Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Kiss

     
      The night was dark and young. The stars shone brightly in the clear sky and awaited the moon to join them. There was chill in the air and the wind brought in the shiver. So many times I have been out at night. Each night has a different texture, different flavour and different music, but I was too preoccupied to notice any thing of it. The road was not the smoothest ever constructed in a far off place, amidst the huge mountains. It had its curves, twists and turns, ups and down, but still it was the only way out from the desolate place.
        The jolt was sudden and strong enough to throw me off in to a different world. Contrary to the freezing cold, it was warm, cosy and comfortable with a delicate breeze across the face. The perfume carried by the breeze was exotic and attractive. A faint music played at the backdrop as if some orchestra was on in some distance inside the gates.  I could see someone in the dark. She stood there with her arms wide open at the main gate. Her vibes were so strong, that I felt being pulled closer towards her as a magnet would do so. In the darkness, I could not see her clearly but her mystic aura was powerful enough to draw me closer towards her. 
        Though mesmerized and enchanted by the romantic surroundings and her beauty, some thing was holding me back. The way an anchor holds on the drifting ship similarly some anchor was holding me back. But her mystic charm was so strong that I wasn't able hold myself. With each inch I moved ahead, I was breaking the barriers, may be trying to get free from the anchor. The moment I reached closer to her, my arms opened for the warm hug and my lips pouted for the eternal kiss. I don't think I saw her in detail. I could not hear any thing else except my heavy breathing over the never so loud heartbeats. May be over the years I had forgotten that I too have a heart, which can beat louder than anything. The breaths were deep and strong. There were no thoughts in my mind and very unlike me I had lost my sense of direction. Though in a strange place, I wasn’t an alien. The thought of regaining back my composure never cropped up and I was finding peace in the drift. 
       Soon I was in her arms. I hugged her tight and kissed her. From the slow drift, I could feel myself being melted into a sublime vapour. The kiss was intense and passionate. Never in my life I was kissed with such a deep passion and love. I never wanted to break the lip lock and continue to taste the nectar. I could feel her intensity and passion for me. The kiss had an urge as if we were waiting for ages to unite. Though from different worlds we were finding solace and happiness within each other. I could feel how easily I was communicating to her without even speaking a word, unwinding my feelings, my emotions, pouring my heart. I felt the strong connect with her as if the lips had all the nerve points, which could be connected as in the movie AVATAR. May be in that short time I was communicating my entire life, my likes- dislikes, my happiness and my sorrows, my glories and my worries, my gains and my pains. She was absorbing each and every iota of mine as if she was quenching her thirst drinking through my lips. With each passing moment I was feeling the transfer of energies making me feel lighter than ether. For so many years, I had gathered so much in my mind, that the nerves were getting relieved as the knots started opening and straightening out. The feel was incomparable to any thing I had experienced so far. I was just transcending from a rigid solid form to a more volatile and free vapour. It was a bliss never experienced.
      Suddenly, I stopped and withdrew a bit, as if everything came to a screeching halt. I was trying to regain my lost conscious. She in her deep voice said, there is a battle inside you, which is holding you back. Yes, subconsciously I was holding myself back. I wasn't ready for such a huge transition. Though I was enjoying the feel, but I had so many things in my mind, a long list of to-do things, I had not even bid farewell to my beloved. My daughter was sleeping when I had left the house and I had promised to buy a birthday gift to my son. The doctor’s appointment for my wife was scheduled in the morning and I had to call my boss as soon I reach back. Why I was there so early and had so many unaccomplished missions. I cannot die.
        I turned back and jumped off the edge. I landed on the hard surface with a thud with blood all over me. I started feeling the chill in the air and the only thing warm, lying injured on the cold metalled road was my oozing blood. I was back to place where I belonged, where I could smell the dust in the air and feel the chill in wind blowing across my numb face. I tried to feel my lips, they were numb and they had lost the sensation. They were wet with blood. My injuries pained as I was evacuated to the hospital. I survived.


Friday, 5 September 2014

monsoon picnic



The hills around Mumbai are an exhilarating sight in the monsoons. The dark burnt hills get a fresh coat of greenery and the small water stream-lets bring in life to it. At places the streams get adventurous and jump off the cliffs, throwing themselves in the air creating beautiful waterfalls. There’s romance in the air and one can see birds in pair enjoying the light showers and drying themselves in some corner. 
         It is difficult to stay away from the beautiful nature. We, a group of college friends, decided to go out for a day in the beautiful and ever inviting arms of the nature. After a lot of research and discussions over the picnic site, we homed on to Malshej ghat, a destination famed for the waterfalls, not very far from the city. The Whats app provided us a beautiful platform to plan, discuss, fantasize, share responsibilities, suggestions and endless chat for all of us spread all over the globe. Excitement made the adrenaline flow through our blood and everyone waited and prepared eagerly for the D day. 
         At seven in the morning on Sunday, the D day, at the rendezvous we all started appearing out of nowhere and soon the environment was full of hugs and kisses, shouts and profanities. Meeting the old friends is such a divine feeling and emotions ran high. The bus journey brought back the old memories with the songs of our time. The Latas and the Kishores brought back those golden days and the bus was humming past the clean morning roads. Hot idlies and chutney satisfied the morning craves. As we neared the mountains and the curves on the road rolled us over each other, we could not stay in for long. A small tea break enroute followed by a photo session on the stream were the only halts we had before we reached our destination.
         The road was cut through the Western Ghats and it had countless waterfalls on the fringes. At places the road cut through the waterfall, and one could feel the water drumming the roof and sides of the vehicle and light showers finding their way inside. The first view of the chosen site was awesome and everyone just jumped off the bus to be the first one to get drenched beneath the fresh milky water. It was bliss. The water was fresh, energetic and refreshingly cold. We all managed to get beneath it and one could feel the gush of the water. It was washing off the travel fatigue, the worries, the tension and pressures we all carry in our professional and personal lives and many other things which still cling on to us. The feel was may be something of the nirvana, a state of happiness and the mind was cooled as a cucumber. The time stopped. No one wanted to get out from the euphoria. The chill in the water had engulfed and tied us to the fall and made us feel part of it. The fall though not so big had a big heart to hold us close to its bosom and caressed us, as a mother would do it for the children.
         With heavy legs we moved out for lunch. The food was savored in no time, as we were hungry like never before. A set of party games brought out the kids in us and allowed the food to settle down. The valleys echoed and reverberated with the laughter and cheers. The small little clouds could not hold back far away from the cheerful friends. They sailed over the valleys and showered their love and blessings. The light intermittent showers amidst the beautiful hills were the experience in itself. No one wanted to leave, even as the sun retired behind the hills, but the day had to end.
         As every one was getting emotional about calling it a day, and the cold wind was making us shiver. We halted for a cup of tea. A cup of tea can bring in life and energy to anyone. Catchy music played in the “pan tapri” caught our attention and it took no time to convert it into a hot dancing destination. The onlookers halted, the the passers by astonished and the shopkeeper shocked to see a group of friends dancing like free birds in the most unlikely place in the world. We carried the dance to the bus and that’s where the pole dance in the moving bus was born. The bus rocked and rolled and roared with the latest numbers. The day was not over yet. Everyone was on the feet swaying, swirling, twisting and dancing in whatever space possible in the moving bus. No one wanted to let go the feeling of happiness, no one wanted the bus to reach home so early and no one wanted to go home. Everyone wanted to hang out for some more time. It was a day to remember, a day of lasting memories, a day of fun and frolic.
         May be we were lost in the maddening world of work and responsibilities. May be we were busy parenting, busy with the families, busy as professionals and hardly had any moments for ourselves. Yes that day we lived it.