An incorrigibly and horribly romantic that I am, I often look back in time particularly the phase I grew up in, the '80s. All those idyllic thoughts that I associate with the '80s come to the fore, some culled from personal experiences, some media and cinema, and some imagination. Where it is perfectly possible to blend your personal objectives with something that you cannot shy away from, responsibilities. Where sunny Sunday afternoons are sunny Sunday afternoons, where sartorial sense doesn't have to be in an Abercrombie & Fitch or an Aeropostale but also in the simple elegance and class of a homely kurta, where an event or an occasion is bigger than the tools that contribute to it.

My naive self also comes to the fore and I conveniently begin to wonder if it is possible to lead a normal, relaxed, honest to oneself, simple, serene life. It makes me crave a life (I know the word "life" has complex connotations) at my pace, in no race with nobody to achieve that invisible and intangible nothing, satisfy myself, respect all the enormity that nature has to offer, honor minimal societal requirements and really try being true to myself. Where communication with people is very organic, very harmonious sans any ulterior motive quite unlike the restless, matter-of-factly, objective banter characteristic of the times I inhabit. Even if it is the order of the day, I want the blend to be so seamless that it leaves you in awe, or ideally go unnoticed. Where success is not how the society qualifies and quantifies your achievements but is what it means to your personally. As much I respect the comforts and conveniences that modern science and engineering have to offer, I do not want to be ensnared and enslaved by materialism. When I cry "materialism" it extends way beyond the usual physical and tangible entities. I do not want these tools to complete me, and if it did, that would be a personal disaster. I want to lessen the dependency on the social circuses called social networks to feel "in" at the risk of being termed, well, a social outcaste. I so want to move away from these social, cultural, technological phenomena that come oh so periodically and stare you in your face daring you not to ride the wave. For a firm believer in predetermined design, or destiny, may be I shouldn't be cribbing for probably this is the way it is/was meant to be. Yet I will try. At least I will go to my grave happy.