Letter to the Unknown Reader - Series 1 : Lazy life

 Hello dearest Reader,

Hope you had good week and enjoying your weekend break from the daily humdrum. Weekends feel special, at least for some of us as we tend to stop negotiating our lives with the running clock. Otherwise the days of our lives are so tuned to match those two stick like caricatures rushing around that face of clock, that we conveniently forget to savour living this life.

Though weekends do bring with it a pile of personal work which has been cast aside in a rush hour mayhem, the good thing is, they can be done at a more human pace than the usual jet set speed. I’m writing this, sprawled on the living room sofa, in my slouchiest, drudgery of a night dress. The colour of which has faded with time -  from moss green to splayed decaying greyish green. However, it is by far, the most comfortable, no nonsense piece I have in my wardrobe. Our four- legged grandson Mithai, is in equally lazy mode, sleeping just beneath the sofa. Comfortably resting his dreamy head on my pair of  loud pink slippers. And I can hear my son singing his wolf tune ( I can’t catch the words) but sounds like shrill howling of the wolves on a full moon night, perpetuated by weirder noises on his study desk. I suppose his pencils are playing the role of drumsticks today. By now, you can understand why the undertone of today’s musing are for obvious reasons, lazy.

As I have inched toward mid-life, I was amazed as to how delusional is the portrayal of concept of midlife crisis in our literature, writing and tv shows. In actuality, all the crises that haunted us , the women, throughout our lives actually vanishes when you reach this pinnacle of mid-life. You have resolved almost all of your problems, by only one brilliant magical statement - You Care A Damn!. 

By now, you know what looks good on you, what makeup suits you, how to do your hair, how to be your gorgeous self and most of all if someone doesn’t like it, You Care A Damn! You know where your career is taking you. Please note, home makers are also professionals in their own fields. You know how to manage your show, please your clients, work with people in your team, do upwards, downward and sideward management, to manage time, to deliver, to know when to let go and when to fight back. And most of all you know when to Care A Damn! Your husband, children, relatives, elders in your family, by now knows you. For sure, they have adapted to your idiosyncrasies, knows your crankiness, indulges your madness and have seen you at your best and worst. Most of all they have given up on any aspirations of changing you to what they think is the right version and knows in their heart that pushing you will not yield any results as You Care A Damn! At least after a point! Also by now you have collated like minded tribe of “I Care A Damn” set of folks who live and thrive with you in your seemingly mad journey of a life.

So this weekend my dear Reader I’m thriving by not doing a thing. Writing my life, which by far seems quite interesting to me. The biggest adventures are embarked on inside your head. My motionless morning is being spent looking at the azure blue sky, sparkling in the October sun. I’m lazily scrolling through all my lost love, my travels both past and future, planning my bonsai structures and my endless wisps of childhood memories in my head. I’m enjoying the sun, the heat, the silence of nothingness, the just being in existence mode of a beautiful life.

If you get a chance, do spend a day doing nothing, caring a damn about the world around you, just being happy with yourself. Enjoy being the Star in your life. Know that the cacophony which we call our world exists because you exist. When you’re not there, this world will cease for you. See you on the other side of the week.

Always your,

Pocket full of life

Letter to the Unknown Reader Series 1 - Way to the heart is through the stomach

 Dearest Reader, 

Hope you’re keeping well. A few weeks hiatus was because my brother came down to my town to pay his hallowed visit. He is a phenomena. He’s quirky and witty almost as good as me but can’t do better. Loves himself and lives life king size. His affinity for a good drink and delicacies rubs off to any unsuspecting human being. He has a propensity to take you on a whirl of a ride and you can’t help but laugh your lungs out as he embraces complicacies of life with an elan of well honed magician. He will make you believe his outrageous stories, can justify seven murder and robbery with a fluidity of a lawyer and can sell that elusive ice to the even more elusive Eskimo with proficiency of a practiced salesman.

When you have such a personality visiting your home, you can be rest assured that your table will be laid heavy with good food and great conversation. To add to his unlimited list of skills, he’s a fantastic cook, and can rustle up a Lamb Biriyani good for the nawabs.During his visit ge graced us with his yummilicious Biriyani which was cooked slowly through half a day. My weak digestion and Mumbai fitness wisdom was swished aside as we indulged in his culinary creations. And ofcourse as siblings always do, even in their fortys, I had to try and out do him in the kitchen. 

So out came my well honed kitchen skills, smoothed to perfection during the Covid years. From famed Hilsa in mustard sauce, to the Prawn malaikari all arsenal was unleashed to sashay my but obvious better skills in the kitchen. One good part of getting old together as siblings is that you kind of stop underplaying the other and tend to appreciate each other more. Thank God for that, we both lapped up our home cooked food like starved soul.

Siblings generally are partners in crime and we are definitely a true blue pair of as thick as thieves could be. Our banters and free advices and standing by each other and being happy for each other, of being scared shit when life hits any one of us hard are laced with a love which has stood the test of time and have aged like a fine wine. And hence when we come together it’s a complete riot. Late night ‘adda’ ( chats) over kebabs platter, long drives to reach a good destinations, taking every possible chance to crack up on silliest things made the week memorable to say the least.

Now for sure Reader dear, you can forgive my absence in the world of writing letters. I was busy living life, to create stories so that I can share with you. If you by chance have a sibling like I do, or may  be cousins ( I’m as close to them as my own) do catch up with them. Relieve your childhood, indulge in silly laughs and late night chats. They are the only people besides your parents  who have seen through your silly days, your disastrous fashion days, your sleepless heartbreak days and your first crush days. They know your battles and struggles, your follies and weaknesses and still love you fiercely enough to shield you with their heart. 

As you dance along your life, don’t forget your partners in crime. They are in actuality your 4 am friends. Nurture and enjoy the bond. You will always have your bunch who will laugh sitting around the fire during your autumn days. And don’t forget to cook deliciousness in your lives. The way to the heart surely is through the stomach, whether you cook it, or order through a delivery app or visit the restaurants and food joints in your town.

Always yours,

Pocket full of life