Saying it in monochrome..

7 black & white days and more...

I always felt the world look so much more beautiful, bearable in monochrome of .. black and white. And last 7 days bought me a bit nearer to this love. I ask myself what is it that makes it so endearing.. strangely, in the from of an answer a faint voice another old love of mine started singing in my head.. Keats.
“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter;
therefore, ye soft pipes, play on..

This has been like a colour detox for me.. the last time I tired anything related to detoxification (10years ago) it lasted for 3 day. There is always one or the other game, quiz or challenge circulating on FB to keep the curious and idle both occupied. Now I am not the one to discuss here; either the importance or silliness of any of those posts and games. But occasional something crops up which ticks me too. The '7 days B&W challenge- no people no explanation' is one of them. Firstly because- the word B&W itself and second of course were the inspiration in form of the gorgeous images that filled Cynthia and Victoria’s wall everyday for those 7days. The rules- 'You don’t speak for your photo and no people in it' either to tilt your concept, made it all the more alluring.

It’s such a beautiful world, the world of Blacks and whites ..and the greys.
A world we lost to colours or shall I say- lost in translation.
I took up the game but, Bidyut is’t keeping well and with my 4 year old handful around, my field of exploration was limited to mostly the house (except for those 2 photos that I took the days we had gone to see the doctor) All the photos in this album were clicked by my 8megapixel phone camera and also edited in it. I would take 20 min or less off from whatever else was keeping me busy to source a image click and edit. And I relished every minute of it.

Initially I thought, I’ll go through my old images and work on turning those the B?W. But again, I personally feel with black and white it always works better if you have it in your mind right in the beginning as you are making a frame .. that you are going to see the final image in BW. Because here it's mainly about the form, variety in texture and light ..
And it so happened .. each day, at one point of time an image would literally jump at me saying 'I am Black and white.. take me'!

When ever we are consciously involved in doing something for a particular period of time or couple of days.. our subconscious starts working around the need for it and of course, the ‘whys’
Again, why.. this fascination for Black and white..
“…thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Now how many of us would actually like to see, meet or know their first crush.. to be disillusion by the burble of reality - life, family, work, the extra bit here and there .. or receding hairline! No, not being rude or judgmental but just saying..that is the colour of life. Take it away and you have the monochrome possibilities of colouring it as you want to or just leave it as a vision; a moment there.. where it belongs- in time. Suspended, yet- with the possibilities of waking it up to life with your emotions; when ever you glance at it.

The black, white and greys tugs.. just there- the ethos.
Doing away with all the unnecessary clutters of colour that jumbles our already saturated senses.
Images I can look at someday and bring back to life; as and when and how- I want to!
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!"

patience learnt :)

Every birthday- the days and the year we have lived, marks a step- in ways big and small; sometime in ways we don’t even notice.. till we look back at it someday.

This birthday too marks a little milestone..

 Môu our little girl,  she came in as I was about to put the cake in the oven-a chocolate cake, her favourite!
- now keeping her hands off that one is going to be tough. So, I told her, it is Deuta’s birthday and once this cake is baked we will put it in the fridge and cut it at midnight today. Now she is very diligent about the whole ritual of cake cutting. So she realised she can’t eat this one right then.. than she spies the batter bowl with the remain of the chocolate batter in it. Gingerly put's a finger in and took a quick lick.. and exclaims- Woow Ma! Smiles and looks at me for approval, for more. The moment she gets the go ahead nod, she was down at the job. Happily licking away the chocolate batter...
Yes, yesterday on Deuta’s birdthay, Mou discovered the joy of licking the ‘batter bowl’.
Even delightful was to see Môu’s happy patience through out the day. Waiting and counting the minutes and seconds till midnight; to cut the cake. The moment the cake was out of the oven, our girl appears - is it time?
I say no - some hours to go. At ’12’- night.. remember?
Okay. And off she would go back to her play..

15 min later the figure is back -it is time?
No.
Okay... can I look? (it’s in the fridge now).
Ok, quick peek.
Wow— beautiful Ma.
I smile… thanks dear.

Half and hour later she is back- is it time?
No.. some more hours still to go.
Can I look ?
Yes
wow it’s pretty Ma.. it’s growing..
Yes, I think so too :) :)

Time went a bit faster in the evening, when her friends Gungun & Miska, came down for a small 'deuta's birthday eve' tea party.

At around 10.30 pm Mou comes to me- is it time?
I took her to the wall clock and showed her- see- when both hands are together at ’12’ we will cut the cake- okay?
Okay... bit tired but still patient; she returns to watch some TV

'Môu it's midnight' I call out - Môu runs out to the terrace to get Deuta and Cyrus chachu uncle.. Deuta blows out the candles, Mou sings ‘Happy birthday to you’ and the cake is cut.. yippee, finally!!!
But wait, Môu still finds something amiss. Tradition is not over till we have smeared some cake on the birthday boy... and Bidyut, who otherwise would have thrown a tantrum like a 10 year old; had anyone else tried to smear his face with chocolate cream or icing; meekly let his daughter do so :D 

And the chocolate cake, is happily devoured by all.

Tell me a Tale..

We have a car which is perfect for our family to travel.. but it does tend to become a bit cramp when you have to share it with 3 penguins and sometime a dog or a kitten too! No, I am not the Zookeeper ’s wife, It’s just that our 3 and half old year daughter Môu, loves to take her friends along with us everywhere!

Now just last night around 1 am ; I was still at the studio winding up an edit when Mou came into my room with an urgent look … and took me to the door. She told me- There is a penguin knocking at the door. Well.. past midnight and in Bombay's heat you got to let it in, right? So I helped her open the door, and guess what- a whole family of Penguin was waiting outside our studio door! Well, quite a timely arrival too — considering the boiled egg that I was trying to feed Mou sometime back, seem to be a favourite with our penguins here :):)

I know, you all must be wondering... but 'Pretend' is a word I am not comfortable using here. Because that would make me seem a bit off track too.. wouldn’t it? Considering Bidyut and I too talk to them, pet them and serve food; open the car door and wait for them to get out and sometime also help Mou to carry the Penguin’s pink egg home.. that always somehow seem to materialise from 'Nowhere land'!
 Of course, penguin eggs can be pink- just the way you can sit on the edge of a bed and fish for shark or an octopus with a piece of lace. But mind you, if you happen to catch an octopus you immediately have to throw it back to the ocean, otherwise entangled you will be!!
Also the moon always has to run to keep pace with our car.. is that why it seems to shrink and disappear altogether some days? Then there are days -specially if you are stuck amidst a sea of honking vehicles, when it plays ‘koo, koo bhaa’ (peek a boo) with Môu from behind the looming structures of our 'concert everland'.

Yes, this is how I re-discovered the enchantment of 'nowhere land' -a land we all were on our way to once, but lost our route along the way.

Have you seen the shadows play on your wall lately..

Once the Tv is off, lights are shut..

and we still have not fallen asleep

we make that trip to the fridge..

Along the way- we wait a while at each wall and watch

the shadows play a little tale,

in our house from the lights of the passing cars!

“ Ma, ma.. here comes the shadow…
See- no light no shadow!

Yes, In Môu's world, with her I have discovered that 'Nowhere land' exists, and it exists right amidst us.

Yes, we need light for shadows to form, but it is only the the shadows that will tell you the tale.. rest is just light.