Category: Random thoughts

What is it about birthdays?

On By Indu PatikkalIn Random thoughts1 Comment
What is it about birthdays? Wishing someone at the stroke of midnight, watching the clock a hundred times to make sure you dont miss the moment. The please of saying those two words – Happy Birthday in n number of ways – many many happy returns of the day etc etc. The hunt for the best birthday gift. The price tag. Thinking of what the person would need. How he/she might react? Will they like it, won’t they like it. Buying a card after reading a million cards and finally getting so confused that you just pick up something, which may not be perfect after all. The wrapping. Should I spend the additional currency on gift wrapping? Anyway they are going to tear it away. Or, I need to wrap it in the best possible way. Asking for a birthday treat. Constant reminders by uttering ‘birthday boy’ or ‘birthday girl’. The cake! Who could forget that. The icing, the writing, the candles – should they be single, or numerals? Finally the moment arrives, the cake is brought out. Candles are tucked in neatly, without disturbing the icing. Lit. The ‘birthday girl’ or ‘birthday boy’ arrives with the new ‘birthday dress’ flashing smiles galore. The candles are blown. Boom go the flashes or the video starts recording. The singing. The same song, which our grandparents sang.. and theirs? The gifts are given, the giver with anticipation about the reaction. The receiver with anticipation of what it would be. The opening, the wows and the thanks. All in order, all perfect.
Excuse me, but what is all the hype about. Birth was an event that occured your age years ago. Something your parents celebrated that day. Do we really need all this hype year after year?

Turns..

On By Indu PatikkalIn Random thoughts2 Comments
And at this point the roads diverge. The journey so far with familiar faces has been memorable. Another thousand memories etched, to linger on for a lifetime. It’s time for me to make the turn and take the other route. The faces that I now see will not be there with me. They have to go down the road that leads to colorful trees and snow white winters. The road I am about to take will take me miles away, where these faces will live on in my imagination. They will make more road trips, they may play the same games, sing the same songs, share the same smiles. But I have to move on, another turn, I must make in life’s journey.

So many people I have met on this leg. Friends I have made, laughters we have shared. The night outs, clanking of glasses, gazing at the stars, lazing out till the wee hours of the morning.

My new destination is not unknown to me. Going back to known faces, roads I have traveled before. Everything is known. But I have jitters about going back. It’s like taking a piece of the puzzle putting it on a different puzzle and putting it back on the original one. The picture should look as perfect as earlier.

Will I miss this place that I once hated. Will I miss the cursing winters. Will I miss the weekend get togethers where so much time is spent on poking fun at me. Yes I will. I will miss dearly all the laughters, all the words, all the faces.

I can keep writing, but I can see the crossroad in the distance. Its just matter of time and I will be gone. I will make the turn soon. Whilst I am getting there, let me savor the talks, smiles and warmth…

Acquaintances, Friends and Loved Ones

On By Indu PatikkalIn Random thoughts2 Comments
Every person that walks into your life, comes in with a purpose. There are some who wave goodbye at the gates. You may remember them, or memory may put them on a scratch pad and erase them as time goes by. They are faces, if forgotten, would not really matter, to you and to the other person. There are lots of people like this. They don’t have a purpose for coming into your life. Acquaintances.
Then there are some who walk in, stay a while, maybe years. You share your thoughts, feelings, ideas with them. Maybe yes, maybe not. You learn some things from them. They learn some things from you. When it is time to move on, they leave. Memory may remember them for a long time, finally it fades. They too have a share in making your life a better place. They usually add an element of fun to your life. Laughter is generally the order of the day. Friends.
Then there are very few who walk into your inner circle of life. They never leave from your heart or mind or soul. Whatever you want to call it. They may move on, they may be part of your everydays. But they are on your mind all the time. You share your innermost fears, secrets with them. They come in with a definite purpose. They teach you something for sure. And you learn very easily from them, because they are closest to you. You would do anything for them, so their life is a better place because you are in it. They may not always tell you the right thing, they may just listen to you. Or laugh with you. But they always do what makes you feel comfortable. And this feeling is mutual. You would also always do things that makes them happy. They may also leave, but the heart is always fond of them. They know you, just like you know them. Loved ones.
Life needs acquaintances, friends and loved ones to strike a balance. Even if one element is missing, you lose balance.. May you have all three in life, like me. God Bless.

Carmel

On By Indu PatikkalIn Random thoughts2 Comments
The sun is setting again in my backyard today. The crimson sky awes me. The dark shade of the trees, adding its touch to the canvas view. Bird are flying back. Everything is so calm. I drive by the perfect roads, neatly lines by tall trees, trimmed to perfection. Every now and then I pass by a lake, reflection a shadow of the houses around. The houses, so geometrically perfect, all in a line, making silent conversations. The fountain in the center of the lake, erupting with a joy of falling. People walking by for an evening stroll, talking, laughing… happy. The vast spance of green grass, not a golf course but just plain land laid out in impressive green.
This drive which scared me the first time in the dark, now embraces me with both hands. The darkness now a blessing. The house which seemed to big, but now a home. Where my kids grew from babies to kids.
The laughter of people echoes in the kitchen, the clanking of glasses filled with spirits. The barbeque grill hot outside. The backyard lay wide open for me to stretch out and gaze at the stars or see the sinking sun.
This is Carmel. This is home. A place that gradually, over time grew on me. Another thousand memories weaved by a single thread, flutter in the wind, to be relived once again.

Words..

On By Indu PatikkalIn Random thoughts1 Comment
The words inside me are on a rampage. Wanting to come out in some shape or form. My official engagement these days is pushing down the words. But they bounce back at me, telling me to pen them down. They vividly form sentences and instigate me to write. But the next thought of work rushes back in and blurrs the sentence away. After days of going through this turmoil, my words got the better of me. So here I am.
An evening spent with the kids, a reunion of sorts after a week’s ‘magic’ disapperance from their life. Physically present, but absent. After a round of burrito bowls from Chipotle, chasing the sun and hot air balloons in the sky to the loud singing of ‘jaane kyun dil jaantha hai, tu hai tho i’ll be alright’. I was as eager as the kids to see the hot air balloon from close proximity. We saw it land on grassy land and the balloon losing its shape.
Today’s life, today’s world, its so easy to get the kids on a hot air balloon, but the fun in chasing it on the ground, while it floats in the air; the excitement when we finally see it touch the ground is priceless. Bittering and bantering about a week’s complaints of amma you didnt do this, you didnt do that. And stories from daycare about time outs and shouting. The setting sun in the distant sky adds sparks to the words in my mind, waiting to gush out.
Friends visiting and the usual debates of, no not Mohanlal Mammotty this time, instead Vayalar and Rahman. Words flowing galore, but the words in my mind waiting patiently.
Finally I sit down to pen my new story. Finally a sense of freedom to me, like the words… words.. words..

Music..

On By Indu PatikkalIn Random thoughts4 Comments
Music – that which restores the soul. How true! That which has the ability to sway your mind from one emotion to the other, one mood to another. No matter in what form it is delivered to you – be it the do-re-mi or sa-re-ga or anything else, it can do magic. Gifted are those people who can make music, put words into the music, and sing them. Blessed are those souls who can take in the essense of this wonder and let it cast its spell on them.
Imagine a world without music… Would it still be this colourful? Maybe yes. The colors will be there, but probably they will lose their vibrance. A rhythmless world? Where you cannot place a tune in the chirping of birds, where you cannot see the rhythm in the swishing of trees. Silence, when there are no words. Or would it be eternal noise? I dont know, because I belong to the blessed strata of this world. If there were no music, would there be any music instruments? Would the untouched strings of a guitar, yearn to be struck. Would the untouched keys of a piano, wait for a touch to come to life?
It is so hard to concieve… Music is one of the colours of my life. Would you call a rainbow, a rainbow, if one of the colors were absent? Every feeling, every emotion, every mood finds a place in one or the other lyrical webs weaved by gifted people. Driving on a rainy day, amidst green pastures, with the raindrops hitting your windshield, playing ‘rhim jhim gire saawan, sulagh sulagh jaaye man, bheege aaj is mausam mein, lagi kaisi yeh agan..’ – bliss!! Days when God takes a vacation and somehow forgets to turn the page of your book, a little encouragement from ‘aye zindagi gale laga le, hum ne bhi tere har ek gham ko gale se lagaaya hai, hai na…’ hope!! When you lose something and feel that there is no end to this pain – ‘itni shakti humen dena daata, man ka vishwas kamzor ho na..’ – inspiring!! Romance in the air spreading out its sheath of love – ‘pudhu vellai mazhai, ingu pozhiginrathu, intha kollai nila, udal nanaiginrathu, ingu sollatha idam kooda kulirginrathu, manam soodaana idam thedi alaiginrathu…’!! When you are too grown up and taken afar by the wings of life – ‘yeh daulat bhi lelo, yeh shaurat bhi lelo, bhale cheen lo mujhse meri jawaani, magar mujhko loutado bachpan ka saawan, woh kaagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani…’ – Nostalgia!! Something that preserves child-like innocence ‘Thumbivaa thumbakudathin…’!!
The list is endless, because the melodies are endless. Blessed is the soul who can understand the words, sway to the tune, humm the melody and dwell in this world of magic called – MUSIC!!!