Red!

This is truly dedicated to Orhan Pamuk, for his book 'My Name is Red'. I just loved the book. Loved it. The style, reminds me of a line by Guy Maupassant in one of his essays, ' Taking a line for a walk'.

This might be at an abstract level, but I would nevertheless like to jot down what comes to my mind by this color, since recently, it has affected my thinking quite a bit.

The color red.

Strength. It signifies a force, so strong that it penetrates straight from my eye into the brain. It stares at me. Generates a feeling that something is there. And it won't budge. However hard I try to look away, it cannot escape the eye.

It signifies danger, blood. Am hemophobic. Scared of blood. I just dip unconscious at the sight of blood.

It brings back Naruto. The Nine Tailed Red Fox inside him. Always, fighting to get control over him. And he fights, so hard that you get to sympathize with him for having such a fate.

Red, is the color for courage, strength and pioneering spirit. It instigates a strong will, a confident and spontaneous quality.

Red is energizing and excites the emotions, and can stimulate the appetite, hence often used in restaurants. It can be used in any activity area but red needs careful choice of tone and depth and the space in which it is to be used as it can make a space look smaller and can be claustrophobic or oppressive. However, used well, red and its variations, can make a space feel warm and cozy.

Red repersents vibrancy. Energy. Chakra. Totally Upbeat personality. Always on your toes, moving, Jab We Met ki Kareena. Never sad. The thing called morale.. Red is dhinch. Its Gujju.

Bindaas. That defines Red. You just love yourself, when you are Red. I want to be red. I want everyone to be Red. It would be such a beautiful world, if everyone would be red. Red Is bold.

Red-blooded is someone who is audacious, robust, virile.

The color of a bride's dress. Of a Tilak. Sindhoor.

Gulal. The color of Holi. Festival of Happiness and Celebration.

However, in the most negative aspect, it is the color of anger, violence and brutality, dominating and stubbornness. Red is associated with lust, passion and beauty. It is used as a symbol of guilt or sin, often as connected with blood or sex. Red is associated with brothels (red-light districts). Red represents the deadly sin wrath. Satan is usually depicted as colored red.

Bright. On the psycho-spiritual level, it relates to self awareness. That is to say our awareness of ourselves as human beings and our place on earth. Relates to our basic human instincts of fighting. Red gives us courage and strength. The color relates to stability and security. When am out of mood, I like to remember this color and get inspired of the spirit which we are embodied of, to face challenges, learning to fight against all odds, its a battle. Of me against myself. And I have to win. Just like Luhrmann's sunscreen - 'In the end, the race is with yourself'

Red is Love. For all the above reasons.