And All’s Well Again

December 26, 2004 — a great Tsunami wrecked everything in and around the Indian Ocean. The calm sea rose above crashing into the lives of those who revered the ocean as their god.

2005 dawned unwelcome as millions mourned the loss of their love, life, and lifestyle. And yet, 12 years later, the sea shows no sign of the monstrous face it displayed then. It looks as calm as ever, unthreatening and loveable.

I wonder if there’s anything as resilient as the sea. It transcends its limits, transforming into a fierce beast, only to go back to its calm and unassuming state.

the-sea

Lose Control

girl-with-her-back-turned

Strangers seized their chance

and pillaged her decisions,

while heart warred her mind.

All’s Well

On a rainy day or a grainy day, I wouldn’t turn down tea any day.

At times it trickles down my throat and calms my sore heart, and at other times it trickles down my throat and takes me home. It’s like PJs for my soul. It makes all well.

I took this photo in Darjeeling while walking around in a national wildlife sanctuary. We had stopped for a tea that replenished our tired cells with a perfect balance of caffeine and bitterness. alls-well

What I Saw

She stood in front of a mirror, her eyes fixed on her reflection. Her lips curled into a disapproving sneer, as she cringed at what she saw.

“What do you see?”

She saw a huge brown forehead, cowering underneath bushy black side bangs. She saw a pair of sharp black eyebrows, hovering over round blue eyes.

A long nose with a pointy end and pale lips dry to the surface.

An over-stretched pored skin and a blunt chin with a dent on the side. Streaks of straight short hair tucked behind meaty ring-less ears.

She thought she saw a shadow of a cheekbone. And a pair of squared glasses enclosed in a plastic frame of black with a sliver of red.

I said nothing.

I looked at the woman who ignored drooping eyes to stay up all night nursing my chicken pox.

I looked at the woman whose eyebrows curved as she concentrated on keeping my egg yolk runny.

I looked at the woman who told me I wasn’t crazy when I wanted to get my ears pierced. The woman who stood by my side when the world turned its back on me.

And I saw the woman I cherished.

The Unexpected

I’ve spent many a night waiting for the sun to rise. I’ve always wanted to be the first one to welcome the sun as it discarded its canopy of black velvet, reaching out to the skies.

It was a treat well worth the wait. I’d wake up earlier than the earliest birds and head to the terrace to watch the glory unfold in front if my eyes. I would be happy just looking at the sky turning from deep blue to purple to pink and then orange and then a deeper shade of orange until the sun was all out.

But then one day, I got a little more than I had asked for. I caught the moon lingering just before the sun was set to take over. It had been a full moon the previous night, and it’s one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I had asked for the ice cream but got a surprise cherry first.

cherry