The Moonlit Night

So yes, we had this really amazing international offsite trip being planned, in Sri Lanka. For most of us probably it was their first international trip, for some first trip to Sri Lanka, for few maybe first trip to a beach resort, and for others just another break from their mundane lives with their friends cum colleagues. Well, for me, yes, most of the trip was just the set of common things which one does on a holiday with office mates - touristy stuff, pool party, night parties, after parties, endless drunk night conversations, and so on. But there was something that makes me recall this trip time and again.

So well, what was different then, what makes me write about the trip and relive it all over again? Well, that's because there was getting this one step closer to my most favourite creation of Earth - water. Well playing in the beach, swimming in the beach water, jumping along with the waves, trying to fight the strength of a whirlwind of wave, all of these had time and again amused me. Like I remember, first time in Chennai when I was a small 13 year-old kid, I just couldn't stop but everyday end up going to the beach and spending hours looking into the horizon as the blueness of both the magnanimous creations - the ocean and the sky, met each other. And since then, the love story has only grown stronger and fonder.

Well, while I was experiencing the setting sun by the beach, a friend just happened to talk about how beautiful the beach is during a moonlit night, and how I was left to wonder that I would never venture into this scenic experience because oceans or seas are terrifying at night. And yes, that thought was held for quite some time, and I just kind of made myself really happy swimming against the hurdles of the water while enjoying the dreamy sunset. But, the thought was still there, the moonlit night enthralling the expanse of the sea, and I was thinking maybe, maybe someday, while I feel my fear is overcome, I might just check this experience off my list - playing by the beach amidst the water, while the moon gleams on you.

So, it was the second night, and the trip was kind of coming to an end, then suddenly the pair of wanderlusters from the Gochis gang, who are always ready to set their bars high just because they want to do it but also because they both are water lovers too, came up with the idea of going to the beach at 430 am in the night. And boy, it was a Full Moon night. Really, was it some kind of a coincidence, that I hear their words and I get tempted that very instant. Boy, I had to, it was one thing which had just started to linger in my mind and would have taken I don't know ages, or might have never happened also, thanks to having an aquaphobic partner. So, yes, I said yes, to these wanderluster boys, and then we were off to the beach to experience the ocean water layered in silver by the moonlit sky.

The love story got a whole new elevation. The water was there, by my side, I was there with the water and inside. There was an initial fear which took hardly 2 seconds to be overcome once I felt the warmth of the water. It was as warm as a forgotten cup of hot coffee, and which made the playing bit with the water all the more enjoyable. So, yeah the moon in its fully grown stage was adorning us and the water alike layering it with a silver palette, while I kind of tried to relate how could I be so lucky. And oh yes, there were stars, the sky was full of stars to give us company too. Seemed like, no other humane lights were needed as we were being gleamed upon by the elements in the sky, which also made me feel that I was protected. Protected by the sky and the warmth of the ocean.

While we were adorning the moonlight, we realised that the ocean had much more in store for us. As the swirling of the water was leading the night to come to an end, the silence of it got us all ears to what was happening underneath. The creation of the massive waves was what we encountered and experienced first hand which could have been made analogous to a war camp with guns being fired. Just that this was a peaceful war camp with the handsome gun-like shots being heard amidst total silence, which also made me appreciate the war, the war between the ocean and the land, and do I call it a war or just the two flirting with each other while trying to fight against each other as well. So yes, everytime a wave came we knew it was coming, with the announcement it made and that made us (and me) ready to take the wave by our stride and whirl along with it.

As the moon was starting to set, which reduced the lustrous effect of it on the water, we realised it was time The Ensemble was going to end - of the moon and stars above me and me inside the water trying to battle out its magnificient sounds. While we were trying with most difficulty to set ourselves apart from the ocean, we thought of continuing the matinee by taking a dip in the pool and that's when I backfloated and continued the love story by conversing with the stars. And that's when I thought of how lucky (for the 2nd time) could I have been to have learnt backfloat just that day itself from another friend.

Finally, with all of these, the day was brought to an end and yes, the stars with their sheen, the moon with its silvery lustre disguising itself into a setting sun, and the ocean letting you flirt and play with it while exposing the inside story of its waves. This was the ensemble that I needed, the one that left me with a memorable experience which would/could happen again in my life, I don't really know, but know that this memoir is going to stay for atleast as long as the love story continues.

The love between a 16-year old and M

A 16-year old, looking for some care after being left alone and away from her beloved, trying to fill her void, meets M. M, on the other hand, lives in her own world, doesn't really care for any affection or love. Wants only to be fed, loved, not really sure. But as a 16-year old turns out to be, fresh out of college, rekindling her days of romance, she has found a new love, a new longing, a new crush, which she wants to nurture - the love for M!

The first day - it took some time, some food and a playful bait to get M closer to the one who was deeply in love with M, like a hopeless romantic. Some connection started brewing between M and her lover, over one playful night and tasty food dining. This led to M gradually inclining towards her lover, after all she also started enjoying the attention she was getting. She rang the bell she had on her to tease her lover and get her drawn towards her. The lover eventually got addicted to that sound. The lover wanted more of it and beckoned M so as to be enchanted by M's walking towards her, while ringing the bell.

M started to reciprocate, started showing some interest in her lover. All night, she kept her lover up, woke her up multiple times to play with her. But there was a time the lover was dead tired and dozed off in a great slumber, which made her fail to notice M's hideout in her own home. The next morning unaware of M's hideout, the lover resorts to panic mode, the feeling of losing someone, you had just started falling for, was terrible. But 3 hours later, the reunion happened. And what an iconic reunion it was, the lover was jumping out of joy, wanted to hug everyone around her out of sheer joy of being reunited with her new found love, new found commitment. M on the other hand was nonchalantly sleeping peacefully in her hideout, trying not to be swayed by the childish happiness of the 16-year old.

The teenage lover, as hopeless a lover she was, now wanted more and more time with M. She stopped her Badminton sessions, tried to rush back home early from her daily schedule, deprioritised meeting friends. And all of it to get home, to build her love for M and get M to reciprocate and fill the void of the teenage lover.

Midnight dates with M happened, the bell's sound blended with the playful sounds of happiness between the two. There were tiring nights, yet no tire; sleepless ones, yet no signs of loathe. M's love was in return, what else did the lover want?

Weekends came, friends came, visited M. M got comfortable socialising, but evident it was, that she wanted only her lover around to open up the most. Hence, the lover tried to limit her socialising, and effortlessly it happened, for an otherwise active social animal. There were nights that the lover couldn't make home early, leading M to signs of gloom, and the lover to being teary eyed and regretful on the rendezvous.

M by her side, soulful music to the ears and no Netflix to distract, that suddenly seemed to be the perfect weekend. M started showing more and more fondness, laid beside her, asked for more love. Kisses and warmth were beginning to be shared. Mornings also became eventful, with bird-watching happening in the balcony in togetherness. M wanted to be held, to be carried and shown the outside world. It became evident, M and the lover had found each other.

Such was the love of a 30-year old who turned into a 16-year old for the love of a cat, who had only purrs, slow rubbing against the body, lot of fur and kneading to give back. And at times if the lover got lucky, M drew her paws around her lover's face and kissed back in reciprocation. And the icing on the cake was, the lover's lover - had come to visit both of them and in no time M and the lover's lover bonded, which was a scenario not so usual in other humane cases.

All of these was enough, enough to live with memories to long for. But just like all other love stories, this also had an ending, M had to leave her lover, but with so many memories, of nights, of weekends, of days when nothing else mattered but M, of having the whole world drawn around M, of having all the exclusivity reserved for M. And the best part, all of it was naturally carving out of the 16(30) year old's style of living. This is what I call effortless and soulful love - a grown up's teenage love for the cat with a bell. Oh, what a beautiful love story!

The rise of the unsung Hero

Main Marne se pehle marna Nahi chahti!

Well what more could sum up the bravery displayed by a 23 year old, who was at the helm of a happy glamorous life. Her family was all glorified of her presence in the family, acknowledging each and every Part of her - her job, her charm, her bringing every small thing to life attitude. She had finally found the love of her life which she truly deserved, after having had a devastated past. She was having a perfect modelling stint. Noting more could a girl at that age have asked for.

But yes she moved ahead to do what she loved the most, and in course of doing that she found another side of hers which we realise was the most significant trait of hers - bravery. When she says Marne se pehle marna Nahi chahti, she very well understood that by whatever she did she would indeed "live" more than being dead before death. She exemplified one of the most heroic acts ever in flight camaraderie probably, but what was touching is that she herself wasn't moulded for this. She was a happy go lucky girl without even the slightest apprehension of a situation where she landed herself into, and that too two days before her birthday. Like every other normal girl, she was full of excitement before her birthday and indeed would have wished to live to see all her loved ones make her feel the most Special ever. But eventually when she was there she just realised her valour then and there and acted to the best of her knowledge for the greater cause of all the 379 passengers. That sprung of moment she acted so strong so courageously, leaving maybe herself stunned too.

You are put to wonder if even 10% of that much bravery could you ever deliver towards human kindness. Well maybe yes, maybe not, but then you indeed are left inspired to live your life in a style best proposed in movie Anand and glorified again n again by Neerja - "Zindagi lambi nahi badi honi chahye babumoshay".

What is the trigger - Bollywood growing up or the need of youth to grow up??

A not so true Bollywood fan, not very much fond of Bollywood movies to be specific - is how I would want to describe myself. But of late Bollywood is surprising me in a few instances - and very pleasant surprises I must say.

Having decided to watch Margarita with a straw - for the love of Kalki and her acting, awaiting a story which would be hugely revolving around the pangs of cerebral palsy and how to overcome it. But very very fortunately, none of my expectations were met. I am happy and all overwhelmed post watching the movie. Maybe the movie was built to show a different paradigm but what I perceived and what left an impact on me was what I wanted to take back away with me from the movie theatre. And that was the relationship of a mother and a daughter, a daughter born with an incurable disease and a mother dying of an incurable disease. How the two characters connect despite their diseases and how a dying mother never fails to grow her child up in the most normal way despite her own ailments. How she hides her pains and goes to the extent of travelling across the seas to make her daughter feel at home away from home. How she runs a family and manages to make her daughter respectable not just for herself but for everyone in her daughter's circle. Throughout the movie I feel if it was not for the mother's eyes which saw the daughter as a normal child, the daughter wouldn't have been a character strong enough to live the life of a normal child despite the physical abnormalities. The way the mother makes the daughter's hair, makes her feel beautiful both within and outside, the way she supports her going abroad and pursuing her aspirations, the way she supports and discusses her multifaceted love life, struck me.

And all this while she herself is fighting cancer.

But the fact is, does this really come as a surprise to any of us. That a mother like this can exist. I doubt not! This is where you realise, and ponder that yes your own mother is no less than the "AAI". Your own mother is no less than an icon who has and will sacrifice all her wishes, desires to see you happy. For the fact, this AAI is what we all have in our subconscious mind respected and idealised, and maybe in alot of Mother's Day occasions given due accolades in the form of status messages but never really took that extra step to understand and value what she has and will do for you.

Here, I want to again speak of Piku - the movie I never really wanted to go for. Padukone's acting I have always despised of. But yes again on the lines of the discussion above, this movie also left me thinking over how someone in today's age can actually take care of a father like this! A kind of father we would never want, a father who would stop you from getting married, badmouth you in social events, openly speak of you losing your virginity. Get to the most irritating levels maybe one would imagine. But yes, I guess we all believe that this kind of a parent does exist. And we all maybe most of our lives keep despising the thought of being forced to listen and consider their ideas as rational and even follow them. But nonetheless when you see that despite all of it, when that character leaves your life, what an impact it leaves. The missing link multiplies in volume and overgrows to be a chain which gets you entangled in the memories of the moments which otherwise gripped you with pertinent anger.

That's when you realise, love thy parent as thy child. Make the process of loving mutual because we know eventually it's their love which will remain eternally forever with you no matter what tides and times come.

But the concern here I want to raise is, why such movies, why this belongingness with parents is shown, why is this even required. I do agree and opine that yes it is required. For an age which lives on Social Media to express love for parents, which chats on watsapp to remain connected with parents, which considers talking to parents daily as a burden, which gets irritated talking to parents on marriage or whatsoever, which has forgotten what longingness for being with parents mean. It is what is required to be shown and the trigger is the youth itself.

Maybe I myself am a victim and very much a part of this youth but then yes, should we really be waiting for a movie with a strong message to realise what or rather who made us. That link needs to be fit into the puzzle and make it a natural process to emote and express, to love and not to show, to feel and not to make them feel, to be happy not for them but for yourself, but make them very much a part of everything and every moment of your life. The one wish they live for.

The story of Archana

I am Archana - Akka. Studying in 6th standard in Glorious Techno School. And then she goes back to her own work unlike the others who were taught to crouch and sit after lunch in their bunker rooms so that visitors come and meet them and get introduced to them. And why this discipline - so that they can please the "Visitors". So accustomed they were to this word. It seemed to please a visitor was the sole aim of their Lives - which again I didn't know how long would last.

Well yes - an NGO i have been wanting to go for long. And especially one which housed children affected from HIV AIDS. The kids who were separated form their parents (as they themselves had died owing to AIDS) and their families obviously owing to social taboos associated with this disease. I was prepared for a trip, an experience, which would move me by maybe seeing the kids who I was expecting to have been affected by the symptoms of HIV or AIDS. But the experience was so different. Seeing the kids in the NGO, I felt these kids are so lucky to be living in the situation in which they are. Right from the food that they ate to the toys they played with or the schools they went to study, there was no discrimination or compromise with the quality. Aloof of the disease which has caused them to be a part and member of the bigger family, the life they led - am sure in normal conditions they wouldn't have been offered the same.

To quote - one kid was all decked up - why because he was going to meet the superstar Telugu hero - Ram Charan. Having a small piece of paper in his pocket to get his autograph he seemed all set to maybe have an experience of his lifetime. I wonder while he would be traveling for his tete-a-tete with Ram Charan, what all thoughts would be coming to his mind. What were in his stars that he ended up with a fate like this - to be separated from his roots and come live with a bunch of other kids, make awesome friends, be educated, cut birthday cakes every year and then become one of the lucky ones to meet the superstar.

And then I meet Archana, who sat beside me in the van while going to her school. She had struck me during her introduction, maybe I found her smarter than the lot. And then she hit off with me well - and how? Her love for watches and sharing the same birthdate was more than enough. Then I wanted to continue further asking her some more questions - when I stopped at one point, when I had this question in my mind - What do you aim to be when you are big enough? Didn't know if I should have proceeded with that question - for yes maybe I saw these kids living life normally, going to school and learning the same things like normal kids do, growing up like healthy kids do making me forget that HIV might take its toll anytime, anyday. Unaware, untouched by that thought, they still lead their lives happily, pray everyday during meals and make us, humans around them happier with their gestures, spreading all the more happiness and love around and most importantly inspiring us to live life with gratitude.

The fatality of ignoring our night-watchers!!

As I made my way amidst the hills of Yumthang valley and the other picturesque sites of Sikkim, I realised that the much anticipated trip was turning out to be little dangerous and lesser on the sight-seeing part. All owing to the narrow frozen roads amidst the hills, the pathways which could make anybody lose the lives of those who tread on it by a mere slip of the grip of the gear.

While I tried to keep myself calm by taking Allah's name all throughout the life-taking journey, I realised that even if we all transformed ourselves to the most adventurous and risk taking individuals, we wouldn't have dared to go beyond a point. And when we reach that point, we notice huge trucks and jeeps carrying the daily necessities of the armymen. And then I sit and realise why am i even scared. There are our night-watchers who valiantly and smoothly go travel all across these narrow life-taking roads just to save our lives. Living in bunkers in areas with the rarest of life to be seen. No electricity, no water, no food and all of it in temperatures which keep me clothed in minimum 4 layers of woolens.

Is that a life we all grow up thinking we would want someday? A life of not taking showers regularly, a life of living in negative temperatures, a life of living in closed spaces, a life of living away from your close and dear ones, a life which you know might end anytime any moment. And what do they get? What is it that keeps them driving? When I as a normal human was waiting for the trip to the hills to get over so that I am done living amidst the ruthless cold no matter how pleasing the snow-covered hills might have been, these night-watchers have made it their rozi-roti.

And when you read an article after coming back, that the wages of the night-watchers of India's borders have not been deservingly laid out, the incentives have been drstically reduced and all of this, infact, fails to be noticed amidst all the hullaballoo of the AAP and Congress and BJP making scathing attacks on each other and all the news channel getting the necessary TRP out of it. The article left me with the thought- where has our Indianhood been lost amidst all these. Why do we run after things which are in the moment and not care about things which require more attention. As Indians we get affected by seeing movies made of war and borders and armymen, but the impression is just to make the movie-makers earn their hard-earned money. Why cant we actually bother to cause to make things easier for our night-watchers who are there on their own- and yes all on their own. A mere trip was sufficient to make me realise what keeps us safe through the night, as our night watchers guard us amidst the terrible and most terrible of livelihoods.

At this point, we indeed have to understand that a Government doesn't become a common man's Govt until it caters to the most unnoticed and yet the most severest of issues. A leader can't be crowned a king just by making his followers rebel against the tenets of dictatorship but by bringing to light the most unnoticed things which have the maximum lives of our citizens at stake. Time to arise, time to get enlightened, time to make our night-watchers get the maximum out of their duties and make them earn more not in money but in pride.

Why fear the life of a Wanderer?

I hate this. Being driven to write a blog by seeing another blog post. A blog post in the lines of one which had always been in my mind since quite long flashes infront of me and urges me to write mine. That's a shame but yes can't really help this nature of mine which will unfold into blaming my schedule, my otherwise piled up tasks and pretentiously seeming list of priorities.

Well if it wasn't for a movie, a friend, a situation this impulse wouldn't have come. The impulse of yes, i can do it. I might be belittling myself by saying that it was just another bollywood drama which got this craving in me. But for a girl who hates travelling, the mere term named journey used to get her into her blankets and go into hibernation. But then the thought shouldn't just stop at the idea but should go forward. That requires planning and that's where I again want to go disjoint. Why plan?? Planing it out causes one to think within restrictions and makes one create apprehensions of the edges and boundaries being broken down by extrusions. As one good friend had someday said, my life is planned and that's what makes it boring."

Nothing said and done. Coing across a quote: "Drink every bit of the present and let it seep through you that even when your soul parts from your body it lingers in your bones", there is nothing less in me which doesn't urges me to move forward if not anything. When I see the graveyard by my window there is now an urge in me to go explore it experience the silence of the place, the serenity. The place Shillong never seemed so explorable until my friend who came down to this place all the way from an all india tour started carving out more beautiful pictures of this place than me who already spent her life growing up in and around this place.

Even when Andre Agassi loathed Tennis and still could arose as world no. 1, what's the harm in trying to break one simple conviction of travelling that one extra mile- unplanned and uncalled for. No awards, no laurels are there but the mere satisfaction of having taken that first step is worth enough to discover thyself underneath the baggage.

The only thing of lament persisting now is that it still requires that movie, that lady sitting beside a tomb to realize peace, a friend travelling unplanned, unscheduled - to inspire me. Nevertheless, hoping the inspiration takes shape to nurture further inspirations not for the world but for me alone to build that wall around me which I don't fear to leap over.