And the Mountains Echoed

Something was amiss. Like one of the characters in the book, Pari who feels something was missing in life... I felt something was amiss in the story.

Khaled Housseini is a brilliant writer. He has a way of describing relationships, depicting people so vividly... with all their varied nuances. It makes you feel like you know the characters personally, it makes you feel what the characters feel. I had picked up the book, "And the Mountains Echoed" with as much conviction.

It had a lovely beginning, but somewhere along the middle, it got all got disarrayed. At times it made me feel like I was watching a poorly edited film, where it gets confusing to know which is the past and which is the present. In the book, there were certain characters who were not talked about in detail, while certain characters who weren't a actual part of the story were discussed at length, making me wonder why. But then again it's just my perspective that I share here.

As I finish this book, I miss that feeling of warmth, friendship and family that had enveloped me after his last two books. I was waiting for an echo, but even after the turning the last page, there was a lull.


Images from here and here.

A little something...

They say you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. I say, reality is better than your dreams when you finally figure out what you love to do. And if at times work gives you sleepless nights, its worth the effort. 

As a kid I dreamt a thousand dreams. I wanted to be a hair stylist, a fashion designer, a dancer, a software programmer and what not. Today I am glad I am not any of one them. Life hasn't turned out the way I dreamt it would. And I couldn't be more glad.

p.s. A post after months. Phew. *dusts away the cobwebs* 

Image from here.

The Plan (A Story)

 “I have planned it for the 21st of next month; I think that’ll be enough time for you to prepare.” Imran said, ticking a few points in his planner.

“Okay, I am sure, I’ll be done with the arrangements and booking by then”, Aman nodded.

“All the best then”, Imran smiled, “I’ll be looking forward to see your work”.

“Thanks, it is going to be a wonderful experience working on this.”

“Thank you for your time.”

They stand up and shake hands. Aman takes a leave.

A few tables away, two ladies are sitting and talking:

“He assured me, he can arrange everything by 21st November.”

“That’s perfect, you’ll have enough time.”

“I hope so.”

“Don’t worry dear, it’s going to turn out perfect”, Ramya assured Zara.

“I hope it does”. She smiles nervously.

Ramya’s phone starts buzzing.

“Hey, I need to take this call. You order for me, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Alright.”

Imran was nervous. For the first time in his life. He’d never planned something this big for someone so close to his heart. He just wanted it to work out. He took out his tab to check the next appointment, relieved to know that there was only one left for the day, he put it down and looked around the café. It appeared to be busier than usual. And then his eyes fell upon her. He could make out the eagerness in her eyes. It had always been easy for him to read people’s faces. But this face seemed a little different. It wasn’t that of a stranger. He knew how those eyes would look when angry. He knew how the lines would form on the forehead when she would think something serious. His eyes moved to her hands.  There wasn’t any ring on her finger. He felt he knew how those fingers would tap the table when anxious, and then…

She tapped her fingers on the table and scrolled through her cell with the other hand. Why had she started feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden? She looked up to glanced around. As her eyes fell on the table at the right, she met with two eyes staring right back at her. They each held the gaze for the same time and then looked away.

“Hey did you order for us?”, Ramya asked, hurrying up to the table.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I got lost in my thoughts and forgot.”

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll have to leave. Ash is caught up with work, so I will have to pick up Rehaan from school. I’m so sorry to cut it short”

“Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to apologise.”

“Do you want me to drop you somewhere?”

"No, I think I’ll stay here and have a coffee before heading home.”

“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow then.”

“Yea, Bbye,”

“Bye.”

He went up to the counter and ordered himself a coffee. While waiting for the change, suddenly he smelled a familiar fragrance. It made him turn and look at the side. And there she was again. Talking away cheerfully with the cashier.

Without planning, he blurted out, “Can I join you?”

She is a bit taken aback, “I think so”.

They find a table and sit down.

After a few minutes of silence and coffee sips, he asks her, “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Neither did I”

“So what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“I’m going to meet mom in the evening, and you?”

“Oh, I have a meeting in an hour”, he looks at his watch “and I better be leaving now”.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”

Smiles, hugs and kisses. They leave. Separately.

Making sure he’s not in her sight anymore, he takes out his cell and dials a number. She hails a cab, open the door and gets inside. Takes out her cell and dials a number. 

 

“Guess what dude, I’m going to propose her!”

“Mom, I found you a son in law!”

Images are from here and here.

Meme musings

 When bored, what better way to while time than answer random questions! :D

1. What do you think about your handwriting?

• Looks good on sunny afternoons
• Is as grave and gray as the rain clouds
• Is seemingly fluid like music
• Looks like it just came out of the grave 

 Looks good on sunny afternoons!

 

2. Will you ever try bungee jumping from any of these places?

• The Eiffel Tower
• The Leaning tower of Pisa
• Mount Everest
• Burj Khalifa
• Grand Canyons

 

I'd fancy the Eiffel Tower.

 

3. Which of the following animals do you want to be in your next life?

• Shark
• Alligator
• Saber Tooth tiger
• T-Rex
• Elephant

An elephant!

4. Which of the following professions attract you the most?

• Bartender
• Cruise ship commander
• Navy Seal
• NYPD forensic detective
• Chef
• Advertising Media professional
• IRS executive
• Lawyer

 

For all the stories they get to hear.

5. Do you believe in life after death?

• Yes
• No

 

Well it does sound fascinating!

Questions are taken from here.
Images are from here, here, here, here and here.

The clock ticks.. the water drips.. the Earth rotates..

 

Ever wondered what would it be like if we never had to worry about the time of the hour? No clock or watch to measure the time. No fixed working hours. No one hurrying to reach on time. No one counting days. No one praying for more time. No one begging for time to pass. Everyone living in the moment, instead of planning the next.

There was indeed one such time... When the Earth was still a wonder and not one of the 8 planets. When the movement of the Sun and the Moon was a wonder and not Science. When people didn't have to take out time for their loved ones, because time didn't exist. 

Only people did. Life did. 

 

The Time Keeper is a revelation about how man started measuring time. It's a story of a sick man who wants more time. It's a story of a lovesick girl who wishes time would pass quickly. It's a story that teaches us that there is more to life than glancing at the clock every hour. There is more to life than counting days and counting age. There is more to learn, give, receive, accept, do and teach than we think there is.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom is no less than his other books. It's a warm hug. It's a cool breeze. It makes you think. It makes you pause and experience life... Life which is beyond time. The life which was created even before the concept of time was established. 

Images taken from: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

 

The Story Behind Our Song (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from here.

Dear Dishy,

I am writing this letter sitting in Jenny Auntie’s café. I know you don’t like summers but I wish you were with me right now, enjoying this beautiful May afternoon with me. There is this huge Jacaranda tree opposite to the café. I can see it through the window next to place I am sitting. It seems as if someone has sprayed a deep mauve color into the sky.

Dish I can see our future, as I sit here. I imagine us getting old together. I imagine retiring with you on a farmhouse. I imagine talking walks with you under the warmth of the sun in winter afternoons and under brightly lit sky in the summer nights. I imagine looking at our grandchildren as they play in the rains. I imagine barbeque parties in our garden. I imagine a house full of photographs. Photographs that tell our story. The story which began long before we met. The story which won’t end with us. The story which will continue with our children and their children and then their children. And the story, which the whole world will read one day.

There was no rhyme or reason behind this letter. Just one of those moments when I wanted you near, when I wished I hadn’t waited for so long.

I am sending you few photographs I took near the café, to let you feel the beauty of the Jacaranda tree in full bloom. And I am sending you a few smiles to make the coming few months easier.

Love always,

Harit

That was the first letter he had written to her. The edges were now frayed and deep creases were marked where she had unfolded and folded the letter a hundred times. The only thing that was touched by just the two of them, she would read the letter whenever she miss Harit. Though they had shared more than twenty letters over the past six years, for some reason his first letter would always remain precious to her.

The captain’s announcement broke her thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just been cleared to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Please make sure your seat belt is securely fastened. The flight attendants are currently passing around the cabin to make a final compliance check and pick up any remaining cups and glasses. Thank you."

This was not how she was supposed to come back to India. She sighed and put the letter in her pocket. She was supposed to be feeling edgy with butterflies fluttering nineteen to a dozen, instead she felt queasy and jittery as every moment passed.

The phone call had come at 5’o clock in the morning. Groggily she glanced at the number. She pressed the receive button quickly and muttered, “Harit?”

It wasn’t Harit on the phone. She couldn’t recall half of what the caller had said. All she knew that he needed her, that she had to leave for India today. He didn’t have much time they had said.

The ride from the airport to the hospital seemed longer than her 9 hours flight. Disha enquired about him at the reception.

Harit Shah. Room no. 402.

He turned his head towards the door as he heard it open and smiled wide. Too weak to sit up, he stretched his hand towards her. She smiled back and walked towards him. Her throat was tight, but Disha didn’t want to cry. She would remain strong for him. There would be plenty of time to cry when… she couldn’t think further. She knelt near his bed, holding his hand in her palms. They gazed at each other, making up for the lost time, for all those years spent far away. She wanted to take in as much as she could, she wanted to create a memory that would stay forever within her heart and not on some paper or mails or photographs.  The way his left cheek dimpled when he smiled, the cut on his forehead, the way he blinked before looking back into her eyes, the way his nose crinkled as he smiled.

It wasn’t how either of them had imagined it to be. It was supposed to be a scene right out of a movie and not in a hospital room. But it still seemed perfect. The way their hands fit together. The way her smooth palms warmed his cold hands.

After a while, he motioned her to pick a notebook lying on the side table. She flipped it open, and read the five words written in his hand, “The story behind our song..”

10^th May, 2009

Disha smiled as she got of the phone with the editor. He had loved the book. Harit was right, summers are beautiful, she thought, looking up towards the bright summer sky. She got up from the bench and plucked a flower from a low lying branch of the huge Jacaranda tree. And placed it next to their photograph inside his notebook.  Their only photograph together. As she looked into his smiling eyes, she whispered, “Our story will continue Harit.”

Pictures from here, here, here and here

The Story Behind Our Song (Part 1 of 2)

31^st March, 2009

The bells on the door tinkled as Disha entered the café. The place was exactly like he had described it to her, and exactly like she had imagined it would be. He would sketch an image in her mind, just by his words and make her feel the ambience even through all the distance. Everything that surrounded her was new and still very familiar. The sunlight streaming through the skylight onto the bookshelf. The maroon armchair, from where he had spend countless afternoons, talking to her, laughing with her, fighting with her, listening to her, crying with her. The huge windows on the south. The big Jacaranda tree opposite to the café. She even knew how the tree would look in full bloom during the summers.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee made her yearn for one. She ordered a latte and smiled at the owner, Jenny Auntie, as if she was a regular there. She moved to the bookshelf, while waiting for her coffee. She found a few of the titles familiar. He had made her read every book he liked. When Jenny Auntie called her name, she collected her coffee from the counter and settled into the maroon armchair. For a moment, it felt like he was holding her in his arms. She smirked at herself for the thought. After all he hadn’t ever hugged her. She set her mug on the table nearby and turned on her laptop. She was meeting his (and now her) editor today. She wanted to be sure that he would be interested in their manuscript. It wasn’t just a manuscript to her, it was her story. Their story.

 November 10^th, 2006

Dishi10: Where have you been? I’ve been waiting since an hour and a half!

Harits: I had to meet these pesky clients and they weren’t leaving me. I even told them I have to go to the hospital for some tests.

Dishi10: What tests?

Harits: And finally when I started holding my breath so that my face could turn red, and they would believe I am actually sick.

Dishi10: WHAT TESTS??

Harits: That’s when they let me go.

Dishi10: What tests you idiot?

Harits: No no, no tests honey, I just made an excuse. So that I could talk to you for a while.

Dishi10: The while’s going to end in 15 minutes now.

Harits: I know I am sorry, next time if I am going to get late, I will text and inform you.

Dishi10: Did you check for the tickets?

Harits: Oh..

Dishi10: You haven’t yet?? Only two weeks left!! What if you don’t get any?

Harits: Then I’ll charter a plane.

Dishi10: Aww.. my hero, you don’t need to do that. You can come here when I am old and haggard, living in some retirement home

Harits: Okay okay, I’ll book the tickets right now. Please show up when the flight lands.

Dishi10: :)

Harits: What?

Dishi10: Two weeks!

Harits: Yes, two weeks baby! I love you.

Dishi10: I love you more.

Harits: Hey, Jenny Auntie sends her love. And now she wants to meet you.

Dishi10: Tell her that Harit is a coward and doesn’t want to meet me in India.

Harits: She says she’ll kick his ass for you.

Dishi10: Thank you Jenny Auntie. Harit, I am leaving for a meeting now.

Harits: See you love..

Dishi10: in two weeks.

Harits: :)

Hey luv, 27 Nov ’m coming 2 u.

Will u recognize me?

U’ll b d 1 wearing d biggest smile ;)

U bet, I will!

26^th November, 2006

11:37 am

The number you are trying to reach is presently out of coverage area. If you are an airtel subscriber…

Disha cursed him, “Darn it Harit, where are you?”, fed up with hearing the audio message again and again.

12:10 pm

Trying to call you. Your cell number is unreachable. No one is answering your home number. Cold feet??!

Message sent.

5:00 pm

Your flight leaves in two hours. I will kill you if you don’t board it.

Message sent.

7:00 pm

The number you are trying to reach is presently out of coverage area. If you…

More than angry, Disha was anxious. This was not something Harit would do. He won’t back out like this. Even if he wanted to, he would tell her first. No, something definitely must’ve gone wrong. She called up the airlines asking whether there had been any cancellations. “I’m sorry Ma’am, there has been no cancellation under the name of Mr. Harit Shah.”

“Can you tell me if he boarded the plane?”

“I am sorry Ma’am, I am not supposed to give out any information. It is against our company rules.”

“Well thank you very much.” And she slammed the phone down.

30^th November, 2006

The number you are trying to reach is presently unavailable. Please try again later..

Three days had passed since she heard from Harit. She had even gone to the airport, hoping he would surprise her.

To be continued...

Note: Pictures from here, here