The Simple Life

Yesterday I went to Kaushik's house. It felt strange because I'd never visited him while we were in school, even though he was one of my best friends at that time. Anyway, I was served lunch and when we returned to his room, I propped myself on a pillow, stretched out my legs as though I were in my own house and we watched an Audrey Hepburn movie which I was sure Kaushik must have already watched as many times as I've read Second Foundation.

At the end of a relaxed and enjoyable two hours we went to Landmark to go book-hunting. After introducing him to all my favourite Fantasy authors, I picked up a Raymond Feist and an Ursula Le Guin, both of which I hadn't read before. Which was strange because my brother and I only buy books that we are sure we will read over and over again, but since I trust these two authors to not write boring books I bought them anyway. Then we pored over the Science Fiction and Literature sections, and for a change Kaushik bought books on my recommendation: my favourite Mark Twain (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court) and my favourite Ursula Le Guin (The Dispossessed). And then, having each reached our five hundred rupee budgets exactly, we browsed around a little more in the books and movies sections and finally retired for some junk food before bidding each other farewell for the next two months at least.

I returned to the hostel, and after some idle chatter and a brief dinner I picked up the Raymond Feist. I hadn't gone far before there was a general consensus to play bridge, so another gleeful hour or so later, people retired to their rooms, I returned to my book and finished it in one sitting. That's how I read all fantasy books; they are exciting and imaginative adventures that make for excellent light reading. It was four in the night (or early morning, if you prefer) by the time I went to bed.

It was well past noon by the time I woke up. I checked my mail, got ready, and went for lunch, and here I am typing out this blog.

I guess anyone who managed to get this far reading this post must be wondering why I am saying all this. After all, I am not in the habit of blogging the events of my life the way half the blog world does... I only record my thoughts on some interesting subjects. The answer is that, I am wondering whether this kind of a day will ever happen again in my life - movie, book, bridge, blogging... This is the simple life; relaxed, idyllic, thoroughly enjoyable. Already the weight of my responsibilities and work in the real life have returned to rest upon my shoulders. And my life is poised to enter a new chapter: the end of college and the beginning of a job. Surely life will only become more stressful, more time-constrained, more adult from now.

Is this going to be the end of an era? Or will I still be playing computer games and reading fantasy novels and playing bridge even after another five years? Every time I say that life has become so complicated these days, I end up contradicting myself, saying that life is so simple and if only things would stay that way....

Oh well. I sure was anxious when school got over and college was about to start. Now its the whole thing all over again. But this time I'm not going to let the wave hit me and leave me gasping for breath. I'm going to ride it, ride on the crest of the wave, look to the new horizons with anticipation, with the wind in my hair and and a capricious surfboard at my feet, subdued and controlled by my will. How different can it be from roller skating anyway? I'm not afraid to fall.