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| Me leaving footprints behind captured by Supernova |
It’s the end of
the year. Seriously, I don’t know where the year went. I say it every year like
almost all of you but this year it is truly true. I swear. Most of it went into
the gaping maws of absolutely murderous work schedule and in all my years of
working, this is probably the worst. Not because of the work per se but the
sheer quantum. I wished for ten more hands, three more brains and twelve more
hours in a day.
I am not too
much into New Year Resolutions. I never was actually. I can never decide what
should I resolve that I could keep. Because it is a promise. And breaking a
promise is a little like breaking a heart. Especially when the promise is to
yourself.
But I did always
expect that I would feel different on the stroke of midnight every 31st
December. As if I would be new. Or my life would be new. As a kid, I expected
some kind of magic, a swishing of wand or fairy dust or simply waking up to a
new dream. Even through my teenage years as I developed that
oh-i-am-grown-up-and-therefore-world-weary air, I still secretly hoped for
something new and bright to light up the rest of the year. And I think in some
secret part of my weary soul, I still cherish that hope.
To return to the
dying year on hand and to be fair to it, 2011 did have its moments:
- Leaving my footprints in the
sand at a Puri beach as I walked towards some unknown beacon
- India winning World Cup. It was
ours. Not my dad’s generation’s.
- The big family reunion and the
madness and fun at Agra
- The sheer beauty of a misty
dawn at Jim Corbett National Park, as we went on a tiger’s trail in an open
jeep across a river and saw Bambi instead
- The rolling greens and the tall
pine woods of a magical Ranikhet. Here I found the peace and the quiet joy I craved
for
- Trip to Latin America. The sight
of snow-covered Andes from a plane window. Meandering through the streets of
Santiago. Sunday market at Bogota. And an underground wishing well.
- My first Diwali without amma. It felt a little unreal.
- My first trip to London. A lot
of mad, mad work and then the exploration and walking and the cold. The history
and the mall. And a hope for return.
- Lovely Christmas weekend. Walking
through an enchanting Park Street. Santa Clauses beaming from all directions. A
canopy of lights to walk under. The infectious joy on the roads. The fun lunch
with old friends. The memories and the jokes. Priceless.
I hope that 2012
would also bring such moments for me. Some big. Some small. A forget-me-not a
day would suit me just fine.
I hope that 2012
also brings you loads of moments that fill you with happiness and make you feel
alive. All the new that you want and all the old that you need. Happy New Year.
