One Sunny afternoon

As I walked along the road in the sunny afternoon I was reminded of a Shakespearean sonnet titled as "On a sunny afternoon". It was a totally different notion as what I experience while trapped under the sun on some afternoons.

While I walk in sunny afternoons the only thing that strikes me would be the scorching heat. No romantic segment appears during that moment. My only desire would be to find shade to hide from the sun or to rush inside my home and sit under the fan to relieve myself from the heat.

Walking under the sun makes me melt like an ice cream under extreme heat. Initially it would be bearable but after a short while it's like sun suncking all the energy just like once portrayed in an advertisement that I saw in my childhood. The advertisement seemed ridiculous but true at the same time.

It's amazing how a writer makes this terrible bright day into a romantic one to describe his lover. As I read the sonnet I felt the beauty of nature along with the girl so I rushed outside and was disappointed with the prickling heat that pierced through the skin.

It's all about how the girl is visualised by the poet and how he believes her beauty will never change. It's but contradictory as beauty changes. If it's about physical beauty as they change as they age and the person will have a beautiful change depicting their years of journey. And when it comes to internal beauty it changes as the person gains wisdom through life's experiences.

Even though it's burning outside it looks beautiful indoors with the ray of light falling on the building and providing a sparkle to the tiny plants growing in my balcony. 

Lost and forgotten

My days went on usual and monotonous with a busy schedule. To pass my times I would go back to watch some of my favourite cartoons that I spend most of my time watching. My mom used to always make fun of me with her regular dialog " Ithrem valanitum Shinchan um Doremon um kandond irikuva" or she would say " poth pole valanallo ipozum cartoon kandon irino." These two phrase would mean that I have grown up but still am watching cartoons like Shinchan and Doremon. 

I was the only person who watched television at home it still is the same. In my memory phones arrived when I was in ninth class. My brother would be playing games on the phone but I still preferred watching cartoons and listening to radio on TV. 

When mom went out for some work she would hide the remote so we will be forced to study. Me being clever would know where the remote was kept so we would wait for ten minutes before searching for the remote and keep it back when we hear her footsteps. On some days I won't be in a mood to be a ninja so I would listen to radio. It would have all the latest songs being played in english and hindi.

I miss those days of adventure when I watched TV on the lowest volume. Our ears would be at the door listening keenly. The days where phone did not matter. Spending the remaining time playing in the park. Going to tuition classes and getting my hands red and studying keenly to prevent those red marks. 

There are moments when I wished to hide away my phones and be free from this ting- ting sound but then reality strikes reminding about the information that I need to receive. It's an unwilling addiction that is forced upon us. I often dream of staying at a mountain top where gadgets are not needed but I think it's better to keep it as an imagination.

Now when I again watch these cartoons it not only gives me relaxation but also a moment of relief that brings me to those lost and forgotten times.

Youthful spectacle

After staying home for a long time I wanted to go out for some fresh air. Alas! I heard about Nadagam ( drama ) being conducted by Janasamskriti team. The plays are conducted in Malayalam by children as a competition along with the portrayal of the culture and traditions that would not be known by the younger generation.

It was a sudden plan decided without much thought involved. I went along with a chechi along with her children. One of them was performing in the play so I was excited to watch him on stage. We started from home by car and since it was Sunday afternoon the roads were clear in most of the places. We occasionally chatted on different topics and listening to the music vibing during the ride. The weather was hot and humid but a nice day for a trip. It was a refreshing ride after a long time.

We reached during the interval time when people who came in the morning were having lunch. Inside the auditorium I noticed some familiar faces and a majority of strangers. Everyone was busy either gathering the young actors or leaving after their child's performance.  We waited for quite some time unaware of what to expect. While I sat there I recalled the last time I watched a play would be at college.

Finally the curtain life with a bell and the play started reminding the traditional procedure beginning I drama which I have only seen at movies. I liked two plays a lot maybe because I understood the play and I was immersed the whole time. One play had children dressed up as clowns trying to escape from the lions chasing them. They tried to bring out humour and it was entertaining with the way they used up the whole stage. 

The second play was a much more serious presentation of how humans change the environment for their living causing a shift in the entire ecosystem. This play was musical with the vocals singing the songs redefining the condition of the past and how it is in the present.  Apart from the performance I liked their backstage work a lot that included all the props. The efforts they took to make the background give the ambience of a village made it much more realistic.

It was wonderful to watch children performing their talents confidently on a platform. I had a great day with an innovative weekend different from my regular routine.