Winter Warmth

Cities impact your life. Cultures, people, landmarks affect you for sure; but positively or negatively is how one apprehend it. I personally believe that if one is open to explore the variety that a place has to offer, one cannot really ignore the brilliance of being in a new place and among new people.  Impact of a place is much like, you can hate it or love it, but cannot ignore it. Worry not, if a new city doesn't affect you positively, for if it doesn't now, it surely will when you walk away.

As is said, distance makes you yearn for what has been left behind. Yet again and quite repetitively at that, I am again reminded of a city where I lived for quite a few years and which I would like to believe, helped me evolve and have shaped me as an individual. Shape, literally at that may be!

The breeze flowing with a certain romantic nip in it makes you feel happy, plain happy. The low fogs on the lake or the mighty river just acts as the soft curtain which raises itself with the subtle warm sun hopping in. The afternoons spent lying on the vast sheet of greenery, dotted with ponnies, sprinkled with the sweet aroma of oranges and a comfort quilt with friends around will surely not make you regret an ounce of missing out on anything lavish, for there can’t be anything as lavish and extraordinaire than this moment, if, you are living in and living it up.

Soaking in the brilliant glow of the angel’s face above that architectural grandeur you are reminded of a mere human existence. Just then, it’s best to walk in to the chapel which emancipates the hue even more wonderfully with the rainbow colored window panes. The soft hymns reverberate through your senses and you believe that if there’s a thing worth living, it’s this. While meandering through the alleys which stand as a witness to the great Victorian era, you bite into a lavish western breakfast and sip into the aromatic tea of the great land you reside in.

In the evening, when the air smells of sweet perfumes and people dressed in their generously elaborate woolens walk down the path, the welcoming gesture of the city’s glow resembles that perfect hue of being shy of a beauty walking with the love of her life. Red, golden and silver strips of lights washing down the dirt and murk of an otherwise unnoticed life, the city awaits a gentle kiss on its cheek to re-emphasize the fact that one can live years and wait with a bated breath to get a glimpse of this beautiful, sweet and romantic lady glow in its cordial warmth.

To You,

With Love. 

Celebration of Life

...and an year rolled by, to welcome The Lady yet again. She waits as eagerly to visit her paternal home as much her annual arrival is awaited here. To welcome her, the sun awaits the tuneful blow of the conch shell collected from the deepest water and then the day breaks to give life a new definition with refined love, togetherness, peace and a heart full of celebration in all its forms.

... and yet another year passes by, when the beautiful city will stand elegant like a princess dressed in all her finery. Her natives from far and wide will lay bare in her motherly lap and  get their soul rekindled with love, fun and madness. Merriment will be observed and ensured in all its form everywhere, but somewhere faraway, on this beautiful mother, the sun will glow a bit more brightly and will shower an ounce of warmth more.

... and then, a certain patch of the lively soul somewhere, will yearn for a bit more of the aroma of dhunuchi, phul and dhup that mix seamlessly to create a heavenly atmosphere which will further transcend with the chants during the pushpanjali. The ever enticing smell of the wicked chatim will fill the air to add a bit more charm of fun to the whole atmosphere. The alert ears will miss a beat on the dhaak and the conch blow.

The mind will wander away a bit to step in the lanes of South Calcutta and the galore of North Calcutta. The heart will miss a few more companion's silly banter, loud laughter and an extra step to the Maddox Square.  The harried dress-up session at 95, Southern Avenue will be less harried with one less in blocking the mirror. The boisterous souls at Golpark, Kasba or Chetla will be met from a slight distance and finally the nightly treads to Gariahat, Lake Road, Bhowanipore will have a company less till another dawn breaks till the next.

... and till then the festivity will be observed with full mirth and undiminished enthusiasm for nothing can possibly alter the spirit of presence of the Goddess on Earth.

VIBGYOR

Holi from my childhood days are something i envy today, needless to mention there are a line up of many miore such days.

On this day then i used to wake up early in the morning and hunted out that old and withered frilled white frock. Morning was about gulping some interesting breakfast. Soon after, i used to run down to the "laal-bari" to join my cousins for the occassion. All gathered with our choice of colors, splashes of colors on the frock, all merry and tireless, the morning went in a jiffy. Evenings were equally interesting with parents joining the gang with "abir". Abir smelt air and the evening sky colored looked brighter with the brightest of colors.

Years went by and the days changed, went to Hazaribagh.  Celebration was equally exciting but lacked the grandeur. Absence of 9 cousins to play Holi with, the number came down to 1, and i still remember something from those days. A mean gesture rather. Amidst examinations, I was sitting sad. He came up with his palms painted in green and smeared the color on my face from behind, pissed, i didnt enjoy it. I went crazy and  screamed at him, went and washed my face rite away...i still regret that behaviour of mine. With an opportunity anytime in future, i would take it all in mirth. Promise :)

Then days were brighter and the boundaries opened beyond the gathering of 9 cousins. I was a hosteller at the Banaras Hindhu University. Hundreds of girls of more or less the same age..but that's the age where people are serious about their being seniors and juniors than any other thing under the sun, but Holi was one leveler. On this day there were no restrictions and orders took a back seat. The water reservoir under the fountain was filled with water and the color of the water changed in seconds, after playing colors for hours, amidst the examination months, we were treated with special lunch. It was fun..Undoubtedly

Years older. Jadavpur University. Not much to be said, but colors were played more on the day before the occassion than on the day.

Since then, only a year or two, i celebrated Holi, but honestly not as heartily. Sometime later, it was on Holi, i.went to a friend's place, while returning a girl on the road sprayed color on me, i was more than happy, i was reminded of my frilled frocks.

Then, Days started shedding off colors. Nevertheless, with all fun and memories, this day brings in a sign of hope, a dream of coloring the world in our own bright way.

HAPPY HOLI.. :)

Sloshed Rhythm

A pencil in hand
after years swept in sand
not much to moan
neither much left in hand.

Friends around
talking over bottles of rum;
about times to come
and of the by-gone.

A bit sleepy
at the dawn break,
darkened hours though;
unfolds a brighter day

By the sea, i sit and sing
of hopes and wishes
and dreams of colorful days.

Trigger Dream

Disclaimer: Romantic overdose, incoherence, displaced emotions, urge to express certain nonsense and all possible meaningless questions! Read at your own risk. ;-)

for lack of better pictorial representation, but nothing beats this.. :)

When the moon descends with its silver veil

To the shimmering puddles on the lake

Will you sit by my side to say?

Life’s nothing but a golden deck!

Will you take my hand into yours?

Will you promise a life long sail?

Through the crest and troughs in the years ahead!

Without Music Life would be a Mistake. - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Otherwise a restless person, I have observed that i can stick to only one thing and spend hours. 

It washes away the dust of mundaneness,
It soothes the madness,
It elates the feeling of Feeling Good,
It erases the lows,
It establishes the point of "Change" and 'Constant" in the sweetest possible way,
It teaches me to take as It comes,
It negates the malice,
It helps me to laugh when i feel so,
It encourages me to cry if something feels dry.
and
It gives me a High
and gives me reasons enough to Live my Life.

"Without certain things, life wouldn't have been what it is.
Precious of them all is what we call Music!"

As weird as it can get! A weird thought passed my mind today.

Which is more scary and difficult to survive!

Running amidst a blazen forest or

jumping into a whirlpool from a height?

just as intense the thought was, i needed a smoke to relax.

Hungry and sleepy a bit
Helped myself with a packet of Maggi
and a mug of coffee in my fist

Set with plate, mug and fork
i sat on the bed
and read while waiting for the stuff
to cool to taste

Reading the last line of an engrossing paragraph,
I saw two red ants running over the page.
Fingerpede (if that is a word) it and saw two more,
and then came running, a few more.

To check the scene i picked up the plate

and saw them running with an attacking gaze!

some swimming in the coffee, some burning in the heat
they had taken up the bed and i felt a red swollen itch.

The question suddenly changed!
which is more scary?!
to eat ant littered food or sleep with them!
and bam intruded the Reality check!

So to conclude:
Life addressed as Dude,
you think i am unaware of the fact that i am one of your prey?!

you attack me in situations where worst expected!

to top it all

Your friend, Destiny, never ever showed me its pretty face

A request if i do!

I know i am whacky in my own little way

but can you please stop poking so hard to say?!

My energy and enthusiasm

matches my bank balance

so i cannot give in much effort to strike on your ugly looking face

but pounce back i will, for sure

tommorrow or day after whenever i conjure.