A DAY WELL LIVED

January 30 has been special in many ways.

So many years that this date has been observed in the many ways. Two things have stood coincidentally constant – 1) Gandhiji’s Death Anniversary and 2) My Birth Anniversary.

One is observed and the other is celebrated.

There has been no twist in the story so far.

But initially I had lived with the juxtaposition of sharing a connection with the Mahatma who breathed his last by chanting ‘Hey Ram’.

Thirty years later after the Mahatma was assassinated, arrived me on the same day.

My early days of being ‘A very different me’ proved that I was not an incarnation of the great soul who had taken extreme steps to make us taste salt, inspire us to embrace satyagraha and denounce a non-cooperation movement launched by his own self. I was the extreme opposite - violently rebellious, selfishly adamant and fatally vocal. But still there was a common element that existed between the departed and the arrived. In love with India, was him. And in love with India still, I am.

Like a fleet of flamingos traversing across continents, the years of my life kept flying away. And finally arrived today – Five years added to three decades of being vociferous. Surrounded by so much that I am yet to come to terms with the surprises that came my way.

But I wish to dedicate this day to my maa, my both mamas, my both mami maas, my siblings, my better half, my in-laws and to my universe of loving friends. Everybody made it a point to wish me in their own ways. Gifts do come the way of a Birthday Guy. But the big difference is brought by three important elements – 1) Blessings of elders, 2) Love of beloved, 3) Wishes of world.

I am the same ‘me’ who had once self-turned life into an accident. And I am the same ‘me’ who is poised to take a new turn. I desire to consider nothing as ordinary but tag everything and everyone around me as EXTRAORDINARY. To be honest, I am a little selfishly proud of my memory. Though I am in no mood to boast about my own self. But I want to assure that I forget nothing in life. From the day, I started understanding things; everything has just remained unchangeably with me – Friends, Hobbies, Mischief, Crushes, Crashes, Journeys, Destinations, Dreams, Desires, Imaginations… Nothing have I forgotten. At times, I might not call someone for months, years and ages. But that human being and every moment spent with remains etched in my memory.

Innocent I am not. I too have my own faults. And I will never want to keep them veiled. Being as human as others, I have been at my level best to misunderstand, hurt, criticize and ignore many a souls. At the same time, being human I wish to apologize to everyone in every way possible for being so indifferent.

My biggest disadvantages have been my bitterness, selfishness and my habit of holding on to the past. But having come so far, I wish to learn some new lessons. Because as human beings, the day we stop learning; knowledge dies harshly. Being a writer at heart and passionate by deeds, the death of knowledge will leave me thirsty forever.

Therefore in the midst of all the invisible battles that I have been fighting against time and so much more, I decided to take a pause… look back and say, “Hey why not live well for once”.

And thus arrived January 30. And so did the coincidence recur of a nation observing the loss of a great soul and an entire universe of family & friends conveying their wish to me. The day that started on a note of worldly surprises, I shed my inhibitions to see to it that I live this day to the fullest. With everyone I smiled. And to every phone call, I replied. So that on this day that is today (January 30), I make a new beginning of being more responsible towards every action and reaction of mine.

My apologies to those whom I have hurt and still keep hurting. And my love to all who have made me believe in the power of love… I just wish to say ‘A BIG THANK YOU’. So beautiful was the experience of this day that I grew a younger more, to call it – A DAY WELL LIVED!

-vociferous