Walking with the river

Quietly as I walk
A gush of emotions rushes into me
For the people who are gone
And moments that are history
A million words to share
And a million pictures to show
But I don’t feel like talking
So I am letting them flow
And I am walking with the river
Barefoot on her shore.
Sky renders to purple
As the sun takes back the orange
Sheepish moon appears
And the stars rearrange
I stand amidst this beauty
Missing my usual company
When the river touches my feet gently
And shares her epiphany
She tells me to move on
And frame a new memory
As life still goes on
Whatever happens, is meant to be
So I am locking the past
Safely in my heart to store
And I am walking with the river
Barefoot on her shore

Bliss Pouring from Sky

Rains are rare in Delhi. But back in my school days, the global environment wasn’t this screwed up, so Delhi enjoyed the benison of rains from July to September. Those were such delightful days. Rain was not only a breather for the green regime of the city, which had suffered the scorching summers for last four months, but also for us students as we didn’t have to forge a sick note to bunk the morning assembly anymore. The heavier it rained, the greater were the chances of getting more substitution periods at school. Second best time after Karva-Chauth, which is another time in Delhi when maximum teachers used to be on leave.

Even if the teachers turned up, I could never keep my eyes on the book or the blackboard during the class. I used keep looking outside the window, finding some dark colored building to see the rain drops in contrast. The wet trees, the smell of wet soil, the chilling winds… it felt like heaven. And if it had stopped raining, I would still keep my gaze outside. Rain drops dripping from the leaves, a little birdie flinching as that drop fell on its neck, wet puppies playing on the street, wagging their tiny tails as frantically as possible. Fascinating. And if it were still raining when the last period was 10 minutes from getting over, I would pray hard for the rain to go on for some more time so that I can play in it on my way back home. It was so much fun. I and my friends would just rush out of our class, fling our bags into the bus and come out in the playground to play till the buses start departing. Then again when I got down on my stop and mom brought an umbrella when she came to pick me up, I would cringe away from it. I hated any kind of barrier that would come between me and the rain. As kids, no one cared about their uniform getting wet, the shoes getting spoiled. In fact, it so happened once that I couldn’t find a paper to make a boat, so I took off my shoe to sail it in the small ponds that appeared after rain. I could never understand what joy I got out of it, but it was really fun back then. I can’t forget those images even today. They are like indelible snapshots stored in mind.


All of us have become so boring after growing up. And most of this is attributed to the so-called professional attitude we are asked to exhibit, proper shoes, proper clothes and all. As soon as it rains, people run to take a shade somewhere. And if they can’t find a shade, they won’t enjoy the drops of respite falling on them. Instead they would crib as its going to spoil their footwear. There are no exceptions here. I love to get drenched in the rain, but when I was here in office campus, all could think was, ‘how to save my shoes?’ Next time, I am going to ditch my shoes and go out. People say it’s childish to behave like this, and that we are grown up and that too professionals. So we are expected to behave maturely. But I have a question. Are we working to live or living to work? If we a working to live, then I don’t think we need to don the ‘professional’ cap all the time. Just ditch it for a few minutes and go out to refresh yourselves. In fact, it would be totally crazy and fun to organize a rain dance party in the office one day (Lol). Well, the professional in me denies this idea though.


Before you conclude on my insanity, I would like to remind you that I am from Delhi, the city where rains are as rare are the sparrows. So, it’s natural for a rain lover like me to go crazy in an awesome weather like this. And I totally realize that monsoon has a long spell in Pune and that I will soon be drained out of this ‘m-lovin-it’ feeling. But till that time comes, let this poor rain deprived creature enjoy the season. Meanwhile, you enjoy recalling your childhood rainy season memories and don’t curse me for making you nostalgic about that. Cheers!

Amid the Greens

Surrounded by green colossal hills, I sat on a rock of the Panorama Point in Matheran. As far as my senses allowed, all I could see was hills, valleys and fields, blithe fully wearing an endless green scarf, patterned with the most novel designs that might inspire the greatest painters and writers. All I could hear was tranquillising silence, a sound unparalleled, surpassing any earthly musical note. All I could smell was the tantalizing aroma of the blending earth, water and air, the fragrance of wet soil. All I could feel was a soothing gust, caressing my skin gently. If only I had wings to fly along with it, through the valley. The blue sky was adorned with patches of white and grey clouds, some of them swaying away with the wind, across the conclave of the gigantic hills, while the other resting on one of the green slopes, like tired travellers. Yonder was another cluster of clouds, pouring rain on a comparatively less formidable terrain. Now that… was a rare sight. Watching the pouring clouds from a higher altitude felt like… well I have no words for this. I am a rain-lover, but I have always been at the receiving end of the rain. This sight made me fall in love with it all over again.


The idyllic scenery entranced me. Even though I was out in open, it gave me privacy like I had never had before. I had ‘my moment’, a moment when I connected with the nature; a moment that rendered all other thoughts away but one that inadvertently appeared in my mind, ‘Ahambrahma Asmi’. In that moment, I was so connected with the surrounding life that it seemed like same energy flowed through all of us, me, the trees, the hills, the streams, the wind, and the clouds… all of us. It seemed as if everything had come to life and that they were all nothing but me. I heard my heartbeat reverberating in the whole valley. For a short while, I felt the presence of the Divine. It was truly a spiritually moment. I figured out why the saints of India escaped to the mountains for meditation. I wanted to spare a few minutes to meditate there, but the time constraints of our trip didn’t allow me to do that. We were a group of eight friends there, but to my surprise, the members of an otherwise chatty group disintegrated to find their own rock to sit in silence for some time. I am sure they found their moment too.


For all of us, who live in the chaotic conurbations, time passes by very fast and every moment leaves a noisy scar on our life; noise, of cell phone ringtones, keyboard taping, doorbells, relentless arguments, meetings, celebrations, traffic jams, television, iPods etc. And when we need some privacy, we go inside a four walled shell, which suffocates our inner self further. It might be of some help but I can bet it’s not as curative as an escape to the nature, which recharges our senses and gives us an ambience to introspect, thus renovates us. One such trip a month can prove to be therapeutic like nothing else.


How I wish I had means to retreat to this place anytime I wanted. But to earn those ‘means’, I realized that I will have to go back to my city-jungle and slog. So here I am, back on my office chair, sulking about the confined cubicle, laden with nostalgia of one of my best trips and trying to capture that amazing experience into this article, so that whenever I’d read it, I will be reminded of that awe-inspiring moment and the company of the wonderful gang which made this trip worthwhile.

Alu, Parantha and Amitabh Bachchan

Yes. It was a near perfect evening at my new address where I dared to cook for the first time. Though I enjoy cooking, but usually it takes a lot for heavy body like me to overcome the inertia of lethargy and step into the kitchen. I had slept the whole noon after a hectic house cleaning session that Saturday. I woke up at around five in the evening when I got a text from one of my friends, saying that they had cooked a full meal that day! I was like, ‘What the hell!!!’. Now, I had to cook. So, I tightened up my hair and woke up my flat mate to join me in the kitchen. Within 40 minutes, which includes scrupulous tasks like kneading the dough, we had prepared dry Alu ki Sabzi and Garam Garam Parantha. Just then, I remembered, that I had my friend’s pen drive which had the movie ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’. I thanked God for small mercies. We both set our plates and I played the movie. It was such a satisfying feeling to actually cook one whole meal for self. Not that I hadn’t done it ever before, but it was my first time since I had started living away from home. And with the Amitabh Bachchan movie playing along, what could have been a better weekend at home. Cheers to Alu, Parantha and AB.