Third day in Delhi

“June Ponal, July Katre……. Kan Ponal, Kathal Katre….. ”

How often ♪…… am I , ……humming these lines these days.

I was singing these lines again and again (in the month of May) as I stood near the window, starring right through it into wide open space, enjoying the rays of new day, the feel of gentle breeze, the scent of dancing flowers, and the breath of fresh air. All this I did with gently stroking my tooth brush. Friday morning it was, bright and sunny.

I firmly believe that certain things you can enjoy only when you are alone, away from the madness of routine work and people. Giving sometime for yourself, to explore the wide universe within you, ever expanding….This trip was indeed a perfect opportunity for me, to introspect myself, learn new things about myself and understand why I behave the way I do.

I have a strange habit of observing myself, as a third person. In certain actions, I see another Harish, starring at me, ridiculing the way I act for a given situation and this person always suggests me a better way of doing things, but always after the game is over, unfortunately.

And see, how things changes after 8 hrs of sound sleep. All the negative thoughts and disappointments of previous night disappeared. God, no doubt is a master planner. For he has planned things in such a way, that everything is in perfect harmony, is in perfect balance. Life is a see-saw game. You go up once and you will come down naturally. Things fall in its place, on its own. Sounding too philosophical right? Forget it.

The mistake often I do, is to remind me off my past often. There is nothing wrong in rekindling your memories sometimes, enjoy the pain of past, but it is very wrong to live in those memories. I know, but still I do.

“Rear Mirror is your past, Way ahead is your future, but more important is to drive and control in present”. Enjoy the moment, I was telling myself, to avert any accident, I mean mishaps in life.

I was ready to leave for my breakfast. But I had around 10 minutes time for that. I took my camera, and was browsing through the photographs of last two days. I felt I have not taken enough snaps of my beautiful portrait. Wondering on how to do that, I got an idea. Stood in front of the mirror and took snaps of the smart creature standing right opposite to me in the mirror. For the first time, I suppose, the photographer was getting photographed.

As I left my room, into the verandah of guest house, I saw a person, who works for that guest house staring at me, as if he had seen a strange creature from Mars, but wearing dark blue jeans and blue t shirt. I looked back. He smiled back, but put down his head immediately, may be, signs of diffidence. I went near him and asked his name. He replied back, but hardly could I hear. “Sorry, thumare Naam Kya?”, I asked again, practicing Hindi, by the way.

This time I heard him replying back, “Rashid” in bold voice. “Shaddhi! Bangaya kya?”, I asked him. He giggled and his sheepish reply in Hindi, though I did not understand, still I was able to make out that he got very recently married. I took out my digital camera, asked him to pose. He did, took one snap and showed it to him. His face was full of happiness, when he saw his face in the screen of the camera.

There is a reason why I share this incident with you. Sometimes, we fail to understand the importance of small acts of love or a morning greeting, the magic these small things can do for us and for others. We often get carried away, with the pressures of life, little realizing how important these things are in building relationships, and off late I am finding that this trait is perfectly working for me officially as well as personally.

And from there on, I was the special guest among all others in the break fast table.

I think I should acknowledge my friend Bhavani here, who taught me the importance of this trait.

We both studied together from kindergarten till 10 Standard. She was a lean girl with tons and tons of head weight. I never liked her since she was one of the fierce competitors to me in academics. But we had a get together some three years back, when I spoke with her again during the party. It is my habit often to ask for a treat, whomever I meet.

She replied “I would, but you need to come to school of special children in Annanagar”

I was really stumped by what she told and my perceptions about her were melting like huge blocks of ice kept under bright sunshine. She told me that she used to celebrate her birthday every year, in that school for special children, sponsor food for them. What a great way of celebrating birthday isn’t?

I thanked Rashid, for the special hospitality he showered on me. Nothing I did for him. But he showered so much of love, for which had only thanks as payback. Sometimes, it is true that poor people are more generous and magnanimous. They are the rich poor people, showering love on the poor rich people.

Then it was all official work, this time in Ghaziabad , around 50 kms from New Delhi .

After completion of work, proceeded straight to Gate way of India , which was wide open for one of its best citizens. There I was standing very proud, staring right into eyes of the security there, with an air of confidence. “Hey, can you question me?”

It was huge brown block, in the shape of inverted U, with fine works of architecture, in all its four sides, and with India perfectly inscribed in its center. Below the India Gate, there were pots of bright flowers, in all its four sides, neatly fenced with security, yet these flowers were extending fenceless friendship and love across the fence, to all Indians visiting there irrespective of caste, creed, religion, sex…. Please add some more to the list…. I have started forgetting my school time history lessons……


Had a nice time there. Again camera helping me in getting friends in the form of children, whose innocence I was able to capture in the snaps of mine.

As I sat on the lawn, adjoining the artificial lake, where the boating was happening, I happen to observe an old couple. They were surely some 65 plus, with everything white in their head. Grandpa was strong enough, to help his wife, strapped in her belly, into the boat. I assumed that the strap was for some medical reasons. It was great sight to see. A true love story after maybe 40 years of inception, still going strong…..Grandpa, pedaling in a white boat, with his lady love, which was lighting up the entire lake at the verge of sunset.

I returned back to my room with sweet memories.

Everything has to come to an end…. I thought as I packed all my luggage for my next day’s flight at 8 am.


As I woke up next day, the first thing I remembered, was the way, me and my friend Karthick, struggled to park the car in the cramped parking area in the company. All of us enjoy driving the car, right?

So too is luxury.

Luxury is also like the pleasure you derive when you drive a car, but the frustration is when you want to park it aside.

Got into an auto by 6 am to reach the airport. Was wearing my favourite olive green t shirt and dark blue jeans.

Was standing alone in the boarding line, by 7 am, when I heard a beautiful voice of a girl.

“Excuse me, is this the line for Pune flight” I heard. Yes, I replied as I turned back to look at her. Yes, again I told her, staring right into her eyes and turned back again.

In that short swivel, I saw a neat face, with a small bindi, and broad fore head. I was not able to see her hair style in that swivel, but it appeared as though she had a pony tail.

Though I wanted to speak with her again, still I showed off as if I never cared a damn bit for her. After some 5 minutes of silence between us, in the noisy airport, again I heard her. But this time my ears were alert enough to capture every word of hers.

“Hello! Am traveling in the flight for the first time. Can you please guide me”. Turned back, looked at her and told only one word “Sure”. But this time got confirmed that her hair style was indeed pony tail. Another 10 minutes, we stood in the line, I got my boarding pass first, offloaded my suitcase to security check. My job was over. She had no issues in getting her boarding pass as well. Then, I asked her “Are you going to take your bag in hand” She said yes, we both walked together to the final check in. I helped her in getting a Hand bag label for her bag. As we were standing in line, she told me, that her name was Sowmiya, and had come to Delhi for some training, and is leaving to Pune to meet her relatives on her way back to krishnagiri. After that I introduced myself as I used to do in an interview. Only English till the intro was over. But some how tamil found its way in our conversation, as she also happens to be from Tamil Nadu. And it was all Kadalai (Tamil slang for chatting with girls) for next two hours in the flight, as her seat was next to mine.

There was nothing important in what we spoke, often reminding myself, “Lilies that fester smell are far worse than the weeds” but two hours disappeared.

Flight landed in Pune………