Counting Stars

Counting Stars

'No Problem Llama' says Hello to me. He and I have been staring at each other for the last few minutes as I find myself in Delhi in my sister’s living room. It was her birthday two days ago and she had explicitly asked that we meet after the event. You see, the 25th had to be celebrated with friends. The house is adorned with gifts and the occasional remnant from what I must presume was a cracker of a party. It’s been 7 months since I moved to Gurgaon but even the significant reduction in distance, as compared to Bombay, couldn’t persuade me to travel and visit her abode.

Now that I am here, I wonder how my procrastination towards everything non-work has delayed my gratification from things just barely out of my comfort zone. Also, how remarkably I have built my comfort zone in Gurgaon, ably supported by the infrastructure of the city and QuickCom, that all I want to do is lounge at home on weekends and barely lift a finger unless I am at a nearby CultFit lifting weights.

My tryst with fitness started in Bombay. As it became an important part of my life, I began to appreciate how through sheer luck and some planning, I had built a cocoon in Santacruz because of which I could avoid the one hardship that every Mumbaikar has accepted as a part of life- Daily commute. The key places in my life- office, gym, home, and, funky places to eat and make merry were within twenty minutes of each other. Many important people in my life were nearby as well. Life was perfect and for months after moving to Gurgaon, I yearned for what I had in Bombay.

Until the realisation hit me that while I had been living in the past, my life now is emulating the one I had previously. My office, gym, home, and funky places to eat and make merry are now within fifteen minutes of each other. Many important people in life, such as my host today, are much closer as well. Of course, no street food could come close to Vada Pav and the much more well-dressed cohabitants of the city do cause the occasional complex, but life in general isn’t shabby either. Perhaps by living in the past, I was not enjoying my present at all.

My love for Bombay is perennial but Gurgaon seems to be growing on me. The city of glass and LEDs might not hold century-old legacies but seems to be doing a good enough job. Having embraced it now, I must push the envelope a bit more. Enjoy the comfort zone but step out and experience the new life further. An occasional tour of NCR and the adjoining areas wouldn’t hurt. Of course, I must carry some safety measures lest someone wants me to know ki uska baap kaun hai?

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