Beginning of an End...

So how do I feel at the end of (over) 3 months?
Brain is too complicated to answer that.
Heart is too excited to answer that.

So i turn to the place with memory galore- the Photographs...
And then, its not just past (over) 3 months, but years that pleasantly roll by me. And I realise that a hearty laugh, a twinkle in the eye, a 'posey' pose is not a work of art, infact far from it.
But today, when I look at these photos- in almost disbelief at actually having once lived them- I realise I treasure them more than the most precious work of art.

After a fruitful hour of photo-gaping, I realise life has, more or less, been a serendipitous ride. It has been kind to me. It has been an accomplice in all the adventures.
And now, as I am about to embark upon another adventure, I only have one wish... that life be as it has unchangingly been... full of wonderful co-incidences!

So, at the end of (over) 3 months:
I feel blessed to have such a happy life full with amazing people.
I feel hopeful that the trend of happiness continues
And...
I feel grateful for the invention called camera to have made the brain and heart work lesser.

Here is hoping for a tomorrow full of Sunlight, Health and Happiness.

In a perennial pursuit...

It happened 3 years ago. In a small and absolutely beautiful village called Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.

We were visiting the house of India’s freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak- the ‘Bal’ of the famous ‘Lal Bal Pal’ trio- which was being renovated for public exhibition.

As I moved about the place, I had a feeling of redolence but couldn’t put my finger on it. Taking the confused feel with me, I moved on.

Cut to present.

I went to my grandparents’ home for a week, thanks to a completed degree and delayed date of joining on the job.

It is then that the old feel came back to me.

The air was the same.

As weird as it may sound, I could make an absolute connect.

The ceiling fan-the kind which one wouldn’t normally find in today’s time- has a huge box for a regulator that sticks out the wall. It has now become smooth and edge-less from being in use for many decades.

My grandfather’s desk is decorated impeccably with his glasses, medicine, some documents, a diary and a pen arranged in exactly the same manner at any time of day since last 18 years when he retired.

There is an old radio set- decorated by a hand-woven and beautifully embroidered patch of cloth- whose print has come off with all the years of use.

The beds, or the ‘khaat’, I’m sure are a rare possession in any delhi household today. But they are being proudly used and by personal experience I admit, they are better than any bed!

The various calendars - with images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses covering almost the entire area on it - irrespective of their years, adorn the walls of the entire house.

These and many other things are not only reminiscent of my childhood but also drive home an important conclusion.

Never let any experience die in you. Always keep the feelings as well as the feel alive. Always.

You never know... what connects where and when.

This home is an integral part of me, as that ‘house’ will be too from now on.

You don’t necessarily have to play a major part in somebody’s life to make them an integral part of yours.

Sometimes, it’s the feeling of being connected- like with my grandparents’ home.

Other times it’s the FEEL of being connected- like with Late Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s house.

A message...

At first I thought I was still dreaming and it was again a nightmare. But when the alarm did not stop, I forced my brain to think why I had set the alarm for 5:45 am. I fought with myself, coming up with any unreasonable excuses my sleepyhead could concoct, still knowing what was committed had to be done.

It took all my will power for me to step out of the bed on the chilly winter floor. After fighting another urge to hop back in the blanket, I started putting on layers and layers of all the clothes in my wardrobe.

Slinging the camera, I stepped out of my room, cursing the camera-the cause of my discomfort today.

Ok… So I was headed to the playground to shoot the early-morning cricket match- a game I’ve always hated.

The ground is 10 mins away, if you walk leisurely on a sweet Sunday afternoon.

But ask me and I still feel it took me 30 minutes and my entire breath to reach there. But once there, I was glad I made it, although a bit late.

Out popped the camera and as I was about to click the first shot, horror struck me.

There was no battery in the camera.

I still remember the feeling. It was worst than plugging-in your cellphone for charging and forgetting to switch it on.

I had still not recovered from the run, yet I started running back towards my room to fetch what was left behind- the SOUL of my camera.

This happened almost a year back.

And now, for this New Year, I have a message.

Never leave your SOUL behind. If you do, you’ll be out there in the cold, running, out of breath to get it back.

You just cannot do without it.

Also, Keep your loved ones close. Never hold a grudge for anyone. Have lots of sunshine… for you never know when the Earth will die.

Keep smiling! J