Unblemished love, scolding and mom

moments and bonding,

love resides in the scolding,

showering affection with surprise gifts,

unbound love,

sometimes we can’t express with words,

a phone call does the trick,

a gentle reminder you haven’t called,

all those years,

sometimes it feels like an entire childhood elapsed,

a lack of understanding on our part,

unfortunate words spelt,

a sorry washed ashore regrets and guilts,

distance makes the heart grow closer,

when we look with empathy,

on the many sacrifices made by Moms,

the unflinching support,

such love cannot be blemished,

sometimes words and expression don’t suffice,

moments of silence,

reflecting on the myriad thoughts,

often taking for granted the many responsibilities of maa,

often thankless…

Happy Mother’s Day

V

Ranting tapping

Another huge writing and blogging gap laden with summer blues making it jittery to think and pen posts with the makeshift to settle getting delayed forever. As I slouch in my room and shift between spots for the past 8 months, it makes me wonder on pushing the self and the limitations staring right in front of me. A big question mark?

There are many ideas written and saved on the mobile phone app to write here where some conversations come as a reminder about not putting all eggs in one basket like I singularly do. This post is another attempt at flexing the muscles. What if I tell you about not reconnecting with many old chums or exploring Pune as a city much? Blame it on the weather or for that matter, the various frustrations gnawing at me, be it career or otherwise, with the excruciating heat making it difficult to flit from one place to another.

Dunno whether one should call it exploring, I found and fell in love with Westend Mall, Aundh where I love the Starbucks outlet since it has an outside seating space making it the perfect space to sit, write, and work. Pricey, Starbucks is always, the controversy and the dearth of plug-ins for laptops outside that makes it difficult. I make it a point to go there once a week to sit, read, and do ranting tapping. The mall itself is cozy and spacious, a reminder of the mall in Amchi Mumbai, though not comparable taking into account how huge the malls sprouting in Maximum City are. Still, such a welcome change and it breeds so much positivity.

The hitch about writing flexing muscles kinda posts to get back with regular writing lies in the fact that beyond a point, between 250-300 words in my case, I am at a loss and dunno what to write.

I’ve been able to catch up with the The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix with the Deol brothers, Bobby and Sunny cum the Kapoors-Ranbir, Neetu Singh, and Riddhima. The Deol brothers came as refreshing since there is a twinge of humility and something very down-to-earth about both of them, making them endearing. While I always saw Sunny Paaji as the more talented and Bobby underrated, the younger scion seems to be more relatable as a person. Probably, that’s just me the way I see Bobby and to be honest, the last flick I saw of him was Class 92 on Netflix.

I finished Chamkila which many were raving about and finished it after a week plus, with getting back to catch parts or the first interval missed. An interesting take by Imtiaz Ali where he has successfully created the village set up in Punjab and worth watching. There are also my favorite director SLB’s Heeramandi, and Lapaata Ladies on my watch list. Let’s see if I can watch them in the coming months.

Few challenges are staring at me, whether getting a full-time or freelance job and of course, a proper flat to set myself. The whole scenery has changed, whether in Mumbai or Pune where many regulations I wasn’t personally aware of make it quite challenging to get a place to stay and the complex regulations come to the fore. The bottom line is one should always adhere to the rules, something am a firm believer in and the reason why am ok with things taking their own sweet spot. Let’s call it that.

Love

V

Turbulent, truculent mind wash ashore

Wash ashore the past pains and guilt,

staring at this mirror,

an overwhelmed mind,

playing,

bad cop,

good cop,

whittling like tiny insects,

kill them with a slap,

bloody, fucking termites,

good thoughts vs negative thoughts,

a whiplash,

brush them aside,

for it will be laughed,

not scorned at,

just wait for the future,

you’ll see,

i can promise,

why hold on to, a turbulent and truculent mind?

Love

V

Pune heat, stories and flexing it out

There is something about the Pune weather. It’s getting sweltering and unbearably hot, as the fear of heat waves looms large, wondering on the El Nino phenomena and heating up of the planet striking menacingly coupled with deforestation is impacting lives. It gets crazier during the day and wondering as I am only healing from cough and phlegm, whether I should make cold beverages a routine, withstanding temptation is quite a challenge these days. So much, after resisting I am now having cold coffee outside since it’s too much to take in the hot summer.

I often think and hark back on the hot weather two decades back while still in college and to think in those days, was able to walk lengthily 2-3 km battling the heat from FC Road till Jungli Maharaj Road, and beyond. I

What has happened now? Is it COVID impacting immunity or an age thing where at worst, climate change has reached saturation point. How things have changed in the city, be it the familiar landmarks or places we would identify with at some point and altering over time. I am very sure changes unfurl in many parts of the globe.

Either way, it gets crazier by the day with constant change which is not necessarily a bad thing yet at the same, every city narrates a story albeit a different one, and sometimes, we may not be able to connect with the same place we used to since the narrative is no longer stable, as someone told me once.

One thing I really liked about Facebook memory was when just yesterday a reminder cropped up about India winning the cricket World Cup against Sri Lanka. MS Dhoni’s sixer won the nail-biting finish, Virat became a star and of course, the whole team carried Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders. I can’t believe it’s been 13 years. Unbelievable yet true… how time flits fast.

The time I got an Indian flag for 500 bucks, the time I was outside India for the final, and how my heart was broken and stumped when Sachin was out and slugging cum sludging against everything to win the final. I can’t remember how much I shouted when India won the final made of a billion dreams coming true, missing the celebration on the streets of India. What an emotional adrenaline moment it was!

There was a fleeting idea to do a post on the 2011 World Cup final win yesterday and then decided against it since with time, it becomes difficult to not only recollect those moments and drab with the painting of images and expressions on paper.

It can be monotonous, at times, with my style of writing particularly in the now, where there is so much happening. Probably, watching the Cricket World Cup during the last year with disappointment would make it quite a forceful writing exercise.

So many tales that I desired reviving be it on social media or writing on the city’s jazz. Not so much in the current groove! Me think, with time we are no longer the same person, and our perspectives are altered, the friends wouldn’t be the same or the spots we visited.

It was last Sunday only during Eid fasting Muslims are having, V and S took me out to check out the various food stalls at Kondhwa, Kausar Baug discovering the various food delicacies during fast and feasting, tasting several refreshments and delicacies where the place lends such a unique vibe, bringing me back to Mohamed Ali Road.

Of course, Kondhwa is no Mohamed Ali Road yet it has its own unique identity during the festival with people sashaying, seeping into festivities. The first time I discovered that part of the city that was totally worth it and would soon write about it in a detailed post.

This post is an attempt to flex the muscles since I haven’t published on blog and glad it turned out decent.

Love

V

Voices and distant echo

The distant echoes,

reverberating,

growing like choruses,

amidst chaos,

sometimes in slumber,

a familiar voice from childhood,

many times gentle and with compassion,

rarely chiding,

voice of the dead parent coming alive,

of the living,

a constant reminder,

read the signs they say,

the many tales,

growing up with them all,

holding my tiny hands,

there were the good, bad and ugly,

taking kindness for it overrides every little thing,

those precious moments,

not just any voice,

popping out of sudden,

in sleep,

during the day,

Love

V

Kemcho Mota Bhai!

Welcome to the biggest bash of the year! Kemcho Mota Bhai aka Mukesh Ambani taking the Great Indian Wedding of the year to another level from Sherwani to lehenga aur bole chudiya to the biggest Bolly, Holly, cricket wallah, bijiness walon. Come and beat that. Now, who stole my dhokla? Peth, Pyar aur Paisa. Paisa chahiye bhai Ambani ke jaise shaadi celebrate karna hai. If you think Kyon Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu is passe think again Baa is back in a glamorous avatar with Neeta Ji serenading pati pyaare Mukesh Ji dancing, grooving aur dharam in isshtyle!

A Beyonce moment with our patrakar swinging to her tune and posing leaving their shutter bugs…humko bhi star banna hai Insta pe and how we forgot her moment with Jhanvi Kapoor to jinn jinn jingaaat to dancing shanshing, moving well and item numbers a la Ghagra and Jhumka where East meet West. Hamara neta kaise hoon Mukesh Ambani jaise! Ain’t kidding! Just see how he brought so much shaan, aan aur aag under one roof with all major netas, abhinetas, aur khiladis swooning to Humm Saath Saath Hai. One could feel it was holi gile shikwa bhool ja doston yeh Ambani hai. There was no dearth of masala formula aur Parivar if you think in today’s age of AI, Sooraj Barjatya’s shaadi outing on screen is passe. See even Tuffy isback in khandaan ka picture.

The Am Ba Ni has just brought the silver screen live before shaadi ka ladoo, making everyone a star performer. Now, somebody please tell me the Gujju Dhokla has just become a luxury and could adorn our mithai thali with a complimentary special Ambani special.

Move over Maldives. Let’s get set to snorkeling and the new big wedding destination in town it’s Jamnagar with our brand ambassadors Ambani Bhai Saab and Nita Bhauji…see I’m a Bihari. My phunny funny bones just got tickled, babua after I was boned out of Facebook and Instagram socha I’ve been watching too much of Ambani ka pre-wedding wale vibes that Mr Zuckerberg just got pissed off after consuming gulab jamun aur ladoo at Jamnagar….white white face dekhe sasura chance marenge. The Big Ambani Wedding Destination. Now, wedding is no longer fat and just got bigger aur hotter aur mota bhi. Wonder what the Saat Phera of the Ambani kid would look like with the Anant Kid and the bride-to-be Radhika performing live to Indian classical. Like the say the world is a stage and the Ambani has just made everyone a performer.

Who told Paisa aur Peth doesn’t matter? 21 chef, 225 types of dishes…Ure Baba! Ab kya hoga Tarla Dalal ka aur Insta new age cooks cum influences, crafter of veggie ka omelettes! Not to stay out is our Zucker ‘chai’ moment with the combo of our apna, desi Liver was back clicking and snapping with the whos whos of B-Town that got me wondering who is that Bin bhulaye mehmaan getting Ranveer Singh doing his nawazi. Orri Baba! Wondering whether there was a liver dish garrulously shared by apna naya chokra!

Yeh Bijiness hai you would agree and a blink in a miss was expected Abhishek Bachchan…wohi Bachchan sahab ka ladka with ardhangini Aishwarya…are babua wohi Aradhya ki mummy doing a rejig of their Guru act when they played Dhirubhai…at least they could have given some baby shower goals to Anant aur Radhika gyrating to jodiya ek nahin do…remember this song at least some more emotional act to Mukesh remembering his bachpana with bhaiya Anil…aakhir khoon to khoon hota hai. About time to move over Punjabiyan in our films time has come for Gujju bhaiyon to take over the loudish and tingling our phunny phunny bones. After all, Motabhai has given some ek dum ready script ideas. Heard that KJO is mulling making mota bhai pre-wedding vibes on screen with who else ka ladka? Khiladi Kumar…After all, he’s the baap of biopic and better half is well Mrs. Funny Bones. Just imagine Akki and Twinkle Twinkle lil star playing Mukesh bhaiya aur Neeta Bhabhi.

I rest my case. So much of Tam, Jham with B-town wallon aur B town ka papa, beta, betiyon, adka, ladkiyon aur poti….we call it a truly happing Big Indian pre-wedding bash. And you still blame apna KJO for Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.

Love

V

Coffee and conversations…kissa Khabri ka

Carter Road, January 1,

Don’t be confused about the timeline. I was sitting at Coffee by Di Bella which over the past six months has become my favorite coffee spot in Bandra and flocking to hang out there whenever am in that part of the city.

The year started in a kinda transit zone with the mind veering on almost making the shift to Mumbai and spent an entire half-day at this lovely coffee shop, sea-facing Carter Road. Man! I absolutely drool over the cookie-highly recommended and coffee, slouching on the sofa reading a book, I am M..m…Mumbai by Rishi Vohra, watching people, between sending messages to prospective brokers, and flatmates, on Facebook, albeit chatting with friends. I shall soon be distracted on New Year’s Day.

One art perfected over the years is eavesdropping into people’s conversations what with a couple soon to be married and their friend discussing plans over coffee. The practicality about relationships and getting hitched, one can learn so much just by sitting in an open space without any bias and playing the observer when hearing about the inter-caste setup and she has clearly made it loud and clear about not going with the complicated, ridiculous rituals and after all, it’s a union between two souls not extended or pesky family-my words, not hers. More power to her. It got me thinking about how we tend to overcomplicate things merely for an ego boost.

The discussion veered on interior decoration which made me think there are plans about a concept or theme-based marriage with the dude asking their friend about someone from Pune as their first preference for the wedding content. I was enjoying the conversation so much with a cat wagging its tail to entertain the three of them. It’s so much fun observing them, discussing, arguing concatenating in laughter.

A city with business pep talks and training hands-on. With such talks, zilch needs to fork out a fortune to B-Schools or online institutions or new age mushrooming on social media. Who says don’t peekaboo over the conversation? Fancy business cum homely partnership with a heated argument over coffee.

A couple walked in accompanied by a friend and soon rolled out a business idea where the guy was sharing his idea with lady love who was putting the funds for the business concept to take shape. She was asking for accountability and smartly so, since she was the one putting the fund where the dude was getting a bit uncomfortable with the conversation verged first on disagreement, hinging on a heated argument. Credit goes to the smart businesswoman for keeping it all chilled and calm.

Just imagine, enough fodder for thoughts on the first day of the year as I was shuttling between reading a book and looking around for flat leads in the city to see such passionate conversation popping in.

I love indulging in this activity shamelessly so, peeking into other people’s conversations and feeling that perhaps need to pen a book or make characters into a short book format. There is no dearth of conversation or ideas sitting in a coffee shop and yesterday witnessed a young couple meeting perhaps for the first time….blind date or the Tinder types.

There are so many such stories…oops real secrecy tales finding wings in coffee shops, far away from preening eyes and expressing freely. I can come up with a series from one end of the continent to the other, or flocking cities observed through mannerisms and relationship fuck ups. I am all game to tell all donning the hat of Khabri…kisssa khabri ka. I have a treasure trove of such tales and ain’t judging here. Just for the fun of tales. Now, you know why I enjoy so much, sitting at coffee shops and working.

Elderly couple

Love doesn’t deserve our hearts

O’ dear poet!

Where art thou!

literature called love,

why so jealous?

lingering name of love,

fading away,

focussing on the rhythm,

love is no possession,

ripping of both your freedom,

this toxic ascription to love,

you weren’t born with!

let not love rip of your freedom,

incapacity to breathe,

just let it go,

with your focus on their every flow and breath,

take it from the bards,

jilted lovers,

unrequited love is no license,

it soils a pure heart,

for there is no winner and loser,

your ego does no justice,

nor should you bound yourself,

or else just leave it,

love doesn’t deserve our hearts.

Love

V

Coffee & me

What’s morning without caffeine?

pumping up the day,

adrenaline rush,

skimming past WhatsApp forwards,

a dash of yoga,

in anticipation of good news,

coffee breaks the reveries,

putting to rest frustration and anticipation,

sneaking into conversations,

a favorite past time,

reflecting on people and life’s secrets,

coffee and me,

writing as a starter,

sometimes just a shot is enough.

Love

V

the fear of love

The fear of love,

the might of pen,

fist and fury,

intoxication to myriad forms,

wreaking havoc,

dormant and dominant storms,

volcano burst,

soothing,

in lyrical expression,

unshackling the emotions,

buried sandstorm,

washed ashore,

seastorm at dawn,

kissing the rain,

don’t fear this love,

embrace its complexity,

like thunderbolt,

smile at the pain,

nurse the tears,

swaying at gay abandon,

flickering the imagined,

vanquishing every tiny layer,

sorrow

smile,

beguiled charm,

besotted illusion,

joy,

angst,

till the bird chirped happily,

stealing your feelings,

flocking in the air.

Love

V