NEW BEGINNINGS

WAH TAJ

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MOOD SWING

A wave of sadness swept across her mind; like the high tide that only leaves rubble in its wake. The day had started like any other and then out of the blue she started feeling like a dump. Uninvited guests always irked her and this one was no exception. Sarah felt something tugging at her heart; something that she couldn’t dismiss or ignore. A heavy weight seemed to press on her and there wasn’t much she could do about it. She wanted to cry but not a tear trickled. She tried to force a smile, as she looked at herself in the mirror in the loo, but her smile gave away her mood. Work was slower than usual at the supermarket where she worked, and that only made it worse. The thought of calling Hugh did cross her mind, but she knew they would end up fighting on a day like this.

The evening was cold and glum as she drove home from work. Even the perky RJ on the radio and the peppy tracks that were played refused to lift her blues. Sarah threw herself on the couch and lay there for a while. She hated this feeling….And then suddenly she knew what to do. She sat at her desk by the window and started writing. Words oozed and she felt liberated. The sun was peeping through the clouds just as a rainbow formed in her heart. She swirled and giggled; for the first time today she was happpppppy!

ROSE

“Wow California …isn’t the weather there just like India?...and you get almost everything(Indian) there these days…so not much you will miss huh!?”

“I heard everybody in the States has a car…nobody every walks.”

“Oooo away from the big Indian family…nice…I’d live better if I too met w/ the family once a year!”

Her move to the States was generally greeted with such and similar responses that exuded awe, excitement, and happiness…sometimes even a tinge of jealousy would show up. It was as if her move was regarded as an escape to a paradise, where things were picture perfect. And life in such a place had to be good – no? As if just the place guaranteed that life, relationships and everything around and beyond that would be shipshape. But ask people who lived in this paradise, they thought of it as otherwise and claimed that the greenery was all there (in their motherlands). They hastily replied with a reason or two and made it sound as if they were in the so-called Paradise by chance and not choice.

She answered both parties patiently, because, she thought she knew how to savor the roses and how to make sure the thorns don’t get to you…

PERCEPTIONS

They sat across each other in the most happening lounge in town – La Bouche. He had made a good first impression (didn’t he always?) and she was glad she had agreed to meet him. He was wearing a black corduroy shirt with faded blue jeans and had a shock of silky black hair that was neither too long nor too short. A dimple formed across his right cheek every time his mouth broke into that infectious smile and one could see the perfect set of pearly whites. The cologne scent that he exuded, the prominent Adam’s apple and the slight stubble….she was beginning to fall for him already and only hoped that his thoughts and character matched up w/ his looks…As they sipped their margaritas she noticed the thread (the sacred thread worn across the shoulder after the thread ceremony) as it peeked into view from under his shirt. “Still holds on to his roots after 7 years in Australia”, she made a mental note. Although she tried hard to focus on their talk and him as a person, she caught herself drifting….

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me

The song played in the background…She looked at him and thought that his eyes mirrored her feelings…Little did she know that his thoughts were w/ Julia and the summer evening that they had spent together at the Copacabana beach in Rio…

BON APPETIT

I was browsing Mridula's blog where I learnt about 'The 5 Hilarious Travel Photos Contest'....As I saw Mridula's posts for the contest, I was reminded of all the funny/weird pictures that never see the light of the day. The contest sounded like a lot of fun and although I knew I was way past the deadline I thought, "why not??"....So here I am looping through my digital photo collection, trying to find the right pictures...turns out I have way too many funny pictures of myself rather than pictures that would be funny minus me...I found some interesting pictures during my search that I thought would make a better post than hilarious pictures of the self...Oh well, guess this preamble is good enough..

I spotted this shack on my hike to Lohagad ...it seemed to have sprung up in the middle of nowhere just to cater to the hikers w/ a multi-cuisine appetite...the location of the shack and also the hoarding left me amused...


This picture has been taken during a trip to Rishikesh last summer....We were roaming around in the market when this man, face painted and sitting outside the resturant caught my eye...what an interesting way to attract foodies to the restaurant I thought...

Although I was amused by the places and the people running them...I think I am impressed more than amused.....I think there is a lot that one can learn from these people....Being passionate about one's work, faith, hardwork, creativity, ingenuity, understanding and providing for customer's needs, to name a few...What say??

May these joints have all the customers that they can serve!

A PIECE OF THEIR WORLDS

Sameeha was the apple of Aapa’s eyes. Sameeha was all she had, ever since the fatal accident took away everybody in their family. She had devoted her life to Sameeha who was barely three when their world shattered. Neighbors and friends worried about Aapa and how she would deal with the crisis. Sameeha was the only reason why Aapa had not crumbled.

Their house was brimming w/ life and excitement. Sameeha’s marriage had been finalized w/ Ahsan and today was the Nikah. At last Aapa could breathe easy. She had strived to give Sameeha the best of everything and she constantly fretted about the kind of family Sameeha would marry into. Now her fears were rested. Ahsan was a fine boy from a respectable family. She knew Sameeha would get all the love, care and comfort that she deserved. Distant relatives and friends had gathered in the house. A feast was cooking, and children played in the courtyard. The men-folk chatted away as women-folk busied themselves supervising the preparations. There was music and laughter all around. Sameeha sat patiently as four girls stooped over her, applying mehendi to her hands and feet. Her girlfriends teased her about Ahsan while elderly ladies squeezed in words of wisdom every now and then. Aapa sat in a corner, observing and shouting orders as needed.

She was happy for Sameeha yet, her heart broke into a million pieces every time she thought of Sameeha’s bidai. Years flashed by her eyes. How little Sameeha had tightly clutched her hand as she mourned the deaths in the family…Sameeha with her lovely locks and smile……How she had scouted the bazaar barefoot one summer afternoon only to get Sameeha the red velvet slippers that she had wanted….Sameeha the chatterbox…..Sameeha the singer….the Sameeha who studied day and night for her exams…Sameeha the caring doctor…and now, Sameeha the bride…

She would never hear her laughter, her chatter and have her around like she used to….she would have to wait months, just to see her darling for real and even then, it would never be the same…a heavy sadness choked Aapa’s heart. She tried to lift the weight by hollering for some chai and day dreaming about the joys that lay ahead in the future…she had to be strong and able for doing all her duties, she warned herself…Allah would help her survive without her lifeline – Sameeha.

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Aapa was her world for many many years. She was her friend, philosopher, guide and her idol. As she grew up her world expanded, but Aapa was still at the center of it. But now it seemed Allah was testing her, by sending Ahsan into her life. All of a sudden it was expected of her to accept Ahsan as the new center. To her surprise, even Aapa wanted it! Although it seemed easy at times, this shift filled her w/ guilt. It was not so hard for her since Ahsan, was the man of her dreams, but what would happen to Aapa?....How would she deal w/ it? Her heart was torn in a game of tug of war; on one side there was Aapa and on the other Ahsan.

Memories flashed past her eyes like a picture slide-show….Her strong Aapa, who rarely smiled….Aapa the taskmaster who never said CAN’T DO…Aapa, the best cook she had ever known….Although with a temper of her own, Aapa who soaked in all her tantrums…. the Aapa who had locked away her tears ever since their family perished….Aapa, who stayed up w/ her as she studied for her exams….Aapa’s embrace, the most comforting thing in the world….Aapa’s trust and confidence that had always pulled her through her lows…..the Aapa who knew her more than herself…and now the Aapa, who was standing and smiling just for her with a heavy stone on her heart... “Ya Allah!…guide me well”, Sameeha prayed.