Numero Uno

For my first proper noun. For my first lesson in love. For my first journey. Completed. For my first brush with life. And the violent struggle to preserve it and prevail over the brother of Sleep. For the initiation to music, and lucidity and articulation. And SRK. For waking me up for mornings of spellings and hand-writing and numbers and ruler-smacks and hopeless whimpers. For those nights of Durga and Diwali and ice-creams and soda and pizza and multiplexes. For those tears of desperation and warmth of middle-class success. For my moments of insanity when time seems to slip like sand. For harbouring that belief that even I can fly. And making me believe that on those few seconds of absurdity. For the apology of letting you down. For the pride of being known by your name. For that fairy-taled past of playing and hugging and fearlessness. For this schismed present. For posterity. For peace. For happiness. For my first blog. For the One. For you, Maa.