April

OMG!!! April started off soooo well!! I am a maasi now 😀 My sister gave birth to a cute little baby boy! I still can't believe she is a mom now :D Thanks to the COVID restrictions and my office being difficult with work from home options, I am not able to travel to her place. I miss them awfully! 😔

Another high was me winning a quiz at work. Although I have to admit, I am a tiny bit disappointed that there were no prizes 😕 And then the worst happened. I was almost completing my shift at work when I came down with fever. My throat felt itchy and I had a feeling that I had caught the most dreaded bug of our times. After struggling for many days, I could finally get a swab test done at home. Boom! I had tested COVID positive 😟

I am a needy patient. When am not well, I want people around me to comfort me and pamper me 😂 Unfortunately, I was all alone in the house since dad was in Mangalore. Being in home quarantine meant I couldn't meet anybody. The fever combined with weakness and loneliness played with my mind. Depressing thoughts occupied my mind re-enforcing the feeling that this is my fate. I am meant to be alone my whole life!

That is when God decided that it was time to stop me from being a drama queen ✋ My cousin's family was diagnosed with COVID too. Their house is under repair. So, they decided to come to my place to quarantine with me! 😆 Initially, I wasn't sure about this arrangement. I was used to living like a wildling by now. Will I be able to adjust to them and forego my privacy?

But I also love this family because they are so much fun! They are very much like how our family used to be. They eat together, watch TV together and have a lot of conversation. At the same time, they give each other space. I love having people around and them coming was like a wish come true. I got to be in the safe space of my house, snuggling into their warmth. We cook together, share chores, bask in the evening sun, watch movies until late night and gossip about everything in the world.

This is how I imagined my life to be. And this is probably the benchmark I will set for my future life 😇

The ARR magic

I am watching the Indian Idol A.R.Rehman special episode. I bought the Sony Liv subscription just for this episode. I would do this only for two people - my favourite SPB and the genius ARR.

I love ARR for his simplicity and level-headedness. One would rarely see him losing his cool or acting out of character. As soon as he entered, each of the contestants had a different emotion. One was overjoyed, the other in tears. The host pointed it out to ARR and all he said was thank you, am honoured. This is on the Indian Idol stage where even the parents can't stop being hyper. I couldn't stop laughing!

Throughout the performances, while the other judges cannot stop gushing and reacting, ARR is attentive and observant. He is supportive of the contestants, telling them the highlights of their performance. However, you can see that he is reminiscing about the song and how it was composed. He sees beyond the fandom. For him, the contestants are kids who have a long way to go.

Another aspect I noticed is that he reacts to musicians, not singers. It is also evident from his melodious instrumentals and haunting theme music. His tunes need no words to touch the soul. Indian Idol is such a commercialized show that the judges often forget the sanctity of their presence in the show. Gone are the days when the judges would guide the contestants on where they should focus. In today's age, judges come decked up and start whistling and hooting as if they have come to watch a concert. I hope ARR's humility stays with them and reminds them of their job.

P.S.I just want to tell Neha to shut up whenever she comments (on the mic!) in between a musical rendering.