I feel light today!

The alarm buzzed, bringing me back to life on a Saturday morning. Now, who keeps an alarm over weekends? one would think. But then, here I was rubbing my eyes, with ruffled hair, scratching my bum, dragging my feet to the bathroom. 
It's a Saturday, and I am already up at 7.30 am. Why do friends keep a "let's meet for breakfast" on a weekend? I go to the kitchen to make myself some ginger tea, before I could head out with my friends. A nice hot cup of ginger tea gives me that kick-on-the-butt, to start my day. As I sit on my cane chair, browsing through the head lines, I notice something looking at me. Yes, it's something and not someone. I always feel, non-living objects do have a life of their own and tend to speak to you in their own special way. So then, this object kept staring at me and I looked straight back at it.


It was my weighing machine. She usually doesn't do this and lays quiet under the table covered in dust. But today, she was on a mission... mission to get me check my weight. I thought to myself, why not, if she insists. 


I kept the cup of tea on the side table and let the newspaper fall to the floor. I walked towards, and dragged her out. I don't even remember when was the last time I stepped on her, but every time she'd make me unhappy with the results. May be, that was the reason I dumped her under the table. 


I wasn't sure what she had in store for me today, but decided to step on her... gently. 


'Gently', because I would hope, every time, she gives me a number less than the previous one. But it never worked that way. She always was true to herself and to me as well. 


Yet, now I waited for pointer on the scale to come to a stand-still. Those moments are too different than waiting for your exam results.. anxious ones.. 


Finally, the result was out and for the first time, I smiled. It was less than my previous score, I had lost weight... I showed gratitude towards the machine for the first time, and respectfully placing giving her a place in a corner but not under the table. I smiled, to myself, to her... 


I sat back in my cane chair, getting back to my tea and thought, in spite of a heavy meal last night how did I weigh less? This was not the time to do a Root-Cause-Analysis, but was to enjoy the moment. 


May be it's those worries that I let go off myself last evening. Not bothering about things which are not within my control... not letting people's words and deeds bother me. It was just last night, where I decided to live every moment, without thinking of what future holds for me. 


I had felt light in my head, as I hit the bed last night and it showed me on the scale this morning. Weird is it not? my mind resonated.. but then, as I begin my day.. I feel light today!

Three Quarters of a Year...

I don’t remember how old I was,

As I never knew, what a calendar was then,

So simple that my life was,

I never cared, if the clocked ticked five or it ticked ten.

I didn’t cry, but mom said I did smile,

I always wondered how mommy would know,

Even if she saw me, only once a while,

Every time she saw me grow.

Ah, it was all so nice and warm,

So secured was I, nobody could ever harm,

I never knew then, what hunger was,

I was loved beyond limits, without a pause.

Mom and I used to talk for long,

She’d tell me stories of the mighty kings,

At time she’d even sing me a song,

Never thinking of the world, how she sings,

But she knew one thing for sure,

All that mattered, that I was listening to her.

As I grew up and wanted to see the world of today,

I had sensed it, this was my day,

I cried for the first time, all covered in blood, just like red wine,

With every one smiling around, everything seemed fine,

Wrapping her arms around me, holding me tight,

Like she’d never let me go from her sight,

I realized it then, as she wiped my first tear,

I had spent my best three quarters of a year.

An evening at the Beach...

An excerpt from a story I wrote some time back…

Next day was a weekly off and I decided to take some time out in the evening for myself. After wrapping up my usual weekend tasks, I took off for a stroll on the beach close to my house. It was a peaceful evening, with sea breeze greeting me as I stepped on the cold sand. I prefer walking bare foot on sand, as every step gives you a new sensation. Moreover, when you look back you don’t see your foot print anymore. I wish it’d be the same with life. After taking a few steps on the beach with my sandals in one hand, the smell of freshly pan-toasted salted groundnuts distracted me. On a usual day, I would have bought a packet of groundnuts for 50 paise, but today I felt richer and decided to buy the bigger packet.

I looked out for a quiet corner, away from the vendors who sold bhel-puris and paani-puris, away from the ballon-wala, away from the family whose kids built sand castles. At a distance, some couples walked the length of the beach, holding hands and then there were a few who chose to play with the waves.

I finally found a spot, where I could be all by myself, with the cold breeze and the sweet music the waves made as they crashed on the shore. I sat on the sand, digging my toes in cold sand and I closed my eyes to smell the freshness around. The sea comforted me just like a mother, when her son would come back home after a hard day at work and would rest his head on her lap. And then she’d run her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his forehead and easing the stress. The sea breeze that blew through my hair had the same effect.

I never realized how time has passed; the sky had turned dark, and the beach was getting deserted. The cold sea breeze now gave me a slight shiver, leaving goosebumps over my skin. It was time for me to head back home, but promising the beach to come back again tomorrow… for a new breeze.. a new experience.