Orchha

I am back from a super trip to Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, but work is killing me enough to make this kind of an update for now. Kindly await the details and photographs.

Freedom

A commonly-expressed thought crossed my mind early this past weekend. Freedom is inside, they say. I pondered over it for a while and thought I agreed. And then I took a morning flight to Bangalore.

I landed on time, the city greeted me with delightful weather, I had a Sub while I waited for Karan to pick me, and tried not to think about the excitement that I was experiencing about the weekend a day earlier.

Over the past months, I had had several conversations with Ruhi and Karan about how I should visit them in Bangalore. But I could not make up my mind until this July, which is when I finally booked my tickets for this extended I Day weekend.

I admit that even though I called it my Bangalore Trip, it wasn’t exactly so because I spent a little less than 24 hours in the city. It was actually a road trip that started a couple of thousand kilometres away from home. Road trip to Wayanad, Kerala.

There was a lot of back and forth while planning. The distance and monsoons were deterring factors, but the fact that neither Karan nor (obviously) me had seen the place earlier was motivation enough to head out to the beauty that the place is. Ruhi could not join us because we took too long to confirm, so it was just the two of us, with GPS navigation and some good music all the way to Kerala!

To begin with, it took two hours to just get out of Bangalore. Apparently the traffic wasn’t too much because it was a Saturday morning. I take Karan’s word for that. Then we moved through Mysore and Bandipur towards Kalpetta, the capital of Wayanad. While some patches of the jungle and Kalpetta itself had horrible roads, the rest of the journey was smooth and a lot of fun. There was also a patch somewhere in the middle where on both sides of the road there are marigold fields. Bright orange marigolds! I made Karan stop the car for a bit because I could certainly not get enough of the orange. It’s my favourite colour these days. The air too was filled with wonderful fragrance. Orgasmic? Is that how things get described often? Yes, that was the feeling.

We made another short stop somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I may repeat this point multiple times, but I can’t get to describing how clean and cool the air was. We really did not feel like moving from there.

As you might know, I subscribe to a lot of popular stuff, including certain Bollywood moments. Thus, the connect that I felt while songs like hairat hai from Anjaana Anjaani and dil dhadakne do from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara played is hard to illustrate. Those were my moments of ultimate free spiritedness! I was conscious of the wind in my hair. I did not care a damn about how my hair would look later. Felt good. That’s all that mattered.

We spotted some elephants while in Bandipur, the green was irresistible, and my excitement knew no bounds. With that we saw a beautiful sunset somewhere close to Sulthan Bathery. Then began the bad roads in the dark, and a nightmare we were not expecting.

Neither of us had an inkling of just how popular Wayanad is. So we did not know that the place has a LOT of hotels. And ALL those hotels were occupied for the weekend. We went up and down Kalpetta twice over looking for a place for close to three hours. At one fully occupied home stay a guy called some friend of his whose home stay had place. The guy got us to follow his bike to the place. Within a few minutes he went off the main road, and kept heading straight into the darkness. He was about 100-150 metres ahead of us when he took a right turn. But when we got to the point we saw a dead end and a cross. It was a cemetery. My heart, which was beginning to get worked up because of the nothingness that we were driving into, seriously leaped into my mouth. It was literally a ‘cemetery on a hill’. I got Karan to turn the car around. But our luck, the left rear tyre got stuck. I would have had a coronary if it had taken a second longer to get out of the place! Of course, later it was funny and mister had a big laugh about it. I do not get easily scared, but this was just extraordinarily creepy!

After much ado we did find a place to stay.

The morning was serene; we had some dossai, and headed out to Pookot Lake. The drive was decent, especially through Vythiri. The lake being a typical tourist spot was a disappointment. I don’t think we spent more than ten minutes there. It really wasn't worth it.

A couple of minutes away from the lake was a little trail that was appealing. We parked the car and started climbing up. While I continued walking, Karan got a chance to play with his camera. With each step that I took I felt a wave of the unexplained go through me. I could hear myself breathe, my mind was as clear as the air, and the very sense of being in hills, tea estates, and clouds was satiating.

I climbed further up and found a small rock to park myself on. It was me and a vulture sounding a sound that wasn’t noise in that atmosphere.

After a while we felt we should move. As Karan walked towards the car, I struggled to get my feet moving. I don’t know how I lost control of them, but they were reluctant. But we did leave, this time heading towards the Banasura Dam. The drive to the Dam was about an hour long. The roads were good and the view even more beautiful! The music at that point fit with the emotions that I was experiencing then. That overwhelming nature of nature took over me. That was freedom. The tears felt like they did the leftover cleansing. I think it got Karan a little concerned, but it certainly was nothing to worry about.

The happiness continued during the little trek to the dam, and increased as I sprawled on the road up there. I knew the few pictures I was taking were ordinary, and I could not care less about those either. It was 1-0-0% relaxation. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Neither of us wanted to leave that place because next stop was Bangalore. We had not had enough. But I guess that’s the best feeling to leave a place with, isn’t it? Wanting more.

The drive back was as much fun. We sang, laughed, this time interacted with other cars moving with us, and reached Bangalore only at night, tired, in time for a pizza for dinner.

We browsed through some school photographs, talked about the times that were and the years that have passed. 15 years of knowing each other. The love, the respect, and the understanding remain intact even though we see each other only once in a couple of years.

The next day was Ruhi’s. So I said good-bye to Karan and moved to Ruhi’s car. At her place I also met Rohini. It was good to see her! One of the few faces that I like from Pune. Oh, the dosas she made for breakfast for perfectly delicious. I ate till I could eat no more, and then Ruhi and I stepped out to shop for some Mysore silk for Ma. Saree and Mysore Pak packed, we headed to Aroy for some Thai lunch. We did not realise how time flew by. We were still in our grown-up conversations and yumm corn & spinach when my Meru arrived. I did not want to leave.

I still do not want to leave the experience behind. I am sentimental about this one. It goes without saying that it earned a space closer to my heart. Ruhi and Karan made it perfect. The times when perfect is an elusive word.

I Wish I Could Use a Dagger

I have not experienced such extreme emotions for anyone in a long time.

My Delhi Metro Muses

I do not think I want 80 work hour weeks, but a 20-something hours week plus 2 more similar days have made life quite a drone. And therefore...

1. Firstly, yes, it is called a train.

2. I don’t know why DMRC is trying to cut costs by not keeping the air conditioners at stations on this season. Aren’t they making enough thanks to the millions who use the trains everyday?

3. The woman who thinks she has an ass small enough to fit in a space where a woman half her size was sitting earlier is quite funny.

4. The embarrassment that the same woman goes through when her ass doesn’t fit is even more fun to witness. :P

5. The people pushing their way through to that half a seat are the evils that I would like to wish away.

6. The woman who boarded the train over an hour ago, had a nice sleep, and is now getting ‘ready’ for work is entertaining. Eye makeup, hair brush, et al – everything is there in the bag.

7. Woman who fails to understand the concept of personal space. If a train is crowded, she will not keep her bag under the seat. She will make sure she is carrying a big bag or multiple bags. And then irritate all others around her.

8. The category of women who carry bags which are bigger in width than in length do not seem to have discovered yet in life that their bag pokes the life out of the person standing behind them.

9. The ones who are too short to hold on to the handles above – them, I sympathise with. I didn’t say I like them crowding the space around the doors!

10. This one’s more of a unisex phenomenon – people not realizing that their earphones are behaving like Dolby Digital speakers, not earphones. Of course, nobody around them can figure the song that they are listening to – it’s just an endless cacophony of annoying beats.

11. Poor women who try to entertain their infant/kid in hazaar ways over 30 minutes.

12. Oh, the men who have the nerve to voice opinions like, “women have the 1st coach of the train reserved and thus should not enter the other coaches”!

13. The men who gape at you endlessly – because you are travelling in their coach. Or maybe just because they are m*&^%$fu^&*ng bastards!

Browsing Through Tabs

Having lots of tabs open on your browser can never be bad. Whether it is in an attempt to figure something like which ITR form to fill for your tax returns, or for travel, it's all for your own good. I, of course, am going to elucidate on the travel-related tabbed browsing.

If you are a regular here, you would know of all the travelogues which begin with a mention of scores of tabs, about various travel destinations/info about a select destination, open on my browser. In that context, this coming August seems to be way too exciting to be true. I think it will be exhausting if it really shapes up as per all tentative and confirmed plans, but that's no reason for me to not get excited. I know at least one of the trips will happen for sure since my tickets are already booked. It better not be a bummer. For the others I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that at least one materializes. Actually, I am hoping only one of those does because I am not sitting on a heap of Rupee notes and I need to space out such expenses. Pff.

Wondering where? I will tell you all about it in detail only when I am done doing what I want to. As of now, it should suffice to say that I can view lakes, hills, forests, AND snow on my tabs. Wohooo!! Shhhhhh!

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

I watched the movie last night. Did not tweet about it because I had a lot more than 140 characters in my mind. I did not write about it here earlier because the watch took priority. :) And now I am late for my beloved sleep. As I type, I am contemplating whether or not to elaborate already. 

...so I give in to the temptation.

I watch a lot of movies, but felt this one needs to be registered somewhere. It had the romance that I mentioned a post ago. I could feel it through the characters and the narrative. It was simple - the minimalism in expression was touching. It wasn't groundbreaking cinema, but worth a watch for some good editing, cinematography, and bloody hot men! I thought the movie would be a treat because it has Abhay Deol. But Hrithik Roshan playing a real person (unlike the Dhooms, Krrishs and Akbars) was appealing too. And I did not know that my favourite Naseeruddin Shah was playing a part too. On a different note, it was good to see Deepti Naval in the movie. 

It has suddenly started raining outside. :)

Saat Mahine Baad

I was in 4th standard when Mom lent her HMT to me. It was a secret we both kept from Dad because he thought I was too young to be given a watch to wear to school. Moreover, those days, kids that age did not really get a wrist watch of their own. I was one of the first in my class too. From then, 1995, till beginning of 2011, there never was a day when I stepped out without a watch on my wrist. I graduated from that first watch to some others to the one that I inherited from my brother in, I think, 2004. He has too many watches, he didn’t like that one too much, and so I decided to take it from him. What I did not know while taking it from him was that I would get surprisingly sentimental about it. I started thinking of it as a part of my brother being with me through all good and bad times. After a point, I needed it with me on all important days.

Pune had me and my watch go through some tough times. And by the time I got back to Delhi, we both had scars that we had a hard time dealing with. It was ugly, to say the least.

When 2011 began, I decided I could not wear this watch any longer. It was in very bad shape. But as I gave it rest, I could not bring myself to buy a new one. I did visualise something that I would like, but I did not find anything like that the one time I took myself shopping. And there went month after month of a bare wrist!

I finally figured that it would be best if I got this one repaired. It took a month of overhauling, and it is back with me today. It is black, but still makes me very happy. The timing is even more significant because as of today, we both feel resurrected.

There Is Nothing To Talk About

The smile has become smaller

The eyes have become quieter

The laughter is discretionary

The hands stay in place

White has come a lot closer to the heart

Tears never have company

The old playlist doesn't feel the same anymore

More and more decisions are need-based

I am at a stage where I think about people, not miss them. I don't need anyone except the people who are already there in my life. This thought is probably making me miss out on some good things in life, but the balance that it brings with it cannot be matched. There are only one or two people out there who would understand what this means to me, and I think they themselves now fall in the category mentioned in the first line of this paragraph. Ha. Such is life, they say.

I do miss romance in my life though. This weekend I happened to observe a few things around me which reminded me that it wasn't there. I own my popsicles. But the way I am shunning out people, they ought to be. Ha. Such is life, they say. 

I guess I will go back to enjoying the romance in my new job tomorrow morning. It makes me keep the battery charged. 

Not So Public Affairs

The uneventful nature of life these days has made this blog rather lifeless. There is work, there are some movies, and there are some uneventful social meetings. I hardly switch my laptop on these days, and I am more disciplined at work too. The past two weeks have been spent in unbelievable exhaustion and a suspect new mofo disease.

A lot of energy is also spent in an attempt to lose some serious weight. I know I do it every now and then, but I have never been as fat as I am today, I have never worried about it like I do now, and I have never even wanted to lose weight this bad!

These days I spend time criticising and appreciating various brands on Twitter.

What is of note is the entry of new gods in my life. Some people have the ability to make you feel small, but in a rather good way. I am hoping to learn some serious lessons from them.

And hopefully I will have something more entertaining for you to read over the weekend.

Dull Afternoons

Today I scribbled something on my palm after about ten years. And I am hating the ink which has not gone even after two rounds of washing hands. I remember how no day used to pass during those school years without ink all over my left palm. I remember sometimes I even showed off my talent (to myself, who else would care) of being able to write with the left hand, thereby having both my palms full of ink. Half the space was covered with my own name or pseudo signature. Obsessions were of a different kind back then. As thoughtless as today’s though. I wrote and drew endlessly on the little 3x3 desk allocated for a year, each year. Well, table graffiti was with me through college too, but then I only wrote lyrics of songs I liked. Actually, I used to write a line or two each of a combination of songs to spell out my own mind’s story. But again, nobody else cared. At that point, somehow I didn’t even want anyone to care or read the stuff that I wrote. You know the typical teen/college mindset.

Why I started writing out this post was actually the fact that I remembered how one of my friends used to note her homework on her palm. Well, just that.

And just that.

Offload!

• Chashme ke bina nahi dikh raha.
• "Familiarity breeds contempt."
• "In the long run we are all dead."
• I had forgotten your smell.
• They never need to see me or talk to me to know that I am happy. 
• Sooner or later loose ends do get tied up.
• Just when I was beginning to feel that excitement is a frivolous emotion that I no longer experience, I got an opportunity to realise why it is such a treasured emotion.
• I may be a cynic, but I know who is worth being put in that list of gods.
• Your wit is digging too strongly, it's making me funnily uncomfortable.
• Competition still scares me. 
• Some equations should not need effort and are not even worth the effort.
• Pehde bandeyan naal ladna wi aa gaya!
• This American English is not fun.
• Too soon to comment, too soon to feel, too soon to judge - control is an art that makes your life bloody boring. And yet I seem to be leaning that way. With offline moments, of course. 
• You always have options. It's just that sometimes they're so bad that you don't consider them as options. 
• I wonder why I like the icky feeling of perspiration trickling down my scalp.
• That list of gods, Vishal Bhardwaj has been on it for quite a while. Deservingly. 
• I perceived someone to be similar to Subhadip. I was wrong - this one's nowhere close.
• And now that the longest day of the year is behind me, I am awaiting winters! :D

More later!