When the three met up for some Filter Coffee: Sky, Change and Rosary

The sky has been behaving quite strange in the last three days here in Chennai. Thursday night was a visual delight, when the moon was out in full to say,”hello friend, good evening!” Yes indeed, not sure if it was Pournami on Thursday, for I don’t keep track of all that, but the sight was quite a delight. I stretched my arms right up towards the sky and managed to get a few clicks of the moon. Just as I finished that, I could see the stars were out too, the sky was unusually clear. It was almost 11 in the night when I was heading home that night, and for a time like that, it is usually all dark and you could only see a dim glow of the moon. That night, the sky had worn a picturesque look; I could really feel the blue hue from the sky; with the moon and the stars illuminating the sky.

I returned home with an unusual air of confidence, I thought the skies were opening up to new possibilities, and were quite symbolically throwing hints at me that it’s time for change. After all, as Sir Newton said, “change is the only thing that is constant!” I just had to embrace change and become friends with him, perhaps have some filter coffee with him and understand where he was trying to lead me to. Not that I dislike whatever I did in the last 8 plus years, I somehow felt my thinking capacity wasn’t at its best, I should admit. This could be majorly attributed to my nocturnal, sedentary job! It’s not been long since I moved in to regular working hours, I already feel nightmarish about the night shifts that I was engaged to, for 8 plus years! Phew! I am glad am out of it! 

Having had the opportunity of seeing more of daylight, I have awakened to some wonderful world of scope and potential, inviting me for filter coffee everyday!  Take writing for example, I can’t imagine how sluggish I was, exactly a year ago, I was constantly accused of wearing a sleepy look all the time. What was I to do, my job demanded me to be bright at nights, that when I get back home after a tiresome ‘night’ at work, I only wanted to crash, hit the sack at the first opportunity. Though writing has been my hobby, quite honestly, I did not feel like doing anything other than sleeping. I recall sleeping for 16 hours straight! Oooohhh! Anyways, sunlight means a lot to me now, and has helped me catch up with many things that I missed all these years. These may be trivial things, but they give me immense gratification. Eg., to me my first cup of filter coffee has to be that perfect blend, strong and less sugar! Above all, I need to wake up from a good night’s sleep, feel the fresh smell of the toothpaste in my mouth, with my stomach grumbling slightly, and then I take the first sip of filter coffee for the day off my stainless steel cup and saucer, strictly! Wow one of the best ways to begin a new day! This could certainly not be relished if you’re back from tiring night at work! 

The rains have always been one of my muses too...Each time it rains, it is a pure feeling of nostalgia, that gives me an adrenaline rush. I understand, in a place like Chennai that has poor disaster management systems, people don’t quite want to welcome the rains. They only crib and think about the after-effects. But if you just let loose and embrace it as part of the changing seasons in the city, considering that we have only 3 variations in the city, hot, hotter and hottest; rains make you forget all pain! Rains mean change to me. I am not in Cherapunji or Spain to be soaked in some rainy gloom all day. The dark clouds make me want to think more and transform into a mode of introspection. Now is the time we have the rain Gods doing some justice, we have had the north east monsoon doing the rounds, lo and behold! Chennai has had some showers! A good day indeed to step into introspection, I have done some math with myself, and may soon know if it was futile or fruitful. In the process though, I have earned a rosary, that shall ever remain etched in my mind and heart; what a way to end the introspection, quite symbolic indeed!