It’s 7:45 in the morning. And as I gaze onto the freeways from the 21st floor of this hotel (with “Man on the moon” playing in the background), it’s somewhat thought-invoking to see the huge swarm of cars driving down in an orderly fashion, following each other at a safe distance, at almost the same speed, with their headlights trying to cut through the early morning clouded environ in this city. A few hundred trailing red lights like worker bees, waiting in line with each other, against each other; to win alone, or to lose together. Changing lanes, and perhaps hoping that altering parts of their life were as easy as the amber indicators with a light tap on the steering wheel…
Mechanized, trailing along to their offices, with a million thoughts in their drivers’ heads, protecting their cars, while their dreams crash against the dreams of those driving in front or behind, waiting for their turn, waiting for signals…
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006
You're beautiful...
I’ve been listening to this song for 2 days now, which includes one whole night of continuous playback. And as I write this, it is obviously still playing in the same infinite repeat mode. There must be something to it that I just can’t get it out of my mind.
At a first hearing, this song sounds like just another love song.
Except that this one has a meaning that goes far deeper than that of a boy-girl-look-at-each-other and instant chemistry etc. There’s a hidden undercurrent in the song that talks about more than just a passing, unachievable crush; about more than just the truth of the futility of chance meetings in a subway…
And the words in the song which sum up that one emotion that most of us are liable to ignore, are “I don’t think that I’ll see her again but we shared a moment that will last till the end…”
It’s a thought that I’ve tried to explore earlier as well – the notion that our life is not defined by any one “defining” moment (marrying that perfect girl?, getting that perfect job?, finding God…?), but more importantly, it is defined by what we do with those day to day things that happen to us. The “simple” joys that we take for granted, like a gently falling leaf, to be looked at for a few seconds and then to be reduced to its literally fallen existence.
Even in that imperfect job, there are things you can do that stand out… Even in that imperfect marriage, there are so many ways to find each other… Even in a life without God, there are enough chances of holding on to faith…
A sum total of moments, taken till the very end…
A box full of chocolate wrappers, taken from one temporary home to the next…
A falling leaf, taken from one dream to the next…
Now that’s what’s beautiful…
At a first hearing, this song sounds like just another love song.
Except that this one has a meaning that goes far deeper than that of a boy-girl-look-at-each-other and instant chemistry etc. There’s a hidden undercurrent in the song that talks about more than just a passing, unachievable crush; about more than just the truth of the futility of chance meetings in a subway…
And the words in the song which sum up that one emotion that most of us are liable to ignore, are “I don’t think that I’ll see her again but we shared a moment that will last till the end…”
It’s a thought that I’ve tried to explore earlier as well – the notion that our life is not defined by any one “defining” moment (marrying that perfect girl?, getting that perfect job?, finding God…?), but more importantly, it is defined by what we do with those day to day things that happen to us. The “simple” joys that we take for granted, like a gently falling leaf, to be looked at for a few seconds and then to be reduced to its literally fallen existence.
Even in that imperfect job, there are things you can do that stand out… Even in that imperfect marriage, there are so many ways to find each other… Even in a life without God, there are enough chances of holding on to faith…
A sum total of moments, taken till the very end…
A box full of chocolate wrappers, taken from one temporary home to the next…
A falling leaf, taken from one dream to the next…
Now that’s what’s beautiful…
Sunday, July 02, 2006
The night she came
All my life, I wanted her…
Wanted her to search for me with desperate eyes.
To look all around calling my name, waiting, almost pining…
To come close and tell me with those inquiring eyes “kahaan thhey ab tak, sab tumhara intezaar kar rahe hain…” (English translation – Where were you till now, everyone’s been waiting for you…”)
And tonight, it happened.
It’s surprising how some of the most memorable moments start always so innocuously. I was having a comfortable drink in the Taj lounge at the airport of one of the most non-happening cities in India – Chennai. With friends of course. Whiling away the hours (few minutes actually) waiting for the 8:05 PM flight to back home. After a lot of words and drinks had been exchanged, we realized we hadn’t shown up even for the security check by 8 PM…
And then she came…
…With a walkie-talkie in her hand. The stewardess from Jet. A symbol of authority. A part of her responsibility being ensuring that errant passengers observing delays in meeting the law and the X-ray machines are gathered and sent into blue-tailed Boeings…along with their 30 kg hand-baggage of course.
She obviously insisted on carrying out her duties with a disturbing seriousness. Her behavior and reactions have already been described in the opening para of this post… It was the moment I had always subconsciously waited for, but had never deliberately anticipated its arrival.
Of course a consequence of this encounter was that they managed to depart the flight with only a ten-minute delay.
But my life, is now forever changed… Because her words still ring in my ears… :)
Wanted her to search for me with desperate eyes.
To look all around calling my name, waiting, almost pining…
To come close and tell me with those inquiring eyes “kahaan thhey ab tak, sab tumhara intezaar kar rahe hain…” (English translation – Where were you till now, everyone’s been waiting for you…”)
And tonight, it happened.
It’s surprising how some of the most memorable moments start always so innocuously. I was having a comfortable drink in the Taj lounge at the airport of one of the most non-happening cities in India – Chennai. With friends of course. Whiling away the hours (few minutes actually) waiting for the 8:05 PM flight to back home. After a lot of words and drinks had been exchanged, we realized we hadn’t shown up even for the security check by 8 PM…
And then she came…
…With a walkie-talkie in her hand. The stewardess from Jet. A symbol of authority. A part of her responsibility being ensuring that errant passengers observing delays in meeting the law and the X-ray machines are gathered and sent into blue-tailed Boeings…along with their 30 kg hand-baggage of course.
She obviously insisted on carrying out her duties with a disturbing seriousness. Her behavior and reactions have already been described in the opening para of this post… It was the moment I had always subconsciously waited for, but had never deliberately anticipated its arrival.
Of course a consequence of this encounter was that they managed to depart the flight with only a ten-minute delay.
But my life, is now forever changed… Because her words still ring in my ears… :)
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