Van Chitgo - The Art of Life

:)...i sit here, many thousands of miles away in an office in Geneva and smile to myself...whats happening in India right now?

- my mom is probably putting teeka on my dads forehead and is whispering silently a prayer to bless our family and our future. She is praying to lord siva and they both sing in unision a beautiful and simplistic poem of happiness and success. My house in kirti apartments, mayur vihar is probably lit up with candles, diyas and a festive flavor , undoubtedly some of the neighbours and well-wishers have dropped by to give some kaju, pista and badam (the delicious sweets and dried fruits that do the rounds during this time of the year)... my dad will be silently praying...for a man as self-made as him...i would always admire him for the dedication for which he would pray...and touch his forehead to the floor...I would try to copy him with the same kind of seriousness but never could...my mind always racing to when I could run out of the house to chill with my friends at a local diwali party, jokes and nice eats:) i miss it, for one fleeting moment, i almost wish I could be with my parents to give them a tight hug and wish them a happy diwali...I know I will be in their thoughts...

- kirti apartments is probably rocking to some obscene bolywood number :) the gazillion kids that now infest the beautiful complex would be making enough noise to bring the house down- but no kid would be reprimanded for that tonight. the fire-crackers will burst, the bijli bombs and annaars going many miles into the air...and well dressed men and women will do the rounds of their friends houses with gifts and well wishes. The city will be lit up...figuratively and literally :) ...

- elsewhere, yuvraj is probably 1500/- bucks down at a game of cards :), sethi and shikul are probably the same number up and laughing their ass off cos its nowhere else but delhi where the gambling can take such an unusually bonded and friendly form....
- kalra is somewhere in NYC:) hopefully reading this and sharing my emotions and thoughts..

-neha is still at work in Zurich, her mind racing with the images of her first day of work...undoubtedly she will return home, late tonight...missing a bit of the attention and wonderous atmosphere of her diwali back home...
- all the indians in the various parts of the world..following their own unique rituals-praying to Lord Ram, his kingdom of heaven and the mythology that has brought peace and power of purpose to the countless generations of indians across the world.

far far away from the motherland..i still think i feel the electric nature of this amazing festival..how many years i took it for granted..today in another part of the world-serene, soft and quiet in my surrounding..I can almost hear the sounds of firecrackers and young children intersecting to evoke in me- a smile.
After some years, it ceased to be about the crackers and the idiotic wasting of money, it was about family, it was about friendship and a feeling of triumph for all the successes in the year...today..i feel more happy with my position in life than I have in the past...comparitive only to when I was undergoing my tremendous experience in Bombay on the Indian MC....and wish , grudgingly that I could share it with my parents....
BUT, despondent is not the flavor of today..i have wished my UNFPA colleagues a happy diwali...given them a lowdown of the festival (if only in brief)..completed another kickass day of work, and am on my way to meet my colleagues for a dinner with the local committee (Lausanne) organizing the biggest national conference in Switzerland at the end of november.
So :) whats missing ? lighting a small candle i think:) can be arranged for at home...whats not missing ? friends, success, a feeling of happiness, belonging and color..its been a beautiful day here in geneva...the autumn leaves weakening to the ever chilling desire of mother nature and falling ever so softly in the panoramic ups and downs of this country.
As I passed the lake geneva this morning, I saw the single ray of light flash upon the crystal blue...and whisper to myself- happy diwali...

Posted by chitgo on Tuesday, November 01, 2005 at 11/01/2005 09:24:00 PM | Permalink