Making memories together..

The Singapore trip happened. And it is being added to the the memories as being one of the many amazing days spent with Diya. Sometimes when she asks me to tell her ‘bachpan ki kahani’, I get confused. What should I tell her? Where should I start from? From the beginning? Or from even before that? And would it be okay if I jump from one phase to the other, randomly, remembering all in those jigsaw puzzle pieces which ultimately fit together to form this masterpiece of amazement and wonder! And how do I explain to her that these moments make me feel complete. Is there any way that I can describe the emotions that sweep through me when I watch her deriving fun out of even the hardships that we go through together. How do I convince her that she makes me very proud by virtue of her character and personality.

So the trip. It came up as an opportunity for both of us to spend some time together. I am glad I took it up.

The promise was to have her lead our way. She was the official navigator. From checking flight status to plan our way through the city, she had to do it all. But who says you can’t have some fun while you execute your role as a ‘leader’ (her grandfather has designated her as one… needs another  post for that!).

And while I absolutely enjoy conversations with her, sometimes one needs to just keep quiet and look outside.

Looking at how far the world reaches beyond us.

Zoo is not just an ‘educational’ place. It is where you go and realize that there is much more around than just yourself and your problems. The animals with their simplicity in a very complex world are what you need to reassure yourself of beauty still existent.

This one was a fun moment when she saw this painting at ChinaTown and exclaimed “Majnu bhai ki painting“!! Only those who are big fan of movies like ‘WELCOME‘ would get the joke 🙂

She mentioned feeling lost in the waves. Throughout the trip, her wide eyes, the happiness in the heart for having seen something new, the courage to take on the difficult situations was inspiring.  I understand this is something which fades away with age and time. But I also know that like innocence of heart, one can definitely strive to retain it for a little longer than usual.

And we could manage to catch the sunrise as we were traveling back home.  We made promises to each other to be better at what each of us does and is.

The end

Sometimes the end seems to be the best beginning there can be.

We love Salman Khan for obvious reasons..

“The man” – who is passionately in love (on/off screen) , protects his woman, helps her whenever needed. All this, of course excuses him in case he ever abuses the ‘object’ of his love and desire.  Isn’t it the duty of a woman to serve her man since he has had a long day at work, earning for them, protecting the family from bad elements, upholding Indian values by ensuring the honor (read women) of his family are not exposed outside the ‘protected’ walls of his home. One slap here, a slight push there hurts no one, especially if the ‘intention’ was to have the right prevailing at the end.

“The man” – indulges in sports which project his masculinity. What is wrong in that? Aren’t we all fond of watching men do that since ages? The macho man is the one who is fit and strong enough to carry a rifle and know when to use it. Now whether it is to kill the helpless animals –  Who cares.

“The man” – carrying the burden of the world on his shoulders, on certain occasions, is made to face rejection – that too by the woman he loved and desired, and did so much for by  means of taking care and protecting her. Can anything be worse than that? What kind of person won’t feel sympathy? And if he ends up getting drunk, isn’t that understandable? And of course, alcohol is an evil who made him run over some people who weren’t even supposed to be where they were, how can it be his fault?

“The man” is not the problem here. We and our mental conditioning of how he should be led to accepting and normalizing what he is today.  How can we blame just him when we all are the same – by doing what he does in various degrees, and by keeping silent and accepting his behavior however unruly it may be.

Fear of the inevitable

Some days are just impossible to sail through.

Laden with raw grief.

That one call.

That one moment.

The fear of inevitable haunts me.

To the land of known and unknown

The nomad in me,

all ready to pick up

the packed bag,

and leave behind footprints.

Parts of my soul

waiting in tandem,

as the rest of me moves ahead

to the new beginnings.

I carry with me –

moments laden with love and sweet memories.

The land of the known and unknown

welcomes me by offering new dreams.

 

 

 

 

Selfless Love

One thing that me and sister discuss often is about how lucky we are to have two very special people as our parents. We understood it when we were little kids, even when we were staying all on our own, searching for keys under the welcome mat of the door, doing the basic cooking , preparing tea for parents right before  they were home. Every little fall or accident that we had in their absence, we dealt with it. And we told ourselves that this is what families do for each other – struggle together, pamper each other, love unconditionally. We went through difficult teenage filled with angry rants, bitter arguments, generation-gap talks. And we grew up fine, understanding and appreciating what tied us together as a family. We take care of each other, ready to jump in whenever needed, willing to give up everything we have. And it is not limited by our boundaries of convenience. We do things for each other even when it is not the easiest way out.

With time, as we met more people and gained more experience, one thing that we learned was that Love is a rare commodity. People love professing about being in love, even when they aren’t. The idea itself makes them feel special, and they do not see any need to work on it because like beauty, it is attractive only if it doesn’t look made up. The cosmetic nature of relationships made us turn back to look at our parents and be amazed by the selflessness of their character. And no, it wasn’t just for us. We are their children, and some take that love for granted. But I saw that for the rest of their family and friends as well. They spent their life’s time and money looking after people who mattered to them. There were times when it didn’t make much sense to me. But now it does. It makes me understand that true and selfless exists, but only in rare souls. And that it is not just charity as per someone’s convenience.

 

 

Mourning and Celebrating together

as I introduced daughter to my childhood memories through the songs this beautiful actress brought to life. And while there are so many movies that come to my mind, Lamhe and EnglishVinglish shall always remain my favorite. What always struck me was how we all could relate to her character despite being so out-of-the-world beautiful. The grace  which she brought to the screen was such a pleasure to watch. And now we shall miss it and the amazing actress that she has been.