Window Seat Scribbles

The word Vacation has such a lovely ring to it, don't you agree? It brings with it visions of cavorting on sunny beaches and relaxing in seafacing resorts...or for the adventurous amongst us, it urges them to pick up their backpacks for yet another trekking trip. Hill stations with their waterfalls and mountain cafés beckon us in summers, and sandy beaches or the houseboats in backwaters lure us in winters. Either way, its always fun to go on a vacation, and the way I see it, planning the trip is no less fun than going on the promised holiday itself. My family loves taking holidays. I have fond memories of looking forward to summer or winter vacations at school as they simply translated to family holidays for me. It is small wonder then, that the idea of taking a holiday even now fills me with childlike excitement! Much has changed about planning a holiday back then and now. My father loved planning our trips back then, but now, the reins of planning have been passed on to me. Of...

There is something about observing random strangers that I really enjoy...I can't exactly put my finger on what it is, but I could spend an entire day at an Airport lounge just looking at people. A certain consuming interest in these people in transit grips me, as I draw my imaginary conclusions and build a fictional story around them. The nervous middle aged woman travelling alone, the confident teenager with neon coloured headphones plugged in her ear, the toddler glued to his fathers cellphone games, the young man speaking in a low tone on his phone, the elderly couple clutching at their bags...all of these and many many more have served as protagonists in my make believe world. But sometimes, a few of these faces just tend to stay with you. I find it difficult to shake off the memory of few faces, and I can't help but wonder about the real stories these people's lives hold. One such face was that of an elderly man who lived across the street from me in Delhi. It would...