How I Grew Up With This Nature - 13
- Year 2009! -

By Devaraj Takhellambam *

Wake up and shine on!!! The bells are already ringing...Go and wash your face...Boys and girls. Happy October 2009!!!

I am here in Bangalore and still here today. Now I can say - my soul lives here.. Every other weekend, I will make myself available just to meet my girl. Days gone by too fast. I am not sure if I will ever moved out from this city. It appears to me like the city is a second home for me now..

Athou and Abraham will call me on the weekends for swimming. We would go to the pool at Jayanagar..It is a nice place and specially, the nostalgic attachment we have since our college days brings us to this same place whenever we wanted to go swimming...I remember the day during college when we decided that we will go swimming..

We were truly excited not by the fact that we are going to swim but because we are going as a band and just wanted to see how this world of swimming looks likes..I would say, the journey was more important than the swim, the masala dosa we ate from a hotel at Jayanagar, the by two tea we drank is still in memory and still far tastier than today. What a time! Do you remember any such incidents in life? I am sure you would have.

Right after the swimming, we decided to go to Athou's house for lunch. He lives in JP Nagar. On the way, Abraham will buy a kilogram of fresh apple just to make apple juice and he would drink it with soda..He loves it !! On the other days of swimming, we decided to go to an Andhra restaurant and eat the so called "la-da-thaba" spicy meals.

I am not so fond of spicy foods but I enjoyed every time I go with them....With a happy stomach and smiling faces we came out of the restaurant just to find that our bikes were missing..Oh Mama!!! Can you imagine after a hefty meal and sleepy eyes, you find your bike missing!!!

The truth is we parked the vehicle at the "no-parking" area and our extremely dutiful traffic police officers were probably truly excited to see the misconduct and hence carried away the innocent bikes. We enquired the shopkeepers the whereabouts of the traffic station and where we can find them. We took an auto carefully taking care of the bulging stomach and headed to the traffic police station at Jayanagar..

One fine morning, we decided to go for morning walk at the Lalbagh garden..It is a gigantic garden where you can spend the entire day looking at the faunas. We would just go for a walk round the lake and talk about the little species and "this world" and what not. Things have changed much...

After the walk, we would go to a nearby south Indian restaurant and eat the host masala dosa and bada....what a taste!!! I just can't forget the taste of it and especially when you eat with your friends, it gives an extra taste....the garam chai is just superb!!!!. Guys, if you have been living a monotonous life, I say make a plan; go out with your friends for a morning walk - just like that :)

The wind was sober, flapping on my face giving me a sharp feeling of getting connected with the nature...I took a sip of my favorite evening tea and went up to the terrace. I can see the sun setting in; the beauty of the streams of shaded lights traversing in the sky bringing a sigh of longings of whatever it is...

It is the same beautiful scenery that I saw when I was a little kid too. It brings back the memories of the old days when we were happier of everything...I took a walk around the little terrace just enjoying the beauty of the sun set...The birds are chirping and flying back to their nests...some of them still flying high free of all..freely..Do you see them in your imaginary vision right now..flying freely..

Every weekday, I would sit on the cab that the company provides to pick us up and drop back home. Sitting in the cab, I would just look out at the window and just enjoy the scenery, be it the road, the traffic, people crossing the road, beautiful girls and what not.

The other day, looking out of the cab, something struck me bringing back the memories from the past. During the ride to the office, I see those two loving boy and girl in a bus stop, probably waiting for the bus or whatever. They were talking, smiling, laughing with great energy and curiosity giving a vibe of positive energy to each other. I say, they were really having a good time in a simple way that they could.

Have you been missing such moments in life? I do and when I look back, it was just gone. But what keeps me alive is that I can still take time out, fall into the love with each other and just celebrate the being of togetherness, sharing the joy and just live life...Go on guys and take some time out for your near and dear ones...you will realize one day how meaningful it is and will admire the rest of the days...I am going now..

I just celebrated my Birthday on 13'Th Sep last month and have been pretty busy attending other BD parties of friends and so. This time, on my BD, I went out for a romantic date with my girlfriend. She gifted me a nice gift that I really liked. We went for a candle light dinner and I was trying to act really a cool guy through out.

I was like- you know, I am going to buy this car and that. And you have been the most inspiring person I have met in life, the one who helps me realize my strength and stuffs like that. How much she means to me and I just couldn't imagine my life without you.. May be I was right but I would be too shy to commit the real truth now- boys and girls!!!

As I keep repeating, the last quarter of the year is the real days of joy and happiness for me. Somehow, I really love to spend my days in an ecstatic way around this time.. Abraham got married on 14'Th of September and he is happier now.

Now, whenever, I talk to him, he keeps talking about the procedure and the processes of a wedding ceremony. I am sure he is treating his wife well. Lucky you dude and congratulations on your marriage and wish you a very happy married life...we are getting older!!!

Last weekend, I went to Athous place and we made veg burger and omlette and he prepared his most favorite English tea for breakfast. He likes English tea and American coffee- his best! That was awesome. Athou and Abraham have become very spiritual in the past few years. They have been religiously and ethically praising the Lord for all the good deeds and they have become really nice human beings now. And I am proud of them.

But the truth is sometimes, I feel little awkward to be like this as myself( not changing too much on the spiritual side) and being with them as I miss those good old times with them like it used to be- yeah those old days like the bad guys type, you know.

They no longer drink, smoke, and all that sort of bad things...I say you should learn from them..I really feel the joy of how important to have friends like them..They guide you, pinch you, make fun of you, call you out for anything and still they are really great. I think I am blessed..You guys are great dude!! And lastly, I believe in God too.

Life isn't so bad my dear frens!! Last year, I was taking care of my face. Today, my hair is all gone!! Is it a natural phenomenon or something?. I mean, I use shampoos, a good face wash and wear an aromatic perfume that makes all the girls crazy man!! The bitter truth is that we are getting older every minute and I can't run away from me no more. Sigh!

Feels like going to my home town and stay there for a while ......It has been really long....really really long..I miss those original magical mist of the winter of my Emma Leibak..dont you?

"To the world you might be one person,
but to one person you might be the world."