Nous Sommes Prêts

Till yesterday we followed an orthodox ritual of traveling. We would wait for months to first think and then travel. Our hopes stuck to the availability of tickets; we never made a choice that contested our fascination about train journeys. Though this fascination was an imposed one, over the years, we ended up gingerly falling in love with it. This love spanned between the geographical limits of Mumbai and Kolkata. Summers after summers, we relied on a solo vacation; a vacation that comprised learning English and Bengali grammar too.

Over a period of time, this fascination took a beating; other destinations started casting their spell. We did try to make an exception. Long back the three letter word ‘Goa’ resounded. A travel agent was approached; the yellow colored cubical type office was tucked somewhere between a barber’s shop and a general store, somewhere near a badly smelling fish market. Somehow the plan didn’t materialize the way, we had wanted it to. In fact we never traveled to Goa. We had saved enough for this trip. Our hearts were left broken by the immense agony of cancellation. There were two ways to vent it out, scream wildly or calm down. We calmed down, purchased a Videocon washing machine with the saved amount and never ever spoke about it. On certain occasions, it seemed like we had taken a pledge to never reveal what happened to our plans of a so called different vacation in Goa.

Years faded, desires matured, faith soared and the feet developed an itch; this itch carried the sensation of tramping across destinations. From trains, we made an upwardly move; this time we chose to fly. This wasn’t a fascination but a better option to travel. A perfect time saver; journeys by flights attracted both; raised eyebrows and swollen egos. Even though Kolkata topped the priority list (yes I mean it; the priority list) of vacations, we discovered other destinations such as Gokarna, Chennai, Puducherry, Shimla, Manali, Chandigarh, Pune, Kolhapur, Dharamshala, Silvassa and of course Goa (we visited on multiple occasions). We didn’t limit ourselves to national boundaries, we traversed partly across the globe, to another Asian destination. This time we found ourselves in Thailand; we went exploring through Pattaya and then Bangkok. We shot photographs with tigers, prayed in Buddhist temples, walked through the nights and enjoyed eyeing Dolphins, Orangutans at their comical best. Even though it was our first international trip, our passports bearing the first international stamp; the experiences were quietly brushed beneath a carpet of hushed anguish. Some complained of not being informed; we wondered if they would have towed along! Some complained of the trip being an ego trip; we regret that the ego they spoke about never showed up. Once again we took another pledge to lock our Bangkok memories with an unbreakable password. The 3500 odd photographs remain copied to one of the four or perhaps five external hard disks that we share between us. 

Throughout the years, we realized that breaking away from an orthodox ritual attracts antipathy from all quarters. The society reacts in strange manners. Ties of blood weaken. Promises of friendship are forgotten; it’s really funny how one international trip ends up being a controversy. Will we not take another international trip ever? Why shouldn’t we? Our passports are not meant to rot between their date of issue and renewal. We will travel of course, we will break a norm again; if not in the near future, definitely maybe immediately.

Having lived for long in memories of bygone years, the mind continues demanding freshness. Social media continues to tell us about the restless journeys, our friends, our family and our extended families embark upon. We used to stare at them, on our computer screens, till one day we decided; break the rules, hit the road, take the first left turn, move a little ahead, then turn to the right and continue going straight; without once, thinking of taking a U Turn.

Therefore to many journeys ahead, we wish to say, “Nous Sommes Prêts”.

-Virtuous Vociferous 

IN PREPARATION

So far so good, the first nineteen days of 2014 kept me hooked at the pace of a Sidney Sheldon novel. When the heart felt a bit burdened, I flipped through some works of Jeffrey Archer, Haruki Murakami, Salman Rushdie and Jhumpa Lahiri. My thoughts were also interrupted by Amitav Kumar, Vikram Chandra and Shashi Tharoor. Sometimes social and sometimes detached, I chose to continue in preparation of making 2014; my mentor, my guide, my knowledge partner, my fellow traveler, my colleague and my confidant.

First thing first, I am presently staring at my passport. The undisturbed pages of my freshly issued passport seem to be bouncing some questions at me. I am unsure if I am in a position to reply them all. The freshly purchased sky bags, suitcases, backpacks and hand bags seem to be eager to know about my plans of packing or dumping something deep into them. The bookmarked travel sites, the liked pages on social media of exotic destinations around the globe, the referred articles in popular news dailies, old & new copies of Lonely Planet, unsubscribed editions of Outlook Traveler, a bit of National Geographic and a forgotten link on StumbleUpon; still many questions answered for me, being in preparation.

Some read books and most of them unread, a few highlighted paragraphs in them, bracketed sentences, comparisons and references; all for the sake of gathering inspiration and words. I wonder if at all the books start taking human forms and start questioning me over the insane motives I associate with my habit of reading. Will I be able to explain to them that I am busy being in preparation to make a dream come true! Or will I choose to ignore that moment by terming it as a fake fantasy, born in an insane mind.

As I continue being in preparation, I think I am happy to meet some people who understand their jobs pretty well. They aren’t arrogant of the knowledge they possess and neither did they make me feel alienated. Some are helpful in nature, courteous in their demeanor and foresighted in their mission. In the company of such people, I too am somewhere enjoying the opportunity of discovering myself.

Discovery of ideas, discovery of imaginations, discovery of incredibility and a less travelled road; yet no clear signs of a beginning. Therefore the need of carrying out a research, by wanting to be in a particular state of mind. This research might take me back to those first years of being a confused wanderer.  Or it might pin me to the confines of my home. When in preparation, researches seem to possess a never discovered secret, which might help us in imagining new roads, imagining new journeys and taking up new projects.

There is restlessness and hope, while being in preparation of a pleasant tomorrow. There is thirst and hunger, while being in preparation of fame. There are approvals and disapprovals, while being in preparation of a new morning. Little did I realize that being in preparation is all about being in competition with me and also about creating a new identity in the next 345 days!

-vociferous