Moving On

Life is an ever transforming journey. That is what gives life its thrill and excitement to keep going, I suppose. After coming to the UAE I got a chance to meet many interesting people across the globe. This land offered me a big opportunity to be exposed to diverse cultures that I have not read much about and countries I would probably never visit. It has given me a possibility to weigh my ethnic beliefs against others.

And now, after more than five years, I have begun to understand the large dissimilarities in people and their behaviours governed by culture codes, which in turn are guided by the climatic conditions of that region. Most times it is not in the person but in the culture to do things a certain way. So its best to leave things the way they are than questioning them.

When I get along with a new person easily, I think it was some last life connection that brought us together.

I started with my new job six months after my son was born. I was in a disturbed postpartum mind frame and expected little less than friendship from my new colleagues. But very soon I became friends with this girl from a far off country in Eastern Europe. Different religion, different language, but what brought us close was a common liking for art, architecture, travel and landscape.

When it’s not common surroundings or growing up patterns but shared interests that start a dialogue, it becomes a good platform for exchange of ideologies on a deeper note. Days kept moving ahead with our daily dose of discussions. We enjoyed working together on several projects contributing to creative ideas, at times agreeing to disagree.

Nonetheless it is difficult to combat the ‘temporariness’ of the desert. The other day, I found out that she was leaving the country and moving on to greener pastures…(well, greener in the real sense of the term!) It was then that it dawned upon me, how much I had learnt from her in these two years and how much I was going to miss…

I just cannot deal with farewells. My heart clots with memories as I realize the fact that she will no longer be a part of the routine professional life, spiced up with brainstorming debates amid tight schedules that somewhere unknowingly ended up merging with personal lives as well.

I will miss our Indian lunches that she loved more than I did! There are some peculiar things about India that I actually learnt to appreciate because of her! I learnt organizational skills and a polite but powerful way to stand up for what you believe in without shedding a tear!

Last few days a slight melancholy lingers but we continue to celebrate breakfast times with indianised ‘manaqeeshs’ from the Arabic bakery, with custom made fillings of coriander and green chilly to suit a mixed culture palate.

Maybe on these roads of life, our paths were destined to intersect just for a brief interval. But a close cultural exchange like this will only help me get a broader and deeper outlook into the less known places of the world, that interest me even more. I will carry a bit of her in my mind until memories fade away onto yesteryear diaries and I hope she carries a bit of me wherever she lands next.

Time unveils
subtle transformations,
as I set out on
unfamiliar expeditions.
Experiences locked
in a heavy heart,
like messages
in a bottle.
A bit of you
with me, I carry.
As an inspiration,
as a memory…