Happy Easter and a very happy Sunday people!I couldn’t resist share a few snippets from where I have been to yesterday, soon after i blogged. Haha…yes, the sophisticated slave was allowed once again to accompany a few, benevolent, generous good men to a wonderful, quite not known nook in the Sahyadris, a mere 80 kilometer drive from my home. This is exactly why I love staying where I stay, living where I live, having these bunch of ridiculously good people as my friends. I would not trade them for anything there is in the world.
The day was fine, we were all there, the weather was perfect and Ankur very generously opened a fragrant bottle of Pinot Noir to practically make an already balmy summer afternoon even more worthwhile. I remember writing once, as you climb higher, you rise above everything else. I think it really happens, and when it does, there is a sense of fulfillment. The same sense of fulfillment you get when you bury your feet in the cool sand or the distant waves, God knows from which shore it started, touches your feet. It is important to be connected to the planet you live in; re-connect your nerves to the beat of the earth and feel the heartbeat of the numerous species co-existing on and in it, at the same time as you, pulsate through yours. How else will you love? Cement has no life.
Of course, my stripey rug went with me and the book which I intended to read but thanks to many conversations that didnot happen. We watched the sun set from the cliff, let the cool breeze rattle our thoughts to a shakey ray, and I may have found some purpose at that very point where nothing existed between what’s in front of you and what’s at the back of your mind. And hanging somewhere in between conscious thoughts, subconscious desires, and weighing my worth I saw the big blue moon rise over the navy blue mountains, bathing the valley with a translucent, milky light. For that, I have just admiration and no thoughts. At times, the beauty is so striking, so darn pleasing that your mind forgets to think in its vicinity.
If not for these best friends in my life, which includes my husband {and yet more, if not for that OCD filled, very funny, keep-you-grounded machine, and unorthodox man in my life whom I love to bits- mainly because he likes to wander too and tag me along} I would have been saying Thank God Its Friday in a pub, blaming my husband’s friends, glucking beer and bitching. Not that its not fun, but this- this is fortunate.
When the entire country is going ‘Indian men translate to rape’ I would urge you to not generalize. I know a lot of you follow me, from India and abroad and to be precise, there are 835 of you, let me break it to you that these guys are the only set of friends I have. I know them for 7 years and I’d vouch for each one of them. You know what’s the best part? They have never treated me as a girl, unless where it was required to. They have not for once expressed that I am an intrusion and perhaps at times sacrificed the best spot. Given up many a sidey bars because I was there and reserved the last bit of wine. They made clay toys, celebrated Christmas, cooked a meal and taught me a few things about music, art and literature. And then, these same set of men have taught me to ridicule B-grade hindi movies, drink beer and watch them for the best effect and appreciate a good looking girl. Don’t judge them as what they come across. Judge them for what they could do when the times right and the times wrong. Ideally, don’t judge them at all because my friends won’t judge you. EVER.
If this blog ever gets famous, I will stick by my words, unless one of them breaks my anthropologie cups in one of our drunken nights, in which case things might get a little weird.
This is Easter, a time for new beginnings. Go out, don’t judge, and have fun.
To good men and women who are taking it easy and awesome!
Roy XO