photography | Guldasta

Journey of the Heart May 24, 2010

Filed under: life,love,photography — gurdas @ :

Beside Chandratal Lake, HP, India. Aug. 2007.

Our life is not one single journey. It is, rather, many tightly woven journeys which are so deeply interlinked that we may safely view them as a whole.

There is the journey of the body. There is the journey of the mind. There is the journey of the heart.

And it is the journey of the heart that touches our deepest depths. But it is, again, not just one single journey. The heart makes many many journeys and often the roads intersect; the results of one become the baggage of another, and the troubles of one become the gifts of another. Such is the nature of Life.

For the individual and the society, it is the journey of the heart that is vital to existence as a race. From the day we are born we begin these three journeys, and they end only with our demise. But what makes the journey of the heart unique is that it can never exist by itself. The body can exist by itself, the mind can learn without always needing another mind, but the heart is nourished, it’s journey made only with other hearts. A mother makes this journey with her child, a brother makes this journey with his sister, and couples make this journey with each other. It is our hearts that truly make us what we are. The most skilled craftsperson draws his/her inspiration from what emanates from the heart. That emotion is crafted by the skills of their mind and body, but the origin is always the emotion. It could be a painter, a composer, a doctor, or an engineer. It is their *love* for their profession that inspires them to excel. And love is nothing but a vehicle of journey of the heart. Truth be told, the journey of the heart underlines everything we do. It is the root of our happiness and our sorrow. It is the root of our creativity and destructiveness. It is the single most powerful force at our disposal.

Imagine being able to cook very well. But, when you actually cook, you do it because you love doing it. The skill to cook by itself has no pleasure. You acquire the skill to be able to make a journey. The mind then becomes a tool for the heart to accomplish its goal.

And so, it is vital that we recognise that the journey of our life, is essentially the journey of our heart. And I know it means I am now saying that we truly make only one journey. That of the heart.

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Tea off at par friendships May 15, 2009

Filed under: conversations,friends,Me,photography — gurdas @ :

I am an avid tea drinker. Not that I drink gallons of it, just that I cherish each sip. A well brewed cup of tea (and that rules out any tea made by a machine) can do wonders to my mood. I can get almost intoxicated.

And tea has led to many a memorable conversation with family, friends, and strangers. Once in a while, it plays a larger role and a whole friendship is built around it. That is what happened between me and The Patels who live on the floor above. Keta and Baiju Patel had moved to Raleigh a few weeks before I did and they immediately welcomed me into their lives. Baiju is an avid tea person. And Keta is almost a no tea person and yet her tea is worth every moment spent with the cup.

Keta and Baiju, Fall 2008

We would meet often for tea and talk. Recently, Keta went on an India trip for a marriage and during that six odd weeks, Baiju and I met almost every day for tea. Every day at 10 pm. It was something I would look forward to with enthusiasm. Our meeting would be short and yet packed with useful conversation. Baiju was here for a MS in Advanced Analytics and I was taking introductory courses in Statistics; so there was quite a lot of common ground for techie stuff to be discussed. Like today, Baiju educated me on “basket analysis”, something stores like Wal-mart and Family Dollar conduct to find the chain of products a particular shopper would buy. In very simple terms, which buyer will have what products (typically) in his/her shopping basket. And I led Baiju to some outdoor educational videos at REI. So, in that short 15-20 minutes, we had tea and came out better informed about something useful. And at the end of the meeting I would be refreshed and eager to get back to work. Tea plus conversation has that effect on me.

But, this is now coming to an end. The Patels are moving to Charlotte, where Baiju landed a job. I will miss the tea meetings terribly. And by the end of this summer, I will lose almost half of my closest friend circle at NC State. This makes me kind of sad. I take this opportunity to thank The Patels for opening the doors to their house and their hearts. I am wealthier having known you’ll. Bon voyage!

Bonding January 5, 2009

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The Ladies, Raleigh, NC, USA, December-2008

New friends are like new wine. It is wise to sip them slowly and enjoy the change of taste as the relationship ages.

I made many new friends at NCSU. But within that group are a select few who in their own unique ways made these past few months memorable.

Ladies, your constant chatter, freaky jokes, shopping mania, and spontaneous laughter are gifts I will always cherish.

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The Solitary Lover January 4, 2009

Filed under: life,love,photography — gurdas @ :

: Lake Johnson, Raleigh, NC, USA, December-2008

He looked out of the window, his right hand caressing the frame. He had been there all afternoon, a distant look in his eyes, unmindful of the movements and noises that crowded the street. It was difficult to get Nupur out of his thoughts. They had not met for many years, hardly spoke to each other, and yet it seemed as if he knew this woman better than any other woman in his life. Or was this a trick that his mind was playing? Does he really know Nupur or does he know an image of her?

And does it really matter?

Love between them was always unsaid. Like a whisper which never escaped the lips. When she was around, he would become unmindful of the world. Like when he met her at Delhi’s railway station. A crowded, sweaty, cacophonous place. But that he knows from past knowledge. His memory of the meeting held nothing but her image. There are no sounds but those that belong to her. No images beyond her person.

But what about the rendezvous at Barista in Pune? He waited all evening, until his feet could not bear his weight for a moment more, inspite of knowing she will not come. Yet, now the image his mind conjures of that evening includes her. It is frightening how real the dream is.

Yes, that is how it is. She lives in his dreams. And he can continue to love her there.

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