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Tuesday, 22 May 2012

The heat is on!

"April is the cruellest month", T.S. Elliot had said. Well, the cruelty has spilled over to May, peaked by the end of it and still showing no sign of abatement.

The heat is at its tormenting best in Calcutta. As far as my memory serves, the city hasn't faced the brunt of the sun's wrath like this in a decade. By the time I leave for the office (around 3.30 in the afternoon), the roads already wear a deserted look with only the heavily-panting dogs for company.

The rickshaw-pullers present a pitiable sight by stretching across their vehicle and trying to maximise their comfort in the most uncomfortable position possible. Yet they manage to steal a sleep. Anyone approaching them for a ride is given a reproachful glance. You are made to feel like the most condemnable tyrant alive on this planet.

Boarding an auto is like entering a furnace, with the cramped space making matters worse. Some auto drivers still have their musical sense intact. They play the built-in stereo at full blast... the choice of songs and the sweltering heat making it the ultimate test of your patience. I, too, am musically inclined but expecting someone to stomach a remixed version of Altaf Raja’s “Tum to thehre pardesi…” is just too much to ask for.

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Call of the sea

I had always thought that I like mountains better... their majestic quality, their imposing presence and their silent message that eggs you to aim for the sky.

But that was till I had my tryst with the sea in the temple town of Puri. The first time I laid my eyes on the sea, I instantly knew that it was going to be the beginning of an intense love affair.

They say "those who live by the sea can hardly form a single thought of which the sea would not be a part". For me, the sea had an impact far deeper than that. The vast expanse of water induces a feeling of humility — you feel humbled by the fact that you are just a cog in the larger scheme of things, and proud that you have been allowed the opportunity to not only experience this glory but also bask in it. It seems the incessant waves, hurtling towards you and receding, have been ordained by the ineluctable fate to keep playing to a set rhythm, much like us.

For the past few days, I have been feeling the urge to go back to the place.