A Child's Play!

I was playing with my neighbour's daughter today. She's a sweetheart. Just about to finish a year, she taught me quite a few lessons. Let's call her 'D'.


D just learnt how to climb up the stairs, she still doesn't know how to climb them down though. She climbs a few stairs and then looks back at us - checking if we're there to ensure she's fine and also to encourage her, applause when she climbs. She pauses for a nice time and smiles to her own content. As I applause when she finishes climbing the set of stairs, she starts clapping as well. Enjoys it thoroughly. 
The lesson learnt here was, that when we achieve a particular goal, before moving ahead, we should totally savour the moment. Get encouraged, and most importantly, applause for self! In the rush of climbing those stairs, we might just fall on our face - flat! And when you finish climbing your own set of stairs, apart from you there'll be others who will stand in awe of you too!


The next favourite thing for D, after climbing the stairs, is to observe the world around. Observe in every sense of the term. She pays thorough attention when I point out the colourful cars passing by. She admires the birds flying across the sky, without blinking her eyes. She tries to call the dogs that roam around. She observes people, gestures a 'hi' when we ask her to. Admires the flowers that are in full-bloom right now.
Haven't we forgotten all these things somewhere, while keeping up with the world? Who stops and looks at birds? They've always existed and hence are easily ignored. While walking on the road, when we see flowers fallen below, do we take a moment to look up and see the same flowers in bloom? Gone are the days when we could trust anybody on the road, and hence fail to give any stranger a smile!


Like any other baby, D likes to do things which we ask her not to do. And if anybody resorts to scolding her, she pretends to be upset. But the moment we smile or laugh, she bursts out laughing as well. Trust me, that happens every time we scold her!
But as we grow up, we take things to heart. We don't take the lesson out of it and make merry, like D. We choose to savour the sad moment that comes after being scolded...


One favourite thing about D, for me, is that if you look at her and smile or laugh - anytime - she replies with the same. A happy baby that she is, it just ensures that my habit of smiling is definitely worth something. Even if it means watching a baby's face glow up with a brilliant (and toothless :D) smile :)


As it is, growing up changes a lot of things for us, which is inevitable. But if we give it a thought, life just might be a child's play!

Spring Tales!

Heavy YELLOW on GREEN, makes the branches lean
Beautiful LAVENDER carpet all over, makes u want to roll-over!
The PINK welcomes you by shedding itself from the tree
The WHITE wants to touch you, and makes itself free!
So dance around as the spring charms you!
Be enchanted by the beauty that surrounds you...

The Life It Provides!

This is about the Tree Year Project that I've taken up, about my tree, the one I've chosen to observe, and in a way, love :) I'm still in awe of how huge it is. How happily it stands! It reminds me of being proud and humble at the same time. 


And it speaks to me of the life it provides... When I look at it, it's beyond my imagination as to how many birds and other types of living things must be living there! There must be like a colony of birds! I saw a flock coming out of it the other day....as if the family was ready for an outing, but only to come back to their home sweet home :) And if they're guests, or are moving away from the tree, they must be sad as well, to leave the tree that has provided them with shelter.


My tree acts like a parent to the Bamboo tree which grows beneath it. How safe the Bamboo tree must be feeling. Like a child... Safe, warm in the arms of its parent. My tree must be possessive of its various children - right from birds to the Bamboo tree. It must've seen Bangalore change. It must've met so many people, in whose compound it stands tall. It must be missing the old days. I hope its children are lucky enough to hear the stories it has to tell - of the things changing around, of the residents it has provided shelter to since ages! 


For once, I just wish I had powers to understand what the trees are trying to tell me. I would've been one of the many children that my tree has, who would listen to the stories it has to tell, with the same curiosity that it expects me to listen to. I just want my tree to know, that it provides life to me as well, it makes me go through emotions. It's one of the reasons that makes me happy everyday, when I see it :)

A Cup!

Sometimes all I crave for is a conversation with like minded people over a cup of coffee or tea,
With friends where I can shed all my inhibitions and just be me!
Sometimes that cup of coffee or tea looks perfect on a warm rug,
Like it would work similar to a warm hug...
Sometimes I imagine laughing, talking and just being happy with a friend and a cup,
But sometimes my reality feels like a silly lonely pup!
Sometimes that cup of coffee or tea is more than just that,
It leaves me with amazing tastes in my mind, soul and heart...
Sometimes when I crave for a cup of coffee or tea,
I wonder if it's the beverage or am I craving to talk and be me?
Sometimes I wish the beautiful conversations and the fun time over that cup should never end,
Sometimes I wonder if that same cup is my friend! :)

Dhobi Ghat

A lot of people told me not to go for the movie as it turned out to be boring for them. I got mixed reviews. But then, I like movies - why limit the love to commercial ones? And art movies are not that bad. I like them. Plus Aamir Khan :)


First of all, people who do not like a particular movie after getting inside the theater - please either shut your mouth or leave. The theater was half empty and so your comments were much more audible to me than the ones in the movie! If I don't like Golmaal (new version) after getting inside the hall, I will not pass on comments when everybody is oh-so-liking it!


Anyways..... when I was realising my love for Bombay, this movie kinda made me sure of it. It's official - I'm in love with Bombay! There's so much happening in that city at once! So many people leading different lifestyle, but may be somewhere connected to each other in a tiny way. A city full of life - both happy and sad. A city that makes you addicted sooner than smoking and drinking! 


What touched me in the movie was this one scene where Arun, after watching Yasmin's videos, goes to the beach. A different kind of realisation dawns upon him. He has this happiness which reflects on his face....the way he admires the waves on the beach everyday! Ah! I was choked. I have no idea why.


The movie touched me in very many ways, kinda inexplicable... But yes for the love of Bombay, do watch it :)

The Tree Year

I'm participating in The Tree Year - Be more aware of the little things in life – see and enjoy the diversity and beauty of the life and colors on a tree – and share it with others.

As everybody might have realised, at some point in their everyday lives, that we miss out on small natural things. For the love of trees - here I am this is me, who has decided to observe this beautiful h-u-g-e Banyan Tree! The funny part is, it is so huge that people hardly observe it! One of the things you take for granted may be. You know, may be it is like a relationship. Where we take trees for granted. Like I've took other trees for granted, because I love them! But a few of those trees were cut because of no reason, and I realised how empty that place was - like your heart becomes hollow when you lose a loved one. It takes time for you to fill up that emptiness.

I've chosen *my tree*! :D Hope I can write about it often and am able to take pictures. I'm sorry if I'm unable to get into the scientific details of the tree. I'm just trying to participate in the best way I can :)

Imaginations ran wild!

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

The beautiful song by John Lennon stands so true to my thoughts! No I wasn't listening to the song to inspire me to write this post. In fact, it's the other way round - my thoughts made me check out the lyrics of the song. And all I said to myself was "Ditto!"


I'm a dreamer, for sure. And the most important part is, I believe in them. Yes, kadam dagmagate hain kabhi, and I feel if they will ever come true. But what's more important is that I turn myself back to the 'believe in my dreams' part, and don't let the doubt stay for long :)


Since a long time, I've been thinking about the way this world works, we work. Whoever came up with the idea of money! Screw him! Yeah, money is the root cause of all evils! But imagine, a world without money. You can get into any damned shop, take stuff, walk off. Be happy! Nobody demands money anywhere. You're not obliged to pay. That shopkeeper won't have to think of earning bread. Because he is as well being fed and clothed as everyone else! No poverty! No sad people! Only happy ones - always laughing and smiling :) Shelter, food, clothing, movies, clubbing, drinking, even working is free! Work for your own good, to keep your mind working, and don't expect a return. Wouldn't this world have been a posh place always? Everybody would've been on the same level! Wow!


Yes, politicians would've been there but they would not be paid either. You wanna serve the country my man? Do it for free! Definitely a huge factor is people's character. But hey, if we would be living in my imagined world, people wouldn't have to steal or kill people. 


This brings me to think about nations. As one song goes, "Panchi nadiyan pawan ke jhokey, koi sarhad na inhe rokey, sarhadein insaanon ke liye hai - socho tumne aur maine kya paaya insaan hokey", which means - "No border can stop birds, rivers, wind! The borders are for we humans - think about what we have achieved by being humans". So true.... In my imagined world, there could or could not be borders. I would want to just get onto a plane and travel - for free. Meet so many kinds of lovely people across the globe! Make friends! Learn about their history, culture and share mine. Learn different languages as well! Give the best of friendship that I have. Only peace, no war. A calm globe :)


If only money wasn't there. I'm glad that I earn some and that I'm able to live by myself.... but then imaginations do run wild and result into this blog post :) Making me think of a literal "happily ever after and forever" :)