Why do we fall, Bruce?

I stumbled upon this status message that a friend of mine had put up on her wall, and it got me talking to myself.

‘Why do we fall?’

‘Gravity?’

‘No Kidding’

‘I am not kidding. Remember, the apple… the Newton guy in white wig who screwed our lives with his laws of motion... in Physics?’

‘Ok fine. But weren’t you supposed to say “So that we can learn to pick ourselves up”, like Alfred in Dark Knight?’

‘I wish I could, but I don’t want too’

‘Wow! I am trying to get philosophical and you, dumping Confucius or Hume, quote Phoebe Buffay?’

‘Haha! I quote her as I see you are not listening to what I am saying and still playing that movie in your mind. We’ll talk when you have time for me’

‘Ok. You have it. You have my attention. But please don’t give me that gravity shit again or I’ll switch you off’

‘Well gravity sure is an answer, in a way. Before I answer why we fall, tell me why do we don’t? ’

By the power vested in me

Being on the move for studies or job never allowed me to do the paperwork necessary for becoming a part of the Universal Adult Franchise, officially. Or maybe I used my so called nomadic life and the abject political scandals as an excuse to stay away from the ‘dirty’ politics and treat voting day as a holiday of sorts, chanting ‘No one can help this country’. But not this year.

The Homemade Bappa

One of the many fights that I have with my sister is over our favorite Gods. Yes, we Hindus have so many Gods that we can actually afford to fight with our siblings over them when we have nothing better to do. It has become kind of a family activity for us during the festive seasons. I claim that Lord Krishna is the best, while my sister roots for Lord Ganesha, ‘He is the cutest’ being her motto. Hence, there is an eternal Kanhu vs. Gannu fight at the Verma residence.

Before We Say Goodbye

Life’s but a journey. This has been said by quite a number of writers in different ways, in different languages, and is felt by all of us, especially in moments like these when we stand at the edge of one phase, ready to jump into another. It is amazing how faces that we never saw before suddenly became an important part of our lives, our highs, lows, photo albums, and their names got written with indelible ink in our memoirs. We enter new seasons with every new person we meet. Some people are like summer, free, independent, inviting and exciting. Some are like winter, cold, dark, reserved and harsh, if not in tone but in attitude. Some people are like the rain, relieving, refreshing, and reviving, taking away all the scorches that the heat of time left on you, making everything around you pleasant. They give way to spring, for new joys to blossom, new friends to come in. We live these seasons, see life in its different colors and flavors, sunny and crisp, cold, dark and rough, wet and comforting, flourishing and happy. We collect experiences, lessons and philosophies and keep moving. Without them our life would be monochromatic. Some people become so special that you wish you can somehow keep them in your pocket and take where ever you go. They are that page from where your story was never the same. They are someone you always want to fall back on whenever you get tired of walking. They are ageless for you, they are not just seasons, in fact they make every season beautiful. If it’s a hot summer, they’ll be the soothing breeze. If it’s a cold and dark winter, they’ll be the comfort of warm sunshine, if there’s rain, they’ll be the fragrance of wet earth. These are the gems you should never let go as they are what you’ve truly earned when you invested your heart and soul in life. They’ll be the ones that might become a tree when you need rest when you proceed in your endless journey. So let this farewell season be like Spring when you shed all your illusions, inhibitions, doubts, hatred, ego and just prepare for the new life to arrive while holding hands with friends you’d want to cherish all your life. Tell them that you love them, before it’s too late and secretly make a promise to be there for them, as they’ll be there too.