THAT WEEK: An Eternity

Picturing a house all to myself and imagining scene by scene the fun 
and frolic awaiting for me, I could not be more eager for the 22nd of 
June to arrive. Late night movies, sitting by the window sill and 
reading novels for hours, plus a car available 24*7 at my disposal.

I was sure this would feel heavenly, though it all turned 
a mess pretty soon, to be accurate it turned a mess as 22nd was about 
to get changed into 23rd of that month…midnight that is.
Confused?
Well should be.
Let me be more specific. My parents were due to leave for Kerela on 
June 22nd. It was their Silver Jubilee. Since they were to enjoy their 
anniversary together, I was to guard the house for a week in their 
absence. The idea seemed grand, I could hardly contain my excitement 
about the fun I was about to have. But when I stood on the station watching the train roll away from the platform, a strange feeling unnerved me, was I happy? Or was I terrified by the idea of sleeping alone that night?

I spent the evening outside my house, determined to loiter around until sunset. When I returned home, believe me the house seemed lifeless. There was no mummy asking me to have milk and no papa to fight with for watching Television. Today the T.V set was a discarded piece of technology for me.

By midnight, a giddy sensation oozed through my nerves. I regretted not calling my sister to sleep over with me. Worst of all, I had spotted a lizard on my terrace earlier, and now I was sure it would be a nightmare for me (I’m a little…no extremely scared of lizards).

The next day I sweated over the infinite house-hold work lined up for me, and by afternoon I was completely spent. This was something I had never anticipated… no books, no fun and worst…no parents! :(

Though over the next three days I had my siblings coming over for night-stays, it never ever filled the void, that space could only be filled by my parents. And even though I started having fun, and had no one to answer about my whereabouts, life seemed ‘aimless’ and ‘bleak’.

My days were consumed by cooking tasteless food and cleaning the house and the nights were unwanted dark times I was keen on sleeping through quickly. The only cheerful moments were visits from my siblings and friends and frequent phone-calls from my parents… And alas when the seven day deadline ended, and I went to pick them up, an involuntary natural smile lit up my face when I spotted a sign saying “Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport”.

Finally, I’ll not sleep alone, not today and not in the coming days!

In the seven long days I realized one irrevocable fact, life without parents has little charm in it. For me, I’m like a flower and they are my roots. If we are connected well, I can blossom, stay nourished and transform from a bud into a beautiful flower. And in the absence of those very roots, I might as well droop and lose my charm. I never fully realized their importance until now.

And so, for the ones who have their parents invisibly supporting them from behind, cherish their company and appreciate their care. Don’t wait too long to express a word of gratitude. Some who are unlucky enough have no parents and can not fully experience their warmth.

A Sorry State of Affairs…

(The confused mind of Indian politics)

The Indian netas never fail to surprise me. Politics is a game for them and they are absolutely flawless in playing it. Our democracy is like a game of chess, the politicians and the opposition are the master players. Each move that they make is a counter attack at the opposite party, but in the process we Indians like pawns are trashed mercilessly.

The current scenario is quite similar; in between the accusations and counter allegations involved in the Jan Lokpal bill, where in BJP supports spiritual guru Ramdev baba and Congress key members like Kapil Sibal try to maintain their poise, the common man is being kicked, manipulated and romped around.

An even more ‘sorrier’ fact is that a certain minister gives supari to murder Gandhian philosopher Anna Hazare and what is ironical is the fact that the Maharashtra government promises to provide the man full-fledged security. The government threats and protects the same person! Seriously what games do these netas play?!

And during times like these I wonder what Prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh gains from keeping absolutely mum when his ‘team of warriors’ are out there brandishing police crackdown in the middle of the night on innocent people. Remaining silent about the Rajghat folly is undermining democracy itself. The time and the scenario are both ripe when we Indians must neither encourage corruption nor its practitioners.  Following suit of Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen et al, it is quintessential that corruption is nipped in the bud. And irrespective of what political gains Ramdev baba hopes to seek, I salute the man for his endeavour because ultimately his success in ending corruption will benefit the common man as well.

Well anyway, among the infinite series of plotting, backstabbing and conspiracies I gain solace with a small silver lining… Atleast the government has nailed down some big corporate players involved in 2G and CWG scam. But yet again, while they intend to curb corruption they also want to make sure that their occupied corrupted seats do not slide away from them and so a bill intending to check on their practices is the last thing they want.

Such a sorry state of affairs!