Author: Deeya Nambiar

I believe in taking every day as a learning phase, and exploring my writing skills. I have enjoyed the challenges as a journalist, content writer and college lecturer, and at the moment am living life analysing the extraordinary in the ordinary!

Water Flows to Still

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“What would you like to have, regular or bottled water?”

How exotic does it sound, when water is addressed differently!

If the statistics are to be believed, there are more than 3000 brands of bottled water for the consumers. It is even more interesting to find the description of the “source of water” that goes along with the bottles. Not to forget, a brand means the water comes for a cost. The older the source of water, the upper goes the charges to drink it.

I agree that, water has taste. It depends on the type of water that we receive. At times, it may be the ‘odour and taste’ of the chemical that has been administered for its purification. Certainly, we follow our own rituals to make the water “germ free” and “safe”. Often it is with the help of a water purifier, but the traditional practice of boiling and cooling is the popular choice.

Trying to figure out the form of water, I close my eyes. A few seconds it takes, and I start visualizing clear, flowing water from the hills. It runs into rivulets, playfully dragging the fallen leaves and branches, and tracing paths and making new. It appears to enjoy every moment of its unrestrained free flow, elusive though. Yet, it remains pure.

I cup my hands to scoop the water, clean and transparent. Lifting my hands, slowly I take a gulp. Sweet…. I recall tasting the spring water in the hills of Mussoorie (A hill station in north India). Nostalgia hits! My eyes open searching. Indeed, our lifeline, water speaks mysteriously. And I reach out for my still water.

Sunday an Illusion

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illusion

Yet another Sunday. The thought of a holiday gives immense pleasure. Without jotting down, I tell myself, I am going to take a break from work. There are no prior appointments, there is no alarm, and there are no ringing phones.

I wake up on a fresh note. And I smile to myself. “It’s Sunday!”

The day begins well. Taking more time than usual, I relax with the newspaper and enjoy the music playing in the background. A little later into the morning, I walk into the kitchen. I set my agenda for the day, mechanically. Daily chores are taken care off. Cooking, clearing, and cleaning follows naturally.

The listed shopping, outing and meeting with friends happen along the way. The day progresses as desired. There is ample time in hand. So we decide to sort out some of our weekly plans ahead. Mentally take note of weekdays and organise the “what to cook” and “what to wear” bit of necessity. Further, the books, games and television fill in.

Time still seems to have granted us extra hours. That’s when realisation hit me. Staring into the bleak evening sky, I rewind the day’s events. The alarm did not ring. I did wake up at my usual time. The day might have begun differently, but the routine remained the same.

A beautiful illusion my body and mind agreed upon. Convinced that I have taken a break, I relaxed to the lovely Sunday. And I hear myself humming, Just an Illusion (Imagination)

Never let your feelings get you down
Open up your eyes and look around
It’s just an illusion, illusion, illusion.

Everlasting Fairy Tales

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Beauty and the Beast pic

Beauty and The Beast was the first book of fairy tales that came as a gift from an aunt. A cherished book till date, I had taken a fancy for its dream-like pictures that told the story below each page. The big prints and its simple language made it an easy to read book.

I read and re-read the book for I could never understand the relationship, or the concept of the story. My mother tried to explain the theme of the story as “a love story that speaks about selflessness, kindness, loyalty, and above all loving your family.” The fear of the beast was soon erased from my little mind. Since then I have been reading the story from a different perspective.

My approach towards Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, the story of the Three Bears and such other tales, had changed by then. The pictures gave me pleasure, but the stories were read “thoughtfully”. They became inspiring and moral stories. The question “why so” became a task my mother handled carefully.

With passing ages, these books became objects of beauty. Yet, the stories remained strongly ingrained. However, it was amusing to watch the familiar stories when I was introduced to television. The trend continued with movies being made on these stories, upholding the traditional themes but interpreted in a more realistic setting.

The latest movie, Beauty and the Beast, simply reiterates the fact that the classic fairy tales are indispensable. No matter “how they are retold”, they are captivating and enduring. A fantasy of everlasting relationships. “And they lived happily ever after”.

Fridge Magnets, A Source of Joy

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fridge magnet

The refrigerator stood in the kitchen with more adornments than it can take. A storyboard it appeared, with not just the props but the locations as well. These souvenirs, gathered over a period of time, were memoirs of the places travelled.

A few chits and notes of daily activities, a recipe of beetroot juice, and a fancy ribbon hung below a fridge magnet. Their co-existence has been a taken for granted affair, and to such an extent that, the particular fridge magnet is in shambles. Yet, it refuses to give up.

The dial-shaped magnet with a flat base, has remained fixed on the spot for years! It is undeniably a good quality fridge magnet. Technically speaking, it is a permanent magnet “often magnetised during manufacture with alternating north and south poles on the refrigerator side.” However, the new additions of fridge magnets appear to be ‘more of sticker and less of a conventional fridge magnet’.

Be it the familiar flowers, fruits and animals or maps, miniatures and cartoons, every house has got one or the other kind of decorative magnet for their refrigerator. In fact, customised fridge magnets with family photos in various permutations and combinations seem to add a personal touch.

A friend of mine described her collection of fridge magnets as “a source of happiness”. Indeed the fridge magnets are a source of happiness. They are the ornaments that remind us of our happier times, day after day. As for the refrigerator, isn’t it a member of our family?