A few of my favourite things

Many believe that happiness is the most elusive thing in the world. That the world is going to the dogs, and there are no reasons to be happy. That you would have to be an imbecile if you could find and relish even an iota of happiness in this mad mad world. To them I say, maybe I am that imbecile. For I face no drought of the little things that make my heart smile. Life does offer a large platter of simple pleasures – of every kind. It is just that some people try too hard to pick the best, that the rest just slip away. As for me, gluttony is my forte and I pick as many as I can. And savor each of them.

Well, here is a list of the things I picked from the platter.

Summer breezes: Imagine walking on a busy road, the sun soaring in the sky, burning your back, the vehicles honking rudely at you, asking you to get out of their way, people hurrying past you with a mountain load of worries on their head, and you fretting over whether you will reach your destination in time. And suddenly this cool breeze blows your way. It’s neither too strong that you are blown away, not too mild that you don’t even feel it. Just as gentle as a lover’s caress. Tenderly blowing your hair off your face. Making you stand still among the crowds that rush past you. Eyes closed. Secretly thanking Mother Nature for this surprise gift she suddenly decides to bestow upon you.

Solving the crossword with Appa: I still remember how in the beginning I would just get one or two clues right and that would make me dance with joy. Literally. It’s fun, sitting late into the night, ruminating over the cryptic clues, asking Chambers for some assistance, deciphering the anagrams, having appa complain about my handwriting when I fill in the clues, doodling all over the page pondering over what the right word is, making a mess of the crossword by filling in all the wrong answers, and the rare occasions of infinite joy when we successfully complete it. Ah!

Hajmola: In all sizes and shapes. The one rupee packets with 6 golis in them. Deciding how to divide the 6 among the 5 of us equally. The 50 ps ones in pink and green. All of us fighting for pink and ignoring poor green. The big bottle with almost 50 pieces in them. We bought that just once and it got over in 3 hours flat I guess. Between the 3 of us. I love the tangy aftertaste that it leaves in your mouth.

Dancing in the middle of the road: Yup, I have been certified insane. Just a few days ago I had taken the dog for a walk. And I kinda had the road to myself. Was listening to music on the phone. Don’t quite remember the song but I was quite happy just then and I broke into a little jig. And it felt sooooooo good.

Playing ad game with the boys: It’s this game bhai invented in which you have to guess which ad it is. Usually we play girls vs boys and it’s a delight. Fighting over who guessed it right first, arguing over the of points, screaming like mad… under this I would also like to include all the other lil games we play like dumbsharades and pictionary and taboo et al..

Catching up on old episodes of Friends: A lazy Sunday afternoon, you switch on the tv hoping for some mindless entertainment and there it is, that episode from season three when Chandler is stuck in an ATM vestibule and Rachel runs into Pavlov.. And you have a bowl of peanuts to munch on while you cuddle up in your sofa and laugh at their antics. Sweet joy.

Bookstores: any bookstore. Just the smell of books is alluring enough. And actually getting to sit and browse through is a satiating experience. And what with stores like oxford that have a built-in café, that’s like combining my two favourite things – books and food. And ooo, talking about browsing through bookstores, I remember this one time C and me had bunked an exam and gone to landmark. We had three hours to kill and did we make good use of it or what. We even took a sneak peek into the illustrated version of the kamasutra but had to hurriedly put it back when an old lady started glaring at us. Tee hee.

Reading old letters: I have this big red box full of the letters I have received. Not many. Just a few. But every once in a while, I sit down to read them, and it get all lumpy in the throat.

Playing with kids: So some previous posts of mine must have already established how much I love kids. And from personal experiences you must agree with me that a child’s laughter is the sweetest sound in the world. I really enjoy playing with kids of all sizes and shapes. From babies in diapers to 7 year old brats. I love listening to the make-believe stories they tell. And watching them fight over silly things. And play all those childish games.


There are many more to this list but the little watchdog in the back of my mind is saying this post is getting a tad too long. So I shall stop at this. And wait for reader feedback. So you tell me oh esteemed reader, what are the simple things in life that give you pleasure. Go on. Spit it out.


P.S. Sorry for this delay. A few things kept me busy through the month. I solemnly swear to be more regular henceforth.