Life is easy kya karein

Where the school was concerned I have a few sharp clear memories. First one is my Granny waiting for me for seven hours in the hot sun. The workers in the school used to give her a cup of tea as nothing was available around the school.She used to sit in the school driveway adjacent to the fields for hours for me without eating or any other comforts. She was very used to fasting and knew of so many religious festivals. She celebrated all by donating something to the poor and the needy and to the brahmin. In her times we had a string of sadhus, priests, saints visiting home. She was always welcoming them and cooking meals for them.She coould cook really well and real fast and in great quantities. She never wore footwear after my grandfather passed away and that was barely three and half years into her marriage. She raised her two children staying with in laws and taking care of all. The amazing thing was she was never scared of any kind of work. She had filaria in her foot but she could...

Devika has just joined Shiamak dance class. Went to drop her and saw the teachers. They have amazing relatedness to all the 25 children in the class. They actually remember what the child did in the 45 min class. The instructors are barely 18 or 20 and the way they are with kids is so natural and so un teacher like.What will happen when they become parents I dont know. Right now, they are doing a super job with the children. I only saw happy faces pre and post class. Children love to go to the class and are so happy with dance and music. Why cant I as a parent provide the same atmosphere at home? I am amazed how Shiamak teaches the instructors to be so brilliant with children. I have been going for the class for the last two years. The instructors are all fabulous people and the way they teach is also so clear so technical.You never ever have a twisted ankle or sprain while dancing in the class. All young instructors are under thirty for sure and what passion for people and dance. You...

Mount Carmel school was in a place called Dighwadih. On our way to school the bus crossed places like Chaar number, Jealgora, Bhaaga,lakshmaniya more,Katras More. I always wondered how these names originated. I had a friend coming from Chaas nalla. Some were names of coal mines and the area got that name. School was more than 10 km away. On our way we saw some ten temples and a couple of mosques and two three cinema halls.We crossed our fingers when we saw a black car and your finger could be uncrossed only if you saw an ambulance or a red car.The other game was Zing Zing where we said categories of flowers, actors, colours. The day exams got over we used to sing songs in the bus. The school had two buildings primary and secondary and they were seperated by a pond and a boys school in between. The buildings were huge and lot of fields to play in. We also had a chapel, a nunnery , a hostel and a garden. It was not a sand pit but a full playground of sand for young children. Huge stage ...

Is it possible that something is so beautiful that you own it but dont want to use it? I feel so about a pink diary gifted to me. The desire to preserve it is stronger than the desire to use it. It has such a beautiful array of colours in the pages that I dont want to taint them. I also know that the year will pass by and the diary will be of no use. It will also loose its charm. Right now , it is the most beautiful thing in my whole world of possessions. I love its colous, the quality of paper and the concept. The love for pretty diaries started when I was working for the Oberoi Hotels. The day started with a morning meeting. Each one of us carried our best diaries to this meeting. The people handling the banks always had the best diaries. One year a colleague had given me a diary of UNICEF. It had pictures of children from all over the world in their natural habitats. Opening the diary in the morning took the stress out of those meetings. Yeah, children s smiles can do that. So my re...

Matunga is very beautiful at this time of the year. There are lot of Gulmohar trees in all its bylanes. They do not allow the harsh summer sun to touch your skin. The best part is all the trees have yellow flowers. The pavements looks like a carpet when the breeze has blown and the flowers have fallen on it. Today in my afternoon walk I heard some singing. The music came from the chawl above on its first floor. The stair case is open to the road. One side of the staircase leads to the rooms and the other side is the common toilets. Six or seven christian women were sitting on various steps. They were in different floral faded frocks and gowns. They were singing hymns in konkani.The sun kind of put a halo on them.They were looking so divine and in a trance. When the world was complaining about Mumbai heat and the women at home were catching up with their afternoon soap re runs, I could see God in them. I walked past, a strong wind brought a shower of yellow flowers on me. May be there ...

There is so much resistance when I have to start writing. Throughout the day I am brimming with ideas and that is only when I am not in front of the comp.Rest of the day , I am so busy with homestead and it is one good excuse. Resistance comes in so many forms.It starts when I have to wake up early. Then I face resistance when I plan the breakfast menu. Resistance is experienced when I wake up my elder one and she wants to sleep some more. Resistance is when I want the younger one to come out of bath and she wants to play some more. Resistance when I tell the maid what is unclean or was left undone the previous day. resistance when I tell the cab guy show me the correct meter table. Resistance when I tell the shopkeeper I ll come for exchange if it doesn t fit.Resistance when I give one priest at the temple some money and dont give the others. Resistance when I go to the school office for some fee related queries. Resistance when I have to go to the parlour,leaving children with husba...

Last night I had a dream which I vividly remember for a change. In the dream, I was asked to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming elections. I was talking to these unknown faces who were urging me to take this challenge on. Come on guys who will vote for me? I know my immediate family and there is only person above eighteen in that and that is my husband. My building wont vote for me . The business community likes to see if the candidate has done anything to help them grow their business. Sorry Raj, my building wont vote for you and enough shop breaking now. My in laws believe in voting for a big party namely Congress so that there are not too many alliances and the goverment can do their job in peace. There is no party threatening to pull out from the support they provide to the UPA for every decision they make. My parents well they still have to get their name shifted from the electoral rolls of Dhanbad to Mumbai. Toh woh be paanch vote gaye haath se. So family is out...