Wednesday, August 29, 2012


“So that's how we live our lives. No matter how deep and fatal the loss, no matter how important the thing that's stolen from us--that's snatched right out of our hands--even if we are left completely changed, with only the outer layer of skin from before, we continue to play out our lives this way, in silence.”

― Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Monsoon in my city


I love Calcutta when it rains...

When the skies get cloudy and all the dust and pollution gets swept away, infusing that hot, humid Calcutta air with a lightness.

When doors and windows start banging and you can see women scurrying around on the neighbouring rooftops pulling down those about-to-dry clothes, their saree pallus and half-undone hair making life impossible - but painting the most poetic picture of home life there is.

When kids run to the window, hoping it will pour so much that the streets will fill with water - so that they can make their paper boats and see them sail down the lane outside their doors.

When school kids wait for a rainy day - and failing that, make sure they travel back home through the most water-logged streets, taking care to jump into every puddle and get drenched from head to toe.

When you are hopelessly stuck in the downpour - in a car, bus, tram - and you know you will never get anywhere on time. But you don't mind because everything around you seems so lazy, so sleepy, so Calcutta.

When the kitchen starts filling up with divine smells of khichudi and begun bhaja - nothing else goes as well with the pitter-patter of rain on your window pane.

When you wake up on a weekend to realize it's rained all night - and you curl back under the blanket with a good book and that must have cha...or in my case, coffee

When the man of the family goes running to buy that perfect ilish for lunch - it's rained after all.

When the maidan goes all green - looking like a blanket that's been freshly washed and laid down on the ground. So that youngsters can play muddy football while the pristine white Victoria Memorial looks on.

When the old city becomes new again - a lilt in her steps, a nip in her attitude, a freshness in her soul.

Friday, August 10, 2012

When opposites attract

I realized something in past few weeks.

Detachment and insecurity can actually go hand in hand.

You could be perfect at the art of controlling your emotions...well nearly perfect. You could tell yourself you know what you are doing. You could tell yourself you don't care...or that you can decide how much to. And perhaps you are not even pretending. Perhaps, over the years, you really have become rather good at drawing the line, compartmentalizing, not really caring too much about too many things anymore.

And then, while you are busy not caring, you realize you forgot to account for just how much of the 'not caring' is really a part of you, just how much of indifference can you really be ok with.

You happily traipse along life, wrapped in a secure cocoon of your detachment with people and relationships, actions and consequences. And then your bubble of smug confidence, of the conviction that nothing can really bother you coz you don't really care - is burst by one small incident, one phrase, one look - that you misread, perhaps.

You might still think you don't care. But the realization that you don't like the fact that the person in front of you might not care as well - and that it bothers you - puts paid to that self-deception. And the irony, your seeming control over your feelings and actions is probably what attracts those like-mined people in the first place.

Two detached people should make fantastic partners isn't it? Rather strange then, that detached relationships can sometimes be the ones that make you doubt yourself the most. That the absence of interest can sometimes stir up the most intense emotions. That the lack of feelings can lead to the most unexpected desires.




Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Placeholder

Middish post coming up about stuff that has been going on in my head. Till then...

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”

― Marilyn Monroe

Friday, July 27, 2012


Should I be writing this post because I'm suitably drunk - and hence don't really need to bother about my thought processes?

Or should I not be writing this because I'm drunk, can totally mess up sentence construction and grammar - and then spend several painful minutes trying to clean it up.

Should I think about things? Because right now all my thoughts seem to be so crystal clear?

Or should I not let my thoughts wander at all? Since they are sure to trespass where they should not?

Should I let myself dream...because it's such a welcome relief?

Or should I stick to reality...because in the end...

Saturday, July 7, 2012

These are a few of my favourite things...

The smell of rain-soaked earth...or as I recently learnt...petrichor

Thunder

Walking on the beach in the rain

Sitting with a chilled beer in a pool submerged bar stool while it rains

The smell of a new book and freshly baked bread

Sleeping late on Sunday mornings

Staying up late on Friday nights

Dancing……to Bollywood music…with friends...in the rain

Finding that perfect black dress

Black lace sarees

Traveling to a picture perfect location

Looking at old pictures

…and stupid videos of silly things you did

Baby girls

The perfect cup of coffee

Musicals

Cute boys with dimples on their cheeks

Boys with run-your-hands-through soft hair

White shirts and blue denims

Men in sherwani’s

Sharing secrets

Holding hands…under the table, in the dark, just like that

Kissing

Kissing in the rain

Getting lost in the kiss so you don’t want to open your eyes

Men who can sing well

Sitting on the terrace on a moonlit night

Stories that inspire me to do something different

Bombay – for its vibe

Calcutta – for its soul

Hot-air balloon rides at sunrise

When he can’t take his eyes of you

Fresh sheets on the bed

Wedding gowns

The first phase of a relationship

Puppies

Having total control of the remote

Group chats with your best friends

That one friend you can be yourself with

Men with salt ‘n’ pepper hair

Thick eyelashes

High heels

The smell of aftershave...and cologne after a shower

A song on loop

A beautiful poem

Paani-puri and KFC chicken

Re-runs of classic sitcoms

The song 'Ab Na Ja' by Euphoria

Andhra meals

Laughing so hard that you stomach hurts

When someone gets what you are saying without you saying it

A good hair day

A big, tight hug that goes on forever

Long weekends

Reading in bed

You