Amid several things that happen late in my life is the month by which I get a New Year diary. I have never got one before it starts raining in July and sometimes even the rains had given way to winters. The phenomenon can be easily understood once you consider that there is nothing very distinguishing about it. The same things happens with government grants and scholarships which takes plenty of time to reach from the government cash box to the pocket of the common man.
I sense that I had a hidden passion for diaries. Every time I got a diary, I hoarded it. I was never scared that anyone might read my diary, not because it was hidden somewhere but it was always kept clean and tidy. And by clean, I mean, my diary never knew the soft touch of a pen to its smooth pages. I remember in school, teachers used to dictate homework and we wrote it in our school diaries. Once my history teacher in 5th grade asked everyone to get ones diary checked. No wonders I was scolded for not taking down homework since the start of the term. Whatever she had dictated ever was written on the back pages of the note copy.
Things have changed now and with blogging I have also cultivated an active interest in writing. Also, this time planets changed their positions and I got the diary very early in the year i.e., 14thJan only. Though the same gift a month later, fourteenth of Feb, would have marked it as unforgettable, it is ok. Anyways, I have never heard of a girl who has gifted her boyfriend a New Year diary on Valentine’s Day. And I can’t imagine that poor guy to be happy who might receive such a gift. Because if such a diary is gifted I know what it would be scrapped with? – Lines and poems in the ode of the lady. No matter if our guy had faltered while writing even a five line essay on ‘The cow’, he would have to learn to be creative – either think original or steal lines. Love changes you.
Coming back to my diary, I am thinking what I am going to fill it up with. As a beginning, I have filled up the About Me page in that with my name, email ids and mobile numbers – and I have got several. I got a sms a few days back – “How do you know you are in love? – Answer: When you start looking for the cheapest mobile connection.” How true – I must say.
I will prepare a list of all the plausible things that I could jot on my diary. Meanwhile, as you already know, two great poets were born one lonely, horrendous, moonlit night in Chennai, with silence broken only by the crying of wolves. Or were they dogs? Here is an offering from one of those poets …
Raat ki tanhaayee main,
Waqt guzarne ki bhi awaaz sunaayi deti hai…
Din main hum zindagi se ladte hain,
Andhere main beeti hui ghadiyon ka hisaab karte hain.
