Bittersweet Symphony

Today is a big day, a much bigger occasion. I remember days like this one had a pre-decided time-table, where we got up early and finished our basic chores and set out to meet our loved ones and the day would go by in a jiffy. We used to sit down and have a big lunch together (so late in the afternoon that it left no room in our bellies for dinner). Laugh at the most silliest of things, pull each other’s leg and then finally, late at night, go back to our usual autonomous lives bound by duties and responsibilities, but always looking forward to another holiday or occasion.

Things are VERY different now. This is where I try to remember the ‘actual’ meaning of loved ones. All my life, they had the same meaning in my dictionary, people who stand by you no matter what, who love you no matter what.

But I was living in a world which was too simple, not factoring time. Relationships that can stand the test of time are the ones that are really true. There were days when we were separated by long distances and it never mattered. Now I could reach there in less than an hour ‘physically’ but ‘mentally’ we are so, so, so far away that we can never cover that distance. I guess time has a way of showing us who actually cares about us and who doesn’t, though the method can be harsh.

The people, who were once so thick, now do not even look at each other’s faces. And even if they do glance at each other, their eyes are so vacant, it haunts me. Gone are the days when relishing a simple home-cooked meal together was fun, now they won’t even sit at the same table. People who never got enough of each other now turn their backs towards those memories. They try meticulously not to cross each other’s paths but if they ever do come across each other, they steer clear of the other’s shadow.

Now I wonder, or rather try to comprehend the word ‘loved ones’. But the next instant, I think, then, what was that? Who were they? What were those times I used to dwell in? Do they ever remember all this? Do they ever reminisce all that? Do they ever cry about it in a corner of their house, quietly, lest someone see them shedding those silly tears? Do they ever miss it, talk about it or rather BLOG about it?

Today is a big day; yes indeed a bigger occasion and a much bigger, humungous realization that I am alone…