Within OUR frames

This post has been brewing as to say for weeks now.

With all my trips home, it is invariably an attempt to post some pictures and the story continuously beside.

Having written the first part (and hoping it will add some color to the post) let me get on before I decide to set it down completely.

It was altogether a bad start. After landing up in India, in just a couple of hours I had my luggage stolen. Feels great. I flew to Bangalore the next day I landed in Delhi. On our way home from the airport, we stopped to have dinner in a restaurant. After dinner we returned to find one of the the car windows broken and the bag gone. There begins my travel errand!!

This is from our trip to Tirumala. In one way or the other, visiting some temple town is always on the cards when I am in India.

Divya and I in the jeep in a state of impatient expectancy about our road trip through the seven hills.

The chilly freshness of the place surpasses every other excellence. I wanted to stop in and take some pictures but the driver didn’t conceive it as a wise thing.

With the many advertisements about leopards and wild elephants, it was a close call to realizing my safari dream to the extent that I had my fingers crossed to seeing some wildlife. We drove through for about 3 hours and luckily saw nothing.

This is a very shaken picture of Appa but one I liked the best… a very gleeful him talking about his first trip to these hills with my mother after their wedding. Hmm sweet memories ..fine let me save him the unease and say no further.

In bus only the two of us. Amma, Appa and Annu were doing the customary-last-minute-buying. Being a parent (yes one day I am going to be one) ..why is it that we grow up but they don’t. Like Appa asking the driver to take care of us. It was amusing. In a while the driver peacefully locked us inside and went for a stroll.

Anyhow he was really nice. 1. he drove us right up to our bus back to Bangalore. He drove with just the 5 of us. We told him if he waits long we will miss our next bus. 2. he bought us verkadalai. When people are nice I find them unexpectedly very nice. May be because I am immune to such niceties… well people are good and kind in north too.

Our next visit was to Shravanabelagola. It was all planned very suddenly the same morning. We had intended to drive to my father’s native village that day. It was just an afterthought as all of us were surprisingly up by 4 AM and running.

This one is a pick from that morning’s 5-o’clock-photo- shoot. It is so with Appa and Divya, never tired of taking pictures. Thanks to them we are thoroughly bored of our repeated pictures.

I and Annukutti on the top of the hill in Shravanabelagola ..and my second misgiving

Just after this picture, aware(ingly) I leaned back resting on the poles. In a sudden jolt one of the vertical poles came loose. My vigil was only through chance that day. It WAS daunting for a moment. They did have warning boards but I happen to see them a little late. Seems I was in store of lot of luck

This is our sole surviving picture. Not a great photo but like said the only one with all of us in it. With our continuing attempt to have a appeasing photo together, I now appreciate anything close to it.

We continued to my father’s village from here. The place is a natural spree ..paddy fields, coconut groves, sugarcane stalks, banana plants.

Living in Delhi I have been here only occasionally. My school vacations were mostly about coming to Bangalore. In the last years those visits grew seldom too.

I miss the oldies… the river, the smell of burning wood, the temple festivities, the long walks to the bus stand, nights slept in open watching the sky and the fireflies. I wonder if there is another such place with so many fireflies.

This was on the day before Divya flew back to UK.. saying bye to friends and family.

Here the devil in disguise ..Annukutti for her school annual function performance.

This is my other best picture. I thought she looked really nice with all the crazy make up but then ONLY I thought. As put, the black-n-white effect is more appealing and I better comply along rather risk open fire.

Amma and Appa on Karthika Deepam. So has been my trip home. It is us so far. In our world. The nearest it will be his and later ours.

Home is where the heart is. I miss them ..more and more frequently these days. The same, being there is nice only for a couple of days… the novelty wears off. I am like a fish out of water restless to get back to a life I have spun without them. They understand.

Yes as Ayn Rand says loving is exception making. Ok my mind wanders too much..