Interlude (across the universe)

Overslept on the bus. Had to take an auto back to my old room as a result. Pranjal wasn't in. Packed in all my old cassettes. 70+ of them. Also an old album which i'd thought to be missing. Headed to subhro's flat from there. Nice place he's got. Freshened up and then left to meet sheetal. Got dragged all the way to kp burger king. Ordered more than i could eat. Even though i was famished. We chatted about this and that. The pointless chats which take up oh so long and leave you with a surprisingly full feeling inside. Heh. We left just after nine. Dunno when i'l be seeing her next. But she remains one of my favourite people. Headed back to my room where i was picked up by mona da. Returned to subhro's flat around 10. Cooked chicken for dinner, and then had it while watching The Rock and attending calls and replying to texts. Watched favourite bits of gto after that. I'l be sleeping off now, because i'l have to be attending calls from 6 in the morning, i think. Subhro shall continue with gto. Looking forward to tomorrow. Hoping everything goes smoothly and according to plan...

Interlude (half the world away)

The problem with two days, one night train journeys as opposed to two nights and one day is that whereas you can get through the latter with the help of one reasonably thick book, you need atleast two books for the former. As a consequence, i've already finished off two of the three books that i had, and even though i left then c/o lando and borrowed trainspotting instead, they might not be enough for the rest of the trip.
But for all the cons of my train being half a day late, i got to see some breathtaking scenery, the sort of landscape that i rarely associate with this state. Mile after mile of fields and meadows and hills, green, utter green, brooks and streams and rapids running wherever their imagination takes them. Hills crowned by clouds and fog, and the train pushed past curtains of rain lashing out at everything, biting my skin whenever it could reach me. Awe inspiring. Once i reached lando's place, i relaxed and waited for him to return. He's put on a bit of weight. We drank beers and listened to oasis. Then we went out to eat and drank more and then called up auto and bitan. I got pretty drunk. Haven't been this drunk in ages.
As a consequence, i slept off by midnight and was up at 5, after which i couldn't sleep at all. Lazed around all morning, watching anime, listening to music and making calls. Headed out at noon, and here i am now, relaxing in a bus heading for pune and secretly hoping it rains on the way and i get to see this place the way i like it best...

The wrong world

At precisely eight fifteen tonight

the world shall start to go wrong,

and all the dreams that we might have shared,

shall be stained by each sad song.

But you could hide in my secret poem,

skip across the words that rhyme,

find in you another you,

who'll finally get it right this time.

The last walk that we took

the day it was raining upside down,

the sky might still have been up above

but the clouds they were on the ground.

Then the day that i stood

atop the city's highest rise,

but in vain i tried and tried and tried,

on tiptoes to touch the skies.

For there was a moon shaped hole in the night,

but the moon shone through from a puddle;

i touched the edge, sent ripples across,

and the moonlight flickered ever so subtle.

This is a world where things are wrong

or right if we call it so;

for its you and i and in our heads

who else will ever know?

shrapnel

and i can see how
the shrapnel of our emotions
changes the world around us.

and bits get damaged
as reality caves in at times
to the delusions we choose.

we filter out the
synesthetic sounds of dreams
and are left with mere b/w.

we become robots
to music that is not music
which has kept us spellbound.

the colours within
isolated from the ones without
live on in enforced loneliness.

the voices fadeaway
and the lyrics get lost in a haze
and you're suddenly so far away...


n.b. i'm not sad. i'm not depressed....as such. dunno why i wrote this all of a sudden. maybe because its raining outside...and there was always someone who was like the rain in my life...

James Blunt on Topgear

James Blunt as the guest in Topgear. 2nd December 07. Absolutely hilarious.

kites and thunderstorms

we can see familiar faces
through the smile shaped holes in our dreams,
flitting in and out of sleep,
surrounded by whispered voices and moonbeams.

the skies indulge us in our little flights of fancy
like kites against cotton candy clouds;
soaring high above the din of chemical emotions,
singing its own songs bereft of doubt.

stranger faces in the neon glow
tread pavements of a million brilliant hues
as songs leak onto the pavement
from haunts still churning out 12-bar blues.

indifferent stories pass each other by on the streets,
exchange pleasantries or avoid each other,
each being a kaleidoscope of infinite possibilities;
bur rarely does anyone seem to bother.

silent waters lap softly by the feet
of friends together on a chilly winter evening,
watching the city's bridges shine,
while softly of forgotten carnivals they sing.

the city stands quietly by a corner, silently watching
its people colour their canvases.
each dab changes the city and us; yet never do we notice;
we just paint away our days.....


n.b. a lot of things went into these few lines. sankar's chowringhee, old bengali films, satyajit ray, anjan dutta, and some very personal experiences. we may love our city; some of us may even hate it. but it's impossible to remain indifferent to it, isn't it?

runaway world

do you remember the last time
that you dreamt a dream which was just a dream
and not a goal you had to accomplish?
when feelings could be spoken aloud
without having them dissected and looked into
for hidden meanings? when your biggest worry in life
was the homework you forgot to do?
there's a world lost inside us, hidden away from
prying eyes. ours included. we make ourselves forget
so that we may become adults, say the proper things
and learn to nod our heads knowingly on cue.
while we keep forgetting to smile with our eyes.
we surround ourselves with emotional tripwires,
yet forget to laugh just because it feels right to;
try to lead our lives like drawn out guitar solos,
technically perfect yet lacking, and forget that
three chords are enough to write a beautiful song.
and we replace letters with texts, smiles with smileys,
walking together with hanging out...

need our lives always strive to be a page turner?
books with a comfortable pace are nice too, i daresay.
like our favourite fairytale. or a song with a lilt.
or like the accidental tunes that we whistle.
its easy to walk on by as life keeps happening,
next time you're in a hurry, try slowing down
for a change...and in the fleeting moments of dusk,
maybe, just maybe, you'll come to realise
that life can be so much more than a mad rush
towards the finish line....
it could be a half smile, or a lingering glance.
or raindrops against your skin...