HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABA
White banyans, check lungis,
Sparkling white Dhoti, Kurtas
The morning newspaper
The second cup of tea at 11am
Marie biscuits, Crisp fries, Hot meals carefully served
Eye drops
Hawai slip ons…
…ARE THINGS THAT REMIND ME OF YOU
Mom’s permission to take bath…Mom taking cue to keep lunch
ready. Your orchestrated tuning
(Developed our understanding of interdependence in relationships)
“Do tomorrow what you want to do today” (This biased
philosophy only applied to any frills that we requested for, like shopping,
dining and movies) (Developed our liberal values with our children…worked as an
antidote)
“So what’ keep going (You had no concept of obstacle)
(Developed our sense of optimism to dare)
“There is no door that can’t be opened” (Unabashed
fearlessness that comes from living in truth) (Developed our self-belief &
confidence)
Simple living and high thinking (Developed our ethical
values)
School red marks and remarks are a part of school life and
never to be feared. (Developed our sense
of acceptance and balance)
Read aloud and study altogether. (Developed our ten siblings
concentration)
Unitary method of solving maths. (Developed (my) patience)
Unruffled under any situation (Developed our resilience)
Never giving us hand- me- down books or bags (Developed our
sense of thrill and joy of acquiring)
Giving us excursions and vacation travels ((Developed our
understanding that attitude is more important than affording)
Taking us all to the sport shop (Dhobi Talao) the day exams
got over. (Developed our understanding that a family that plays together stays
together) Just realized we are carrying forward this legacy with our passion
for ‘Time Waste’ our moniker for a game of cards
Your unique understanding of business economics. (Expense
doesn't exist when you are calculating profit…every rupee earned is profit and
calls for celebration. (Celebration was a loaded market bag and ‘Mangsho Pullao’
(Sweet flavoured rice and a delicious lamb preparation) (Developed our spirit of celebration)…
…ARE QUALITIES THAT REMIND ME OF YOU
I miss your silent participation, your eyes that turned to
slits and the rubbing of your hand on your crew cut hair at Sejda’s (brother) jokes. The nagging for us to bathe
on a Sunday and the ‘Very Good’ even if it was a shower at 10pm. The non stop
‘ghumao’ (go to sleep) when mom and me
would be awake late into the night, chatting. Your unconditional appreciation
of anything that we cooked. Your, trying
to stop me from going for my morning walk, fearing someone would kidnap me, I
suppose. With you no more, the fun of disobedience has gone, making me fat, smug
and still unkidnapped.
Wherever you are Baba, I am drinking my chai in a glass with
Parle G biscuits, just like you treated all your colleagues on your Birthday.
And today I went to the market and I looked up and asked you, just
like you did to all of us on our birthdays ‘Ki khaiba’ (What do you wish to
eat)- So it is your favourite , Pullao and Mangsho for me today because you taught
us to celebrate birthdays.
19th April 2014
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