not eating it...having a racing car but not driving it. Well I can comprehend his 'testosterone charged, estrogen starved mates...'which he mentions in context with eyeing the girl. He likes the girl too i.e. her pretty looks but he ignores her purposefully as the whole campus is after her, some of them having proposed to her already. So she notices him, in the mess line during lunch. O.K. they both strike a conversation, have tea etc. He is sensitive at the same time has an ego which to some extent attracts females yes,'........if a pretty face is a puller, a cocky female can be equally repulsive'. She has her own ego having been the university topper.
But the bottom line is, she can be friends with him comfortably but he can't. She can study for hours together with him without thinking 'physical' and he can't wait to kiss her lips. He even notices a mole below her lips. The female lot enjoys 100 % attention whether its for thier intellect or physical statistics. Well they are wired that way. Men on the contrary go one step ahead i.e. beyond the attention...they do it. Why is this phrase so common 'Men and women can never be friends' ? Any answers ? Because they might end up getting physical ? Well its a choice which they have to exercise. And if they use their senses right, they will do what is right ! What's needed is a stop. Oh ! the freedom to choose and decide. I think both the sexes deserve that !

The Human touch

I was travelling within the city in an auto, as usual with my i-pod on. I loved the time it took to travel from one part of the city to other unlike the grumbling lot who hated traffic. For me it made no difference as I enjoyed 'Sacrifice' and the mighty voice Elton John imparted to the song. It amused me about how Americans and the Brits could pronounce same word differently. 'Aaho....kasa kai' (Hello ! how are you ? in the local dialect Marathi.) Some one shouted and the auto driver put a sudden break. And I took one plug out of my ear to see what was happening. Looking at both the persons and their comraderie cooled me down inspite of the watch telling me I could be late to the office by few minutes.
I liked what I saw, the old guy with the typical Marathi cap on his head and the young driver conversing animatedly. Wondered whether someone in a Limo or a BMW or for that matter a Maruti 800 would role down the window to chat a bit to a familiar face. May be I could do that ! Take the time out to see who was calling and stop for few minutes of friendly banter rather than going the Billu Barber/Shahrukh Khan way.

Sorry Ma'm !

I was waiting for local transport called 'the shared rickshaw' today morning. It was getting late and as I waved the rickshaw stopped and I saw two men already seated inside. I hopped in. Soon a guy in his late twenty's climbed in and sat. But before he sat, he turned his head, looked at me and said,'Sorry Ma'm'. To which I said-It's O.K. and wondered how only few guys (in India where the society is still not so open) said those words when they had to share a place to sit with a lady. On the contrary there were many who wouldn't mind rubbing themselves against women or indulging in such activities while travelling in crowded public transpot. I have also encountered guys sitting at a distance lest they should accidentally touch. Well I am quite o.k. with the accidental touches one experiences in any form of public transport but the other kinds put me off. Sometimes you have someone falling on you purposefully.
Anyways analysis apart, I really liked the way the guy said 'Sorry Ma'm'. It sort of spruced me up a bit as I had been introspecting a lot since the day began and was not too happy at that.

GUESTS...

I wish I could say NO to guests at times, i.e. when I particularly want some days in solitude ! But they arrive in all colours and forms. Not that I don't like entertaining, but I am just not comfortable at certain times and at times it becomes too much of entertaining loads of people at a time. One guest (family) at a time. How smooth that sounds ? Can someone help ?

I Ponder...

With eagerness I open the blog window and the blankness of the screen doesn't seem all that void. It sort of lures the pneuma to come out and talk. So here I am, starting the day with a date with the self ? the wired humans ? Well the more I am connected with myself, the more I can give out to the world out there...

Stop ! said Zohra. Enough of your inner thoughts. Come out, there is this project pending for chrissake ! Elen had no intentions of stirring from her place. Today she just wanted to be with herself... Herself ? Or was it him that had pulled her thoughts. Damn. She said to herself. Somethings just wouldn't leave the corners of her heart. Jim had been haunting her off late. She had known him since a long time. They were not friends exactly so as to say, Both were happily married with doting spouses and adorable kids.

Why was this attraction ? Didn't make sense. Well the heart has reasons the mind can't comprehend. Hmm ! Middle age crisis ? She had discussed with Zohra a couple of times. No use. Sometimes no one can offer solace. Or maybe she didn't want to listen. O.k. she sighed and rose from her desk and with a vigour that sprang out of nowhere, she said,'Come on zoha let's get done with the project'. And the time flew. It was always like that. Once she was engrossed in the work then the world ceased to exist. There...that was the problem. Once she was involved then everything except the thing she was into, seemed to disappear into oblivion. And she liked those moments. She was selfish enough to soak up those moments. Moments..there...she lived the moments. Because that's what counted didn't it ? Yes, for happiness. Happiness ? A momentary one ? or that lingered perhaps for days ? And then what ? Elen hated that 'then what' thing. Suddenly she remembered Tommy her 8 year old son who was complaining about her not giving him enough time. She had promised to take him out today. With his loving face on top of her mind, she waved bye to Zohra and started towards home. Home...Ronny, her hubby. She loved him dearly. Oh ! god ! she mused...Everything is in place. Its o.k. to feel what she felt but Tom and Ron mattered the most, whatever. Jim mattered too but in a different way.

GUEST by Tagore

...Tarapada was as wary of ties as a young fawn...Despite these connections with various groups, his nature had not been corrupted by any. He was, deep down, entirely detached and free. The foul language he had heard, the dreadful sights he had seen, had not fixed themselves in his mind. They passed by. He remained unbound by any kind of habit or custom. He swam in the murky waters of the world with pure white wings like a swan. However many times his curiosity made him dive in, his wings could not be soaked or soiled...
I feel touched by these lines. During my college days, my best friend one day remarked,"You seem to be moving far away from me...now that you have found the man of your choice". Oh ! how could she even think about it ? Yes I did tell her everything about our relationship but she held a 'different', special place in my heart. I feel crazy at times. I feel attracted to certain human traits which I happen to find in different individuals. Now if I could have my way, I would befriend those, may be explore till I got dismayed perhaps ? But anyway I would gather a 'rich' experience. Why is it this way ? It is 'right' for you to be 'steady' with one relationship. But you can definetely build more bridges as you go steady. Its a world made beautiful by 'People'. And if I can explore 'Nature', befriend her, I can do that with the Human race as well. Auf wiedersehen

Well...

Life is strange. Prompts you to do things which you don't want to but you end up doing anyway. Trials, tribulations...hats off to you life....there's mystery, joy into all these things. Will keep you updated life. See you then !