Aparna’s Blog

As I saw the date on the calendar on 16th November, it struck me that I was completing 5 years of blogging on that day and I should definitely write a post to at least celebrate the day. But the combination of laziness + tiredness + lack of motivation which I have been plagued with for the past several months won over once again and thus I let the day pass by quietly only to be weighed down by worries of where on earth the passion for writing/blogging has got lost! Will I be able to bring back the good old days of yore? As I now see these lines filling up the page without me thinking for even a moment as to what exactly should I write about, I heave a sigh of relief that all is not lost and someday, hopefully maybe right away, I will be able to resume regular blogging.

Travelling by bus at 7:00 in the morning through the roads of T.Nagar, which, by the way, is where I stay now, I pass by some of the once-very-familiar streets and roads. My memories go back in time to when, as a kid, I travelled on the same roads on a rickshaw to go to school. North Usman Road, Habibullah Road, Periyar Road, Thirumalai Pillai Road, G.N.Chetty Road, Jeeva Park, Dr. Nair Road, cutting across Pondy Bazaar to reach Thanikachalam Road. The roads would be as empty back then as they are at 7 in the morning now. I used to commute in a non-motorized rickshaw when I was studying in kindergarten and later in a motor rickshaw, that too in what was called a ‘kooNDu rickshaw’. Today, rickshaws are almost extinct.
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If you thought this countdown is for yet another Sanjay’s or a T.M.Krishna’s concert or the release of an ARR’s album or something related to Mani Ratnam’s movies, you are wrong. If you are one of those long-term readers of this blog and are smirking thinking that this is going to be one of those once-upon-a-time-frequently-posted cryptic posts where till the end I never revealed what or whom I was writing about(I miss writing posts like that! They were good stress-busters indeed!), then you are wrong too.

This countdown is for something that is going to bring a big change in my life. The moment I say change, I know the direction some of your thoughts will immediately turn to and yes, for once, you are right. I am getting married on March 24th! It is yet to really sink in that I am now about begin a new chapter in my life with a new family, new relationships and a lot more changes!

There are a lot of things that I want to write about the wedding preparations, the loads of shopping that I have been doing for the last few months and lots more. Bidding adieu to you all till I get back with all that in a few weeks time!

Waking up to the smell of fresh paint, I remember today’s date - September 24th – It was on this day 15 years before that we moved to his house. With white washing work going on at home now, the entire house is in chaos with things being moved from one room to another and rearranged back again. It brings back memories of the day when we shifted here, of the childhood days, of leaving behind a whole lot of friends in the previous place and a lot more!
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A lazy, relaxed day. Surrounded by murmurs. Earphones on. A whole lot of your favourite Rahman’s songs waiting to be listened to. You have been hooked big-time to Puthiya Manidha, Kadhal Anukkal, Kilimanjaro, Hosanna, Aaromale, Mannippaaya and Pudhu Vellai Mazhai for several weeks now that it feels like ages since you last listened to any of your other favourite songs. You press the ‘Play’ button and then you lose track of time, lose yourself in the music, in the melody, in the beats and in the nostalgic waves after fresh waves of memories and thoughts that flow in with each song. It’s amazing how many years worth of memories are compressed into just a few minutes of music! Amazing how Rahman’s music has become such an important part of your life that listening to any of your favourite Rahman’s songs itself gives you a feeling of having gotten into a comfort zone! Listening to each song is an experience in itself and I am so happy that this year we have got so many gems of songs from the man!

I never thought that my blog will ever reach the state in which it is now. Somehow, for the last several weeks, I have been caught up in a pretty hectic routine in which my blog doesn’t figure at all! Thought I will at least say a quick Hi to you all even though I don’t feel like writing anything. Neither the songs of Raavan nor a few other songs to which I am addicted big time nor the architectural beauty of the temples at Thirumalai Vaiyyavur, Siruvapuri and Pancheshti which I recently visited, seem to give me the much needed motivation to write something here.

P.S.: Call it showing off or sharing my happiness with you or whatever you want to, did you see that T.M.Krishna has linked my post in his website? I am so happy!

My sister and I are video chatting now, excitedly discussing about Mani Ratnam’s movies, when she tells me that somebody’s status message says ‘It’s raining in Chennai’. I was so engrossed in talking about Mani’s movies that I didn’t even know that it’s raining here! Stepping out of the room, the maNN vaasanai greeted me. How blissful rains in the midst of scorching summer is!