Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Clairessence

I have a sensitive nose. Not just in terms of it being in pain even if you touch it, but also because of the fact that I have an extremely strong sense of smell. And that has two aspects to it.
1. I can smell things from a distance.
2. I associate people, places, and time with smell.

If you are close to me, I can even sense your moods according to the smell I get from you. Yes, I can smell beyond your litres full of perfume too.

I have fond memories of a lot of people defined by an unexplainable smell.

But then there are also moments when I am suddenly caught off-guard by a smell from the past. Then I don't know how to handle the reactions it tries to trigger. They are not necessarily happy or sad smells, I just know they're extremely strong and result in that gush of emotions that make me pine for all the things they represent (especially because I do not have most of them now).

It's a funny phenomenon, and I have still not got a complete hang of how it works. But I enjoy it in spite of the unsettling feelings attached with it.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Good post.I would like to read another post from you detailing the various smells and the people they remind you of. I am already intrigued. Don't take names if you want to keep it personal and also not embarrass others. Or use the initial of their last name or something. But please consider writing it for sure.

Subhadip said...

Elephants have a keen sense of smell. They also have great memory!

But just in case you retort by saying I smell like a pig, I resist the temptation to do the deduction.

RB said...

Woodsmoke,
Thanks.
Like I said, "...defined by an unexplainable smell." I wish I could describe the smells. They're not the usual fruity/musky/fresh/etc smells. They're very unique to the things or people they represent. For example, the way Delhi air smells just before Diwali. I don't know if you know what I am talking about... but that smell is mystical. There's nothing like it anywhere else in the world.

Subhadip,
I wish I had a good memory.

Don't worry, you don't smell like a pig. :-)

R said...

True. In my case, Metro these days is all about the stink really, and nothing else.

Me said...

U r right Aarbee, cetain smelks..can zap u into the past..and then for a lifetime in you,thy last..
happy sniffing :)

RB said...

Rohit,
Hmmm...

Deepti,
:)