Car(ried) away

Two years ago, we had a very smooth routine in the mornings. I admit, the rest of the day was always crazy.... But the mornings were smooth apart from the regular shouting and the mad rush to step out of the house on time.

It was like this....
-Prepare breakfast and set it on the table.
-Prepare lunch.
-Stuff it in everyones' tiffin boxes.
-Push the elder one out of the bed and shove him out of the house with his school bag so that he catches his school bus.
-Wake up the husband.
-Get dressed for work.
-Wake up the younger one and get her ready for school.
-Sit in car with husband and little one.
-Drop little one to school.
-Get dropped to work.
-Husband drives away to office.

Perfect! Isn't it?
Well, it was a perfect day as usual, when chaos reigned supreme and the brain was working overtime listing out the things to do throughout the day.

After winning the first battle of dispatching my son off to school on time, we sat in the car, ready to deposit our daughter to her school.

The little lane outside the school gate was jammed with vehicles, as usual.
Cars and scooters of various shapes were trying to find a way to escape. Weeping toddlers, annoyed drivers and distraught mothers completed the scenario.
Yes! All was fine in the world.

Suddenly, we found ourselves face to face with another car coming from the opposite direction. With vehicles parked on both sides of the road, there was only enough space for one car to pass. And the situation was similar to that in the story of two goats on a bridge. Unfortunately, there wasn't even space to back off. There were 2 or 3 cars lined up behind on both the sides!

I decided to walk to the school gate with my daughter instead of waiting for the jam to clear.
My husband agreed that it was a wise thing to do. And I got off leaving him to figure out how to get out of the mess.
If only the car had wings!
But wishes are not horses .......and cars cannot fly...

I handed over my little one to her teacher and returned to the place where our car was stuck.
Oh God!! It was still there. We were going to need a crane to lift it out of here. Never mind, someone will have the sense to back off and ease the jam.
I hastily opened the door and jumped in. The seat cover felt a bit strange.
So what?
It has every right to feel strange!
But what was little teddy bear doing .........dangling ridiculously from the rear view mirror?

I turned to my husband to criticize his taste in teddy bears...........and ..............my eyes nearly popped out!

Well, I admit I have prayed often enough that my husband would change for the better, but never in my life had I imagined that he would change altogether!!!!!

I stared incredulously at him wondering how this had happened when I was brought back to my senses by a series of rude honks.

There! How typically like him to disturb me when I was trying to solve an interesting mystery!
But what was he doing over there....in another car?

Goodness gracious!
I was sitting in the wrong car, was I?
I quickly muttered sorry and almost fell down in my hurry to get out of the car. The man was too shocked for words. I ran towards our car and clambered inside, not even looking at my husband.

Then mustering courage, I tried to explain, " That car looks just like ours, doesn't it?"
"It's not even the same model" he replied.

Oops!

We reached my destination in total silence.
I got out of the car and shut the door... Too softly.....
I opened it once again and shut it more firmly this time. Then looked in through the window to say goodbye.
There was a strange smile on my husband's face.

"For a moment I thought, my dream had come true."  he said with a wink and zipped away......

Happy Valentine's Day

I do not want the sun,

It is too bright.

I'd rather have the moon,

And it's gentle light.

And a fistful of stars,

What do you say?

And I can be,

Your valentine today.

 Let's watch the sunset,

 By the sea.

And have dinner on the terrace...

Just you and me!

A glass of wine,

And a long stemmed rose.

It will be so sweet,

If you could get me those.

At half past eight?

Yes, I'll be there.

Just remember to bring my....

Solitaire ;)

One night

There was some kind of war going on. I am not sure if it can be called a war.... maybe riots. But there was agitation and unrest all around.

I was stranded in a dark building with a wooden door and many windows. The door and all the windows were tightly shut. All the people had crowded into the hall on the ground floor as if they were getting courage from each other’s presence. There was no furniture and the people were either lying down or sitting or peeping anxiously through cracks in the door frame. Someone was trying to squint through a crack in a window to see what was happening outside.

There was a staircase to the left of the front door. I wonder what lying was at the top of the staircase. No! I did not want to find out. Not that I was feeling scared, but there was more comfort here.

A few hundred metres down the road Lata didi was stranded in another building. Who was she? Was she someone I knew? Why did I feel that I knew her very well? How did I know her name? She also had some familiar faces with her. Though I was not with my her, I could almost see what was happening there as if I was inside. I wonder how? ESP? Maybe….

In fact, that place was not as dark, but it was untidy. There were a lot of cubicles with beds. All the beds had mattresses with bedsheets on them.... all of them crumpled as if they had been slept in recently. The people were eating something from huge bowls, probably hot khichadi or soup. And they were having 3-4 such meals in a day, while we had nothing to eat!

Then I realized that we did not have a kitchen! I decided to go across the street and get some food from their kitchen. As I was getting ready to step out of the building, I could sense the tension and fear in the air. The road was deserted. Something was wrong... gravely wrong.

Just as I stepped out, someone pulled me back in!

“Don’t go. Its not safe.” he said.

“We need food. I will get it from Lata didi. She has plenty.” I replied.

Suddenly, a car went down the road at full speed. Rowdy people were shouting and hooting in the car... Insane driving! Fast and rash.

After some time, a few people went by on horseback carrying swords and shouting in the same way. It looked dangerous. And yet, I was not scared.

Finally, little Astha could bear it no longer. She went out, crossed the road and started running towards the other building. Just then another car zipped by on the road. One of the men in the car slashed Astha with his sword, injuring her arm badly. She returned bleeding profusely.

Just then, a procession of cars started going past. They were the same loud, rash, cruel people....merrily shouting and enjoying themselves. Some of them were walking. This time their leader was also with them. I thought it was a good opportunity to go to the other building unnoticed  in the crowd. I started walking quietly, trying to be invisible. But the leader saw me. He got down from the car and came to talk with me.

Surprisingly, again, I was not scared. Even more surprising was that he did not try to harm me. He was in fact very polite and …….. even good looking, like an actor. Then I noticed that all those people were good looking! 

What was going on? I did not know.... Did not understand.

There I was, among a sea of people, yet alone.

 Among familiar surroundings, and yet lost.

In a hostile situation, yet unafraid.

 Surrounded by danger and yet safe.

"How are you?", he asked with a gentle smile.

"I am fine." I replied, wondering whether I should have told him that we had nothing to eat. But no….. ‘I am fine’ is what I said and walked away.

I went back inside and started climbing the staircase near the door. It was a long narrow one with two landings.

Oh! There was a terrace on top. It was as if I had entered another world in a different time zone.

 The twilight was beautiful ....mesmerizing!

There were kites flying in the clear sky. Dainty little ladies in sarees were drying clothes on the line tied across the terrace. The breeze... Oh, so gentle.

 I felt light, almost as if I was floating.

I spent a long time looking at the sky. When I turned around, I saw the same man standing behind me.... Still smiling.... As if he found me amusing.

"You like it here, don't you?" He asked me. I stared at him, totally fascinated by the gentle features and soft eyes.

 How could this person be leading a riot or war?

Was it really a war that was happening on the streets? Or was it just my perception?

I wanted to think more and find the answers but I sank deeper and deeper into unconsciousness....into blissful sleep that erases all questions.

As I woke up in the morning, I still found myself walking precariously on the thin line between the two worlds of dream and reality.

I am not sure which of them is actually a dream.

"I dream when I am awake and live in my dreams.

I don't know anyone stranger than me."

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To be free.....

If God ever granted me wishes three,
I would say I want to be,
Free! Free! Free!

Free from the present,
Free from the past.
Free forever....
Free at last....

Free from the sword,
That hangs on my crown.
Free from everything,
That holds me down.

Free to accept,
And free to deny.
Free to be true,
And free to lie.

Free to be foolish...
Or free to be wise...
Free to fall,
And free to rise...

Free to wander,
And free to explore.
Free to fly,
And free to soar!

How I value my freedom,
Of all the things.
Oh God in the heaven,
Please grant me wings.