DEEPAVALI LIGHTS

The world is drenched in a festive mood.It is lighted with a million gems showering from the skyHearts pulsate with the music that resonates around.
Deepavali-a time of joy and colour,fun and music,prayer and thanksgiving.A time to look back and view the past year’s magic in a new light under the coloured lights that erupt from the sky!
In such a celebration of life itself.I would like to express the million moments of pleasure that enveloped my life in a gloss the past year and thank every person that has made the difference.
Last Deepavali to this one-Sandhya has come a long way-from a school-goer to a colleger and surprisingly,matured a teeny-weeny bit with the twelve months of experience.
You might think that I should have blogged this for the New Year but the thing is,when an idea ‘seizes’ me.I need to get it out of my system.So all you people out there-grin and bear it!
The last year has been such a jolly mix of trouble and happiness,trials and triumphs,dreams and fulfilment!
It all began with the dread of the board exams-that ultimate sealer of your fate.It hung over me like a sharp edged dagger till March,the 19th!
Endless cramming and forgetting of definitions,experiments,C++Programs,mathematics equations,poetries,etc.Phew!Time seems to have gone off in a whiz now!And then finally…the dreaded exams came.Writing it,discussing after the exam,despair,disappointment,exultation,expectation!
Oh…such a turmoil of emotions that bubbled through the self!Enough to have driven me mad(as if I wasn’t already!)Trying times…yes!
And once they got over-releif as I’ve never experienced before.Such tension had preceded the exams that once they did get over,there was a strange sort of emptiness and…FREEDOM!
Freedom to breathe on your own without smelling the stench of Chemistry and Maths,freedom to express yourself without being crippled by Physics and freedom to live your way without having to read liked Computer Science.
Freedom to dwell with just my thoughts,my wishes and my dreams with nothing to spoil their allurement!
Six months followed-of well deserved bliss with just exam results and four entrances(Vis Com-Loyola,Journalism-MOP,AIEEE-Arch,TN ATA) as brief tension times.
I had the TIME of my life!I wrote…wrote like I’ve never done before-stories,poetries,creative sketches,diary entries-with new found enthusiasm and tension free mind.The spirit that had been suppressed for two years due to incessant demands of high school life,had been liberated!
Movies,music,fun,friends,joy,sweet little nothings and books…oh BOOKS!!!
Haven’t I CRAVED to read them?L.M.Montgomery… oh…I read so many of her creations and only then…yes…only then did the soul come out of its prison.
People…people I care for…I had time at last to spend with them after two years of nerve-wrecking business.
Chennai Poets’ Circle –a not so famous organisation but one of the most best and most encouraging one!I becme a member of this superb organization.Hats of to them and…me!
College next.Me-a COLLEGER???Impossible to think of in the beginning!Me-who’s not really all that respectable,matured,prim or proper enough to go to college,actually going there!Oh I shamelessly accept that I felt ridiculous at the thought.But go I did and two months later…now,college has proved that I’m more responsible than I perceived I was.Great,Sandy!
The year proved to be an year of dreams!Boards-a decent 90.6%(CBSE,yaar!) after topping in Computer Science(hey…I got a 98!).Got the course of my choice-architecture.Got a few of my articles published coz I dream of becoming a journalist.
Oh then…I joined the L.M.MontgomeryInstitute’s mailing list.It might sound too simple to be called a dream but to those of you who have read her works and love it,YOU KNOW what it means.(hey…on’t I sound like Paul Irving with the YOU KNOW?)
I’ve been a regular reader of The Hindu and I admire a few journalists-Nirmal Shekar(for his poetry-in-prose writing),Shonali Muthalaly(she could teach the world ‘adjectives’),V.Gangadhar(for his simplistic yet superb writing),Pradeep Sebastian(books…ah he is king in their descriptions),Prince Frederick,Shalini Umachandran,Prasanna Sreenivasan(awesome writers of practically anything!),Ramya Kannan(who can forget her write-up on the Kumbakonam Tragedy?It brought tears to my eyes!) and…to top ‘em all…SUDHISH KAMATH!
If ever there was a creative genius in words-its him!He juggles them,plays music with them,transforms them and oh…words betray me when it comes to describing the ‘punch’or ‘spice’ he packs in his writing.He’s khewl with a huge K!And…he’s now my friend!
Imagine your favourite journalist becoming your friend…that’s the most amazing thing that could happen.Someone whom you’ve been looking upto as a ‘guru(he he Sud!) is now your friend,ritic and guide!I’m lucky.
Cricket…oh,that splendid game!Oct 17 saw me watching the fourth day’s play of the second test between India and Australia in the TVS Cup Series in Chennai.Thrilled is too light a word to describe my emotions!
Made one of the editors of the college magazine-dream fulfilled. ;)
Oct 30-met my cousin Shreeram anna for the first time after an year’s e-mail correspondence.He’s the most versatile,encouraging and funny person I’ve ever met in life!
He writes amazingly(16 of his stories have been published in the Australian “Indian Link”.He’s published two novels-Pride and Code E-2012),sings REAL well(both in male and female voices.catch him singing ‘Bolo Shiv Shankar’-nothing was so perfect!) and he’s a mimic cum comedienne!There’s not a dull moment when he’s around!I count meeting him as one of the most splendid moments of my 17 years of existence.
There then have been those moments of tranquility- stolen from Paradise’s cup!My daily walks in my terrace in those 6 months(Antha aaru mathangal-hey nice movie title!) alone…with nothing but nature as a playmate!If you watch the sunset everyday in all its ripening golds and bloody reds-you’ll feel peace in you,as you’ve never felt before.Its an exhilarating experience;a time for retrospection,a lovely time to regain yourself!Such sunsets did I see that I found my hoard of joy in them.
Many more joyouus seconds,merry minutes,unforgettable hours and treasurable days have filled the past year and I with one ‘appy -‘appy heart declare that even a millionaire would envy me of my past year!Ha ha am I not proud I’m me?
This year’s thanksgiving…
To…
My family…for bearing with infinite patience all my chatter,banter and drivelespecially during antha aaru maathangal and for all the support they gave during my dreaded exams.
My friends…for being what they are-my dearest!Especially Pratyusha…you are the best on all the worlds in the universe.
Special thanks to…
Shreeram anna…you are the dearest brother I have.So concerned,encouraging,funny,talented and sweet.All your books will be a hit and I command that you write more than just 5 books.You are awesome anna and Oct 31 was one of the most unforgettable days!
Sudhish Kamath…for all your encouragement,words are not enough to thank you. And to think you wrote an article about me-“To my air-conditioner,with love”.Oh Suderman…I am forever your air-conditioner coz you DESERVE it-no not just one air-conditioner,but a million more.Wait till your movie releases and you’ll be a victor-coz isn’t your movie gonna be a block-buster?I will make sure it is with my prayers!Thankee again…
Elizabeth Louis...and the l..M.Montgomery Institute…for all that you’ve done for the world’s best author.
Mr.Jagdish…for his support,encouragement and guidance in the CPC.Thanks a zillion sir!
All others I didn’t mention but have been simply great…yeah I just said it…you’ve been simply great!
Dreams dreamt and fulfilled the past year.More dreams arising to bloom true.Sunshine and smiles unfurl in my day and with wishes for infinite joy to every patient reader who actually read the whole sef-absorbed entry to the very end,I sign off,saying,
“Happy Deepavali!”
“Light,shine into the soul,
As you dazzle outside
Sweep off the cobwebs
Them that gnaw at my spirit.

Exhilarate,emanate and express
That ultimate feeling called bliss
Joy be to the world this lighted night
Let every life be filled with happiness bright!”