Saturday, August 02, 2008

The Princely Experience

It doesn’t rain much in Ahmadabad. Definitely not for someone who spent his life in Lucknow and Dhanbad before coming to Ahmadabad. So when it started raining yesterday, my heart was all joy and contented at the sight of a familiar but recently rare pleasure giving phenomenon. When the rains continued through the night my hearts joy knew no bounds and then when today the rains yielded the skies to a cool breeze with the relaxing touch on the skin I was ecstatic. Yet there has to be a spoilsport in a PhD scholars life and work it was for me. I had to review this document sent by abhishek. But me being me , my mind leaped and jumped form here to there in an attempt to find a magic solution to emerge out of the anomaly of life and enjoy the beautiful evening.

With heavy steps and a heavier heart I trudged the weary way from my room to the new LAN at the other end of the campus a good 700 m walk. My mind was restless. As I came to the LAN I realised my mind was not restless it was not at rest. And behold an idea flashes. I open the door to the balcony of the LAN and take my chair with wheels out to the balcony knowing that I have a laptop to work on. Sadly the balcony has no room for a breeze when I am in there in a mood to enjoy. I needed an alternative and soon there was one. I put my laptop on the chair and skilfully guided it through the work space to outside it to the portico and corridor above the main ramp in the new campus. Where the breeze flows in from a neat half km free flow and crosses to the other half of the campus . the brilliance of the idea could not be mixed. My feet firmly rested on the railings and my self on the chair began the review of the document and then I remembered the wonderful gift of rashmita – soothing music from the land of ladakh and I instantly clicked on Nawang Khechoggs favourite collection. The setting was complete.

I was seated like a maharajah with half a km of approach road leading to my high perch – the main lounge area of the new campus. I was taken back to old memories of castles and palaces and movies and dream theatres of the prince sitting on his balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens in his palace as he waited for the next adventure in his life which took him to his princess as well. More strong was the princely feeling of a kingdom on earth with free flowing air, beautiful rain , greenery and flowers, long wide roads , and the luxury to enjoy it all. And I silently thanked god for two things – one for my bringing me to IIMA and the second for the love that nature has always showered on me in blessing me with these luxuries of life.

So come join me… lets create luxury in life.