Unchained from time.........

I’ve been keeping a crazy schedule for the couple of months, ever since the idea of having my own pet store struck me I’ve been just working on it endlessly, without break, and since we launched the store Bhai & I both have been keeping the craziest schedules and working non-stop, through the weekly off. The only thing that kept us going was the soothing presence of our dearest pooches. But all the same, we were heading to a breakdown we knew. Tired, exhausted and totally irritable we were really snappy. However, Holi coming this year in on Wednesday gave us a big break, with our weekly off on Tuesdays, two days off together was like a boon. We decided to take a real break and board our pets and head off to some relaxing place close by.

However, when Monday rolled in we knew there was no way we could drive out of town, so we decided to stay in here, but just board the pets, and take some time off, without being driven by clock, routine or schedule. Tuesday, got up later than usual and got the pets ready for their mini-break, boarded the four of them in the car, and went in search of this boarding centre we’d heard good reviews about. It took us a while reaching there after being misguided a few times, but finally made it. First impression, of the people who were running it was that they were gentle, loved pets and had patience, in my book that is perfect. We dropped them off and slept through the drive back home. Once home, it felt different to finally not be bound by time. We headed to our fave mall, shopped a bit, lunched and just hung around a while, then headed home though it was early evening, exhaustion swamped me, I called it a day and went off to sleep. Funny how our natural clocks are wired, as usual I woke up after 21/2 hrs. Then I called in and checked up on how our pets were doing, it seemed like they were having a blast, then I decided to catch up on some reading. After that had dinner and went back to the book and then off to sleep at 3 a.m.


Slept through Holi entirely, somewhere the internal clock too crashed out and I woke up deliciously late at half past 1 in the noon. Followed the usual routine of Yoga, switching on the radio, getting ready and lazed around, it felt good doing nothing, finally in the evening we decided to catch a movie, left home at 6 in the evening for the theatre which is 10 mins from home, picked up the tickets for the 7.50 p.m. show, dined at a nice Italian restaurant, it was a great dinner, relaxing to enjoy the simple food and comfortably linger over the coffee. Finally, we headed for the movie, ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. The movie was also easy, not too complicated, not too introspective, gloomy or action oriented, it was a simple tale well told, perfect with the relaxed mood of the day. Thankfully Bhai also liked it, and then as we headed to the car the weather was pleasantly cool & windy, we stopped by this wonderful place called ‘The French Loaf’ picked us some great desserts, and breads and headed home. Reached home at quarter past 11. Shared the desserts with everyone, and then decided to set the alarms for a little later than usual time, since the pets were boarded there really was no reason to rise with the sun.

It was a simple break, just relaxed and nothing much, totally soothing and peaceful. Sometimes just not being on a schedule can be so relaxing in a world driven by schedules. It was a simple day, no phone calls, no messages, no internet but such a sense of rejuvenation, wholeness and perfection.

Feeling aubergine.

I’m feeling purple today, it’s been a long time since I’ve co-ordinated shades of purple, I think I fell back in love with it when I saw this cool aubergine shade of nail colour. I know the Goth look is dated but thankfully I’m not looking like a Goth but it has been ages since I tried on nail colour so strong, I think last when I was into navy blue and black nail colour shade was in College. After graduation, entering the service industry pretty much put a stop to these unconventional colours, with the professional sober look taking a priority. But yesterday this colour just appealed to that adventurous part of me. Often this part of me had led me to a lot of trouble, there was this phase in college when I was an ‘tomato head’ in college the idea of colouring my hair was one of the fun things I did, and boy did I swing in some shades at that time but my first colouring experience was unforgettable to me and a million others whom I provided amusement with! It was my all time different look.

One fine day I decided to try on hair colour and while I was at it dramatically alter my entire look by chopping off my long lustrous black hair and go with a ‘boy-cut’ and the hair coloured a flaming shade of red, The aim of the look was to look funky, with my hair taking on a tint of red, and looking classy, however, I looked like a beacon of sorts, believe me had we been living in a coastal city, my hair could’ve guided ships home. It was like the Yahoo red colour.

But being this Yahoo! Shade wasn’t a conscious choice, It was supposed to be a good red, and keeping my natural black hair in mind, it should’ve turned out like a lovely deep tint of red, I never thought that my natural back would take offense to being splashed with a bit of colour. I hoped it would know I loved it a lot but just wanted to try on something else. Had I talked to it whilst assuring it that I was going to stay my first love, it probably wouldn’t have just picked up its skirts and walked out. I never imagined it was such a weak clingy creature that needed to be reassured that it was loved.

But well, it was weak & insecure and offended, contrary to my hope that it would’ve the better sense to hold its ground, it just packed its bags and went, and leaving behind for the read a wonderfully pristine surface for the red to wash on, and I became a ‘tomato head’. My mom was horrified when I went home she was shocked, speechless and she didn’t know how to react, after all it was a multiple choice option:

a. Should she throw a fit for chopping off my long locks?

b. Should she react to the colour?

c. Should she faint?

d. Was this a nightmare?

e. Why did my grey cells abandon me?

f. Was her child colour blind?

Shocked into speechlessness I think it took her a week to find her voice (I wouldn’t like to think she didn’t want to talk to me!) anyway once she found her voice, boy! Was she vocal! Often I wonder how delightful silence can be…… and Bhai labeled me ‘Tomato head’ now why wasn’t he speechless I wonder. He had a delightful time bursting into mirth at the sight of me, anyway it was a good 2 weeks later when I was able to rinse out the red and become Mahogany but in the meantime I served the nation by providing laughter to a millions souls. After that many shades came and went, thankfully none that made me look like a blooming idiot, Post College I stuck to shades that looked professional.

But now that I’m my own boss I can once more be as expressive with colours as I wish to be. I never dreamt doing my own thing would translate to so much freedom. I’m absolutely delighted by the freedom my life has. So I gave into the temptation to pick the aubergine shade. And it is looking fantastic! So I’m gonna be aubergine for a good many days.