'Tis the season to be jolly

It is a wonder how the human mind finds innumerable reasons to celebrate. Take New Year's Eve for example. It is one time of the year when there is an excitement of something ending and something new beginning. Therein lies one of the oldest concepts that we so unabashedly use in our work. Particularly we mind you. The concept of a reset.

So here goes.

Every New Year’s Eve I look back in retrospection (because one does not have any choice in the matter having been bludgeoned into looking back, by the world in general and the media and idiot box in particular) at the year gone by. I peruse through the months spent in arduous work that includes the daily struggle to pull myself out of bed and the angry bickering and noise of the traffic that I swim through, getting rather bothered and dusty I might add, in the process of leading a life. I am struck with the absolute horror of monotony not realizing that monotony pays. And pays quite well too!

It is not that I do not find anything worth noting in the year gone by. I see the miniscule amount by which my hairline has receded and the horrifying amount by which my midsection has prospered. If there is but one thing that I would have liked to interchange, it would probably be this. Then I take note of the people. All like me and each in his/her own way, trying to be different…like me. The new people I have met and the people I fell out with. The old friends and their new found joys in study, family or children. The family members, especially the little ones grown older and the older ones ageing fast.

I take note of the decisions made in the last year. Decisions in my opinion are underrated. Especially when taken in career and money matters. For one, there is nothing much to decide if one looks objectively. It is more a choice rather than a decision. I took a new job. Made a decision and then made a choice. Then of course, I moved into a new house and spent a considerable amount of effort trying to make it into a home. There is still something missing, they tell me, one involving major decision taking and one I am happy to procrastinate about.

I take note of humanity. And the lack thereof. For, the monotony that pays very well also effectively draws the shutter on the evil beings we humans are. On one hand are a people encroached upon on the pretext of WMD, not found and probably will never be found. The mutually agreeable deals struck with the big guns, the effects of which will be seen much later, when we as a people will become signatory to the NPT. On the other hand are the steps away from civilization with the great Hindutva movement and the Islamic Jehad and the alarming effects of the fight against terrorism and also, as always, terrorism itself.

Then I take note no more. Being much too tired to go on in retrospect. Just before 12 midnight, in the din of fireworks and the cries of exhalted and high spirited people (literally), I reach out for the reset button. I promise to break the monotony. I promise to make amends and I promise to eat less and work out to stay thin. I promise to try and make the world a better place.

A few days later, the entire world realizes that its reset has failed.

Just like that

"So how have you been? Well I hope."

"Yes. How about you?"

"I have been fine too. You've put on weight."

"Yeah."

He picked up the glass and took a sip.


The winter was particularly cold. It was difficult to get out of bed in the morning. It was an atrocity to have to go for the first hour tutorials and for the bulk of the population, an act performed only under the greatest compulsion. The evenings were better though quiet mostly. It normally started with dinner at C'not and general chatting that was continued in the room, late into the night.

In one such room sat the two friends. There was a stereo playing the folk music both liked. Among other things they talked about poetry, girls and how they might be linked. Silly ramblings from young boys trying to grow up too fast and disgusted with the world in general. For that matter, it is a marvel how everyone at that age is quite disgusted with everything. They also liked books a lot. Not their textbooks but the works of the great writers. Hugo, Dumas, Dickens. Les Miserables was a favourite.

So what could spoil such an evening. Everything. In their case, it was a small dot that one drew on the other's cheek. All in good humour. The other retaliated by squirting ink, back, using his fountain pen. And what led to this silly exchange of blots? Nothing. Exactly and completely nothing. As the reader will agree that having nothing to do, the human mind finds the most mundane of things fun.

"You should put a marble statue there."

"I was planning to put some terracotta pitchers there. You know, one tall and the other short and round."

"How apt."

"Want a refill?"

"Yeah. A short one".


The dot remained on the cheek and the ink never washed out. Amazing how sometimes, it is so comforting to carry the weight of a senseless argument. For years. Not in spite mind you, not even a grudge but in love. How absolutely stupid.

"Oh, I fell asleep. Did not even realise when I fell asleep."

"It's OK. We have had dinner. Do you want some."

"No I'll pass. Feeling too sleepy. Take the bedding from that wardrobe there. There, you will find the pillows and the blankets."

"All right. You go to sleep".

The blot spread and so did the dot on the cheek. Till one day, a third friend noticed them and was quite surprised. But by then, the blots had formed words in an unknown language. Quite illegible by all means and yet making perfect sense. And it spoke of bonds stronger than steel and loyalty and nobility of character that is now a rare find. They spoke of complete trust or maybe almost complete trust. But they also spoke of a silence.


"Hey, I left my jacket at your place. Will you send it by courier?"

"Can you not stay one more day. We have so much to talk and I fell asleep like an idiot."

"There will be a next time."

"I'll send you the jacket. Don't worry. Are you sure you cannot stay?"

"Just this once, I can't. But I shall definitely make it for a longer stay the next time."

Wonder if the blot had completely faded.