Passion...

Every six months we come across a new set of words that people use so lavishly and without any context, for example 'rocking'. There was a time when in Delhi, everything was rocking, from food to weather to people to an auto wala to errr...say a room lizard on the wall. The word for this season is 'PASSION'. From celebrities of all shapes and sizes to reality TV contestants to businessmen to housewives, everyone seems to be passionate.
But I experienced real passion on my vacation. Passion for life, for dreams, for things one really wants to do.

Mrinali Sinha (Name changed, coz she doesn't like being discussed in public). My bestest friend everrrrr! Our friendship began in our school (not where we studied but where we taught!) She went on to become some fancy editor in some fancy Multi national and I pursued radio. This time when I met her, she had given up on a well paying job, had used all her savings to pursue her passion for photography. So here's a lady almost my age, going to a class of almost teenagers or college pass outs and fearlessly following her dreams. From driving a Santro in Delhi to travelling by buses and trains in Mumbai, from the comfortable confines of an air-conditioned office to the streets of Dharavi, horse stables and other such shady places, she has resolved to do what she really wants to do. The future is unsure, the pocket is almost empty, the expenses are super crazily high, but her sheer passion for her vocation keeps her going. Truly INSPIRING! All my choicest of prayers for the love of my life! (She is planning to start a course in basics of photography, if you need her number, get in touch with me. I promise it will be worth your money!)

Saransh Goila- Our friendship began once again in a school, a school where I taught and he studied. Saransh is crazy about movies or passionate, the word of this season. If there is a movie, he has watched it- cast no bar (starcast silly), language no bar, length no bar. If we are going out, he wants to watch movies, if we are not, he still suggests to watch movies except this time he made 'movie watching at home' an experience to remember a lifetime. Saransh bought a new house, read up on the net about speakers and screens, did his massive research and turned his living room into a mini theatre. And no it's not a home theatre system we are talking about, instead a theatre in his home. So there's a hundred and ten inch big screen that covers one full wall, there are amplifiers, speakers, projectors, a labrynth of wires and a thousand other things that I can't even phonetically articulate. He painted the side walls with movie posters, fitted some blue-tinged, dim theatre lights and hold your breath and jaws for this one- got the superexpensive, supercomfortable LAZY BOY recliners. (Yes he is a rich bugger!) Now that ladies and gentlemen is what I call true passion, the kinds that leaves me stunned!(So proud of you Saransh! Hugs!!)

Sanjay Dharmani. No we didn't go to the same school. We were born in the same family. My elder brother. I might not relate to him on a lot of issues but he never ceases to inspire me with his ambition, dreams and yes you guessed it right his drive and passion to translate his dreams, his ambitions to reality. Now a chicken like me (sans any major responsibilties) can never dare think of giving up my job and pursue what I really really want to do. But my exact opposite sibling does exactly that. He is married with a kid and yet he dares give up his fat package job to pursue his dream of running his own business- BRAINVILLA (in Bangalore) where you can rent out and buy books and toys. The man is a true genius. He has a mind of a business man, nerves of steel and a heart that oozes with optimism and passion. He is a shinning example of the fact that hardwork always pays off. So now he is a senior manager in an MNC and is running two outlets of BRAINVILLA successfully. Guys if you are planning to buy some books or toys, look up for Brainvilla on the net and do the needful.

So the long and short of this is that we all are chicken inside, we all have zillion fears and trillion doubts, but we all have just ONE life. Just the sheer passion of these three gives my heart a lift, my flesh goose and my throat a lump! A biggggggggggg hug to them!