Friday, February 8, 2008

The First Blot After a Drought.

There is something very beautiful about a vegetable market during a power cut. Everything looks like it's out of a Renaissance masterpiece, especially the fruits. Perfect still life studies in mounds. And candle light manages to take away memories of flies and dirty currency notes, and the vendors are all little waxwork laughing buddhas with smiles of dark velvet.

And I am a different person, more sinister. Buying spinach acquires a new meaning, although it seems ridiculous now that I'm writing it, and voices and snatches of haggling hang like brushstrokes. Feathery and nice, in winter lighting of course.

It is only when I get home that I realise what the dim light does to clean toes and new chappals. How do you recognise a dimwit?

16 kindred spirits have swallowed my rambling:

speedpost said...

You look into a mirror I guess. That IS the most convenient way.

Doubletake, Doublethink. said...

@ speedpost: haha, highfiiive.

Magically Bored said...

Nice post! Though I've never been in a vegetable market during a powercut. :P

eh??? said...

my all-time favourite writer- you make me wait even more eagerly for ur first book...
p.s.- also read comment as- "i want a free copy."

raghu said...

i have seen vagetable markets workin on candles and barbers working on oil lamps.. lol.. i have ridden my cycle thru all of it..heaven.. im sure god loves darkness.. it adds so much zing into the mundane view of everything we see or dont see :D
btw amazing display pic now.. and that art pic uve put up is crazy good too :D

Unknown said...

new market's worth a visit during a power cut! although you have to be a little careful you don't step on a rat-tail, and consequently get squealed at by another dozen animate vendors...and yea, the fake-hair looks awesome in candle light. weird but true.

Ananth said...

Vegetable market during a powercut?!
That's probably something that would piss me off. :)
Though it does seem pretty nice the way you write about it.

heh? ok said...

i am currently getting my veggie work done by proxy. enforced and involuntary vegetarianism tends to take the sheen off brinjals and cabbages.

Doubletake, Doublethink. said...

@ fishy!: try. do try.

@ eh??: i get both the inferences. and you're sounding extra-earnest, so you're getting the first copy whether you like it or not.

@raghu: your comment sounds like it should have been part of my post - the god loves darkness bit =] and thankoo.

@ tanmoy: fake hair? er, i don't follow. i'm not sure i want to ;)

@ ananth: i find most annoying things fascinating. providing i'm observing and not being, well, affected by them in any way.

@ heh? ok: enforced and involuntary? but why?

heh? ok said...

gah. landlady. gah. general horrendous-ness of rent levels in this darned stupid city.

undifferentiated said...

face contours in candle light and bodies in black n white...make stunning paintinggs n pictures...dunno why

ad libber said...

Why does it read like a painting in prose?

Elendil said...

Absolutely brilliant stuff. Stylistically you remind me of my friend who blogs as 'Opaline'.

Doubletake, Doublethink. said...

@ heh? ok: how horrible.. but you can slip in a bit now and then, na?

@ undifferentiated: you know what they say, dim light hides flaws :)

@ ad libber: i don't know. i must start attending art class again.

@ elendil: wow, thanks, but i'm rather in awe of what she writes, it's just so unbelievably good.

Doubletake, Doublethink. said...

@ elendil again: that last comment didn't come out well, what i meant was she's so good that i'm rather flattered. also, i'm a moron.

Elendil said...

Haha. :P I got it the first time.