Bong Colors...

“You are religiously and legally mine” … And the rainbow vibes of change gets spluttered all around…that sensation of transition, those beautiful fluttering butterflies in stomach, that numbness when you have a zillion thoughts and don’t know which one to single out and concentrate on…

The sounds of hulhuli is accompanied by blowing of shankh(conch shell) warding off evil spirits, signaling for the beginning of a new season, its growing red shoots marked with passion. Colorful thermocol tattwas are being decorated with that enormous fish embellished with gold ring, seasonal fruits and ever-so-deliciously-famous bengali sweets. The heavy toys like sacred tattvas are being carried off downstairs in festive spirit by family and friends with childlike excitement. Visibly uncomfortable with all this noise and confusion, and more so for being dressed in a 3 piece - "towel, vest and Dhuti", the groom stands in a corner and acts responsible by sending off the gifts just in time for his bride's Gaye Holud. 

Months of courtship stand in between like a beautiful journey.  A wish that was granted, a dream that came true…He could not ask for more…That “perspective match”, “friend”, “best friend”, “guide”, “special someone”, “fiancee” now ready to become “life”…He wonders how meanings change over time…Once “aunty” is becoming “Mom”, once “uncle” wants to be called “Dad”...everybody wants to know how he feels but words are failing…people assume he might just be too happy to say anything, but that happiness is not able to sort itself into what to tell whom…

So there are more than 256-value palette (2^8 = 256) colors possible. And that my friend, you only know when you look at all these vibrant saaris. Who knew he was remotely capable of noticing these details! 5 hours of patience to get the ladies of the house all dressed and ready to go, and while struggling through Kolkata's narrow streets, we proceed... Or as they call it, The Bor Jatri...

There have been transitions, from prep to school, to college, to a new city, to a new job, new people, new countries…but this one is HUGE…Though he knew this from like years… he fantasized in like a thousand dreams…The plan was ready, all set…But still it feels like time has run extremely fast, that he is only a kid, mom scolding while he adamantly keeps playing cricket out in the scorching sun… how can this happen so fast…

Bliz, Glitters, Shimmers and flashes. Stars wont illuminate the night sky today, reflections from this wedding lights decorations will. Seated at the Chadnatolla, waiting for a glimpse of her...Dude! this anxiousness will be captured on Camera!... And this struggle to act levelheaded will also be captured in pictures, recorded in videos and whispered in hearsay...

Lo and Behold, here she comes, beautiful as if descended directly from heavens, how would he ever manage to concentrate on anything else but her... 

Two pairs of beautiful eyes go blank and their reflection in the camera lenses inform everyone clearly that sleep won’t come to them for many many days to come…The water-proof makeup sustaining in spite the heat of Kolkata feels like the most awaited touch…The swing on the stage welcomes them to sway between the past and the future, between old and the new relationships, between apprehensions and anticipations…

Is this tradition of Saat Paak influenced by Sun and Earth or Earth and Moon? I wonder. 

In any case, its for ever and ever, and so we bless this love, association and holy matrimony to be... Witnessing Mala Badal and the final emotional ceremony of Sindoor Daan, we say goodbyes and commence our journey back to Bengaluru...

Like me, they keep pondering over thoughts and questions, only to conclude that this was destined to happen…for best...And then again, they try not to drown into the future written in depths of their eyes, but in the sounds of hulhuli, fragrance of love, and clicks of cameras all around…

Aloof... & (but?) Blessed...

Its not in stars to hold my destiny.
Its not in me to tell yours..
I forgo all if s and buts…
I forgo all worldly pleasures…

None of that matters…

Coz no, I’m not lucky… I believe, I am BLESSED…

On a trail of novel beginnings...

A youngster smitten by the splendor of nature’s bounty, sky piercing mighty mountains, crazy photographers, a resolve to reach and kiss the pure water laden cloud at the top, and perseverance of a newbie who just refused to give up…

We spice up the story with…compassion, métier, resolve, friendships, having our meals sitting in the lap of mother earth, from her immense cooking pots directly to our taste buds, a sky full of thousand times the number of stars any of we city kids had ever seen and a creepy red viper snake…And what we get, is perfect foretelling of the story “Kudremukha” - The Horse Headed Hill…

And so we 6 started on a beautiful trekking adventure, roughly 6 hours away from the jostling city of Bengaluru, in a Toyota Innova at the dead of the Bengaluru city Friday party night...And off we went, through the beautiful highways, followed by swirling and stomach turning roads of the Ghats section and finally followed by a Jeep ride through the most difficult swampy road till our homestay (Mahindra, Take a Bow!!!)..

And thus commencing the trek… 18.4 miles… scorching sunny, then shady, and then rainy, uphill and downhill, sweaty, then breezy, stony, then muddy… quenching our thirst directly from the sweetest and purest spring waters, taking our strength from the mesmerizing views of the fog laden hills and running our way through the damp trails from leech attack!!!

Nobody trips over mountains…It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble…Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find, you have crossed the mountain…

And so we crossed it, only to revive our strength with yummazing food and star studded new moon’s night sky, complete with millions of twinkling stars, clear and complete with all astronomical patterns, to be forever imprinted on our memories… 

After local sightseeing next day from the water-falls and dams and feeling blessed at various famous temples of the region, as we were nearing our city life, we found ourselves not quite ready to believe that it’s over… 

But then the best realization was still yet to come… 

“We crossed the mountains of apprehensions, bathed in the pool of waters shimmering with novel beginnings…” And it’s surely an end of one story, but a beginning of MANY… 

  

Perfect Planning, Management, Modesty, Kannada Translations and Enthusiasm credits: Vijaya Srikara

Perseverance, resolve, determination and exemplary sportiness of a first time trekker credits: Nikita Jain 

Display of friendship, compassion and selfless support to the group and true true awesomeness credits: Sushant Vernekar 

Route guidance, bypassed Chickmagaluru sightseeing, creepy survival story of red viper snake attack, persistence of trekking barefoot and management support credits: Vinay Shivanna

Perfect Photography even without a professional camera, identification of red viper snake and willpower credits: Sai Chaitanya

And finally, Memories Preservation Credits: Shivani Shastri

P.S. I wrote another blog with same title, back in Pune...

So these are called phases for a reasons, they repeat themselves... 

Inspections – Retros and Intros…

You know that thing which used to be your top-secret…that thing you claimed no one knows about you but you…That thing which made you believe that you were unique…that feeling that was not on display for the whole wide world to see and comment on…that ultimate sheath that protected you from judgements…that layer of makeup that always worked to make you look Oh-so-lovely in parties…that mask that used to hide your pimples…

It was the secrets of your personality…Scarlet, Blue, Golden and Black… all hues…

Fortunately or unfortunately, the secret is out...the mask is slipped…the make-up washed away with heavy rains… 

How???

So, you posted a misogyny/misandry statement on fb.

(You must have gone through a shitty breakup/divorce)

You post lovey-dovey pictures with your partner too often.

(Uncomfortable Public display of affection)

You post your own picture too often…

(psycho-ego-centric behavior)

You post pictures from your recent vacation. (Note: Nobody cries with regular worries when camera is clicking)

(You are the happiest person in the world with absolutely no worries. You are enjoying your life to the fullest and posting pictures is your desperate attempt of getting people jealous of your awesomeness.)

You share your political views.

(You are trying to influence others. Or even if you are not, you are definitely igniting unnecessary debate. Why dude Why???)

You share jokes/cartoons/good morning/good night messages.

(You have absofuckinglutely no work)

You do not use social media in any form.

(You DEFINITELY are a freaky creepy introvert!!!)

  #JustSaying #GeneralMusings

*Hashtags… Such an attention-seeker…

 **Please dont judge me! 

Betrayal

Turning around...it's all yellow
The lush green lawn...
Just yesterday needed mowing...
Waves crashed over dreams...
Just yesterday, sun shone so bright...

With Icy cold silences
A walk hand in hand
Unapologetic
Cruel destiny
The only truth that sticks...
Destiny....
And we manage to dance
To the tunes of life's
Oh not so melodious
Songs of despair. ..

And when has life
Not betrayed...
those who believe...

Dancing to the tunes…

 An Invention of Life,

In the memories of living,

Haunts the fears forever

And we still dance to the tunes…

Shadowy and vague,

Tomorrows untold,

Slips like handful of sand

And we still dance to the tunes…

In a city without walls

In a lake of unknown depths

Stuck Deep in a dark forest

And we still dance to the tunes…

…

…

…

No flowers on grave,

All sent on his b’days,

Fragrances persevered

And we are dancing to the tunes….

What he meant to us

Flowing in tears,

Memories, musics and joys,

And we are dancing to the tunes….  

Adieu Silliness... ;)

Searching and yearning...

M lost again in you…

Circumstances concerning…

What went off??? No Clue…

Probing and cursing

U instruct? You’re who?

Anxieties keep churning

Your mood swings turn blue…

Your conceit, my learning

On love still, cling to…

Wounds open, free burning

On that, dreams,  I brew…

Times happy so, back turning

Love n sweethearts anew

Anger heat so…scorching

It’s a lonely walk through….

Kiddo selves-ly returning

Trying n saving, fall through…

My judgments adjourning

M bidding adieu...

P.S. Badly Badly missing... Some parts of me...

Ultimately it’s Fun…

I am marveling at the speed and numbers in which (seemingly?) problematic situations can attack you and pin down your ever-so-awesome and ever-so-appreciated survival instincts…So much so that you wonder, what-the-heck-to-write-about and worst, where-to-start…that too, on a blog where you’ve comfortably displayed something as (seemingly?) complicated as your life in cryptic metaphors…

So back…is me, not yet completely recovered from the after-effects of one of those dreaded monsters listed in the brochure of every medical insurance policy…(The eyuk- yellow fever)…stricken with fuming rebellion for bureaucracy…and though the doctor suggested a cool atmosphere and cool eating habits, I’m still dwelling in the hot waves of egos inflated beyond logical explanations… (read health issues, cheating in an  important exam result for which the fight is still going on and flat-mate problems resp…)

Tastes bitter…not just the doctor-advised meals n medicines for jaundice, but also the realization that we live amidst a non-rational race of most, if not all homo-sapiens…People who were unfortunate enough not to be born with inbuilt balances where they could weight rights and wrongs separately and then take a right call…based on (righteousness? lets forget it) whatever but extreme selfishness and egocentricity…

Good news is...these realizations improve your immunity…you no longer fall prey to anger, which our sacred saints called the most awful enemy of mankind…but you pity those who are continuously striving towards making the planet such a horrible place to live in for themselves first, and then for others…

And one fine day you realize that your experiment with pitying has become fun…when the other person is fuming with anger you are simply rolling on floor laughing…when health issues consume you, you smile n say…"So finally I’ve done it! My managers are left with no more excuse to cancel my leaves…Cheers!!!"...And even when something as catastrophic as blasts and political gamble to the loss of entire country happens, you simply shrug your shoulders off n say…It happens, Shit happens...

P.S. My respect for Aamir khan has increased multifold, Satyamev Jayte truly superbly inspires…An awesome assignment…

P.P.S. Strange how many weird things can make you happy (Happy?)…