Hey You !

As you grow older your perception to life changes. During the fire at our apartment, our first instinct was to run down. And during the Amphan cyclone we were prepared, though certainly not for the proportion of calamity that happened. Yesterday's earthquake caught us unaware, did not give reaction time, except to accept. Bhaskar carried on with his lunch, I decided to meet my fate here and not go down the staircase from our 8th floor apartment and Chib held the madly swinging railway clock as he thought it would fall off the hook! The acceptance made me realize that maybe I do not want to run anymore! Call it age, loss of mobility, will or resignation! The year has been not so kind so far, health issues,horrific death of a forever neighbour, haven't been the way I feel generally. And then I look at my plants in my sun dappled balcony. Ten days back they looked yellow, wilted and uncared for,all thanks to my absence from home. But today they bloomed, the leaves looked green, th...

There are no stories these days. No beginnings. Only ends. But some are good. Some not so! Yet we wait! For another Sunrise!

The photo had just remained on the feed without being posted. Looking at it I realised the thriving capsicum plant is no more. An insect chewed it up from within. So like the state of things now. Sleeper cells, enemies within and destruction in the offing. Just when I was appreciating the normalcy and the mundane! In light and shade let the good stay at least. If not the justice!

And I thought it was him! And looked away! Age can be cruel- instead of magic creates havoc. Cupid becomes Kumbhokorna.... And you learn to grow snake plant in a cup that spells Love!

This is the worst of times. The sky looks blue one day and grey on another. Poojo is here and markets are thronging. The city is sieged by protests and marches. I go yo-yo. On one hand there is the Mainak poojo, and this time I am helming it by default. With no state grant, our budget is tight despite donations. And as we begin the festivities, I go back to the parents who lost their young daughter. Like a poster said, Poojo hobe, utsab noi.

The cyclone was kinder on us this time.The horror of Umpan four years back was something that still invokes dread. The house helps could not come as the rains disrupted transports,so I decided to clean my fridge. It still had leftovers of what Chib n Pooja kept. Alcohol mixes, sauces, pickles and preservatives. There is something about clearing! Out of date objects, excesses and what you havent used! What is sitting for more than six months need to go! Sometimes nostalgia prevents, but now I tell myself I am inching towards the expiry date, so should my nostalgia! I read somewhere storms doesn't always destroy, they clear the path for something to happen! So be it!