"Be happy, love Baba...

he signed them, as if the attainment of happiness were as simple as that."

It did make me lonely, Shilpi. I wanted to find comfort in the fact that Ruma's melancholy could be attributed to her grief, the demands of motherhood, quitting her job, her adjustment to a completely new place, new home, and second pregnancy. But I think its more than that, either 1) she's saying happiness is some complex equation--something one doesn't just come by-- meaning everything has its placement, proper value and alignment, which then equals some total eclipse of happiness. So for example, the attainment of happiness is cultivation? Or happiness is being part of something greater, maybe the wholeness of having a community? Or, (2) I think Ruma (and Dadu, and her mother, and everyone), are struggling with how to manage the monolithic feeling of otherness and alienation that has marked their lives....this is all very dark.

I have no answer to why Ruma makes me want to hug her.

But, I have these questions, what do you think about the postcards and the quote, do you think its a flippant comment, a poke, provocation? And, why doesn't Dadu want to stay? For a moment, I thought Ruma was never going to ask, that she was going to let her emotional paralysis let every real moment pass her by. And, do you think she really wanted him to say yes?

xoxo.