Like a diamond in the sky ...

Going to Pune on the last weekend was memorable for many reasons. Firstly, because I had loads of fun there as always. But this time around even the night time journey both to and fro was equally memorable. We did not get tickets on time for the onward journey and hence at the eleventh hour, we had to book seats in the LAST ROW of a private bus. Needless to say ... the bus driver took all possible care that I should not be able to sleep. and this time he was aided by the on-going transporter's strike which kept his competitors (the unruly truck drivers) out of his way. So the twists, turns and potholes on the road were just too trivial to hinder his deter to take me to Pune UNSLEPT.

One thing that was fortunate for me was that my seat was a window seat and I had some scope of entertainment and I spent the night going back to my childhood days and doing what I used to do regularly as a kid ... watch the stars. This past Saturday night was the first time after (probably) months when I was seeing the sky full of stars, absolutely no clouds! I don’t know why but I have always had an amazing (and unexplainable) fascination for the stars ever since I was a kid! Not that I am an expert in star gazing, I don’t even know most of the constellations. I just know the very popular and typical ones like the pole star, Orion, Cassiopeia etc. And that too because in one of the treks I had been to, someone had bestowed that knowledge on me. Around 13-14 years ago I remember the time when my house was single storied and I used to enjoy sleeping on the terrace during summers. Summers "then " being vacations, I was never worried about getting up early in the morning and so I used to spend hours just looking at stars and finding patterns, or you can say finding my own constellations Also since I was fond of "join the dots to complete the picture" kinda puzzles then, the stars almost provided me a scratch pad that I could scribble on ...!

Years later, in my first house in h'bad I used to sleep on the terrace to escape the heat captured in the four walls of my house. And hence the sleeping child used to wake up again! Even today I get some kind of a secure feeling when I see the sky full of stars. And may be that’s just another reason why I dislike the monsoons! I won't be a hypocrite and boast about saying that stars are like my friends and that they talk to me etc... No they don’t! But then when you are alone, the existence of so many active and energetic bodies covering your head does give you a feeling of security, doesn't it! Have you ever laid down on your back gazing at the millions of diamonds scattered on the blanket of night? It is such a grand feeling! Bodies from so far in the universe where only human thoughts can reach at a hands distance, right above you!

Later as I grew up and studied the physics behind these infinite sources of energies my interest about stars grew even further. But what keeps them really close to my heart is a little childhood myth. I was told in stories in my childhood, that people close to you who pass away, go to the skies where the Gods reside and become stars! Fortunately for me, all people I have been close to are right by my side throughout my life. But then this childhood myth makes me even fonder towards these sparkles, because I know that’s where I came from and that’s where I am finally destined to go!!