Tuesday, 14 February 2017

To Be One Among The Stars

Two years ago, I wrote this as a Valentine day's note for someone whom I was close to at that time.
We shared something that made me look forward to each day. 
There were storms, there were tornadoes, there were calm seas, there was cool breeze.
Two years later.... 
We are now restricted to a very tepid hello.
Atmosphere is stifled, the weather too not a conversation starter anymore. 

There are no butterflies, there are no chills up my spine, there is no anticipation of something exciting.
Just like everything else, everyone else, it was good while it lasted.

Then, it was special and meant for only one to read.
Today, with the stars having burnt out, am ready to share.



Once…
I would like to lie down next to you.
The outdoors with us.
Clear skies, stars shining bright
we make out patterns, we draw our own in the sky.

I would like to lie in the crook of your arm.
My head nestling in the strong shoulders
Against your chest
Taking in deeply the smell that I’ve got familiar with.
We talk about the sounds of the night

I would like to let my arms lie on your strong chest
The ones I have felt against mine
Feel your heart beating 
As you hold me close 
Silently gazing into the darkness beyond

I would like to whisper your name
Softly, gently 
waking you up with my fingers 
making circles on your nipples  
till I hear you whisper my name

I would like to let my legs slide against yours
Nudging them apart
Feeling restless, yet at peace
My hands itching to feel more 
And getting more

I would like to hear you moan
Aching, fully awake
It feels good, it feels right
Your name sounds like a prayer 
My lips crave to feel yours

I would like to feel  your lips
Passionately
Deeply, hungrily
Lovingly 
Every move filled with a need

I would like to tenderly kiss you
Softly, gently, 
Every possible way
Till your body feels loved
And yearning for more 

 I would like to open up
Let the silence 
Let the darkness 
Let the calmness 
Engulf us

I would like to feel the cool of the night
Turn into heat
Our bodies entwined,
Our breath labored
Our heart beat as one 

I would like to become one
Till we feel the rhythm
Follow our beat
Screaming your name
Hearing mine from afar

I would like the silence
The calmness
The peace 
The oneness

Just once………

Monday, 6 February 2017

The Arrival

Ganesha, Vinayakar, Ganapati, Pillaiyar.  He is considered to be the most widely worshipped deities among HIndus, 
God of Beginnings.Obstacle remover. Lord of learnings.

Many cars carry a small statuette on their dashboard.
Many journeys are begun with a  prayer to the Elephant God.
The one tusked, pot bellied God can be seen framing many stores at their entrance.

We are a country built on blind faith.
Temples are built overnight out of an anthill.
We worship and believe anyone who prophecies good. 
WE spend money off flowers and milk to pay homage to our deities,but would deny ourselves small pleasures.

While a engineering  student at a premier institute, the neighbourhood ''pillaiyar kovil'' was a hot spot for many.
It was a place where we went before exams to pray for miracles, a place where friends could meet and talk without the piercing eyes of our wardens on us.
A reason for many to talk to the opposite sex without being judged, 
Where faith and romance flourished in perfect harmony all with His blessings.

Were they Blessed, Yes
faith along with hard work always pays off!

It came as a surprise to me when people used to stop at stained glass pane on the ground floor of one of the Software firms I worked at. I always wondered what made them stop for a second, touch the glass and continue up the stairs.
Till I had a close look.
My boss, not an overtly religious person, respected the wishes of many others and had commissioned a stained glass painting of the Elephant God. It was unobtrusive and not obvious to many if you did not know where to look.

Smart move! It was a happy organisation, people were a content lot! Work and Fun went hand in hand! 

Many years later, I moved to another organisation. They did not hide their religious affiliations. 
Royally He sat near the glass doors, not a chance for anyone to miss His presence. 
Flowers adorned his pot belly, Oil Diyas were lit through the day. His importance was made known.

Being an early bird to work and a seat with a view, I could see every going and coming at work.
My faith in my beliefs were made stronger watching each arrival.

A predominantly Hindu organisation, where religion was not just a ritual. And Ganesha being non-sectarian makes him even more of a crowd favourite. 

They stopped.
Many took their footwear off, prayed to Him.
Some kept their swipe cards in front of him and payed obeisance.
Some stood for a whole minute mouthing some prayer.
One even took the ash from the burning diyas and placed it on his forehead.
One salutes! 

This one small act of worship, helps many carry on their day's work with confidence. 
They believe. 
The day begins. There are no obstacles.
There are learnings.

Even if something should go wrong on a day, never is it attributed to the Ganapathi who resides here.

Such is the power of faith!

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

End of the Road

To keep up with my goal of a book a month, I decided to start the year reading about something which I love to do.

Running

“To live among people who don't think that running is ridiculous, no matter how hard their lives are, but who value running and the opportunity it brings, who revere it, almost. Even if you never become an Olympic champion, or even manage to race abroad, just being an athlete here seems to lift you above the chaos of daily life. It marks you out as one of the special people, who have chosen a path of dedication and commitment. You can see it in the runners' eyes when they talk to you. Even the slowest of the runners talk about their training with an almost religious devotion. [...] Running matters.” 

This book is all about running.
You need to understand the passion that drives those long distance runners to enjoy the authors decision to move to a small town in Kenya. Iten, home to champion runners!


Many of us born in 70s and 80s were hooked to watching Olympics on TV. We have seen how the Africans, especially Kenyans and Ethiopians dominated the long distance running scene with a  few stray American and European  medalists.

The author, a runner, decides to study how and why this happens. He uproots his family, to go live and train with the Kenyans in a small town famous for its training camps. He also aspires to run his first marathon in Kenya, in the wild! 

Watching them run, winning big money at the world championships, makes you appreciate the handwork they have put in to reach that level of talent.
Where do they come from?
A small town with primitive facilities, producing world class athletes on a regular basis!!!

Does the author understand the secret behind these Kenyans.
There is no talk about strength training, weights, cross training, nothing! Shoes, pacing strategy, hydration techniques, everything we worry about before a run,during a run, analysis after a run, does not bother them.

Kenyans are born to run! 
To survive they run!
To make it matter, they run!
To win, they run!
Even if they do not win, they run!
It's the only thing they know about life!
Run, Eat, Sleep! 

The author through his stay in Iten, helps us understand the subtle differences between the city based recreational runners and the focused poverty stricken Kenyan runners.  
resilience, hope, camaraderie, humility, a primal need! 

The book will not make you a runner,  if you are not a runner and have watched and wondered at the ease and smooth form of the Kenyans in long-distance running events , it's a must read!

Running with the Kenyans: Discovering the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth