I have been musing on this topic for too long and I think it’s high time I give my lazy brains some exercise. I’m sitting on my bed on the eve of Diwali with nothing to do. This is the fourth time God has decided to keep me away from the festive mood as my friends are busy bursting crackers with their family members. I lit a few diyas inside my house and stood on my 8th floor balcony for a couple of minutes to look at the celebrations and smile, reminiscing my childhood days of burning sparklers and flower pots in Aizawl with my parents, brother and neighbors who would join us in spite of the fact that it wasn't their festival. I guess the true spirit of secularism is seen only when you live among people who do not speak your mother tongue and do not have the same religious and cultural practices as you do. It allows you to appreciate the beauty in diversity and gives you the feeling of belongingness to every state and religion in your country and maybe even the world. I remember spending my last Diwali in Atlanta, which turned out pretty good for me. You wouldn't miss Thanksgiving in India, would you? It doesn't really matter when you do not have to try to amuse yourself with music, movies and internet while others around you are having a great time and not with you!
It’s not really that bad you know. I never realized that coming to this city would actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Pune to Bangalore looked like a distant possibility three months back. Probably, my last month in Pune presented itself with nothing different, but it turned out to be really special because that was when I realized what this city meant to me. I was too busy complaining about everything around me to notice that the place had actually become my home. This is where I took the first steps of my independence and seized control of my own life. My first job was here. I owned my first vehicle here. I remember reading my blog “Outside The Blue Window” where I expressed my desire to get a two-wheeler and I actually made that happen! I cannot forget those trips to all the beautiful places surrounding Pune- Sinhagad, Lonavala, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Mulshi, Raigad and Torna. Nor can I forget the numerous visits to HRC, 1000 Oaks (\m/), The Hidden Place, Big Wheels Cafe and SWG. These are much more than just pubs and bars to me. Learning to appreciate different genres of music helped me connect with many people and make new friends, be it just for the sake of sharing songs or simply chatting. My team-mates and group of office friends in Pune made work a place worth looking forward to. And outside work, there was one person who never refused to drive me to any place, my favorite of those being Sus Road, where I’d find the peace and quiet to revive myself for the rest of the week. The day I had to say my final goodbye to Pune, I didn't want to leave. After being dropped home from my farewell party, I wished that time would actually stand still. I know it’s nothing new I’m saying or rather nothing which hasn't been said before, but sometimes you just end up wanting things in spite of knowing you can never get them.
My next stop was the Lushai Hills of course! I managed to steal a day from my parents’ busy schedule to take a tour of one of the most beautiful places in the city. It was KV Paradise, a lovely white monument constructed by a man in honor of his wife who had passed away in a car accident. People there sometimes call it Sang Mahal (Sang in Mizo means “high” or “tall”) after our very own Taj Mahal. Of course you can guess why. We were lucky to have had the perfect weather to visit this place- thick clouds with light drizzles. On our way back home, we stopped near a waterfall to wash our car. Only after we were done with it did we notice a signboard saying that washing cars there wasn't allowed. But that just made it more fun! However Aizawl wasn't just hills and scenery for me this time. Every time I visit home, I go with a resolution to make myself useful but I end up lazing around. It was different this time. I was involved in every possible task, right from working on my aunt’s thesis to assisting my parents in their college related work and doing all kinds of household chores to cooking meals for everyone. My mother actually asked me to stop working. She said she’d miss me more if I helped her. It is one of the most precious things I've heard her say to me.
Bangalore wasn't a very welcome change for me, especially because I was thrown from the comforts of home to a place where I’d have to start my life from scratch. I wasn't very sure about leaving Pune either, and all these thoughts kept coming in the way of the excitement which is usually associated with something new. The acceptance came slowly and steadily, but I finally managed to make this place home too. After all the efforts spent in searching for a house and flat-mates, setting up my room, getting my two-wheeler back in form, driving it to work, learning the bus routes to several places and doing most of this on my own, a bond had to develop. But there was something I needed to have all these done, and that was time. This was given to me by my new job just so that I’d settle down. Also, I couldn't have done this without my old friends who were always available to pacify me when I was disturbed, in spite of not being physically present in Bangalore. When I look at my life today, I do not find myself alone in spite of not going out too often. I and my flat-mates cook for each other. We have a cute little goldfish and take turns in feeding it. We discuss diet regimes and eat a lot of popcorn. We try our hands at making crafts with colored paper to decorate the house. I have a list of the things I'm planning to buy to accessorize our flat. I get a smile and sometimes even a small conversation from the security guards who know me by now because of all my house-hunting. And of course, I still have all my friends in and outside Bangalore to give me company even if it is just an SMS, a ping on my messenger window or a phone call. I have the Idiot Box and F.R.I.E.N.D.S. to make me smile when I feel low. I have music which remains with me in the best and worst of times. I have rekindled my friendship with some people and made some new friends to engage in retail therapy whenever time permits. I guess I can’t start naming places as I did when I was talking about Pune, but I’m sure I will have a list of my favorite spots in Bangalore too in a couple of months.
In the midst of all this, I realized that I’m not as bad in dealing with change as I thought I was. Being alone in Diwali doesn't sound gloomy anymore, does it?
