Wednesday, May 30, 2007



The breeze flirted around lazily, playing with my hair, nuzzling my cheeks, pulling at my shawl idly.


The lake rippled and giggled. The flowers danced in gay abandon. The sandy stretch just lay there slumberous.... sedated. The ocean rose up in spray, crashing and roaring deeply.The blue, blue sky smiled serenely.

I felt calm, contented.

I was at Veli. Alone. With my journal and camera.

To be with my thoughts, soak in the nature, centre myself.

I do it off and on. When I need some 'Me' time.

Take a day off and drive to Veli.

Wander around alone, listen to the birds , gaze at the clouds. at the water plants bobbing serenely in the water , kids feeding the pigeons and the geese .
Marvel at the birds that swoop down on the rippling lake in a flash and fly away with the catch.

Take the pix of whatever catches my fancy..

Obeserve my thoughts silently..

Then relax in the floating restaurant, sipping tea, relishing the crisp spicy pakoras and write in the journal whatever i feel like with the roar of the ocean in the background.

The landscaped lawn at Veli is lovely

It includes the figure of a full-bodied woman lying on her back with one hip and knee slightly flexed. Her body is deliciously curved, moulded from warm earth and covered by soft, lush grass.

To me, she is the embodiment of a woman confident with her lush body, relishing her sensousnes, comfortable with her sexuality.
I have seen people especially women watch her surreptiously through the lashes never daring to admire her openly. They gaze secretly and then shift their eyes.
Her unbridled sensuality seem to be a threat and embarrassment. Even men seem to be uncomfortable around her.

I have taken her pictures from many angles, but it never did come out right.Needless to say that I know next to nothing about photography

Somehow, I was never able to capture her mood...her spirit...

That natural, innocent wantonness.

Anyway that breezy morning I decided to give it one more try.

I walked around her with my camera aiming from different angles.

'No. She was evading me'
I walked back about 20 feet and tried to capture her.

'No, I couldn't'.

I had to get her full figure and I could get it only from above her . I looked around.

'No, there was no building around.'

Then an idea flashed. Maybe if I could climb on her flexed knee, I could capture her fully.

I clambered my way up her body and climbed on to her knees,

'Maybe I could make it this time’. I kneeled down, tilting my camera to the right angle.
'Hmmm..... She lay before me ..! Unrestrained..!I aimed to click
'Hey!Hey...!!Come down...!!'
The voice was harsh. I turned to see the security guard gesturing at, me wildly.

I pretended to ignore him and turned back to click once again.

"Madam come down, you are not permitted to climb up there".
His eyes glared at me.

A few women workers had gathered .I had not noticed them.

'She walked around! Then she went away, then climbed on the top..!.'
They reported to the security officer. They stared at me accusingly measuring me from top to bottom, making me feel like a pervert.A shameless, immodest woman.
'But, it’s not written that photography is not permitted.'
'Landscaped lawn are meant to be walked upon'
' Her pose and mood is to be admired'

I wanted to tell them all that but I knew I couldn't reach out to them.

'Okay...Okay.’

I Smiled at them, walking away as fast as i could.Iwanted to escape from those censoring eyes.I didn't want to spoil my mood arguing with them.

As I walked away, I could feel those eyes boring down my back.

Typical attitude of the society towards sensuality and sexuality.Towards sex.


I felt sorry, for the artist who had crafted her so lovingly.

P.S. That is her distorted pix. All that I could capture of her. Maybe the purpose of the geese is for people to pretend that they are feeding them and gaze at her secretly..!

:))

23 comments:

silverine said...

Doc you must write a book!!

"I didn't want to spoil my mood arguing with them"

Something I realise too!

N A R I YA L C H U T N E Y said...

Jalakanyaka - Mermaid by Kanayi Kunhiraman should be the one you tried to capture in Veli. May be they wouldn't have liked you sharing her beauty with others like us :( . But the way in which you have described this is just amazing .

Jiby said...

wow...beautiful post...Veli...brings back so many memories...bunked college so many times to laze around and feel that cool breeze on my face.

the souring experience you had at the end, even i had one too...was there with a girlfriend...the security guard ordered us off the premises...felt really humiliated...never been back there since...wonder why in kerala, feelings still need to be bottled up within 4 walls.

starry said...

Awesome scenery and I love the description.too bad could not see more of the sculpture.

Geets said...

You seem to be weaving a magical tapestry with words......

jac said...

Shows your beautiful jugglery with apt words. Nicely done, love and hope.

In Veli you said ?
I would have a try for a pic in a male point of view, if I am able to locate it in September with out any clue.

Perhaps the woman workers couldn't digest her impudicity and even more sentimental about the scrutiny by a woman.

Well, you should have told them with a professional gruff voice that you are a doc and that you are taking an X-ray of her colon. LOL

Shahrzad said...

hi there,

Nice to meet you dear new friend. You know what attracted me first was your style of writing. You're very talented in writing nice literary poetic sentences. Take it from me: You'll be a great poetess.
Wish you the best.

Shahrzad

hope and love said...

@silverine. txs for the lovely comliment. hmmm if u have realised it at your age u r very smart sweetheart..
:))
nariyal, txs.
jiby,
i can imagine how souring that experience was. :))
hmm its all bottled up here.
starry, txs dear. hope u r bettr now.

geets, txs for the compliment.
:))
jac,
lol ! i should have done that..
:))
shahrzad,
lovely name..!
txs and welcome
:))

wanderlust said...

a day off all by yourself........hmmm.girl, do i envy you. haven't done that in a long long time.
can imagine your chagrin there. happens almost everywhere whenever you try to be yourself not conforming to our society's rules. hopefully our children might be a little luckier.
the ay you have described the sculpture is too good.

N@nc! said...

Happy Child day

Children love, they laugh, they care.
Children, bless them, they know how to share.
Children try hard to be what you want,
Sometimes they can't and they start
To cry, that's when a hug or a
Kiss is the tool, no not a spanking
That's not the rule.
Children do good and children do bad,
Children are happy and children are sad.
Children must walk before they
Can run, all of us wake to the
Bright morning sun.
So cherish the children these
Treasures from God, for without
Them the Earth would be nothing
But water and sod.

Dewey Nixon

Life said...

simply spell bound :)

Take Care
Vikas{V}

Bad Dog said...

What shocked me about veli was that it was so clean... and well maintained. I managed to snick a few photos off my camera phone, but they dont do enough justice.

Ajith Prasad Balakrishnan said...

thats the mermaid statue u were talking about rt? I think I've seen that..long back.

Anonymous said...

let me be honest.. I had no idea that the picture on top had a lady lying in that until i read the last few sentences... :)

but the write up is good... It would have been better if you clicked a quick snap from the top defying the guards...

hope and love said...

wanderlust,
hmmm i love spending time alone in a crowd ( aalkkottathil thanichu)
soul&body grat yaar :)) iv got two kids. they are my treasures.
vikas,
txs dear.

BD,
(I refuse to call u that name ) hmm veli is neat. it has a spruced up look always. maybe cos the sun seems to shine so brightly there
ajith, maybe its a mermaid but i dint feel like that. her two legs are clearly visible.
lash, yup i should have done that. but he looked so menancing and as i said ididnt want to create a scene and spoil my mood.
:(

Anonymous said...

Saw ur blog incidentally..Well, u have an amzing style!! Will start reading this more often herafter..

~Njan~

Anonymous said...

went to veli yesterday :)

hope and love said...

anon,
txs. keep visiting and give me ur feedback
:))
akkusotto,
lucky you :))

Anonymous said...

you are lucky that you have at least veli to go to...especially alone.. a women in calicut or thrissur... :(

hope and love said...

anon,
well the problems a woman faces when she is out alone is sthere at veli too .. but i ignore it..
:))

A said...

I'll come back to read this again; I promise :p

Alexis said...

That was a sweet post. I had gone a few time to Veli while I was doing my M.Tech.

And the figure of the woman lying on the garden is just awesome. Something similar to the one at Malampuzha.

'Me' time, that was a nice word. I also need a lot of 'me' time.

Nishant Chandgotia said...

I don't know Why I can't Post my comment on the earlier post I will do so here...

It is brave to protect others from others. It is self defense to protect yourself from others. But to protect one's own self when the enemy is thyself requires faith, self confidence and courage unlike nothing else. Very touching post ...