Dear Aachi,

How do you do this???? Your piece touched something deep inside ...... yet again :-)

Absolutely beautiful sentiments there Aachi. And I feel like thanking you on behalf of the women folk for appreciating the subtle femininity that goes unnoticed most of the time.

Will have to think about my visions of masculinity. Will come back later! :-)

Aachi,

My memory is filled with thousands of such visions. Can't recollect and can't ramp up them in Top 10 List?

Every one of them has been unique. As they say beauty leys in the eyes of beholder.

Don't you think you have focus only on external beauty and not the inner one?

Sigh... Aachi your feelings on seeing these women that has made me smile :)

Even I have often seen men and women on the street, roads, parties who have attracted my attention and given me this strange, light calm, warm and lovely feeling in my heart. For now I can narrate two incident.

As usual me and a couple of my friends were lazing in the winter sun in DE School campus, sipping our coffees and chatting non-stop nonsense. Suddenly my eyes caught the sight of this guy sitting a few feet ahead of us. There was something about this guy. When I drew my friends' notice they didn't see anything in him and were quite confused as to why I was attracted to the guy.

I don't know what it was... was it his eyes, his dark complexion, his squarish face, his hair falling on his forehead, his hands, his lean body or was it the way this 'perfectly' masculine man was affectionately holding his heavily weighed (no offense meant)girlfriend close to him and looking straight into her eyes while talking to her.

The second is an ongoing incident. Every time I watch my husband cleaning his cupboard and neatly folding his clothes or while helping me clean my cupboard [ ;) ], while making the bed, putting the clothes out on the line for drying and folding them back when I'm busy with other work ;)

Sigh... Aachi your feelings on seeing these women that has made me smile :)

Even I have often seen men and women on the street, roads, parties who have attracted my attention and given me this strange, light calm, warm and lovely feeling in my heart. For now I can narrate two incident.

As usual me and a couple of my friends were lazing in the winter sun in DE School campus, sipping our coffees and chatting non-stop nonsense. Suddenly my eyes caught the sight of this guy sitting a few feet ahead of us. There was something about this guy. When I drew my friends' notice they didn't see anything in him and were quite confused as to why I was attracted to the guy.

I don't know what it was... was it his eyes, his dark complexion, his squarish face, his hair falling on his forehead, his hands, his lean body or was it the way this 'perfectly' masculine man was affectionately holding his heavily weighed (no offense meant)girlfriend close to him and looking straight into her eyes while talking to her.

The second is an ongoing incident. Every time I watch my husband cleaning his cupboard and neatly folding his clothes or while helping me clean my cupboard [ ;) ], while making the bed, putting the clothes out on the line for drying and folding them back when I'm busy with other work ;)

Good Morning Aachi

Marvellous piece and amazing descriptions.
Touched something deep within.

How i wish i could express my feelings the way you do!You are too good pal :-)

Enjoy

Hi aachi.... you touched a part of my soul once again.

I watch people all the time....that's part of my job as I need inspiration all the time...I have millions of such pictures in my mind... will bring out a few outstanding one.

a) there is a begger man near the Kalkaji temple. When my ofc was in okhla I saw him often... he has perhaps... the most chiselled features I have ever seen on a face.... and beautiful pair of big fish shaped eyes... a very high and broad forehead a straight nose and a sculpted mouth... me and my artist friends have often drawn sketches of him. His stood in a cream coloured, dhoti and chaddar, right in the middle of the road divider. His stance almost made him look like a sculpture... He never spread out his hand to beg, just stood there forlorn with a stick and a small bowl. I have often wondered if he was really a begger or an educated man who lost his memory...

I would have to say that there is no memory that stands out of strangers that caught my attention. May be I was just not attentive enough that way.

But I can say one thing, for me an attractive moment is when I see the vulnerable side to a man. When he expresses himself breaking all walls of the so-called macho self! To me, that is truly masculine as he is secure enough to just BE and FEEL the way he is. No prentences. It could be just a smile that he gives to a little child, or a hand held out to help an elderly walk up the stairs, or helping a blind person cross the road, or a hug to his special someone which says, "I need you to hug me. I had a tough day".

And as Chaitali says, I am with her on that. The most regular and normal chores can become attractive too! :-)

Hey Aachi!!

Excellent Article! I may never be able to express the ripples it has created in my thoughts bringing with them the lost leaves that had drifted away in time.

And of course it has filled my eyes & heart with joy as I could so relate to some of my experiences. And as I read thru each one of them, the smile got wider too :-). You sure are gifted pal :)

~~~~~~~~~
Here's my list - with the feelings I had for each of them (will try to put it as clearly as possible - many date back to over a decade ago):

1. I was in 11-A (school), sitting on the desk closest to the classroom-door with my parantha rolled up in my hand (recess-times). A new student (a girl :-P) entered hurriedly and went out almost as immediately saying "Oh Sorry! Came to the wrong class" and left me with my mouth open forgetting that it was chewing something. :-)). That innocent giggle mixed with a pinch of surprise :-) I couldn't even take my eyes off her sparkling eyes (though she never looked at me). And don't know why but I never felt like going out looking for her after that.
Don't remember her face but that giggle has stayed. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. My Computer Course classes - was sitting practising in the room with some batch-mates when a voice from outside the room asked a teacher - "Sir, I don't where to find a phone booth to call home. Am new here, so please help". Don't know what was it in that voice that I so felt like standing up and going out to help her right away - may be the accent or perhaps a clear child like fear of getting lost in a new city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Don't know if this fits here but a memory that wants to come out right now. - Was at a train station, waiting for my turn at the ticket counter bored, when I saw this old lady (a wrinkled but bright face - bright not in color but something else i can't express) standing near a bench already full with people and their luggage. I just took a hand out (the bench was close) and took a bag off the bench making enough space for her weak body which slowly leaned down and sat down. Turning towards me - looking straight into my eyes, blessing me with her palm that had lost all its lines thru the age. I can't forget that moment - the feelings. Don't know why but felt like sitting close to her for a while and forget the train ticket I was there for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. Was at a wedding, sitting in an open space, when I saw a group of these ladies with their daughters (just guessed from actions) checking each other's dresses and all. My eyes just got stuck at this young girl (didn't know her) who had almost no make-up at all, was not laughing out loud but observing & responding in a seemingly know-everything-way and wearing that simple smile that hit me so hard that I kept following her [with my eyes only :-) ] wherever she went, each smooth action, same constant subtle smiley face but chirpyly laughing a bit at times leaving me wanting to wait for more of that to come out.
Guys!! Just can't forget that person.

Ok. I'm back on the ground now. :)

Thanks to so many more of such instances that have somehow created a place in my heart full of admiration, respect and blessings for this other species - 'women' - 'feminity'.

Yes, this world would be close to 'nothing' without them - my Mom, my cousins, my Bhabhi's, my friends, and of course those I who I do not even call 'mine'

Sorry, got carried away a bit - but felt like sharing with MY CLAN here - all of you. ;-)

Love you all!!

Hi Aachi!

Are you real! I don't know about those girls but you sure must be a very beautiful person with a beautiful heart and mind.

I can't at the moment remember any such incident but one thing even I've often found myself staring at is the beauty of many of the women who work at construction sites. Such beauties some of them are. Such petite bodies carrying such heavy load.

Prasun it's okay if you can't express like Aachi. But that it touched you deep itself is a sign of your emotional expression.

I'm an animal lover and I often notice animals, especially cows and dogs on the road. Have you noticed their eyes. Such lovely, innocent and calm eyes they have got.

dear Aachi,

sometimes it happens tht we meet people for an instant and they leave such a great impression on us..
but sometimes it also happens tht if the same person is with us for ever, we still can never appreciate their contribution to our lives...
the countless people who we meet everyday sometimes are taken for granted...and forgotten ...

here is my list:::

1.date :15 june 1998
time :10.15 am
first day of my college ..i was as usual quite excited abt the new phase of my life..then suddenly i heard a voice from near the door ....which said: excuse me , mam !!!!and i looked at him and we had eye contact may be of one second but it lasted for a whole eternity...

2.a blind man who crosses a busy road ,which is
actually one of the most populated roads in hyderabad ...i thought i shud go and giv him a helping hand ...but he succeeded to do it on his own and proved to me tht nothin is impossible..

3.a pleasant evening when i was in the terrace of my house trying to admire the sunset a small greyish fluffy thing shivering in the corner near the potted plants ...i looked at the green eyes and made it my life long companion ....

4.i was in my engineering third year .
evening :5 pm ..
i was in the collge bus.. had a very bad day ..was very stressed..suddenly i could hear a song being played ..i started feeling better and was very pleased tht someone had such a good music player then i turned back and it was a boy singing a song with his guitar..

Hey Surya, Annie and Preethi,

Beautiful instances! Enjoyed them thoroughly :-)

Dear Aachi; it is warming to know you have such a penchant eye for a womans beauty; and yes, we women too, have "eyes" which can be found drifting. so here's my fave...of a man I saw once...

1) He had very long, light hair and the brightest, biggest corn flower blue were his eyes;

his skin was of a golden, dark tanning, with muscular ripples adorning his prize winning arms .

He was running; baggy jeans on, no shoes, no socks.

His shirt was old and worn/faded, must have been a favorite..I thought he was out with the "boys." And he was!

He tossed the football he was holding while running;

I look towards the direction of his throw;

and there, the intended target;

was a little boy around seven, waiting with Mom,

to help him catch the ball, and urge him to run!

HE was the most beautiful man in the world I'd seen with my own eyes;

but, the smile on his face, attached to that football and the squeals of laughter from a beloved wife and son;

is etched in my memory;

for HIS actions with his family;
to me, was his best beauty of all.

North

Hey everyone!!

this is quite something you have written buddy!!! seems to have touched a soft spot in everyone out there.

as for me, well, there have been many such faces that have made me stop my life and just let myself get totally engulfed in the moment. but the one face that i just cant seem to erase from my mind (not that i want to) is that of an old lady that radhika and i just happen to see in one of delhi's malls. we had just finished our shopping (read radhika's shopping ;-) ) and we sat down to hog at the food court. we were sitting face to face, in the open air portion of the restaurant. and there she was. she walked into the restaurant and i could see her through the glass partition. all gray hair, wearing a soothing green salwar kameez, the most serene face i ever saw! as i was looking on, she happened to look at me and a smile just spread itself on my face. and she gave me the most beautiful smile ever (and this is one thing on which radhika actually agrees with me). dont know what it was. but there was something for sure ........ may be this is what MAGIC is all about !!!!

have a happy sunday everyone !

Just to share my newer creations, inspired to make at least one design; for a woman with cancer. I hope it brings her a smile from this feminine Spirit..and invite you all for tea at my newest album,,,,,if and when the time is yours to have.

http://groups.msn.com/SpiritsoftheFourWinds/vasesinframes.msnw?albumlist=2

just click on the thumbnail to see it in a x360 size.

enjoy the peek,
from the mind-visions at play;
of a woman...

in motion.

North

Hi All!!

Beautiful Shares by all - North (Star), Venkat, Annie, Sangeeta, Chaitali, Preethi.

Hey Aachi, beautiful piece indeed! I am at a loss of words. I dont think I have read or heard such sensitive portrayal of femininity from a guy before.

And also loved reading comments by Surya, North, Venkat, Chaitali, Shubhosree, Annie, Preethi, Sangeeta.

Hi all,

Beautiful shares. I loved all of them. I especially loved the first instance of Surya and Preethi for they touched a small chord in my heart.

In those instances one finds love, joy, pain, sadness, yearning and a host of other beautiful emotions.

A few years back a movie called Cast Away starring Tom Hanks was released.

All my friends loved it. We discussed how much he loved the heroine, the island etc. But I disagreed. I told them that there was a moment of love very beautiful in that movie which transcended that of the times with the heroine and the island.

On his return journey in a self made yacht, lost in the wilderness of the ocean, in the dead of the night, Hanks gets to meet some whales. One of the whales jutts its eyes out of the water and looks at him....but for a moment...and in that moment I found ecstasy.

In that moment was joy, happiness. The best part of the movie.

In my one moment adventures too I find a joy I could never have in any other way.

Those moments are best where love is celebrated for eternity...but in a moment.

Dear Shubhosree, Chaitali, Sangeeta, Annie, Shalini, Preethi, North, buddies Prasun, Venkat, Surya,

I think if any perpective of mine touches peoples hearts it is beacause of my inherent love for the night sky.

I adore the vast beautiful and whenever I see instances where the beauty is reflected in day to day lives I immediately relate to it.:)

Rudra,

you raise a very good point. It is true that there can be a divide between external and internal beauty.

I feel though that when love arises spontaeneously the subconcious already knows the beauty in the beloved. Everything else is just a rediscovery if the relationship happens.

Love is not blind.

Love knows.:)

"I feel though that when love arises spontaeneously the subconcious already knows the beauty in the beloved. Everything else is just a rediscovery if the relationship happens."

Well said Aachi!!

Good Afternoon everyone! :)

Dearest Aachi

Sorry was quite wrapped up in work and missed out a whole lot on the blog. Another beautiful and senstively written piece. Really enjoyed it as well as everyones responses.

One of the things which always touches my heart is when people in the midst of poverty and deprivation manage to smile and be happy. The other day we were standing at a traffic light and there were some beggar children who had made skates out of two empty plastic bottles. They were whizzing up and down the street on them one pulling the other in the midst of crazy delhi traffic, smiling and laughing and enjoying their new toy. I thought that was beautiful.

love
anusheh

Buddy you're quite the master of the subtle!

Lovely and melodious read. In the eyes of the beholder indeed!

Sometimes our love makes the other beautiful, sometimes our respect, sometimes their dignity and sometimes their absence. The other's beauty must then be the ray of light shining on them from the sun in our hearts don't you think?