Just another day..

From the usual weekends when I would normally trek and travel, this one was different.

Friday night I consciously decided not to do anything but to laze around..

I thought of not doing the usual things that I would otherwise do..

I decided I would take things as they happen and not plan anything unlike other days.

Saturday, 22^nd Oct 2007

Unusually I got up by 7. As I lay still, I remembered what I had planned for the day. Nothing! So I chose to keep my actions in line with my mission.

No plans, no scheduled activity, no regular stuff, no routines.

Nothing at all!

Only to realize that even doing nothing takes an effort.

I closed my eyes to go back to sleep hoping to have some dreams. Oops, no dreams. Remember no routine stuff. Thanks to the traffic outside my lane, my task became simpler.

I tried various postures and positions to go back to sleep. Twisted and turned around, even buried my head under the pillows but finally I was not left with much choice but to get up. Even though I had slept for about 8 hours I imposed this ‘grumpy’ effect of not being able to sleep for any longer.

So here I was, all set, for a fresh new day - unplanned, unpredictable and totally impulsive.

I decided to have a royal breakfast. Yes, I am skipping my civic activities, everything – from brushing my teeth to holding on to what wishes to be flushed away. Remember it’s a non routine day.

But then how come I am having breakfast? Because like many it’s not a part of my routine!

I am more of “do waqt ki roti..” types.

I was having scrambled eggs, butter toasts, corn flakes with a glassful of milk and then an apple.

It felt nice.

It felt really, really nice.

Change at times is refreshing.

Then as I seated myself on the couch with my legs widespread on the center table, I noticed the newspaper. Instantly it brought tempting thoughts. Usually, I read my newspaper in the toilet.

Why? Why not? It’s time saving, you are multi-tasking and in emergencies the paper it comes quite handy.

Ah but today no newspaper and no such emergency. So I decided to watch television; without going on to my favourite channels I started surfing channels. An exercise which sub-consciously initiates itself the moment one gets the remote in his hands.

I surfed through some 40 odd regional channels; then glanced through some 10-12 spiritual and devotional channels followed by an equal number of ‘sensational’ news channels broadcasting the same news ‘exclusively’ and ‘repeatedly’. I finally stopped at one particular channel where Prerna is getting marriage for the n’th time and her grand children are deciding what gifts to present the bride of Indian television.

If you don’t know Prerna then my friend you are missing out an entire generation in Indian television.

After watching the heart rending ceremony I moved on to the music channels which had more advertisements and jingles than songs. Pretty interesting shows ‘Get Gorgeous’ & ‘Style Checks’ on a music channel. I wonder if the cultural and moral police are watching. If yes and its still on air then there is only one explanation. Nudity and music is acceptable than nudity and fashion. Totally unacceptable. Unusually interesting!

I switched on to Pogo.

There is a kid in everyone. This sci-fi super hero was trying to manoeuvre his space ship chasing the evil dark lord flying away in his warship. True, there is a kid in everyone but not necessarily a sci-fi kid. I was looking out for Tom and Jerry kind of stuff.

After flipping through some 100 odd channels I came across the ‘usual’ channels. Jeff Corwin was on an Alaskan adventure and Steve Irwin was having fun with the great crocodiles. Much against my wishes I switched channels as I had decided for the day.

I realized there was nothing worthy to be watched.

What a waste?

Sadly, I turned the T.V. off!

Change at times can be disheartening.

The newspaper was irresistible now. Reading paper in the toilet is my usual routine so… So reading it in the hall is unusual enough. I know its cheating but these are my rules. And I was still doing the unusual stuff. I started with Pune Times. The first page, the second followed by the third, fourth, fifth and the sixth. I wonder why they call it Page 3. Nonetheless, who cares?

Painfully I abstained myself from the real life stories and just managed with crappy reel life stories.

No sports section!

Change at times is (un)real.

I switched on my PC, screened through 12 GB of my music collection. Ignoring the folder named favourites I navigated through folders which I never knew existed. I just had the patience to listen to 17 never heard before songs.

Change at times tests patience.

I logged on to my email account. I hate forwards and junk mails. But today was different.

I went through my junk mail. 36 new mails in less than 12 hours! I came across every kind of newsletters and promotions offering free products, services and false hopes…

Change at times can be informative.

Just then something happened. Or rather was waiting to happen. My bowel seemed to be complaining to let go off what I was holding onto. It seemed that all that breakfast was pushing for its own place. And for some reason I was not yet willing to let go. And it was lunch time. I do not have the concept of breakfast and lunch. I eat when I feel like. The only meal I never skip is dinner. Though there is no fixed time for that too. So here I was holding onto last night’s dinner and some part of my breakfast and gearing up for lunch. I hope some of you know how it feels.

Change at times is uncomfortable and challenging.

But keeping to the norm for the day I analyzed the situation. When the going gets tough the tough gets going. To make it tougher I decided to have lunch. Usually, when I am at home I cook my own food as I enjoy cooking. Today, I dialed the Chinese restaurant and ordered ‘veg’ fried rice. It’s very unusual of me. No not the Chinese part but the vegetarian part of it!

Veg Fried Rice. So much for taking myself seriously!

I surfed the T.V. all over again till the food arrived. The Austin Steven’s series, was too tempting but I turned it off. Soon the food arrived.

Veg Fried Rice. I tried my best.

Usually, I don’t waste food but today was an exception. With great effort ate a little portion of it and decided to keep the rest in the refrigerator. This was by far the happiest ‘unusual’ thing so far. I decided never ever to experiment with the eating preferences.

Change at times is a blessing in disguise.

So now I am both. Hungry and bored!

It was unusually a hot evening. Even the weather gods seemed to have joined me in the game. I decided to go out. The obvious choice was movies. Not so obvious choice today.

Hmm.. the mall adjacent to the hall?

I reached the mall and it was not so crowded! I passed by a whole range of products and more variety of people inside. Ever walked around looking at everything but not seeing anything in particular?

Window-shopping? There was so much around me, yet I saw nothing.

The urge to watch a film was strong. So I stood in the queue, bought a ticket for a Kannada film which had started half an hour ago. I continued to take my tour around the mall.

Change at times is idiotic.

By now the urge to use the restroom was compulsive. I held on to it. I wasn’t going to give up so easily. It was just a matter of few more hours. By the time I finished my aimless tour I had spent nearly two hours. It was a great sense of achievement! I finally managed to spend a good amount of time doing nothing.

The crowd had begun to swell up. Now my hunger pangs were digging onto me. Ideally, I would have gone for the scrumptious fast food around me but today was different. I ordered for a plate of fruit salad – cubes of papayas, apples, a slice of pineapple topping and lots of bananas. I hate bananas. The ‘chaat masala’ did compensate for my fast food taste bugs but mostly it gave me the much needed respite from my hunger.

I had managed pretty well so far without falling into my daily routine. Moreover now it was a matter of just few more hours. I already felt victorious. Only to realise it was momentary. It just got tougher. The fruit salad just seemed to have added on to my bowel movement. The situation which looked all under control suddenly seemed to be slipping away. Literally..

Change at times brings volatility.

Now it was getting unbearable. I decided to go home. As long as you walking it is still endurable. But the ride back home proved to be the most testing one.

Change is painful, at times very painful.

Once home I rushed past my parents, who were glued to Meesha Madhavan, it’s not a hasty spelling error but a Malayalam film, straight into the rest room.

And within moments it was all over.

The day was over. It's over when you feel it is over.

A day doing nothing usual!

To end it on this unusual manner I skipped dinner and decided to sleep early.

I switched on the fan, turned off the lights and drew the curtains to make my rooms darker. Triumphant, I laid down on my bed looking at nothing but a thin ray of street light peeping through the slit of the curtains. Then with my eyes closed I remembered the day that was!

A thought floated by, of how my routines, my schedules, my time-tables and my life style had made me so mechanical that it took effort to do something different.

A lot, actually..

Change often leads to new discoveries..

Nothing unusual about this..!!

PS: Its a post written two years ago. Posting it without any edits and changes.

Change at times is unnecessary!