By Prabhneet Kaur (Aatman Participant)
Images have a very deep impact on our lives; sometimes we aren’t consciously aware of it till we come across something bearing resemblance to them. Some images are of the long past moments, some of the vivid dreams you’ve had, while others are of the unknown future your mind keeps creating a picture of. The prompt of a doorway photo brought back some of those memories and I am glad it did.
The first thing it brought to my mind was my trips to maternal grandparents’ house in Chandigarh. My father driving the car, my mother sitting next to him, shabads playing on the car stereo, and I sitting at the backseat, looking through the rear window at the never-ending canopy of trees. I would talk to them all the way, lost in my imaginary world. That road still holds a special place in my life though it is bumpy and not as beautiful today as it used to be.
The next thing is but a dream. While in graduation, I had started getting dreams of a road that led to my aunt’s house in Mohali. I had rarely ever lived with her before and that dream was totally uncalled for. Another dream I had was of a random library I had never before seen. Then, after three years, when I got admission in Panjab University, Chandigarh, two weird things happened. One, I did not get a hostel and I had to live with my aunt. This meant taking public transport from the place in my dreams everyday for the next two years. It was a good thing though since I loved that road with trees so dense on both the sides that sunlight barely penetrated. The library came into being in the varsity itself. The main library from the inside reminded me of my dream. I was dumbstruck but didn’t know what to say. The power of déjà vu, I guess.
And the third thing is how I picture my dream house. Even though gardening is not my hobby, I am a big fan of those colorful trees you often see around. I had never thought much about growing one myself but then I saw this TV show called the ‘Good Witch’. They often show their main house from a particular angle that I love. I don’t know if anyone has noticed it but I find the image of a tree next to it mesmerising. So in the world of my daydreams I have started picturing my own house to have at least one huge tree in the front yard some day. So there! It’s out in the universe to hear what I seek. I might forget about it altogether some day or perhaps I might end up manifesting my dream into reality. Whatever happens, I’ll keep you posted.