Aaj Ki Kahani

A common misconception is that people are uptight in the sky in comparison to the rails. An extrovert like me engages in a conversation with fellow beings wherever I am. Circumstances demanded my frequent travel to Chennai, as my dad was ailing, now without him around, and mom alone, the frequency has only increased. As expected I don't recollect my earlier travel companions and the conversation but the one I did last, is still fresh in my memory. A morning flight so to beat the crowd I reached the airport early. After the formalities,had a light breakfast in the lounge and took out a book to read, unfortunately was the last chapter and I was irked at the book's abrupt end. An English translation of MT Vasudevan Nair, hah when will I read in my mother tongue? Translations never come as good as the original. So with nothing worthwhile to do, I came to the gate, amused that people had formed a queue (with so much time to spare) to get onto their flight...

Balloons, the sight of those colorful bouncy ones always brings out a feeling of cheer and good spirits . The image of celebrations pops up on my mind. Just tie up balloons, blue, green, yellow, red ones and feel the spirits lift up. This was not the case when I was a small kid, I used to be frightened to hold a balloon. Wary that it might burst any minute and shock me, I preferred not to be around balloons. So all grown up now, balloons seemingly too frivolous to scare me. When I saw balloons ,tied up on the chairs at a restaurant I couldn't stop myself from grabbing a yellow balloon on my way out, tying it up on my hand I brought it home and then busy with the routine chores, forgot all about the yellow balloon. Next day,as I sat with the newspaper, after the morning breakfast and packing off Sujith to work, I was surprised to notice the yellow balloon suspended in the air touching the roof, near the wall clock. It peered at me, and futilely was hitting the roof, wanting to ...

I enjoy my evening walks, fitness not the concern. The joy of the fresh open air, inhaling the flavours of the desert and a song on my lips, I hop along.My mind keeps fluttering from one topic to another, all irrelevancies. I always worry that my brain will have a short circuit someday, as it flits from one thought to another at lightning speed. To dwell upon a topic or ponder about something for a considerable period without going off the track and derail is so difficult. My writings too, are ramblings of an idle mind.  As I meander around the sprawling landscape of villas most of them identical, with manicured lawns and shrubs and hedges lining the pavements trimmed to scientific precision, I let my thoughts run wild and keep up the stride. Sometimes I chart my walking route from my 17th floor apartment balcony.I decide to go reach a particular school or shop and take a circuitous route along the villas and the town houses. A fancy range of 4 wheelers are parked...