The Water Bottles

I waded through the dark of the night and fumbled and stumbled my way to the refrigerator. Like I always do, I tried to search for the bottle which was already consumed and which I could empty and then refill. And like all times, there were all the bottles lined up in the refrigerator, but all of them consumed more or less. And then comes in the visual puzzle of which one has the least to finish it up.

Either I’m a psychic to go nuts about it or there is something really wrong with the rest of the world. I think, just because there are six bottles and there may be six people in the house, doesn’t mean all six bottles need to be open up simultaneously. That way you end up with six empty bottles simultaneously and no cold water left to drink. L But the world always wants a fresh bottle to drink from.

Wouldn’t it be logical and pragmatic to just keep using the bottle that is already being used, empty it and the last one to drink from it can refill it. That will keep chilling the rest of the bottles and we can extend the duration of time for which we could have cold water. What is it with people to always use the bottle that is completely filled? Is it some kind of an ego massage that gets done only through completely filled water bottles? Or is it the laziness of who is going to fill the bottle? So let’s drink from the one already full.

The latter was valid when I stayed with my friends as bachelors. It was a truth written in the stones.

But what about now? I’m married, my maid fills the bottles, and you always get filled bottles in the refrigerator.

Now I’m looking for a new theory to quench my thirst from a about to get empty water bottle.

The Vanilla Flavour

Reminds you of that ice – cream you had a zillion times, the amorous ones have a sly smile on their face, some recall of a movie and rest still bewildered with the common yet so uncommon title.

For the start, the ice – cream ones can stay, the amorous ones can leave, it isn’t a debonair or a playboy post, the movie ones can think and the bewildered ones can definitely read on.

I was just wondering how that vanilla scoop makes our life simple, serene, calm, and composed and a happy one at the end. Confused? Read on.

We are swayed by the plethora of colors and flavors around us, but they are not the ones we can have day in day out. What can really stick with us for a long time is a boring, dull, unfashionable commoner. Beat this, an exotic cuisine at every dinner or your basic roti; a mock tail every morning or your regular tea/coffee, your designer outfit to sleep or your casual pajamas/shorts/boxers. You are getting the drift, aren’t you?

Similarly, life just loves vanilla, the common one, though we are always in the pursuit of the exotic. With so many years passed by, and lots of water flown, I’m tempted to identify the vanilla in some of my life events.

Once a female mosquito fell in love with me and her smooch hospitalized me. As is the case with all patients, someone had to stay with me in the night. The person who eventually stayed was just an acquaintance whom I barely knew, just some casual interactions and pleasantries was all that we had exchanged. It was an assorted surprise, not a vanilla at that. I was never able to thank him with all my heart but recently when his profile flashed on facebook, I did what I should have done long back. His gesture wasn’t a vanilla scoop that you often taste. A vanilla man serving his vanilla, but the moment it’s in your hands it turns exotic.

In pursuit of an exotic career, I ended up in a vanilla job. Though not exactly work wise but definitely pay wise. When the world around me was relishing their exotica’s, I was bracing up with my vanilla. Years later, the vanilla turned exotic, all my years bracing up with the vanilla paid off. I had to thank those years of vanilla to really value the exotic. Those vanilla years made me stand up, made me learned, made me wise and enterprising.

Today I still live a vanilla.

Being vanilla is really difficult, so at times you need to add some toppings, may be an additional flavor. I have done that. I have had my moments too.

But I still live a vanilla.

Kya Wrong Hai Kya Hai Right!

View image | gettyimages.com

These days I work for US east coast and shift spans from 6 pm IST to 4 am IST. Travelling to office and return to home is quite smooth as I do not face much traffic especially at 4 am. The road is deserted and lonely, so is my adjacent seat and so is the mind. It is at this stretch of the night or morning, if some would like to call it that, that the vagaries of the mind start their interplay.

More often than not, we tend to remember the bad more than the good. So is the human mind, that it flashes the memories of those incidents first where we were at mistake. To spice it up, there are occasional reminisces of good times shared with some of your best and closest pals at different time of your life. Yes, I always believe that relationships have expiry dates and only few stand the “forever”, “ever after” hash tags. Some give you chuckles, some just make you burst in laughter, some make you pensive, some make you introspective and yet some definitely raise that quintessential question “Was I wrong?”

It’s funny at times, to realize years later, that how stupid we were to raise voice on that occasion, get into an argument at that remark, flared up on being mocked, get physically aggressive on disagreements and to always have considered ourselves right. Being blessed with a rather decent memory, such incidents flash up every night while I drive through those lonely deserted roads at blatant speeds just to keep my thoughts left behind. Moron!

Another interesting fact is, if you do not have egos as hard as Hercules shield, more often than not you find that what all wrong you did and said and how different could it have been. You could have had few more friends around, few more meaningful deep and sincere relationships and more tranquil life.

As I come across these flashes, I keep accepting the wrong I did, keep forgiving the wrong of others, keep cherishing the good and keep forgetting the bad. Just to let all of those, who at one point or the other gave me the blessing of their company, get the due share of their credit and the respect, love and friendship that they expected from me, I’m letting you know, I have arrived.

At this juncture, it really doesn't matter, who was right, all that matters, is the fact, that you and I met to spend some great moments and create some great memories. I’m not sure about you, but with the kind of memory I’m blessed with, you shall always remain a part of me.