November’s just gone by and December’s just stopped by. It is the holiday season; we eat a lot and talk a lot, without ever a mention of our weights. It’s the time of colder nights, boozy days, and guilt-free indulgence.
Nothing’s more indulging than some good ol’ chocolate. Besides, it’s not this time of the year without it.
Magic happens when you’re not looking. It gets you unawares and leaves you craving more. I’ve had a few magical moments myself, and the most profound of them all is when I stood at the foot of a near-frozen lake with snowflakes falling on my hand. It was the Tsomgo Lake in Gangtok.
Nothing was unexpected at that moment, but until I stood there, I never expected to get out of the vehicle and experience the snowflakes. Where I live, it’s sunny round the year, and that day was the first time I saw snow. The sight of the snow-capped mountains reflecting on the lake sent shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. That’s the kind of magic I’d give anything to witness again.
When you’re so unsure of yourself, when you know nothing’s going your way, when all around you there’s nothing but thorns and roadblocks, you should take a walk.
And that’s what I did one Sunday afternoon. I walked around the Vandalur national park looking for a sign from the trees and fresh air around me, something to help clear my head.
I saw a bunch of dried branches, all piled together and jutting out in odd corners. And all of a sudden, I felt calm.
I stood staring at it for a moment before realising that sometimes even the earth falls into chaos. That doesn’t mean all is lost, though. It’s a sign; from chaos comes composure and reassurance that all will be well.
When we say change, we often think change for the good. However, sometimes nature forces us to change despite our reluctance. We grow up, we mature, we learn new things, and meet new people. We transform from naive kids into knowing adults.
But then sometimes, we force nature to transform. Like in this case, a hundred-year-old tree had to morph its roots because we built a wall or two.
I took this photo in Vandalur, a national zoological park in Chennai, India.
Nothing’s brighter than the sun shining through dense trees. And so it was one afternoon in Vandalur Zoo. We had a wonderful walk in the park with the view as a bonus.
While I waddled on my way, I chanced a glance upwards. And whom should I see but Ra himself, throned in all his might and glory.
The Chaos Within 