If We Were Strolling Together (3)

It’s a very pleasant morning here and I’m quite tired, owing to my recent travels (which have been very fruitful, actually). So instead of my usual yoga, I decide to sit by the window…I decide to take a stroll through the gardens with you!

If we were strolling together, I’d first greet you with a smile and in my head I’d appreciate the fact that you rise early too. At this hour in the morning you don’t usually meet people in the gardens (and that’s both strange and sad). I’d probably comment about how hot it has been the past few days in India and about how some rain might help our cases. And I’d also comment about the fact that late nights and early mornings are turning pleasant, so we might be right in expecting some rains after all.

I would then tell you about my recent visit to Edinburgh for an interview. I’d tell you about the terribly long journey, about the delays and the layovers, about my anxiety and excitement all at once!  Oh you are right! I should calm down a bit and speak slower! So here… I had an interview for a PhD studentship at the University there and I was slightly anxious… This decision was about the coming 4-5 years of my life and in the past I’ve been uncomfortable with things and have chosen to not work with a particular group and also refuse offers, much to the surprise of many. This time the vibes had been good… I wanted it to work. I have to admit that I was partially scared also of not being able to understand the Scottish accent! I thought I’d have to keep asking them to repeat their questions and I’d look dumb and stupid! But well, that didn’t happen, thank the Gods (old and the new)! And I was more confident in the interview than I’d thought I’d be… I was pleasantly surprised myself… Not with the fact that I knew my work or the science, but with the fact that I projected myself well… Isn’t that really important??? I’d ask you if you also have butterflies when you go for interviews… Anyhow, all went well and it seems like I might be spending a good amount of time in Edinburgh afterall!!! Yay…

I’d then ask you about Game of Thrones! If you said yes, we’d have a super amazing topic from now on since the next season is out! I’d ask and tell you all about the second and the third episodes and we’d probably discuss more about it if you’ve read the books.

I usually prefer books over visual media but in this particular instance I have only watched the series! Bummer!

I’d tell you then, about the book I’m currently reading. Part of a series of books called Empire of the Moghul, this books is titled The Serpent’s Tooth and describes the life and rule of Shah Jahan, the fifth Moghul emperor. I have been obsessed about the Moghul dynasty, for all its glory and all its short comings are elaborately mentioned in books and poems and records. Some of these rulers were barbaric and insane, while some were amazingly kind and wise. And how their dynasty rose to rule over three quarters of Hindustan (much different from the India we know today in terms of geography) and perished into nothingness, all within 6-7 generations is a matter of great curiosity and learning for me. After the Mahabharat, which is for me the most intriguing saga of sibling rivalry and wars fought for the throne, the accounts of the Moghul dynasty come a close second! If you’d like to know more about the Moghuls, please leave your requests in the comment section and I will write a post about them soon. This series of books is particularly interesting because Alex Rutherford has done a good job mentioning most known (and some unknown to me) facts but weaving them into compelling day to day conversations between the characters. He has taken away the awe inspiring glory and reduced them to the humans that they were. He talks about their fears and insecurities, their riches and glory, their trials and failures, their efforts and successes alike. That, for me, is a huge plus because I am now seeing what the person, and not the Emperor, must have looked, felt, thought like! If you haven’t read this series but are interested in history I’d urge you to read it…

I draw my passion for history from my mother, who happens to be historian. And the curiosity she seeded in me has only grown with the years. And I must thank my mom for it… And also wish her a beautiful Mother’s Day! She’s been such an inspiration, such a beauty…her simplicity, calm and sense of humor are adorable! Her ability to laugh in the face of gravest of the issues (quite literally) is something I wish I’d inherited! I love you Ma…

With this I’d take your leave… And ask you about your week, about the books you read and ask for suggestions about what I should pick up next for a read! Hope you have a great day…