work

Work work work
is on my mind
keeping me away
from prose and
thoughts that declutter my mind

a wish for perfection

Was there ever a day
When perfection was guaranteed
When every task, word or deed
Followed a pattern so complete
That the demon of accountability
Did recede.
For paranoia depresses
Me with accusations
Of imperfection
I know its true
But hearing it said in different hues
Does not make wishes come true.

Bombay

Traffic
The interminable wait to reach
The distance of a yard stick
That’s the Bombay life
A labyrinth of woes
Tattered clothes holding a rose
Outwardly moving, reaching, arriving
Instinctively striving.

Life in Bombay’s core
Is addictive
Yet hard to resist
Like a partner
cheating but persuasive.

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith

Let me say the bad thing first, it is slow reading. All action fans and lovers of fast paced fiction drop it right now, it’s not for you. Alexander McCall Smith was never noted for his sharp twists and abrupt falls. It took me awhile to get used to its pace and lack of action, but it was worth it.

Slow and sweet, it is filled with insightful observations of human behavior. There are very few writers who can fill their characters with so many of an average person’s minutiae that they seem just like somebody you know. Every character is so well defined with the fears and dreams so realistically enunciated that it is difficult to stop reading till the end, and for me- that is the litmus test of any book. There are so many books that seemed great when I started, but soon merged with the rest of the half-read literature messing my table.

The story deals with Matthew who is getting married to Elspeth Harmony, his friend Angus and his dog Cecil, Cecil’s un-loving human friend Domenica, an intelligent and oppressed child Bertie who is totally bullied by his education obsessed mom, Bruce the narcissist and some more. With such a disparate cast it’s so easy to go wrong; your characters can get lost in the maze of words, they can flounder helplessly without saying anything that touches you and the book can become a mad tangle to decipher. The sheer art and skill of McCall Smith is evident in the way he handles this motley bunch and manages to make a meaningful statement about the virtues of kindness, love, and friendship. I have yet to come across a writer who can weave trivial everyday incidents into a charming readable book that expounds values while being totally droll.

the eyes

I need to get pen to paper
Or finger to keypad
But everytime I think
My Image is dashed
By a scream or a plea
To ‘play with me’
Its hard to ignore
A four year olds’
Eyes that implore.

But for those eyes
I would’ve gone
To a space
Far beyond
They keep me involved
And loved
even
When I am less evolved.

disparate thoughts

From the time I was six
I have loved to look at things
With a passing grin
That this is too sad
This is too wild
But what the heck
It all will pass

Puppy love and deep anger
Regret and passion
Nothing endures
Yet I strive
In my mind
To live a life
Melting illusions into deep passions.

my house

There is a place where things happen
There is a place where life zips
It isn’t my imagination
But I think my house trips.

I run and wander
Every day
Not a moment to ponder
Life zips
As I sit
In my house that trips

It walks me into
Places I never thought
I would conquer
Leads me to ideas
That would never occur
Call me superstitious
Or mentally spacious
But ever since I entered
My feet have never centered
Life skips
In my house that trips.

The daily grind- The psychology of Agatha Christie

How you talk says a lot about what you think. That’s what one of the Agatha Christie’s pointed out to me. So if you are the kind of person who says ‘ I wish I could get rid of my wife’. Even as a joke. You might as well be the person who brained, hacked and hid her remains- even if you have all the alibis in the world.
Where is all this leading us? To Vikram of course.
Vikram, my husband, long suffering according to him and long tormenting according to me. The basis of a solid marriage according to others.
Well, one day we went on a trip. Along the way Vikram got a call from a guy, I’ll call X. X asked Vikram how long he would take and where he would stay. The purpose of the trip was to meet X and we (Vanya and I) were there for the scenery. Vikram said he would meet him soon, verbatim it was:
“ Ya, as soon as I dump err.. park them umm.. leave them in the hotel”
Swwwweeet
Now you know why I thought of Agatha Christie.

The daily grind- Aunties

The aunty brigade is at it again.
I know I have crossed the thirties barrier, but the aunties still exist. The main mark of the aunties is their extreme confidence, they can talk back to shop keepers, workers, car drivers and every other person they meet to get their work done. It is unimaginable to me. If I tell my maid that she needs to revamp her working style, after ten minutes I will praise her on cooking the dal. Phew. I need to learn from these aunties, they shout at their helpers and don’t panic.

Today was so quaint. The aunty, huge enough to rule alone in the auto rickshaw, ordered the auto driver, to stop and choose vegetables for her. And he did. The guy even turned around to show her the vegetables he was picking, so that she could make the final choice. Amazing. My idol;)

The daily grind- my happy visit

I visited an astrologer and it made my day:)
Try it, this never fails to cheer one up. These astrologers are god-given cheerleaders, they can make the gloomiest clouds disappear. Don’t believe me, listen to this- this is what he told me…..
I am an emotional goofball:) yet the emotions don’t hamper me
I am not bound by routine
Unconventionality doesn’t set my moral indignation antennas up…..it seems I don’t have any
I am a sentimental nut
Wow…the guy really knows how to spread it out. Did you ever find any of these traits bad, aren’t they just endearing. Hmmm….I think I am falling in love with myself.
In practical tones you can translate them into the unappealing ones like-
Practically lady, you are floating in the air, the earth doesn’t speak to you nor do the conventions.
Hmph.
Look what he did.
I have changed tracks from finance to writing and everytime they have said the same thing....I am on the right track:) The assurance you get makes you strive out. Things might not work out, but you feel they will....who knows maybe that positivity is all we need at times.
Astrologers know the human frailties and know how to sell you. They might see into the future, or not ,yet they invariably make you feel better. A trip to them is highly recommended.

The daily grind- The rodent and the pacifist

How do you deal with pesky rodents, rats in particular? I for one was all for the humane method of catching and releasing...till the day I really had to deal with it.
Residing in Mumbai’s high rises, nature doesn’t have any chance of enlivening your day. Rude natural shocks are out of question, so I was totally unprepared for the rodent attack. To cut to the tale(pun intended), the kitchen wire gauze window was bitten open by razor sharp teeth one night and the evidence was out. What to do? Rat poison was the evident answer. So the following night the meal was laid out and the window thrown invitingly open. What followed was disaster. I had of course closed the kitchen door, but was awakened by tiny squeaks and a slight crash in my bedroom. Our fort had been invaded and it was not a soft ,small rat but a big, black, herculean monster.
I don’t know who squeaked on first sight, but my reflexes made me jump up. Vikram’s strong man tactics seemed absolutely necessary for the moment...so he was awakened. A game plan was hatched. We would use brooms to manhandle the pest .
But the weapons (brooms) were too thin , the rat too fast, the hiding places too many. There was a particular moment when rodent and Vikram eyed each other for a full minute. I am sure they signalled their male suffering due to pesky females who couldn’t sleep through the night. Sorry, I am being told that the above comment was uncalled for.
It is hereby struck off memory:P
Reviewing strategies, we realized we were beaten.
Thankfully the rat found the solution- it decided to scoot inside a pillow. We jumped, pounced and held the opening tight. War whoops and cries ensued and the excited hormones made us go for the kill ( note it was the adrenalin not us).
So this was the end of the pacifist
The rat is gone, but the fear remains, every night I wake at the slightest creak. Is it only our house that creaks and squirms in the nights?

The daily grind

From today I am going to give you a peek into my mundane life and open up (properly editied!!) portions of my diary:)

Sabine and Griffins

I am zapped. The book is awesome but its beauty lies in its art....amazing. How did I manage to miss it for so long. It completes itself in three marvelously creative books, that captivate you with their style and obviously the mystery.
Sabine and Griffins by Nick Bantock, is book written on personally created stationary by two artists Sabine and Griffins. It has postcards and letter s, the concept is new and the art is stunning. It is a book just right for my yet to be created library in the home of my dreams. Perfect.

ok...now let me describe it further. The first book begins with Sabine’s postcard to Griffins. Since childhood, Sabine has had visions of one man’s drawings as though she were looking through his eyes while he was working and then when she was in her late 20’s she found that the artist was Griffin. And so starts this amazing correspondence. Who is Sabine? Is she real or a figment of artistic imagination. They soon realize that they are madly in love, but mysterious circumstances prohibit their meeting. Are they corresponding through time? Can they ever meet? The trilogy completes the story. One more addition to my library. Fantastic.

stressed out doing nothing

There is a sudden lull in my work and it's quite disconcerting. My schedule is totally disrupted by doing nothing. Somehow I always thought that nothingness is a sublime state; it's what is prescribed as the antidote to our stressful lives, but here I am feeling like jumping out of my skin and restlessness is pervading my being. Not good.
Wonder if this is what happens when people retire. Thankfully I have chosen a career that has no retirement age only Alzheimer’s can strike me down. But what about those professions that end with a certain age? Nothingness is not easy to deal with. It needs prodigious control or you totally slip out of hand.
I am dealing with my stress in the only way I know by writing. Its not contagious so don’t worry while reading these wandering thoughts. I have finally thought out my book and will try and use this time for constructive work.

Comfort reads

Flashbacks....that’s what I am doing now. My reading is going reverse gear as I re-read the classics and enjoy the books that I had long digested. Reading the old favorites is like gorging on comfort food- totally relaxing. For a change, I know what will happen on the next page, heck I even know what will happen in the end and I am not examining the writing style....its total relaxation. And once I get in this mood it’s very hard to get a new book and stick through with it. So my list includes:
1. P G Wodehouse (not the Jeeves ones)
2. Kidnapped
3. Jane Eyre (my old favorite)
There is nothing more to write about them....

The messenger

Everyday, as I cross the Juhu circle, there is a man standing on the divider. He doesn’t beg nor is he waiting to crossover. He just stands in between that mad rush hour traffic holding a plain white banner. The words are not well calligraphed, the style is hasty but the words are arresting: Follow your religion. Love everybody.
The words make you stop and think before you rush ahead.
A simple message a great idea.