Monday Musings - 28

It's such a beautiful Monday afternoon - it's snowing where you are, and where I am the sun throws more than an occasional glance. It's also the second last Monday of the year. Wow, just taking that in, leaves me breathless. The new year is now, one Monday away. What is the new year going to hold? At this point, I can barely tell. And, I can't even imagine what picture to paint. That just leaves a white, empty canvas of a year waiting to paint itself with time. I have never before begun a year like that. Have you?

I've been spending a lot of December reading, writing and being a culture-vulture. December always does that to me. It makes me very, very upbeat about people, and places and life. Look, there I am sifting through paperbacks arranged neatly in wooden shelves at the little Prithvi bookshop. And, then letting my hair down to loud, hip-shakin' music. Then, tuning into the radio, listening to carols till it's much too late (Tune in to 107.1 FM, will you). And, even putting up with people with different summers. Oh, December makes everything beautiful. Even the niggling worries spilling over from all the other horrid months of the year.

It is almost as if I want to remember the best snatches of the year. That night dancing in Goa, that evening languishing by the rocks at Carter Road. That last dinner together. That morning at the airport, waiting for the flight to Delhi. That evening I made a friend at the airport. That night I got all my family, and friends to play Taboo. It was such a riot. That lovely evening, when my parents celebrated 25 years. The day spent talking outside office. We were a fun team. That evening staring at the sea for ever so long, it could have swallowed me up. And, some of the times I swallowed what I really wanted to say.

And, now I don't know what to say. For it's the first Monday, I'm not looking back, I'm looking ahead. I'm looking at this evening in Bandra, and tomorrow evening in Colaba and the day after in a coffee shop. I'm thinking of Christmas eve, and Christmas. It won't be white, but it certainly won't be blue. I want to go carol-ing into the night. I'm thinking of lovely evenings by the sea. There are going to be many, yes. And, I'm thinking of all things girl-y. Books hurriedly read, and movies quickly watched...to cram a little bit more joy into this marvelous year. Oh, there are more friends to welcome back into this city.

I'm thinking suddenly of Decembers gone by. There's something about December, ainnit. Something about the song in the air, the joy in the step. Irrespective of the sadness your nursing, the love your yearning. And, irrespective of that sad song in the poor boy's eyes. In December, he too is dancing... Have you noticed?

[More Monday Musings here ]