Sorry Jhumpa, I Chose The Prada!

A couple of days back, I was alone at home, enjoying this movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ on one of the Star Channels. All of a sudden, there was an electricity breakdown in the area and in a second, everything around was pitch black. Really irritated over the electricity being cut off, just in the midst of the movie, I waited for some time in hope of it getting restored. Fifteen minutes passed and with still no sign of any power supply being restored, I decided not to storm heavens for this petty issue and save my prayers for matters slightly more important than not being able to watch a movie.

So I strolled into the verandah and perched myself on the stack of chairs there. The view has always been awesome from my 6th floor house which is equivalent to the 10th floor actually, considering the hill and the stilts on which the building proudly stands. It had actually been months since I had spent time in this quaint little area of my house. It’s something I can do only when my mom is not there – she freaks out when she sees me in the verandah. The poor woman is obsessed with the fact that some evil spirit will overcome me and make me jump from there. Little does she know that I am the evil spirit that can make others jump to their death.

Anyways, as the time passed, I realized I was enjoying just sitting there. I had nothing to do, no care in the world, no deadlines to meet, no trains or guys to chase. It was so peaceful, calm and serene, not to mention the cool wind giving me some respite from the October heat.

All of a sudden, I started thinking about this short story ‘A Temporary Matter’ – in Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel “Interpreter of Maladies”. It’s about this couple who are straying away but an electricity failure, in their vicinity, for a couple of days brings them closer together.

So, I thought to myself, that maybe this power failure in my house could change something in my life. I might get inspired to write an article on the beauty I find in the urban jungle that surrounds me. Or maybe, learn the importance of spending more time in such a serene calm environment. I might even decide to keep aside some time after work for meditation and yoga. Oh yes, this situation had really opened up a world of options for me to improve my life.

Just as I was settling down to decide on how to use this opportunity to enhance my life, Eureka – the power was restored, the lights came on and with that the television. So I now had an option of sitting there, meditating in the calmness of the windy night with nature’s beauty enveloping me and turn a single moment into a wonderful experience in my life.

Or I could resume watching the movie.

Well, I’m ashamed to say, I chose the latter. Yes, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway won the toss over calmness and serenity. Maybe that’s why they call it the idiot box. It has this conniving way of attracting the illogical part of the grey matter in my head.

Sorry Jhumpa, I hadn’t envisaged that Reliance energy would be that efficient and quick in restoring its services or that David Frankel would magnetize me with such a lovely rendition of the original novel.

So much for all the hoping and planning for some sensational development in my life as a result of an electricity breakdown. Guess I still have a long way to go to fulfill my self-actualization needs.