Dear All … a prominent member of our FmXt, Reshmi, lost her sister after a prolonged battle. We had prayed and wished her well, but she has passed on. On behalf of all our extended family I wish to express our deepest grief and extend our condolences to Reshmi and the family in this difficult hour ! Our prayers are with you Reshmi ! And with the departed soul !

After expressing regret at such a sensitive moment in the life of any individual, it takes a lot to come back normal ; to converse, to write to express, on general terms. But I believe, with due respect of course, that life must move on. The more we shall dwell on days past we shall grind ourselves into a morass, from where it shall be difficult to extricate ourselves. For those that suffer personal loss, it is a moment that never seems to leave you. But we all take solace in the fact that, what has happened has been happening from time immemorial. We are not the first and neither are we the only ones. There have been millions and millions before us, and there shall be millions and millions after us too.

It takes an effort at this stage of my life to extricate myself from the confines of my comfort zone for the night - my bed. But a sense of duty, perpetuity, discipline, routine, regimen and several other such morally correct expressions, invade your mind and body and it becomes difficult to ignore it. Driving down early on the streets of the JVPD, is by itself a revelation. There are some that one encounters that seem to have been afflicted by the same sentiment as I. They are there on the roads in various forms of athletic wear, but what they wear on their faces gives them away. The rigors of the night - and they can be quite disturbing - are telling examples. But, it is the brave front they put on that seeks admiration. Some of them consoled by the presence of their pets, tugging at their leash, is testimony that the canine could well have been the reason, or least one of the reasons for them to be sighted on the street.

Just a query. Do cat lovers have similar sentiments. Do the whiskered, yellow eyed at times prowlers, need to be taken for walks ? Never seen a cat on leash !

Anyway. The streets are getting busy, traffic is modest, in no tearing hurry and yes still disobedient to the traffic lights. It is generally felt that, the morning hours are too fragile to be policed or monitored, so the law can be taken into their hands. A shame and a disgrace. More, when you see public transports disobeying the law and the traffic rules. Drive up along with them after they have driven through a red light to reprimand them and they take actual offense to it. They make it feel as though we are the ones that have done the wrong. Or. How dare you correct us. We are the Government, we cannot be corrected. So what does one do ? A shake of the head, a few muttered curses under the breath and on to the next traffic violation !

Once on the gym and the tread mill and amidst the news and sports and music tv from various different channels around you. And your own special music to inspire you to perform better, it is an exercise in divided sincerity, as to what one is supposed to be paying more attention to. With multiple tv sets playing multiple programmes, it would require a special mind to be able to assimilate all that is poured out in the early hours. But a fresh mind and body, hopefully from a rested night, does have the capacity to connect even if it is somewhat distracted to all that is being informed for our benefit.

During the course of the various routines that the trainer puts you through, and during the breathing and limbered movements of the body in yogic form, you begin to think ahead on the day. Of what the reminders and commitments are. Of how they are to be addressed. Of what time shall be consumed it doing them. And there comes an anticipation to be on that favorite black soft chair, the papers of the day lain in position, the laptop open and ready for activity, the phones in place to place those important and essential calls - a must in the mornings. And finally to consume my meagre breakfast that comes by while all these essentials acts are in progress.

The meetings soon after below in the hall, or if the sun is out in the lawns among the pigeons and the early morning birds of different feathers. Of attempting to snatch away the plastic bottle from Shanuk’s tough gripping teeth, as he wrestles with it asking for it to be thrown away so he can gallop across and grab it. The quick morning formalities, the temple, a prayer and off to work !!

Routines set through various days of consistency. Any flavor that deconstructs this tasteful beverage, destroys the very essence of its taste. And so never has there been an attempt to go against it, or bring about change.

I like disciplined routine. It sets the day …. and the mind !!

And as I lie back comforted by my thin head rest, it is time to wrap for the day and get expectant for the morn and the beginning of another routine. Except. Its going through a change. Its Dubai tomorrow and for that there shall be detailing that shall be expressed later.

For now its good night, shabba khair and shubh ratri …

with love and more …

Amitabh Bachchan