The moon, yes it can drive u crazy.
It was last night. N I was nicely plopped on the bed re-reading Anita Desai's "Cry, The Peacock" when I noticed a few scraps of paper dancing like dervishes. The fan was turned on a li'l too high I guess. I tried to ignore their 2-dimensional tauntings.
Really did.
Infact I managed to finish a full whole page in ten minutes flat!
Ok that's a lie.
It was maybe like a para n a half. I just couldnt ignore them scrapping around.
It's probably a disease.
If not yet, then it soon very well might be.
This obsession w/ keeping things in order.
Anyway, I gave up all pretense of being able to concentrate n enjoy the book...gathered those rollicking pieces, arranged them in a nice li'l pile in my palm...taking care none were left behind...opened the door, bent down to deposit them in the dustbin -- which I keep outside.
Something wasnt quite right.
It was supposed to have been darker than it was.
The milky-white light. All over.
That explained it.
I looked up.
N there He was.
Big. Round.
Beckoning Bright.
If this wasnt enough...an accomplice too.
Steady. Cool.
Insistent.
Balmy Breeze.
It was.
Rommanntic As Hell!
N then the steps joined in the game of seduction...the ones leading to the terrace. Almost as if they sprouted arms all of a sudden...to slowly drug me...drag me...up.
But I ran back...to grab the old mp3 player -- it really is old BTW! If this had been the 1980s, it would've probably qualified as a crank-up gramaphone...
Khair...
Moonlight without music just didnt sound insane enough, esp if u intended to spend practically the whole night on the terrace listening to songs...w/ the moon gawking at u!
Atleast, that was the plan.
I din manage to spend the whole night, but I'm hoping till 3 in the morning might jussst qualify.
N I must say, it was worth every bit of it.
Just beautiful.
What w/ the moon n the stars playing hide-n-seek w/ the clouds.
Cliched.
Yes.
But very very beautiful.
They've been doing it for thousands of years, but it still never ceases to amaze!
Quite a spectacle.
It was even more stunning coz the moon had bloated himself round n chubby.
N then there was just that tiny bit of hint of monsoon in the air.
The only thing missing was a beautiful lake, shimmering in that moonlight.
But, as they say, har kisiko mukammil jahan nahi milta...
But the play of moonlight on the terrace floor came close.
Very close...
The soft milky moonlight, so fluid, it felt like each step would plunge right through the floor.
It was amazing.
If I had been the dancing sort, I probably would've broken into a nice li'l jig, but me being me -- w/ two left feet at that! -- I just kept strolling all over the terrace.
Like a very lazy, very content cat.
Just that!
Music in my ears, awash in moonlight, strolling w/ slow deliberate thoughtful steps.
For hours!
While the canopied trees swayed, silhouetted, in welcome.
Arboreal mother, casting a spell, whispering,
"Jump! Just one tiny step. N into my arms. Curl up! I'll rock u to sleep!"
God bless my landlord for having the sagacity to weave a strong parapet into the plan of the building.
It's been a long long time since I witnessed a night like this...fast asleep in its own arms, swaying gently.
Houses all around had shut their eyes, a few of them even yawned shamelessly, lolling out their curtain tongues.
Probably caught unawares.
Manners at an unearthly hour as that, is I guess a li'l too much to expect.
Down below a black mangy dog was scratching itself crazy.
Also shamelessly.
Birds of a feather?
Maybe.
Through all this, a roller-coaster of emotions.
Not in the dog!
In Me.
Memories, the indelible ones seared through n through.
Thoughts abt tomorrows. N day-afters.
Where-to-nows.
Panic. Bliss.
The trying-hard-not-to-but-cant-help-smiling.
Groping through that diaphanous moonlit night, to make it all somehow make some sense?
Strolling endlessly...round n round...in tight li'l circles...a li'l moonlit...a li'l moonstruck...
Like those scraps of dancing dervishes...
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