Thursday 17 July 2014

Mushrooming in Head


I was really feeling tired after the ten hour long drive. We started early in the morning in order to avoid heavy traffic. The road was good, and so was the scenery. Lush green color had become even more vibrant after the rains. The breeze was adding its magical effect too. The car was echoing with our giggles and laughter. The enthusiasm of a long over-due, much deserved vacation was setting in. I guess the adrenaline rush had set in, and we decided to change our original plan of halting mid-way. And thus, almost half a day had gone by before I unpacked my bags, almost at the time when the sun was also packing his bags to bid adieu for the day.

After completing my usual chores of a mother, wife & an individual, I finally sat down with my cup of coffee. And it was then that I first noticed them through the window. The picturesque backdrop had become even more magical in the twilight. And the small mushroom heads, growing on the window pane, seemed pale and tiny against the brightness of the world outside. Their seemingly inconsequential existence was a potent threat to the very piece of wood on which they grew. Much like the aberrations in our thought processes, which sometimes end up causing whirlwind in our lives.

Riding Two Horses
While still on our way, we happened to talk of a common friend, and his sad state of affairs. A few years back this guy was in a serious relationship with a girl. Then for some known and some unknown reasons, they decided to part ways. Each moved on in their lives, got married and were well settled. But a few months ago their paths again crossed. They bumped into each other at a common friend’s reception and spent time together. One thing led to another, and the old fire was rekindled.

Now both are caught in a mess they don’t seem to find a way out from. One chanced encounter has resulted in a series of meetings and long hours of conversations. And currently, both of them are struggling to give this new relationship a name. Needless to say, their respective spouses are not very supportive of this change in events. With clouds of doubt and jealousy looming large, their marriages are in troubled waters.

An unexpected meeting, a harmless conversation, since allowed to grow, has created cracks in a life-long relationship.

Tame Your Dragon
My cousin is engaged to be married next month. She has known her would-be-husband for long, taking considerable time to take this relationship to the next level. However an unfortunate event led to some altercation between the boy and my uncle, the girl’s father. Tempers flew, tongues wagged and boundaries of decency were violated by both parties.

Flared up egos are now refusing to calm down. The relationship at this delicate juncture is under threat of breaking up. With both the father and fiancé refusing to see each other eye-to-eye, my cousin is caught in the middle of their bitterness.

In their fit of anger, both men forgot that the wounds they are inflicting on the girl they both love, will take a long time to heal.

Comparing Apples with Oranges
The other day I read a sad and shocking story in the newspaper. A mother of two had committed suicide. The woman’s husband was going through a tough patch in his career, causing financial problems for the family. Thus the couple couldn’t provide as many amenities for their kids as available for the neighborhood children. Seeing this, the mother used to stay depressed, and constantly fought with her husband. And one day, unable to live with this guilt any more, she decided to end her life.

I wish she could realize, by worrying excessively about absence of luxuries, she has created a vacuum which will never be filled.



I finished up my cup of coffee, and called up the reception, informing them about the mushroom growth. Some thoughts must be ended, much before they get engrained.  


No comments: