Not everything has to go right. The pani puri, for example, might not turn out to be the best you've had. The weather may not turn out to be the fairest. The ice cream might just melt too soon. You might find yourself uncomfortably in the middle of a rather annoying dust storm. You might miss a few turns in the confusing roundabout that is India Gate...

A thousand things might go wrong.

And still your heart might be glad. And there might be a smile on your lips and a song in your heart. Because the bike purred like a kitten. Because the two of you looked like priceless eggheads thump-thump-ing your way around town. Because the conversation didn't take doing and the silences were comfortable. Because the fish was cooked just right and the cheesecake was delectable. Because she looked at you like you looked at her and both of you laughed. Because laughing, and being happy, seemed like the most natural thing to do. Because, nearing midnight, neither of you wanted to go home...

A thousand things might turn out just right.

Some days are perfect because they just are! And two in a row? I ain't complaining :-)

Falling in love, like pretty much everything else in life, is 50% timing. Apocryphal, you say? Perhaps, but allow me to explain.

Call it what you will, but there's something to be said about all the planets lining up just so and how often does that happen, really? What's more likely to happen, of course, is that you'll meet the woman of your dreams in an overcrowded train compartment and find out she's moving to Glasgow the week after. Or worse, has already been spoken for and is getting married before the month is out. A tad extreme, do I hear you say? But even the most cynical of you will agree that the odds are stacked overwhelmingly against your meeting someone interesting to find that she's available. Most likely she's already seeing someone more convenient.

Oh and then there's the other one, isn't there? The kicker. You like her and she likes you but there's someone inconvenient involved and chances are this thing will get messier than a freeway pile up before it sorts itself out. If you're lucky, of course!

I'm sure the planets think this is some sort of hilarious cosmic joke, pretending to align themselves and lure you into dropping your guard before executing a perfect, last minute somersault that leads, inexorably, to what has already been described as the kicker.

Then again, life (and love) would be a lot less adventurous were it not for the planets and their petty little games. Adventure should count for something, certainly, no?

Not convinced, yet, eh? My arguments do not ring the tiniest bells of familiarity in your mind? Time for a couple of illustrative examples then, methinks.

Business. The Apple Newton, 1992. A PDA so ahead of its time it almost sank the company practically even before it hit the market.

Sports. Sachin Tendulkar, 1989. A woefully nervous debutant plays a delectably timed lofted drive, only delectably timed straight down the throat of long on, and puts paid to his debut almost before it gets noticed.

Science. Albert Einstein, 1905. A clerk at the German patents office proposes an idea so wildly ahead of his time he is ridiculed by all and sundry and his career as a leading light is almost over even before it has begun.

Examples abound but I'm not in an obliging mood. After all, you can do your own research, can't you? In fact, if you're not convinced yet then life's been uncommonly kind to you and I don't stand a chance anyway.

Then again, then again, Apple's still around and so is Sachin. And Einstein, as we all know, went on to win the Nobel prize only a few years later. In the words of Anna Quindlen, sometimes all you need to do is show up. Impossibly. Again and again.

So I'm going to show up, and listen and try to smile. Showing up should count for something, certainly, no?

After all, timing's only half the story, innit? Hehh heh ;)

When this guy howls 'Evil', he means Evil!
There's a video of a live gig floating around on YouTube that's got some superlative footage, but I just like the way he says Evil on the original 1968 version better...

_____

It's a long way from home,
Can't sleep at night.
Call on your telephone;
Something just ain't right.
That's evil, evil is going on wrong.
I want to warn you brother,
You better watch your happy home.

You make it to your house,
Knock on the front door,
Run 'round to the back;
You'll catch him just before he goes.
That's evil, evil is going on.
I have warned you brother,
You better watch your happy home.

If you call on the telephone
And she answers long and slow,
Grab the first thing smoking
And you have to haul her home.
That's evil, evil is going on wrong.
I have warned you brother,
You better watch your happy home.

_____

I
For being a kindred spirit
And for always being with it
For the many cups of coffee
And for ruining me financially
For the constant 5S tango
And, lastly, for Jango
Thank You.

II
For 4am conversations
And for sweet consternation
For 5Qs, answered truthfully
And for details, disclosed ruefully
For being my own private happy dope
And, lastly, for hope
Thank You.

_____

You both know who you are :)