Some Thoughts, Or Musings

There have been many good things that have come out of the mess of the last few months.

One of these has been the bonding between dad, mom and of course, little me. It's come to a point where it's potentially dangerous for the three of us to be together in a public place, for we can not help but see the ridiculous in any and every thing around, and knowing that the other two are as aware of the absurd, we must yet loudly ensure that they don't miss it by some oversight. Add to this the fact that we have the use of a language that is somewhat unlikely to be overheard and easily understood practically everywhere (unlike, say, Bengali!! :P ), and we talk in code besides, and you might begin to comprehend why we sometimes find it hard to stop laughing, when the codes sometimes start teetering off the edges of inanity and insanity. I apologize to those who are not in on this joke, but for those who are, I would like to mention the case of 'noshpao' just to refresh your memories.

Besides this, the other good thing has been the travel. Dad and I definitely prefer the train, which is why next months journey shall take place in one, but we are quite fond of traveling by air too, especially since mom gets so frantic about reaching the aero-port on time that we generally reach a good two-three hours in advance and then spend that valuably gleaned time poking each other in various ways. Once in the plane, there are other fun things to do, like wonder why, when there are a million flying institutes all over the place now, can none of the people who hog the mike on-board speak with any amount of clarity? They all sound as though they've learnt English from Rapidex, but that doesn't explain why their Hindi is just as atrocious!

Apart from all the Delhi-Bombay travel, we've also packed in three trips to Shirdi in the last four months, once via Pune. The parents also sneaked off to Bangalore without me! And since the rains started, the journeys to Shirdi have been increasingly scenic and strangely, increasingly short. Something which always makes me want to cringe is when there are huge lines to get into the main shrine there, and instead of spending that time, especially in line for the morning aarti, peacefully and contemplatively, people push and squish you from all sides, and constantly scream in your ears... I'm sure saying jai etc is all good and we shouldn't judge the way other people pray, but why don't people stop behaving as though there is a huge rush, just in case God pops out of the statue and gives something awesome to someone else!! Another thought related to this was the way huge numbers of people were present in Shirdi all three times; we even went midweek, thinking it'd be less crowded, but no, it was as bad as ever! And what is with the news channels??? All they did the last week or so was run sensationalized 'stories' about Sai Baba, which really left me with nothing to do but wrinkle my nose after the first twenty times of their repeating the same line in varying tones of 'this-is-big-news-people!'

I shall go tidy some beds now, which happens to be a passion with me, and something I'm remarkably good at, besides!

:)

A Gift.. for someone you love!!

What Goes Around...

The day was warm. Though still early, vehicles had started fighting for space on Delhi's busy roads. Dust and other unpleasant particulate matter hung in the air, giving everything around a rather dull glow.

That was how a layman would have registered it, anyway. To the eyes of one person that we know of, however, the day was bright, the trees were green, the sky was just the right shade of blue, and there was remarkable beauty in the most commonplace of things!

Ah, you wonder, Who could this person be? Well, let's just call her 'She Who Must Not be Named' or (S-wmnn, or even Superwoman). Hmmm... yes, that has a ring to it!

And there she is, in the mirror, with Ringo peeping over her shoulder! You remember Ringo, of course.. As to why the two of them are standing around doing such blatantly narcissistic things in public places.. we'll get to that in a bit. This story is about more than the two of them.


Let us begin here. It's a tomb. On this bright and beautiful/ dusty and hot day, S-w happened to give in to one of her strange whims, and ignoring the various autos jostling for her attention and patronage, chose to walk. And since she was in a whimsical frame of mind, it isn't surprising that she decided to check out the desolate and sad looking tomb.



A sometimes-enthusiastic historian with a passion for crumbling monuments, she was quite pleased that she had decided to visit the place, and had quite a pleasant half hour poking around. Since the general frame of mind was upbeat that day, she managed to view all the blatant encroachment, neglect and general pathetic-ness with much equanimity.

There was so much to do that day!!! After months, most of her friends were back in town!! So she made her way out of the little lane behind the tomb, and walked on!

Whipping out her trusty phone, she started locating her friends. Ringo, Singo, Sammy, Pammy and even Simba was back!! But as usual, it was painfully difficult to come up with a plan that suited every one... soon it became obvious that hoping to meet everyone in one place at one time was a bit too ambitious!! Apparently that kind of thing is something you just can't manage once college is over. Oh well! It was time to rush back to college where Ringo and Sammy would meet her!

Ah! It was so good to be back in the Cafe, where so much time and money had been spent, so uncomplainingly, and the effects of which were still reluctant to let go of some of their waistlines! Ahem. As they joyfully recounted all the latest happenings in their lives, they also ate and ate and fed the cat who wasn't adrak, but might have been! There was so much to say, so many people to crib about, but alas, too little time! Ringo and S-w scooted off to meet Simba at haat, leaving Sammy to finish off some random work...

Stuck in traffic with a rather slow Autowalah for company, Ringo and S-w were in a suddenly pensive mood. It probably happens as an immediate effect of extreme happiness. So they continued to discuss their lives, focusing this time on the more pensive aspects of it... A number of flashbacks and general hugs and sympathy later, they discovered that they were at haat!

But where was Simba? It takes a bit of looking to find people in haat, specially if they have a tendency to stop at every other stall! And that applies to both the searchers and the search-ees.

As we all know, there is not much that can be done to stop people from admiring bright baubles or fancy footwear... even the sad fact that there is never enough money to buy stuff doesn't stop anyone from trying on as many things as possible!!

In such places, it is logical that much thirst is the direct result of such activities, and very soon the two friends too, had to pause for refreshment. And what a lucky choice of food-stall, for who should they see sitting on a bench looking adorable, but Simba! After a few kulhad-wali-chais and chaat and such things, they were ready for more!

More conversation, that is.

In the meanwhile, Sammy was done with her work, which included playing with kids and getting some 'colour' in her cheeks.

Time now to hop onto a bus and meet the others!

Why does the bus you need to get onto always have to be the most crowded?? Sigh!!

She was startled when she got a phone call from S-w midway to haat, telling her that the plans had changed again, as she had to go meet Pammy! So she did the smart thing and put her foot down! As usual, S-w just smiled and did as Sammy wanted, cause there are things in this world that you just don't argue about!

And now it was time for Singo to appear on the scene! Showing off her brand new kolhapuri chappals! Ah, the joy of victory over haggling shopkeepers was writ large on her radiant visage!
And of course there was the unbelievable happiness of being back in Delhi, and of sinking into the cushy chairs at their favourite coffee-place, and that too, in the company of her friends! Doesn't this sound as though it was written by someone longing for simpler, happier days spent in the company of some really good friends? Oh fancy!

I think it's best to leave the story here. You know how it is, one gets all sentimental and soppy after a while! Let's just say that they all had a really good time, and were thoroughly tired at the end of the day! That's Sakura-chan, saying goodbye!

Look!

It happens every so often... you look at something casually and then there is the double-take moment, cause there are things you just can't believe you really saw!!

Exhibit A:
'Please do not spit'

In the waiting room at Bombay Hospital, squeezed between cramped rows of chairs and a few dustbins of the overflowing kind.

Exhibit B:
Cow in box
or
Bisleri headed Bovine

Actually I found this somehow cute and hilarious at the same time. Ah, the beach, the beach, however filthy it may be, there will always be something to uplift your spirit!

Exhibit C:
'शुद्ध गोमूत्र'

Yes it really was, right next to bottles of rosewater and packets of incense and whatnot, in a posh departmental store!! After I'd laughed long enough, I took a picture, but I think I was still shaking with laughter cause I noticed later that it wasn't quite as sharp a picture as it deserved!

The Delightful Doings of Dad

While the title of this post may not go down as my most amazing attempt at alliteration, I do believe it captures the spirit-of-the-thought-that-inspires-this-post most admirably.

It is just one of those things. You know, appreciating things that were, once they've ceased to be. And we had hardly noticed that dad wasn't the laid-back life of the party anymore. There was so much else to think about, worry about, get stressed about... parties and such like seemed to belong to another galaxy. And then we got a wake up call. The kind that really wakes you up.

Like all things in our otherwise humdrum life, we made the most of the big shock, and came to Bombay to fix things. The way things were unfolding seemed to have a pattern, but before we had danced to that tune for a bit, we were thrown by all the new razzle-dazzle that cropped up every so often. Really corny most of it, and yet unexpected, for who would expect bad drama in their own life on a daily basis!?!

Yes, indeed... there was the melodramatic (picture mom doing an Amitabh from Deewar... at the temple, you know) and the psycho-dramatic (mom again, dragging me to a corner of the hospital room, and showing me the glass slat in the window that she was convinced dad had tried to remove). Oh, but this is all about mom! Let us shift to dad already!


Milk!!!

So, Late at night, the night after his biopsy, mom and I were just about falling asleep in the rather depressing hospital room when we were summoned to the ICU where dad was spending the night. Frantic, we ran all the way to the other wing of the hospital, only to find dad sitting up in bed demanding coffee. The little nurse was at a loss. Oh, this is the time for a little dialogue.

Mom: What happened? Is everything ok? Should we call the doctor?
Dad: (cherubic grin) I think i haven't been fed anything. (pout)
Me: Hi dad!
Mom: Ok... you're hungry? Shall we bring you something to drink?
Dad: (imperiously) Yes, I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee.
Me: chuckle
Mom: (coaxing) Where will I get coffee so late? They don't have room service in this hotel, you know! Would you like some milk maybe?
Dad: (condescedingly) Ok, I could have some milk.

Nurse-ling ran around and managed some milk. Dad drank it all up and decided he ought to have a little more. Mom and nurse-ling huddled together frantically to discuss the lack of milk-at-hand. I hung around poking dad companionably.

Finally, it was decided that we should both go down and explore the by-lanes around the hospital to try and discover some milk for a hungry dad. And so we walked, late at night, asking at every shop that wasn't already shut, getting redirected by every shopkeeper, until we finally stumbled upon a dauntingly built man overseeing the boiling of a really large amount of milk in the largest kadhai I'd ever seen. Mom tried unobtrusively to push me behind her (just in case any of them happened to fancy me for their second wife, I suppose). Soon we were hot-footing it back to the ICU with a packet of newly boiled milk, praying that dad hadn't come up with any other demands in the meantime.

We really should have known better. He had snuggled into bed and was sleeping like a baby, barely deigning to open an eye to acknowledge our efforts.

Rooster-man

Some time later, we moved to the brother's little house, which is quite cute, and nicely located right next to a mini-basti. Just under the bedroom window is a little open space flanked by some kind of a shack on one side, and some tin sheets on the other. It is customary for a group of barely clothed kids to spend much of their time inventing games such as climb-the-shack and other such, which all involve much squealing and merriment. Dad rather likes it.

Apart from the kids, the little open space is also used to tether two goats who are rather quiet most of the time. But the star of this little circus is undoubtedly the rooster. When I was younger, I always had the impression that a rooster somehow always managed to cock-a-doodle-doo at sunrise or even at six am, and I always imagined people could set their watches by it. Was I wrong!!!!!! This rooster sings out at whatever hour of day or night it feels like, be it midday or two in the morning. Right under our window. Loudly!

I had managed to ignore it pretty successfully, and assumed the rest of the family did too. And then, one night, dad sat up in bed sometime in the middle of the night, looking concerned.

"I can't hear the rooster... They must've eaten it up!"in such a sad voice that mom and I could not stop laughing... To put his mind at rest, the kind rooster chose that moment to announce its presence.

After that, their affinity became more pronounced every passing day! Mom and dad were doing their little bit of healing, and throughout the rooster kept up a loud accompaniment to their voices. This prolonged the healing time of course, because dad would keep laughing everytime he heard the rooster, which was everytime anyone said anything!

Mom says we may as well adopt the rooster and take it home.

'The Happy'

Up and down
Round and round
Tra la la
Tum tee tum
Jig a jig

Hop hop hop
Swing swing
Skip and twirl
And hum to the tune
That vibrates through me

:)

Darkest night

A melancholy evening, spent in indecision and an excess of grief had taken its toll, and sleep eluded her. It wasn't entirely unproductive, that first night. She came up with the most lucid expression of the inner turmoil she was being put through... the latest in a seemingly unending list that fate had in store for her, she thought, sighing deeply. But oh, she liked what she had written... it had such pathos that she felt pleased. How well she expressed herself!

Trees are probably proud of their sourest fruits too.