---To the beloved land---

They say it's loved to be home...
I too say the same...
My home waves on the shore of my eyes,
I don't know where I stay...
I miss the soil and the sand I was born on...
The time binds me and I  stay where I am gone...
Those walls miss me... They must be calling me home...
I am just stuck by the choice but I feel it all alone...
I wonder if that smell recognizes me and my small feet on it's sand,
my childhood I see, the generation, my clan...

N-JOY
SMILE

My-Crow Vision

Soon after Delhi-6 was launched many of the youngsters fell in love with Masakkali. It is sign of peace also. However people say it’s a sign of love in India since ‘Kabutar ja ja ja…’ was on lips. Beauty is always loved to see. Or is it as that they love and find beauty in it? Peacock has always been the one people would die to look at. Every eye has a sense of beauty. My eyes find beauty in crow.

                Have you ever seen any peacock sitting still and calm on the gargoyles of heritage architecture? Have you ever seen a Pigeon swinging near your window when kitchen smells of chicken? How photogenic it would be! There are many birds like Kingfisher and Eagles to capture in photographs but only a crow gives you humanly postures. My habit developed with a story in which Birbal tells Akbar the exact number of crows in their state (when I say Birbal, it actually means that doesn't relate to me.). I actually started noticing them and asked myself why didn’t I learn it before? Crows (especially in west regions of India) have developed a habit of noticing human and behave according to them. So the people don't actually discriminate amongst them. Some of them hang out on beach sides near food stalls with a group of peer ages and some of the older ones love to stay alone in peace looking at the sunset. 

(Caught in the days of 2010 rains)

Caching them in the camera is so much fun. I know a very few wildlife and bird photographers but I am city life bird photographer. How cool is that! Many of the expressions are captured through the lenses but there is nothing like love in them. As PDA (Public display of affection) has always been an issue for every couple (In cities like Mumbai), they find wires or your satellite TV discs a better option. You might have blamed them when you had antennas for TVs, however now, your service providers have improved anyway.

(I actually don't like to disturb as such but couldn't lose this kiss, caught at Mahalaxmi- near Railway station)

                They say beauty is in the eye of the viewer. I tried to look inside. Crows might have spoiled seats of your bikes and roofs of your car too but at the end of the day they clean half of the waste that you throw out of the dust bins on roads. I don’t understand why they are called ugly maybe because of some resemblance with humanity. Poor creature, a social worker, a guardian for cuckoo’s children and at the end of all they are supposedly family ancestors in some traditions. Now this beautiful bird has a lot of importance for me. It’s not that effort to search for it. It would be disrespect for a lover to give metaphor of this name because racism says it has to be bad. Maybe hence it is an abuse to say. I feel happy to say beauty is skin in.

(Now don't mess with them, captured at Marin Drive)