What Mood do you Choose?

This happened over a relaxed breakfast meet. The persons at the table were an eminent judge, a senior advocate, working women, executives, two young advocates and a kid of seven. All independent thinkers. Able decision makers. We chatted for two hours.
Have you seen CP lately … The roads are all dug up
These politicians I say … have ruined the country
A discussion on the pitfalls of modern Indian life continued for some time and everyone had a stone to throw. The air of dejection and depression was so tangible you could reach out and touch it.

Until steaming coffee came in percolating heady aroma in pretty porcelain cups.
Ok. Come. Have coffee before the breakfast is ready.
Thank you. Pretty cups!
Have you been to Dilli Haat? You must ….. beautiful carpets
Last week we took our sister’s family to Jaipur. Great shopping…
Yeeees and Chauki Daani is an amazing concept. I mean total win-win. Tourist bhi khush and business bhi khush and local bhi khush.
That way, Vienna is bindaas. We’d been there for a moot-court…
Excited accounts of memorable trips followed. Again, the enthusiasm was tangible. Eyes were shining and smiles pouring.

That's when we were interrupted by a tray of hot dosas
Aai give it to the ladies first
The little boy is hungry .. don't you know you must serve him first?
No no, you sit there. I can’t sit on soft sofas. I get a backache.
Really? You must try yoga. You see, I also was suffering from gastric ache…
What followed was painful recounting of ailments past-present-future. Everyone has someone who has been ill ... so everyone has a painful recollection.

What is gathered in those two hours is that all emotions are in the air. All feelings are ready to claim to your time. We need to tune in and phataphat the emotion comes on. It is like TV surfing. We are not victims of emotions. Emotions do not just happen. It’s merely tuning. You are on that emotion as you choose to be on that frequency. You are in that mood because for some reason you think you need to be there. The emotion does not choose you; you select it and choose to be there. There is nothing like bad mood. You do not like that emotion?
Take a walk. See some pictures. Smile. Just change the emotional channel.
Remember, you are not the victim. You are the boss.
Yes. We can do it. We need more practice. That’s it.

Order for an Emotion

We have this favourite restaurant in CP. Of course the place has been quite unreachable for some time now because of all the digging up, thanks to common wealth games.
Well that is beside the point …
When I read the menu in this restaurant, I can see many dishes listed that we have not tried. I would love to try them some day. I swear I will. I must…
But not today
Is this true of emotions too? Do emotions just happen, or do we invite emotions that we have tried and do enjoy. Let us admit it. We can enjoy a burst of negative emotion too such as anger or jealousy or bitching.

Are there emotions that we have never tried? They are available on the menu. But when we encounter an opportunity to try them do we say, not today?

Can we wilfully seek an emotion? I mean actually call for it, like we call for dishes at a restaurant.
Try this. Watch a queasy scene or a horror story or a tear jerker. Go full way. Get queasy or horrified or tearful. Order this dish of emotion that you have not tried before.
Can we really do that? Order for an emotion?

A Tribute

It takes a nod and a smile to make a friend. Relationships just happen, over a cup of tea, over waiting for the morning milk sachets, over appreciating new cushion covers and bargaining with the vegetable vendors.


A fondness grows and a friendship blossoms. One such friendship has just started to bloom, the possibilities are plenty, dreams many, we only need time. I know we would hit it off very well. A wonderful mother, a keen housewife and a cheerful disposition …. She was a fine person.

We only needed the time. But this we did not have.
God snatched her from loving hands much before we were ready to let her go.
I grieve for what could have been
You were a brave fighter and you lived with dignity.
Dear friend, I will miss you. May your soul rest in peace