Hey You !

Tired, but not sleepy Sedated but not in a slumber Happy but not in a state Contradictory , yet the thoughts match  in dichotomy ! To live two lives To live in separation Of the heart and the head.....

The "Gong" brought back so many memories ! Of my school bell which "Teju" used to ring with such vigor that it vibrated through the entire school ! You hardly see these anymore , there are the automatic buzzers now to replace these mighty "school -bells" or "Ghonta " as we used to call them . The bells were a welcome when a tyrant was taking a class - it meant the torture was over ! And in game classes ..sigh the 40 minutes just flew by ......! And during examination time they meant the frantic last 15 minutes scribble...the finishing line ..the last word before it rang to say times up! In  Army Public school I always associated the Gong with Tribhuvanji ...though there were others who would ring the bell ! He kept it shiny and bright - the brass brassso-ed to a shine and rang so that it reached the far corners of the school ! At our Lansdowne Road house we had a smaller version - belonged to my grandmother , who would religiously ring the

The early morning drive to Guruvayur is always a catharsis for me ! The long road that traverses across the countryside , often reminds me of Goa. The dawn breaking through the misty morning and reflecting on the tranquil backwaters , the charming churches co-existing with  the temples and mosques ....the morning calm and the anticipation to meet the Dark Lord again. ... ! The temple always humbles me , ensures that I am patient and in many ways it reins  in the myriad thoughts and wishes that flash across  as I sing "Achyutam Keshavan " silently in my head ! My many wish fulfilments and pacts (I always ask the Lord about wishing in Bangla....and then I am sure by now he understands :).......and finally the culmination at the sanctum sanctorum that never fails to invoke awe and amazement at the  same time ! My visit to the elephant park always has a story ! This time I met Nandini a 40 years old who is actually a lady and "an experienced elephant" according to