the first step

Advertising is a difficult profession. If, it can be called that.

Behind all its glitz and glamour, there lies a world of people running against time, pushing themselves and others (many times literally), slavishly working their butts off. Of all my friends from different walks of life, it is only me who can claim to have two homes, one called the ‘office’ and the other called ‘the inn’.

As expected, this apocalyptic, client-ruled world provides little or no opportunity to leave its domains. And that much cherished dream of cruising on the highway, leaving everything behind, remains a daydream for major part of life.

So, when a dear senior suggested that I make the most of my upcoming three-day weekend, the idea was put through the normal process of cynical subversion resulting in empty head-nodding. But she persisted. She told me about the wonderful time she had the previous weekend visiting the heart of India- Gwalior, Orcha and Khajuraho.  And the next day, she brought a little glossy pamphlet on whose cover a gorgeous, thousand year old temple was set against the clearest of blue sky.

It was love at first sight. And I promised myself, that “no matter what, I’m going to visit Khajuraho this weekend”.

It’s another thing that later the promise became quite difficult to be honored. Things went wrong or didn’t go as planned, some fellow dreamers joined the quest and some couldn’t and at one point of time, I almost gave up going to Khajuraho… but all that is for another part of the story...