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.

Silence of the valleys

On By Indu PatikkalIn UnpublishedLeave a comment

the silence of the valleys
as we drive past them
the swishing of the wind
silenced by our breath
the silent wish
uttering a thousand words
yet silent..
the unfelt touch
untouched
yet so felt..
the time
a speck in the memory
gone by
yet the feeling
of being together
treasured..

Shadow

On By Indu PatikkalIn UnpublishedLeave a comment

Rays of the sun are finding their way through the leaves. Trying hard to kiss the earth. The trees are casting long shadows on the ground. I stand looking up, my shadow behind me. The light blinds my eye. The dancing leaves give some solice intermittently. My shadow fills me in its arms, standing taller, behind me. I turn around to look, and its still there, looking at me. Is it watching my eyes, and every lock of hair, as they sway with the wind.  Or is it just standing there , enjoying me closeby. I lift a finger to move them away and it seems like my shadow is doing it for me. There are trees all around, playing perfect puppets of shadows and leaves and the sun. I stand there, unmoved, wonder for how long, my shadow behind me. When I opened my eyes, the sun now above me, my shadow and I, now one.

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..

Ma…

On By Indu PatikkalIn Childhood memories3 Comments

She woke up at probably 6.30am, I don’t know. I have never been awake before she woke up. She always woke me up, guess that is the reason why, alarms are not my cup of tea. ‘Indu..’ she calls out, ‘time to go to school’. By the time I am ready, the tumbler of horlicks and something to eat is ready. When lunch bell rings, the orange basket with the steel tiffin, plastic waterbottle, folded towel and stainless steel spoon are ready at the school gate. When I get back home after a long day (yes.. at school :)) she is ready with something for me to eat. It may be snacks, or lunch. She let me play for a while, with the neighbours kids, or do whatever I want. After that she called me back, strictly, to do homework. English, Hindi, Maths, Science, she taught them all. She built a foundation, so that in the higher classes, I could do my work on my own, with little help from her. She made me independent. When my results came, she cried with tears, and hugged me with a ‘very good’. Her smiles had no boundaries. She taught me happiness. When I was heartbroken, she quietly understood. She let me cry my sadness out, instead of carrying it as a burden in my heart. When it was time to move on to yonder lands, she let me go, with no strings attached. She let me learn the ways of the world the hard way. She let me look for myself, meet people, understand them, and figure out my way through the woods. She gave me the freedom. When I asked for things that money could buy, she let me buy some and said ‘no’ to others. She taught the value for money. When things were not going right, she bowed down and said her prayers to keep her child safe. She taught me to go on, and be bold enough to face every obstacle in life. She gave me the courage. When I am miles away, I know she misses me. She misses the smiles on my face. She misses the fact that she is not part of my everydays.
My inner strength. Ma… 

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!!!