Don't stop believing ♪

Just a small town girl,
living in a lonely world...


just lived an everyday.
And what an everyday it was!


Today was special.
There are so many thoughts that went through my head today, that I know I want to write about.
And I'm at a loss for a place to start!
I'll begin with the obvious, most appealing thing about today. The fact that it was a day of celebration for two major religions in our country. The energy in the city today was infectious. 
An unexpected bike ride through different parts as well as the usual drive through the extremely familiar areas of Pune just opened my eyes to a kind of harmony amidst the battle to have the noisiest loudspeakers at any given Mandal!
Festivals like these mean different things to different people.

• Being there for each other.
• Reconnecting.
• Good food.
• Celebrating life, God, His goodness.
• Fun.
• Acknowledgement of community.
• Free time to unwind.

At the end of the day, rejoicing in all things good over all things evil.


I walked around a neighbourhood today, who's people I know nothing about, helping a friend carry out her annual task of distributing the mouth-watering sheerkurma her mum makes for Eid. I followed her around, awkwardly smiling at the faces that opened doors greeting her warmly and me, equally so, with an expression that was a cross between a smile and a frown insinuating an unspoken question I read as:
 "Have we met? Not that it matters". 
I felt a sense of warmth watching her reconnect with these people she grew up around, even if they did seem to have the same complaint- they seem to meet her only around this time of year.
But then, at least. 
And they exchange what might seem like superficial pleasantries, but to me run deeper.
It's a message that goes beyond spoken word, that says, 
'I know you've always been there and I know you're there still; 
and although our paths vary while living in a decidedly similar world, 
I will remember you.'


An unexpected turn of events required a couple of us to ride towards the Deccan part of town. On the way, I was absorbing the energy in the city. Good, festive vibes that weren't coming only from the outrageously loud music playing in many places. I noticed a number of areas where Muslim and Hindu celebrations were taking place side by side. I also noticed how well the Hindu, predominantly, white and saffron colours go with the Muslim green. The exact three colours that constitute the National flag. Quite perfect.
And I sighed as we watched dance troops stall streams of traffic so that they could finish their celebratory demonstrations right in the middle of the road. 
Only in India. 
I was completely regretting the fact that I didn't have my camera at that point.
And of course I smiled.
I smiled because there is probably no other place in the world with this much tolerance floating around. 
We could sell it!
There's religious tolerance and tolerance for blatant flaunting of almost any kind of traffic rule. Yes, we could sit around complaining about all of it with no end in sight, but I'm more fascinated by the fact that these little things, like diversity and acceptance of the fact that rules will simply not be followed, are what make Indians for the most part, a very accommodating set of people. We're used to things, the slow, easy-going way.
(I realize I've touched upon a highly volatile and extremely debatable topic. So, I'm going to be diplomatic here and say that this is just one way of seeing things. Not necessarily the right way.)
But I do take pride in the fact that we were stopped from what we were doing, because of a group of people who wanted to dance on the road celebrating their God, and we still found it in us to smile and say, 'Alright, turn the engine off. We'll wait this out.'


On a more personal note, today was about being with loved ones, closest after my family.
It was about being the way we always are, but together.
It's the love of these people (some of whom I met in the course of this long day and some of whom, I didn't) that give me the strength to know I'll be OK whenever I do have to take that midnight train going anywhere.
And whether I'm winning, or losing or singing those blues, there will always be someone I can share the joy and the warmth or the fear and the disappointment with. There will always be someone who cares.
I'm so sure, only because joy, warmth, fear and disappointment are amongst all the emotions I lived through today and there was always someone there. Roller-coaster or not, I didn't even have to ask.


September 11th, may have gone down in history as one of the darkest days the world has ever seen, but my experiences today were some of the most beautiful and positive I've had! 
To me that is a sign of hope. 
The memory of all the lives lost that fateful day will live on. 
And it reminds me that much more, how thankful we need to be for our very own lives.
How much more accepting we need to be of each other and how much more love we need to give.


Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
just, 
Don't stop believing!