A Baby Doll, on her sixth birthday, sings a poem written by her father.
Mama Ne Kahaa Tha, Papa Ne Likhi Hai, Ek Chhoti Si Kavita... Mera Naam Kavita Hai…
Mama Mujhko Kehti Hai, Phoolon Ki Daali Hoon, Papa Ne Yeh Likha Hai, Subah Ki Laali Hoon… Phoolon Ki Daali Ki, Subah Ki Laali Ki, Ek Chhoti Si Kavita… Mera Naam Kavita Hai…
Jab Mama Ruth Jaati Hai, Toh Papa Manaate Hai, Main Ruth Jaati Hoon, Toh Mujhko Sunaate Hai, Mama Ke Ruth Jane Ki, Mujhko Manaane Ki, Ek Chhoti Si Kavita……… Mera Naam Kavita Hai……
Mama Papa Ne Ek Dujhe Se, Bahot Pyaar Kiya Hai, Mere Khwaab Dekhe Hai, Mera Intezaar Kiya Hai, Mama Papa Ke Pyaar Ki Mere Aane Ke Intezaar Ki Ek Chhoti Si Kavita… Mera Naam Kavita Hai…
What a Girl Want ?
She was not one of those who can make your head turn.
However, there was something on her “Honey colored” oval face that literally compelled me to turn my head and look at her again. Behind my back, at Society’s Annual General Meeting, she was looking for a chair to have a seat. I took a chair besides one of my neighbors in second row. Couple of moments later, as my head turn, I saw her seated in first row. Her right profile, obstructed by lock of her hair, seemed intriguing. In thoughtful gesture, I tried to figure out “why she grabbed my attention so intensely!”
After meeting got over, one of the common friends introduced her to me as Sweetie, a Media Marketing Consultant. Shaking hands, I looked at her face. She smiled from the both the corners of her lips, hiding her front of mouth by twisting her lips inward into mouth. It suited to her and looked cute. A little glow on her “Honey colored” face seemed as pure as values of life. Her crystals like eyes were optimistic, looking for dreams of life. Her pouty lips with lightly applied lip gloss were appearing desirous to have a taste of life. There was no sign of any other make up. I felt she was simply herself.
I felt like the question - “why she grabbed my attention so intensely!” – was melted in my thought process and was not ready to leave my mind.
After that day, she met me few times on the way walking up on the stair…After few “Hallos” and “Hi-s”; she took almost couple of months to get friendly with me. Many times, from ground floor to third floor, we exchanged little tits bits about neta to abhineta, job to employer, tv to movie, life to death, pin to plane and lots of worthless trivial stuff. At third floor she used to take right and I walk up to my apartment on fourth. Slowly and gradually, she opened up and we got to little personal matters.
One fine evening, I got into compound of my building and saw Sweetie, bowed down to a car window, talking to the people in the car. As car moved, she waved at them. When the car disappeared, she saw me and we got along.
“So…what’s going on?” I asked as usual.
“Had some guests…” She said with her typical smile twisting lips inward.
While walking up, she said that those people had come to see her.
“Then what happened?” I asked naturally.
“They said they will let us know…But I know they are not going to…”
And she got silent in thoughtful gesture.
“Sweetie, why don’t you try around your work place…you may find someone interesting…”
“I did, dear…” She said in wet voice: -“All the young ones seemed childish, and matured ones were too old by their thoughts.”
Her views were as clear as a crystal. She definitely knew what exactly she was looking for.
“Sweetie, tell me in one sentence, what exactly you are looking for?”
With sadden smile, she thought for a while and said: - “a simple person, you know …like when he puts his hand on my head and say – I love you, I should cry …”
The ongoing struggle, to find happiness, had made her so sensitive that an intense affection with warm tenderness would have been more than enough for her to live the life. As her eyes were about to swell up, I wanted to stop the conversation on the particular topic.
“You know Sweetie; I really appreciate the clarity of your thoughts…and I am sure you will definitely get what you want…”
Saying thanks, with her typical smile, she left leaving blue moments in my heart.
In life, sometime we only can try! Why we are not able to do what we want? Why Almighty God has given us the power just to try, not to make anything happen? With all those unanswered questions, I saw her going into her apartment. And then helplessly I headed to mine.
I think life is all about trying, not to make anything happen. As if keep on trying something will surely happen.
In the compound, three friends, living in my building, were chatting with each other. One of them, saying 'Hi', stopped me and asked about Sweetie. May be they might have seen me talking to her few times on staircase and thought she was quite friendly with me. Before I utter a single word, the second one told to first one: “If you really want to hang out, why Sweetie? Hang out with some better girl, yaar...” Remaining two of them smiled at each other sarcastically. I couldn’t. Clenching my teeth in resentment, I tempted to smack him and scream at him: - “You cheappo…she won’t even look at a jerk like you…” However, I couldn’t do that. I left the place and was en route to my apartment.
Prudent always said: Understand the people before making them friends. Know them thoroughly before getting into any relationship. While walking up on the stair, I was embarrassed and feeling sorry for myself for having such friends. At the fourth floor, getting into my apartment, I recollected, Sweetie had taken quite long time to get friendly with me.
As time passed, many times, mostly in the evening, I observed her a bit exhausted. On the way up, I frequently felt her short of breath - a sign of stress. I knew she was not one of those who get tired by long hours of work. The reason of exhaustion may be stressful work environment or her efforts were not being appreciated. To get rid of stress, I advise her to meditate, at least 15 minutes a day. I have no Idea whether she followed it or not. However as far as I know, her stress will be dissolved completely with only one remedy, and that is Love, Intense Love..!
She lived with her parents. Mom and Dad, Government Servants, were as simple as their daughter. As other parents do have, they also had some dreams for her loved one. Working very hard, they literally devoted their lives for her. They got her educated as per best of their financial capabilities. Obviously they were pretty contented with their labor of love. At every step of life, whether it is school, college, education, career, vacation, food, festival, clothes, jewelries, function, wedding, even evening breakfast, or teaching of virtues, daughter remained first priority, everything else came second. From choosing education stream, college, and career, they gave her complete freedom. Now getting her married and seeing her happy was the ultimate objective of their lives.
Her parents had an arranged marriage and they were happy. Obviously, for them, arranged marriage has been a definition of a happy life. They have been anticipating the same for her daughter; however their anticipation was not too rigid either. They have just been helping daughter find a compatible life partner from their community and culture. Eventually daughter’s decision would have been the ultimate one.
In the age of Pizzas, Burgers and Colas, she prefers home cooked food. In the age of Video Games and play stations, she still is dying to read books of her favorite writers. In the age of time-pass dating, she is looking for a life partner who really understands her. I would really salute her parents who raised her traditionally in untraditional environment of today’s time.
And she obviously was aware of her parents’ devotion. She also loved them at best of her level. She loved Dad most; however mom was closer to her. I remember. Once I had asked her: -“Who is your Idol in life.” She spontaneously had said: - “My Dad…” I asked her: -“Why?” With blossoming smile, she had said: - “No matter whatever I do, he never yells at me.” At that time, I knew that she is looking for a reflection of her father in her prospective life partner, who really understands her. Once, talking to her, I learned that she will never mind if her spouse loves her a little less than she expects. But she may not be able to bear if her spouse doesn’t respect her parents.
As a daughter, she is looking for an individual who can be -->mischievous like a boyfriend, who can love her intensely like a husband, who can understand her like her mother, who can take care of her like a father, and who can adore her like a bother that she doesn’t have. On the other hand, as a matured youngster, she has been craving for some of the dreamy desires. She has been imagining for someone, who can take her on the beach, who can run bare feet on splashing water, who can get wet with her in the rain, who can gift her a single flower, who can put his hand on her head, who can make her cry, who can make her laugh, who can celebrate love anniversary, who can make her sleep, who can wake her up, who can cook for her, who can feed her, who can respect her, who can adore her, who can love her intensely…yes who can love her only…not anybody else.
And she is highly optimistic. She believes her dreams will definitely come true. She also had passed on her faith to her parents. They all believe that someone has already been made for her and will pop up at right time. Dreams of happiness, love for each other, devotion for loved ones, squabbles for betterment, and respect for all have made their life worth living. It’s a happy, contented, and closely knitted family. Everyone was giving something to others without any expectation and everyone was getting beyond their expectations.
I see her almost every day. We talk about everything from pin to plane. She works. She dreams. She hopes. She searches. She struggles. She smiles and keeps on smiling…of course, hiding her front of mouth by twisting her lips inward, very cute!!! She is cheerful. She is happy and desperately waiting for her dreams come true.
When I saw her first time, I was not able to figure out “why she grabbed my attention so intensely.” But now I knew. It was the reflection of her 'Beautiful Heart' on her face that had grabbed my attention so intensely.
From the bottom of my heart, from the core of my soul, I wish her all the best because she is the best and she deserves the best, all of the best in life.
The Love Story of a Table and a Chair...
The building was recently built. The office on the first floor had been furnished just before a couple of days. The rectangular space, quite narrow in width, had 45 cubicles on the right and the space to move around to the left. The Manager's space, with divider, was located at the end, which was completely empty. The new iMac on every cubicle and revolving small plush chair in front has been urbanizing the office appearance.
The office room was filled with light uproar. The iMacs, Cubicles and Chairs have been muttering as if they were having an introductory meeting and talking about this new location.
Suddenly, the office door opened. Three porters entered lifting a huge brown wooden table. All the furniture-friends, especially chairs, turned their heads to the gate. The Table was so large and heavy that the porters had little difficulty moving to the managers’ space. As they were heading, chairs were also turning their heads along with their movement having their mouth opened, as if they were awestruck with dark and handsome table.
Finally the porters positioned the table at right place. After a long journey in the truck, the table took a sigh of relief and looked around. Amid eclectic ambience and furniture-friends, he felt himself proud of being a manager’s table. While looking around, he felt little disappointed, as he didn’t find any chair compatible with him.
Next day, the peon entered into the office pushing a slick wooden chair towards manager’s space. As the revolving Chair was made of teak wood, it looked quite fair. Her small wooden seating and curved narrow back, embedded with leather cushions, made her tall and slim.
As the peon placed the chair and pushed in a leg room under the table, chair’s arm brushed up with the table top and the table felt a shudder of emotions. He clenched his fist and jerked into the air couple of times in a joyful gesture. He felt, he found The Chair that seemed compatible to him. The Table and The Chair were so matched, as if the chair designer had harmonized leather cushions of the chair with dark brown body of the table.
“Hey…”The Table broke the ice in welcoming voice:-“Glad to see you here…Babe…”
“Me too …” Chair reply ardently.
“You look very sexy, Babe…”Looking at her body and winking at her, The Table praised her a little hesitantly.
“Hey Tayboo… “The Chair said a little mischievously: - “Are you like checkin me out a what?”
“I’mma just flirting Babe…” The Table asserted and ask:-“but what does ‘Tayboo’ mean?”
“It’s like your new name …”Widening her eyes The Chair informed: -”I hope you liked it…”
“Oh yaa Babe…” Table said happily: - “In fact I loved that…”
“You seem to be a nice Table…”
“And you…a nice chair…Babe…”The Table said graciously and scratching his head, he lost in thoughtful gesture.
“Hey Tayboo…” The Chair looked at him and inquired:-“Are you like thinkin somethin?”
“Thinkin some name…like you did for me… Babe…” Still Tayboo was scratching his head.
“Wow…Did you get any? “ The Chair asked curiously.
“Kind of…” Tayboo again winked at chair and asked her:-”May I call yaa ChiChi?”
“Sooooo Sweeeeeeet…” Rounding her lips, closing her eyes in ecstasy for a moment, extending the vowels, she said with giggle: - “Tayboo…when you speak Chichi…It’s like tingles me…”
Both of them burst out into laughter.
“By the way where you are born Tayboo?” Controlling her giggle, she asked.
“USA…” Tayboo replied spontaneously.
“You mean America?” She asked in unbelievable state.
“No, ChiChi…”Tayboo said:-”I am from Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association…”
ChiChi again laughed out loud.
“And where are you…born ChiChi?” Tayboo asked.
“Dharavi…”
“Unbelievable…” Tayboo shook his head in denial: - “Such a sexy chair and born in Dharavi… unbelievable…”
“Yea…I was born in top designers’ furniture-factory in Dharavi…”
And then…in the midst of talking, smiling, giggling, and laughing, the love story of Tayboo and ChiChi kicked off.
They were so talkative that every moment they had something to say to each other. Probably, they had natural flair of constant conversation.
Whenever Tayboo and ChiChi touched each other, Tayboo never missed the chance to kiss her. Tayboo always loved to see her blushing and hiding her face with her palms. And the Manager, while leaving, always pushed the chair deep down into the leg room in such a way that the chair’s back touched the table top. Tayboo used to hug her, clinch her and keep her in his arms for whole of the night, kissed her numerous times, and never let her go away.
As their romance was blossoming like a flower in spring, Tayboo and ChiChi were talk of the workplace. Witnessing their romance, all the furniture-friends in the office were jealous of them. In a few weeks, the bond of relationship has gotten stronger and stronger. However, Manager’s behaviour to the chair was little doubtful. Tayboo and ChiChi felt the fear of being separated.
Unfortunately, a day came, their fear came true. The human became inhuman. The Manager didn’t feel comfortable with wooden chair - ChiChi. And Tayboo-ChiChi dreams of remaining together for life time were shattered. They were shocked. And they broke down completely, when ChiChi was replaced with a Fat Brown Plush Executive Comfortable Leather Chair.
All the furniture friends in the office were also saddened with Tayboo-ChiChi separation. ChiChi was pushed to the small reception area at the entrance and placed with two other common chairs. Looking at those two plastic chairs, ChiChi turned her face away as if they were not up to her standard. In few days, being at the reception, she observed that the people preferred common chairs to have seat. She understood that she was not as comfortable as plastic chairs. She had to compromise with her ego.
Time never stops. ChiChi had accepted that to live with Tayboo for whole of the life was not possible. However, she at least had a consolation that she was in the same room and Tayboo was in front of her eyes. She may not talk to him or romance with him but she was able to see him. She decided to live whole of her life just seeing him.
Happiness and sorrow are two wheels of life cycle. Happiness follows after sorrow and sorrow after happiness. Without sorrow we can’t understand the happiness and vice versa. After few years, the human again became inhuman. The owner of the company bought another two adjacent offices of the floor and decided to connect them all in one. And one fine day, the renovation began.
The truck was being unloaded. Two guys hurled the table – Tayboo – and tossed him in one of the corner of Junk Yard. In next round, one of the two guys flung the chair – ChiChi – in the same corner where Tayboo was thrown. After few moments, they recognised each other and their eyes filled with tears, as if after a long painful waiting, their dream to live together came true. Sobbing and crying, they shared the joy of meeting again and finally slept in each other’s arms.
Suddenly, at midnight, some screaming and disturbing noise woke Tayboo and ChiChi up. As their eyes opened they saw that the whole Junk Yard was wrapped up in fire. Raging fire was blazing up high. Tayboo and ChiChi saw the owner of the Junk Yard and the workers running away saving their lives. There wasn’t a single human who can get them out of the blazing fire. Both of them realized that their lives are about to end. As rapidly moving flames of fire touched them, they screamed in burning pain. The flames were rising up from legs to body and they were not able to see and tolerate their bodies scorching.
With tears in their eyes and pain of burning body, they looked at each other. ChiChi said to Tayboo: - “Hey Tayboo… Don’t cry Baby…Don’t cry…Lovers, you know, always struggle to live together in life…Nobody think of dying together…May be they don’t know that this life is just a stopover, a halt for few years… For us, this stopover is ending now and we are gonna be heading to the Eternal Journey…Eternal Journey with Almighty God…We are one of the luckiest ones who die together to remain together for the Eternal Journey of millions of years…Now nobody will be able to separate us…Tayboo, Nobody…We are gonna be together for millions of years…millions of years…baby…millions of years… ”
And ChiChi broke down in tears. Tayboo embraced her and within few seconds the flames enveloped them completely. Few moments later, they got silent, they turned into ashes.
After few minutes, two small flames got separated from the blazing fire and rose up side by side, as if holding their hands. They flew up in the sky and kept on flying up and at a point of time disappeared into the universe.
To remain together, they already had started an eternal journey...an eternal journey of millions of years...
A Baby Doll, on her sixth birthday, sings a poem written by her father.
