I had a most interesting morning.

A night of vivid dreams, turning impossibilities into presence the way only dreams can. I woke up discombobulated by the dream, feeling tugged by the past. It’s always strange when people not in your life appear like they never left. 

A temple. My hand in theirs. Narrow roads. Joy, unmitigated joy. 

Such stuff are dreams are made of.

I went for a lazy run, lit up by a languid sun. Summer is peeking in, and I am trying to run earlier and earlier to beat the sun. I wasn’t happy with the run and pace – the dream still lingering in the detritus of my thoughts. 

I came back and saw that my beloved car had a flat tire. 😔I feel physically pained if anything happens to my car – our relationship of 12 years only strengthens with each passing year.

I called Waseem, who runs a ‘puncture repair’ shop nearby. Waseem’s shop is a mess of old tires and discarded parts from long-forgotten vehicles. But 5 minutes after I called him, he was here. But it was his bike that immediately caught my eye.

Bright pink, looming large over the green. An old Bajaj.

“Is it yours?” I asked him. 

“Yes.” 

“You restored this?”

“Yes.”

He is a lad of few words, our Waseem.

I went over to the bike – the odometer was stuck at 16 km. But it’s in immaculate condition. I have only ridden the Honda Activa bikes – or their equivalent, and this bike seems like a chrome anachronism from another age.

Meanwhile, Waseem has already fixed the flat. I linger, wondering if I can try riding the bike.

Seeing my longing, Waseem finally speaks up.

“I have had the bike for 12 years,” he says proudly. 

“It doesn’t look 12!” (Is that bike ageism?)

“It’s a 1986 model – I restored it.”

“Wow,” I reply, running my hands over the handlebar.

Waseem finally grins, happy that I love his bike. I smile at the bike and him. He rides off even before I finish paying him. Our Waseem is also a man in a hurry.

I walk away, pink floating by, the past a tender memory on this chaotic day.

Isn’t it amazing that micro-conversations like this, mini-connections like this, can also lift our mood and mental well-being?

Who have you spoken to today?

I send you light and love.