A Spoonful of Happiness

You will never be happy if you continue to search 

for what happiness consists of - Albert Camus

 

 

Happiness lies in the smell of the wet earth after the first shower of rain. Cuddling up under a warm blanket on a cold winter morning. Blowing rainbow coloured soap bubbles and watch them float away gently. Finding old letters while cleaning up old boxes and re-reading them. Going through old albums and laughing at how terrible I looked in the Green polka-dotted frock.

Happiness is synonymous to a warm mug of coffee with a favourite paperback. A kid in the balcony, basking in the soft winter sun, trying to peel her first orange. Bumping into a long-lost friend and letting the floodgates of your memories open. Putting your favourite number on repeat on your iPod and turn oblivious to your surroundings. 

Happiness is what the taste buds experience when you plop the first phuchka into your mouth and it breaks open to release the sweet-tangy liquid! The feeling when you dive into a cold swimming pool on a hot summer afternoon. When you suddenly find the long-lost single ear-ring which  had got separated from its pair.

Happiness is the long evening walks with you in the hills, ending with steaming plates of momo. Getting wet in the rains just for the sake of it. Its the feeling when you hold my hand or hug me tight. It is how my face lights up when my cell phone beeps receiving your text message.

Happiness is waking up in the morning to start a fresh new day. Happiness is going to bed, looking forward to the dawn of a promising new day.

growing up with books

I can identify the sharp transitions that I have had in my literary life. I don't think i could put it very well. What I mean is, how I have grown up reading books of different flavours.

I don't remember the first book I owned. Must be something which had colorful pictures in every page with little or no writing. I remember a particular series of books which i used to borrow from my Kindergarten library. It was called Peter and Jane. Ma used to sit and make me practice reading. Also there was The Enormous Turnip, Henny Penny, The Shoemaker and the Elves. All these had lots of pictures. Attractive ones!!

As  I graduated from Kindergarten, I was introduced to the Magical world of Enid Blyton. The Faraway Tree, The Barney Series, The Adventure Series.... they became my bible! I was a voracious reader! I gradually imagined myself as one of the Secret Seven or The Famous Five or The Five Find-Outers. I fell in love with Fatty (leader of the Five Find-outers). I tried writing letters with invisible ink. I tried having a secret society where you had to give a  password to enter the meetings! I wished I was in a boarding school like St. Clare's or Malory Towers!

Apart from the Enid Blytons, I read Sweet Valley kids! As I grew up to a permissible age to read Sweet Valley High or Sweet Valley University, I realized that Sweet Valleys are Sh!T...!!! I was never a Sweet Valley fan! Girls in my school were crazy about that series!! Ugghhh!!!

And gradually, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple became my bedtime stories. At times I used to stay up late and finish a book and then go to bed. Ma used to get angry at times. But the urge  to reach the last page of the book was too strong to listen to anything she said.

As I gained age and wisdom, the Secret Sevens and Rip van Winkles took their place in the top most rack of my book shelf, where you need to stand on a stool to reach out. The middle rack (the most accessible one) was furnished with The Sister of my Heart, The Glass Palace, A Princess Remembers, classics like Gone with the Wind, Emma, David Copperfield. I rearranged the books of the middle shelf and made space for The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I was not confined only to books in English language. I ventured a lot into the world of Bengali literature too. Feluda,  Professor Shonku, Tarini Khuro and every short story that came out of the pens of Satyajit Ray was and still is my favorite. Pother Panchali, Parineeta, Ramer Shumoti, Chuti, Rajarshi... the list is endless. Books were my Best friend. In fact, my bestest friend (if that term existed)!

And today, I find myself so drained out after the day's work, that I don't get time to read. And I regret it. Always. The days when going to the Book Fair was like an annual ritual. The smell of new books was intoxicating. I miss those endless idle hours which I could spend behind those black and white letters.

Alas...!!

P.S : There are tons of other books and writers who have been a part of  the "growing-me". So many, that I cant possible fit them all here!

Just another text message

Few days ago, i received a text from one of my dearest friends. What I read, actually made me start thinking. And I thought of setting your thoughts into motion too....

I have seen castles made out of sand,
Met people who believe destiny is engraved on the palm of their hands...
I have seen people change their faith,
Experienced love change into hate,
I have seen people grow younger with age,
And a bird who wouldn't fly out of an open cage...
I have seen love sold for money,
People who are devastated inside but outside they are funny.
I have seen the unicorn fall in love with the toad,
People who owned half the city,have now hit the road.
I have learnt to expect the unexpected,
Perfection does not exist, we are all defected.
Everyone cries, some just hide their tear,
They say coal turns diamond over a thousand years.
Someone may believe you are one in a million,
For others, you are another nobody in the billion.
So live life with all that you have,
Cherish all your moments, Happy or Sad.
Feel blessed with what you are,
'Coz life is too short, and we can't go too far.....

P.S : Author unknown, but beautiful words through his/her pen.....