And that's why I decided to go on a diet!

I decided to go on a diet. I guess the trip to Munnar did it for me.

As we drove along the winding Mattupetty road feasting our eyes on the luscious green Kannan Devan Hills, feeling the nip in the air, allowing the cool breeze to caress our faces, and enjoying the fog that would suddenly appear and disappear, we reached a place with an unusually high level of exuberance in the atmosphere - the elephant park. Getting down from the car we saw people screaming in excitement (the thrill was only half the reason as we found out later, the other half was in fear!) perched atop majestic (and kind of smelly) elephants swaying from side to side, herded by bored looking mahouts - probably making the nth trip since morning, and probably also wondering in amusement how a little trip mounted on a pachyderm could elicit such a feeling of exhilaration!

I shouldn’t say more about ‘those people’ since we belonged to that breed too, jumping with joy in anticipation of our rambling session. The trip paid for, including a photographer who would click candid shots of us screaming along our way, we settled on the machan-like waiting board. Ten elephants, ten groups and about 30 excited faces with token numbers held in sweaty palms, lingered in the limited enclosure like we were readying ourselves for a trip to the outer space! Ours was token no 1 and the excitement as you can imagine was palpable. I wanted a front view and volunteered to sit first - a decision, I little knew, I would soon regret!

The first elephant strode in, the passengers on it disembarked on a similar machan on the opposite side and the beast sashayed towards us like a model on a ramp.  The mahout looked at us and in local vernacular said to the guide who stood with us, ‘Aavaradille anne...Hari yethikum.’ Roughly translated, my elephant (wait....hold your breath) ‘cannot’ take this weight, Hari (presumably another elephant), will be able to take them.

What??? The elephant just rejected us? Were we seriously overweight? The husband and I exchanged looks which cannot really be described using an adjective. Perhaps, you could call it the ‘its-your-fault-you-have-put-on-so-much-weight’ look! Anyways, there was hardly anything we could do...we just moved a step behind to let the people next to us board ‘our’ elephant which was no longer ours, by the way. Next came Hari, (I think), and even as I thought excitedly, ‘this is it’ and lifted a leg to put it around Hari, the mahout, nodded his head, ‘Nextu madam.’

‘Huh?’ I asked.

“Elephant weight not taking, bigger elephant coming. You waiting.’

Seriously? We needed a bigger elephant? I really hoped he was kidding, but looking at his face it was apparent that he was anything but joking!

We took one step back again, allowing the next family to board Hari.

With Hari gone, the third one swayed along, but we hardly had any enthusiasm this time. To my eyes, he looked smaller than the previous two or maybe it was my mind playing tricks with me. Our minds have strange ways of dealing with disappointment, don’t they? They know how to trick you into believing something is not for you, irrespective of whether it is or not, so that you should not feel let down should that thing actually not be for you!

This time, before the elephant could reject us, the guide broke the news to us, but we weren’t as disappointed. He told us we were to board the next elephant - he was the biggest and he should be able to carry us. That, I guess, was a polite way of telling us to let the third family board this elephant which we did with an embarrassed face and heavy heart. If there was a bucket of water somewhere, I’d have gladly drowned myself in it! And if the fourth elephant that was expected to carry us also couldn’t, then a handful of water would have sufficed.

‘This elephant madam, you all taking,’ the guide said with a wide grin, showing us his beedi stained teeth, and apparently more enthused that he finally found the right elephant for us or perhaps relived that we could finally be sent on our joy ride without him having to refund the fees that we had already paid! I secretly guess it was the latter.    

And so after having been rejected by three pachyderms, we finally got to put our weight, err, ourselves on the one that gladly (I hope) agreed to seat us!  

The leg that I lifted with so much aplomb refused to go around the mammal, so wide was its girth! After much struggle, I managed to seat myself, little knowing that it is not as fun to sit on an animal’s collarbone, especially a huge one at that, and get walked around on a hilly terrain! No wonder people screamed and we did too, once the four of us were ready to be hauled! With every step that it took, I thought that either I was going to fall off and be trampled under 5000kg of grey flesh or worried if our combined weight on its shoulders was going to make it angry enough to shake us off its back and trample me under all of its 5000kg anyway!   

It took quite some time to adjust to the meteoric rise and fall of the giant’s footsteps, but by the time it happened, we were almost at the end of our journey!  

And oh, did I mention that our pachy took two breaks in between and wouldn’t budge from its place for long! Apparently, it decided to unload its gut contents midway. Anyways that was the only thing in its control, for it couldn’t apparently unload us. Imagine sitting on an elephant that is busy making dung and emptying its bladder at its own leisurely pace while you squirm in displeasure!

As for the kids, they had a swell time enveloped between the two of us, shouting in joy, singing songs and discussing what the elephant could have had for lunch looking at the contents it so graciously spilled on the jungle floor!

No, don't let the smile fool you, it was purely for the camera!

When we alighted, I tried not to look into the elephant’s eyes, but I did, and I think in those tiny brown eyes, so disproportionate to its size, was a silent plea asking me to lose weight. That pretty much started me up on a diet, but what happened later is another story altogether! Will hold that for another day. 

The Application...

The glass door flung open and she walked into the lounge, her hair scattered all over face, and her orange and pink dupatta flying about her as if announcing her arrival. Balancing her helmet, a purse and shades that had just got off her eyes in one hand, and a bunch of papers and what looked like a book in the other, she struggled to shake off the unruly hair from blinding her.

He sat gazing at her from his seat across the customer desk, his heart fluttering wildly like it always had when he saw her. He wished he could sweep her hair off her cheeks and tuck them behind her ear. As she tried to use the back of her palm to push her tresses away, the papers and book loosened from her grip and scattered on the floor. With the papers flying in all directions, she nodded her head in disapproval at her own clumsiness, cursing herself and then muttering an inaudible apology to no one in particular.

A damsel in distress, they say, is always the beneficiary of male sympathy! They weren't  wrong at all,  because  as soon as he saw her struggling with the scattered papers, he jumped off his chair  like it were a trampoline  and was beside her in no time!Together, they caught the papers like they were hens that had escaped the coop, and sighed in unison and smiled at each other when the task was completed. He escorted her to the chair opposite his desk and manoeuvred himself into his chair.

‘I’m so sorry Karan! Quite a mess I can be at times,’ she said apparently embarrassed.

‘C’mon, don’t beat yourself over it, Suma, I can be worse.’ he said trying to make her feel better.

Then a silence followed, neither speaking a word, looking into each other’s eyes as if expecting them to do the talking. And then suddenly aware of the obvious and shameless stares, she looked away smiling. The eye contact broken, he was shaken out of his reverie. He smiled too. ‘How can I help you today?’   

‘Ah, yes. I lost my pass book. So I need to issue a new book and check a few transactions. I think something doesn’t tally,’ she said.

‘Oh,’ he said making a face, ‘and I thought you had come to see me.’ He gave her a naughty grin.   

‘Why would I...’ she began, appearing surprised at first as if he had read her mind, and then she caught the naughtiness in his expression, ‘...not,’ she said cheekily, ‘in fact, meeting you was the main reason, the pass book was just an excuse’ she added playing along and they both burst out laughing.

He so wished what she had just said was true. Only ifwishes were horses...

Suma had been one of his earliest customers at the bank. He was smitten by her simplicity and jovial nature from the very first time he had seen her. Over time, they had become good friends and she would directly approach him whenever she needed to transact at his branch. He was more than happy to provide her all the services without making her stand in the queue.  Four years of knowing each other had finally begun to assume the form of an intense liking for her. They knew almost everything there was to know about each other - they were both foodies and shared a love for Italian cuisine. Both loved white water rafting, and travelling. They would often regale each other about their travelling exploits and favourite food spots. Something about the way she looked at him made him suspect that she reciprocated his feelings but he wasn’t too sure. He had been wondering for long if he should confess his feelings to her. But he was scared. What if she denied having such feelings for him, what if she got angry, what if she left never to return again. 

He shook his thoughts away and brought himself to the task at present.

‘Ok, write an application letter, addressed to me... I mean, the deputy branch manager’ he added sheepishly.

‘Help me...’ she said with pleading eyes and a pout. His soul leapt across the table and placed a quick kiss on her lips before the pout was gone, while his body sat still trying to feel what his soul had just experienced.

‘Sure’ he said plucking a sheet of A4 size paper from the printer feed tray, and placing it before her and handing her a pen.

‘Address it to me, ‘he said and waited till she filled the ‘To’ and ‘From’ details. Once she was done, he continued, ‘Dear Sir, I have lost my pass book.’ He looked at her as she scribbled what he was dictating, biting the corner of her lower lip between her teeth, a strand of silken hair teasing her cheek and her dupatta sliding down one shoulder exposing her collar bone. There was something different in the way she looked and behaved today and he could not quite put a finger to what it was.

She caught his gaze lingering on her lips and raised one eyebrow like only she could. It was a few seconds before he realised she had caught him staring at her, and he shyly glanced away, too embarrassed to meet her questioning looks. She smiled and continued writing as if nothing had happened.  She scribbled some sentences, signed it, neatly folded it in half and handed it to him. 

He sighed. He would perhaps never gather the courage to let her know. For now, he accepted the application and opened it to check if the details were correct.

‘Dear Karan,’ it read, ‘I have lost the pass book of my life. I am not sure the transactions of my emotions tally anymore. There are some missing entries, mainly those pertaining to my heart. I fear that someone has messed with them...could it be you? Kindly issue me your heart so that I can search if my missing feelings are in them. Do you think you could do that?’ and then it was signed, ‘Love, Suma.’

Wishes sometimes did come true!

  

   

The Sin...

He looked at her shamelessly, drooling at the delightful curves and glistening skin. How could someone be so beautiful, he wondered, his eyes roving all over her body, and his hands itching to touch her pristine skin. He got up from his chair, walked to the door and peeked outside. Shalu, his wife hadn’t come back yet. She had said she would be back in an hour’s time. He looked at the clock. Another 20 minutes, he told himself. He had to make the most of it. Would it be enough?

He quietly shut the door and bolted it from within. He didn’t want someone to catch him in the ‘act’. He settled on his chair and looked at her again. She had been serving his wife since long and well! Now she’d have to serve him too. With that thought, he let out a whoop of delight! The mere idea was driving him crazy. He wondered if it would be polite to ask her what she felt. Did she mind if he kissed her? He then shook the notion aside, it wouldn't really be necessary. It didn't matter. It was a pity she didn’t have a chance to refuse, not that she would have anyway. Of that he was sure. Would he be committing a sin? Of that, he wasn't so sure. But now, who cared anyway?

Giving in to his desires, he ran a finger over her smooth, soft, creamy skin. Instinctively, he brought his finger to his lips and licked it salaciously. Divine! He looked at her again, wondering if she had gotten the hint. He brought her closer to his lips and closed his eyes. As their lips came together, he felt himself melt in the delicateness of her touch. His tongue began its exploration hitting the sweetness that lay within. Bolder than he had expected her to be, she beckoned him to sink his teeth into her. Salivating at the invitation, he grabbed her with both hands and hastily bit into her flesh.

Oh, how she was driving him crazy! She was living up to her reputation of being the indulgent one and how! As he bit her again and again, she screamed in delight, driving him wild. As minutes ticked by, he thought he’d never have enough of her, but finally, he was done. Satisfied, he slumped back into his chair, moaning slightly and almost out of breath, licking her sweetness that still lingered on his lips.  He knew he’d come back to her again and again – only he hoped he'd never be caught while in a rendezvous with her. This was the effect she had on people! He had always wondered why his wife swore by the delightfully sinful creamy, blueberry cheese cake running over with a rich chocolate ganache and beset with sweet wild blueberries. Now, he knew why!

Z for Zero!

Welcome to the "Believe it or Not- That's Incredible India!" series. India is home to some of the most astonishing wonders in the world. The rich culture, heritage, food, scriptures, architectural marvels and scores of known and unknown facts come together to create this multicolored melange that is India. Throughout this month, read about the various believe it or not facts about India and know what goes into the making of this incredible country!

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One of India’s most important contributions to the world was the invention of ‘Zero’. Aryabhatta, one of India’s and arguably, the world’s greatest mathematician and astronomer is credited with the invention and the concept of ‘shunya’ or zero. The concept of 'Shunya' meaning 'nothing' was in use in India as early as the 5^th century. Before ‘Zero was invented, the western world used the Roman Numerals. But expressing various terms as Roman Numerals was confusing and elaborate in the absence of ‘zero’. It is astonishing how a mere digit could change the entire way of looking at things! A tiny inconspicuous number could now mean nothing and everything!

Brahmagupta formed the rules for using ‘Zero’. He formulated that Zero added to or subtracted from any number would remain the same, but a number multiplied by zero would be zero.

Zero turned out to be the biggest invention in the history of mankind! Without the concept of Zero, defining many concepts would have been so difficult. We cannot imagine place value systems, decimals, or even binary system and computer technology in the absence of Zero.

A tiny number it is, but the place it occupies is immense! Love it or hate it but you cannot ignore it! That's India's amazing contribution to the world! 

Believe it or not - That's Incredible India!

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Y for Yoga

Welcome to the "Believe it or Not- That's Incredible India!" series. India is home to some of the most astonishing wonders in the world. The rich culture, heritage, food, scriptures, architectural marvels and scores of known and unknown facts come together to create this multicolored melange that is India. Throughout this month, read about the various believe it or not facts about India and know what goes into the making of this incredible country!

                                                     ********************************

India gave the world the gift of Yoga. Yoga is not just about ‘asanas’ or poses; the Sanskrit meaning of Yoga is ‘Union’- therefore, Yoga is a holistic approach which connects the mind, body and the breath so that they are in perfect harmony with each other. The aim of Yoga is to bring about self-awakening.

The early propagators of Yoga-

Lord Shiva is said to be the Lord of Yoga. He imparted the knowledge of Yoga to the Sapta Rishis on ‘Guru Poornima’ day. He is therefore known as the Adi Yogi, ‘Adi’ meaning ‘the first’. He gave them 84 basic yoga poses or yoga asanas of which 32 asanas are practised today.  

Maharishi Patanjali who lived during the 2^nd century BCE is credited with teaching the world the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. To achieve the yogic state, the great sage formulated an eight-fold path, often called the Astanga (eight arms) Yoga –

Yama - following proper codes of conduct including non-violence, truthfulness, abstaining from stealing and possessiveness, and celibacy.

Niyama - self-purification which included hygiene, self-satisfaction, dedication, and endurance.

Asana - Posture or poses

Pranayama - proper breathing techniques

Pratyahara - control over the senses

Dharana- concentration

Dhyana – meditation

and Samadhi - the final goal of being one with the universe consciousness.

Asanas are therefore just one aspect of Yoga. Yoga practised in its entirety helps to bring about a physical, spiritual and mental awakening of a person. The Patanjali Yoga Sutra gives 196 Sutras or aphorisms.

Yoga was propagated in the Western world by Swami Vivekananda.

Kriya Yoga was made famous by Paramhansa Yogananda. His book ‘An Autobiography of a Yogi’ is one of his most famous works.

BKS Iyengar was the proponent of the modern form of Yoga in the world.  

               

21^st of June is now celebrated as the World Yoga Day. This day was chosen because 21^st June is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, or the day of the Summer Solstice when the Earth is most inclined towards the Sun. This day marks the transition to Dakshinayana and is believed to be the time when the AdiYogi Lord Shiva imparted the Yogic science to the Sapta Rishis on the first full moon after the Summer Solstice. The human body is also believed to be ready for spiritual assimilation  at this time. 

Isn't it amazing that it was India that taught the world that true bliss lies in self-realisation and Yoga is such an integral part of achieving that!

Believe it or Not - That's Incredible India!