The days are warm. He walks each day to work, is back by seven - which is early, going by his normal schedule - and spends most of the evening reading Sacred Games. He is taking it slowly - a book seven years in writing deserves seven weeks of reading - and is enjoying each scene, every encounter, the texture of each memory, the sting of every gaali.
He cooks his usual rice meal - vegetable pulao - which he eats with pickle and yoghurt, taking in the exploits of Gaitonde between spoons of rice and pickle, unable to decide where the feeling of spice originates from: the food or the book.
He likes this life, this solitude. He likes the empty house in a silent neighbourhood where he can spend his evenings reading, contemplating, dreaming. When he speaks with his wife on the phone, he mentions how much he loves being alone. Then don't come this weekend, she says, pretending to be upset. He laughs, and says weekends are for her - he needs only the week for himself. Then you do not want me back? she asks; you do not want to spend the weeks with me?. He laughs again.
Late in the night, before sleeping, he jots into his journal some events of the day. He has been doing this regularly since he acquired a Moleskine notebook recently. He likes the growing collection of pages full of memories, and he often goes back to the previous entries. What is this journal, and what is that other one online? Why does one person need two? Both are needed, he tells himself, because there are really two selves. One that wishes to be alone, and one that wants to reach out to the world and participate in it. One for the week, the other for the weekend.
true. diff notebooks for diff moods. i have 4 and 1 which i take while traveling. sometimes i think i'm schrizophenic.
Posted by: bips | June 17, 2007 at 05:11 PM
I spent the weekend 25 kms away from civilization listening to birds and reading 'Kafka on the shore'. I am here today morning, a minute before my first meeting reading blogs and connecting to people. I love this balance; I love my life :-)
Posted by: Rathish | June 18, 2007 at 05:32 AM
Thank heavens you share.
Posted by: Kahini | June 18, 2007 at 07:59 AM
beautiful. and I loved that: a book seven years in writing deserves seven weeks of reading
Posted by: Rash | June 18, 2007 at 08:35 AM
Would be pleased to discuss the book when you're done.
Posted by: Kahini | June 19, 2007 at 07:42 AM
Thats lovely!
Posted by: Perspective Inc | June 21, 2007 at 03:57 AM
Hope this journal goes on for long.
Posted by: Keya | June 21, 2007 at 01:46 PM
Keya, I hope so too.
Kahini, yes I'll let you know when I'm done with the book.
Rathish: "..listening to birds and reading 'Kafka on the shore'.." What bliss!
Posted by: Parmanu | June 24, 2007 at 03:42 PM
I don't like the part when you say you like having the entire week to yourself. It's right on your wife's part to get upset.
Posted by: Gini | June 28, 2007 at 05:18 PM