memories...

i was coming to office when i heard this song on the radio. this song has too many memories associated with it. it's funny how old, forgotten memories come crashing down when you hear a song, read a book, see some sight, visit a place or a restaurant or even walk down a road which you used to frequent at some point in life or even smell some things like the smell of oranges reminds me of lazy winter sundays spent in the kolkata zoo with my parents and cousins, rains reminds me of home, my mother cooking kidchi, waist length water logging in our street...
anyways to come back to the present this seems my week of revisiting the old. over the weekend i reread 'daddy long legs'. i remember reading it when i was in class ix and being very impressed and obviously it fuelled my romantic fantasies. even now it was as enjoyable as ever and little bits like judy's obvious references to women needing voting power i had forgotten, so those came alive. also i very fondly remembered the person (a precious grand aunt) who had urged me to read this book, not that i need lots of urging to read. she is the one who had also introduced me to agatha christie and made me read editorials of the statesman when i was least interested. but now in hindsight i am thankful that she took all that trouble.
and today it was time to remember nice college days when life was full of love and endless possibilities....
here goes the song--

Words

Smile an everlasting smile

A smile can bring you near to me

Don't ever let me find you gone

'Cause that would bring a tear to me

This world has lost it's glory

Let's start a brand new story

Now my love

You think that I don't even mean

A single word I say

It's only words

And words are all I have

To take your heart away

Talk in everlasting words

And dedicate them all to me

And I will give you all my life

I'm here if you should call to me

You think that I don't even mean

A single word I say

It's only words

And words are all I have

To take your heart away

yes words and memories are the only thing that we are left with... rest dissolves with time...people without whom we could not imagine our lives without a second become strangers, some drift away, some go adrift, some leave footprints, some leave scars, some just fond memories...places which were so very important part of daily life or celebrations/occassions once fade away...institutions like schools/colleges/universities which made 'us' feel strange when we happen to revisit, old places haunted by new generations busy with their dreams and fights...but memories do stay long after...sometimes they come back in the middle of a humdrum busy day when you least except them and grip your attention and then you periodically forget all urgent daily chores and spend some nostalgic time reminiscing about the past... it has its own charm i must say...here's to memories....may our memories flourish in peace and our future hold lots of cheer...