Romance : Before Sunrise, Before Sunset

“Before Sunrise”, and “Before Sunset”. Two fantastic movies. With the sequel even better than the original. Just the kind of movie that I needed to see.

And that too on my birthday. A perfect treat on my birthday. And it ended up teaching me a very important lesson. Something had been missing in my life since some time. Something which was making my life kinda drag.

And that was the Romance.

As any true romantic would tell you, romance need not be limited to love alone. Though love is what inspires the greatest of romances.

Simply walking in the rain, as the drops hit you pitter patter, feeling the chill in the air, and smiling to yourself as you wonder aloud at the beauty in that moment.

The wide open starry sky on a cloudless moonless silent night. What a sight it is to behold. The kind of night where you just wanna gaze right into those little blue dots. And you cant help wondering, that it is God who is the greatest of all artists.

That’s kind of romance that had gone out of my life. There is so much beauty in this world. Yet we let our lives fall into such a routine. How often we fail to notice that which is beautiful.

If only we would pause and look around to see and feel the kind of things ... the kind of things that make us feel like children all over again.

And so the movie, it’s beautifully romantic. How they keep talking so freely and passionately. A talk filled with intellect and humour. It seems that most of the shots were long takes, so as to make them look more natural. And the cinematography, specially in “Before Sunset”, was absolutely beautiful. The most memorable being the boat ride over the river in Paris. Boy it just took my breath away.

I guess I am a bit of a romantic at heart. And I believe there is Magic and Mystery in this world.

And I pray to God that I never ever lose the ability to look at the world with romance tinted eyes.

Unfortunately sometimes it feels like living in a foolish world. Romantics often lose themselves so much in their own world that they forget the practicalities of the world. I mean walking in the rain maybe romantic, but also very likely to bring you down with cold!

So then the question is should i not walk in the rain. Should i choose practicality over romance.

Nah. I dont think I am made that way. I think i will just get wet.


PS:

And I really feel happy when I see someone like me out there. Someone who can see and feel the magic in the things that seem ordinary to others. Someone who is a poet at heart.

Read the blog of such a person today. Was swept away into that world. Thats the beauty of good writing. The kind that makes you feel as if you are right there experiencing the moment as the writer.

Bowled Over By a Beauty!

Amazing. That twinkle in her eyes.
The way she looked.
Her hair,
wet, long, flowing behind.
Her dress,
a cute little blue.
Her smile,
a surprised sweet.

Amazing. How you are in darkness one moment.
And the very next moment, without any warning,
a bright spot of sunlight busts upon you.
And you can't just help, but being blown away.

Why is it, that in those few moments,
You feel more alive than you ever had been.
Like a shower of happiness burst upon you.

Amazing!

Books, My Best Friends...

Questions. I am often asking questions to myself.

Questions that bother me and torment me till I find an answer. The kind of questions that may not have an easy answer. And I often do not hope to find the answer.

But amazingly,everytime I do end up getting the answer. And it’s a beautiful feeling when that happens. That moment of enlightenment, when what was foggy suddenly becomes crystal clear.

So everytime I set out in search, I find what I set out for. And the answer doesn’t come from somebody wise or elder. The answer doesnt come from somebody a friend.

I find the answers to the questions in my mind in, … the books that I read. And I almost always chance upon them when I least expect to. Flipping though a random book and suddenly I am staring at the answer to my Question. Right there on those pages. Random pages from a random book.

And it seems to work everytime! So heres what I do whenever something nags me. I pickup a book from my shelf, and turn to a random page and start reading through.

And I invariably find words of wisdom. Words of comfort. That help me and soothe me. And give me courage. As if they know whats going on in my life. And they are trying to help me. Just like a friend would do.

It’s like in this movie, “Next Stop Wonderland”, where the heroine has this book gifted to her by her dad and she often picks a page at random and just picks a random word on that page. And that word almost always symbolises whats going to happen next in her life!

And I feel blessed. Lucky. That my advisor, my pal to turn to in doubt, are these books, written by the great authors.

May be each one of us has someone elder, or a close friend, to whom we turn to in distress. But for me, I find my comfort and solace in these books.

But i then ask myself, what is this miracle? How can these books be my guide? How can they know what I am searching for.

And I realise may be this is the way You speak to me. And this is the most wonderful. Nothing more beautiful. Nothing at all.