Being visited

There is this pigeon family, that has been visiting us for the last three years. Consistently. Incidentally the first year when the family visited us, there were a whole lot of 'firsts'. It was our 'first' year in our new home. We were expecting our 'first' baby. And we had our very 'first' visitor from the animal world.

To see the family prepare their home to usher in their li'l one was inspiring and also something that we could relate to. We were also doing the same in our world. Each morning was chai, biscuits along with observing the progress of our visitors. Then one morning over our chai session we discovered two eggs. And we followed the chai, biscuit pattern, till we saw li'l "chiclet" come out of his shell. By then, we had grown to become friends with his parents in a strange way. His mum had built an awkward kind of trust with us. She allowed us to watch her li'l one's journey of progress, his stumbled attempts to walk and become a li'l big bird preparing for hisfirst big flight. I want to believe that the family knew our state of expecting and was preparing us for our journey. Then one day, chiclet and his parents were gone. Sad - we didn't see chiclet make his first flight. The empty nest with one egg that didn't hatch was even sadder. The picture above is li'l chiclet making attempts to walk.

We continued our journey. Sia was born. We watched Sia begin her journey of progress, stumble with her first steps and the empty nest stayed on in our balcony. Somewhere Sia related to that empty nest all this while. Then one day what do we see, the nest is being occupied. And there was chiclet's mum. I knew it was her. I had imbibed her feel within me. And she knew me too. That's when I knew we had clicked and a soul bond was built - to last for a long while. Our visitor this time again laid two eggs. But sadly - they didn't hatch. We all mourned. We all moved on again.

But the family visited us again after a month. And laid three eggs. All hatched in their due time. We watched chiclet's siblings follow his journey all over again. This time with Sia. We were happy not to see them take off. Because by now, I had secretly assumed that the family would visit us more often. They had made their home and found their haven.

Now we have the pigeon family visiting us again. The nest still remains. Chiclet's mother is there in our balcony as I write. Preparing for yet another journey, another flight. This is one visitor, I would not mind dropping by for a very long time.

Where was I...when God descended?

Unbelievable - I missed it! I missed 'the day' and 'the moment' when God descended. Of course he is God. Who else would he be? Sachin Tendulkar - the one and only. He was the sole reason I watched cricket. Yes - 'watched'. I no longer follow the sport. No reasons given. Sad. And he is the ONE who has now pulled me back in. Thank you Sachin Tendulkar.

I have realised the intensity, the gravity and the aura of Sachin all-over again. Every possible source is speaking of him. The news media with its statistics, pictures, long features didnt make that impact as much as the status messages I read of each of my friend on Facebook. It made me stand up and realise about my missed chance. My mouse click was an instant like for every status. Such adulation. Such pride. Such a sense of apnapan. Such an obsession. Such surety - as if they were all certain, only Sachin and Sachin only could have achieved the 200* landmark and that conquest could never have belonged to any other player. I am happy for all my friends and for all believers of the God. Yes - only he could have done it....

But where was I when God descended? I was caught in the trap of not being a sport enthusiast any more. For, I was caught in my self created world where being content has made me complacent and unaware of another parallel - real world. With real achievements occurring each waking moment. My bubble is finally broken. The spots have sprinkled all over and dried. I can see the other world with faint clarity. But I see it. I am now left with a heart-felt desire to not miss any more opportunities of being absent when God descends.

I secretly garnered the dream of wanting to see Sachin in person. At least a chance to watch him create wonderment and magic with his bat. And I have been lucky just like a big huge heap of people out there. By the way, did I mention - this was a game versus Pakistan? Super thrill it was. I can never let go of the moment when I stood among others on a stadium chair waving the biggest Indian flag I could lay my hands on. I still have the flag. Its my treasure!

Thank you Sachin Tendulkar for reigniting the lost passion in me. Thank you for pumping in such pride among us country-men.

PS: I would never want to forget my friend Rahul's status message on FB the following day. It read, "sincere apologies, sachin..thru the innings was askin myself idiotic questions..is the pitch very flat..is the ground too small..r they gonna be hammerin our bowlers too..feel shitty for thinkin so..u r the greatest ever, mr. sachin ramesh tendulkar. u make us indians most proud!!"

Sachin Tendulkar created cricketing history by becoming the first ever player to score 200* runs in ODI on 24. February. 2010. It is indeed his-story!

Fireflies - light it up

"Fireflies - light it up"...a borrowed line from a children's show, came to life and reflected this line's pure essence, for me, at this year's "Fireflies Festival of Music". An all-night music festival, it lived up to its expression of "speaking a language of music". A brilliant ambiance - an open air amphitheater and a stage set against a backdrop of a banayan tree (which perhaps has its very own story to tell). Along with a sensitive, soul-touching group of performers - each complete with their own rightful musical sensibilities was indeed the best way to do a 'night out'. To add, a clear sky, with a milky way that we have somewhere stopped realising, a slight summer breeze - all kept the energy refreshed.

Fireflies is a space on Earth, which makes you come to terms with one-self. A barrage of emotions went through me each time my eyes roved around to see people and many more people and all kinds of people they were. Ah!! so so nice. All of us somewhere were the same. I guess, it is because we were somewhere feeling ourselves. Music, was then just a means. What made me certain of this was the mind-blowing, energy draining, ever-so-powerful performance of 'kawali'. All the different kinds of people I mentioned two lines above - some were on their toes, some with arms up in joy, some sang along, some enjoyed the lyrical brilliance and some...well, think of any soul-feel emotion you want to - there it was on public display. Wow!!

And as time passed by, the night sky embraced the traces of dawn. All the 'united of us' witnessed the first rays of the Sunday morning sun. And what do we see in the bleak stray rays - a lake. Dumb-struck as most of us were - we were again left feeling numb about being one with nature, with your self.

"Fireflies - light it up". A glow has been created in my space. A light has revived my spirit. A belief has been reaffirmed within me that enriching experiences can light up the mind and soul.

(What is Fireflies? Where can you have your own experience with Fireflies? All you got to do is click - http://www.fireflies.org.in/) I am sure you will a story too...

when time begins...it stands still.

Have you always wondered of the things you have always, really wanted to do? Have you always felt that the 'calling' is out there and you are yet to find it? Or better still...you have heard your 'calling' and are on the verge of plunging into it? For all those who are in the 'plunge' mode - welcome to my position. I am here on this high, super thrill point. A million emotions run through me each time I look at myself on the edge before I take the plunge. But one emotion stands ahead of all....actually its a concoction of two emotions. One 'fear' and the other of 'supreme happiness'. And I love the feel. Its in every bit of me even as I write this piece - my first ever blog post!

Life has something in store for me, I think I am now certain. All along I have dreamed of a dream before wanting something from life. And I have silently worked for that dream. Yes - I am planner. I cannot not do anything without a plan. There has to be a plan. And there has to be a meticulous follow-up and revisit - always. After plenty revisits of this particular dream, I stand here at my plunge point....and that makes me believe that my time has begun....

My time has begun for a new journey. A journey to be a child and a mother at the same time. A journey to be a friend, girl-friend and a wife. A journey to be an entrepreneur (which I have never been ever before in my life). A journey to enter into my mid-thirties (and I love knowing that). A journey that would make me reach out to more people than I have ever before...so everything now I think is on the over-drive.

As I sit at a coffee shop and write my first blog, it is exactly how I had seen myself write. As I see my baby sit and enjoy her snack all by herself and become one with the world, it is exactly how I had hoped my baby would be. I find my husband on the chair next to mine, I feel the sense of comfort, pride and peace - just the way I knew it would be....