I never know what is going to come out of this…or that

Before I start to pen down my thoughts, while I get my laptop out and place it alongside my quintessential charger, a hot cuppa almost-masala tea, till I reach the word document and scroll down and set position of the cursor and begin to let my fingers fly away on the keyboard, I never ever know what is going to come out of this one. It does not even seem like I snap my mind connection out from the rest of my being. I think I don’t even make the effort to know in advance. Not like deliberately avoiding to read the review before watching the show of the movie tonight. It is like not even being bothered by any of the buzz around it. Going in fresh, untainted, virginal. And come to think of it, that’s exactly how I handle most of the life experiences that come my way. Its easier to operate that way if the situation mostly doesn’t involve too much of any other. My job at epigram, my stint at MICA, the escape trip(s) to USA, and a whole host of others which would seem exaggerated to most if I would list down here. I am always optimistic that things would turn out right, at the end. And they almost, always do (touch wood). Some more right than others, but none too grossly wrong (knock knock). Is it my low expectation? But I seem to enjoy myself all the same. I have a lot of fond memories and a bank of laugh-out-loud anecdotes from all of my meanderings and trials, and I distinctly remember being quite a light and happy being through most of them. That’s taking out quite a bit from them all, ain’t it? See, I didn’t even know where I was going with this one, for that matter, I still don’t have the vaguest of idea.

Maybe having a road map to life isn’t such a bad thing, after all. It may let one get to the sunset point actually before sunset (sunrise, we haven’t attempted, and sunsets too, we have barely managed). And lets you enjoy the view, the one that is really breathtaking and awe-inspiring. And also, it reduces the hurdles, and lets you expend your energies in more positive ways, putting more of a sprint in your step. And…..

Having said that, I still believe that the unknowns make everything all the more worthwhile, making you push the envelope in ways and means that would seem impossible in origami to-do books. I think, we would take much longer to get there, get there late (making the whole trip pointless ) and maybe not get there at all (all the missed sunsets, please rise and take a bow) …but then would we ever have dinner table stories of the time when we went all the way to the aquarium on a Sunday (yup, closed)…went all the way to the train station for a long distance trip (wrong date and time), went all the way to the station (wrong day only) ..and then some with no errors involved, but just plain and pointless journeys – panvel rain ride on the Kinetic Honda, pennyless - without ticket to and fro to matheran (and this one is one of my best-est ever), finding Samir on a whim, having Jasmeh and Aayat as part of our lives (a newspaper photo moment of brightness, one that will never fade), Laksh and me, all the time – pointless but oh so inspired (rattling telephone, love letter to Shweta, bunking Subbu, pepsicola binge, discovering the typing class love affair, analyzing, re-analysing and de-analysing all specimens except ourselves, the junior college science exhibition, the nature camp….), Angad and his insightful theories and acerbic remarks – all bulls eyes, all of you that have been a part of me have lent some of your unplanned, un-thought through, lets go ahead with it adventure spirit to complete my shortfall…heaps and heaps of thank-yous for the same. Love.