When TIME teaches you things!!!

That fleeting moment
The spark that fires
A glance that speaks desire
Oh! mind,oh! reckless mind

It was that time of the day when Naina, sat down to answer her mails. It was her space, her moment in time. She loved to drink her tea, and dwell on her thoughts. Time always stood for moment and let her thoughts pass.
In a few hours, the rosy tinge of the sky would slowly creep into the room, and dye her curtains pink..the translucence, would let the branches of the frangipani outside cast its branches on the wall, making them dance to the music of the dawn. It was now,that she always cherished. The silence, and her aloneness. Never was she more at peace. She and her thoughts.

She had decisions to be made, the day to be scheduled, the needs of her family to be sorted out. The day was going to be routine, and she loved the regularity of the routine. The rigidity of the schedules gave her the freedom to arrange her thoughts. It wavered just like any normal woman's would. Should she, she wondered? Is it right? Am I doing the right thing, by holding on?!! What if? Why not? It was getting more complicated to simplify the memories of the past.

Trust that was broken, lies that had been uttered. Only went on to leave deeper scars. Time would heal, they had said. Not really..it just went in deeper, and filled with more pain. She thought back to those dreams, the ones that had been woven, inside her happy mind. They had spread its wings and kept reaching out..but alas!! always to be clipped, before the bud flowered and bloomed. She had now to just live the day as it came..no more would she dream, no more wings to be clipped. Safer she thought...carry on, and keep them happy. It is their smiles, through which she had lived her life...

She got up and drew the curtains wide...letting in the rays of the sun, bringing in the mystery of the day. She loved it, she knew, it would help her smile. Today was the day she would live for..let tomorrow arrive with its own uncertainities..its today and now..so let me smile..and off she went, to face the day's lovely trials..

I have to, have to put in this video of my most favourite song. For its lyrics, the dance, and the emotions it brings..

This was written in response to a prompt called 'Time'

This is also my 14th day post for the 'Marathon Bloggers'...

Lucid expressions!

“The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them” said Stephen King...
If the windows to the soul ,mirrors your thoughts, will the eye ever be able to hide???

Eyes speak the language..and convey more than you want them to.
Did it matter ?? Read here to know.

Ambling along!!

Just answered the prompt at Sunday Scribblings on my other blog.. Take a look here

And then....

The beautiful orange streaks across the sky beckoned her thoughts, and so did her gaze look yonder. She had just come back from a beautiful play, one which she had initially refused to go for. Her friend had insisted, saying she had not stepped out for ages, and she might need the change.She had finally given in and had also enjoyed every moment of her day out. She had felt one with the breeze, the green of the lush trees and also the nip in the air reminded her of the lovely monsoon winds.
She stared out of the window, trying to catch the silver line bordering the dark clouds in the orange sky. It was a fusion of colours, just like her innermost thoughts. She knew in a few minutes all her smiles would dissolve. She had tried talking to her friends about him. But then he was a different persona in front of them. How could she convince them , that what they saw in him was not what he was. He turned into a monster , a person, who couldnt handle negative criticism, someone who wanted repeated assurances that he was good, even if it meant it was a lie. How could she tell them, that she walked on egg shells while he was around. Not knowing
which action of hers, or words would anger him? She hoped he worked late, tonight too, she could sleep peacefully knowing there would be no arguments seeping into the night. She prayed for courage , strength and the guts to voice out her feelings.
But then " “things are not always as they appear”, and she knew only too well the repurcursions if her efforts backfired!
She looked on and on, into the grey of the night!

Written in response to the prompt at Matinee muse.

Dusty covers?!!

I just don't get it!!

I've opened my refrigerator for the umpteenth time, but am yet to figure out how to magically bring in the contents that should be there and not what is.

Took me back to the time, the refrigerator came into my home, many years ago. Those days, everything had to have a place,.The fridge was duly installed in its justified position. A neatly embroidered cover was fished out...and promptly spread over the top.

"Do you have to cover everything in sight, Ma?"

"Yes! its so dusty. It'll become very dirty and discoloured"

A few years later I see this Ad on tv..and I had to literally slap my grinning face...it was an ad for a detergent soap with a netted cover. And the family were parsis.

Thats when I had thought. Nooo , you havent seen us south indians. We have so many things around the house, that there'll be more covers than in a wedding buffet dinner.

The wet grinder, for the thousands of dosas that have to be churned out most mornings, the phone ( here we can place two, one below and one on top), the humble mixer, which needs to be moved, cleaned so many times in a day...but still it can boast of one to keep its bottom warm.

Have you see the TV..though it came much later to our city...I remember the panic my mom went into, when she couldn't find something to cover it..The dimensions were a little vague...you had the front, back, top....she was stumped. But even there she had found a way. A huge table cloth and the deed was done. Then of course, the plasticky covers were sold much to the amusement of all of us at home..which was bought pronto all the way form Bombay.

These very effective sheets, covers, etc of course had another skill that got going.One started to learn embroidery to put on it. Fabric painting classes...and the ads would say...learn fabric painting for table cloths, fridge covers, phone cover,etc. Yes there was a skill being learnt!

Thankfully now the trend has died down, I assume with the rapidly changing appliances and also the fact that the skills attached to them stayed back with the generation that brought the covers in.

And now when I open the refrigerator, I see one more trait of our clan...its always 'curds' ( yoghurt) in there...more than what they need. But one ounce less and there is a stress attack out there...

Changing past patterns!!

The clocked ticked on and on. However much she looked it refused to change its mind. It went ahead and tick tocked…

She woke up with a start and looked at the clock yet again…hoping that it was lying. It showed 4.30 AM, and she knew she had to wake up. But there was something not so right. The space beside her stared like a lonely bird out on the tree. She thought she was in a dream…it couldn’t be. He was always back by this time.

She tried her best to trample on her suffocating thoughts, that were drowning her sanity. He had always come in late, but had slowly slipped into the soft, sun dried sheets, and spread his warmth . So today she knew that she should be scared.

She thought back to the times, when she was young….darkness , had haunted her. She had always wanted to hear the voice of an adult- her mother, before she closed her eyes.
She wanted that memory to last. But then she had moved on, in life and in age. Now she was the adult, but her heart still reached out to her childhood wants. She had wanted to say ‘Goodnight!’ before she snuggled under her blankets.

Times changed! Her heart stayed in the same track, but her life went ahead. She was happy when she married, now she needn’t be afraid. There would be a strong arm next to her, keeping her smile on, even after she said her goodnights. Early nights blended into dawns…but her mind still wanted. Her life had changed and so had her strength.

She looked at the blank space next to her, and got out of bed. Her fingers went out and dialed his number.. her sleep laden eyes, didn’t have to see what her hands were doing. She had gone through this action so many times, that it was so natural for her. She dialed yet again, only to hear the constant ringing of the phone. Her mind swirled with generous thoughts. She tried yet again, this time a sleepy voice answered…

“Where are you? Why aren’t you home yet?” she nearly tripped on her tongue.

His answer sent her into a fury, but she chose to be silent, as silent as her home. She hated confrontations.

She started on her chores, tears threatening to fall, but her resolve holding them back. She heard a beep beep, her phone said it had received a message.
She read it through and sighed
“Pea brain, when do you need the car to be sent. The driver will come there by 6.00 AM get the kids ready by then.”

She sighed yet again….how times had changed from her being called “the brain” to being called “pea brain”

In response to Writer's island prompt

Hunting for hidden treasures!!!

The gift of security, the knowledge of being there

Can it be the treasure, of having your parents there?

The laughter you share, the colors that’s yours to care
Are you the friend, to whom my thoughts will lay bare?

You teach me math, physics and geography,
Is there a gift inside your methodology?

The treasure that I see when you smile,
Your gurgle lifts my spirits in a while

The fragrance of the flowers in your grandfather’s garden
Bringing memories, so cherished and unforgotten?

Those pages browned ,dog-eared with love and age
Are these words so loved and priceless?

Melodies that bring a song into your heart

Reaching those eyes in a sparkle and a tear

I lay down at night, with thoughts left unaware
Are you the support, leaving my side n’ere?

These muses I hold
Love and joy to behold,
Moments of pleasure
To cherish and treasure
.


Written in response to the prompt at Writer’s island. "Treasure" and then, a song to listen while you go through this space, that brings back those days so treasured

Treasure brings forth so many thoughts and so many memories. When I hold treasure hunts for kids I love to see their eyes sparkle each time they come away with their solutions to the clue. The last time I had organized one such treasure hunt…I had put up the clues here. Thought I’d share that too along with these few lines that cropped up in my head the moment the word TREASURE passed by my mind.

Dreams!

This is in response to the latest prompt "Dreams" at Writer's Island. I had posted one earlier, so thought i'd just re-post it here...

Dreams!!!!
Oh !! To feel the luxury of not having to worry about routines, schedules, deadlines, kitchen.....

Would always believe that this could be found only in dreams....Been so caught up in hectic hustle bustle of life....kids, school, home, family.....it was getting smudged in the detailing.....each one blending into the other, that, only this small piece of heaven could bring me back to reality...

That life is meant to be lived!!

While I was younger and had the liberty to shirk, duties at home....I had this huge sticker stuck on my walls, which said " Life's a Beach!!"

Each day I used to have different interpretations to it...
One day it would be its expanse, on another, its mystery, its serenity, its wildness, its sounds...and in the end, its just being!!. I remember there were these friends of mine who would come up and scribble their bits on my posters, on every bit of writing material they could find ...

There used to be small comments or their very own quotes....some were so cute...thought I would always hold on to them...but

Years passed, those small pieces of paper, were all saved, read and re-read, millions of times....all my friends had set out on their journeys, just as I had done...my house had taken a ghostly feel...( this is where they all congregated to take their calls from home, to have their lunches, to just come home, after a movie...or better still to eat the 'gojju', that used to be prepared just in case they did land up....and then my parents would keep calling me by my friends names....cos they were all muddled up...they too were part of my entire being, staying up nights, standing on reams of sheets of paper, acting as paper weights, supplying endless amounts of tea, food, snacks, and lots and lots of love and encouragement....

I used to have many sets of parents....2 sets at home...Appa and Amma, my uncle and aunt,
then M's parents who believed I was one of their daughters too....and I remember uncle used to always tell the whole world..." U need any info, just ask P, she'll know.....she's a dynamite..." A's parents who each time they visited our city, decided that their daughter was set up in our house, so they just needed to pour all their love for me too...I was so blessed...but then this dynamite had slowly fizzled out...had become flat...

There was a transit house ...we called it that cos, we always used it like that, but never thought of it like that...spent more time than at our own homes,but this ,a beautiful home, was filled with so much of love, outstretched arms....lots of food.....the food platter never would know who would be the recipient, but stand it did, quietly, till late nights ....knowing full well, that there would be at least one taker. Uncle had the biggest heart life could create...They had 2 sons and a daughter, and lots more who used to follow their sons into their house....and he spread his wings to 2 more girls, their daughters in law....and none of us were made to believe that we were not theirs....he's not with us anymore, but each time I remember love, he's my example for it...they still spread their arms....thru their sons, daughters in law, grandchildren, nieces....and uncles and sisters, and all.......

And then there was this huge family of friends....each one who stood for each other....we still do, I realised that yesterday...we still land up in the other homes and demand food...shame notwithstanding...but in the end, we still r the same teenagers....wanting the same things out of life.....and they still pull us up when we r slipping, give us those strong hands, give us their endless 'I'm there for u's'

Was reading thru some really immature scribblings we had written during those days...not realising that we would be reading it together after many many years....we all had dreams, we all had goals, and we all had the will to do it...but when I read them , I realised, I havent lost out on any of those dreams....it still exists, its just waiting for me to finish with all my previous goals that I had set....i've done most of them....and I am proud of what I have done so far...and one of my dreams was to be around kids , lots of and lots of them....and when I was with them, I wanted to have the feeling of love for each and every one, equally...I achieved it....they all are just like my own...and now I realise it was a silent dream while we used to spend time at this friends house...I wanted my arms and home to be always welcome to everyone...its a slow process....but i'm getting there...

And now i've begun to step out on my journey to achieve what my most important goal was, my dream........until then its hoping that my determination is as powerful and strong as my DREAMS are........

This song, was one of my favourites , and I wanted you'll to listen to it too