The Fourth Seat

The day began with rain. It didn't manage to drench me, for I was on the train. Rain drops splattered on my window. I smiled as I saw the wind blow.  You can see the wind, who says no? If only out there you go.  It is easy, trust me, my friend.  Long ago, when the rain came down. Two smiles and one frown.  Streams formed at Versova. Frogs croaked and we made boats.  She launched a boat and I saw it float. Off towards the sea it sailed. Lost in the monsoon swell. My train stopped and many streams I crossed to reach the sea Brown and angry, fully of plastic and foam pulling at me I gave in and swam along, sooner that I thought, I was a bygone In the sea, I remained afloat until I bumped into that very boat

I was in the tenth standard, as we call it here, obviously we didn't have the grading system then. It was my SSC year, the year one had to learn the entire textbook and not just the half part as we did until ninth standard. With facial hair and pimples and all that was happening, life wasn't so bad after all. A textbook and just one exam was manageable. And that day it started to rain just as I got out of the school gate. Walking in the rain has always been my favorite thing to do, especially when I know there isn't going to be an AC room waiting for me at the end of the walk. So I walked, holding my waterproof backpack to the rain, challenging the droplets to seep in. And within a few minutes I was home, the rain had not abated. One never paid much attention to the rain, especially not during the month of July, things were quite different 7 years ago. Within 2 hours, by about 3'o clock, a small puddle of water started to form in a corner of our living room. It was...

I don't like the indoors very much. In that case, given a choice between a mall and Marine Drive, you know what I would choose. And I am not the only one. There are plenty of us out there, feeling stifled in air conditioned rooms craving for some fresh air. But surprisingly, there are many who would rather go to a mall, eat some junk and join a gym. If you do belong to this tribe, then I am not sure if you would enjoy reading this. Nevertheless, give it a shot.  Misty Mysteries  Yesterday's weather was perfect. Overcast skies, light drizzles and no sign of the sun. And the best part is that for the next three-four months the weather will remain the same barring the  variation in rainfall. This brings out the best of this region, - The Western Ghats. Sahyadris, as we know the Western Ghats in Maharashtra stand imposingly all around our island city. The ghats are carpeted in green and the peaks shrouded in misty mystery. The winds are chilly and life blooms everyw...

The sun had disappeared a few hours before its usual time. Almost as if he took half day from work. There had been sunshine until about mid afternoon and then he had simply vanished. It was pitch dark by the time he got out of his house. Although it was only just about time for sunset. There were no retreating birds in the sky and no colours that usually splashed the autumn evening sky. A riot of colours as his English teacher would probably say. He walked along to the station and boarded the first train. It didn't matter if it was a fast or a slow. He was in no hurry. As stations passed by and soon became a blur, his mind raced to it's favorite spot. The nostalgia station which housed all the memories, but he simply summoned it back. Of late he had spent way too much time reminiscing about the good times that had passed. And then he would launch into a phases of longing and grieving. This not only blocked the present but also destroyed all chances of a good future. He was n...

Change is the only constant they tell you. But then they say somethings are meant to last forever. The world is full of contradictions. And so is the human heart. Maybe thats why one finds himself in a dilemma more often than not. Choices within choices, options within options. And one continues to play the Russian Roulette. You are safe until the bullet is safe within the confines of the cylinder. The muzzle stares at you with a grim smile, it's just doing its job. You got to let it be. Press the trigger knowing all the consequences that will follow. Sometimes the bullet and the muzzle align. And what follows is pain. Excruciating pain. Sometimes it is powerful enough to kill. But most often it doesn't. Leaves behind an ugly mark though. A cruel reminder of your poor choices. Of the poor calculations of your chances. But more over it is a stark reminder of your foolishness. Regret is a by product of a decision that's gone wrong. Regret can hold you back. Intensify the p...