Are u alright ???

‘Are u alright ?’ …. She asked as she waved her hand before my face.

It must have been around 3 – 4 minutes, since I was quiet. But I wasn’t quiet aware of it. Sitting before her, with my chin resting on my palm propped up on the table, I was lost, or so it seemed to her.

‘oh yeah! Why do you ask ?’
‘What happens to you suddenly?’ I could sense the concern in her voice …
“hey nothing, trust me”
‘huh !! but you shut off unexpectedly, when you were just full on minutes before, about your trip last week’
‘chill, there’s seriously nothing’
.
.
.
And so it went for few more minutes, after which I was full on again just to be quiet again. I was meeting her after so long and I just wanted to get absorbed by that wonderful feeling, still something seemed amiss.
.
.
As I sat in the auto, on my way back, wisps of thoughts began to float inside me.

But what is so wrong in being quiet? Why silence is considered an abnormality?
Why is it taken as a synonym of either egotism or stupidity? What is it that is so scary
about silence? Wonder what is there that makes people feel intimidated by it.
I mean, why a conversation can’t comprise of silence too, just as it comprises of all
the other essentials.

Is it really important for two people meeting after so long, to chat endlessly and may be sometimes mindlessly? Why can’t we revel in just being in each other’s company? What’s the rush about? Why does it have to always end up as a contest of who speaks the most ?

I guess too much has been made out of the term “communication skills”. And we just
seem to apply it everywhere. There kind of exists an insecurity within us. As if we’ll lose or will be left behind all alone, if we don’t speak. And barring those few closest of the pals, we constantly seem to be working on our PR while talking, and so consciously or unconsciously a part of us becomes what we never are .

But there are relations and there are moments, which I’m sure everyone of us must have experienced, where and when its just the listening which does the talking, which affirmates the bond and which makes the moments unforgettable.
Listening to the presence of the other which says ‘I’m there for you forever’. Listening to the heart which says ’whenever you’ll look for me you’ll find me right there’. Listening to those dreamy eyes which say ‘what would I have been without you !!’. And subsequently, allowing the smiles to embrace and touch to inspire.

voices ..

It’s kinda strange …. mmm well this was how I could put my first few words by the time I got down to write this.
But then its really strange … ‘coz whenever I pause to take a look at my life and the intangible ‘forces’ holding it or lets say giving a shape to it I can just hear voices.

“Hey Adi (lots of giggles from both the sides)”
” Haan, …. Didiji ”

“bolo beta …. ”

“Jai Shri Mataji …. And lots of giggles again”

“Hanji …………. ”

In less than two months from now I’d be completing my first year in Mumbai.
And if I “survived” I think the credit goes to these (ok ok, I am being modest, I take some for myself as well).
Coz for a newcomer, in this city already teeming with millions of hearts, the chances, that yours do not skip a beat is next to impossible. Well at least mine did …….

Wait a minute …….. before this turns out to be a wonderful idea for Hutch or Airtel, lemme be sure that you are taking these voices as.

Nothing new in it, in fact, it’s a sight as common as people spitting on……. forget it ….every where. A small piece of indispensable invention which many of us in most of our spare time seem to be clutching to and holding close to our ears, straining, so as not to get deprieved of even a single word.

Sometimes it’s like from the moment I leave office, until I reach home I am with it and through it to those voices. It doesn’t matter at all whether I am getting in or out of an over-crowded bus or still never stuffed locals, whether I am dodging my way amongst the humanity which just got down at the station or simply catching a rick.

It seems, until now the divine has chosen only voices (and not people exactly) for me in this city. Voices to share my day, my experiences, my (mis)adventures or even my crazy ideas with, voices to get friends with, voices to fight with, voices to respect and yes, voices to even fall for.

A few of these have been the ones who have helped me see through a lot of others.
Those which had no soul but whom I still gave a second thought. Voices which were never true but deceived me in to believing otherwise. Some showed hope, some showed dreams, some made me smile and some even made me wonder.

Nevertheless, it’s been the voices that have helped me take decisions, take stands, follow my heart and in the process made me the person I am today.

‘Hey one sec guys …… I’ve got a call …….. will finish it later ……’




P.S : The only companies who seemed to have benefited from these seem to be Hutch (oops Vodafone), Airtel and Idea.