To the ones I love. To the ones I left behind

I've been wanting to write this post for the longest time. I could never get myself to do it though. So I decided to finally gather all my courage to write this. This is my ode to the 4 dogs who absolutely changed my life. No. I'm not exaggerating or romanticizing my story. If heaven was a place on earth, it would be where these angels were. They've been my guardian angels, my partners in crime and my soulmates in a city where I did not have many friends. So here it is.. my ode to the four angels who, though I have left behind, I will never forget. 

Dear Maya, Bell, Zora and Alice

It breaks my heart to write this to you. Not a day passes by without me thinking about you.  I know you’ll never ever read it. But I still needed to write this because I have too much to be thankful to you for.

Thank you my dear dear angels.

Thank you for being my saviours in a city where chances of finding true love was grim. Thank you for rejoicing at the sight of me every morning. Thank you trusting me with getting food for you every day. And for running with me to class every morning. Actually, thank you for being more enthusiastic about my classes every morning than I would ever be. Thank you for loving me like you did. And for comforting me on days when I had no one to turn to. Thank you for taking care of me on days I was inconsolable. For listening to my rants very patiently before finally, very enthusiastically, licking my tears off my face. Thank you for sitting with me in the corridors while I wrote my assignments. Thank you for teaching me to be happy and over enthusiastic about practically everything in the world.

If heaven was a place on earth, it was right where you and I would be. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for coming into my life like angels when I needed you most.

I try not thinking about you here, in Delhi. I've kept our memories hidden somewhere in the corner of my heart. Like your photographs. I never open them. I'm scared if I do, I’ll break down. I keep myself preoccupied with the cats here. I’m so glad my work here is hectic. It never allows me to stop and think about you. If I could tell you how much I wish you were right with me..or how much I yearn to see you everyday, you wouldn't believe me. I miss your hugs. I miss your enthusiasm. I miss us!

And while I sob and write this ode to you, an ode you’ll never read, I want you to know that I have never loved anyone like I have loved you. And I will never forget you and how I felt when I was with you. And though my dear dear angels, we’re faaaaar apart, memories of us are a part of me I’ll always hold very close to my heart.

Love,
I miss you.

My calm and wise Zora!

Alice. The seductress. The charmer. The cuddler!

Bell. The Alpha. The protector. The loyal one.

Maya. my over affectionate, over excited mad child

To the city I could never imagine falling in love with.

All right. I've spent almost two years in this city now. If you know me well enough you would know how homesick I've been these two years. I would always find a rationale for hating this city. Its obsessions with vadapao’s. 

Picture courtesy : Google

Its awfully crowded local trains. With stations that were perpetually bursting with mad mobs of people running in all directions. Ah! The fact that this city has absolutely no winters.

I would have constant arguments with my friends from Bombay telling them how my Delhi is so much more better. But as hard as it is for me to admit this, somewhere in the middle of all this whining and cursing, I might have secretly started liking this godforsaken city.

This city has taught me more than any other place ever could. It has taught me to fight. To adjust. To speak up. To forgive. To fall in love. With places. With people. And animals. 

That's Alice. My soul sister in the city!

Knowing that I would have to eventually go through bitter heartbreaks when I have to leave it all. This city has tested me. Challenged me. Defeated me. Picked me up. Hugged me. And brought me back to the fight again.

From its kitabkhanas to its unexplored beaches. From learning how to ‘stay cool’ when I accidently bump into random celebrities to addressing everyone as ‘boss’ instead of ‘bhaiya’. From relentless rainy nights to solitary walks in Marine drive. As much as you try to resist it, this city grows into you.

I am to leave this beautiful city in a few months. Before I left my Delhi, I had promised her I would never fall in love with another city. I’ve certainly broken that promise!

And now that I'm leaving soon, this I assure you..a part of me will always stay with you, Bombay.  

Aaaaand this is where it all starts!

Like every year, this year too I've made resolutions. One of my top resolutions is to write. This blog is a part of that resolution.

Okay. Here's a warning. I'm an awful writer. But I have a lot of things I want to write about. A lot of thoughts, ideas, rants waiting to explode out of my tiny head. So this shall be my space.

I have blogged earlier. But when I went back to my previous blog, it didn't feel like me anymore. I've changed. I've learnt and grown up. I've learnt to learn from change too.

I'm VERY excited about this. I promise i'll try to be regular. I can't promise to write phenomenally. I'm a very average, everyday person living a very ordinary life. BUT I'm still very kicked about this.

Hopefully.

Happy 2014, y'all!