Mirrors

Alina rose out of bed to a glorious, bright, sunny morning. Her chirpy voice wonderfully complemented the free-spiritedness of the fresh summer breeze.
Adriana squeezed her eyes shut and crawled back into her sheets to stop the rays of light from blinding her. Dragging herself out of bed was always a task. What would she not give for an extra five minutes of precious sleep!

Every morning was an opportunity to embrace all the new things the Almighty bestowed upon her, according to Alina. She happily cinched through the day, trying to learn as much as she could, generously sparing smiles to all those who passed her way. "Life is beautiful! There are so many things to be thankful for!" reflected Alina as she looked at her world in wonder. At a distance, she noticed an old woman standing at the railway platform, looking for assistance to board the train. People were in a hurry to get to work but Alina was glad to see the lady getting the help she needed from quite a few kind souls. "It's good to see that the world is still filled with helpful people," she thought.
The morning was rough for Adriana. She struggled through the day, wishing fervently for it to end as soon as possible. She was irked at how slowly time passed by as she kept looking at her watch every few minutes. As soon as her shift ended, Adriana ran out of office in the same way as a trapped bird flies out of its cage at the slightest opportunity it gets. She noticed that her colleague had dropped some of his files but she decided to ignore him and walk past instead of staying behind to help.

Suddenly, without any warning, it started pouring cats and dogs. Alina stared at the street-children sailing paper-boats in the rain and dancing joyously. She stopped work for the day and joined them in their merry-making. The rains made her feel alive! It made everything even more wonderful! After a little bit of fun, she made her way back home, oblivious to the hardships that the rain caused many people to face. After all, a wet person is not afraid of rains.
Adriana frowned at the rain.  It was such a hassle! Roads were blocked and the cars were just dirtying her clothes by splashing muddy water all over when they passed by. "How can any sensible person enjoy the rains!"she wondered. The flooded roads made it impossible for her to walk home and there was no cab in sight. Untrusting by nature, she contemplated whether she should ask for a lift from one of the vehicles that rushed past and finally decided against it. "These days, no one helps anyone. I'll just be wasting my time," she speculated and sat at a deserted bus-stop praying for the rains to stop. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, it stopped pouring and tired and exhausted, Adriana returned to her abode.

"Today was so much fun!" marvelled Alina as she tucked herself in bed. Before falling off to sleep, she said a small prayer and thanked the Universe for all the blessings it had showered her way. Her eyes shut the moment her head hit the pillow. Alina never had any trouble falling asleep just like she had no issues getting up in the morning. According to her, the faster she slept, the sooner morning would arrive and present before her fresh opportunities for new beginnings.
"What an awful day!" thought Adriana as she climbed back to bed. Her body ached and she let out a groan. "I should be glad it's over but what's the point? Tomorrow, it will be a new battle all over again!" With these thoughts, she finally drifted off to sleep, hoping the few hours of slumber would be enough to help her survive yet another day of her cursed existence.

Both did not realize that life was neither a blessing nor a curse. Life was just mirroring them. Everyone they met and everything they experienced were simply mirrors that reflected parts of their own consciousness back to them, giving them a chance to really see themselves and to, ultimately, help them grow. The qualities they most admired in others were actually their own and the same could be said for the qualities of others that they disliked.

Life looked at itself through Alina's mirror and felt peaceful and content.
It then took a peek at itself through Adriana's mirror and looked disdained and lost.
What would Life look like if it looked at your mirror?

The Mumbai Rains

I finally experienced the first rain-showers of the year...After an unbearable streak of draining me off my energy reserves,  the hot sun has, finally, vanished behind the clouds and the so-called 'gloomy' weather that the rains bring has actually cheered me up and lifted my spirits!

I love the rains - the growling of the clouds, the rumble of the thunder, the pitter-patter of rain-drops - all these sounds - bring a smile on my face. There are people in Mumbai who dread and detest the rains but I am not one of them. Of course, I am not fond of wading in murky puddles nor do I like getting soaked in the rain immediately after getting ready for work in the mornings but I love the earthy smell and the feel of freshness that the rains bring to my surrounding...

It gives me a chance to forgo all my electronic gadgets - my iPod, my mobile phone - and just spend some time truly alone. I have recently shifted houses and currently, I reside on the fourteenth floor of a building. The view from the top is great! I love sitting in the balcony and just watching the rains pouring down...

Having lived in Mumbai for two years, now, I truly believe that it is a city that never halts! Even in the torrential rains, people are up and about, finding alternate means to reach work on time...I think to myself, "Had this happened in Kolkata, everyone would have stayed home and celebrated the prospect of getting a holiday!" But Bombay is not Kolkata and in this City of Dreams, come rain, come storm, the work in the city will never stop!

Whenever I talk about my love for the rains, people in Mumbai often narrate nasty experiences they have had of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere because of the downpour. I may not have been a resident of the city during the Mumbai rains of 26th July, 2005 but I, definitely, have had my fair share of bad experiences thanks to the rains. I remember getting stuck on the flooded roads of Mumbai for more than six and a half hours and making use of all possible means of transport (train, bus, auto-rickshaw and a lift in a stranger's car) in an attempt to make it back home. However, these events have not really deterred my spirits or succeeded in altering my love for the rains. I understand that the rains do cause a lot of inconvenience but, then, so does the heat...

Rains remind me of the time when I was a child and we made paper-boats and tried floating them in the rain-waters...Rains were the time when my mother used to take me shopping to buy a raincoat of my favourite colour and design - we would then, all, go to school wearing our individuality over our school uniforms! I find this excitement absent in the children, here, and that is something that I do miss about the rains back in Kolkata...To all the people who are in Bombay, it is just the beginning - the rains are here to stay for quite some time...So, this year, instead of cribbing and cursing, take a walk in the rains and savour each and every moment - don't just get wet!