Magic Moments

#FridayReflections We went to our village in Ganjam district after the trip to Jirang Monastery. The roads had banyan and Peepal trees on the either side, offering beautiful views during the sunset. It took us a little more than two hours to reach the destination. I thoroughly enjoyed the long drive, listening to some soulful songs and eating boiled groundnuts in the backseat. We were going to the village after two years. My father was very eager, as it was where he spent most of his childhood and adolescence. We were excited too, as we were to meet a new member of the extended family- little baby Saanvi. You know it’s a festival when you hear the gongs in the temple from a mile away. You know you have reached the village when you have to press the horn twenty-a-times to cross a herd of cattle on the road. You know you are near the destination if you see monkeys on the trees and the terraces of the kutcha houses. You know you have finally reached if there are more than thr...

Sometimes just watching the horizon feels so peaceful. Putting all the cares in the world aside and just gazing at the setting sun, or just observing the sparrows and pigeons encircling in the sky, feels so relaxing. Listening to the rain, or feeling the evening cool breeze on your face while sipping a hot cup of coffee and having a close companion to chat with is all one needs. And life becomes easy for that moment. Making soup for a dear one or baking your favorite chocolate cake to pamper yourself are some of the simple pleasures in life. Collecting trinkets and sovereigns for preserving memories, cherishing a trip, or remembering a person- life is contained in these bits and pieces. And Music- yes, music acts like a bookmark in every memorable moment. The rhythms, the chimes, the heartbeats, the jingles -all take us back to those bygone days. We had traveled to Madurai about nine years back. The temple architectures and rituals had been so foreign to our eyes. The very a...

‘What is it exactly? What is happening to her? It’s getting on my nerves,’ she said over the phone. ‘I am not sure either. It seems she gets a high occasionally. The music overwhelms her,’ the voice from the other end said. ‘High? Drugs?’ ‘No, not drugs. She came clean during the test.’ ‘Then what is it. She gets so excited one moment and the very next moment breaks down crying or just keeps looking at the sky lying on the dance floor with her earphones on. She doesn’t even respond to anyone- it’s as if she cannot hear us at all at that very moment. Then again later, she doesn’t remember anything of this behavior. I’m worried, doc.’ ‘I understand. But she was healthy a month ago. How’s her dancing going on?’ ‘Good. Rather great actually. I wonder where from she suddenly gets so much energy to dance till the crescendo. Earlier, just after one, she used to feel so drained that she couldn’t even continue. But now, she does whirl to the crescendo thrice without a bre...