I remember the first time I wrote on this isle... I was sitting in the web-world at JBP, it was an autumn evening turning into night... my evenings used to be spent there as that was the only place in that big-village (as we used to call that city) where city-freaks like me could identify themselves with.. the multilights, teak round tables, cushioned low seats, headphones, bright monitors, good-looking chics, pretending-to-be-cool dudes, the place had ingredients of the flashy interiors of a corporate office which were a good respite after a drilling day dealing with the unchangeable destiny of the poor, distraught villagers who used to visit our hospital.. I don’t know how I stumbled upon the isle, but then I remember that evening when I wasn’t particularly interested in my ambience... However I was still listening to “Alav” Gulzar Saab’s less known album, with awesome lyrics, soulfully narrated & melancholically composed... Something I could identify my circumstances with... Probably that triggered my creativity & I wrote down that impromptu short story & posted it... I can’t deny that there was a feeling to experiment that “let’s see whether anyone reads it or not”...

Probably I got two or three comments on it... All appreciative ones... The web-world was quite far from my hospital so I used to visit it twice a week & log on to the isle probably once only... Gradually more functions were added on to the isle page...

Amit & Deepu di were already there when I joined the gang… WD was one of the earliest commentators, so was Jasir… then there was Blossom whose writings had the right element of banter (she hasn’t blogged since feb2006) & Tinky toinkers, whose incomprehensible short poems did click sometimes, she still drops in the isle once in three to six months… Laveen was one guy whose writings I really appreciated, but he too left the isle long ago… there have been many others who came & left and then those who are still hooked on to it enthusiastically & the ones like me who are too lazy to drag themselves elsewhere..

Many other blog pages have also opened up or may be they were there before as well but I couldn’t identify with them as much as I do with Rediff. May be as I read in someone’s comments, Rediff has that Indian Desi touch which is not found in all other Cosmopolitan blogs... It is a small niche still which offers the comfort of being confined to a warm safe place to let loose…

Initially most of the people start with quotations on Life, Love, friendship, humor, inspirational stuff etc... Such things always make a good read... Gradually when we are all better versed with the isle, we start putting our thoughts together... I guess I did it this way... however there have been gifted ones like Amit who has a knack for Hindi & Urdu poetry & Deepu di who lets imagination become so alive..  

It surprises me to think now its been nearly 2 years & I have still maintained a reasonable consistency with this blog space… some mention it as a place where you allow others to peep into your daily life with the spice of his imagination as well as yours … Place where you can share whatever you want to... Like a friend who listens to you whenever you have something to say… but to me it has offered much more... it has given me a platform to experiment with my creativity, to voice my opinions & my feelings... it has given me appreciation & happiness... it has let me know that there are feelings universal to all of us that we need to share..  Not only that it also gave me the opportunity to become more aware of different mindsets & how they react to the same situation... to summarize it brings Life consolidated

The best thing that I used to like about this blogland (and still do) was the cloak of anonymity which led me to live comfortably away from any expectations of others But thanks to our loveable DON that he ripped that cloak to pieces & now I m blessed with real life friends with whom I can whine, carp, complain, grumble about their being less attentive to me… the ones who accept me as I am.. The ones whom I can trust in my life... the ones who will kick me hard on my back when I m down & then pull me up...

There have been lots of other lessons too that I have learnt from the isle on a more subconscious level… like to accept that people might not always agree with what you think is right and to accept that sometimes you think you have done a wonderful job but then nobody is there to appreciate it.. May be all of you would have read all this stuff in the blogs before too but then it is true…

As I sit back reflectively to ponder upon the bygone times, the memories of this blog land bring me a joy of having a family around that consists of people like minded or otherwise, those who continue to amaze, inspire, criticize or make me laugh... It’s been quite a while that I have been away & writing this today gives me a feeling of coming back home… I am happy to have all of you around..

May this family expand everyday…