Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man

Those were Sunday morning I never thought I'd fondly recall. I was 9. Wake up in the morning. Tensed and terrified about unfinished piano lessons and the looming fear of scoldings of a balding teacher. Sunday morning cartoons and loochi aloor torkari were a luxury I wished I could afford. The bus journeys with the father to Deodar Street on Ballygunj Circular Road...walking past the huge Deodar Mansions (a housing complex stands in its place now), past the narrow lane of phuchkawallahs drying phuchkas in the sun in wicker baskets...to the house of the piano teacher. He had an upright piano. I would have to wait in queue for my turn while other students played and got scolded in the rightful order and sometimes in conjunction. When my turn would come, I would play the previous day's lessons carefully (and fearfully) until the teacher would give me my new sheet of music- the lesson for the next day. Somewhere along on those dreaded Sunday mornings of my childhood I had loved the piano. Touching a piano still gives me goosebumps. A piano is not an instrument for me. It is my entire childhood (and teenage) longings crumpled together. Something that I have wanted to have for most of my life always half knowing I could possibly not afford to. Or do justice to.

And if things go right, tomorrow, I will have a Grand Piano. Yes. The one with a wooden shade and all. I am not quite in a position to talk about it.

I am so proud of her :)

The Long Way Home

From the first time I heard a song on radio 107MHz back in school I have loved her music. There has rarely been a day in my life when I have not heard at least one of her albums. Her voice has kept me sane in times of utter insanity. They were the my last straw in a world then, when innocence and simplicity were running out fast.

Today life is different. I have been re-returned to the simplest state of being. It is like childhood. There is sadness. And there is happiness. Things in between have suddenly disappeared. If I were the me of a year back, I'd call myself shallow. That's the word I'd use.

It is a simplicity that is not exactly like a child's however. For a child is unaware of complexities.

And even today, her songs fill up the spaces, remind me of how things can be. Remind me to be grateful for everything that is. I have said this since the first time I heard her, I'll say it again. She writes for me :)

Both of us were used to losing

Guess we had some tales to tell

Suddenly they seemed amusing, till it came

Easy as the rain came in

When the train pulled in

I knew right then

You weren't going anywhere

And when the train pulled out

There was no doubt

Left in our minds

That was many years ago dear

Though they haven't all been kind

They take on a certain glow when I hear the sound

Rain falling on the ground

Easy as the rain came down

Lost in the conversation

It was hard to say goodnight

Standing at the station, tossing it all around

Easy as the rain came down...

Catching up-1

It's been two weeks that I've started working. I love the company. The people. All very nice and affable. I am trying my hands at different things here. It is good, in general. However it leaves me with zero time for meeting friends and stuff. I need to get a new bank account and I have no time to do that either. Phew.

We were working on some new designs for Ex Nihilo. New sections too. Then suddenly the other day I found out that our site has been hacked by some Iraqi hackers. I don't know for what reason or end. They deleted our entire database, which basically means we lost all our comments. Feels horrible. But there's not much that can be done now. We ought to have been more careful.

Which means we will take some time before we can get this month's issue out. I am quite disappointed because we had some lovely work I personally was dying to share with everyone. Oh well.

On the personal front there are many reasons to rejoice. I meet up with Anuj on and off at lunch or in the evening and head for a Coffee or a Subway. There's always the hurry to return to the office. But it still feels better to have friends close by. (in fact in the next tower!) The poo got the job she was looking forward to yesterday. So we were very happy and ecstatic. I managed to get out of office a little early (6ish) and we met up at Pizza hut. We ordered somethings stuffed with cheese and were set the stop watch on to see if they really served the pizza in 17 minutes. 20 minutes later they served us a kadhai chicken stuffed crust instead of a paneer. We told him this is not what we had ordered. The man went back. But we were feeling bad for him, so called him back to say, it's fine. But he insisted on giving us what we had ordered.

While we were waiting he came back with a tray of ginger breads with cheese (free!) apologising for the delay. Ha ha! :) Finally we finished the pizza. I was too full to move. Ended it with a warm brownie and vanilla. It was great food. The Pizza Hut guys are really really wonderful.