Maha's musings

Dear book, How did I forget you? How could I just break up with you so unceremoniously like that? I genuinely repent! movies and other momentary stuff hauled me away from you. I still remember the desperate me who was in linguistic needs, sought refuge in you. You embraced me and walked me, holding my quivering fingers. The time we had together.. the way we grew intimate, all are still green in my memory. I would carry you in my hand as if you were my baby; you would be narrating me your stories and I would just be drifting away from the hustles and bustles of the world and fade away. Drawing patterns on you here and there highlighting your words and flipping through your pages, deeply engrossed. How unique our bond used to be? You in my hands and I, in your laps, listening to your unheard words. The moment I open you, you shut my chaotic world behind you and pull me deeper and deeper into your own world of enchantments where I just follow you as an innocent kid, listening to your thou

How did I forget that? I had evening duty the next day. It would take at least 8pm for me to reach home and on Friday we would have our train at night. "When can I buy things? When can I pack them? When can I accomplish those leftover tasks?...." , questions started rising alarmingly all the while making my plan seem more unattainable.  I said to myself the fact—All these things are going to be forever— evening duties, leftover tasks and uncertainties.... But, the trip? Only on those scheduled days. So "choose wise, Maha!", said my mind with an air of finality.  After all those mental struggles, when I noticed the clock showed 10:30pm. "aaarggg...." I couldn't do anything productively as the excitement got the best of me. I just grabbed my mobile, surfed about Wayanad and its significant features as a tourist spot. It was so thought provoking to know more about the place. By then when I was basking in the whimsical world of Wayanad, my mom's voice

Dear men of my life, I am thrilled to wish you all a happy men's day! They say, God created men physically strong and to balance that he created women mentally strong. With the physical strength and dexterity you always lift your families.  A woman's life is peppered with men. You are not just men. You are fathers, brothers, friends, someone's love, husbands, and sons. Without you of course the world will lose its charm. When you came to this world, you were much sought after as a son who would take good care of the parents and siblings. The one who has to prioritize others' wellbeing over your own. Your own happiness hardly matters to you. You have grown witnessing your parents and replicate their values through your good deeds.  You complete your studies in a great rush, going to faraway places seeking job, staying away all alone without any moral support. You lead a sapless life doing all the tedious works available, hoping that the life will make some sense one day.

When all the rocks finally budged... After all, life is all about giving things a try. I was ready for everything. Kani bro's words kept resonating in my mind.... " Push your limits! " That sounded more real than my petty inhibitions. I mustered all my guts to believe firmly that I am in for the trip, howsoever troublesome it might turn out to be. Of course my stupid mind gave me thousand weird reasons to turn it down. It started convincing me against my will. I felt myself trapped between good angel and bad angel just like Dr.Faustus ! You have severe cold, three bundles of papers to correct, have to avail leave and worst of all to make deputations for the classes...  For a moment I wondered if I availed leave, would the world of SRV come to a standstill? Certainly not, answered my conscience. "You have to push your limits, Maha because nobody else can do that for you!", my copycat mind reiterated.  Then I took a deep breath and pondered over all those funny c

What my mom said... "Maa...", I went undaunted. "I had told you about trekking last week, didn't I?" She gave me a hushed "Mmm.."  I went on... "You told me that I could also join them the next time. Now I've got a chance." I narrated what had happened with at most josh that my mom could not stop me. I even let her understand that it was so serendipitous that I got the chance. She told me nothing— neither YES nor NO rather asked me if it was so urgent for me to call her during school hours— I let out an embarrassed no and hung up.  Something in me said that she wouldn't hurdle me. So I went on planning. I asked Nish, the whereabouts of the trip— cost, timing, mode of travelling, via, no. of people, payment details, things to carry and everything. Sadly we both had to rush back to classes as bell went ending the recess. "Will text everything in the evening", she shouted in a jiffy as we parted. Even after the school got over,

And that's how it all started!!! How much scheming, cajoling and convincing. What desperate plans it should have taken! What a lengthy self-talk analysing the pros and cons of trekking should have happened!  Strangely enough, nothing of that sort happened. One fine day she came with the question— "Maha, you wanted to join us in trekking, didn't you? Will you join if we can take you along this time?" I, eyes popped opened my mouth in awe excitement and blurted out— "Why not, Nish? I surely am in!" cheerfully. and asked how they could take me along now at the eleventh hour as everyone's ticket had been booked a month before. Then she said with equal enthu, "One of the women among the 92 people was not coming. Her name was Lakshmi too..." "So I'm going to fake her?!" I completed her sentence which made her smile wider. And finally she said, "Then pack your bags. Be ready. We are going.. this weekend."  "This weekend? I

From College Bus to School Bus— A Metamorphosis!!!! Life is a journey; we use multiple conveyances to reach the unreachable destination... Sometimes we drive; sometimes we ride; sometimes we hitchhike; sometimes we simply wait for the apt person to take us along.  Having been a part of all these diverse sorts of conveyances, I have had the pleasure of all of them— feeling the cool breeze or the refreshing rays of sun on the body while cycling; being engaged in brawls to get the front seat in the auto and hooting the horn all the way home... What a sense of pride in being an assistant to the"Automan"?  Of all these the college bus days are the most carefree and memorable. where I used to bunk classes recklessly, just because I couldn't board the bus on time. I still remember the bus driver waiting five minutes straight with a smiling face for the students without showing the slightest of irritation and getting our pendrives filled to the capacity with the then