Living by Myself, Now and Then

Mom’s spending a fortnight in Chennai and am holding the fort at home, alone. It’s at such a time that you remember that you are pretty inadequate to manage a decent life for yourself.

Dinner is a big decision every night. House is a mess, as the maid can’t come in at the time that I am around the house. Plates lie in the sink, asking to be washed. I solve that problem by avoiding the kitchen or holding my breath when I can’t avoid heading in that direction. There is an alarm on my mobile to remind me to keep an alarm so that I get up in time in the morning. I am running out of clean underwear, need to use that washing machine pretty soon. I ran out of drinking water in the house today. So if you are reading this and planning to come home, get me a couple of Bisleris. Forgot to turn off the geyser today morning. Nothing happened, I guess will wait for the electricity bill. Couple of empty vodka bottles lie next to the fridge. Make mental note to get rid of them before this Saturday.

But I hardly spend a few hours a day in the house anyway. So its not so bad, you know, I mean, compared to the time when I was in Cochin, that is.

Now that was loneliness. My best time professionally till now, but my worst as far as my personal life was concerned. Add to the fact that I used to work from home, and it sometimes would be weeks before I would have a decent non work related face to face conversation with anybody. Breakfast, Lunch and dinner were all big decisions. House was still a mess as I used to tour extensively and the maid stopped coming after some time when she found that the door was locked half the time. I still had the work ethic hangover of six years of campus life, accentuated by this particular situation where I could work in bermudas and have a bath when I thought my boss would be busy having his lunch a 1000 kms away and unlikely to call me up. The oh so familiar walls of my flat would sometimes get so depressing at times that I would just rush out in the evenings and take a walk along the beautiful ocean promenade in Cochin, its Marine Drive. I didn’t have a set routine then as I have now, nor consistent hobbies to save me from existential boredom.

Nowadays, I blog, I go to the gym at least 3-4 days of the week, read books and jog on weekends. Shaves of at least 25-30 hours in a week from my free time.

Less time to wonder now what to do with it, a good or bad thing, do you think?

P.S. I also had some great times in Cochin. I made some great friends, toured all over the beautiful state of Kerala, experienced houseboats, hills, toddy and beef. And am not ashamed to admit it, learned to drive a bike while I was there.