With me,there are no rules to flout...
You bet,i am aware of my clout.
I am there,right from,the moment you sprout,
Pity,isn't it,you don't sense the rout!
I lurk round the corner,
While you play and prance;
I watch you,firmer and sterner,
Till i show you; my merry dance..........
Hey,folks,would you care to listen?
Oops,would you,oh,okay,do you,care,to listen?
I heard this,in careless whispers,
You do not care,
Be it me;or the life you share..
When you were born, I was cursed...
I became the black shadow... instead of the twin ...
We were meant to live two lives..
One from Birth to Death and the other from Death to Birth...
We were to play this game n meet half way on a bridge,
But look what happened to me ...
I walk behind you and can show up only sometimes...
I got trapped in your world space, while I belong to a soul space,
There will be a time when I will set myself free,
Do the merry dance with my 'Soul' mate,
Leave no trace of you,
as I dance away into the light...!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The sand dune-and the story of Sukhi,Maali and the two dogs......
First the sand dune.
Pristine white mound,carelessly erected by the roadside.I guess it was some time late last night,that the truck came over and spilled out the sand,as it always does.Only this time,the mound assumed a larger proportion and resembled a hillock.
In the early hours of the morning, today,the kids in the neighbourhood woke up,to find a brand new landmark erected,right next to their bed.I was there,i am usually there,while they go through their morning chores-by the roadside.They feel quite safe now,as the authorities,have constructed a curb,a prelude, to a hitherto illusionary ,footpath.It is so therapeutic,in the wee hours of the morning,to witness,a carefree,unrestrained exhibition of-routine life.
With a chronic but regular,though brief interaction, everyday, Maali and Sukhi offer a polite smile,even when they are in the midst of varying stages of defecation or ablution process.The smiles etch stronger and wider lines,if the results of their efforts have been more profitable.So much for the pleasure of evacuation!Today,either they were up,early or i was late.They were through with their chores,or so i deduced,and were merrily perched right at the summit of the dune.Sensory perceptions are best felt on naked skin.This doctrine was already known to these little girls,thanks to their meager resources.The forced austerity provided a terrific opportunity for a direct bodily contact with the cool sand.Sukhi is just about two and hence has not been introduced to the concept of clothes,while Maali,all of three,manages to don oversized shirts,obviating the need for anything underneath.The girls were ecstatic when they noticed me.They cried in unison and invited me to their new play station.They were at the summit and were armed with their toys.Sukhi,a proud possessor of a one and a half litre plastic bottle,frayed at its rim and Maali had a blue, half litre bottle.Both the bottles had residues of -a soft drink and hair oil-respectively,sticking to them.The chronicity of our relationship ensured that both of them ran down the slope,took my hands and invited (dragged) me to their domain.Without a care in the world,Sukhi emptied the content on my shoes and giggled.Maali,with the disadvantage of age,forcing controlled behaviour,offered an apologetic smile.The next few moments were spent in emptying the bottles and refilling them.Such unadulterated joy!The bliss was harshly interrupted.The intruders moved in without any fanfare. They exhibited the cool air of habitual extortionists,who claim rights to any property,while displacing the rightful owners.
These two dogs,pie dogs,share a common habitat with the girls.The girls did not even bother to glance at them,till they started climbing the mound.It made for a compelling viewing,the girls and/versus,the canines.
The dogs had a valid reason to demand their pound of flesh.While the girls were asleep and hence unaware,the dogs,forever awake at night,were the first to scale the peak.The dogs had worked hard at night to make burrows,on the slopes.The coolness of the night air,coupled with the moisture in the sand,had ensured a cool abode.In the canine parlance,the pie dogs had carved out a space akin to their skin colour,in the white sand, a colour,reserved for their brethrens,of higher pedigree.The deep beige of the scooped out area offered a contrast against the white sand,which immediately alerted the girls of,the forced occupation..They quickly slid down and occupied the space,only to find them atop one of the dogs.
This relationship,between a dog and a child is astonishing .The freedom of action and the leeway a dog offers to a child,is really amazing.Dogs offer huge discounts to the kids,even when it comes to being mishandled and suffer a bodily harm.I guess it has more to do with the mutual understanding,arrived at even before the first exposure.It must be the gentleness of the touch,the special canine perception,that,no harm is intended.It must be a feeling of interacting with equals,peers,friends,buddies-yes,playmates.
Sukhi landed right on top of one ,which had occupied the burrow.Not a whimper!Sukhi called for help.Maali had already anticipated the trouble.She descended with two bottlefull of sand and emptied them,right on the face of the unsuspecting dog.It yielded precious little in terms of ground space.The dog shook his head violently from side to side and got rid of the nuisance.Sukhi had already prepared herself of the next plan of action.She caught hold of the dog's tail and dragged him out of the hole.Almost.The dog was now in a playful mode.He yielded a little, to offer a bait and then retreated again.The other dog now rushed with a feigned frenzy,charged to the scene of action and stopped just short of the girls.So much for the rush of adrenaline!The feigned frenzy did not even evoke,a look in,by the girls.They summarily ignored the comrade-in-arm and both of them successfully-extricated-and not so much as, pulled the tolerant and forgiving,friend cum foe out of his place.
What transpired next,was such a joy to watch!Even after being ?manhandled and displaced,both the dogs sat snugly fitting into the left over space of the burrow.The girls had triumphed.They also knew that it was not so much of their prowess but the allowance offered by their,generous mates.
Probably.as a mark of gratitude,Sukhi summoned me close to where she was lying,in her cool cocoon.In her broken,almost incomprehensible stutter,she thundered,pointing to the two,presently unwanted,co-habitants,:"aane tamaare ghare lai jao,jaav."(take these two guys to your place).
Sukhi conveyed so much with that one sentence.The dogs were a nuisance,at present,but she wanted them to go and stay some place else,albeit,a good one and needed the place,all to herself!
Such a gorgeous beginning to the day!Boy,am i lucky!
Pristine white mound,carelessly erected by the roadside.I guess it was some time late last night,that the truck came over and spilled out the sand,as it always does.Only this time,the mound assumed a larger proportion and resembled a hillock.
In the early hours of the morning, today,the kids in the neighbourhood woke up,to find a brand new landmark erected,right next to their bed.I was there,i am usually there,while they go through their morning chores-by the roadside.They feel quite safe now,as the authorities,have constructed a curb,a prelude, to a hitherto illusionary ,footpath.It is so therapeutic,in the wee hours of the morning,to witness,a carefree,unrestrained exhibition of-routine life.
With a chronic but regular,though brief interaction, everyday, Maali and Sukhi offer a polite smile,even when they are in the midst of varying stages of defecation or ablution process.The smiles etch stronger and wider lines,if the results of their efforts have been more profitable.So much for the pleasure of evacuation!Today,either they were up,early or i was late.They were through with their chores,or so i deduced,and were merrily perched right at the summit of the dune.Sensory perceptions are best felt on naked skin.This doctrine was already known to these little girls,thanks to their meager resources.The forced austerity provided a terrific opportunity for a direct bodily contact with the cool sand.Sukhi is just about two and hence has not been introduced to the concept of clothes,while Maali,all of three,manages to don oversized shirts,obviating the need for anything underneath.The girls were ecstatic when they noticed me.They cried in unison and invited me to their new play station.They were at the summit and were armed with their toys.Sukhi,a proud possessor of a one and a half litre plastic bottle,frayed at its rim and Maali had a blue, half litre bottle.Both the bottles had residues of -a soft drink and hair oil-respectively,sticking to them.The chronicity of our relationship ensured that both of them ran down the slope,took my hands and invited (dragged) me to their domain.Without a care in the world,Sukhi emptied the content on my shoes and giggled.Maali,with the disadvantage of age,forcing controlled behaviour,offered an apologetic smile.The next few moments were spent in emptying the bottles and refilling them.Such unadulterated joy!The bliss was harshly interrupted.The intruders moved in without any fanfare. They exhibited the cool air of habitual extortionists,who claim rights to any property,while displacing the rightful owners.
These two dogs,pie dogs,share a common habitat with the girls.The girls did not even bother to glance at them,till they started climbing the mound.It made for a compelling viewing,the girls and/versus,the canines.
The dogs had a valid reason to demand their pound of flesh.While the girls were asleep and hence unaware,the dogs,forever awake at night,were the first to scale the peak.The dogs had worked hard at night to make burrows,on the slopes.The coolness of the night air,coupled with the moisture in the sand,had ensured a cool abode.In the canine parlance,the pie dogs had carved out a space akin to their skin colour,in the white sand, a colour,reserved for their brethrens,of higher pedigree.The deep beige of the scooped out area offered a contrast against the white sand,which immediately alerted the girls of,the forced occupation..They quickly slid down and occupied the space,only to find them atop one of the dogs.
This relationship,between a dog and a child is astonishing .The freedom of action and the leeway a dog offers to a child,is really amazing.Dogs offer huge discounts to the kids,even when it comes to being mishandled and suffer a bodily harm.I guess it has more to do with the mutual understanding,arrived at even before the first exposure.It must be the gentleness of the touch,the special canine perception,that,no harm is intended.It must be a feeling of interacting with equals,peers,friends,buddies-yes,playmates.
Sukhi landed right on top of one ,which had occupied the burrow.Not a whimper!Sukhi called for help.Maali had already anticipated the trouble.She descended with two bottlefull of sand and emptied them,right on the face of the unsuspecting dog.It yielded precious little in terms of ground space.The dog shook his head violently from side to side and got rid of the nuisance.Sukhi had already prepared herself of the next plan of action.She caught hold of the dog's tail and dragged him out of the hole.Almost.The dog was now in a playful mode.He yielded a little, to offer a bait and then retreated again.The other dog now rushed with a feigned frenzy,charged to the scene of action and stopped just short of the girls.So much for the rush of adrenaline!The feigned frenzy did not even evoke,a look in,by the girls.They summarily ignored the comrade-in-arm and both of them successfully-extricated-and not so much as, pulled the tolerant and forgiving,friend cum foe out of his place.
What transpired next,was such a joy to watch!Even after being ?manhandled and displaced,both the dogs sat snugly fitting into the left over space of the burrow.The girls had triumphed.They also knew that it was not so much of their prowess but the allowance offered by their,generous mates.
Probably.as a mark of gratitude,Sukhi summoned me close to where she was lying,in her cool cocoon.In her broken,almost incomprehensible stutter,she thundered,pointing to the two,presently unwanted,co-habitants,:"aane tamaare ghare lai jao,jaav."(take these two guys to your place).
Sukhi conveyed so much with that one sentence.The dogs were a nuisance,at present,but she wanted them to go and stay some place else,albeit,a good one and needed the place,all to herself!
Such a gorgeous beginning to the day!Boy,am i lucky!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Deductions of a detective.
Nature's fury is thought to be preceded by an eerie calm or a lull.This lulls us into a false sense of security.The deceptive calm,though,to the initiated and perceptive individuals,offers invaluable time to ready themselves,for the storms to follow.
Human ailments have an uncanny knack of behaving in a paradoxical manner.
Yes,Mrs.V,yet again.
The furious tsunami or the raging,unforgiving hurricanes,though,are not even a patch on the storms of arrhythmias,she withstood.In a natural calamity,the annihilation is widespread and engulfs everyone, showing no mercy or favours.The completeness of destruction is more welcome,because it leaves very little trace,behind.Specific,individually targeted,faceless ailment maims unsuspecting human being.It usually catches people off guard,and,even for a trained medical personnel,the vulnerability of the afflicted , in the face of a marauder,is very very painful.The paradoxical sequence of events unfolds as the disease process beats a retreat,either after feasting on the patient meticulously,and systematically(excuse the pun) devouring its prey;or,makes a hasty exit as if it had been a case of mistaken identity.There is always an unparalleled ferocity about acute and critical illnesses,which when abate,seem absolutely surreal,because of the calm,that prevails in the tormented body and the scarred minds of the relations.
You bet, we all were (treating doctors and anxious relations), waiting for peace, to descend on the cot no.2,medical I.C.U.Finally, it did.
I would want to believe that the calm after the storm, had more to do with logic and art of reasoning than any science,at all.If science had anything to do with the eventual breakthrough in diagnosis,then it was an embarrassing process of hit and miss,or the infamous trial and error.Hence,i am certain,science was involved very early in her survival,in the casualty room,but beyond that the processes and methods involved,were based on non-acceptance of what did not seem logical and did not arouse conviction.On the flip side,it was following hunch and intuition about the ailment.It has so transpired in my life,that most defining decisions seem to have had no method or design attached to them.Of course,it may not be so simple,as dissected thread bare by Malcolm Gladwell in his brilliant book- "blink".Such narrative goes a long way in reinforcing and augmenting the process of "thinking from the heart"and putting head to it to make it acceptable to the masses.I honestly do not know,how convincing this may sound and this explanation to arrive at any deductions,which may turn out to be life-saving ones,shall find any takers.But then if you care for takers,for the unconventional and the unorthodox,you shall tread some very well defined ,orderly,time tested methods,which lead to unconvincing methods.
Mrs.V had an unpredictable onset,terrifying disease progression and had the trained staff,behave in a very random and haphazard manner.In any case,conventional wisdom had waned and there was a huge danger of autocratic autonomy taking over,and treatment schedules,totally at the mercy of relatively inexperienced,though always well-meaning, medical staff.
A stage had arrived,where, something had to give.My experience with the resilience of the afflicted had already told me that she was not going,anywhere.Hence, the next logical extension was that it had to be then,the ailment,which had to give.The other significant aspect was that the disease presentation,and the behaviour did not gel with explanations offered by the better endowed(with knowledge and exposure) colleagues.The phenomenon of the lack of conviction in what was professed and propagated as the cause and my lack of belief in what was felt unconvincing,formed the backbone of the newer methods that were employed.The retreat in the past history,and the need to search for a more convincing cause,helped us,in looking at the ailment with renewed vigour and the perceptions got totally altered.
The glaring deficiency,commonly plaguing the medical fraternity,of looking a part of the whole as a whole,was abandoned.Anyway,holistic approach,of healing the mind before the body,and not losing the sight of the individual and his/her compulsion and need,forming the basis of the relationship,between the doctor and the patient are never lost on me.Clarity of approach needs confusion to prevail,as its precursor.Once the clarity had dawned,the methods and the path became simple to follow.There was peace in the mind and firmness to follow methods, that would bear conviction and were not open ended in interpretation.Looseness and laxity had to be replaced by firmness and clarity in approach.A very very firm decision was arrived to take the outcome to its logical end point.Believe me,it was then a cakewalk.
Human ailments have an uncanny knack of behaving in a paradoxical manner.
Yes,Mrs.V,yet again.
The furious tsunami or the raging,unforgiving hurricanes,though,are not even a patch on the storms of arrhythmias,she withstood.In a natural calamity,the annihilation is widespread and engulfs everyone, showing no mercy or favours.The completeness of destruction is more welcome,because it leaves very little trace,behind.Specific,individually targeted,faceless ailment maims unsuspecting human being.It usually catches people off guard,and,even for a trained medical personnel,the vulnerability of the afflicted , in the face of a marauder,is very very painful.The paradoxical sequence of events unfolds as the disease process beats a retreat,either after feasting on the patient meticulously,and systematically(excuse the pun) devouring its prey;or,makes a hasty exit as if it had been a case of mistaken identity.There is always an unparalleled ferocity about acute and critical illnesses,which when abate,seem absolutely surreal,because of the calm,that prevails in the tormented body and the scarred minds of the relations.
You bet, we all were (treating doctors and anxious relations), waiting for peace, to descend on the cot no.2,medical I.C.U.Finally, it did.
I would want to believe that the calm after the storm, had more to do with logic and art of reasoning than any science,at all.If science had anything to do with the eventual breakthrough in diagnosis,then it was an embarrassing process of hit and miss,or the infamous trial and error.Hence,i am certain,science was involved very early in her survival,in the casualty room,but beyond that the processes and methods involved,were based on non-acceptance of what did not seem logical and did not arouse conviction.On the flip side,it was following hunch and intuition about the ailment.It has so transpired in my life,that most defining decisions seem to have had no method or design attached to them.Of course,it may not be so simple,as dissected thread bare by Malcolm Gladwell in his brilliant book- "blink".Such narrative goes a long way in reinforcing and augmenting the process of "thinking from the heart"and putting head to it to make it acceptable to the masses.I honestly do not know,how convincing this may sound and this explanation to arrive at any deductions,which may turn out to be life-saving ones,shall find any takers.But then if you care for takers,for the unconventional and the unorthodox,you shall tread some very well defined ,orderly,time tested methods,which lead to unconvincing methods.
Mrs.V had an unpredictable onset,terrifying disease progression and had the trained staff,behave in a very random and haphazard manner.In any case,conventional wisdom had waned and there was a huge danger of autocratic autonomy taking over,and treatment schedules,totally at the mercy of relatively inexperienced,though always well-meaning, medical staff.
A stage had arrived,where, something had to give.My experience with the resilience of the afflicted had already told me that she was not going,anywhere.Hence, the next logical extension was that it had to be then,the ailment,which had to give.The other significant aspect was that the disease presentation,and the behaviour did not gel with explanations offered by the better endowed(with knowledge and exposure) colleagues.The phenomenon of the lack of conviction in what was professed and propagated as the cause and my lack of belief in what was felt unconvincing,formed the backbone of the newer methods that were employed.The retreat in the past history,and the need to search for a more convincing cause,helped us,in looking at the ailment with renewed vigour and the perceptions got totally altered.
The glaring deficiency,commonly plaguing the medical fraternity,of looking a part of the whole as a whole,was abandoned.Anyway,holistic approach,of healing the mind before the body,and not losing the sight of the individual and his/her compulsion and need,forming the basis of the relationship,between the doctor and the patient are never lost on me.Clarity of approach needs confusion to prevail,as its precursor.Once the clarity had dawned,the methods and the path became simple to follow.There was peace in the mind and firmness to follow methods, that would bear conviction and were not open ended in interpretation.Looseness and laxity had to be replaced by firmness and clarity in approach.A very very firm decision was arrived to take the outcome to its logical end point.Believe me,it was then a cakewalk.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Has enough been done?
May be i read it somewhere.It was about the difference between obstinacy and tenacity(resilience).
Rather than the literal meaning,the writer had related the former with negative intent and the latter with a positive one.
I guess,i was resilient with my favourite ,Mrs.V.Single- mindedness and retaining focus,over a length of period,offered opportunity to sustain passion and consistency.A breakthrough,had to be the logical end-point.It was achieved,or so would i want to believe,at this moment.Not that there were no weak moments,which posed very uncomfortable questions and created doubts about the commitment and even ??????????????worthlessness of the emotionally draining and physically challenging exercise.Colleagues seemed and sounded practical and i,very ancient in my beliefs of dated virtues of patience and sustenance of efforts.
Today,it feels better..i do not care for superstitions.They tend to make their appearance,when the energy levels start dipping and the feeling pervading around is that ENOUGH efforts have been made.What is enough?Who ever knows?Who shall ever know?
Possibly,we shall know about, the enough,in her case,on the 6th of May,when the lymph node biopsy report MUST reveal ,a treatable,more relevantly,a curable malady.
True to my nature,i do not even cross my fingers.True ,honest intent must yield,cure.We all shall know.
Rather than the literal meaning,the writer had related the former with negative intent and the latter with a positive one.
I guess,i was resilient with my favourite ,Mrs.V.Single- mindedness and retaining focus,over a length of period,offered opportunity to sustain passion and consistency.A breakthrough,had to be the logical end-point.It was achieved,or so would i want to believe,at this moment.Not that there were no weak moments,which posed very uncomfortable questions and created doubts about the commitment and even ??????????????worthlessness of the emotionally draining and physically challenging exercise.Colleagues seemed and sounded practical and i,very ancient in my beliefs of dated virtues of patience and sustenance of efforts.
Today,it feels better..i do not care for superstitions.They tend to make their appearance,when the energy levels start dipping and the feeling pervading around is that ENOUGH efforts have been made.What is enough?Who ever knows?Who shall ever know?
Possibly,we shall know about, the enough,in her case,on the 6th of May,when the lymph node biopsy report MUST reveal ,a treatable,more relevantly,a curable malady.
True to my nature,i do not even cross my fingers.True ,honest intent must yield,cure.We all shall know.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Summer mornings and everything else......
Raging heat waves, in my neck of the woods,do not come up for discussions at the dinner table.We are in the midst of one.They offer so much more than the obvious discomfort and agony.Heat in India does not only roast or bake the parched soil and already ravaged human bodies further,but it proves crucial for the colours and fragrances of the summer.Colours of the flaming orange of the KESUDA,canary sparkling yellow of the GARMALO (amaltas),the pink and the yellow cassia,and the melange of the happy red,orange and yellow of the GULMOHAR.What a riot of bright and fiery shades!And add to this,the tangy,lemony fresh fragrance of the parrot green SHIRISH....
What a breath taking spectacle the early summer morning offers,when i walk/jog/trundle/run on the roads,lined haphazardly by these trees.The ongoing,merciless heat wave,as in the past,had to be mellowed by cloudy,relatively cooler morning skies.Strange- seem the ways of nature-strange- they are not,compassionate and considerate-they generally are.Cloud covers in the subcontinental skies have a very sobering effect on human behaviour.The noise levels,either a result of raised and charged decibels of human larynx,or, from the obsessive,compulsive,neurotic malady engulfing all subcontinental drivers-HONKING-,go down dramatically.Early morning times,anyway,are vulnerable and defenseless periods for us,humans.Clouds and coolness bring that queer phenomenon out,in the open !
Back to the colours and the aromas....
Extreme cold or cooler climes have quiet,stillness and greyness as their salient features and allies.It is either cold and deathly white or morbid,drab and depressing grey ruling the landscapes.The mountains wear a look,that one usually associates with poker faced,expressionless, blank faced guards at the British prime minister's residence.The trees are stark naked,sans any foliage,reminiscent of withered,emaciated skeletons in the anatomy dissection rooms..The bone chilling winds threaten the inhabitants,with as much of disdain and contempt for human endurance, as the heat haze and dust storms;raked up by the Indian summer,do!No surprise,that the depression lifts with every passing month, as westerners,arrive closer to spring and summer.
And the aroma...Where on earth shall we conjure up the absolutely divine fragrance of THE KING-Alphonso.No where but in India!Get me the heavenly sweet,lingering fragrance left on my fingers,after i have licked them dry of the mango juice,and i shall retreat,from all that i have written for the heat and against the cold!And where on earth do you get the hair- raisingly sour and sweet,magenta coloured FALSA.The hypnotisingly fragrant musk melon and the thirst-quenching,blood red water-melon may miss out on the attention,almost always reserved for the mangoes,but they really complete the unique and special smells, colours and tastes of the Indian summer!
So much for the sights and beauty of the heat.Today morning,it was predictably cloudy and hence cool.....It had to be!What with energy sapping,merciless,cruel, dry heat of Ahmedabad, yesterday.Inhabitants here,in Ahmedabad,become very predictable in their reactions in April and May.The sound bytes of 2008,could well have been recorded in 1967,or any other year.Every year,every single year,the temperatures are the highest and the oppression felt-the worst.The eyeballs that such cribbers get have now dwindled and have become a laughing stock.
But today was different.Covered skies and cool breeze made the morning ritual,more tolerable.The already mentioned colours and the aromas felt even more captivating.The yellow garlands embellishing the amaltas trees,easily outnumbered the spat and polished,freshly arrived leaves.The other members of the rainbow team-the cassias,gulmohars and cordias,added splendour and crispy freshness to the morning.
What was different,compared to the harsh and hot mornings was the behaviour of my fellow inhabitants and lo and behold!-the animals as well.i have always been biased about my views over the beast of burden-the donkey.They have always reminded me of a mature and wise philosopher at work.The natural detachment,indifference to the world at large,lost-deep in thoughts-look ,could easily find a host of takers among the thinkers and philosophers.Such immense depth,is rare-nay-unparalleled and non-existent in the living beings.I found two of them by the roadside,hold your breath,standing-(they always stand,has anyone seen a sleeping or a sitting donkey? under the shade of an overgrown shrub.They were spoilt for choices,what with all the thick,shady trees at their disposal!But then who is to reason with the wise heads?
On the left stood the youngish grey one,and on to the right was a spotlessly white,older head.
As is their hallmark and strength,both were unfazed by the flies humming around and the dust and bits of scraps flying around them.Such a perfect picture if equanimity and nonchalance!They looked like fiercely committed sentinels,guarding the overgrown weed,on either side.What made their calmness more noticeable was the ruckus created by a couple of stray dogs in their immediate vicinity.Now these dogs ,inherently, are overly playful and almost unnecessarily at that.It does not get more obvious than,when two dogs,very early in the morning,fight over a rag and a bit of torn,polythene bag.Having observed them indulge in this seemingly stupid game of running round in circles,chasing each other,i have tried to find the reason or method in their madness.I have failed,so far.These two were not even young ,to be given a benefit of doubt of being petulant or impetuous,because of their immaturity.They wore looks of wisened,scarred,battle-hardened warriors.Look,what a little difference in the weather makes to the behaviors!The absence of dust storms was dutifully compensated by their overcharged overtures.I felt intrigued and irritated.But their immediate neighbours did not even offer so much of a glance,to their fun and game.So much was on view to learn from!The donkeys advocated stoic indifference and detached involvement on one hand and the playful canines bore a torch to finding fun and joy from seemingly mundane,monotonous and routine chores.What depth ,what wisdom!And all this time i was made to think that we were the wisest!
The next lap of one kilometer took me to a tea kiosk,by the roadside.What cacophony even in hushed tones!What noise and chaos!We humans,cold or heat,will never change!We are now blase about heat or cold,rain or clouds,wind or gales.When shall we respect silence and nature ? May be ,never!
What a breath taking spectacle the early summer morning offers,when i walk/jog/trundle/run on the roads,lined haphazardly by these trees.The ongoing,merciless heat wave,as in the past,had to be mellowed by cloudy,relatively cooler morning skies.Strange- seem the ways of nature-strange- they are not,compassionate and considerate-they generally are.Cloud covers in the subcontinental skies have a very sobering effect on human behaviour.The noise levels,either a result of raised and charged decibels of human larynx,or, from the obsessive,compulsive,neurotic malady engulfing all subcontinental drivers-HONKING-,go down dramatically.Early morning times,anyway,are vulnerable and defenseless periods for us,humans.Clouds and coolness bring that queer phenomenon out,in the open !
Back to the colours and the aromas....
Extreme cold or cooler climes have quiet,stillness and greyness as their salient features and allies.It is either cold and deathly white or morbid,drab and depressing grey ruling the landscapes.The mountains wear a look,that one usually associates with poker faced,expressionless, blank faced guards at the British prime minister's residence.The trees are stark naked,sans any foliage,reminiscent of withered,emaciated skeletons in the anatomy dissection rooms..The bone chilling winds threaten the inhabitants,with as much of disdain and contempt for human endurance, as the heat haze and dust storms;raked up by the Indian summer,do!No surprise,that the depression lifts with every passing month, as westerners,arrive closer to spring and summer.
And the aroma...Where on earth shall we conjure up the absolutely divine fragrance of THE KING-Alphonso.No where but in India!Get me the heavenly sweet,lingering fragrance left on my fingers,after i have licked them dry of the mango juice,and i shall retreat,from all that i have written for the heat and against the cold!And where on earth do you get the hair- raisingly sour and sweet,magenta coloured FALSA.The hypnotisingly fragrant musk melon and the thirst-quenching,blood red water-melon may miss out on the attention,almost always reserved for the mangoes,but they really complete the unique and special smells, colours and tastes of the Indian summer!
So much for the sights and beauty of the heat.Today morning,it was predictably cloudy and hence cool.....It had to be!What with energy sapping,merciless,cruel, dry heat of Ahmedabad, yesterday.Inhabitants here,in Ahmedabad,become very predictable in their reactions in April and May.The sound bytes of 2008,could well have been recorded in 1967,or any other year.Every year,every single year,the temperatures are the highest and the oppression felt-the worst.The eyeballs that such cribbers get have now dwindled and have become a laughing stock.
But today was different.Covered skies and cool breeze made the morning ritual,more tolerable.The already mentioned colours and the aromas felt even more captivating.The yellow garlands embellishing the amaltas trees,easily outnumbered the spat and polished,freshly arrived leaves.The other members of the rainbow team-the cassias,gulmohars and cordias,added splendour and crispy freshness to the morning.
What was different,compared to the harsh and hot mornings was the behaviour of my fellow inhabitants and lo and behold!-the animals as well.i have always been biased about my views over the beast of burden-the donkey.They have always reminded me of a mature and wise philosopher at work.The natural detachment,indifference to the world at large,lost-deep in thoughts-look ,could easily find a host of takers among the thinkers and philosophers.Such immense depth,is rare-nay-unparalleled and non-existent in the living beings.I found two of them by the roadside,hold your breath,standing-(they always stand,has anyone seen a sleeping or a sitting donkey? under the shade of an overgrown shrub.They were spoilt for choices,what with all the thick,shady trees at their disposal!But then who is to reason with the wise heads?
On the left stood the youngish grey one,and on to the right was a spotlessly white,older head.
As is their hallmark and strength,both were unfazed by the flies humming around and the dust and bits of scraps flying around them.Such a perfect picture if equanimity and nonchalance!They looked like fiercely committed sentinels,guarding the overgrown weed,on either side.What made their calmness more noticeable was the ruckus created by a couple of stray dogs in their immediate vicinity.Now these dogs ,inherently, are overly playful and almost unnecessarily at that.It does not get more obvious than,when two dogs,very early in the morning,fight over a rag and a bit of torn,polythene bag.Having observed them indulge in this seemingly stupid game of running round in circles,chasing each other,i have tried to find the reason or method in their madness.I have failed,so far.These two were not even young ,to be given a benefit of doubt of being petulant or impetuous,because of their immaturity.They wore looks of wisened,scarred,battle-hardened warriors.Look,what a little difference in the weather makes to the behaviors!The absence of dust storms was dutifully compensated by their overcharged overtures.I felt intrigued and irritated.But their immediate neighbours did not even offer so much of a glance,to their fun and game.So much was on view to learn from!The donkeys advocated stoic indifference and detached involvement on one hand and the playful canines bore a torch to finding fun and joy from seemingly mundane,monotonous and routine chores.What depth ,what wisdom!And all this time i was made to think that we were the wisest!
The next lap of one kilometer took me to a tea kiosk,by the roadside.What cacophony even in hushed tones!What noise and chaos!We humans,cold or heat,will never change!We are now blase about heat or cold,rain or clouds,wind or gales.When shall we respect silence and nature ? May be ,never!
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