The Power Of A Year

The Power Of A Year
29th December 2005

It’s amazing how much difference a year can make.

The world and their grandfathers (actually, only those who regularly read FITM) know my state a year ago. In a nutshell – down for the count.

But a lot can change in a year. And here is the last episode of FITM Season Two. It’s a time to look back at what was, and a time to look forward to what could be.

Things (touch wood, knock it, grip it, hug it) began to get better at home. There’s a silver lining in every cloud, they say. And this was the silver lining in Dad’s illness – my family rediscovered the bonds that we’d ignored for so long. Number one priority again.

The shock was losing Amma. True, she was ailing. But it’s never easy, even when you know someone doesn’t have much time left. It took her passing for me to realise – and regret – the things I’d left undone and unsaid. I’ve tried to make it up with Nani, in the hope that I won’t make the same mistakes. But home still doesn’t quite feel the same.

As things improved at home, so did Dad’s health and work. He’s not as fit as he’d like to be, but he’s better. And so is work.

Must mention here the Goa trip that we took in June. It was the first family vacation we’d taken in a hell of a long while. And it was wonderful.

One more notable event was the process of me getting over Sweetie. It started in Jan, speeded up during my F1 sojourn in Malaysia, and was inexorably over the day I saw her in my office. I’ve since heard that she’s getting married, and that there are apparently multiple men in her life. This was news I got from Seniorita – and boy, am I glad to be out of it. All the nonsense she gave me – career, etc. – was a sham.

And it’s time to officially change her FITM pseudonym. To something she deserves better, given her lack of direction. Sweetie will now be called Ficklechick.

Now to the friends. The people who’ve been my support structure for very long now. Doc and the Nag, Minty, the Drunken Painting Poet, Shrimati, Legs, Groper, Seniorita and (of course) my best friend.

The Drunken Painting Poet has finally found some happiness and stability in her life. And her beau, Underwater Man, has been a big part of it.

Minty went through her own hell, with career, folks, love and friends. After ten days of silence – I still can’t believe she went through Vipassana without talking, usually she can’t shut up – she’s bounced back. And bounced back well.

Groper’s left Bombay for good. Her reasons were simple – a painful aunt at home and too much stress at work. Top it off with a long-distance relationship with FBW (going good, touch wood). We’d drifted tremendously over the last few months, and I’ve been furious at her. But I’ve spoken with her a couple of times since she reached Delhi, and she already sounds so much happier.

Legs has finally quit, and started a production company of her own. Finally met her – in Powai of all places, home for her, videsh for me. She looks so much more relaxed now, closer to the way she normally is. And at last she’s making a serious attempt to quit smoking.

My best friend has just started a new journey. She got married on December 11 to Bawarchi. It’s amazing how life is. It’s suddenly struck me that I’m an adult, with adult responsibilities. As for her, well, she’s the one person who’s changed my life the most. I’ve rarely got emotional over her, but I did during her wedding (hid it from everyone of course, macho man that I am). With one sentence, she put me on the path I am now. She’s been the best friend anyone could ask for, even with the distance between us. Good luck hon, love you.

Doc and the Nag got together. Finally. Everyone who knows them knows that they were meant to be together. Who’s got it worse, I don’t know. But finally light has dawned.

Onto work now. And things began to look up since July. I’ve done some good work, been recognised for it. Went for a couple of interviews at a point when I was frustrated. But I stuck around, at it’s paying off. Just got word tonight that a film I’ve written is approved, and that an international project is happening. So I’ll be flying off to Australia next month to shoot. Sticking around was completely worth it.

One more thing, and we’re done.

Slappy.

Need I say more?

It’s not too difficult for me to decide what I want next year. It’s just an improvement on what’s happened this year.

Every New Year’s Eve, once midnight has passed, I take some time out to reflect. To look back on what’s happened, and what might. This year I may not need to. Thanks to FITM, I’ve already done it.

And coming back to FITM was probably the most important thing at a personal, deeply spiritual level that could have happened to me.

See you in the New Year, folks. Have a great one.

Cheers.