The RaSa way

To begin with, joining RaSa was a way for me to get back to dancing towards the end of the pandemic, little did I know that this would become so much more to me than just a dance class. 

What started as a way to spend my weekend (after all what do single men, who don’t drink, is not much of party person, and is kind of socially awkward) indulging myself doing something I love to do (other than running), has become something of a necessity, that’s taken a deeper meaning for me.

It’s not just a class where I go to learn to dance. In many ways it has a deeper and more passionate and personal meaning to me. It is my happy and safe place, my own little family, people I look forward to meeting and spending time with and most importantly learning together and from each other.

For me RaS has become what for the longest time what MRR used to mean to me, a community, a family.

RaSa for me is Raoul, the x-factor. When he’s teaching be sure you’ll be in for  something interesting, something complex, something challenging, but absolutely awesome. You’ll be learning a choreo that will challenge, that will push you out of comfort zone. But when you get it boy you will be grateful for it. He’s someone who can teach you the intricacies of a step, who has the patient to guide till you get there, but someone who will challenge what you know and help you be a better and confident social dancer. 

RaSa is Sangeeta, or Sangu as we fondly call her. She’s the glue that binds it all. She is the heart of RaSa. If Raoul is the feature ingredient then Sangu is the sauce that brings it all together, that elevates the dish. Her passion and love for dance pours out from every pore of her being and on to the dance floor, in the way she teaches. 

Shes teaches from her heart but by no way is she a softie. She will cheer you on, even pat you and give you a high five and get all  excited when you get it right, but will not shy away from scolding you and even whacking you if you are goofing around or going off the beat. But that’s her love and passion, and shows how much she cares. She’s someone who’s so damn awesome that you can’t help but be totally in awe with her, feel her love and passion. Someone I love to bit, someone who I am eternally grateful for and feel blessed to call my dear mentor and friend.

One thing what both Sangu and Raoul try to inculcate in their lessons is that dancing is much more than steps and musicality. It’s about treating your partner rightly and respectfully and respecting their space and not going a creepszoid on them. It’s about being aware of your partner and making them be comfortable and not creeped out, while dancing, something we can so easily apply to life.

Finally, RaSa for me is Mimi, Rinku, Gagan, Ryan, Surbhi, Avani, Gaurav, Yash, and so many of fellow dancers. People who are not just dance buddies, but who are also dear friends. People who I miss when I miss class or they miss class. People who I share hi-fives and jumping for joy when you get the step or sequence right, when you get a pat from Sangu instead of the traditional whack.  People who give you feedback and help you when you struggle. People who are there to support each other.

So to conclude, RaSa is not just a place I go to learn dancing. It’s more than just two people coming together to teach dancing, or people coming together to learn dancing. It’s more than just learning dancing. RaSa is an emotion, a group and bound together for their love of dance and happiness of each other’s company brings. RaSa is happiness, expressed through dance.

Mamma Mia

For someone who has been brought up listening to ABBA, who absolutely loves and adores them, even enjoyed the movie, it’s a no brainer that when you get the chance to witness the Broadway musical based on their music, you just go for it. 

Yes, there’s no Meryl Streep, or Christine Bransky, or Mrs Weasley, I mean Julie Christie (damn I do hope I got the name right), but you are going for your love of ABBA, the actors just bring their song to life. 

So you went for it for your love of ABBA, for the love of musicals, for the love of song and dance, and sure as hell, the show didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was freakin awesome!!!!!

In many ways it reminded you why we need music and dance in our lives, cause without song or dance what are we (to borrow a line from Thank You for the Music). In many ways a song can bring us joy, it can move us, make us forget our cares for another day.

So in those few hours you leave your worries  behind and transport yourself to the isle of Greece, to sing and dance to songs you love so much, that are beloved to all. 

You just can’t help but sing along to every song cause you know the lyrics to every song, like the back of your hand. You tap your feet to the music and sport a broad smile. You even tear up a bit, moved by the ones that hold a special meaning to you. 

These are the songs which you have grown up listening to and you still do. Somewhere you feel sorry for a generation who would never know and never care for these songs.

You get all caught up in the euphoria, the energy with which the actors and performers sing and dance. And this euphoria and energy is contagious, and it wraps everyone in it.

Soon you realise that you aren’t the only person singing along and tapping your feet. There are many in the audience who are doing the same, enjoying every minute of the musical.

Though the sets weren’t as grand and elaborate as they were for The Sound of Music and The West Side Story, they served the purpose and let the musical pieces be the star. 

Everything was just the way it was meant to be, right from the singing, to the choreography, to the lighting, to the orchestra, to every musical sequence. You knew you were in for a treat when the orchestra belts tunes from the show and you can’t  help yourself and sing a long, getting all excited about what is to come. Though you wished there were less talking and more of the musical numbers, but then these were just minor quibbles.

The actors sang, danced and acted amazingly. In fact, it caught me by surprise the number of time the men were bare-chested, but hey who’s complaining about that, we all need a sight for sore eyes.

Everything felt right, full of energy, fun and entertaining. And the energy on stage drifted off it and into the audience who were already having a wonderful time. They cheered and clapped and tapped their feet and sang along enthusiastically. In fact they radiated way more energy than all the spectators of the recent cricket World Cup final combined.

By the time the show reached its encore they were up on your feet, cheering and dancing and singling along. And you couldn’t help but join them, enthusiastically clapping and dancing and singing along to Dancing Queen and Waterloo.

I can’t quite remember when was the last time I had this much fun watching a musical (well I think it was when I had gone to see the movie).

When it came to the end you couldn’t stop cheering and hollering and screaming and clapping, things that are so you. It was the most fun you had ever had in a very long time. You didn’t want it to end. How you wished  it to go on and on. You loved every single moment. You loved how it made you forget all that was troubling, that was stressing you. You loved how it made you feel. You were grateful by the end of it.

You just wanted more and more.

Now all you wanted to do was sing and dance and write and talk about how love this musical and how you ready to see it all again!!!!

Overthinking at the speed of light

Have you wondered if there’s anything that’s faster than the speed light? There probably might not be one! But have you ever considered the speed at which an overthinker overthinks? It may not be faster, for sure, but its speeds comparatively fast (or so I think).

It doesn’t take much to get an overthinker to overthink, just put them in a situation, or tell them something, or just give them a task, or better still, let them find themselves in one, and see how fast their mind goes racing, albeit in loops, round and round, going nowhere. 

And don’t make the mistake of tell them not to overthink, you’ll be sending them down a spiral of overthinking.

They can’t help themselves thinking and analysing every situation from every possible angle, often coming up with the worst case scenarios (the best case scenario never does exist in their mind), or not even coming to a conclusion, causing them to stress and overstress, more than the actual situation/scenario/ whatever you perceive it to be.

Everything  goes through loops and loops of analysing and overanalysing a thousand times before the mind kinds of settle (though I really don’t think an overthinker has a calm mind). And never does their analysis ever lead them to considering the best scenario, it always what could possibly go wrong, or down the least creative path. Making them the eternal pessimist, always doubting and stressing, always overthinking. Always having the cogs in their brains churning at warp speeds. 

Never quite bothering about the harm they cause themselves. Never quite realising the hurt they inflict on others. Never quite letting them live the life they deserve to live or do things freely without thinking about consequences (even there’s none). Never letting them enjoy life the way it’s meant to be. Never letting them strengthens bonds and relationships. Never quite letting them reach their true potential.

Thus it’s safe to say that even though there may not be anything faster than the speed of light, the speed at which an overthinker overthinks comes quite close. 

But do be kind to an overthinking mind and help them find a way out of that endless loop they, cause very often they struggle to help themselves.

.. don’t cry over spilled milk!!!

Life is full of moments once gone will never return. Moments never in one’s control, no matter how hard we try.

We are human, and as humans we are bound to make mistakes, no matter how hard we try, no matter how careful we are. Mistakes are bound to happen, and once done there’s nothing we can do to undo them. 

What we can only try and do is accept it and move on, and we can try to lessen their impact. But we need to learn to move on. 

There’s no use beating ourselves about it. We will never be able to undo what’s done, just like how hard we may try, we can never make someone love us. You’ve got just let go and move on. But learn from it otherwise it would be a waste of a mistake that’s bound to happen once again.

You are going to fall, you’re going to get hurt. You are going to suffer heartaches and heartbreaks (and may even break hearts along the way), you’re going to shed a few tears (ok make it a lot of tears). You are going to question and have self-doubts, have those nerves get the better of you. You are always going to feel you’re not enough, cause there’s never enough.

You are always going to feel you’re not earning enough, always going to have those money woes, unable to save, wondering if you would ever have enough of money. 

You’ll always going to be a bit envious of those who you feel do.

Take a deep breath, it’s going to be alright, you’re going to be alright. You’re going to survive no matter what comes your way. Life maybe challenging but you’re up to the challenge. Life maybe be tough and rough, but when the going gets tough, the tough gets tougher. When the going gets rough, the tough get rough.

You’re going to fall, so just pick yourself, dust yourself off and move on. You’ll be alright, you’ll always find way to be alright.

So don’t fret, don’t overthink (like you’re ever going to stop doing it), just move on, cause in life there’s no use in crying over spilled milk!!!

I’ll be there for you…

It’s strange how one death can move you so much, can leave you with this sadness, this ache, that you feel the need to mourn them, to remember them, even write post about them. This then being someone you have never met in person, and it still feels like your own. Someone who you’ve only seen on the television, and still feel like they were your closest FRIEND.

Their passing has left this gaping hole, as if you’ve lost on of your own, someone dear to you.

They may have been a flawed and broken soul, with their own set of problems, with their own set of addictions. But despite this all you still embraced them cause their flaws made them human, their flaws made them relatable, their struggles and weaknesses made them human, maybe not like you and me. But in their acknowledgment of their struggles, their weaknesses, their brokenness, and their seeking out help, they became a someone more human and not a mere character, not a mere celebrity, a symbol of hope for those who felt lost and lonely, in this world.

Yes they will always be remembered for the laughter they brought us, their sarcasm, their wit, their funniness, their love ability. But something we will never forget how they helped us during the days we felt low, how they made us laugh when we felt depressed and wanted to cry, when we desperately needed a lighter moment in the drudgery around us, needed a pick me up when things didn’t always seemed to go our way, a warm blanket of happiness that we could go to when we ever needed a snuggle. That’s what the show meant to us, that’s what the character meant to us. 

There will be so many such moments that we could watch over and over again, still never get enough. There will be so many still so many memorable quotes that we will treasure with us forever. And though there maybe those who may not understand our addiction and devotion towards the show and it reruns, we will never care for those.

And still this is not what they would want us to remember them by. They would be wanted to be remembered as someone although broken and weak and with their own demons, but still someone who reached  out help to get them through, to rescue them, and then passed it on by helping others in need, people just like them, going through their own struggles, helping to fight their demons and helping them get over their addiction.

In the end, they would always want to be remembered and will forever be remembered as that friend who’ll be there for you, when the rains starts to pour.

.. and forever hold your tongue!!!

“Speak now or forever hold your peace”, asks the priest if anyone has any objection to the couple from being joined in marriage. How you wish you could say the same to the people in your life (whether you actually want them there or not), but rather than asking them to hold their peace you would rather have them hold their tongue.

These are especially for the ones who are more bothered about your life than their own life (proving they have nothing good  happening in their life). 

The ones who’s only purpose in life is to keep a tab on your and know whats happening in your life and poke their nose where it does not belong. Who are more bothered with what you are doing, as if it’s their reason for living, as if the happenings of your life is the oxygen they need to breathe, to survive, to thrive.

The ones who believe in the adage that ladka-ladki kabi dost nahin ho sakta, making you wonder which world are they living in, which century are they from? Or maybe they’ve watched one too many Rajshri/Sooraj Bhrajatiya movies. 

The ones who love to pair people, or gossip about people just because they hang about together, or train together, or a seen together. Although they may claim that there’s no smoke without fire, but when there’s no fire what’s the use of going about looking for smoke.

Then there are the ones who have nothing better to do in life than to indulge in gossip and rumours. For them gossip is a source of entertainment, a source that keeps them ticking, keeps them going, makes life interesting. But what’s entertaining for them can be a source of distress to another. Their words can prove detrimental, negative and sometimes even fatal. 

There are the ones who are opinionated, and need to make it known to others whether they want it or not. They are always wanting to make their point of view known to others.

Oh how you wish these people could keep their words, their opinions, their gossips to themselves, especially when it’s not needed, when it’s not called for, when it begins to affect mentally because you struggle to shake it off or ignore their actions and words, and sometimes it gets to you and affects your mental well being. 

Oh how you wish these people would just shut up and keep their opinions to themselves and be more interested their own lives rather than what’s happening in the lives of others, what’s happening in your life and what your doing. But then if you look at it this way maybe your life is way more better than their own pathetic one.

Oh how the world would be better place if they just held their tongue… forever!

In your city

It feels strange to be in the same city 

Where we first met in person

Where we consummated our love

Strengthened our bond 

And not meet you 

Every place brings back a memory

Of the place we have been to

And although it’s been well over a year

These memories are still fresh in my mind 

Each place reminds me 

Of the moments we spent together 

Of the memories we made

The love we expressed to each other 

And although we are no longer together 

I wonder if you are thinking of me too

And although I believe I have moved on

I can’t help but wonder

If you are missing me too

And though I know I have tried to move on

Somewhere deep inside me I miss you

Somewhere I hope to run into you

To see you 

To see how you are doing 

If you are doing fine

If you are doing well

If you have moved on too

Or if you even know and think of me too

And though I know it’s not possible

And not healthy for me too

I just hope one day I will meet you

In the place where we met for the first time 

Where it all began 

When I was in your city!!!

We may be ordinary… but we inspire!!!

I am nothing special 

In fact I am a bit a bore

I am nothing special 

Just another ordinary bloke

But in my ordinariness 

I find a way to inspire others

I don’t have to do anything special 

I haven’t to do anything grand

I don’t have to make a great deal of it

I have to just be me

The simple, ordinary me

Just go about doing the things I do

Do things I would normally do 

The way I would normally do it 

Nothing out of the ordinary 

Nothing extraordinary 

Never intentionally doing anything 

But still in all the simplicity 

All the ordinariness of my action

I’ll never know who I might inspire

Who I might motivate

Who you want I might save 

I don’t need to do anything

I don’t have to be anyone else

I just need to be me

Who I am meant to be

And you never who I might save

You don’t need to do anything extraordinary 

I just need to be myself

Let my simplicity shine through

And there’s no telling

Who may need this light

To find their way 

When they find themselves lost 

In the labyrinths of life

Stumbling in the darkness

Searching for a  spark to light up their way

And they may find that light in you

And you don’t have to anything extraordinary 

You don’t have to do anything out of the ordinary 

You don’t have to make an attempt

To influence others

You just have to be you 

And let the light within you shine through 

Lighting up the way for those who are lost

Lighting up the way for those who need it

So you may think you’re nothing special 

You may think you’re a bore 

Just an ordinary bloke

But you never know might inspire!!!

Age… just another number!!!

“Age is just a number”

“You are as old as you feel”

.. the things we tell ourselves just to calm ourselves, not to go into tailspin, a nose dive because we are growing old.

These are words we use to reassure ourselves, just to hold on to our youth, to hold on to an age that’s slowly slipping through our fingers.

Is this a lie, or a simple white lie we tell ourselves? But in the end isn’t it a lie nonetheless! 

Are we trying to reassure ourselves that we can hold on to our youthfulness no matter what our age is? No matter the age you’ll always be young at heart.i

Sadly the heart has other things to say on this matter, has another point of view, and may not always share the same thought process, may not see the things the way you do.

You may think you’re 16 but then that’s not what your body knows it is. It many not follow your chain of thoughts and behave accordingly.

But then there’s always a positive way to see aging rather than lamenting about growing old. And hey, growing old cannot be all that bad. 

You can always look at it this way, you are moving up a level, you’re changing your age category where you don’t have to be bracketed with younger millennials, you’re getting more experienced.

If change is the only constant in life then why not accept that our age is going to change with each passing day, each passing moment. So why not accept that our body will go through changes as we age.

But that doesn’t mean we just let go of ourselves and accept the aging process. That doesn’t mean we should stop doing what we do. We may not be able to do the things way we did it before, with the same energy, but that doesn’t mean we will never be able to do these things at all. 

We need to learn to adapt, we need to learn to train ourselves, we need to accept change, and  adapt ourselves to the change. We need to learn to grow.

We need to learn to treat our bodies, ourselves, with love and respect. Nourish it, take care of it, pamper it, and it will reward you in return.

You may even end up being the envy of others, end up going one up on your naysayers, proving them wrong. 

Seeing how fit you are you may have many hoping to be as fit as you when they reach your age (take this as a compliment, don’t overthink and spoil it), they wish they were as fit as you.

So once you take care of yourself you needn’t have to tell yourself all these, you’ll be a living proof that age is just a number.

Hey there September!!!

Hey there September!!!

I didn’t see you creep in!

When did you get here???

How have you’ve been???

Has it been nine months already 

With just three more to go???

Well it’s not nine quite yet 

And so it’s four more months to the year

To think of it, We share the same number , 

That is the number 9

That’s the month of the year 

And the date of my birth

That would mean I am born in September 

You think what a duh like me

But then that’s me 

This makes another special 9 to me

Which makes us September borns

A group of warm people 

Cause we are born out of the warmth

Needed on those cold winter’s days 

Or so, I presume 

Anyway you will always be special to me

A month that I look forward to

And that’s not  because I want to grow older

And none the wiser

No one really wants to grow older these days

A sort of Peter Pan syndrome 

Irrespective, you’ll always be dear to me

And I don’t think I need any more reasons

To look forward to and fall in love with you 

And this year you’ve brought me hope

A chance to start something new

A new opportunity to learn and grow

Another chance at love 

Or just take thing slow and hope for the best 

And for that I am grateful to you

So, hey there September 

Welcome here

And thank you bringing in the birthday cheer!!!

It’s a Trust-Fall

Life’s a trust-fall

You’ve got to close your eyes

And leave it all behind

Never wondering if there’s someone there

To catch you, to hold you 

When you fall 

But trusting someone will eventually be there for you 

And won’t let you hit the ground

Would be able hold on to you 

And break your fall

You’ve got to close your eyes 

And leave it all behind

It’s trust-fall baby

Leave behind all the pain

The overthinking that drives us insane

The hurt that leaves you never the same 

The ones who caused you the hurt

The hurt  you may caused, your regrets 

You’ve got to let go of it all

If you want to soar

You’ve got to let go to heal 

To stop the wounds inflicted 

From festering and poisoning

Leave behind the hurt you once knew

To discover and begin a new you

You’ve got to close your eyes

And leave it all behind 

It’s a trust-fall baby 

Never wondering if there will someone to hold you

Someone to hold onto 

Someone who will be able to catch you 

Or if there’s ground below 

Or would it be free falling 

But you’ve got trust you’ll be ok

You’ll be alright

You’ll heal from the hurt you leave behind

And even if there no one to hold you

You’re going to be just fine

So close your eyes 

And leave it all behind 

Cause it’s a trust- fall baby

West Side Story

For me West Side Story has always been about the choreography and the dancing and those dresses, those beautiful dresses that just come to life with every leap and every twirl. It has been less about the music as the only songs I could remember from the movie was “I Feel Pretty” and “America”, and much later I fell in love with “Somewhere”. It wasn’t a movie that I had seen in childhood, in fact the first time actually saw the film was in the 2000s. Although it was not as beloved to me as the Sound of Music, it was still a movie that I loved.

So watching the Broadway musical was a no brainer, after all when would you get to experience Broadway, or at least most part of it, without having to travel to New York, but in our very own good old Mumbai. And after watching Sound of Music, there was no way I was going to miss watching another gem here.

And in the end, for the most part, it did live to expectations. It was a sublimely staged musical (something that you would expect from an international production). Be it the sets, the lights, orchestra, choreography, the costumes, the music, the story (which was something I was familiar with), the acting, the characters. everything was on point.

The songs were beautifully staged and sung, each well received by the audience, well may not be as well received as it deserved to be, as not all the songs were familiar to the audience, unless you belong to the era, or are an old soul like me. But yes every song was met with an enthusiastic applause. 

For me the standout song would definitely be Somewhere. I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have America sung by Anita and Bernardo, but instead by the ladies. Though I did also like Dear Officer Kripkee, which came as a nice relief  before the final act.

The characters were well played and well cast. For me the standout was definitely the character of Anita. She danced like with such sensual energy and fiery passion, sang so beautifully with emotion and finesse, and acted amazingly, doing justice to the actors who have played this character before, the great Rita Mareno and Arianna DiBose. The actors playing Maria and Toni had beautiful chemistry, but somewhere I felt Maria was more loud than naive and Toni was naive than having that swagger. For me Maria only came into her own in the final act.

The choreography was as amazing. It was all that I had expected to witness, and almost well executed. I say almost as I felt that there were moment when not all the dancers were sync, or achieved the same height in their leaps. Or maybe it was  just my  seat.

 But these were minor gripes of an otherwise flawlessly staged musical.

In the end it was a delightful experience that was totally worth it, and I can say (if not sing out loud, or for that matter even soft cause I am not praying)

“I feel happy, Oh so happy

I feel happy and filled with joy

Cause I got to watch 

A wonderful Broadway play”

Running that Familiar Route… from Bandra to NCPA

I didn’t realise how sorely I missed the Bandra-NCPA Training Run, after all, for better part of the years leading to the Pandemic, it was my baby. I did feel bad (read guilty) stepping away from it, but it was something that I had to do, I felt I needed to do, to avoid being stressed by something I so loved to do.

But after all this time, standing there, outside Otter’s Club made feel nostalgic and a tad bit forlorn, but also good. It felt good to be back and top of things. Well not really on the top of things, just making announcements and giving instructions, and clicking the group pictures, and whatever pictures you can click while everyone’s doing the warm-up.

So once the warm-up done, instructions given, picture taken, it’s off you go. It actually felt nice running this route, and not running alone, but with Sharad, Manu and Rohan baba, or at least you trying to first catch up with them, and then keep up with them. But then that wasn’t going to be any problem.

So while you try and catch up, you realise they have taken a different turn, something that’s not part of the route you instructed the runners, but a route that would avoid all constructions and diggings and dark patches. It’s a route you know though you’ve never done it before, except coming from the other way. At the same time you also wonder if you should have instructed other runners to do the same. But this is not a simple route to understand and would be confusing to anyone who’s unfamiliar with the Mumbai (which can be confusing, make that disorienting with all the construction).

So you continue to play catch with the people ahead while looking over your shoulders if someone followed you, worried they would get more confused.

So finally when you catch with your friends ahead, there’s another catch up you need to do (a side note, we runners run, we don’t jog), trying to catch with all the missed conversations you should have had.

Bandra has always been a beautiful place to run through, rightly owning its title, Queen of the Suburbs. So as you run past graffitis Rohan baba remarks that you should be clicking pics, and trust me I would have loved to have done this, but hey you are running, even though there have been so many time where you have stopped and clicked, but at this moment time is of the essence.

Though you are supposed to run at a steady and easy pace, you realise that the pace is quicker than you thought you would be running at, all thanks to Sharad for going quicker and Manu for keeping up with him. For our part, Rohan baba and I content at running steadily, a little behind them, enjoying the little jibber-jabber as we run steady, keeping pace with each other. So there was no complaints from me and I don’t think Rohan baba had anything to complain about, though we occasionally looked at our watches to state that we were going faster. But we still kept going on.

I have always contended that the MRR route is the way of the Gods, with all the Holy landmarks you pass, like St. Michael’s Church, Mahim Darga, Siddhivinayak Mandir, Haji Ali, Babulnath, and to some extent Mahalaxmi Temple. With this modified route you also had Mount Carmel Church and aJapanese Buddhist Temple, adding to the piousness of the route.

As you run the route you feel this sense of familiarity though so much has changed around you, leaving you a bit disoriented at times. You’ve run this route several times before (if not the exaggerated thousand times) but so much has changed making you feel a little lost, leaving you with a sense of longing to see the things you used to see, the things the way they were before, that are now hidden behind barricades and constructions. You long to see the route the way it was before, but you are also aware that change is inevitable, and for city that’s bursting at it seems, these changes, no matter how tough, are needed.

So you continue to run with Rohan baba, occasionally motivating, pushing each other, but then our dearest Rohan baba has found a better leggy pacer a few meters ahead and so picks the pace, till the pacers goes another way (only to be seen somewhere near our last water station).

The benefit of running this route is the people you meet enroute, many who you don’t see unless you run in these parts of the city. I do love running in the park and meeting friends and fellow runners who run there, but sometime I do miss running in this side of town, maybe not much because of the route, but the people you meet on the road.

Well as you make your to the final stretch from Wilson’s College to NCPA you have to dodge traffic, the vehicular and human kind. You wonder… When did these streets get so crowded on a Sunday morning? When did so many people, other than us crazy runners, take to the streets so early on  a Sunday morning? What happened to sleeping in late on a Sunday? When did this all change?

The roads and pavements from Marine Lines to NCPA are full of kids and youth and the couples and the usual riff-raf(sure makes me feel old saying this) doing Garba, or some strange dance, doing karaoke, or just flaunting their ripped physique, or performing street plays, making Reels and other along countless selfies, So in short, doing total timepass.

What should have been a carnival of runners from various running groups is now a mela of people.

So you weave your way through the crowd, trying hard not to run into people making reels, or taking selfies, or simply gawking at the runners.

You finally complete your 21k (by the time Rohan baba has also done his) so it’s just a cool down walk till you meet your MRR folks. 

It feels good to be back to a place you love so much, around friends and runners. You high five and you hug people who you’ve not seen in a long while, while indulging in some picture take outing (like we runners love doing, after all how will the world know (and if not the world then social media know) that we went for a run), cribbing about the weather (when by now you should be used to the Mumbai weather), enquiring what’s the next race you’ve registered, and shamelessly crashing into photographs like only you could do and get away with (cause you’re not that innocent).

So in the end it’s a Sunday well spent, running a familiar route that’s continuously changing, and meeting a whole loads of friends on the way. What more would runner want!!! And hey did I mention it was Friendship Day too!!!

A Second Helping of Passion

They sat there, next to each other, trying to watch a show they both would like. It was a rainy night and they were more than happy to be snug and dry and away from the pouring rains, and the noisy traffic jam way down below.

The rain created a moody, lazy climate, the perfect environment for some passionate lovemaking,and they did. They had succumbed to their desires, their passion, their cranial needs, letting their wildness and passion mingle with each other, as they devoured each other, exploring every inch of each other’s body, kissing, licking, sucking, caressing, squeezing, biting, and tasting each other. Not letting even an inch go unexplored, not letting an inch go untasted , not letting even an inch stay dry. Their body heat keeping them warm, their body now covered with sweet sweat.

They made the most of their wildness, their passion, but now they were clothed and seated there trying to decide what to watch. It wasn’t like that their passion had cooled down, it was just simmering below the surface. It wasn’t like they were spent force, they just as much liked to enjoy the calm between those wild moments.

Even though they sat next to each other, he couldn’t resist running his hands through his hair, rubbing shoulders. Like lovers who couldn’t keep their hand off each other. But they weren’t lovers. They really didn’t know what they were, cause they never thought of labelling what they had. They were two souls that connected well, that were able to bond well, and were now connected sexually too. Though at times he did wonder what they were, secretly hoping for something deeper.

He pulled him closer, and he obliged, sitting between his legs. Although he tried hard to concentrate on what was going on the screen, he felt drawn to him, a magnetic pull, a moth to the flame. He couldn’t keep himself from touching him, from playing with his hair, from kissing his neck. He didn’t want to stop, but he felt he needed to control himself.

It didn’t help that he reacted to his every touch, his every kiss, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths as he could feel his lips on his skin.

He pulled him and took him on his lap, letting him continue to kiss his neck, and all over shoulder. His every touch, his every lick, his every caress was turning him on, slowly reigniting that passion that was still very much crackling in the embers.

He removed his tee, giving him access to a wider canvas than his neck, once again letting it be explored and tasted and kisses and caressed.

He, on his part, unbuttoned his shirt, and buried his face in his chest, squeezing and kissing it and fondling like, that’s if his firm chest could be fondled. 

He bit and sucked on his nipples, like a man greedily devouring food after a fast. He sucked on his nipples like he was hoping it would miraculously lactate with sweet nectar. The more he heard him mourn and curse, the more he got turned on, the more wild he got.

He liked the feeling that he brought to his nipples, but he also felt the searing pain with each bite, with each nibble. At the same time he felt the pleasure, the need, the desire to continue. Even though he knew it would leave him feeling sore and bruised, he didn’t mind it. And even though he put a fight, his body wanted him to give in and give into his mouth. And so he alternatively moaned and cursed, taking in every moment.

As he tugged hair back, when he couldn’t take the pleasure and the pain, slowly kissing his face, and then his neck, his chest , his nipples, and moving slowly down, freeing his manhood, taking it deep within, trying not to gag, sucking, kissing, making it wet, tasting the sweet and salty nectar of his vim. The more he moaned they more he tried to suck him deeper, stopping to see his expression, which was to immaculate, a beautiful sight.

And so it went on for a few minutes, their passionate and wild expression of their desires, their kinks. This was no love making, they didn’t want to call it that or even use the L for what they had between them. They wanted to concentrate on nurturing their bond and their careers, rather than jumping on to the relationship bandwagon. Neither did they want to call this a hookup, no matter how it may seem to the world outside. It wasn’t random, and it wasn’t fleeting. They did share a bond, a liking for each other, but they had no intention of jumping the gun and taking it into a territory that would make it awkward for them.

So they hugged and kissed and let their passion burn bright, and when it came time to say good night, they hugged each other tight, letting their vibes flow through each other, mingle with each other, promising to meet again soon, but this time in a non sexual situation.

Wicked Game

It’s a wicked game we play when we make someone feel this way. It’s a wicked thing we do, when we make someone dream of you. In a world that’s constantly swiping left or right, it’s a wicked game we play.

In a world that’s either looking for a soulmate, or just a date, or just to fuck and forget, something long-term, or just a short-term casual fun, it’s a wicked game we play when we let someone believe in you.

And though we have our own agenda, our purpose, our own reason, we still play these wicked games building hope for those who believe it’s true.

We play these games by saying the words that a ear is yearning to hear, that a lonely soul’s thirsting to hear. We may not always mean it but still we say it, cause that’s the thing we do. We build hope, we build dreams, hoping and dreaming that what we are led to believe will come true, only to see them shatter into a thousand pieces. It’s a wicked game we play when we let someone hope about you.

In a world that’s enamoured by photographs and social media, by skin and toned bodies, it’s these pictures that seduces us, the pictures that draws in. But what happens when you meet but you hoped for isn’t met? It’s a game that we play to loose. It’s a wicked game of heartbreak, ending with someone being just another like on an app, just another match, just a number in your phone’s memory that’s soon going to be ghosted, that’s soon going to be forgotten.

It’s a game where we let our desires get the better of us. A game where we let our overthinking mind race ahead of us, where we let our lonely heart make us a gullible soul, easy to preyed on, a willing victim of our own choosing, turning us blind to red flags and detours, and filling our head with hope. It’s a wicked game make someone hope for you.

And even though we may know what’s in store, we gullibly let ourselves become pawns of these wicked games, players of these games.

It’s a wicked game we play when we make someone feel this way. It’s a wicked thing we do, when we make someone dream of you. In a world that’s constantly swiping left or right, it’s a wicked game we play.

Life… a Treasure

There’s so many things in life that’s worth treasuring more than money or gold, though I will confess that we can absolutely do with some money and/or gold.

Life is full of little moments and people and things that’s worth treasuring. Life itself  is a treasure. It’s the one that you have been blessed with, unique and beautiful, different from that of others, no matter how much feel it’s the same, no matter how much you try to compare it with that of others. No matter what you feel about life it’s worth treasuring. 

Every little moment is an opportunity to grow and be better, to make memories to cherish, to treasure for when days are  low and gloomy, memories that will brighten up any dullness, banish any darkness that clouds your heart, your mind. Moments once gone will never come back. Moments that you can never go back to, chances and opportunities that you may miss, that you may never get again. 

Every little moment comes together to build the life you live, the life you experience, the life you treasure.

Life is full of memories that you will hold close to your heart. Memories that act like a soothing balm that eases the pain when you are hurting bad. Memories like a piping hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day, or a cup of Chai on a rainy day, or a bowl of warm soup  when you have a cold, that warms your heart and soothes your soul.

Life is full of people who will come and go, who will affect you, who will change you, who will  meld meld and mould you, aiding you to become who you are , for better or worst. People who will be there for maybe just a fleeting moment but can still affect a change. 

There are those who will stay with you for quite a while, helping you to grow. 

Everyone who comes into to your life, comes in it for a reason, we may never understand that reason, until long after they’re  gone. 

You will come across all sort of people, the good, the bad, the ugly, the happy, the sad, and even douchebags. Some who you would rather forget. But then who you hold dear to you will continue to remain with you forever, long after they are gone, cause they are etched on the walls of your heart, your mind, an imprint, an image, a treasure. 

You never know when it would be the last moment with them, so you cherish every moment with them, you treasure them.

Life is full of memories, moments, experiences, people, that may seem to bring  you down , but can  also uplift you. Life is full of things that you will hold close to you, that you will treasure.

Life is a treasure chest that you hold close to you, hold dear to you, for all eternity.

Running in the Park in the Rains

There’s something magical about running in the rains. You actually don’t mind it pouring, when you are out there running. Any other time it could be a pain, but not when you are  out there running. The rains are a welcome relief, a soothing balm to tired joints, natural coolant that keeps your body from overheating.

You ran through the heat and humidity. You sweated a bucketload of sweat, sometimes even causing your mother to wonder whether that’s sweat or did you pee in your pants. Though your mileage were low and the weather relentless, you continued to brave it through the heat and humidity. And now that the rains are here, you can slowly and steadily build on your distance while still making the most of the rains.

The rain has a way of making everything so magical and beautiful and romantic. The smell of rain on wet mud is simply intoxicating, filling your senses with this beautiful scent that’s oh so divine.

The moment you step into the park you are greeted by all this sound. It’s like every creature in the two mile radius thinks they’re Elvis. What would have been a cacophony of sounds is actually a symphony when it all comes together, nature’s very own orchestra.

Everything looks brighter and cleaner. The rains seemed to have washed away all the dirt and grime, leaving everything so clean and a little less dirty. Yes there’s the muck and the millions of puddles, but then that’s ok, it can be easily be overlooked, or overstepped, or just hopped across!

The trees too have shaken off all the dust and grime that they accumulated all the year round. They are all green and bright and fresh and light. It’s like a weight has been lifted off them and now they are light and bright and standing all glistening and glowing and green.

It fills your heart with joy to see the water in the stream, which had dried up for the summer. You know that as the season progresses, this would no longer be a little stream, but a flowing river, filled with water and morons, that also includes me.

The rain leaves the park all Misty, making it oh so dreamy, oh so mysterious. You wonder what secrets the park would hide behind that mist, would the furry one be lurking somewhere not too far.

And so you continue to run, with a spring in your step and joy in your heart, letting the rain fall on you, wan all of you, washing away all the sweat and grime, taking away all the weariness of your tired bones, cooling you, healing you, washing away the tears, giving you a cover to hide it from the world. 

You ensure that no puddle remains unvisited, no puddle remains unsplashed. You just run through it, instead of finding your way across it, never minding your shoes and socks is getting all wet, occasionally jumping right into it to create a splash, not bothering about the side eye you get from others, it’s the child in you that’s always going to want to make the most of a rainy day.

So you run, not bothering that it’s pouring, or that you are soaked to the bone (you would have been all wet anyway, from all the sweat), you just run, and let the rain wash away not just the dirt on your body, but also the pain in your soul, ultimately finding a way to soothe your soul. So you run for the joy in your heart, for the pain and anxiety, you don’t stop, you just run, and you just let the rain do its magic. 

What more could you ask from life when you get to run in the park in the rains!!