Reaction

 A Painting and a Story # 24

She looked at the comments on the new cane juice advertisement in horror. The disaster unfolded the minute the video clip went live. People found all sorts of things wrong with it. Regressive, anti-women, farmer-unfriendly the list was endless. Meenu (short for Meenakshi) is in shock. The project is partly her responsibility. She knows the lines are beautiful, the images are dreamy and the message is clear. She really thinks she has created something wonderful. 

Suddenly her world has collapsed. Husband has made a plate for her but she cannot eat. Oh yes! She has the quotes on her wall. Success comes only to those who try. If you don't make mistakes you are not trying new things. Accept responsibility and move one. Meenu knows it all! She has even said the same thing to others. But all this advice is not working. She is feeling miserable and that is the truth. She doesn't have tears flowing down her cheeks. She has a sunken feeling in her gut that does not go away. She is thinking of the loss, to the client, to the company and to her confidence. Her restless mind is all over the place! She paces up and down the hall. Her breathing pattern changes. She finds herself sweating. Her throat is dry. She feels her pulse. Is she going to faint?

With a determined step she goes to wooden shelf in the corner behind the dining table. Magan looks at her helpless! He has tried to reason with her and received a sharp retort! He knows when he needs to keep away! She pulls out knickknacks lined on the shelf and dumps them on the table. 

A couple of paperbacks joins the pile on the table. A brass elephant clangs harmlessly to the floor. Meenu pulls out a CD in a plastic case and gently wipes off the dust on it. Scrawled into the paper inside is birthday wishes from Hoo Ffu Kaka. Gradually the gentle strings of a veena blends into the soulful melody of violin. It is coming from their music system in the hall. The music seeps into her. She becomes still. The music flows over her, around her and into her. The racing mind empties itself. The problem has not gone away. It still needs to be addressed. But what is important is the SHE is not the problem! She walks quickly to the table and picks up her plate. Magan knows she will be fine. 

When the sun sets, when we are ready to go to bed, there are two things we can do. We fret at what went wrong (we recall disasters in vivid detail!!). Or we consciously decide to do whatever it takes to quieten the mind! Any route to achieve that is okay, as long as the route does not take us through chemicals!

My painting for today is Sunset on the Beach in oil pastels. I think I used over 15 shades to create this! With oil pastels there is no dust on my table but my fingertips hurt with rubbing them and blending them into the canvas! I sometimes use my finger joints too! 

Sunset on the Beach in Oil Pastels