Strangers...

I work out every morning. No no dont raise eye brows there, i try! My gym is closer to Ammas place so the easiest mode of transport of course was walking. Now after moving, post marriage, i have to depend on my two wheeler. I'm at home for a few days coz Dad is not in town and Mum is alone. Moral support :). Anyways, now again, for a few days I'd be walking to the gym
On my walk to the gym, i had a bunch of people i used to notice. On the road where my residence is, the first person i would see was a tall uncle who would walk as though he was doing long jump - his strides were that long. I always felt that my walking was like lilliput steps next to his. And he would look at me as though saying 'Move it'. Next was an old couple, walking back from the temple. They were lets just say normal - talked between themselves and kept walking.
On the road that linked to the park, i normally met an uncle who if i had a chance i would love to pluck his eyes out. I used to cross the road to avoid him. Once when i walked close to him, I've even heard him mumble something. A bunch of expletives would run thru my head.
Near the park i used to meet, permanently-looking-at-the-floor aunty whose come close to crashing into me many times, radio- aunty who believed in community radio as she would not use headfones, the middle-aged-uncle with tiny shorts who used to jog around the park, the alien-headphones grandpa who was so totally cool listening to music on headphones that were far bigger than his head, the tall young lad with long strides standing almost 7 feet tall, and lastly the uncle who wore his tracks on his chest and also religiously adorned his forehead with his Sricharanam. These were noticeble people, there were others of course who i could still recognise as they were at some point a part of the landscape.
After many days now, Im walking to the gym again and its so strange how you feel a sense of belonging looking at these people even though some of them inspire the worst in me. Coming to think of it i actually miss noticing these people. Today as i walked, it was funny how a couple of these people who i notice (who had obviously noticed me as well), actually smiled at me - sort of 'welcome back' smile.
Strange are these people, nameless, yet welcoming me into this morning world.

One minute more...

Time flies. Known fact. But we never look at ourselves and say - I'm 26, time flew. Or I'm married time flew. We mostly end up looking at time passing in relation with someone else.

A and i are 5 years apart. He's a total kid and still is one even though he's 21. The last one week has been a sort of reality check for me. The same kid who yanked me by my hair and broke every toy i had was packing his bags to leave for Australia, for higher studies. Time really had flown by.

A and i have never really been at logger heads. We've always gotten along like a house on fire and of course together played pranks on people, Amma being the target for most of them. He's been a role model for his friends and even his profs in college depended on for various things. At home he's been the extended shoulder for mum. Someone who was always there, her shadow.

He left yesterday. From Sunday, i was hoping against hope that time would stand still and that thursday night would never come. I never thought I'd miss him so much but i guess its only when a person is away from you do you realise their worth. At several instances i normally think, "damn i wish i had just one minute more" - probably for finishing an assignment, or a call, or just beginning a long journey. Many instances.

Yesterday on our way to the airport as the minute and seconds hand moved, i hoped for just one minute more. One minute more for A to be with mum, One minute more for him to whine with Buddy and cuddle Candy, one minute more for him to chit chat with dad, one minute more for him to fondly call me Arthropoda and yank me by my nose (he loves doing that) one minute more for him to climb and sit on Mohee's shoulder.

We reached the airport. I did not get my one minute more.

Time flew faster than i thought. In minutes he was done checking in, waving goodbye, and walking through customs to security check. My last sight of him was of him lugging his backpack (weighing 11 kilos!) and making his way to his destiny. Standing at 6'4, he still looked like the curly haired kid zooming around the house in his walker scribbling on every wall around, occasionally stopping to bite my hand.

A journey to the airport and back with one person less. And for the first time, my head did not automatically turn at the BMW showroom!

Quarterly sins cleared!

1. I walked up to Tirupati. 3500 steps in 2 hours 50 mins. My feet were a bit sore when on the road. The rest seemed fine. The first part of course drained me completely.

But still. Kudos Maverick (my gym)!!!

2. For the first time in Tirupati i walked in and out of the temple in 15 mins. Thanks to R and R's dad who knew people there and also that there wasnt much crowd, we were in and out like you would in a normal temple. Not standing in a queue, not getting squashed and smashed by a zillion people of various shapes and sizes, not being yanked by the security forces inside - is very unlike Tirupati.

3. We went to Tiruchanoor. Bought tickets and was just going to stand in the queue - yes there was no queue in Tirupati but was there in Tiruchanoor. Amma Appa and I went to take our slippers off and join the queue. There was a security guard who stopped me asking if i had a good darshan. I bluntly responded that i hadnt yet gone in yet. He simply made a gesture for me to enter and by pass the queue with my family of course towing behind. I was shocked and amazed. He did not expect any money either. Went in and R and I managed to sit in front of the deity for a solid ten minutes while the pooja was performed. It was crowded, but we were allowed to sit there for sometime.

Fantastic Trip! I have washed away my sins for this quarter!