Snapshot in time

3rd August 2021, 8pm

A dim lit kitchen, a clean house, freshly washed dishes

A full stomach, warm tea in hand,

Beautiful music — a remix of Rihanna’s umbrella

It was the same song, though the original one that was playing 15 years ago almost, as I changed into my army uniform and got a call that there had been a blast, and now we couldn’t go into public spaces wearing the military uniform. So everyone had to change into civilian dresses.

And 15 yrs on, me, and this song, but vastly different context.

Now there’s safety, warmth, independence with the backing of a safety net if needed. A world travelled and a spectrum of feelings experienced lay in the middle between these two moments, connected by a song only, since the person has largely changed, or has she?

This is exactly what I had wished for.

The predictability, stability, the existence and ability to use agency, the boredom, the lack of oscillations, the calmness, the same ol same ol every day. This kind of life, that characterises the best kinds of lives and families and people, this is what I had wished for.